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Class of 2016
My time in Cuba has been formative to say the least. To begin, I was scheduled to take an international political economy course from the Cuban perspective through the University of Havana. Unfortunately, the class was canceled, but I was able to switch into a course on the Governments of Latin America. My professor was very sharp and gave an acute description of the relations between the United States and Latin American governments. While I am familiar with the history, I found it to be refreshing to learn it from a Cuban perspective, and it led to some in-depth discussions of how to view this region.
In order to make up for the canceled IPE course, I was given articles and a few books on the Caribbean political economy, which provided a solid introduction into the challenges and opportunities for the region. This perspective has enhanced my overall view of Cuba and its economic future. Beyond just the classroom, my professor took us to various places in Havana, so we could have a better idea of the daily life of the citizens here. We took an excursion to Regla, which is a district that is heavily made up of Black Cubans, and we were able to discuss the existing racial and economic inequalities. We also had a day to see the government services for young children, the elderly, and impoverished pregnant women. In a little over three weeks, I received a more nuanced understanding of the Cuban way of life. On top of experiencing Havana, I have also ventured to other cities and provinces, and these trips revealed a more complete image of the economy here. So far, it has been way better than I ever could have expected. I learned more in the three week course than I probably could have in a whole semester, and although it was challenging to take a government course in Spanish, it really improved my language skills.
As for the independent study portion of my program, I was fairly nervous before I came. Cuba was an unknown country to me. While I had met with people that had traveled here and read various political and economic articles, I really was unsure of what I would find and even what to expect. As one of the tour guides I have met put it, “Americans come with lots of questions about Cuba, and by the end of the trip, they leave with even more.” I think it definitely has some truth to it, but with the challenges that it presents, I have found there is a lot that can be attained through an independent study. Through the help of my government professor, I met an archivist at a municipal library near where I was taking classes, and with her help, I spent the first week combing periodicals from 1959 and 1960. My focus was to understand the economic goals of the post-revolutionary government and use them as context for the modern economic policies. After completing a very influential course on Latin American governments, I was striving to use Cuba as an alternative example of U.S. hegemony or, in other words, argue that Latin American countries could look to Cuba as a method of limiting U.S. influence and interference. As I explored this topic more, my argument did not hold up, and I quickly noticed that many economic goals of the revolution are being abandoned. Cuba is in a transition period, and as I continue to research, I have started to semi-embrace the idea that “the revolution will die with Fidel.” With the uncertainty of what the Cuban government will look like in ten years, the commitment to meaningful economic reform, and the restoration of relations with the United States, it appears that Cuba is finally giving up on its goal to be independent. From my perspective, it seems rather impossible to sustain an independent economic model as globalization increases and the world market continues to expand. Thus, my plan was to continue to comb periodicals from the early years of the post-revolutionary government and use this research as a nuanced framework to assess the modern Cuban economy. While my focus in research shifted, I felt that spending days in the archives was a better use of the Etscorn Research Award, and these older and rarer periodicals lent a much stronger purpose for my reason of needing to be in Cuba. Throughout my undergraduate career, I have not had a comparable experience, and it is serving as a pivotal academic endeavor. Three months ago, I did not think I would have access to these documents, so it has definitely been more than I could have expected. My goal has been to be intentional in my research and have it reflect the purpose of Etscorn Research Award. I believe I have accomplished that, but more importantly, I am engaging in a unique academic exercise that enriches my understanding of Cuba.
I know I just laid the groundwork for what would be a meaningful use of my short time researching; however, yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with Omar Everleny Perez Villanueva, a renowned Cuban economist, to discuss the structural adjustments that are being undertaken. As an undergraduate student, I felt very fortunate for the meeting, and I was honestly surprised that he took the time to speak with me. I had read a couple of his articles before coming to Cuba, and as the past director of the Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy (CEEC), he is highly influential in the monetary and financial reforms that the government is implementing. Moreover, the CEEC is responsible for many of the economic studies that are performed in Cuba, and at the end of our meeting, Professor Omar invited me to spend my remaining time in the CEEC’s library, which has an abundance of economic data and studies. Therefore, I have decided to spend the remainder of my time there; in particular, I will be taking notes on a variety of economic indicators in order to understand how Cuba currently sees its economy and focus on how the recent and coming structural changes will affect foreign investment and influence in Cuba. It is an incredible opportunity, and I am determined to make the most of it. At the end of the day, I believe it will all tie together well and lead to an interesting and comprehensive study of Cuban economic performance, which I will be able to form into a more narrowly tailored thesis.
Philip Moore, Louisville, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar studying economics, Spanish, political science, and international business.