The Complex History of Cuba-U.S. Relations
The island of Cuba has a complex and closely intertwined history with the United States that many people are either unaware of or only vaguely understand. To many people, Cuba is a poor, communist country that is a threat to the United States. Currently, the United States has an embargo placed on Cuba, economic sanctions and has placed Cuba on the list of “States that Sponsor Terrorism”1. It surprised me that Cuba was a study abroad destination option, with the limited knowledge I had about its history, Cuba seemed like a very dangerous place. Many other students in the program, as well as other people they talked to about the trip, shared similar concerns.
In Havana, people live with very little privacy. Homes in the city are missing windows and have doors that are bars allowing anyone from the outside to look wherever they please. Despite the limited privacy, the city bursts with vibrant colors, and its buildings are tightly packed together, reminiscent of those in San Francisco, California. I was unprepared for the intense heat and the challenging conditions we encountered during our visit. We walked through the city of Havana, peering into the former single-family Spanish mansions, now converted into multifamily housing for Cubans. Many homes were full of art and goods created by Cubans who use their homes as spaces for their own businesses.
The Cubans are very poor and have limited resources. The Cuban bodega, Spanish for “store”, is intended to provide each Cuban with enough to eat for the mont using Cuban ration card, so no Cuban citizen goes hungry, however the shelves of the bodega are empty. Hospitals in Cuba are full of doctors, but have little supplies to take care of their patients. Farmers are required to give 90% of all tobacco and coffee they grow to the Cuban Government, for this labor they are extremely underpaid. These farmers cannot cash their checks for months due to the banks having no money.
The Cuban people are hardworking yet don’t have the necessary resources to grow. A large reason for this being the United states influence in their politics. From the time of the Cuban revolution, the United States has held interest in obtaining the island that was so close to the motherland. This created much conflict throughout history between the two countries. Cuba became extremely poor, experiencing mass supply shortages and falling into a deep state of poverty. This was not completely due to the actions of the US. The Cuban government has made questionable decisions for their people. Our tour guide explained her frustration with the governments spending choices. There were new large luxurious hotels the government built with the intention of attracting tourism. However, those funds are essential to address the daily shortages and struggles experienced by the Cuban people. Understanding the multifaceted history of the relationship between the United States and Cuba is not a simple matter of what is right and what is wrong. Instead, it is two government forces attempting to stand their ground at the expense of the citizens of Cuba.
Making a Step Forward:
One of the most important lessons I learned on this trip was that “two things can be true at once,” which sounds like an obvious statement. The United States and Cuba have different perspectives on the conflict that are both correct in their own way. Only by working together can change take place.
The first step in change is acknowledgement. The sociologist, Peter Berger wrote a theory on the social construct of reality.2 The theory argues that our reality is shaped by our perspectives. There is never one perspective to a situation. Two things can be true at once, it is not mutually exclusive. In order to create a better world for us all, it is important to maintain a global awareness. We are all people, no matter where we are from.
Bureau of Counterterrorism. (n.d.). State sponsors of terrorism. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/.
Berger, P., & Luckmann, T. (2016). The social construction of reality. In Social theory re-wired (pp. 110-122). Routledge. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C45&q=The+sociologist%2C+Peter+Berger+wrote+a+theory+on+the+social+construct+of+reality.&btnG=#d=gs_cit&t=1721758776599&u=%2Fscholar%3Fq%3Dinfo%3AJtUheLAJNuIJ%3Ascholar.google.com%2F%26output%3Dcite%26scirp%3D0%26hl%3Den