A New American Takeover: Cuba Will Never Be The Same | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

A New American Takeover: Cuba Will Never Be The Same

Cuba will never be the same after Obama's visit.

32
A New American Takeover: Cuba Will Never Be The Same

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.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

1984
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
sick student
StableDiffusion

Everybody gets sick once in a while, but getting sick while in college is the absolute worst. You're away from home and your mom who can take care of you and all you really want to do is just be in your own bed. You feel like you will have never-ending classwork to catch up on if you miss class, so you end up going sick and then it just takes longer to get better. Being sick in college is really tough and definitely not a fun experience. Here are the 15 stages that everyone ends up going through when they are sick at college.

Keep Reading...Show less
kid
Janko Ferlic
Do as I say, not as I do.

Your eyes widen in horror as you stare at your phone. Beads of sweat begin to saturate your palm as your fingers tremble in fear. The illuminated screen reads, "Missed Call: Mom."

Growing up with strict parents, you learn that a few things go unsaid. Manners are everything. Never talk back. Do as you're told without question. Most importantly, you develop a system and catch on to these quirks that strict parents have so that you can play their game and do what you want.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
tv.com

"Friends" maybe didn’t have everything right or realistic all the time, but they did have enough episodes to create countless reaction GIFs and enough awesomeness to create, well, the legacy they did. Something else that is timeless, a little rough, but memorable? Living away from the comforts of home. Whether you have an apartment, a dorm, your first house, or some sort of residence that is not the house you grew up in, I’m sure you can relate to most of these!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments