From the comments on the post below:
“We the exiles and the children of exiles know in our hearts that ‘our’ Cuban culture dies with us. We love a place that only exists in our hearts, memories, pictures and YouTube videos. The immigrants (who we help, the second they land here) sadly have nothing in common with us except their birth place. It is truly heartbreaking.”
13 comments:
time changes all things; it's time to understand that. dreams and fantasies need to be put away -- work for the reality for everyone's benefit.
Fascinating quote. Thanks for posting.
I myself have noticed that for a while some of the leaders of the Cuban exile community have sought to differentiate "real" Cubans from other Cubans, and these normally tend to be the ones they describe as recent arrivals.
It's becoming clearer with every passing day that the political strategy of dividing the Cuban exile community by waves of arrival seems destined.
It should be noted that the culture that the elderly Cubans in Miami appropriate as "ours" (and "dies with us") is the same culture that lives within elderly Cubans in Havana and elsewhere on the island.
Culture is culture; it's not the property of anyone in particular.
/s/ Newspaperman.
The tragedy that is cuba does not end if I die. It ends when bombs melt to butter in the minds of mortals. Who will rejoice when brotherly love has no opposite? Everyone.
That is an endearing quote but the same can be said of any generational change.
Life goes on.
But if we're smart, we will get to understand our parents' and grandparents' culture.
Because we might find we it not as boring as it seems when it comes from the mouths of old people.
interesting quote,very insightful.
that said, let's be honest, they never had much in commmon before (generally speaking).
there is class element here (and political philsophy) that is sticky over 50 years. I imagine even if cuba were 'free', the exiles woudl not necessarily find much to 'like' in cuba.
The exiles in miami, politically, are very american (right wing) . The cubans in cuba are very latin american- i.e. lean left (even if it opened up politically, cuba would be latin america - not right wing isla of cato type libertariansim). Cubans would find the tone and ideas of people like babalu distasteful - although the freedom part is good.
Cubans , the vast majority, like jimmy carter, JFK, Che, bill clinton, juanes-- they like spain, and they really like VZ, even if they are pro-change.
in contrast, exiles think JFK is satan and say nasty things about spanish people. They also don't much like latin americans (including mexicans). This is very different than real cubans.
The link is good illustration of how exiles HATE the idea of 'latino' and thus why they are different than cubans (in cuba and recent immigrants).
Most Latinos I know in usa and when I travel to their countries (from Peru, mexico, costa rica, chile) LIKE the term "Latino". They find commonality with others from latin america and differentiate themselves (latino) to gringo (culturally speaking). By contrast, babalu seems to hate the idea of being 'latin'. This is okay of course, but just another example of why exiles don't 'get' cubans recently immigrating to Miami.
http://babalublog.com/2009/10/whats-a-latino-and-where-did-they-come-from/
the recent cuban immigrants are a product of the culture under the revolution. the first generation is the product of culture under an entirely different set of realities.
the young have to take over from the old and in this case, thank god.
Cuba in the memories and stories of those prior to 1959 is based on many facts, realities, and nostalgia. Today's Cuba is a result of the realities and results of what happened in 1959 and beyond (prior to and since then); the hopes and nostalgia, the realities and frustrations of everyday life, the result of the propaganda, maybe even the acceptance of its "ismo" failures and shortcomings.
We are all Cubans; our shared cultural essence is the same, our passion for our island nation is not diminished, but we do not have the same shared experiences, and therefore our current outcome/outlook cannot be the same. It’s a mixture of a generational gap, a result of environmental/societal differences, the simplicity of the differences between peoples, etc...
After over 400 years of Spanish colonial rule, 30- years of wars' of independence, multiple intervention from its northern neighbor, the reality of 50- years of a Cuban Republic, and the last 40- years of Fidelismo; I believe that Cubans have a right to be Cubans, we have a right to a shared identity, we have a right to share our differences, we have a right to respect each other.
We also have a responsibility going forward to make José Marti's dream of a free, independent, and sovereign Cuba a reality; for our parents, ourselves, and our children.
Let’s take a moment to consider these quotes from José Marti; and how we can seek to apply their intent as we work together with those that share our own opinions and with those that differ in opinion to achieve a liberated Cuban state.
“Happiness exists on earth, and it is won through prudent exercise of reason, knowledge of the harmony of the universe, and constant practice of generosity.” José Marti
“Talent is a gift that brings with it an obligation to serve the world, and not ourselves, for it is not of our making.” José Marti
Todo los Cubanos que todavian viven en Cuba son una gran mierda.
The difference is this: older Cubans are very political and do not accept the legitimacy nor the permanency of the Castro regime. More recent arrivals are apolitical (unsurprising, given the 24/7 bombardment of regime propaganda) and have lost all hope that the regime will ever expire; thus, they do the best they can to help family "resolver."
one more marti -- the wine, from banana, if it's sour, it is our wine.
the attempt to establish a true cuban national identity has been the overarching energy of the past 50 years -- and it is that influence that is also at play here.
and for anyone to say the cubans who still live there are mierda is one person, cuban or not, who does not have a fricking clue of what he is talking about. and if the poster is cuban, he deserves nothing but disgust.
Yes, I agree, the one's who still live on the island are good for nothing, or something like that. Whatever they had before the Revolucion, they have now retained far far less, and have substained much much more. They have become vile parasites and have tried to milk me for every cent I have earned. I have come to see most of them as duplicitious characters that cannot be trusted; they carry a pretext with every favor. I no longer know what type of blood they are made of. I can say this much: We are not of the same blood any longer. That blood, though thick, does not course through all of mankind in the same manner. I have been hurt by them very much, and I have given them very much; and I have only sadly come to accept the virulent accomplishments of Fidel, for I have never heard the words "I hate Fidel" come out of the mouths of those I have aided. They admire him, day-in and day-out. They, I presume, are made of cattle-blood. No, we are not the same. No man has ever been the same.
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