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Cuban Culture Research Paper

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The Cuban culture is one with many different traditions and values. Close-knit families, distinct religious beliefs and respectful communications are some of the characteristics Cubans possess. The island of Cuba is located 90 miles south of Key west, Florida and it is considered the largest island in the west indies (Purnell, 2013, P. 197). the United States consists of over 1.6 million Cuban Americans making it the third largest Hispanic group. Cuba, a multiracial society is composed of primarily Spanish and African descendants with ethnic groups of Eastern European, Chinese, and Haitians. In 1990 My parents decided to leave the Fidel Castro regime and travel to the United states in a raft, these people are known as balseros. “This wave …show more content…

Cubans have many ways of showing communication. Conversation among Cuban people are portrayed by facial expressions, hand gestures, gesticulations and eye contact. Cuban people tend to speak loud and fast differentiating them from other Hispanic groups. Communication is a big factor when it comes to forming either personal or professional relationships. Cubans normally greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and a hug, it can be deemed disrespectful not to greet someone, especially the elderly. In Cuba the elderly is greeted as Señora or Señor. In the health care field, it is important to remember that the elderly should be addressed with respect such as Mrs. Or Mr. In regard to primary language spoken many younger generations of Cuban speak Spanglish, which is a mixture of the English and Spanish language. The older generations of Cubans speak their primary language, Spanish, although they may incorporate some English words into their everyday dialectal. Cubans are very affectionate, they will greet with a kiss on the cheek or hugs and that doesn’t change in the health care setting. Patients and family members may hug or kiss the provider to show how grateful they are for their care. (Purdue, 2013, P.200) It is common for Cubans to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek from young to elderly. Not greeting someone can be seen as disrespectful especially with older …show more content…

23). The traditional Cuban family consists of the male being the head of household making all the rules and being more aggressive while the female is usually more passive and takes care of the household work. It is custom that the wife takes care of the cooking, cleaning and children while the husband does all the hard work. It is a norm that there is enough food available for everyone, it is best to have leftover then not have enough. Common Cuban foods are pork, yucca, plantains, and rice and beans. Since the migration from Cuba to the U.S in 1959 traditional household has changed. With the passage of Family code in 1975 there has been more gender equality, with female members of the household having more jobs outside the home. Multigenerational households are common among Cuban families, this includes grandparents, aunts and uncles all living under one roof. It is custom that the elder people stay living with a relative and not be put into a nursing home. “The high proportion of older

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