Instructions: Answer all of the following questions in three pages maximum. You
must use provide citations for your responses and arguments. You are only allowed to use academic sources for citations. This means none of the following: news, government orgs, blogs, Wikipedia, or similar materials. If you have questions
about a source ask me before you use it otherwise you will lose significant points. I do not expect you to find outside sources nor do you need to do this, you may use the course materials only to answer these questions. I strongly recommend you
carefully respond to these questions because they are much more complicated
than they seem. YOU MUST USE IDEAS, CONCEPTS, and ARGUMENTS FROM OUR
CLASS READINGS AND YOU MUST PROVIDE A CITATION FOR THEM to receive credit.
Questions:
According to Newby and Dowling’s findings, it seems that race is
significant in the experiences of Afrx-Cubanxs, explain how they
interpret issues of ethnicity for Afrx-Cubanxs. What ethnic group are they part of? Where did they find themselves in terms of the racial hierarchy we’ve been discussing? Based on their findings do you think culture
(language or foods for example) was helpful for Afro-Cubanos ability to connect with dominant Latinx groups in Texas and New Mexico? Did race help or create a barrier to shared similarities found among different
Latinx ethnic categories?
How is the national claim of Cuba as a “racial democracy” tied to the
Cuban Revolution? What ideologies present in the revolution’s
participants, underscore this belief? What similarities do you see from
our discussion of the Brazilian claims of “racial democracy?” Give two
overlapping points. According to Clealand what was unique about
Cuba’s claim to a “racial democracy?” Given what we know about
racism and racial inequality, why might these claims to be racial
democracies reinforce racism rather than eliminate it?
Using our all our readings from this week think about how the Afro-Cuban experiences are impacted by the United States and Cuba. How are the racial hierarchies discussed in both nations contributing to the
experiences of Afro-Cubanos in both countries? Are Afro-Cubans more
equal in the United States than Cuba or are they more equal in Cuba?
Explain. How does Bonilla-Silva’s racial hierarchy explain the
circumstances in both nations?
