Globalization within and across Borders: From Cuba to Syracuse, New York

ABSTRACT

In what ways do Cubans capitalize on inequalities created by globalization in order to advance socially and economically within a socialist system? What roles do migration and social reproduction play in the daily lives of Cubans at home and abroad, and how do these strategies advance the cause of the global capitalism? Theoretically, this paper utilizes William Robinson’s conceptions of transnational social reproduction and the global working class, Gurminder Bhambra’s theory of connected histories, and theories of transnationalism. These theories are used to analyze the experiences of Cubans resettled in Syracuse, New York, to provide a multilayered, relational look at globalization.

KEYWORDS:

• Cuba
• globalization
• migration
• social reproduction

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on Contributor

Erika Carter Grosso is a doctoral candidate in the Social Science PhD Program with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Her broad research interests include international migration and settlement, as well as globalization and its effects, specifically on migration and incorporation. The focus of her dissertation research is Cuban migration to Syracuse, New York, and the role that social networks play in the migration process.

Notes

1. See, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/globalisation/.

2. See, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-reform-chronology/chronology-raul-castros-road-to-reform-in-cuba-idUSTRE73C70C20110413.

3. See, http://www.census.gov/2010census/.

4. In the case of Cuba and the US, the US had colonially occupied its neighbor off the Southeast coast for three years after the Spanish-American War and before Cuba gained its independence. The Cuban Revolution in 1959 brought forth the installation of a communist government in Cuba, and in the name of democracy the US severed diplomatic ties and imposed a trade embargo that is still in place today. After a few more years of military tension between the two countries, the US afforded special immigration privileges to Cubans first within the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, and then through the 1995 “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” policy.

5. See, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/world/americas/as-cuba-shifts-toward-capitalism-inequality-grows-more-visible.html.

6. See, http://www.thehavanaconsultinggroup.com/en-US/Articles/Article/30.

7. See, http://www.cubabusinessreport.com/remittances-to-cuba-form-a-vital-part-of-the-economy/.

8. The paying of taxes was abolished with the Cuban Revolution over fifty years ago, but after the fall of the Soviet Union the Cuban government slowly started introducing small amounts of taxes to help subsidize social welfare provided by the government. As more free market reforms such as privatization of property and businesses are introduced, so also are different methods and higher amounts of taxation.

9. See, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-reform-taxes-idUSBRE8AR05F20121128.

10. See, http://www.cubabusinessreport.com/imtc-cuba-2016-remittances-financial-services-conference/.

11. The Special Period refers to the time after the fall of the Soviet Union when the Cuban government had to implement austerity measures to maintain its welfare programs and ideological goals. There has not yet been an official end to this period, but the economic situation in Cuba is not as severe as it was in the years directly following the end of the Soviet Union.

12. See, http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Cuba-ECONOMY.html.

13. See, http://www.as-coa.org/articles/cubas-tourism-economy-boon-and-dilemma.

14. See, http://timescaribbeanonline.com/popular-caribbean-sex-tourism-destinations/.

15. The CUC, or Cuban Convertible Peso, is a second form of currency used in Cuba alongside the Cuban Peso. The CUC has an exchange rate closer to the US Dollar, while the Cuban Peso’s exchange rate hovers around 24:1 in comparison to the Dollar.

16. See, https://www.facebook.com/CubanoShoutOut.

17. See, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/12/obama-ends-cuba-immigration-policy-wet-foot-dry-foot.