For more than five decades it was not possible for most American citizens to visit Cuba but recent events led to greater flexibility for universities to create academic programs that allow students to travel to the largest island nation in the Caribbean for the purpose of doing a study tour. Hofstra was able to take advantage of the improved relations between the two countries and 15 students participated in the first Hofstra-in-Cuba program in January 2015.

1. HOFSTRA-IN-CUBA
JANUARY 2015:
PUTTING CUBA BACK
ON THE MAP

2. The recently completed Hofstra-in-Cuba Program was in many ways a
journey into the unknown. It was the first HCLAS program to visit Cuba, the first in a
new series of study abroad programs sponsored by the Hofstra’s Latin American and
Caribbean Studies (LACS) Program, Hofstra’s first experience in working with
Spanish Studies Abroad (SSA), and it took students to a place to which Americans
have not been able to freely travel for more than 50 years. The group of 15 students
(14 undergrads and one graduate student in the TOEFL program) and two faculty
assembled in Miami, Florida on the night of January 3. The excitement was
palpable as all of us knew that the timing of this trip, coming as it was on the heels
of President Obama’s recent announcement of the initial steps in normalizing
relations between the two countries, made Cuba an even more special destination
than usual.
Following our departure for Havana the next morning, the group spent a
very intensive 17 days traveling in Cuba over a geographic range that extended from
Trinidad and the Valle de los Ingenios in the south central area of the country to
Pinar del Rio and the Valle de Viñales in the far west, beginning and ending the
program in Havana itself. We can report that on every level, the entire program was
an exceptional success as virtually everyone involved indicated that it had surpassed
their individual expectations of what they would get out of the experience. What
follows is an overview of the academic and travel aspects of the program, followed
by student comments, and an assessment of the program’s impacts as they relate to
how several students are using/ will use in the future what they have gained
through their participation in the program.

3. The academic side of the program
Students registered for LACS
150 – Special Topics in Latin American
and Caribbean Studies. The special topic
in this case was entitled “Putting Cuba
(Back) on the Map,” a reference to the
fact that Cuba for many decades was
something of an information black hole,
so far as Americans were concerned. A
separate section of LACS 2150 was
created for the graduate student.
The course easily fulfilled the
interdisciplinary nature of the LACS
program as it included a wide array of
topics on Cuba. These ranged from its
physical geography, economy, history,
and politics to its culture, international
relations, and the evolution of Cuban
society. Power point postings were
made available on many of these topics
prior to the trip.
“Everything is going to change. We are neighbors. And
neither of us is going anywhere” explains Law Professor
Dr. Doris Quintana, an expert on international law.

4. Lectures while in Cuba were
delivered by the two Hofstra
professors leading the trip,
along with several lectures
provided by Cuban experts,
many of whom were faculty
members at the University of
Havana. Dr. Wiley’s portion of
the course covered the
evolution of Cuba, from its pre-
Columbian indigenous period
through the early and late
colonial periods, which in Cuba lasted until 1898, and on into the post-“independence”
neocolonial period with its early and late Republican stages, the latter of which ended in
1959. Each stage involved discussion of the peopling of Cuba in sequential migrations, the
evolution of Cuba’s largely primary sector economy, issues of social class and race relations,
political developments, and the impact on Cuba of events occurring elsewhere (e.g., the
Seven Years War and the Haitian Revolution). Those lectures provided students with an
understanding of the foundations of Cuban society and also served to develop the
framework necessary for them to understand why Cuban had the revolution it did, the one
that “triumphed” in 1959. At that point, Dr. Herold took over and guided the students
through a very detailed explanation of the six primary stages of economic policy and
development strategies in revolutionary Cuba since January 1959. Students learned about…

5. ….the challenges inherent in converting what had been an armed insurrection into a new form of
governance and management of an economy. Emphasis was placed upon both Cuba’s successes and
failures during each of those stages and how the new government often fell short of its intended
goals, which usually then led events into the subsequent stage of policy and strategy. Considerable
attention was paid to the Special Period in a Time of Peace, Cuba’s name for the 5th of those 6 stages.
The Special Period began with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the demise of Eastern European
regimes allied with the USSR, events that left Cuba’s economy in a shambles. Finally, Dr. Herold
discussed the current stage of revolutionary Cuba’s economic policy and strategies, which has
included several examples of mostly small-scale private sector enterprises, the so-called “cuentas
propistas.”
Afterward, Dr. Wiley changed the focus somewhat by discussing revolutionary Cuba’s
international relations. He focused upon its relations with Latin America, the COMECON countries,
and other parts of the world, most notably Africa over several decades, and China. Cuba is often
described as a “small country with a big-country foreign policy” and this idea was utilized as the point
of departure to help students understand how this relatively small country has been very creative
(and successful) in its diplomatic efforts to overcome US efforts to isolate Cuba from the global
community.

6. In addition to the lecture program delivered by the
two Hofstra faculty, SSA had organized several other
lectures during the course of our stay in Havana.
These included:
• Dr. Doris Quintana, Professor of Law, University
of Habana. Dr. Quintana met with the class on
two occasions, first discussing U.S. – Cuban
relations, then, on the following day, explained
the licensing system for the “cuentas propistas”
and how most of Cuba’s housing stock has now
been privatized, meaning that houses can now
be bought and sold.
• Dr. Daybel Pañellas Alvarez, Professor of Social
Psychology, University of Habana. Her lecture
dealt with Transitions in Contemporary Cuba
and she focused upon several major issues at
the intersection of economic policy and social
reality including such things as the “hyper-
centralized state,” the “over-extended state,”
and the increasing trend toward socioeconomic
inequality.
“If you are a woman, if you are elderly, or black in Cuba
– it is like the perfect storm.” stated Dr. Daybel Panellas,
a social psychologist at the Universidad de Habana
while discussing contemporary issues confronting Cuba
with the Hofstra-in-Cuba students.
• Dr. Angela Rojas, Professor of Architecture, University of Habana, who presented a lecture describing the
various periods reflected in Cuba’s architectural heritage and explained the great efforts being made to
restore and preserve its architectural treasures, a nice follow-up to our walking tour of Habana Vieja.
• Dr. Jorge Mario Sánchez, Professor of Economics, University of Habana. Dr. Sánchez also represents Cuba
in various international fora and has traveled abroad extensively. His lecture highlighted a great variety of
economic issues currently confronted by Cuba and he illustrated how the complicated relationship with
the US serves to impede several of Cuba’s development initiatives, including exploration for offshore oil
reserves. He also discussed the recent great increases in remittances from abroad, most notably from the
US, and the impact they are having on the country.
Student responses to these lectures were very enthusiastic and their feedback about them emphasized how
refreshing it was to hear some very different perspectives on Cuba than what are commonly presented at
home.

7. The travel program:
experiencing Cuba
As noted previously, the travel program was
quite intense, with long days filled with a great
diversity of activities and site visits. Many
offered opportunities to interact with Cubans
of different walks of life in a variety of settings.
The guide provided by SSA was instrumental in
providing translation from Spanish into English,
with his efforts supplemented by the two
faculty members and a few students who had
a good command of Spanish.

8. Many of the most notable
aspects of the trip involved
extensive walks, providing an
up close view of many of Cuba’s
interesting attractions:
• a full-day + evening tour of
La Habana Vieja, which
complemented our lecture
on Spain’s colonization of
Cuba and of the Caribbean
more broadly
• a guided walk through an
innovative urban farm on
the margins of Havana
“Enjoy my country, but don’t try to understand
it.” – suggested Elias, a practitioner of Santería, in
Centro Habana, echoing a sentiment heard
throughout the country

9. “Here we have people capable of building a satellite with
a can of beans and a piece of fence.” stated economist
Dr. Jorge Mario Sánchez, Universidad de Habana,
discussing how Cuba’s substantial investment in its social
capital allows it to accomplish things that its level of
wealth suggest it shouldn’t be able to do.
• a guided walk through the beautiful campus
of the University of Habana, with an
explanation of its racist origins and of the
later role played by the university’s students
in the resistance to the Batista dictatorship

10. Salto de Rocio, Sierra de
Escambray
Topes de Collantes: farmer holding
endangered giant vegetarian rat
• a guided environmental walk in the Parque Nacional Topes de Collantes,
in the Sierra de Escambray, Cuba’s second highest mountain range and
one of the focal points of the CIA-assisted counter-revolution during the
first half of the 1960s

11. Boarding truck to go into →
the Sierra de Escambray in
the south central part of
Cuba ↓

12. • a walking tour of Trinidad, a UNESCO world
heritage city, and one of the original seven
Spanish settlements on the island

13. The Plaza José Martí, Cienfuegos, with
the Catedral Purísima Concepción →
and the Teatro Tomás Terry ↓
• a walking tour of Cienfuegos, Cuba’s finest “neo-colonial” city, with well-
preserved neo-classic architecture from the late 1800s and early 1900s

14. There were several guided visits to museums, including:
• the Museo de Bellas Artes, in Havana, where the stages of Cuban arts, primarily
painting, were viewed chronologically with comparisons made between trends in
Cuba and those occurring elsewhere
• the Museo de Arquitectura Colonial, in Trinidad, a small very focused museum that
illustrates Trinidad’s colonial architectural heritage
• the Museo Nacional de Lucha Contra Bandidos, also in Trinidad, which illustrated the
war against the counter-revolutionaries, much of the action of which took place in
the nearby Sierra de Escambray • the Museo de la Revolución,
in Havana, with its displays
of artifacts and dioramas
related to the armed
struggle against the Batista
dictatorship and the efforts
to preserve the revolution
against counter-
revolutionaries, including
the invaders at the Bay of
Pigs, along with several
captured armaments of U.S.
origins
←Museo de la Revolución:
diorama of the rebels in the
Sierra Maestra, 1958

15. “We Cubans – we all see Fidel as a father figure, as our
grandfather, and we all see the world through our
grandfathers’ eyes when we are very little, we emulate
them, we learn from them, we see the world as they see
the world. But then eventually we come of age, we grow
old; we start looking at things with our own eyes, we can
start having contributions, but then those are our
grandfathers.” David Horta Pimentel, Curator of the
Pedro Pablo Gallery + Studio, Pinar del Rio.
• the studio/gallery of renowned Cuban artist, Pedro Pablo Oliva in Pinar del Rio. This
private gallery is not open to the public; its displays include several of Oliva’s most
notable works, among them many not viewed favorably by the state. The artist’s son-in-
law, an art curator and trained art historian, opened the gallery exclusively for our group,
who remained asking many questions of the curator for an additional hour than had
been programed.

16. Several of the most enjoyable and/or eye-opening experiences of the trip could be
classified as cultural activities or community-based visits:
• a visit to one of the
poor districts in
Habana Centro, most
of whose inhabitants
are of African descent.
This was led by a
practitioner of
Santería, who provided
an in-depth
explanation of the
religion and how it is
practiced, and
provided entry into
two private homes
occupied by Santeros
(priests). The
experience illustrated
very clearly the
syncretistic nature of
religion in Cuba

17. • a morning and lunch visit
to an unusual, multi-
faceted, small town
development effort, the
Proyecto Patio de Pelegrin,
near Pinar del Rio. The
Proyecto is a local
initiative that receives no
state support but has….
….successfully gained funding
from numerous international
NGOs as well as from La
Agencia Andaluza de
Cooperación Internacional
para el Desarrollo. The project
includes programs in the arts,
theatre, dance, music, debate,
literature, biological farming,
and the environment. The
guided visit was followed by
an organic lunch made from
local products.

18. • a morning visit, en route from Cienfuegos
to Pinar del Rio, to the Proyecto Korimakao,
a unique school of the performing arts that
brings promising students from all around
Cuba. The students specialize in dance,
theatre, and music. Our group was treated
to private performances by a dance troupe
and a musical group, both of which
illustrated the enormous talent pool that
has been developed in Cuba. An
opportunity for interaction among the
students was provided following each
performance

19. • a private
Santería
cultural
performance
in Palmira,
near
Cienfuegos,
that provided
insights into
the practice
of the
religion
through
dance ….
…. and music, a lively two-hour
demonstration of African cultural
influences in Cuba with a lot of guest
participation expected.

20. • A private concert of Piquete music in the beautiful neo-classic Centro Cultural in Santa
Clara. Piquete music is a form of music that flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries but is
now a dying genre being kept alive in just a few places. The musicians were accompanied
by a small group of dancers, all of whom are local pensioners in the city. The dancing was
very slow and sedate but the elders invited the students to join with them in what turned
out to be one of most endearing experiences of the entire trip.

21. The Hofstra-in-Cuba students
Lunch at a paladar in Havana, one of the several private sector family run restaurants
where the group enjoyed a delicious meal
Special mention must be made of the Hofstra students who participated in this first Hofstra-
in-Cuba program. Their enthusiasm remained exceptionally high throughout the entire trip.
They participated fully in every aspect of the program, ate everything served to them (in great
quantities!), engaged fully with people at every opportunity, and left behind a lot of good will
among our Cuban hosts. They were excellent ambassadors for both Hofstra University and for
the USA. Both of the professors had done other study abroad programs in the past but
neither of us had ever worked with such a wonderful group of students.

22. In an informal effort to gauge the impact of
this program on the students, a kind of
“outcomes assessment” if you will, students
were asked to identify how their experience in
Cuba was influencing their future plans, both
for the short and longer terms. That yielded an
interesting variety of responses, impressive
given that students returned from the island
less than one month ago:
• One student has applied for study abroad
in Cuba for fall semester through Hofstra +
SSA
• One has chosen to write his LACS senior
thesis on Cuba’s creative foreign policy
and its outcomes
• Two have chosen themes developed
through the course – Cuba’s relations with
Latin America and the challenges of Cuba’s
announced intention to convert from it
current dual currency system to adopting
just one currency – as the subjects of their
research proposals for Geography 191
• One – a film major – is preparing a 30
minute documentary on the Cuba
experience for his senior project
• Two are formulating plans to do graduate
studies at the University of Habana
“If a man lives with his ex-wife and finds a
girlfriend and the ex-wife finds a boyfriend, I
don’t know, it’s just something weird” said
Roberto Rodriguez Perez (left), guide for Hofstra-
in-Cuba, explaining the odd situations that arise
from Cuba’s acute housing shortage. He is
pictured here with Elian, driver for the group.

23. • One is preparing a presentation on the
Cuba program to be delivered to the Dean’s
Advisory Council, incorporating photos
taken by another student into the power
point slides for that presentation
• One – the graduate student now doing his
student teaching as a TOEFL student -
conducted several interviews with Cubans
about their English language education
• One – a dual major in geography and
biology – is exploring how she can spend a
gap year in Cuba doing a graduate program
there prior to entering medical school
• One – a marketing major, was awakened in
Cuba to the significance of migration to
marketing professionals. He is now taking
the Population and Migration Geography
course to help prepare him to tailor his
future marketing plans targeting Latin
American diasporas in the USA
• At least 5 students are now exploring the
possibility of doing intensive language
Spanish language student in Latin America

24. “Do you know what we do to lure
Canadian tourists to Cuba? Nothing.
We just wait for winter.” said
economist Dr. Jorge Mario Sánchez,
describing the importance of
tourism to Cuba’s foreign exchange
earnings picture.
It was clear from the outset that each of the students had his/her own particular reason for
doing this study abroad program. Their interests were Cuba-specific. After conversations with
each of them, it became obvious that none had planned to do a study abroad program this
year but when presented with the unprecedented chance to do one in Cuba, all 15 came on
board. And the timing of this program – providing the opportunity to visit Cuba while it was
still a “different” Latin America – seemed to add some urgency to their decision to go. The
wisdom of their choice was only enhanced by the President’s December announcement that
it is time for the U.S. – Cuba relationship to change. While all of the participants in the
program are very supportive of the decision to normalize the relationship, we are also very
aware that doing so will transform Cuba once again as the end of the U.S. embargo will likely
propel Cuba into participation in the mainstream of the world economy at levels not seen
there for more than 50 years. And in the process, that will re-shape Cuba in ways that could
render it no longer the country that marches to a different drummer, causing it to lose many
of the unique qualities that made it such a special destination this year…..

25. ….It is because of those prospects for change that we all feel that it is important
for Hofstra to support the running of the program for a second time in January
2016, before the impacts of these changes really begin to register on the Cuban
landscape and mentality.
Toward that goal, several of the students have offered written
statements for inclusion in this report in which they briefly describe what the
program meant to them and their hopes that it will be made available to more
Hofstra students in the near future:
• “Going to Cuba was a life changing, mind opening experience. The country is
more culturally relevant than ever before and will be rapidly changing in the
coming years. Students need the opportunity to see it as it was before it
moves fully into the 21st century. You can't put a price on an experience like
this.” Evan Crochet

26. • “The Cuba program was an amazing
experience for me and my peers. Not only
has it inspired me to write about Cuba's
international relations for my senior thesis
but, as my first international trip, it was
only right it would be to Cuba, a country
that has inspired so many others including
my own country, Puerto Rico. This
program is a great way to experience first-
hand a country with so much culture and
pride that has so much to offer to the
world. If I could go again, I wouldn't blink
twice before saying “yes!" José Rivera
• "Getting the chance to see a "forbidden"
country, from an American perspective, has
completely changed my mind in regards to
our relationship with Cuba. I think other
students should also get the opportunity I
had. It will advance their lives in a
multitude of ways, like it did for me."
Jessica Antretter
• “The Study Abroad program in Cuba this
January allowed students to learn first-hand
the Cuban perspective on life, love, and
community while visiting historic sites
including an old Spanish imperial fortress,
the University of Havana, and Revolution
Square; even visiting the homes of
community elders who practiced the Afro-
Cuban religion of Santeria, gladly explaining
their unique faith. All this took place in an
unprecedented time of expanding U.S.-
Cuban relations, offering an experience
which will undoubtedly remain with us for
the rest of our lives.” Doug Forgione

27. • “Having an opportunity to visit a
country I never dreamt accessible was
wonderful, insightful, and humbling.
The people were kind, the sights
breathtaking and beautiful; untouched
by Americanization, a sight seldom
seen. Traveling to Cuba was a truly
awe-inspiring moment in my life that
will forever serve my memory as one
of the most unique places I have
visited, which was only enhanced by
traveling with the fantastic group of
people from Hofstra whom I now
consider friends. Trips of this nature
should forever continue in order to
showcase a nation so close to the
United States, yet so far removed.” Eric
Crocombe
• “Traveling to a third world country is
always an eye opening experience, but
going to a developing country that has
been excommunicated by the United…
….States of America is an experience you
cannot put a price on. There is so much to
learn from the Cuba trip; you enter the
country with a few questions and leave
with a million more, it is truly a mysterious
and fascinating place.” Youssef Bouzaidi
Organic farm, Valle de Viñales

28. Tobacco drying shed, Valle de Viñales
• “The Cuba study abroad program is
a once in a life time opportunity for
U.S. students to learn about a
nation unlike any other. I learned a
great deal about the devastating
impacts of U.S. foreign policy, as
well as just how creative and
positive Cuba has remained
throughout its past. Cuba is truly
unique among its neighbors in Latin
America and the Caribbean and to
understand this, it only seems fit
that students go to Cuba and
experience it for themselves.”
Bhavneet Anand
• “There were many benefits of the Cuba
Study Abroad program, that I feel should be
made available to future students. Some of
the most insightful moments that I
appreciated while in Cuba, were the
lectures we had with several different
University of Havana professors. These
meetings offered important insight into the
culture and politics of Cuba, that I feel I
could only have learned from a Cuban
citizen. I would highly recommend the
continuation of this study abroad program
because Cuba will continue to be a unique
country for study, especially as it continues
its reintegration into the global
community.” Eleanore Saintis

29. Cutting dried tobacco leaves for cigar-
making, Valle de Viñales
• “During the three weeks of the Cuba
program, we managed to not only see a lot
of Cuba but also learn about it first hand
from Cubans, whether they be the
University of Havana professors who
lectured us or our very knowledgeable
guide. It was an exciting time to be there
because as its relationship with the United
States seems to be ameliorating, people all
around Cuba were wondering and guessing
what that would mean for both of our
countries and that engendered many
interesting, intellectual and thoughtful
conversations.” Mishaina Joseph
• “This program inspired me to learn Spanish
….The trip was a once in a life time
opportunity especially given the current US
Cuba climate. I think it's an important
program to continue because of the very
interesting and specific relationship
between the U.S. and Cuba. It wasn't until I
was on the trip that I realized how little I
knew about an island only 90 miles from
my nation’s coast. This trip also inspired
me to take up global studies with a
concentration in Latin American studies.”
Gianna Ensminger.

30. As everything above so strongly suggests, the initial Hofstra-in-Cuba program was a great success
and is having a very positive impact on its participants. Therefore, Professor Herold and Professor
Wiley are now planning Hofstra’s return to Cuba in January 2016. The tentative dates are January
3 – 21, 2016, pending flight schedules. Please check the LACS and Study Abroad websites in late
August/early September for updated information about the 2016 Hofstra-in-Cuba program!