Cuba has undergone a lot of social and economic transformation over time. Following the various transition periods through which Cuba has undergone is important in understanding its culture. The cultural landscape in Cuba is predicted by themes of race and gender and how the two interact. For instance, Bengelsdorf (234) finds that despite the Cultural Revolution that has occurred in over the last century, the family norms in the country are still predicted by racial and class traditions. This means that interaction in the society was polarized by class and racial differences as well as the formation of nuclear families. This is one among the many themes that punctuate the cultural conversations in contemporary Cuba. Various scholars have written literary pieces contributing their perspectives and those of others towards the understanding of the cultural landscape in Cuba. This paper presents an analysis of these perspectives with specificity to the place of race, gender, and tourism in the cultural landscape.
Fernández (81) espouses an argument that explains the place of gender, race, and tourism in the Cuban cultural landscape. The scholar argues that the construction of the female identity is heavily punctuated by racial terms. This is cognition of the sexual encounters of the members of the female gender with tourists in exchange for money. Fernández (81) finds that the increased significance of tourism in the economic realms of Cuba came about after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resultant drop in subsidies and oil shipments into Cuba. The government resulted into strengthening tourism so that it could act as a stimulus for other sectors of the economy in addition to bringing foreign exchange and technology transfer. The indulgence in prostitution and sexual tourism is only a way for women to earn a living and in no way a reflection of the bridging of the racial gap.
This is an argument that Fernandez (The Everyday Presence of Race, 108) exemplifies when she argues that racial classification is present even among the poor. The state of poverty condemns them to share the same neighborhoods. However, the racial hierarchy is reinforced through jokes and humor. Contrary arguments that the issue of racism in the Cuban cultural scene was created by the economic slump, (The Everyday Presence of Race 109) argues that race and racism have been a central part of the Cuban culture; that the economic crisis only created an environment for people to air their racist views.
The place of tourism in Cuban culture has been intimated by Fernández (81). However, Schwartz (205) is more vivid in the description of tourism as the central pillar to the economic prosperity of Cuba. The importance of tourism in Cuba is emphasized by the fact that the tropical island has pristine beaches, good weather, and the political will that has seen the increase in investments by the government in the tourism sector. Schwartz (205) finds that at the height of need following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the government changed its priorities from the production of sugar into tourism. This occurred after the realization that the revenue from tourism in global trends surpassed that from manufacturing industries.
Scarpaci (97) presents a different perspective on the role of tourism in Cuba. Without undermining the argument that tourism helps drive the economy by earning foreign exchange and providing direct and indirect employment for many Cubans, Scarpaci (97) also finds that tourism also represents a transformation in the socialist ideals in Cuba. Tourism also ushered an era of planning where the government was not reliant on subsidies and shipments from the Soviet Union. It is arguable that tourism ushered and installed independence in the Cuban society. These arguments are complementary to those made by Fernández (81). Roland (89) also relates the influence of tourism on the Cuban culture, especially for the younger generation of the post-revolution period. Roland (86) argues that the young generation is not satisfied with the wealth that the tourist offered the Cubans who were content to serve them. Roland (86) finds that the younger generation is benefiting from the postsecondary education in order to create a lifestyle that is better than what their parents had and could offer.
It is easy to see the contradictions that Trumbull (305) addresses in his literary piece. The country has the best and the worst coexisting in harmony. As argued by Fernandez (The Everyday Presence of Race, 108), the racial disparities between the various races are present in the daily lives of the Cubans even though they share the same neighborhoods. Trumbull (305) finds that one of the most beautiful cities globally is found in Cuba when the housing sector is deplorable. Even though poverty is widespread in the country, people have money. These paradoxes can be seen in other ways. It is arguable that the revolution is not over in Cuba. The country and the culture continue to reposition themselves in the midst of the dynamics in its environment. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba reassessed its priorities and ventured into tourism.
The theme of contradiction is also explored by Roland (Tourism and Belonging 65). The scholar argues that the Cuban government, a government pegged on socialism encourages the capitalist business of mass international tourism. This is the kind of business where Cubans work in tourist resorts where promptness of service and systemic efficiency are required. Roland (Tourism and Belonging 65) underlines the paradox that while these elements are required of the Cuban workers, they are not elements that are witnessed in the centralized economic organization of the country. Consequently, the Cuban experience witnessed by the tourists is different from the one that the Cubans experience.
At present, Cuba relies on capitalist tools even though the politics of the country are still significantly shaped by socialist ideals. However, there is an apparent struggle in maintaining a socialist atmosphere while still pandering to the capitalist needs of the tourists. The effect has been a racial segregation that characterizes the cultural scene. With increased reliance on tourism, it will be interesting to see the next phase of the cultural change in Cuba.
Works Cited
Bengelsdorf, Carollee. “Reconsidering Cuban Women in a Time of Troubles” in Daughters of Caliban: Caribbean Women in the Twentieth Century, Ed. Springfield, Consuelo. Indiana University Press, 1997. 229-255. Print.
Fernández, Nadine. “Back to the Future? Women, Race and Tourism in Cuba” in Sun, Sex, and Gold: Tourism and Sex Work in the Caribbean, Ed. Kempadoo, Kamala. New York. Roman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 1997. 81-89. Print.
Fernández, Nadine.. “The Everyday Presence of Race” in Revolutionizing Romance: Interracial Couples in Contemporary Cuba. New Jersey. Rutgers University Press. 2010. 107-127. Print.
Roland, Kaifa. “Of shorts and segregated socialism.” In Cuban color in tourism and La Lucha. An ethnography of racial meanings. New York. Oxford University Press. 2011. Print.
Roland, Kaifa. “Tourism and Belonging.” In Cuban color in tourism and La Lucha. An ethnography of racial meanings. New York. Oxford University Press. 2011. Print.
Scarpaci, Joseph. “The Changing Face of Cuban Socialism: Tourism and Planning in the Post Soviet Era” in Yearbook, Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers. Blacksburg. 1998. 97-109. Print.
Schwartz, Rosalie. Pleasure Island: Tourism and temptation in Cuba. Lincoln. University of Nebraska Press. 1997. Print.
Trumbull, Charles. “Economic Reforms and Social Contradictions in Cuba” in Cuba in Transition, ASCE, Vol. 10.(2000) 305-320.
