El Centro Serna began its monthly ‘Café y Conversación’ series with an open discussion on Cuba-U.S. relations Wednesday, Sept. 23 at the Riverfront Center. The discussion was led by Amalia Perez-Martin, assistant professor of sociology, and Ahmed Correa-Alvarez, lecturer in the anthropology department.
Both natives of Havana, Perez-Martin and Correa-Alvarez were inspired by their students’ interest to talk about Cuba-U.S. relations.
“I used part of the materials that I actually use in my [Social Change and Migration in Latin America] class,” Perez-Martin said. “I try to make it connect the larger topic of Cuba with the U.S. and what’s going on, because many students also ask me not only about Cuba but the relationship between Cuba and the U.S.” According to Perez-Martin, several of the event’s attendees were her students.
The discussion centered around the United States’ century-long intervention with Cuba’s government and policy, and how the consequences of U.S. policy led to Cuba’s current economic crisis.
Correa-Alvarez played an audio of a Havana resident. He said that life in Cuba was incredibly difficult and inflation of gasoline prices made it near-impossible for regular Cubans to afford to drive. He sent photos showing the amount of trash on the streets of Havana, with trash collection having been halted for several years.
Many of the innovations Cubans have made, such as using solar panels to power cars and motorcycles, have been made out of necessity rather than an altruistic interest for the environment, according to Perez-Martin.
“There is no state infrastructure to maintain the solar panels, so there are a lot of accidents,” Perez-Martin said.
The professors talked about the major population decline Cuba has been facing in the past five years. Reports have found that over a million Cubans have left the island after 2020, worsening the economic crisis.
Cuba’s economic difficulties have been shaped by several factors. These include several decade-long economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the loss of Soviet support following the fall of the Soviet Union, their biggest ally, in the early 90s.
The United States has maintained broad economic restrictions on Cuba since the ‘60s, limiting trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Joshua Daniel, a third-year philosophy major, said that he attended this discussion to see what the rhetoric on Cuba was around campus. A member of the Young Democratic Socialists of America club, he said that while none of the information was new to him, he was still interested in the discussion being had throughout.
“I would definitely come again, if there was a second part,” Daniel said.
Cafe y Conversación began in the Spring 2023 semester, and oftentimes focused on academic assistance and career exploration for students. This semester, El Centro Serna coordinator Juana Zaragoza said that there will be more of a focus on community belonging. Zaragoza said that Correa-Alvarez and Perez-Martin reached out to the center looking to speak at a Cafe y Conversación session.
“This is really a space for dialogue and for students to express their thoughts, and our faculty who are subject matter experts. We are more so just hosting the conversation,” Zaragoza said.
Zaragoza also said that discussion about Cuba is important to have during Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Folks often forget that the Caribbean is also part of Latin America,” Zaragoza said. “There’s a lot of Latin American cultures that are part of the Caribbean Islands and the conflict that is happening in Cuba deserves to be spotlighted.”
The next Café y Conversación will be held Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 3 to 4:30 PM, celebrating Dia de los Muertos.