A History of the Cuban Revolution (eBook)

Aviva Chomsky is Professor of History and Coordinator of Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies at Salem State College in Massachusetts. Her previous books include Linked Labor Histories: New England, Colombia, and the Making of a Global Working Class (2008), winner of the New England Council of Latin America's Best Book Prize, They Take Our Jobs! And 20 Other Myths about Immigration (2007), and West Indian Workers and the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica, 1870-1940 (1996).

List of Illustrations viii

Series Editor's Preface x

Acknowledgments xii

Introduction 1

Talking about Freedom 2

Scholars Weigh In 4

Why Revolution? 6

Comparing Capitalism and Socialism 9

Latin American Attitudes 14

1 Cuba through 1959 18

Colonial History 18

The Colony in the Republic 25

Revolution: A War, or a Process? 34

2 Experiments with Socialism 44

Analyzing the Situation: Economic Backwardness 45

The 1960s: Experimentation and the Great Debate 48

The 1970s: Institutionalization and the Soviet Model 55

Democracy: U.S. and Cuban Style 56

Cuba in the 1970s: How it Worked 57

1986: Rectification 61

How Democratic was Cuban Socialism? 62

3 Relations with the United States 65

The United States and Cuba 66

In their Own Words: U.S. Policymakers Respond to Revolution
69

Covert War: Up to the Bay of Pigs 76

Covert War: After the Bay of Pigs 79

The Missile Crisis 82

After the Missile Crisis 85

The War Continues 86

4 Emigration and Internationalism 91

Miami 94

Cuba's Global Reach: Beyond the Cold War 97

Cuba and Black Internationalism 98

Cuba in Africa and Latin America 100

Civilian Aid Missions 103

5 Art, Culture, and Revolution 106

Literature 110

Film 116

Music 120

Sport 122

Dance 125

Political Culture 126

Food 131

6 Cuba Diversa 134

Race 135

Gender 141

Sexuality 144

Religion 149

7 The "Special Period": Socialism on One Island
153

1993-95: Rapid-Fire Reforms 154

Social Impact of the Market Reforms 157

Limits to Capitalism 159

Charting New Territory 162

Contradictions: Inequality and Jineterismo 164

Opting to Leave: The 1994 Exodus 168

Debate and its Limits during the 1990s 171

8 Cuba into the Twenty-First Century 176

From Perfeccionamiento to Recentralization 177

Civil Society into the New Century 183

Disillusionment 186

Bush-Era Policies 188

Cuba, Venezuela, and the ALBA 189

Cuba after Fidel 190

Conclusion 193

Notes 196

Bibliography 214

Index 228

?Approaching Cuba?s revolutionary experiment with
third-world socialism from a decidedly sympathetic, progressive,
and anti-imperialist standpoint, Chomsky does not shy away from
airing the revolution?s dirty laundry even if she places most
of the blame for its troubles squarely at the feet of its more
powerful neighbor to the north.? ? Latin
American in Focus: Cuba (ABC-Clio, 2013)

"This excellent short history covers a number of themes while
managing to be exceptionally insightful... Chomsky brings a
balanced breath of fresh air that not only informs readers but also
illuminates the topic. Summing Up: Essential. All
levels/libraries." (Choice, 1 August 2011)

"This fact alone makes Chomsky's volume a welcome addition to
the historiography of Cuba, and more broadly, Latin America . . .
Chomsky's book is concise (less than 200 pages of text) and highly
readable, two characteristics favorable for course adoption." (The
Americas, 1 July 2011)

"In the case of the Cuban revolution, this book fulfils that
intent and appears as a useful addition to the available teaching
material. Its division in chapters that can stand alone, based
around the themes of economy and politics, relations with the
United States, migration, culture, diversity, the special period
and Cuba in the 21st century, would allow teachers to use
particular sections as class material in a wide range of courses.
Tighter editing for the next edition could make it more useful
still." (Reviews in History, 9 June 2011

"An overview of the political and economic events is combined
with a look at this social impact through an examination of the
lives of ordinary people." (Times Higher Education Supplement, 24
February 2011)

?This book is a useful textbook for undergraduate students
and a welcome addition to the historiography on the Cuban
Revolution. I would even strongly recommend it to any tourist
visiting the island since it is concise, very well written, and
easy to digest.? (Hispanic American Historical
Review, 1 August 2012)





"The book teachers and students of the Cuban Revolution have
been waiting for--Chomsky's scholarly yet accessible
history of one of the most fascinating and complex events of modern
times." --Matilde Zimmermann, Sarah Lawrence
College

"This is an outstanding textbook on the Cuban Revolution.
Smart and clear, A History of the Cuban Revolution is truly
interdisciplinary, covering U.S. intervention, the economy, health
care, foreign policy as well as gender, literature, popular music
and religion. . . . and the treatment of U.S. foreign policy
is a tour de force. This text is the perfect backbone for
undergraduate courses on Cuba and the Cuban revolution, as well as
Latin American surveys." --Lauren Derby, University
of California, Los Angeles

"This book presents an uncommon and refreshing review of
Cuba's history during the last fifty years. It will be very
effective in introducing the revolution to undergraduate students
and stimulating discussion. Written in clear prose, it combines
personal experience with a careful and balanced review of the
scholarship on Cuba." --Aldo Lauria-Santiago, Rutgers
University