Conceiving Cuba Chapter Summary

Therefore, in the mothers’ point of view, their daughter's sexual encounters were commonly seen as their boyfriends taking advantage of their naivety. Such was the case for Emma, who reports telling her daughter, “‘You think he loves you? Se está aprovechando de ti, ya verás [He’s taking advantage of you, you’ll see]!’” (Garcia, 2012: 24). The reason behind this view is “the patriarchal control over women’s bodies” (Garcia, 2012: 24). Because women were seen as objects, the common explanation for female sexuality is that they were deceived by their partner. Victimization was also seen as a way to maintain both a girl’s and her mother’s reputation. The mothers interviewed were expected to take on the responsibility of raising their children. One of the tasks involved was educating their daughters of the dangers of premarital sex. Like the teachers of the sex education courses the girls had taken, mothers did not go in depth on different methods of pursuing safe sex. In the end, the cultural belief that a daughter who had been properly educated would prevent unwanted pregnancy and STDs through abstinence until marriage persisted in the lives of second-generation Latinas. By portraying their daughters as victims, the mothers would avoid having other relatives place the blame on them for not properly educating their

From April 15 to October 31 in 1980, over 125,000 Cuban migrants arrived in the United States. Family members from America ferried relatives and institutionalized Cubans from the Cuban port of Mariel, in what was soon coined the Mariel Boatlift. Mirta Ojito, one of these ‘Marielitos’, as they soon were termed, grew up to write “Finding Mañana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus”. In this text, the author provides a historic account of events leading up to the Mariel Boatlift, narratives from important figures surrounding the event, and a personal narrative describing the struggle of her family to gain freedom from the socialist dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Throughout the story of the years preceding the boatlift and the influence that living in Cuba held on her life, Ojito describes the positive and negative elements of the both the political climate and personal life on the communist island which led to her eventual emigration to the United States.

economic growth comes from agriculture and exports to and from Europe. Since America has had an embargo on Cuba since 1962 neither countries trade with each other because of many disagreements about governing techniques and Fidel's unwillingness to comply with U.S. instructions. Cuba’s long history and culture has contributed to many economic and social growth through out the world, but Cuba is still struggling to try to stable their economy.

I will compare the adaptation of both domestic and international legislation like penal codes and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women in both El Salvador and the Philippines. I will also briefly discuss Catholicism and its influence on the legislation being passed in both countries. Section two will also be comprised of a comparison of women’s advocacy groups in both El Salvador and the Philippines. I will demonstrate how these groups affect the discourse on reproductive rights and how they enforce changes, if any.

The effects of the Cuban Revolution on women’s lives and gender relations in Cuba from 1959 to 1990 include that some say women have not reached equality yet with men, women gained more opportunities for themselves, economy and politics, and also how women still had responsibility for children and home, not men.

The Effects of the Cuban Revolution on Women’s lives and Gender relations in Cuba from 1959 to 1990

In the film No Mas Bebes (No More Babies) we are presented with the cases of several women who underwent unconsent sterilization at the County Hospital in Los Angeles while giving birth to their child. The situation takes a turn when a young Chicana lawyer decided to support these women and take the case to court against this institution, and we get to see an aspect of the control of population in the United States, and particularly the control of Hispanic childbirths. In the article of Elena R. Gutierrez, she also talks about the situation of the births control, and she uses information and statements from the author John Tanton who believed in the control of population, to avoid over population, and the possible lack of resources for the Americans because of the immigrants having many babies here in the United States. Both pieces of information, (the film and the article) clearly show us the stereotypes about Latinas and the way they were, and continue to be treated.

These extravagant women were revered by their generation, and according to the Cuban foreign minister in 1958, Andrés Vargas Gómez, "She was a sacred creature and it was her right to have precedence in all things." While the number of professional women in Cuba grew throughout the first half of the twentieth century (lawyers, doctors, businesswomen, journalists, teachers, and musicians), the huge discrepancy between them and the average Cuban woman was not shrinking. The view of women as pura o putas existed, and equality was a long way away. According to Lois M. Smith and Alfred Padula, the long-term deficit of women in times of slavery played a significant role in the construction of sexual relations in Cuba (p 9). During slavery in Cuba, there were very few slave women, and white women only represented ten percent of the Cuban population.

“El Salvador is extremely strict when it comes down to enforcing the conservative approach with governing the people” (Rosas). “A constitutional amendment in 1998 defined life to begin at conception” (Geneva). Rosas says that the main spark that lead up to the prohibition was recovering from the civil war. Abortion is not only a problem in El Salvador but a problem worldwide. But the injustice in El Salvador is where the major troubles spread. “El Salvador is extremely conservative, and the Catholic Church’s influence extends into political decision making” (Rosas). The women undoubtedly have no say whatsoever. Instead, the government and laws overpower their opinions. She appeals to her audience by bringing up the topic that any free society should be considered to the physical right of the woman. Women and young girls in El Salvador are being forced to interact in sexual activities by men, yet the Catholic Church thinks elsewise. Nowhere does the law state anything about miscarriages or abortions, yet women are still convicted and imprisoned for these

How has gender inequality affected women in Latin American countries? Gender inequality has affected the women of Latin America in a multitude of ways, but it can be argued that the division of gender equality is extremely prominent when analyzing reproductive rights and health care access. Compared to countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, Latin America is far behind in terms of civil rights and reproductive rights. The lack of rights is not in question; women’s barrier to reproductive health can be seen through anecdotes and statistics. The question thus becomes, is there a definite answer to why these rights are absent? Factors concerning the absence of reproductive rights include cultural norms and religion, but the one that plays the biggest role remains the lack of female political leaders in Latin American countries. What exactly is it that is keeping Latin America behind other countries in terms of being progressive regarding reproductive rights? Women’s political absence in Latin America has shaped reproductive rights and health care services immensely.

When developing this proposal I wanted to look at the everyday life and struggles of women during and after the Cuban Revolution. Looking at a lot of the sources available from the Cuban Revolution it is clear to see that women played a crucial role in the revolution. But most of the secondary sources that I have found surround three specific women, Haydée Santamaría, Celia Sanchez and Vilma Espín. These revolutionaries played a crucial role in shaping the outcome of the Cuban Revolution while also advancing feminism and gender equality. By looking specifically at these women I developed the central question: how Haydée Santamaría, Celia Sanchez and Vilma Espin, able to shape the future of women’s lives in Cuba? Some other questions that helped

The Cuban authorities are upset for the same reasons as those in other Latin- American countries, reggaeton tends to be hypersexual and worship consumerism and fashion. This brings me the next point that I will discuss on, the hypersexuality and degrade of women where hypersexuality can be described as suddenly increased sexual urges or sexual activity. In Cuba after the fall of Batista’s regime in 1959, Fidel Castro closed down all the casinos and banned prostitution. According to the scholars, another reason for prohibiting reggaeton, which shows a constant change of sexual partner and provokes women to be seen as prostitutes, sexual objects paid for their services. Discussing this point, Luciak in her book on gender and democracy in Cuba,

In the early 1900’s, Cuba was a stomping ground for many of the rich and famous from the United States. Many famous movies stars and wealthy business entrepreneurs spend their vacations there along with a substantial amount of money. Trade and commerce between the United States and Cuba flowed freely and abundantly. Even with the Dictatorship-like regime of Batista, the countries benefited from the economic trade between them. This was all about to come crashing down as revolts against Batista occurred and Fidel Castro came to power within Cuba.

As I stepped off the gargantuan, snow white cruise ship, I gazed at a colorful sea of retro-style cars zipping through the narrow streets littered with potholes. The day I had been anticipating and fearing was finally here. I was in Cuba. The customs office at the end of the ship terminal was institutional looking, with stark white walls and bright lighting. Eventually, my family left customs and officially entered Cuba. Before meeting our tour guide, we located a restroom. Outside, there was a rugged and dirty looking man selling toilet paper to American tourists, who forgot their own roll. However, the cruise line had forewarned us, so we bypassed him.

Cuba is an island nation that was adopted in 1902. One third of it consists of mountains and rolling hills. It lies in the West Indies, and is said to be a beautiful island. Havana is Cuba’s capital, and the center of government for Cuba. Some important cities are Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. Santiago de Cuba is near the south-eastern area of Cuba, and has a population of about half a million people. It’s considered the second most important city in Cuba, probably because it’s an important sea port. Camagüey is the fourth largest city in Cuba, according to Wikipedia. The symbol of Camagüey is a clay pot, mainly because there are clay pots everywhere. They can be very small, or very big. They’re used to capture rainwater to be