Author: DIANA ISER

Send To: [email protected] (Miami Herald)

Hi Dave,

I hope this email finds you well.

I have experienced this election year in both New York and Miami, and I’ve become increasingly interested in the Latino vote. I am a Miami native, but New York has been my home for the last ten years. I feel that Miami and New York City are both melting pots of diverse people, Latinos included. New York has a track record of voting blue while Florida usually votes red. I had never really looked into this because I haven’t ever been really interested in politics. However, given the current state of the world it was only appropriate I start to pay attention. I found it strange that although Majority of Miami Dade County voted blue that the state of Florida voted 51% red. I felt that because the largest population of Cubans is in Florida, that they would vote blue seeing as democracy would allow for freedoms that the Cuban government does not offer.

I had been listening to a multitude of radio and television broadcasts that mentioned how the Republican party had appealed to the Latino community more so than the Democratic party. It was said that the democratic party did not try to gain the Latino vote because they simply assumed it was theirs. I started to reach out to friends and family in Miami and asking them about their political affiliations. I was surprised to learn that a lot of the people I know are republican and that their views on democracy are like that of socialism and communism. I was told that the reason why Cubans usually always vote red is because they believe that democracy is a lot like socialism and communism and they fear that if they vote blue, they would eventually help vote in a government similar to Cuba.

I found this to be extremely interesting and wanting to know more. I am working on a pictorial article that I think would be great for the Miami Herald. This article would be showcasing the Republican Latino voice and help other people and politicians alike understand why and what Latinos in Miami want from their government.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Best,

Diana Iser

Hi Emily,

I hope this email finds you well.

Given the current state of the world, I have been using a lot more of my time to learn about Cuba and the current climate. I did not think it was going to be tough because well, my entire family is Cuban! However, Cuban media is heavily censored, and the information people receive must first be approved by the government. The information is biased and fits the agenda of the current regime, leaving the people in the dark.

Covid-19 has left people without many resources, some of which were already difficult to find before the pandemic. I was surprised to find out that doctors have started distributing homeopathic medications like PrevenHo-Vir, to everyone on the island in hopes of helping strengthen the immune system and reduce the number of Covid cases. The medication was distributed for free at clinics, hospitals, and even door to door.

I am currently working on an article, highlighting Cuba’s approach in using homeopathic medications and how information on medications are made available to the people of Cuba. Cuban drug regulatory authority has approved the medication made by BioCubaFarma and clarified that it is not a cure, instead it is an alternative in preventing emerging viral infections and existing ones like the flu and dengue. After speaking with different people on the island via Facebook, I learned that other homeopathic medications have been used to treat other conditions and proven to be effective. I wanted to know how people on the island learn about medications and their effectiveness. As I continued to do research and conduct interviews, I learned about the InfoMED website. This site is made available to all those with internet access of the island, to learn about all thing’s health related. However, Internet limited access is limited, and people tend to get their information from family, friends, and the doctors who have distributed the medication.

I am almost certain that this article is perfect for your publication and would love to share it with you.

Best,

Diana Iser

 

I attended Photoville with the intention of viewing a different exhibit, but as I walked by the images below, I decided to focus on the exhibit of Eva Woolridge.  The images I took do it absolutely no justice, so I went ahead and added the images from the Photoville website aswell.

I was first drawn in by the woman’s eyes. It felt powerful and at the same time made me feel sadness. I thought that the imagery was bold and beautiful. This exhibit is a visual narrative of Woolridge’s personal experience having dealt with a traumatic medical event. The images serve as a timeline from the beginning, middle, and end of her surgery. They’re each titled by the emotions she felt during the process.

The titles are as follows: denial, blinding pain, a thorn of micro-aggression, shock, surrender, the weight of trauma, inspection, reflection, acceptance, and empowerment.

I was initially taken back by the images but as I started to read, I was so intrigued by her openness to share with the world what she experienced while addressing the lack of knowledge available to Black women regarding their reproductive health. As a woman who deals with reproductive complications, I appreciated her exhibit and how normal it is to talk about things that are real and relevant. Given the current climate of the world, I found it extremely important to bring awareness to women’s health but more so, bring awareness to the lack of medical information and attentiveness towards Black women.

Woolridge experienced the removal of her right ovary, although she thought it could have been saved if doctors would have taken quicker actions after being diagnosed with a dermoid cyst. I personally experienced a traumatic event when I was told I needed a biopsy of my uterus without any additional information as to why it was necessary. The nurse assisting the doctor dropped the sample and the doctor had to do the biopsy twice, causing immense bleeding and discomfort. Following this appointment, it was nearly impossible to get my results back, because the clinic shut down a week or two after I was seen. I later found out that the clinic had been dealing with legal troubles regarding unethical practices.

Woolridge’s work is shedding light on the issue of medical negligence and female reproductive health. I think a lot of women can relate and sharing the information with other women and the world would only be beneficial.

The Beat Memo

The country I have chosen to focus on is Cuba. I am determined to find and examine the Cuban population in New York.

In the 2010 census it was reported that there was an estimated 1,785,547 Cubans in the United States. However, in 2017 the Pew Research Center analysis of the U.S Census Bureau reported an estimated 2.3 million Cubans in the U.S. This was based on self-identified and Hispanics with Cuban origin. In the NYC tri-state area, there is an estimated 70,000 Cuban people. With New York and New Jersey combined there are an estimated 154,165 Cuban people, the second largest population being in New Jersey at around 80,000. In the home country of Cuba there are around 11,326,616 people.

Although the third largest population of Cuban people is in New York, there is not one definitive region where they all live. New Jersey’s Union City and West New York (also known as “Havana on the Hudson,” is home to the second largest population of Cuban people. Since the 1960-70’s The Cuban population in New York and New Jersey has blended in with that of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans.

It is hard to say because there isn’t one specific field that Cuban people are working in. They have integrated with other communities and populations making them a diverse group of people in the U.S.

Cubans started entering the U.S. in large numbers in 1959. This was a direct result of the Cuban communist revolution led by Fidel Castro. The revolution was a movement against the former Cuban President Fulgencio Batista and his military style dictatorship. Fidel Castro was sworn in on February 16^th, 1959.

From April-October in the 1980’s, more than 125,000 Cuban immigrants flooded the U.S. Castro opened port Mariel and allowed whoever wanted to leave the country to do so, as long as they had someone picking them up. He also freed and allowed prisoners and mental patients to flood the port. They did this via boats, the movement is known as the Mariel Boatlift. It ended after six months by mutual agreement between Cuba and the U.S. Cuban people had a difficult time conforming to the communist government policies that Castro was implementing.

They fled the failing Cuban economy in search of new opportunities and political freedom.

Some organizations I have found in New York are:

us-cubanormalization.org

cubanculturalcenter.org

centerforcubanstudies.org

I was also able to find a Baruch directory of Cuba-related organizations and websites:

https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/academics/anthropology/documents/DirectoryCubaBook.pdf

The Cuban government closely monitors the Cuban media. It is known that Cuba has a very repressive media presence. Often, things are censored or not fully disclosed. The Granma newspaper is the only national daily paper and the Communist party of Cuba controls it. They’re also weekly publications known as, Tribuna de La Habana and Juventud Rebelde. There is a biweekly newsmagazine known as the Bohemia. Cuba’s official new agency is Prensa Latina and they publish several magazines in Cuba. Cubans However cannot read books, magazines, or newspapers that have not been approved by the government. They’re also not allowed receiving any sort of media from other countries or other people visiting the country. I have witnessed this as I have traveled to Cuba twice and experienced the censorship firsthand.

The relationship between the U.S. and Cuba has been strained for more than sixty years. When Obama was president, he and Raul Castro took steps to normalize the bilateral relationship between the two. However, the Trump administration has reversed a lot of the progress made by former President Obama, including diplomatic ties, travel, and trade. According to The Havana Consulting group:

For some years now, remittances have been the main source of income for Cuban families. In 2015, their value in cash was 1.95 times higher than the aggregate of the average annual salaries of all of the country’s workers.

Almost my entire family is still in Cuba and for every $100 we send the government takes $30. Remittances to Cuba are significant to the country’s economy but it seems the government benefits more so than its people.

The most recent year I could find was 2018, where the GDP per capita in Cuba was reported at 8,821.82 USD. This places Cuba’s rank at 76 as estimated by World Bank in 2019. I also came across an article that claims the government in Cuba is poorer than it is actually reporting according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank. The article is dated Jan. 2018 and I am providing the link for anyone who would like to read it.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article195681589.html

Some of the major industries in Cuba include: petroleum, nickel, cobalt, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, steel, cement, and sugar.

The current system of government in Cuba is socialist. This has been the case since 1959; the adopted principal became “one state, one party.” Although it is a socialist system of government it has taken on a lot of communist characteristics. Isla de la Juventud and other minor archipelagos also fall under Cuban control.

The only information I was able to find on the NY consul general is as follows:

Consulate of Cuba in New York

315 Lexington Avenue, 38th Street

New York, NY 10016

USA

(212) 689 7215

[email protected]

Some other websites claim the consulate in NYC is closed and available in Washington DC. I have reached out to both contacts and have yet to hear back for options in NYC.

 Potential Story Ideas:

1. How does the idea of success differ between Cuban immigrants and Cuban-American citizens? Do Cuban immigrants believe that fleeing their country helped them reach success? Do Cuban-American citizens feel that Cuban immigrants did the right thing by fleeing? I essentially want to understand more of how Cuban immigrants and Cuban-American citizen’s perspectives differ if at all. How has being raised under Cuban law affected the perspective or opinions of someone who was not born in the country but raised by Cuban born parents?
2. How does lack of media affect mood and future goals? It is known that Cuban media is controlled by the government and censored to fit the governments interests rather than to inform its people. I would like to dive deeper into the realm of “is being ignorant really being at bliss?” How do Cuban people know if they’re being told the truth or anything useful? Is it possible to progress in life with little to no information on the happenings of not only the country but also the world?
3. How has Covid-19 further hindered Cuban people? With lack of resources including food, money, electricity, and medication how have the people of Cuba managed to survive?

For this semester I would like to focus on the country of Cuba. As a Cuban American woman who has visited the country twice, I have my own perspective about the country my parents fled from. I would like to speak to Cubans in NYC whose family may be struggling with the social, economical, and environmental issues that have happened and are still happening in 2020.

The second largest population of Cubans in the U.S. is in New Jersey. However, the only Cuban person I have met in NYC was about 5-6 years ago in the building I used to work in. We had a short conversation about what he experienced when he lived there, in which he mentioned how Fidel himself demanded he leave the country or his family would reap the consequences of disobeying his order. I have heard stories like this before from extended family members or friends of the family but I can never be too sure of their validity.

I have to admit that I do not keep up with news regarding Cuba because I can never be certain if it is true or not. I have also been deflecting because I do have family in Cuba that struggles immensely and hearing about it even in the news makes me uneasy. I want to let go of this mindset and really dive deep and get informed. I have recently been communicating more with my family in Cuba via Facebook and they paint an entirely different image of the current issues they’re facing, vs. that of the media in the U.S. I will use this as my foundation for connecting with other sources in the country that will hopefully lead to more in depth interviews.