1920's CUBA
CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE STORY:
Our story is through the eyes of the main character Ernesto, a bartender working to make a living in Havana. We dive deeper into what living during the Bartender's Invasion would have looked like, and the struggle and challenges the came with such a luxurious society.
ARTIFACTS:
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS MURAL CAN I HAVE THIS DANCE?: SALSA WORDS! WORDS! WORDS! WILD CARD: CULTURAL FOOD TOSTONES |
Reflection:
During the Through the Decades project, I learned about the economic, political, and cultural aspects of Cuba in the 1920’s. During the 1920’s, the most present economic and political situation was the Bar Tender’s Invasion. Unlike other 1920’s countries, Cuba did not have any prohibition laws, making Cuba the “poppin” spot for any rich foreigners who were ready to party, specifically Americans. One of Cuba’s major exports was actually rum, but the other might be a little more unexpected, sugar. These exports saved Cuba in a time of economic downfall. Poor sugar laborers would eat tostones, a Cuban style double fried plantains, because they were cheap and easy to produce as quick meals. This also made them good for foreigners who were hungover. Moving on to the cultural side of 1920’s Cuba, this is when the Salsa just started to become popular and was developed into an actual dance. In the different regions of Cuba, there were many forms and styles of the Salsa, but they all followed the same tempo called the Timba. The Timba is a fast-paced beat originating from the Rumba. Overall, Cuba was an economic and political active country rooted in a rich culture.
1920’s Cuba had many influences on the present. One thing that is probably the most commonly seen is the Salsa. The Salsa was originated in Cuba and was developed over time, eventually taking the world by storm. Now you can see many modifications of the Salsa all over the world. Another connection that is a little surprising, is that Cuba no longer allows vacationers into their territory. Cuba use to be the hot spot for vacationers who wanted to party, but now you need an educational permit to enter the country. Cuba has made many changes to itself, but also the world.
Out of the four artifacts that my group and I created, I think my favorite has to be a tie between the mural and the dance. These two artifacts were the most fun to create and gave me a better insight into the cultural aspect of Cuba. I am personally more interested in culture than politics or economics, so that is why I found more interest in these two artifacts.
The aspect that I learned about the most, out of the social/cultural, economic, and political, was a mix of cultural and political. I focused a lot on the relationship and influence of America on Cuba at the time. As well as, the rich culture that is rooted throughout the entirety of Cuba. As I stated before, America had a very influential relationship with Cuba. I learned through articles written in the 1920’s, that even though that America was pushing their influence into Cuba the Cuban people would not let it affect them and would definitely not let their culture fall.
If I could change one thing about this project I don’t think I would actually change anything. I really enjoyed the project and had a lot of fun working with my partners. If I had to choose something I would have liked for all the project groups to be connected by at least one artifact. For example, if everyone did a mural we could curate part of the school specifically to the Through the Decades project. This would allow for a timeline to be created through art giving a brief look at each region and decade.
The book that my group and I chose to read was This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of the commonly known book The Great Gatsby. This Side of Paradise is placed in 1920’s America, more specifically New York. Amory Blaine is the only main character and the book basically follows Amory through high school and college focusing on his discovery of himself and his position in society. I read this book to compare America to Cuba in the 1920’s. America was very dependent on social, political, and economic hierarchy. If you were not on top it was very difficult to be seen or even heard, especially in New York. Hierarchy took such a role that women could not marry for love but had to marry who fit the social standard to be respected or even acknowledged. Overall, this book was very informative and allowed me to see into 1920’s America which is very different from Cuba.
1920’s Cuba had many influences on the present. One thing that is probably the most commonly seen is the Salsa. The Salsa was originated in Cuba and was developed over time, eventually taking the world by storm. Now you can see many modifications of the Salsa all over the world. Another connection that is a little surprising, is that Cuba no longer allows vacationers into their territory. Cuba use to be the hot spot for vacationers who wanted to party, but now you need an educational permit to enter the country. Cuba has made many changes to itself, but also the world.
Out of the four artifacts that my group and I created, I think my favorite has to be a tie between the mural and the dance. These two artifacts were the most fun to create and gave me a better insight into the cultural aspect of Cuba. I am personally more interested in culture than politics or economics, so that is why I found more interest in these two artifacts.
The aspect that I learned about the most, out of the social/cultural, economic, and political, was a mix of cultural and political. I focused a lot on the relationship and influence of America on Cuba at the time. As well as, the rich culture that is rooted throughout the entirety of Cuba. As I stated before, America had a very influential relationship with Cuba. I learned through articles written in the 1920’s, that even though that America was pushing their influence into Cuba the Cuban people would not let it affect them and would definitely not let their culture fall.
If I could change one thing about this project I don’t think I would actually change anything. I really enjoyed the project and had a lot of fun working with my partners. If I had to choose something I would have liked for all the project groups to be connected by at least one artifact. For example, if everyone did a mural we could curate part of the school specifically to the Through the Decades project. This would allow for a timeline to be created through art giving a brief look at each region and decade.
The book that my group and I chose to read was This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of the commonly known book The Great Gatsby. This Side of Paradise is placed in 1920’s America, more specifically New York. Amory Blaine is the only main character and the book basically follows Amory through high school and college focusing on his discovery of himself and his position in society. I read this book to compare America to Cuba in the 1920’s. America was very dependent on social, political, and economic hierarchy. If you were not on top it was very difficult to be seen or even heard, especially in New York. Hierarchy took such a role that women could not marry for love but had to marry who fit the social standard to be respected or even acknowledged. Overall, this book was very informative and allowed me to see into 1920’s America which is very different from Cuba.