Discovery Of The Cuban Culture - 1754 Words

CChristopher Columbus discovered Cuba in 1492 and claimed it for Spain. Columbus described Cuba as The most lovely that eyes have seen. (Gall, 170) Since that time Cuba has gone through a tremendous amount of conflict over the last 500 years. They have endured war after war and foreign occupation, which has caused many Cubans to flee the country looking for asylum. Even with such a dramatic history the culture of the Cuban people live on not only in Cuba, but also in America. So how do we determine how to properly communicate with people of the Cuban culture as not to offend them and be considerate of their culture. We must first start off with the evolution of the culture through their history. For such a small country the†¦show more content†¦Castro passed a reform act, which limited private land ownership, confiscated all foreign-owned investments, and established what would be a relationship with the Soviet Union. In April, CIA-trained Cuban exiles staged the Bay of Pigs invasion, a failed attempt to topple the Castro regime. Later that year, Castro proclaimed Cuba a socialist country. The following year, the Cuban Missile Crisis started when the United States discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba. The crisis ended when the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles and, in exchange, the United States promised never to invade Cuba. By the end of the 1970s, the economy began to slip and, aggravated by political oppression, life on the island became intolerable for many. Since then, numerous Cubans have sought to exile themselves from the island. Today, Cuba remains the only communist government in the Western hemisphere. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the e arly 1990s, an already struggling Cuban economy took a turn for the worse. Facing civil unrest in the wake of an all-but-collapsed economy, the Cuban government has been forced to dabble in capitalism and reverse its position on tourism. In February 2008 Fidel Castro announced he was stepping down as president in favor of his brother Raà ºl. It was the end of an era. (Gall, 170) Even after all this, Cubans are said to be known for their warmth, friendliness, sense of humor, wit and resilience. (Gall, 170) They tend to greet others with