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Final Reflection: Cuba 2023

Gabriella M Fernbaugh

Arizona State University

MCO 494: Media, Culture & Society: Cuba (2023 Summer - A)

Dr. Juan Mundel

June 5, 2023
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Final Reflection: Cuba 2023

Coming from a mixed background opened my eyes to the opportunity of studying abroad

in Cuba. I am half Mexican and white. I grew up in rural Louisiana and moved to Arizona a little

over a year ago. Prior I already had a bias of people in Arizona and after having a lived

experience my opinions have changed. Same with Cuba, I had many preconceived notions of

what to expect. I expected to run out of water almost every day, to be hungry the majority of the

time, and to find myself struggling to acclimate to the Cuban culture. I expected to be treated

differently by locals and face harsh criticism because I am from the United States. After visiting

Cuba for 10 days, I absorbed so much of the Cuban culture and was welcomed with open arms.

My experiences in Cuba could not be farther from my biases. This trip allowed me to dig deeper

into my perspective of the United States and the impact that my country has in the Cuban

society.

The economy in Cuba was something I did not expect to have a major influence on

almost all of the lectures. The economy plays a major role in how we view Cuba today. The

Cuban economy is in a major crisis due to the lack of jobs and the major increase of Cubans

living under the poverty line. In comparison to the economic issues we see in the United States,

there are some similarities and differences. For example, in the United States faces an increase in

poverty while seeing an increase in the cost of living. Cuba faces poverty with a lack of

resources for living, which is creating a form of inflation for Cubans. In a lecture with Dr. Betsy

Anaya Cruz, she explained that the cost of $1 USD is equivalent to 195 CUB (Cuban pesos). The

average income in Cuba is 3830 CUB a month ($148.738 USD). A social-economic crisis that
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Cuba is facing is the push to work while also having to care for a large elderly population. Many

young people are fleeing Cuba, leaving many elderly citizens behind.

This leads me to my next topic: The healthcare system of Cuba. We had the opportunity

to have a lecture at the Plolyclinic with Dr. Cosme Ordenez Carceller. He explained that Cuba’s

healthcare system is “Universal, free of charge, regionalized, and comprehensive.” The

breakdown of Cuba’s healthcare system begins with the National Assembly Council of State:

Council of Ministers, which creates the guidelines for the Ministry of pubic health, leading to the

creation of institutions across Cuba. Next, the Provincial Government of different areas around

Cuba creates the Provincial Health Department, which leads to the creation of hospitals. Finally,

there is the People’s Power Municipal Assembly which creates the Municipal Health

Department, leading to the creation of Polyclinics/teaching hospitals. The polyclinics then

distribute family doctor's offices. The way family doctor offices work in Cuba is through an

assignment of doctors to families. A family in Cuba will have the same doctor for the majority of

their lives, and that doctor will perform almost every practice, from infant care to gynecology.

Dr. Cosme explained that Cuba has a large, advanced research for pharmaceutical drugs. In cuba

seven out of the 11 vaccines are produced on the island. They also are able to provide assisted

living facilities for their growing elderly population.

The COVID-19 pandemic did take a toll on Cuba’s healthcare system. Dr. Cosme

explained that the most difficult time of his career was during Covid. The United States during

this time sent thousands of syringes to Cuba to help them distribute vaccinations. During this

time in comparison to the United States we struggled with an epidemic of misinformation and

propaganda persuading people away from COVID-19 vaccinations. Cuba did not have that issue,

and majority of the population were eager to receive their vaccinations. The Cuban population
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has a solidified trust with their healthcare system due to their education system. We had the

opportunity to receive a lecture with a department in Cuba that helps distribute information for

HIV and Aids. Children will begin learning about sex eduaction at the beginning of 3rd or 4th

grade. In comparison to my experince of sex education in Louisiana, where I received little to no

information on safe sex or STD’s. Having these conversations about sex education deminishes

stigma of the LGBTQIA+ community and removes shame from seeking help with HIV and

STD’s.

One of the first lectures we had at the Center of Psychology and sociology (CIPS) was

about fixing the relationship between the United States and Cuba. Something I did not realize

about Cuba was that they are in a great divide for what direction the country should go. Will

Cuba render its society of socialism or will it head towards the restoration of capitalism. A

common theme heard throughout this trip was the state of crisis Cuba is facing: politically,

economically, and socially. I asked the professor how this divide has man ifested itself into the

younger generations of Cuba. The professor explained that people are leaving Cuba for the hopes

of a better life. In reality most Cubans want is prosperity for their families and when the

American dream is 90 miles away, why would they choose to stay. What I took from the lecture

is that there are generations in Cuba who have given so much of their lives for the revolution and

to the state, and then you have younger generations who have only grown up with a Cuba

constantly in crisis.

I had the opportunity to speak with two young Cuban journalists and gained their

perspective of life in Cuba. They were two twin sisters that we had ran into at a restaurant, when

they sat down they immediately were ready to discuss their lives in Cuba. They explained that

they are starving, and ready to leave. They explained how the only way to make a life in Cuba is
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if you have millions of CUB’s, Euros, or USD. I began to believe that they thought my life in

the states is rich and full of wealth. The two girls both have access to an education but lack the

means to a good paying job. I realized young Cubans have two choices; to stay or to leave. I

understand reasons for both options, but this is a reality for many people living in Cuba.

The embargos that the United States has on Cuba is a major reason for this divide we see

in Cuba. The embargo prevents United States business and citizens from conducting trade with

Cuban interest. It was a culture shock to me when I noticed the lack of stores in my area. Where I

was staying we had markets and restaurants. But there were no large grocery stores. The

pharmacy shelves were mostly empty. There was a major sense of scarcity in almost every

business we entered. If the embargo was lifted would all the shelves be full and instead Cuba

would come from a place of abundance. With every lecture or presenter we had they always left

with a statement summarizing the end of the United States embargo. I agree that the embargo

should be lifted in order for Cuba to thrive economically, politically, and socially. But I do not

believe it would be an immeditae fix to all crisis that Cuba faces. The media plays a major role in

the United States perspective of the embargo. The US places itself on a pedestal of the heroic

country, and when a country does not follow similar ideologies such as capitalism it can become

repreimanned on the media. Prior to visiting the media that I consumed regarding Cuba made it

come across as a police state and a common theme for Cuba was a place of oppression. In

comparison the United States also faces multiple forms of oppression of the people so placing

ourselves on a pedestal of having a perfect democracy is hypocritical and subjective. I do not

have the answer to the crisis that Cuba faces but I do have the power to vote and my experience

of the country.
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My 10 day trip to Cuba has impacted and changed the trajectory of my journalism career.

The cultural differences reminding me of similarities we see in latino culture. The dynamics

between men and women in Cuba was displayed my homestay. My homestay dad Antonio is a

retired doctor and he sat majority of the time watching the TV. My homestay mom Dennis was

always busy with cooking, or cleaning. This is a common dynamic we see in other latino

households where the man is the breadwinner for the family and the woman in the family

handles housewife responsibilities. Another cultural aspect I noticed was at the need for

business. Outside of restaurants people would stand outside to persuade you to eat, or buy their

goods. I found many similarities of the Cuban culture similar to my own when I visit Nolages,

Sonora. The importance of family, taking care of one another was displayed everyday at my

homestay. This trip “cultured” me in many ways, I learned how to control my reaction to

situations that are not common in the United States. I gained a better understanding of entering

situations without a bias or idea of what to expect which is something you can only truly learn

through experience.

In conclusion Cuba is a unique and beautiful country. The culture and architecture of

Cuba is unmatched. The welcome you receive from locals is heartwarming. Traveling to Cuba is

a lifechanging experience and leaves you with a sense of opportunity. This trip allowed me to

reflect on the impact I can have as a journalist. I gained an understanding of diversity and

examining culture through multiple lenses. I plan on returning to Cuba in my future, and I hope

to share my experiences with others in order to reshape the deep biases people have of Cuba.

*Picture Appendix is in a separate upload

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References

Cuba Economy 2023: Live Data, Statistics & Indicators

https://take-profit.org/en/statistics/countries/cuba/