1. Recitation #7: ¿El Color No Importa? (all) From Survival of the Fittest to Survival through La Lucha Prof. Roland The Caribbean in Post-Colonial Perspective ANTH 1115

2. Remember the Maine?  Warship explodes in 1898  U.S. enters Cuba’s decade’s long War for Independence  Treaty of Paris (btwn Spn and US) transfers Cuba (etc) to U.S. sphere  1902 Platt Amendment makes Cuba a U.S. protectorate  Cubans frustrated  Patriot José Martí’s warnings

3. Cultural Clashes in the Neo-Colony L. Am. Cultural EvolutionismAnglo-Am. Social Darwinism Hierarchically ranked cultures can be made equal Racial Democracy ▫"El color no importa" ▫Ideal that all racial groups are politically, economically, socially equal Races are separate and should never mix Segregation/"Separate but Equal" ▫Today's U.S. from Boas  Cultural Relativism  Cultures are equal and should be understood on their own terms

4. Cuba as U.S. Neo-Colony ▫Puppet presidents support U.S. interests  Gen. Fulgencio Batista props/downs administrations  Platt Amendment abrogated under Batista in 1934  1940 Constitution is a point of pride  Batista's Coup of 1952 ▫Fidel Castro on the ballot for Senate

5. Revolutionary Beginnings July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro and followers try to overthrow Batista January 1, 1959 Batista flees beginning the Cuban Revolution

6. Questions/Comments?

7. From Lukewarm to Ice-Cold: U.S. and the Revolutionaries Fidel begins nationalizing U.S. properties ▫Labeled communist U.S. imposes sanctions "Chess match until 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion May 1961 Cuba aligns with USSR ▫Revolution declared socialist

8. Socialism v. Communism Forging a New Society of Hombres Nuevos ▫Sacrifice for the revolution ▫Morally incorruptible ▫Utopic Cultura and the Remnants of Race ▫Knowing social rules/how to act ▫Generosity ▫Cycles of giving/receiving ▫Conversation ▫Colored tinge

9. Living through La Lucha in post-Soviet Cuba 1980s fall of the USSR Widespread hardship Saving socialism with $$ Luchando to survive Tourism revisits race

10. Questions/Comments?

11. Cuba Today and Tomorrow  President Raúl Castro (2008)  Increasing reforms  President Barack Obama (2008)  Nominal changes to U.S. policy  End of Esperar?

12. Questions/Comments?