READINGS:
Louis A. Perez, Jr., On Becoming Cuban: Identity, Nationality, and Culture
Jana Lipman, Guantánamo: A Working-Class History between Empire and Revolution
C. Peter Ripley, Conversations with Cuba
LIVE CHAT #1 Wednesday, March 2, noon (CST)
LIVE CHAT #2 Wednesday, April 6, noon (CST)
LIVE CHAT #3 Wednesday, May 4, noon (CST)
For Pérez, On Becoming Cuban:
How does Pérez conceptualize the Cuban-U.S. Relationship?
What cultural forms does Pérez analyze to illustrate the influence of American culture in Cuban national identity formation?
How did the Cuban Revolution change the Cuban-U.S. relationship
For Lipman, Guantánamo:
How did the Guantánamo Bay naval base come into being?
How would you describe the relations between the navy, the base workers, and the larger Guantánamo region?
How did the experience of the the naval base’s workforce change after Fidel Castro’s triumph?
For Ripley, Conversations with Cuba:
Who is C. Peter Ripley and why does he decide to go to Cuba?
How did Cubans adjust to the changes taking place in their country during the 1990s?
How would you characterize Ripley’s attitude toward Cuba and Cuban/U.S. relations by the time his book draws to a close?