CUBA CULTURE

IN 1942 COLUMBUS LANDED ON THE ISLAND AND AND FRAMED IT PRINCE JAMES, THE HEIR APPARENT TO THE THROWN OF CASTILLE. THIS ISLAND IS 90 MILES SOUTH OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. IT HAS 48,000 SQUARE MILES. ONE THIRD OF THE ISLAND IS MOUNTAINOUS. SINCE EUROPEAN CONQUEST THE WESTERN THIRD HAS EXCUSED CULTURAL DOMINANCE.

RECENT POPULATION ESTIMATES ARE 11 MILLION WITH 50% MIXED AFRICAN AND EUROPEAN. 37% IS EXCLUSIVELY WHITE. THEY HAVE LARGE SLAVE HOLDING PLANTATIONS IN THE WEST. HERE THE AFROCUBAN ART AND RELIGION AND MUSIC WERE MOST STRONGLY EXPRESSED. THEY HAD THREE STRUGGLES FOR INDEPENDENCE. IN A TEN YEAR WAR IN 1868 TO 1878. THEY ALSO HAD A STRUGGLE AGAINST SPAIN AND IT WAS ORGANIZED BUT SPAIN WON. FINALLY THE US INVADED THE ISLAND IN 1898 AND THE TRIUMPH OF THIS REVOLUTION WAS IN 1959.

IN CUBA THEIR PRE COLUMBIAN POPULATION WAS ABOUT 12,000. THE EUROPEAN GOLD PROSPECTORS ENSLAVED THEM TO DEVELOP AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS. WITHIN 50 YEARS THIS POPULATION WAS EXTINCT FROM EUROPEAN CONFLICTS. PEOPLE FROM SPAIN (CREOLES) AND DESCENDANTS OF ENGLAND BORN ON ISLANDS AND AFRICAN SLAVES REMAINED HERE. ANOTHER REVOLUTION IN 1791 CREOLES AND OTHERS THOUGHT ONLY THE PRESENCE THE SPANISH ARMY COULD HOLD HARMONY. IN 1868 THE PLANTERS OF THE LIBERATION ARMY DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN. THIS 10 YEAR WAR FAILED, AND THEY HAD ECONOMIC RUIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE THE ORIENT REGION. IN 1895 WAR BROKE OUT HERE. SPAIN WAS QUICKLY DEFECTED AND THE TREATY OF PARIS IN 1898 WAS SIGNED. THIS NATION DEVELOPED FROM AFRICANS, EUROPEANS, AND MIXED CULTURES.

AFRICAN RHYTHMS WERE POPULAR WITH EUROCUBANS DANCES AND RUMBA BECAME POPULAR. THE U.S. COLONIALISM BEGAN IN 1898. SOME OF THE WEALTHY SEND THEIR KIDS TO U.S. PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THERE IS STILL RESENTMENT OVER 2 MILITARY INVASIONS OF 1898 AND 1906, SUFFOCATING ECONOMICS, EMBARGO HAS CAUSED MOST CUBANS TO REJECT U.S. GOODS. SLAVERY WAS
ABOLISHED IN 1880 TO 1886.

THE CUBAN REVOLUTION IN 1952-1959 ESTABLISHED AN EGALITARIAN SOCIETY. IN 1986 CASTRO ADMITTED THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE MORE EQUALLY REPRESENTED IN POSITIONS SINCE 1990 THE ECONOMIC CRISIS HAS IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE, SOME HAVE MOVED FROM OTHER PROVINCES TO LIVE IN HAVANNAH. EVEN NEW HOUSES HAVE BEEN A FAILURE. MOST PEOPLE LIVE IN CRAMPED QUARTERS. THEY DO NOT HAVE A VALUE OF BEING LONERS. THEY VALUE SOCIAL GROUPS AND SHARING.

THEIR FOOD IS RICE AND BEANS AS A STAPLE WITH PLANTAINS, TUBERS, AND VEGIS. CUCUMBERS ARE POPULAR. THEY HAVE SOMEWHAT ELIMINATED BEEF, WITH CHICKEN AND SOME GOOD PORK TAKING OVER. THEIR AGRICULTURE IS MOSTLY SUGAR.

THEIR ECONOMY IN CUBA IS SOCIALIST AND THE POPULATION OWNS MOST PRODUCTS AND COLLECTIVELY BENEFITS FROM ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. THERE IS LITTLE PRIVATE PROPERTY AND PRIVATE WEALTH IS SEEN AS A BREACH OF SOCIAL CONTRACT.

DURING THE 1960'S TO 62 MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE WEALTHY MOVED TO MIAMI OR NEW JERSEY. THE STATE HAS USED RESOURCES TO PAY FOR HEALTH CARE, SOCIAL SECURITY AND EDUCATION. FOREIGN MONEY HAS AND SAVED THE ECONOMY, BUT HAS CREATED SOME PROBLEMS FOR THEIR SOCIALIST REVOLUTION.

THE RURAL FARM WORKERS ARE ARE IN POVERTY AND THEY OWN NO LAND. THE AGRARIAN REFORM LAW IN 1959 GAVE LAND TO 200,000 FARM WORKERS. BY 1986, 72% OF PRIVATE FARMERS ARE IN AN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE. THE STATE GAVE THEM SEEDS, MACHINES, SOCIAL SECURITY, HOUSING AND LOWER INCOME TAX.

TOBACCO AND COFFEE HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST CROP EXPORTED. THEIR CITIES ARE OVER CROWDED! AFTER 1959 THERE WAS A DRAMATIC REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.


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