Through the years I've spoken to many people who lived in Pre-Castro Cuba, and without any exceptions, regardless of their own ethnicity or ancestry, or even religion; they all have the same love and fondness of memories of a bygone era, of a place that was for them quite like no other, nor shall there ever be.
Everyone of them tell me that had Cuba remained as it was before the Revolution, they would have been completely happy and content to stay there. For them, as my mother in law and my mother, and the older generations say, Cuba was home. There was no other place.
For them, there was no reason to go anywhere else, and when they did go, they were compelled by events and circumstances that were beyond their own control, events which wrenched them from their families, friends, neighborhoods, communities - thier native land and people - to foreign lands they knew or cared little about, most of whom did not speak the language.
What is most amazing is that in Cuba, everyone – Jew, Arab, and everyone else got along, and were part of the greater community of Cubans. Pre-Castro Cuba was, to all intents and purposes, a true melting pot, where various communities formed the greater whole while bringing to the island the richness of their own heritage, as they added to the overall heritage of Cuba which what made it unique.
Predominantly Catholic, Cuba also had large enclaves of Protestants, Jews, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and some Moslems, and allowed for the peaceful coexistence of all of these under its laws.
Because Cuba was very much like the US, one did not see the Anti-Semitism there that plagued much of the other countries as one sees other parts of Latin America, and because of this, Cuba in its day, flourished and was blessed with a rich culture of music, food, arts, science, and yes, religion.
The various communities founded what was known in Pre-Castro Cuba were called “sociedades” or societies, where its members could preserve their unique cultural customs, music, and celebrations.
The island was filled with them from one side to the other, and one particular “sociedad” of one type or another could be found in every city, in every town, in every hamlet, no matter how small.
Even the blacks of Cuba and those of mixed African and European stock had their own societies. The Spaniards had theirs. And so did every other community where Europeans, Africans, and yes North Americans migrated to during the pre and post war period prior to the Revolution.
During Carnival Time in Cuba, one could witness representatives from each of the myriad communities march attired in the traditional acuetraments of their ancestors from the respective lands of their origins, dancing the traditional dances of those lands, in the procession.
One could see Spaniards from the Spanish Province of Galicia performing traditional sword dances while playing bagpipes much like the Irish and Scots, sons and daughters of African slaves would dance their traditional African dances, one could hear the traditional Chinese clarinets playing as Floats would carry the most beautiful representatives of the Chinese Cuban Community dressed in their traditional Chinese costumes.
Every community was represented. Veterans from the various wars, members of the VFW, marched with the flags of the nations which took part in those conflicts and the colors of the units in which they served. If ever there was a melting pot, Pre-Castro Cuba had it.
Those who lived there and were privileged to see it and take part in it, some of whom I’ve spoken with throughout the years, and all agree; there was never quite a place like it, nor will there ever be. Pre-Castro Cuba may have not been perfect, but it was for these people the closest thing to paradise they had ever seen in their lifetime.
For a well written and fair treatment of Cuban history and culture, I recommend the link to the following site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba , where one may read about the development of Cuba through the colonial period right up to the present day.
For a little slice of Cuba and a little slice of Abraham, very much like America – perfect together, I recommend that the reader visit the following site at this link: About the Jewish Cuban Community: http://www.thecajm.org/cajmnws.html#Cuban_Jewish_Community_attending_MASA_Israel_for_the_first_time
Cuba also had an Arab Community comprised of Lebanese and Syrian Cubans, and an interesting article can be found at the following link: http://www.unionarabecuba.org/fearabe011203e.html
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