I would say Mr. Deez probably gets what you are saying. The argument is on two levels. Take my Cuban roots. Inside our house it was very Cuban. But the flag (if we had put one up) would have been the US Flag. My Dad was very patriotic and grateful to the US. But he loved his Cuban roots. He lived there the first 25 years of his life. It was in his blood. It's normal to feel it and to never lose it. I love the culture he introduced to me but in reality the culture was social: Food, drink music (Mambo) and merriment (the Cuban way). It sure wasn't political as he abhorred Batista, Castro and Che. They weren't his role models. So I never felt a conflict. I know who I stand with and I know what I love.
It's interesting that he didn't stay behind. He did not grow up as a hater of US imperialism. He knew all about it (United Fruit; supposedly the company that radicalized Che) but he also knew the local culture and that was separate from the US culture. He made his choice. And the knowledge of the local culture is key. This is the part we are not allowed to talk about. This is where the ****-hole comments live. This is where we are to impute 100% white imperialist culpability. We cannot blame them for anything. But talk to my mother about it sometime. That island has a distinct culture in how they think and act and it has nothing to do with the US. The machismo is real. The male-centric culture is misogynistic and homophobic. That's the Cuba I know. What about the rest of Latin America?
When can we be honest? The demographic is hated by the American Left. We all know it. But that is ignored in a cynical attempt to regain power. It's so obvious to me.
By the way, Castro would call my Dad a traitor.
Last edited: Jul 21, 2018