Cuban Society: An Overview

Mulattos are the largest racial group in Cuba, making up 51% of the population. The rest of the population comprises mainly whites (37%), blacks (11%) and Chinese (1%). A history of inter-community marriages has meant that there really aren’t very many clear divides here and that quality infuses Cuban society with a varied and vibrant culture. The beats of Caribbean music and the rhythms of the salsa and the cha-cha-cha can be felt on a walk through any of Havana’s crowded streets. Small houses washed in brilliant colours are typical of homes. Consumer durables like household electronic appliances are luxury items but under a truly red communist government that’s de rigueur.

The western eye might find the chaos and bustle tacky, the easy pace of life lazy and the pools of garbage that lie along alleys somewhat unsanitary. But there’s an ease and bliss in the Cuban every day that defies the mad rush of much of the world. There’s brilliant ice cream available at Copellia’s at dirt-cheap rates so every Cuban can afford his cone, there’s good theatre on at the Karl Marx, and movie tickets are going for around a peso. Of course, the flip side of this is that there are only so many flavours of cool creamy sin that are available, and well, if the play doesn’t gel with Castro’s tastes then it won’t see the light of day. Undeniably, there’s a degree of frustration in society especially among the young and anxious, many of who get into frightfully fragile dinghies to get to the land of milk and money. The capitalism - communism debate is as old as any, and more interesting than many and it continues to rage in Cuba.

In Cuba communist governance has yielded a fantastic medical infrastructure and a system that makes education compulsory for all.

Language

The colonial experience of Cuba makes Spanish the most widely spoken language here. All official transactions are conducted in Spanish and Spanish is also the medium of instruction in schools. Lacumi or locumi, brought to Cuba by the African Yoruba and Locumi tribes who were brought to Cuba in large numbers by the Spanish, is also spoken by most. Creole is spoken by some and English is spoken fluently by many, particularly in the capital, Havana.