Cubans are more than just stereotypes and dictators

By: Marcos Blanco

Posted: 11/18/08

For me, it's not easy being a Cuban-American in the U.S., especially here in California.

Cubans are very rare in The Golden State. Either that or just really spread out.

So if you want to meet a real Cuban quickly and try your luck at dominoes with them, either book a flight to Florida, or go visit the actual country itself, although just trying to get permission to go is an adventure in itself.

Secondly, apparently Cubans aren't easily distinguishable from all the other Hispanic groups.

I can't begin to tell you how many people I've run into who have tried to guess what country my family hails rom and they would, 100 percent of the time (I'm not kidding), guess wrong.

People will name off almost every Spanish-speaking country: Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Spain. They'll even guess Italy sometimes, for crying out loud.

In the end, the island country of Cuba never crosses their mind.

To my great surprise, some of the people I've run into don't even know where Cuba is located. It's really amusing when some people think Cuba is in South America.

And don't get me started about the stereotypes when I finally tell them where my family comes from, such as being infamously known for our Cuban cigars, many Ricky Ricardo and "Scarface" references and, of course, our lovely former dictator, Fidel Castro.

Now, I know people in the U.S. are just joking and I take it in good stride. I can't help but be slightly annoyed sometimes, however, by the images they associate us Cubans with, especially since most of them are negative, with the possible exception of Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo from the wildly popular "I Love Lucy" TV series.

When I think about these stereotypes, I ask myself, "Why isn't more being done to properly educate U.S. citizens about Cuban society, culture and history?"

The knowledge I have about Cuba mostly comes from the many stories my parents and grandparents (all of them are full-blooded Cubans) have told me about their homeland and the various movies and documentaries I've seen about Cuban society and politics during the Castro regime.

In the U.S. history classes I've taken in middle school, high school and college, the only times Cuba was ever mentioned were when my professors would talk about the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

My mind is boggled at the lack of material, depth and insight that was presented to me and my fellow classmates regarding Cuba's historical background before and after Castro came into power in 1959.

While the documentaries and movies I've seen about Cuba have been somewhat informative about Cuban culture and society, when it comes to the subject of Castro himself, the filmmakers make Castro look soft and an enigma who seems to fascinate people.

How can people in the U.S. be so fascinated and intrigued with a dictator who imprisoned and executed thousands of innocent Cuban citizens, journalists and protesters for simply speaking out against the tyranny that was Castro's government for almost 50 years?

How can people be interested in a person who oppressed his own people by having police patrol every block and report anybody showing even a hint of government dissent?

How can people overlook the fact that he sentenced dissenters anywhere from 25 years to life in prison for speaking their minds?

If you think that's right, you are not a human being.

It sickens me to no end when Castro supporters in the U.S. call him a hero for standing up to American capitalism and having free education and health care for his people.

They have no idea about the kind of atrocities he committed and the heavy price Cuban citizens had to pay throughout his rule.

Seriously, why do you think so many Cubans and their families risk their lives trying to flee from Cuba on makeshift boats every year? That should give people an idea of how bad it is in Cuba because of Castro's government.

I encourage people to learn and be more informed about Cuba. There should be classes devoted to Cuba's history, society and culture.

My grandfather says I'm too Americanized, and he's right.

I hope to one day visit Cuba and learn more about my roots.

I also hope people in the U.S. and in other parts of the world realize Cuban culture is much more than big cigars and Tony Montana.

We are hardworking and laid-back at the same time, we love to dance, we love to eat and fill you up with lots of Cuban delicacies, and we love to joke around and make you smile. Cuba is more than just a communist country wishing to be free. And a ruthless dictator does not define who we are by a long shot.

Viva Cuba Libre!