The Film Che: The Cuban Revolution

My cultural ancestry comes from a Cuban and Mexican decent. I have chosen to write about my Cuban side because I can relate to them more than I could with my Mexican side. I was raised around my Cuban family and would occasionally see my Mexican side due to them living so far away. I have spent a lot more time associating with Cubans and have adapted to more of their habits.

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.

stated the necessity of the Soviet Union and Cuba to become allies, and this move would also influence many countries in Latin America to become allies with the Soviet Union rather than the U.S and the West.

There are only five countries left in this world that still call themselves communists stated by (PRI,2013). Everyone knows those five countries as, China, Dominican Republic, Korea, Vietnam, and of course Cuba. Cuba is home to 11.2 million citizens whom live a very different life than us who populate the united states (PRI,2013). During the year of 1925 the socialist party was founded forming the Communist party. Cubans government has survived over 50 years of Communism (BBC,2017).

Question: Was Ernesto “Che” Guevara the revolutionary hero as depicted in today’s pop culture, or was he a vicious murderer, obsessed with the destruction of capitalism?

Around 1920—after a 10-year span of revolutionary efforts, what we know as Mexico today was transformed and recreated. The Mexican revolution has been hailed as a struggle to radically shift an authoritarian government by giving more power to the people and making the voices heard of the oppressed Mexican class. However, the narrative that has been told about the revolution has been romanticized overtime, and what happened in the nation after the revolution shows even more how there wasn’t a real sense of justice for everyone in Mexico. Mexico’s struggle to make sense of their identity through this time period can be seen through the films created shortly after the revolution. The time period in which these films were created is known

On January 8th, 1959, Fidel Castro and his rebel army marched triumphantly into Havana, Cuba, having overthrown corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista the week earlier. It was the fruition of the Cuban Revolution, and the dramatic shift in power was about to radically alter the country’s political, social and economic course forever. The positive and negative effects of the revolution on the Cuban people, however, as well as the condition of Cuba’s economy pre and post-revolution, is subject to heated debate. Castro’s iron-fisted regime was the introduction of communism into the western hemisphere, and now, over fifty years later, the Cuban Revolution continues to be one of the most controversial events of the twentieth century. Despite the criticism levelled at Fidel Castro and his communist regime, however, the Cuban Revolution was necessary in improving the quality of life for the majority of Cuban citizens. The four fundamental categories on which to assess this are healthcare, education, economy and governance. By comparing the country’s overall performance under Fulgencio Batista versus under Fidel Castro in these areas crucial to a fully-functioning nation, it can be shown that the Cuban Revolution was a necessary and positive change in Cuban society which benefitted the majority of citizens.

In the Treaty of Paris of 1898, Spain relinquished all sovereignty over Cuba. For a time, the policy of the United States toward Cuba was somewhat ambivalent. The Teller Amendment at the beginning of the Spanish-American War had pledged the restoration of Cuba to the Cubans. However, at the same time the United States was determined that it would not be placed after the war with Spain in a worse position in regard to its vital interests in Cuba than it had been when Cuba was a Spanish possession.

Fidel Castro and the M-26-7 successfully seized power of Cuba’s government in 1959, after years of fighting. The M-26-7’s nationalist movement was able to knock the corrupt leader, Fulgencio Batista, out of power, and in 1961 Castro deemed the revolution to be officially of a Marxist nature. Throughout his 40-year stay as president, Castro has not allowed his revolution to stall, but rather he has allowed it to progress and adapt as he has seen fit. In relation with Castro’s revolution in Cuba has been another revolution, that of the Cuban women. Castro himself described the changes in women’s public and private lives as "a revolution within a revolution". In a true system of equality, as in the one Castro holds as his ideal, equality

January 23 of 1898, numbers of Cuban rebellion is growing and more and more Cubans were coming to the United States through Florida. At the same time, European countries were building empires. Thus more and more americans and I feared that the United States will become overpowered by those great nation and become ineffective. Republicans especially feared that if the United States does not start strengthening our military and gain territories overseas we will soon become nobodies in the eyes of the great European nations. I was informed that in Cuba, natives were be being murdered by the spanish governments for expressing their genuine grievances. The spanish government not once tried to calm the rebellions peacefully, instead they slaughtered them by hundredth. The conflict between Cuba and Spain was heating up, the business and citizens of the United States in Cuba were

, and tobacco, for 60 years this has been Cuba’s calling cards, a land that hasn’t progressed much in six decades Cuba has stood as a vacation paradise for many of the worlds powerful nations, including Europe, Canada, and Australia. Most people who visit Cuba rarely see past the white sands, blue water, and endless alcohol of resorts, going off said resorts will give an entirely different view of the country. A people of farmers, musicians, and artisans, the Cuban people are a simple and hard working group all looking. For 60 years the Cuban government has kept the United States out of the country for the most part, that is until recently. During the cold war, Cuba joined the communist nations and went as far to allow Russian missiles to be placed on Cuban soil this was seen as a threat to American interests, causing John F. Kennedy to impose an embargo on the small nation just 80 miles away from Florida. With the Obama administration now lifting these embargos this can be viewed as both a positive and a negative thing to the county. While yes opening up Cuba to America will do wonders for it economically, I believe that culturally the country will suffer greatly. Often when American influence is permitted into a country there is often corruption that follows, Industrial corruption, cultural bullying, and the influx of drugs, are all issues that seem to follow whenever America enters a former enemy state. While yes from an economic stand point the country may do well,

In the documentary, “Struggle in the Fields” Mexican workers struggle to accommodate to their rights working in the fields. Low wages and horrible working conditions sparked many workers demand better opportunities. Caesar Chavez created a Chicano movement in order to acquire better benefits for those who work in the fields. Despite the hard struggles of not having many people not willing to stop working to protest, Caesar Chavez used the little resources he had in order to accomplish his goals. Boycotts and hunger strikes were the methods that Chavez used to send the message that he was willing to do anything to get the rights Mexican-Americans deserved. Through the low funds and small possibilities that came with following the Chicano movement,

Ernesto “Che” Guevara was a part of the 26th of July Movement in Cuba. He became a revolutionary leader who inspired many and brought the guerrilla to victory in 1959. He was a part of the eighty-two men who sailed on the Granma from Mexico to Cuba in December of 1956 (Staten 114). The biographical film, Che: Part One directed by Steven Soderbergh, shows the journey of Che and the guerrillas as they attempted to defeat Batista’s military. Che: Part One is not simply just a depiction of Che’s life, but it brings you right into the action of the armed struggle the guerrilla faced. The revolution shaped Che into the leader he became. He started out as a simple doctor who wanted to bring the people of Cuba what they deserved. Che went through changes as the periods of the revolution went on. He grew to be a leader that would bring his people to the victories they achieved. Throughout the portrayal of the revolution, it can be seen how Che changes and adapts based on what situation he is facing and how the movie shows it. The film goes back and forth between the times Che is in Cuba fighting and after he wins the revolution and talks about his experiences.

The Cuban Revolution has changed Cuba for both the good and bad, both gaining and losing allies, and there is much controversy for what the Castro’s effect has done for Cuba. From the cruel dictatorship of former “president” Batista, to the elite planning and wars controlled by the Castros, to whether this whole war meant change for the better to Cuba, in liberty, freedom, and equality, this story is a huge part of Cuba’s history and explains where Cuba is today.

The Che Guevara iconic image represents an exact moment in history that is distinct and important. The most specific moment in time the iconic image represents was the second Alberto Korda's shutter snapped and he took the photograph for a local Havana newspaper in 1960; he was covering "a mass funeral"¦held by Fidel Castro for a group of Cubans killed in the explosion of