This page presents my recollections and impressions from a joint study
tour
organized by Bridgewater State College (BSC) and Cape Cod Community
College
(CCCC), led by Professors Sandra Faiman-Silva and Christine Esperson.
The
trip was sponsored by
BSC's
Office of International and Exchange Programs , which organizes
learning experiences throughout the world for the BSC
community.
PERHAPS IT IS TIME FOR A DIFFERENT
APPROACH
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October 2004 News: Even the Cuban
exiles in Florida
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February 24, Ms. Robin Melavalin (of the Office
of
International and Exchange Programs), Dr. Faiman-Silva, and I presented
a
short program on Cuba as part of an exhibit honoring the life of Rep.
John
Joseph Moakley, who led BSC's first delegation to Cuba in 2001. Robin
gave
a general overview of Bridgewater's connections to Cuba, I showed some
photos,
and Sandy gave a presentation entitled "Bringing
Cuba Home: Learning from the Other Side
," which she has kindly allowed me to post on this site. Drawing on
both
her own analysis and the observations of students who participated, she
has
created a brief narrative that challenges us to think about Cuba in new
ways.
CCCC student Jessica Pillsbury is one of the many intriguing young
people
I had the privilege of getting to know during the trip. Her article
Trip to Cuba provides some interesting perspectives on our journey.
This page was originally
posted
for participants in the tour and their families, in order to know where
the
tour was headed. I am now using the page to share a few of the 500
photogaphs
I took, along with some commentary. I also include some photos taken by
others
in the group, with attribution. As you can see, I found the people
friendly,
the music irresistable, and the scenery quite amazing. I found some
aspects
of the Cuban experiment inspiring, and others disturbing. I do not have
one
summary statement to make about Cuba, but I invite you to see a little
of
what I saw, and to draw your own conclusions. Better yet, I encourage
you
to find a way to go. It can be done legally, though it is difficult to
do
so.
Selected Links on Cuba
- The
Human
Rights Watch page on Cuba points out important problems with both
U.S. and Cuban policies.
- Culture and Politics in Cuba is a radio program
(May 7, 2003) that features a lively debate on the embargo
in general and the educational travel exemptions in particular.
- The BBC hosts a useful chronology of events in Cuba.
- The U.S.-Cuba Sister
City
Association provides news about Cuba and information on forming
citizen-to-citizen relationships.
The
brilliant essayist Andrei Codrescu wrote
Ay, Cuba! following his 1999 visit to the island. I recommend
the book for his unique
perspective on the island as a U.S. progressive who also fled communist
Romania
in the 1960s. His
radio interview about his travels is an excellent introduction to
the contradictions of
the island nation.
- Conexión Cubana
is an excellent non-partisan, bilingual site that celebrates the people
and
culture of Cuba.
- Cuba-Pictures.com is
a photo gallery by David Stanley, original author of
Lonely Planet Cuba
.
- Nelson Da
Costa is a real Afro-Cuban fine artist in Boston. By this I
mean that he
has lived in Africa and Cuba, so he deeply understands the connection
between
the two. And he is a very friendly guy!
- Dec 14, 2005: Read the profile of Oswaldo
Payá in The Economist.
Like me, he opposes Castro's abuses and
the U.S. embargo, while hoping to preserve some of the positive aspects
of Cuban socialism. Unlike me, he is doing it from inside Cuba!
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Visit other photo
pages for many
more photographs and more commentary:
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Greta McCrae
Dancing in Lajas, near Cienfuegos
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Jennifer Grande
Making a new friend in Old Havana
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The view from our hotel in Cienfuegos
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U.S. citizens can travel to Cuba on cultural, educational, and
religious
missions.
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 No photo collection of Cuba is complete without at least
one classic car!
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See the
Cuba page
at the University of Texas for many academic and cultural links.
Study Tour Map: Western Cuba
