Miami's Little Havana: Yard Shrines, Cult Religion and Landscape

Abstract

In the short span of only 20 years the Cuban population of Hade County, Florida has ballooned from about 20,000 to a current estimate of 430,000. The impact of such sudden and fundamental change in the pattern of ethnicity has profoundly altered both material and non-material elements of culture in the region, especially in Little Havana, the heart of the Cuban quarter in Miami. This study surveys the contemporary cultural landscape of Little Havana, with particular emphasis on the description and analysis of yard shrines; one of the more distinctive urban landscape contributions associated with the Cuban tenure in Dade County. Although many shrines are built by Catholics, perhaps an equal number, if not more, are erected by followers of a fascinating, syncretic Afro-Cuban cult religion called Santeria. Like other syncretic Afro-Christian folk religions, Santeria combines an elaborate ensemble of ritual, magical, medical and theological beliefs to form a total magico-religious world view. The belief system of Santeria is described with comment on its apparent expansion within the Cuban community in exile.