Cuba Before Castro
A Century of Family Memoirs
Abstract
Although much has been written about Cuba after Castro, relatively little has been written about Cuba before Castro. The political reality of Castro’s Revolution has created a historical void about this period, paying insufficient attention to an important century before 1959. Cuba has become a political punching bag, between supporters and critics of Castro and the Revolution, making it difficult to understand real life in Cuba because of the disproportionate preoccupation with, and monopoly of, the political reality on the island. In spite of some attempts, it continues to be easier and perceived as more pressing, to write about politics rather than the reality that Cubans experienced in their daily lives— their sufferings and celebrations, successes and failures, lives and deaths, and beliefs and disbeliefs. Going for and against the avalanche of information about the political authenticity in and out of Cuba, most Cubans have tended to forget that Cuba is much larger than the perceived reality after Castro’s Revolution. Too many have failed to remember the Cubans who have lived and worked in Cuba in the century before an important period of Cuban history where the nation was forged. Indeed, even limited attention reveals a rich and sophisticated society that calls for study.
In this book Jorge J.E. Gracia approaches this situation by telling true stories about some members of his family (Doctor Ignacio Gracia, Maruca Otero, the Marques de Arguelles, and many others) who lived during a culturally rich century before Castro. He hopes to entice historians, academics, tourists and others, to pursue a balanced exploration of the island by telling part of their stories. This enterprise is neither history nor fiction, but memories written by a Cuban who left Cuba when he was eighteen years old and has become a distinguished philosopher in the United States.
Schlagworte
Cuba Cuban Family Cuban History Cuban Memoirs Cuban Philosophy Family Stories Hispanic/Latino Identity Iberian History Latin American History Latin American Philosophy Latin American Studies Psychology Race and Ethnicity Sociology- i–xvi Preface i–xvi
- 37–40 10 The Storyteller 37–40
- 77–80 21 Broken Promise 77–80
- 111–114 27 A Boy’s Best Friends 111–114
- 119–122 29 Rebel with a Cause 119–122
- 129–132 31 End of Paradise 129–132
- 133–136 32 The Bully 133–136
- 137–142 33 First Holy Communion 137–142
- 143–146 34 Summers at the Beach 143–146
- 151–154 36 Lean Years 151–154
- 155–156 37 Written in the Stars 155–156
- 157–164 38 A Night to Forget 157–164
- 165–168 39 The Refuge of Faith 165–168
- 173–174 41 An Interim Abode 173–174
- 179–184 43 Bicycles Are for Boys 179–184
- 195–198 46 María “Picadillo” 195–198
- 199–204 47 “¡Yo soy muy macho!” 199–204
- 205–208 48 Teenager in Havana 205–208
- 209–212 49 The Club 209–212
- 213–216 50 Another Call 213–216
- 217–218 51 The Cursed Plantation 217–218
- 219–222 52 Sugar and Slavery 219–222
- 227–236 54 “I Believe in God” 227–236
- 245–246 57 Brother Balloon 245–246
- 259–260 60 “De Eso No Se Habla” 259–260
- 261–264 61 Two Years of Terror 261–264
- 265–268 62 A Beach House at Last 265–268
- 269–274 63 Love and Prejudice 269–274
- 275–278 64 Quest for Freedom 275–278
- 289–292 67 “I’ve Got Wheels!” 289–292
- 297–300 69 Chaperones 297–300
- 301–304 70 Puppy Love 301–304
- 309–310 72 Starved for Culture 309–310
- 315–320 74 From Hope to Despair 315–320
- 323–336 76 Alea Iacta Est 323–336
- 343–344 Acknowledgments 343–344
- 345–345 About the Author 345–345