Thomas F. Anderson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813035581
- eISBN:
- 9780813038131
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813035581.003.0005
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
This chapter focuses on Emilio Ballagas's lively carnival poem “Comparsa habanera.” It reveals that the poem is symbolic in different ways of the ambivalence felt by middle-class Cubans toward ...
More
This chapter focuses on Emilio Ballagas's lively carnival poem “Comparsa habanera.” It reveals that the poem is symbolic in different ways of the ambivalence felt by middle-class Cubans toward Afro-Cubans and their culture. The chapter argues that the poem echoes the sentiment prevalent in Havana in the mid-1930s that African-influenced cultural signs would be accepted as important parts of Cuba's national identity only if they were customized to fit the standards of the middle-class majority. The poem is adorned with vivacious rhythm and colorful imagery.Less
This chapter focuses on Emilio Ballagas's lively carnival poem “Comparsa habanera.” It reveals that the poem is symbolic in different ways of the ambivalence felt by middle-class Cubans toward Afro-Cubans and their culture. The chapter argues that the poem echoes the sentiment prevalent in Havana in the mid-1930s that African-influenced cultural signs would be accepted as important parts of Cuba's national identity only if they were customized to fit the standards of the middle-class majority. The poem is adorned with vivacious rhythm and colorful imagery.
Amelia Rosenberg Weinreb
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033693
- eISBN:
- 9780813039695
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033693.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
This book travels deep inside the everyday life of middle-class Cubans—arguably the majority of citizens on the island. Un-theorized and under-described, it is a group that is portrayed honestly, ...
More
This book travels deep inside the everyday life of middle-class Cubans—arguably the majority of citizens on the island. Un-theorized and under-described, it is a group that is portrayed honestly, accurately, and empathetically. The political and economic systems of Cuba in the post-Soviet period pose ongoing challenges to ordinary Cubans as they struggle in the waning years of the Castro regime. The book demonstrates that the major reason they have been ignored in the scholarly literature is because remaining obscure is one of their strategies for coping with these challenges. The author of this book made many visits to the island, frequently living in local communities along with her family. Thus, the ethnography of this “shadow public” is based upon traditional participant-observer methodology. Being based on experiences—from the clothesline, the back bedroom, the kitchen table, and the living room sofa—allow this book to bring to outsides the reality of daily life in Cuba. The book includes an epilogue that addresses citizen and consumer changes that have taken place since Raúl Castro became president in February 2008, revealing the anxieties and clandestine plans that have shaped Cubans' lives during the final years of the Fidel Castro era.Less
This book travels deep inside the everyday life of middle-class Cubans—arguably the majority of citizens on the island. Un-theorized and under-described, it is a group that is portrayed honestly, accurately, and empathetically. The political and economic systems of Cuba in the post-Soviet period pose ongoing challenges to ordinary Cubans as they struggle in the waning years of the Castro regime. The book demonstrates that the major reason they have been ignored in the scholarly literature is because remaining obscure is one of their strategies for coping with these challenges. The author of this book made many visits to the island, frequently living in local communities along with her family. Thus, the ethnography of this “shadow public” is based upon traditional participant-observer methodology. Being based on experiences—from the clothesline, the back bedroom, the kitchen table, and the living room sofa—allow this book to bring to outsides the reality of daily life in Cuba. The book includes an epilogue that addresses citizen and consumer changes that have taken place since Raúl Castro became president in February 2008, revealing the anxieties and clandestine plans that have shaped Cubans' lives during the final years of the Fidel Castro era.
