© 2007 Institute of Current World Affairs
The Institute awards long-term fellowships to develop a deep understanding of an issue, country, or region outside the US and to share that understanding with a wider public.
Institute of Current World Affairs - Home Page

Below is a hobbled text version of a PDF document.
In order to read the actual document please click the link below and register if necessary.
(One-time registration is free and very quick.)
Read article

6/1/2000 - Topsy-Turvy Cuba by Paige Evans

Topsy Turvy Cuba By Paige Evans Transcript speech delivered Members Trustees meeting Institute ofCurrent WorldAffairs Monmouth NJ June Iwantto talktoyoutodayaboutmyexperienceinCuba Someofwhat I mgoingtosay Ihaven tbeenableto tellyouuntiltoday Cuba isamarvel ousbutdeeplytroubledcountry Itisaland ofironies IthoughtIknewsomethingabout Cuba before I because I aboutit ButonceI dspenttimethereIreal thatreadingcouldneverhaveprepared learned Cuba course morethan cigars baseball DesiArnaz 1950s cruises Becauseofmybackgroundintheater I thought would interesting Cuba through performing And while I learned great about Cuban music theater dance which inform future writer producer Imostlywanttotalktodayabout whatitmeanttobe anAmericanwomanin aCommunist neighboring enemynation AsanICWAFellow studiedcongaand Theauthorandherson T bongo drumming music theater ballet modern dance performances festivals interviewed perform artists books publications Cuban music theater dance Cuba sperformingartsarerich dynamicand often butnotalways exceptionally particularly country Cuba limited sources Therevolutionarygovernmenthas cultivated quality cation availablewithoutchargetoanyonewithtalent IthasalsostokedCu national pride their performing artists Performances erything opera ballet popularmusic costCubans fewpesos audiences Cuba performing diverse thanany I elsewhere world Imagine audience Carnegie Hall faces colors great grandmothers toddlers dressed anything lycratolonggowns It sanAmericannot profittheater sdream Music everywhere Cuba It spills homes street practiced courtyards performed squares Roughly Cubans plays music though theymaybe playing drums metal headsbecause leather toohard their strong technical skillsmeanthe music theyplay often Cubanmusic isrhythmic rousingandsexy Cubanslovemakingmusic theylovelistening itandtheyespeciallylovedancing Evenyoungchildrencanpickupadrumorapairof clavesandtapoutdifficult sophisticatedrhythms anditseems likethey rebornsuggestivelyswivelingtheirhips Cubans party Afewinstruments boombox abottle ofrumandanalleywaycanmakefor night This festivity togetherwithCubans readiness toviewmost ations humor helps balance frustrations everyday Andthosefrustrationsaremany I dnevervisited aCommunistcountrybeforegoing toCuba dheardandread reports ofthe lifeunderotherCommunistregimes NotCuba Cubais Latin tropical infused vibrant colorfulplace Ididn tjustlookatCubathroughitsper forming course I looked through lensofmyownculturalandindividualidentity Ilooked perspective U S awomanfrom thesuperpowerenemyjust90 miles andworlds It Miami Cuba I flewviaNassau BeforerelationsbetweenCubaandtheU S disintegrated early direct flightsbetweenMiami andHavana regularly shuttled privileged Cubans U S businessmen honeymooners gamblersandothers ingwhatGrahamGreenedescribedasHavana louche atmosphere Cargo planes freighters carried U S goodstoCubaandsugar cigars mineralsand fruitfromtheconsiderableU S holdingsinCubatomar States Cruise ships broughtAmericans toCubaforatasteofexoticromance Directflights still existbetweenMiamiandHavana buttodaythey respe charters opento limited Because America economic embargo I applyforaDepartmentofTreasuryPermittogotoCuba legally The government bureaucracy sluggish thatIleftwithoutit Ihadn tyetbeengrantedaCuban residentialvisabythetime I either Foreignerswant spend stays Cuba Cuban organismo organization sponsor their residen visas That foreigner engages activities deemed Counter Revolutionary while Cuba organization sponsoringhimorher isheld responsible Because economic embargo U S credit cards travelers checks Cuba U S banks transfer money there So I arrived Havana Jose Marti International Airport thick wadof dollars inmymoneybelt The U S arenowan officialand coveted currency inCubais butoneofthemanyironiesunderscoringeveryday there Until owning single dollar billwas crimepunishablewithimprisonment inCuba But ingwhatCastrocalledthe special period austeritypro followed withdrawal Soviet subsidies Cuban vernment forced legalize dollar holdings Today Cuba dollar basedeconomy whichis essentiallycapitalist runsparallelto itsCommunistpeso economy stronger Everything relating tourismischargedindollars evenCubansearningmea slaries forced cosily dollar permarkets Another irony While theirmonthlyrations onceprovidedadequatefood clothingandotherhouse holdnecessities Cubansnowreceivescantsupplieswith their rationbooklets SomeofthemostcommoncomplaintsCubansvoice aboutthe situationtheretodaystemfromwhattheycall tourism apartheid Systematic segregation prohibits Cubans dollars spend renting patronizing tourist hotels nightclubs using medical facilities other services designated eigners Moreirony The dollareconomyhas alsowidened class among Cubans For first three decades after Cuba became Communist government higher power privileges other Cubans tioning system artificially prices Cu bansociety relatively egalitarian withdramatically ofasocio economicgapthanotherLatinAmericancoun tries Now Cubans access dollars those family States tourism dollar hustlers prostitutes musicians travel abroad their interna tionallycompetitiveprices belongtoaprivilegedclass And ordinary Cubanswho loyally supported Revolution impoverished Ironies ironiesontop ironies To dissuade professionals doctorsfromleaving theirjobs tobecomecab driversandchambermaidsin desperatepursuit dollars theCubangovernment prohibitspeoplewhoworkin tourismfromhaving degrees So young Cubans decades widelypursuedhighereducationsince itwasbothgood nowoftensee littlepointinbecomingprofes sionals Why should through years medical school earning equivalent single bottle ofcooking costs This financial disincentive tomyeye topsy turvy logic behind mostinterestingandthemostconfoundingthingsabout Cuba Somanyparts systemworkin Opposite wayfromCapitalism ThemoremoneyaCubanputs personal account example interest earns The money circulation discourage personal accumulation wealth It counter themostbasic tenets ofCapitalism Formorethan30years aspartofitsnationalistcreed Cuba Revolutionary government shunned foreign vestment But since Soviet BPE forced court foreign investors first tourism theninother areas Now foreignerscanevenownCu banrealestate thusobliteratingoneofitsRevolution sprin cipal tenets thatonlyCubanSwouldownCubanland Investorsfromaround theworldhavebeenrushing getinvolved inCuba OnlytheUnitedStates withan economic embargo prohibiting panies spending dollars Cuba missing Oris WhenIwenttothewomen sroomatthe airport I surprised toilet revered Crane Brand Crane toilets Americantoiletsmadebythesamecompanythatfunded myFellowship inCuba tsoondiscoveredthatabroad array American products Nike sneakers Marlboro cigarettes Coca Cola their Cuba despite embargo third countries Canadaand Mexico Practically every Cuban I whatever politi ideology condemned crippling U S embargo Andwithgoodreason Foralmost40years S bargo theCuban people helped Revo lutionary regime intended destroy It served Castro amazingly offeringhiman ideal scapegoat andrenderinghimamartyrandtheU S abullyinthe eyesoftherestoftheworld The1996Helms BurtonBill which madetheembargoevenmoredrastic rekindledCubans tionalisticsentimentsandralliedsupportbehindCastro timewhenhis populari tyhadplummeted Before I Cuba I imagined thing about embargo might helped isolate CubafromAmericanpopularcultureandsokeepits purer distinct But Grade B Hollywood movies areshownOnCubanTVthreetimesaweek itseems likeeverybodywatchesthem AndyoungCu bansknowmoreaboutthe latestAmericanpopmusic I Back airport When I Customs ricer military fatigues combed throughmybags She interested satchel stuffed En glish languagebooks publications ofwhichI wasbringing friends friends Themail systembe tweentheU S andCuba isunreliableatbest sopeople usually things traveler instead TheCuban CustomsOfficialconfiscatedmybagandtoldmeIcould I worried authorities mighttakethelettersor objecttooneofmybooks When Ireturned pickupmybagthe following though thing missing special issue Martha Stewart Living Aft ermyencounterWiththeCustomsOfficer Ihad little contact Cuban authorities But Sun dayafternoonaboutmidwaythroughmy migration officialcame intomyapartmentand manded passport Cuban identification institute Current World Affairs HetoldmetoreporttomylocalImmigration nextmorning Iwas scared Thiswas during particularly repres period governmentwas cracking prostitutes purse snatchers employed Cubans andCubanswhospenttimewithforeigners Fortunately forme Ididn tfallintoanyofthesecategories Toenforcethenewlaws CastroaugmentedhisRevo lutionaryPoliceForce doubledtheir salariesandbought fleet ofnewpolice InHavana centralneighbor hoods leasttwo policewere posted every corner frequently stopping Cubans sometimes arresting without explanation The government cracking foreign journalists anyone thought critical regime risked expulsion My close friend Laeti djust written cover story Cu music Revolution prominent French musicmagazine waskickedoutofthecountryonaday notice Iwasdefinitelynervous BythetimeI arrived atImmigrationMondaymorn therewas swarm ofpeople outside Immigration haddoneasweep ofHavana touristedneighborhoods andcalled allforeignersstayinginprivatehomesand theirCubanlandlords The Cuban government legalized employment Cubanscannowengageinprivateenterprises likerentingoutroomsandrunningsmallrestaurantsout theirhomes They allowed useintermediar familial employees though Together income taxes access credit these restrictionsworktokeepprofitslowandensurethatself employedCubansdon tcompetetoostronglywithstate ownedenterprises WhilesmallCubanentrepreneursare struggling economic survival foreign investors given carpet treatment Yetanother irony But employed Cubans cumvent these legal restrictions For instance myland Delia reported renting roomsinsteadoftheentireupstairsapartment Thisway shepaid inmonthlytaxes ratherthan 500Cu banlawwouldhave required fourrooms Lyinghad itsnegatives ofcourse Delia whowas extremelynervousanyway wasterrified thattheHous ingInspectorwouldsomedayappearunannounced coverher ruseand Fines renting illegally using without permit usually about small especially Cubai So Immigration asked thatsameMon daymorning Deliafearedtheworst Sodid I Asitturnedout theImmigrationoffi4ial saskedme justtwoquestions whomIworkedforandwhereIlived They alreadyknew answers ofcourse gooddealmoreaboutme After myphone stalledbythestate runphonecompany wasbugged I knewthisbecausebothmyphonecallsand emailswere cutshortanytimeI criticizedCuba sgovernment Imag having phone sudden whenyou spokebadly politician WhenIgothomefromImmigration Deliawastrem bling anxiety They asked everything about exclaimed Whoyourboyfriend whatyou write about whereyougo every Theyaskedmeto register names addresses Cubans spend inyourhome From start Delia worried about having American tenant Likemany Cubans States onlysonlives inMiami Duringthe balsero crisis their daughter spent months U S naval Cuba Guantanamo Bay awaiting clearance migrate States Delia doesn tintend return toCuba S governmentmightnotallowDeliato visithim intheStates So thoughshetalksabouthimconstantly dreams going America Delia never herbeloved again This tragedy ofsevered families alltoocommonincontemporaryCuba asweve cently seenwith ElianGonzalez Despite close America De vincedthat asanAmericanlivinginCuba Imustbea Shedidn twantmetoinstallaninternationa phoneline forfearI itforCounter Revolutionaryactivities sheregularlyaskedAriel mythen boyfriend whatIwaswrit ingabout Arielwasusedtofieldingsuchquestions nearly everyCubanIknewhad asked Iwas Delia Immigration alreadyknew details comings goings Someone watching Mostblocks inHavana least cibaton citizen spies neighborsandreports findings localCommit teefortheDefenseoftheRevolution Thissystemofhav friends neighbors report other Revolution together mosteveryonehas lieand steal order getby strongunderlyingmistrustamongstCubans WhenI firstgottoCuba nearlyeveryCuban Imet warnedmenottotrustanyone I manativeNewYorker I pushoven But widespread trust wasoneofthehardestthingsformeto justto inCuba Itworkstothe totalitarianregime sadvantage ofcourse IfCubanstrustneitherfriendnorneighbor likely llbandtogetherand rebel Castro isanincredibly shrewdpolitician TowardtheendofmystayinCuba Ispentagood Havana U S Interests Section heavily guarded glass building equivalent embassy country where U S doesn formal diplomatic relations I there Ariel whomI recently married apply U S could States birth We origi nally applied temporary which would allowedhimtocome totheStates foraperiodofupto threemonths Atthatpoint weplannedtoretumtoCuba afterTyler sbirthso IcouldfinishmyFellowship Wearrivedbeforedawn Therewasalreadyalonglineof Cubanswaitingoutside acrossfromahugebillboardwhere acartoonface ofUncleSamshouted defiantly Imperialists wehavenofearofyou Anelderlywomanstan dinginfront ofArielwasapplyingforatemporarvisaforthef ourthtime The first appliedbecauseher wholivedjust across Straits Florida fallen The second appliedbecausehis conditionhad worsened Eachtime herapplicationwasrejected Now shewasapplyingbecause hoping United StatestopickuphisremainsandbringthembacktoCuba Ariel interview conducted through thick ofbulletproofglassontheoutside ofthebuilding lasted 30seconds Most ofthem And Ariel mostapplicantsfortemporaryvisas morethan90per centofthem areturneddown UndertheCubanAd justment Act anyCubanwho reaches shores United States eligible U S residency Elian Gonazalez reach So U S government strictly limits number ofCubanswhomight enter States temporarily The after turneddownfor temporary Arieland Ibeganthe complicated applicationpro U S residential Strangely INS office Havana U S citizen Cuban residential I submit application there Itwasprocessedwithinasingleday circumvent usual month waiting period atINS rices States Wethen filed copious documents withbothAmeri canandCubanauthorities atbreakneckspeed andAriel called U S Interests Section second interview within weeks I joined because Cu banswithanAmerican citizen generallyreceivemuch better treatmentthan those without Whenwe entered building wepassed through security points under different cameras One camerawas theburly U S Marine posted inside could seewho wanted enter The otherwas fortheCubanMinistryofthe Interior officerspostedbe closed curtains apartment across street They curious aboutwhoentered Inside Arieland Isatinalargewaitingroomfilled withCubans Atthe frontoftheroom avideotape Marti spouted statistics about large BPE ownedinCubabeforetheRevolution TVMarti ispro ducedbyCubanexilesinMiamiandbeamedexclusively toCuba whereitisblockedbyCubantechnology The place world shown Havana U S In terests Section Like Cuba state owned television stations TVMartiis afontofpropaganda Itsimplyuses different statistics Nobodyinthewaitingroomseemedtobewatching television anyway Theywere involved their owndramas Mostofthemhadwonthe bombo lottery thatgrants20 000CubansU S residentialvisaseachyear As received their packets often three years afterwinning lottery their faceswereboth ultantandsad theywere abouttojoin millionand halfCubansliving theLandofOpportunity distanced fromtheirhomelandandtheirfamiliesbythediplomatic dividebetweenthetwo nations Cubans their country fiercely deserv edlyso saverdant steamy beautifullandwitharich national character In accounts America sCubanexilecommunit whostillconsider themselves exiles evenafterthey velivedinthe States decades fantasize about going claiming their country In likelihood thiswon But asboth theCubanswhocametoAmerica after Revolution Revolutionary regime growoldanddie essentiallybeena CivilWar betweenthemmay finally cometo anend WhenthePopevisitedCubain Cuba world world Cuba The factthatthePopewaseveninCubashows indeed undergoingtheopeningprocesshe vocated IftheCubangovernmentcontinuesthisopen process allowing Cubans enjoy greater profits fromtheirowneffortsaswellasaccess totheInforma tionAge Cubans highliteracyandinnovativ natures together Cuba natural resources prime location appealing climate could offer thecountryapromis future Some finalwords When Iwasinterviewed formy ICWAFellowship afewTrusteeshadreservationsabout becauseIwasolderandmoreexperienc edthanmost candidates I already traveled great something career questioned whether ICWAFellowshipcouldprofoundlyaffectmylife Now asmyCuban Americanson TylerDiaz myCubanhusband ArielDiaz attest Ithinkit ssafe tosay IgotclosertoanotherculturethanIdeverbeen before Tyler sCubanismowillbe asmuchapart ofhim hisblue I vetakenthe countrywithmeandwill itwithmeforeverydayofmylife Bothpersonallyandprofessionally sbeena trans formingexperience filledwithgrowthandlearning My profoundest thanks Peter Martin Trustees wonderful avuncles ICWAfor allowing traveldownthese richand revealing roads Institute Current World Affairs