Cuban Culture Research Paper

Despite the fact, of some of the ways Cuban culture can be similar to U.S. culture may be through the average family of the U.S. having 3.19 members, where the Cuban family average has 3.18 members.

Cubans have absolutely no problem sharing their feelings, thoughts, and ideas. They are known for being boisterous and not keeping anything to themselves. For example, when I have gone a long time without seeing a family member the first words out of their mouth are “oh my goodness! You have gained weight.” If anyone wants an honest opinion a Cuban is the right person to ask, they are very blunt and to the point. Although they are open to talk about anything to have a conversation, there are somethings that are considered taboo in discussion. A very touchy subject would be racism. In Cuba, they are still battling some issues with it. It is said that black Cubans do not get the same fair treatment as all the others. They are given the hardest and less remunerated jobs. Many Black Cubans complain that they are given a hard time in their jobs and get hassled the most by police when they are doing their jobs (New attitudes on once-taboo race questions emerge in Cuba, 2017).

From April 15 to October 31 in 1980, over 125,000 Cuban migrants arrived in the United States. Family members from America ferried relatives and institutionalized Cubans from the Cuban port of Mariel, in what was soon coined the Mariel Boatlift. Mirta Ojito, one of these ‘Marielitos’, as they soon were termed, grew up to write “Finding Mañana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus”. In this text, the author provides a historic account of events leading up to the Mariel Boatlift, narratives from important figures surrounding the event, and a personal narrative describing the struggle of her family to gain freedom from the socialist dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Throughout the story of the years preceding the boatlift and the influence that living in Cuba held on her life, Ojito describes the positive and negative elements of the both the political climate and personal life on the communist island which led to her eventual emigration to the United States.

economic growth comes from agriculture and exports to and from Europe. Since America has had an embargo on Cuba since 1962 neither countries trade with each other because of many disagreements about governing techniques and Fidel's unwillingness to comply with U.S. instructions. Cuba’s long history and culture has contributed to many economic and social growth through out the world, but Cuba is still struggling to try to stable their economy.

Even though Cuba is a little under 100 miles away from the United States, the relationship between the two countries has created an atmosphere full of tension and perpetual mistrust. When Fidel Castro decided to align Cuba with the U.S.S.R. and become a communist country, the United States of America was stunned and highly insulted. Because of their relationship, both countries have played a back and forth game of trying to outdo the other. This game and state of affairs in Cuba has created a large influx of Cuban immigrants looking for better opportunities and trying to escape poverty and persecution. This paper will be focusing on Cuban immigrants and examining different Cuban immigration laws, which allowed them to easily become United States citizens, including; the Cuban Adjustment Act, The Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1976 and the Wet Foot, Dry Foot Policy. It will also discuss whether the Cuban immigration laws are unfair to other foreign immigrants and whether the laws are relevant today. Finally, we will be considering the future and try to predict how the laws will change with the changing diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States and the imminent removal of the Embargo Act.

Family is very important to Puerto Ricans. They do not usually live in the same homes, but they do live near or in the same town as their loved ones. This gives grandparents the option to offer child care when needed; like when both mom and dad work. Living close to relatives also makes it easy to visit one another often. Most Puerto Rican homes have at least three children that do not leave home until they are married. They grow with the strict understanding of respect for their elders and are expected to take care of their loved ones when they get old.

The study of race relations in contemporary Cuba indelibly requires an understanding of the dynamic history of race relations in this ethnically pervasive island of the Caribbean. Cuban society, due to its historical antecedents of European colonialism and American imperialism, has traditionally experienced anguished and even tumultuous race relations. Racial disharmony has plagued Cuban society ever since the advent of the Colonial institution of the plantation system. Thus, in order to acquire some understanding of Cuba’s dynamic race relations one must study and investigate the evolution of racial tensions and the quintessential

Generations upon generations of people have been thriving in Spanish speaking countries. Cuba is no different, through traditional clothing and special holidays they always are in tune with the past. With flamboyant traditional attire, that rivals the suns bright color and Spring flowers, coupled with fun to watch free flowing up beat music like Guaguancó or Pachanga, the Cuban culture is very exciting. In order to start to describe my family ties with Cuba, I will use an analogy: With every spin of a vibrant dress it seems as if the hands of time slowly turn back time. As the clock goes back so does my family history. In the early 1920's my great grandmother and her family made the trip from Spain to Cuba. Ever since then my family has had bearings

Cubans have had a long history of migrating to the United States, often for political reasons. Many Cubans, particularly cigar manufacturers, came during the Ten Years' War (1868-1878) between Cuban nationals and the Spanish military. Yet the most significant Cuban migrations have occurred in the last 35 years. There have been at least four distinct waves of Cuban immigration to the United States since 1959. While many, perhaps most, of the earlier migrants were fleeing Cuba for political reasons, more recent migrants are more likely to have fled because of declining economic conditions at home.

They have the leading college completion rate of all the Latino groups in the U.S. The majority of them came during the anti-Castro movement as refugees to the United States. They were generally well educated, had managerial or professional backgrounds, and therefore met with greater economical success than later immigrants (Racial and Ethnic Groups Chapter 9). Fidel Castro has ruled over Cuba for the past 48 years, and there are still people coming to the United States (Miami, Florida) to get their citizenship and running from his reign. As recent as today, some immigrants from Cuba are not accepted well, unless they are outspoken critics of Fidel Castro (Racial and Ethnic Groups Chapter 9). The younger generation is more worried about how the Miami Dolphins are doing than what is going on in Havana these days (Racial and Ethnic Groups Chapter 9).

One of the practical problems service providers face in working with newly-arrived Cubans is that they can function so comfortably within the Spanish-speaking Cuban-American communities: There is little motivation to learn English or move away to areas where there are better jobs. The official and national language of Cuba is Spanish, which virtually all of the population speaks. Cuban Spanish is close to Puerto Rican Spanish and the Spanish spoken in the Dominican Republic, but has special characteristics which make it easily identifiable. In addition, there are internal differences: The Spanish spoken in Havana in the northwest is noticeably different from the Spanish spoken in Santiago in the east. There is also a difference (as there is in any language) between formal and informal Cuban Spanish: In formal Spanish, for example, the s's in the phrase Hasta la vista ('So long') are pronounced, but in informal Cuban Spanish, those s's are likely not to be pronounced. (http://www.cal.org/co/cubans/SPAN.HTM)

requirement to Cubans and that my most familiar form of greeting is a kiss on the cheek, are some

Gustavo Lopez (2013) tells that Hispanics from Cuba are a big proportion of the United States. Cuban Americans are affiliated with Hispanics. (Lopez, 2013) “Cubans in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Cuban origin; this means either they themselves are Cuban immigrants or they trace their family ancestry to Cuba” (Lopez, 2013, pp.1). In 2013, Gustavo tells that the Cuban population in the United States was very large. (Lopez, 2013) Cubans who live in the United States prefer to be called certain terms (Lopez, 2013). Most often, Cubans prefer the term “Cuban” and only a few Cubans prefer to be termed as an “American” (Lopez, 2013). Also, when the Cubans were asked about being termed “Hispanic” or “Latino,” both terms were not favorable (Lopez, 2013).

Little Havana is one of Miami's most picturesque and beloved neighborhoods. It has some of the oldest and most historic buildings in Miami. Ever since the Cuban immigration started in the 60s the neighborhood became the home of many Cuban families, and later it was home as well for residents from Central y South America helping them to shape and reinforce the strong and proud Hispanic identity of the area. Walking by Calle 8 (8th street, the area's main drag) you always find either, around Domino Park or at El Exquisito or at El Pub restaurants or at any other business between SW 12th Ave and SW 17th Ave, people who by their charming personality or by their clothing or by their conversations always proudly display elements of their homeland,

The majority of people living in Cuba were of African and Spanish ancestry. They lived in high rise apartment buildings. Their diet consisted of rice, and it was usually served with beans and/or mixed with tomatoes. Many Cuban foods are spicy.