I Hate Cuban Articles from American Tourists

I’ll start with my caveat, if Cuba is ever to modernize, it needs American tourism.

That said, I hate to see the monetization and adventurism Americans express when they reference Cuba. Some articles try to be fair and paint both the positives and negatives of island life, but it still feels hollow.

I’m Cuban. My family has experienced everything from persecution to torture by the Cuban government, but it has also gained a sense of identity and faith that anchors them in culture and religion.

I guess my averseness to these ‘An American in Cuba’ articles is that they are often packaged in neat American pragmatism. Yes, they express Cuban opinions but it is like getting the plastic-wrapped vegetables in the supermarket. There is a quality of overprocessed and unnecessary packaging to these articles that don’t sit well with me. Some things are better experienced with a little dirt on them.

I have mixed feelings because, like many of these articles express, Cuba is a place that evokes contradictory emotions. I want to see the island praised but I also want to see it bashed.

Great healthcare, sure; but my aunt couldn’t get a pair of glasses unless we sent her a pair from the States. Classic vehicles, but the truth is that wasn’t an option. Great food, but famous food shortages. Beautiful beaches, reserved for tourists. Great education, but $20-$40 monthly salaries for college-educated professionals.

Tourism is the backbone of the Cuban economy. It just seems to me that Americans tour Cuba with the same complicated vantage point that has caused so much damage to Cuba in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, Cuba’s own actions are the primary source of its troubles. I can’t quite point it out—put my proverbial finger on it. So, I write to figure it out.

The word that pops up in my mind once in a while is exploitation. Everyone has a right to experience Cuba in their own way but much of the modern Cuban experience has been ripe with suffering.

When Americans ask me about Cuba, they are super cautious. It is one of those over politized topics. They are scared of evoking strong emotions about the embargo, etc. It is that very cautiousness that seeps through these articles.

If Cuba is known for one thing, it is that we are a boisterous bunch. That’s why I want to see these articles take a less cautious, neutral approach. Point out the beauty, but be as equally effusive with the ugly.

Because Cuba is beautiful. But, it is also ugly.