President Barack Obama continues to enforce his multilateralist approach to international politics with his visit to Cuba on Sunday afternoon. He will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba in 90 years, and in a show of good faith, he has even brought his family with him on the diplomatic mission. His visit to our southern neighbors is a step forward in reopening diplomatic relations, but how will this affect Cubans? Granted, Cubans have gone to desperate and precarious lengths to arrive at the nearest American shore, but there are millions of others who have remained in Cuba and preserved a pure culture for nearly a century.
After Obama's visit, what does this mean for Cuban culture? Adventure-seeking tourists will surely crash airline sites booking their flights to a once-taboo location, but how will our tourists affect Cuba's cultural identity? Will we be imparting our 21st-century Americanization to the island?
I can see it now: poorly tanned Americans clad in Hawaiian button-downs with their GoPros and Nikons in hand. They'll be clutching LonelyPlanet maps and guidebooks in their sweaty palms as they eye kiosks and family-style restaurants with slight trepidation wondering where their nearest concept of civilization is hiding. If real life offered thought bubbles, I imagine a few of the first tourists to arrive in Cuba would even crave Del Taco or Taco Bell; you know, their version of "Mexican" food. Never mind the fact that the only thing Cuban cuisine and Mexican cuisine share is the language.
There are innumerable benefits for Cuba and the U.S. opening diplomatic relations, but Cuba will change upon the first massive wave of American tourists. Think about it. Cuba has managed to retain its cultural identity as a sacrosanct entity absent any American abuse. While other countries have bought into Cuba's tourism, the U.S. has been forced to keep its greedy tourist ventures away.
After Obama's visit, however, that's all going to change sooner than you would think. Travel Weekly just released an article saying that Marriott International––the hotel chain you literally see everywhere––has just been authorized by the U.S. Treasury Department to construct hotels on Cuban shorelines. Obama hasn't even concluded his diplomatic mission, but you can bet the Marriott will be up and running by the next tourist season. Ah, American capitalism.
Tomorrow it may just be the Marriott, but next week McDonald's will probably be opening shop too. It's truly a shame.
The irony of Americans being revered as the champions of big dreams, peace, and prosperity internationally is that we usually bring more problems than solutions with us wherever we go. Cuba has had the privilege of evading Americanization in our increasingly global world, but now they will be forced to acclimate to American tastes to garner the greatest revenue.
Instead of being proud of their platos típicos, they will trade their cultural distinctions for commercialized necessities. Cuba will eventually become Florida 2.0, but tourists will still book flights at skyrocket prices to get the "Cuban" experience.
These are the things that keep me up at night. Americanization at its finest, baby.
