After President Obama relaxed travel restrictions earlier this year, American citizens were allowed to travel to Cuba (for limited reasons) for the first time in over half a century. Several DU students had the opportunity to travel to this isolated nation over spring break, and the Clarion was able to sit down and discuss the experience with a few of them.
Q: What is your year, major and hometown?
Jess Davidson (JD): Senior political science and public policy. [My hometown is] Fort Collins.
Nate Zeile (NZ): Junior international studies and sociology major. My hometown is Thousand Oaks, California.
Hannah Knauer (HK): Junior marketing major with minors in art and entrepreneurship. [My hometown is] Chicago.
Q: When/where did you go in Cuba?
JD: I was in Havana from March 12-23. I didn’t travel outside of Havana because I was there doing research on Havana specifically.
NZ: I was in Havana from March 11-22.
HK: We spent most of our time in Havana, but also spent time visiting places in the surrounding countryside. We were there from March 13-19.
Q: Why did you decide to go to Cuba?
NZ: I submitted a research proposal as part of applying for a PinS Grant, which is an undergraduate research program. My proposal was accepted and I received $1,500 to carry out my research in Cuba, as well as a grant from the Pioneer Leadership Program. Our research, to sum it up in the best way possible, centered around the fact that tourism is booming right now in Cuba and the government, needing additional ways to build capacity for people to work in tourism, allowed people to obtain licences to rent out rooms in their houses, charge their own rates as taxi drivers, open restaurants and etcetera—private businesses in the traditionally socialist society of Cuba. Our hypothesis was that because the pay was so much higher than government salaries, many Cubans were leaving their professions to work in tourism, which turned out to be the case.
HK: I found the course offering online. There was no way I was not going to take advantage of the opportunity to go to Cuba. The class was through the entrepreneurship program and combining my curiosity of Cuban culture with an academic focus in understanding the entrepreneurial spirit that is weaved into everything that is happening there currently was an incredible learning experience.
Q: What were interesting things you noticed about Cuba?
JD: When you’re talking to the Cuban people, they’re so warm towards Americans that it’s pretty easy to forget that you’re in a country whose government considers the U.S. “The Empire.” But the failure of U.S.-Cuban policy is everywhere: statements in the government newspaper, memorials to those who stood up against the “oppressive empire of the United States.” I also noticed the trickle down impact of Cuba’s communist socialism—we had to buy wifi from sketchy “wifi dealers” in parks who act like they’re dealing illicit drugs, there’s a black market for just about everything, no one is living in the streets but very few are living like kings. Cuba is a huge game of hurry up and wait—I’ve never been in a place that feels so suspended in time, yet the perpetual status quo is that “things are changing.” I bought a bunch of old records in the same store that people buy access to government-approved “packets,” which are USBs with MTV music videos and Rihanna songs. There’s a constant suspension between new and old.
NZ: It struck me as different than other Latin American countries that I had been to, as it was incredibly calm and quiet. All of the cars were old, pre-1950s era models, which gave the city a certain feel. It’s also striking and sobering to realize how much poverty there is in Cuba, even in Havana, which is a wealthier part of the country. One could view the country as a socialist utopia, as the idea is that everyone is under similar pay and quality of life, but what you find is that everyone lives at a similar level of poverty. I knew another American who stayed with a family who was kind enough to take him in after he ran out of money, and he slept in a room with a man, his two cousins, two brothers and aunt. However, you also find that most people are still happy. Most people we met were so friendly and excited about life, just hoping for something better.
Q: What was your favorite part of your visit to Cuba?
JD: My favorite part of Cuba was the people. I barely speak Spanish, but I was still able to understand how kind and jovial they were. It would be extremely easy to go to Cuba and see a bunch of touristy sights and walk away without a true understanding of this nuanced, complicated country. Instead, we saw very few flagship tourist hot spots, and spent every day sitting in Cubans’ kitchens, sipping coffee and hearing about their lives. Through the eyes of Cubans, who let us disrupt their days to come ask them questions, we were able to understand how Cuba’s economic policy plays out in the lives of everyday people. Most everyone was so kind, I spent my birthday down there and people who barely knew me wanted to make me these phenomenal meals and throw me celebrations. All of my favorite memories involve the Cubans we met and how at home they made us feel.
HK: The people. They were so nice and had such colorful personalities. It is hard for me to imagine what it must be like to live in a country like Cuba for numerous reasons. Politically, economically, etc. But at the end of the day, they were very happy and proud people. We met a lot of individuals doing incredible things to help their communities grow and thrive. That energy is something I want to hold on to.
Q: How did you find that Cubans reacted to the American visitors?
JD: Overall, Americans were incredibly well-received. I think many Cubans view the presence of Americans, especially with Obama’s visit happening while we were there, as the symbol of change in Cuba and of the increased tourism that will give them more agency to pursue entrepreneurial ventures rooted in the functionally capitalist tourism market in Cuba.
NZ: There was a super positive reaction to Americans, which was a bit surprising to me at first. People would come up to us on the street and want to know our names and where we were from, and when we told them they got excited. President Obama was coming to the country later in the week, and since he was from the U.S. and so were we, it was an automatic connection. The excitement that people had for him was channeled into excitement for us.
Q: What was your favorite memory of your visit?
JD: One of our host families that we got really close with practiced Santeria, and our host mom was actually a Santeria priestess, so we got to be a part of a Santeria ceremony. That was one of the most interesting cultural experiences I’ve ever had, hands down—there was singing and dancing and smoking cigars and she had visions for our futures and rubbed a live dove on us. All of it was very sacred for Cubans that practice Santeria, and it was really interesting to be a part of.
HK: We were able to talk to a lot of what we would call entrepreneurs when we were there. A lot of these individuals were true social entrepreneurs. One in particular had started a barber shop that turned into an entire street of growing projects that included clothing stores, a bar and restaurant, and a barber shop school. We spoke a lot with the man who led the entire project, he was brilliant, funny, very honest and very devoted to creating opportunities for people in his community. We learned a lot from him and gained a perspective that I think would be rare if we had gone to Cuba without this entrepreneurial focus. It made me realize how many incredible things are happening in Cuba, how much growth and desire there is. It is going to be incredible to see how things develop.
