Cubans have very different opinions about their country and its history, particularly about the Cuban Revolution that began in 1959. In this unit, students explore Cuba’s history, the Cuban Revolution, and consider the country’s future.
This lesson is part of the full Choices curriculum unit History, Revolution, and Reform: New Directions for Cuba.
Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze personal stories about life in Cuba and migration to the United States.
- Consider the views Cuban Americans in the debate about Cuba’s future.
Recommended Reading
It is recommended but not required to have read Parts I-III of the Student Text for History, Revolution, and Reform: New Directions for Cuba.
Resources
- Understanding Cuban American Experiences (one copy for each student)
- One memoir from Cuban American Memoirs for each pair of students
- Videos
What was your family’s experience emigrating from Cuba?
How and why do many Cubans try to leave Cuba?
In the Classroom
1. Focus Question—Ask students what they know about the experiences of immigrants, either from their own lives, from family members, or from people in their community. What kinds of stories do people tell about their home countries? Have students recall what they learned from the readings about Cuban emigration to the United States. When were the major periods of emigration in Cuban history? Why did people emigrate?
Play the video of Professor Michael Bustamante answering the question, “What was your family’s experience emigrating from Cuba?” Why did his family leave Cuba?
2. Examining Cuban American Memoirs—Divide students into pairs and give each student “Understanding Cuban American Experiences” and each pair a selection from “Cuban American Memoirs.” Have students read the introduction and the directions carefully before they read their memoir selection and answer the questions. Remind students that they are responsible for presenting their author to the class. Each presentation should have two parts. The first part should provide factual background information about their author, while the second part should be an explanation of the author’s views on Cuba and Cuba’s future. Each presentation should be no longer than two minutes total.
3. Presentations—During the presentations, students should take notes, jotting down information such as the authors’ dates of birth, where they were born, when they or their families left Cuba, their views on Cuba and Cuba’s future, and the emotions expressed in each presentation.
4. Making Connections—Ask students whether they noted any recurring themes or ideas during the presentations. What information did the memoirs provide about the experiences of Cuban Americans? Ask students to consider the role of Cuban Americans in the future of Cuba. How should the views of Cuban Americans be considered?
Play the video of Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, answering the question, “How and why do many Cubans try to leave Cuba?” What does he mean when he calls Cuba a “diasporic nation”? What does he think this means for the future of Cuba?
Note
You should remind students that these selections are merely a handful of individual experiences from the twentieth century and do not represent a comprehensive picture of the experiences of Cuban Americans.