Cuban National Culture : Cuba's Original People

Cuban history, like many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which have experienced colonial subjugation and imperial interference, is highlighted by tumultuous rebellions. Ever since the revolt of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in 1868, who took up arms with his slaves to liberate Cuba from Spain’s colonial grasp, the existence of insurrectionists and adamant government opposition in Cuba has flourished. Social revolution and a strong will and practice of nationalism has indelibly characterized Cuban history. Nevertheless, the outcomes of particular movements and struggles for social justice have consistently frustrated revolutionary and radical leaders. Government regimes throughout

Culture is made up of different elements; symbols, language, values and norms. Every culture has a different perspective of the way individuals should lead their lives. Cuba is known for its cultural diversity that is made up from Spanish, African, French and Asian influences.

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

Brittmarie Janson Perez, author of Political Facets of Salsa, writes, “Late at night, in a discotheque in a Latin American country whose political system is dominated by the military and is not particularly known for its respect for human rights, a crowd is dancing salsa, a generic term covering Caribbean dance music” (149). This has been and continues to be a very commonly accurate depiction of many Latin American countries. Since Cuba was founded in October 1492, its government and politics has been characterized by brutality, corruption and instability. Nonetheless, involvement from foreign nations and its deeply engrained Spanish roots has without a doubt had a significant impact on the transformation of what Cuba is today. In this paper, I will explore the pros and cons of the 1959 Cuban Revolution through the examination of the historical context of politics and how it impacted the social atmosphere.

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

The topic of race and its impact on the Cuban society has been a subject that has intrigued scholars, writers and researchers since the inception of the country. The Cuban people have seen a tremendous transformation since the Cuban Revolution in 1959, since then the people have seen how socio-economic, cultural foundations and racism has been fought for. Being a communist country Cuba had eliminated the process of private ownership as well as the economic and social bases that countries need to flourish. Throughout history in Cuba you had tend to see that the whites were economically and socially elite to the blacks. They had used racial ideologies and tactics to maintain their domination over the minority groups in Cuba at the time. There have been advancements since the 20th

The Cuban community in the United States is one of the most rapidly growing Latin-American groups. They are known as Cuban Americans, and include not only American citizens or residents born in Cuba, but also long distant Cuban descendants. The areas with the highest concentration of this spicy ethnic group are South Florida, Tampa Bay Area, and North Hudson, New Jersey. South Florida is definitely the capital of the Cuban American community, since an estimate of almost seventy percent (70%) of the entire group lives there. The essence of this community does not stops with the country of precedence, other factors such as the culture and customs are truly relevant.

My Cuban background has had a profound effect throughout my life, despite the negative stigma many people have sadly associated with it. Both of my parents immigrated to the United States when they were young, so I have grown up with stories of how hard my grandparents had to work to adjust to a culture and language they were completely foreign to. Because they had to overcome so many obstacles to get where they are today, they have instilled a work ethic and determination in me that I believe is why I have been so successful in my academics and extracurriculars. I have always been taught that education is the most important facet of my adolescent years, and thus I comprehend its importance and strive for academic perfection. Furthermore, as

Many of the modern Cuban music comes from Europe and Africa. There are very few native traditions as it is Cuban music now consist of a mixture of African and European music. The paths with African music crossed when the Africans would work on large plantations and the Spanish would be on small farms. The Africans made many percussion instruments and rhythms that fit the new instruments well. The Spanish saw the innovation of the Africans and made the guitar as their contribution to the musical style of hard laborers. The Europeans gave the Spanish the idea to combine music styles and express it in a visual form, more commonly known as notes.

In 1855 Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar began permanent settlement on the northern coast of Cuba with 300 men and their slaves. Five years after their arrival they had split our home country into seven sectors: Havana (La Habana), Puerto Príncipe, Santiago de Cuba, and Sancti Spíritus. Each had its own council that governed its affairs which resulted in a divided government and laid crucial behind the reasoning in which why did not have a proper representation in the voting of official affairs. However, Cuba became a key place for explorers o advance their knowledge of the land, thus, resulting in a vast amount different ethnic groups beginning to occupy not only our homeland but our workforce as well. “By 1570 most residents

In the formation of the Cuban nation, the role of Afro-Cubans is undeniably of great importance. The success and riches obtained by Cuba as a Spanish colony would have been unthinkable without the exploitation of African slave labor. Even before emancipation, there were key figures in the Cuban independence movement, such as Antonio Maceo, who were free men of Afro-Cuban origin. After emancipation in 1886, Afro-Cuban ex-slaves showed their enthusiasm for their future in Cuba by volunteering in large numbers to fight in the Liberation Army. Yet in the victory over the Spanish in 1898, Afro-Cubans were given little recognition for their overwhelming support, and were

On September 9th, 2016 I had the pleasure of attending a concert, where I saw Adonis Puentas and the Voice of Cuba, at Grant park. The music being played introduced the sounds of an entirely different culture to my ears. Accompanying the harmony, melody and beat was a crowd of people dancing. I would later learn that many in the crowd were dancing the mambo, a Latin dance of Cuba also known as Salsa “on 2” because of the break occurring on the two count. The event was from 7 – 9:30 PM and when Adonis Puentas began singing the sun had set and the back drop was a sparkling Chicago skyline. The Afro-Cuban music produced by Adonis Puentas and the Voice of Cuba showcased many aspects of Cuban culture.

Many people of modern day Cuba are descendants the indigenous people of past centuries. During the 15th century the past inhabitants of Cuba these past people were called the Tainos they were descried by the Spanish visitors as, “meek, humble, obedient and very hospitable, little given to sexual pleasures or other exerting physical activities” (12). The Tainos would live off the land they often cultivated were yucca root, cotton, tobacco as well as maize and potatoes. The Tainos are not the original indigenous people of the land of Cuba long before were a group of people were called the Guanahatabeyes. The Guanahatabeyes were also migrants from far lands like modern day Venezuela and Colombia. They were forced to go west because of two groups on the island, which were the Tainos and the Siboneys; they travelled northwards from the Orinoco delta then the West Indies’ Island. Both of these groups have something in common, which is that they both belonged to a group named the Arawaks.

These questions of sociological nomenclature are not to be disregarded in the interests of a better understanding of social phenomena, especially in Cuba, whose history, more than that of any other country of America, is an intense, complex, unbroken process of transculturation of

Politics of Cuba is the only country in the America and one in five country of the world also governed by the communism regime at the present for these reasons.