News
Jan (6) | Feb (4) | Mar (9) | Apr (6) | May (7) | Jun (7) | Jul (8) | Aug (5) | Sep (7) | Oct (6) | Nov (5) | Dec (4) |
January
"Cuba, So Close Yet So Far"
Barry University has received a Florida Humanities Council Community Grant, in partnership with the Cuban Research Institute at FIU and Centro Cultural Español de Miami, to host a series of public programs that explore Cuba, particularly the Pedro Pan experience.
CRI in the News | Miami Could Be the Least Enduring Global City
El Nuevo Herald interviews sociologist Alejandro Portes, one of the coauthors of "The Global Edge: Miami in the Twenty-First Century," which CRI presented at Books & Books on January 25.
Twelfth Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies
View the final program of our next CRI conference, focusing on "Cuba and Puerto Rico: Two Wings of One Bird?" More than 240 scholars, students, and other persons interested in the study of Cuba and its diaspora have already registered for the event.
Support for the Embargo on the Rise among Cuban Americans, Reveals FIU Cuba Poll
According to the 2018 FIU Cuba Poll, the longest-running research project measuring Cuban-American public opinion, Cuban Americans in Miami are now evenly split on support for the U.S. embargo of Cuba—a striking contrast to the 2016 poll, where only 37 percent of those surveyed expressed support for the policy. This is the first Cuba Poll conducted since the midterms and the first since President Donald J. Trump took office.
Spring 2019 CRI Newsletter
Our latest newsletter provides an update on our most recent and forthcoming public events, including conferences, lectures, book presentations, film screenings, and concerts.
CRI in the News | Cuba Celebrates 60 Years of Revolution amongst Challenges and Change
Agence France Presse notes that the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution marks the first time it was held without a Castro in power.
February
CRI in the News | A New Era for Cuba? What the New Constitution Means for the Island
In a rare trip to the polls on Feb. 24, Cubans will decide whether the country will pass the most significant overhaul of its constitution in over four decades. But the changes, which are expected to pass, may be more about maintaining the status quo than a dramatic reform to Cuba’s political system, experts warn.
CRI in the News | Debating Cuba and Puerto Rico from Miami's Academy
OnCuba News reports on CRI's Twelfth Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, focusing on the culture, politics, and economy of the two islands.
CRI in the News | Carmelo Mesa-Lago: There's a Sector That Opposes Reform in Cuba
At CRI's Twelfth Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, Mesa-Lago stressed that the Cuban economy is facing its worst moment since the 1990s.
The Referendum in Cuba: Will There Be a Country for All?
CRI Visiting Scholar Elaine Acosta analyzes the process of approving a new Constitution on the island and concludes that it leaves out millions of Cubans living abroad.
March
New CRI Faculty Affiliate
Juan Carlos Gómez, Director of the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic at the FIU College of Law, is the latest to join our affiliate faculty list.
Op Ed | There's Only One Way Out of Cuba's Dismal Economy
In this piece for "The New York Times," CRI Community Advisory Board Carmelo Mesa-Lago argues that the island must deepen and accelerate economic reforms in order to become more efficient and competitive.
New Course for Fall 2019 | Puerto Rico and Its Diaspora
Dr. Jorge Duany will teach a Topics in Sociology course, which will examine the historical, social, cultural, political, and economic dimensions of the island and its relationship with the United States. The course will begin with an overview of the Spanish colonial period (1493–1898), then focus on the first five decades of the U.S. colonial regime (1898–1952), and end with the contemporary situation of Puerto Rico and its massive diaspora since the mid-20th century.
CRI Director Invited to Speak at Colombian University
The Cuba Program of Sergio Arboleda University in Bogotá, Colombia, has invited Dr. Jorge Duany to talk about Cuban émigrés and their economic links to their country of origin.
Op Ed | How to Break Away from Cuba's Economic Dependence
Dr. Carmelo Mesa-Lago, a member of CRI’s Community Advisory Board, analyzes why Cuba is facing its worst economic crisis since the 1990s.
Travel Grants Available to Study Most Comprehensive Collection of Cuban, Latin American Music in US
For over a decade, FIU Libraries has partnered with the Cuban Research Institute (CRI) and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC) to offer travel grants for scholars to study the Díaz-Ayala collection and other collections related to Cuba.
Call for Abstracts and Panel Proposals | ASCE Annual Meeting
The Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) will hold its Twenty-Ninth Annual Meeting in Miami on July 25-27, 2019. The main theme of the meeting will be "Cuba—Growth or Decline: Is the Revolution Dead?"
CRI in the News | Does Communist Cuba Now Recognize Private Property?
CNN en Español's Xavier Serbiá interviews CRI Associate Director Sebastián Arcos on the role of the private sector in the Cuban economy, according to the new constitution.
CRI in the News | Constitutional Reform in Cuba: And Now What?
OnCuba reports on the panel discussion held at the FIU College of Law about the changes in the new Cuban constitution, approved in a referendum on the island.
April
CRI Newsletter | Summer 2019
We're happy to share our recent accomplishments and upcoming events, including conferences, lectures, panel discussions, book presentations, concerts, and film screenings on Cuban and Cuban-American topics.
New Green School Magazine Now Available Online
This issue highlights some of the most significant milestones and success stories by faculty, students, and alumni for the year 2018.
CRI Affiliate Receives Book Prize
Dr. Danielle Clealand, author of "The Power of Race in Cuba," was the co-winner of the W.E.B. DuBois Distinguished Book Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists.
Second Dialogue on Cuba | Sergio Arboleda University
The Cuba Program of Sergio Arboleda University in Bogotá, Colombia, has invited Drs. Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Jorge Duany, and Mauricio de Miranda to discuss the current economic and political situation on the island, including relations with Cubans living abroad.
Call for Applications from FIU Graduate Students | Travel Grants for Research in Cuba
The Cuban Research Institute (CRI) is pleased to announce the 2019 competition for two scholarships to conduct research in Cuba. The Eliana Rivero Scholarship will support graduate student research with an emphasis in the humanities, while the CRI Cuban Studies Scholarship is open to any field.
CasaCuba Receives Top NEH Grant
CasaCuba has received a $750,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to advance the design and construction of a state-of-the-art venue at FIU.
May
CRI in the News | Trump's Immigration Policies Keep More Than 20,000 Cubans in Limbo
"The current situation of Cuban migration to the United States can be described as critical,” said Jorge Duany, director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University. "There is an accumulation of pressure to leave Cuba and reach the United States, without adequate legal mechanisms to channel the exodus."
Visiting Scholar Will Explore Impact of Remittances in Cuba
The Cuban Research Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Denisse Delgado Vázquez as Visiting Scholar between July 1 and August 31, 2019. During her stay at FIU, Denisse will be conducting research on "The Cuban Diaspora's Increasing Role in the Context of Economic Change on the Island."
Visiting Scholar Explores Aging in Cuba and among Cuban Americans in Miami
The Cuban Research Institute is pleased to welcome Elix Colón as a Visiting Scholar from May to December 2019. During this period, Elix will conduct ethnographic fieldwork for her doctoral dissertation entitled "Economies of Care: Growing Old in Contemporary Cuba and Miami."
On First Day in Havana, U.S. and Cuban Musicians Commune over Dvorak
Together with CasaCuba, the Cuban Research Institute cosponsored the visit of the Cuban American Youth Orchestra to the FIU campus, before its members' trip to Cuba.
Cuban Forum | Travel, Remittances, and Self-Employment in Cuba
The Cuba Program of Sergio Arboleda University in Bogotá, Colombia, has published Dr. Jorge Duany's analysis of the economic links between Cuban émigrés and their country of origin.
Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy | The Jorge Pérez-López Student Award Competition
The Student Award Committee of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy is accepting nominations for the 2019 Jorge Pérez-López Student Award Competition. The deadline to apply is May 20, 2019.
"'Cuba and Puerto Rico Are…': Lola Rodríguez de Tió and Manuel Ramos Otero"
Dr. Yolanda Martínez-San Miguel has published an article based on her presentation at the plenary session for our last CRI Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.
June
CRI in the News | Cuba and Puerto Rico at a Conference in Berlin
A group of experts discussed the consequences of the Spanish-American War of 1898 for the two Caribbean islands.
2019 ASCE Conference | Preliminary Program
The 29th Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) will focus on the theme of "Cuba—Growth or Decline: Is the Revolution Dead?"
Legal Expert on Cuba Joins CRI Board
We're glad to welcome Aymee D. Valdivia to our Community Advisory Board. Ms. Valdivia focuses her practice on corporate and international law, particularly in Latin America and Cuba.
CRI Welcomes New Community Advisory Board Member
We're happy to announce that Alexandra (Alex) Serra, a Senior Attorney at FedEx Express, has joined our board.
CRI in the News | Travel to Cuba Ban Limits Americans' Constitutional Rights
The Trump administration accuses cruise ships of being a veiled form of tourism in Cuba, which is banned for U.S. citizens.
CRI Director to Participate in German Conference
Dr. Jorge Duany has been invited to moderate and comment on a discussion of the visual representations of the War of 1898 and its repercussions for Cuba and Puerto Rico. Sponsored by the Terra Foundation for American Art, the conference will be held at the Free University of Berlin on June 25, 2019.
Large FIU Delegation Participated in LASA Congress in Boston
More than a dozen faculty members and graduate students affiliated with the Cuban Research Institute attended the meeting of the largest professional association in the world for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America.
July
CRI in the News | Would-be Cuban Immigrants Left in Limbo by Consular Closure
"It all seems like a package of measures to put more pressure" on the Cuban government, said Jorge Duany, Director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University. "The collateral damage is that it makes hostages of Cubans who are trying to emigrate and cannot do so as they did in the past."
CRI in the News | Trump Deports More Cubans Even as He Rails against the Island's Government
Sebastián Arcos, Associate Director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University, said that "the reaction against this policy of returning Cubans to Mexico and to the island hasn’t reached a level significant enough that it could make a difference to the elections" in Florida, which is crucial to Trump's chances.
Passive Puerto Rico and Revolutionary Cuba?
Dr. Lillian Guerra has published her insightful historical comparison of the two islands, originally presented at the 2019 CRI Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.
Large FIU Delegation to Participate in ASCE Cuba Conference
Ten faculty members and graduate students affiliated with FIU will present papers and serve as discussants at the 29th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy, to be held in Miami on July 25–27, 2019.
Rights and Liberties in Castro's Cuba
The Cuba Program at Sergio Arboleda University in Bogotá, Colombia, has published an op ed by CRI Associate Director Sebastián Arcos.
FIU News | Cuban Caricature and Culture: The Art of Massaguer on Display at Wolfsonian–FIU
This summer, the Wolfsonian–FIU is displaying much of Conrado Massaguer's vast body of work in the hopes of sparking a conversation on Cuban culture before and after the revolution. All of the items featured in the installation are a gift from historian, collector, and longtime donor to the museum Vicki Gold Levi.
A Discussion on Alzheimer's Disease and Family Caregiving
CRI Visiting Scholar Elaine Acosta will present the results of her study with Dr. Iveris Martínez on the experience of Alzheimer's disease for family caregivers within Miami's Latino community.
CRI in the News | Tribute to Juanito Márquez in Miami
The Cuban composer, guitarist, and arranger received a homage on the eve of his 90th birthday during the latest "Viernes de Musicalia," organized by the Díaz-Ayala Collection of Cuban and Latin American Popular Music at the FIU Libraries.
August
Welcome Back, Professor Capó!
We're pleased to announce that FIU graduate Julio Capó has returned to teach in the Department of History and has joined the CRI Affiliate Faculty.
CRI in the News | Snarled SNET: Seizure Of Cuba's Underground Network May Signal Cyber-Crackdown
WLNR reporter Tim Padgett interviews CRI Visiting Scholar Denisse Delgado Vázquez on the Cuban government's attempt to control the private wireless network, SNET.
New CRI Faculty Affiliate
We're happy to welcome Miguel Asencio, Director of FIU's Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC), to our list of faculty affiliates.
Dr. Catherine Mas Joins CRI Affiliate Faculty
Dr. Mas is currently completing a book on the history of medical anthropology and the making of modern global health. It centers on Miami, Florida in the postwar period—an American city in the Caribbean basin, where immigration flows from Latin American and Caribbean countries, most notably Cuba and Haiti, altered the city's social order and posed a significant challenge to the health care system.
CRI in the News | A Strong Blow to the Cuban Adjustment Act
New regulations by the Trump administration make it more difficult for Cubans to document their citizenship for the purpose of adjusting their legal status in the United States.
September
CRI Director to Lecture at the University of Helsinki
Dr. Jorge Duany has been invited to give a public talk titled "So Close and Yet So Far: Changing U.S.-Cuba Relations."
CRI in the News | Memoir of a Great Figure of Cuban Exile
Yoani Sánchez reviews the film "Statistics and Change: A Documentary about Carmelo Mesa-Lago," directed by Carlos Díaz Montero and produced by CRI Visiting Scholar Elaine Acosta.
Dr. Francis Luca Joins CRI Affiliate Faculty
As Chief Librarian at The Wolfsonian–FIU, Dr. Luca has served as the lead curator of numerous Cuba-related exhibitions and installations, including "Cuban Caricature and Culture: The Art of Massaguer" and "Promising Paradise: Cuban Allure, American Seduction."
CRI Director Invited to Participate in Finnish Doctoral Examination
The Faculty of Theology of the University of Helsinki has invited Dr. Jorge Duany to be the opponent in a public examination of Petra Kuivala's doctoral dissertation on the Catholic Church in Cuba.
New Community Advisory Board Member
We're happy to welcome the newest member of our board, Ana Gamundi, a writer for film and television who recently relocated to Miami after living several years in Los Angeles.
CRI in the News | U.S. Government Restricts Sending of Remittances to Cuba
As of October 9, Cuban Americans may only send a maximum of 1,000 dollars every three months to their relatives on the island. However, no restrictions will be placed on remittances to self-employed workers and independent non-governmental organizations.
Call for Papers | Latino Studies Association Conference
The LSA 2020 Conference, titled "Beyond Borders: Latina/o Studies in Times of Crisis," seeks to provide a space to discuss, strategize, and promote action for the benefit of Latina/o/x communities across borders.
October
FIU News | Cuban Identity Unveiled through Art
"Picturing Cuba," edited by Jorge Duany, brings together a distinguished group of art critics, scholars, and collectors to share their research on how Cuban culture has been defined by or reflected through art.
CRI in the News | Hundreds of Cubans Join U.S. Asylum Wait List in Nogales, Sonora
Nogales International reports that across the U.S.-Mexico border, more than 20,000 Cubans have presented themselves without papers in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2019.
CRI in the News | Joseph Hartman, in Love with Cuba
Orlando González Esteva interviews Dr. Joseph Hartman, author of the book "Dictator's Dreamscape: How Architecture and Vision Built Machado's Cuba and Invented Modern Havana," which we recently presented at Books & Books.
Identity and Postnationalism in Cuban Culture
We're pleased to share the news that Editorial Aduana Vieja has just published a new volume on Cuban identity and postnationalism, edited by Drs. Laura Alonso Gallo and Belén Rodríguez-Mourelo. The book will be presented at the Miami Book Fair on November 21 at 7 PM.
CRI in the News | Cuba: The History and Fall of the Sugar Industry in a New Book
El Nuevo Herald's Sarah Moreno reviews Dr. Déborah Gómez's analysis of the contradictory discourses on sugar on the Island since the late 18th century. CRI recently sponsored the book presentation at Books & Books.
José Bedia Appointed Visiting Artist at FIU
The prominent Cuban-American painter will participate in a panel discussion on his work, deliver a master class, and participate in studio visits and critiques of undergraduate and graduate students' work, as part of the Félix González-Torres Community Art Project at FIU.
November
CRI in the News | Trump in Palm Beach
The Palm Beach Post reports on how President Donald Trump has reverted President Barack Obama's Cuba policy, with the support of the Bay of Pigs veterans in Miami.
Documentary on Carmelo Mesa-Lago to be Screened at the University of Pittsburgh
The Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh will screen the film directed by Carlos D. Díaz Montero and produced by Elaine Acosta.
New Book on Immigration, Cultural Identity, and Mental Health
Congratulations to CRI Faculty Affiliate Eugenio Rothe on the forthcoming publication of his coauthored book by Oxford University Press, which seeks to understand the psychosocial impact of immigration on cultural identity.
The Catholic Church Did Not Stay on the Margins of the Cuban Revolution
Petra Kuivala, a former Fulbright Scholar at CRI from the University of Helsinki, defended her doctoral dissertation on the Catholic Church in Cuba after 1959.
The Stagnant Revolution
CRI Visiting Scholar Elaine Acosta writes about the structural crisis experienced by Cuban women today.
December
15th Classically Cuban Concert Fuses Danzón and Jazz
The 2019 program featured Cuban-American pianist and composer David Virelles, accompanied by percussionist Hilario Bell and bassist José Armando Gola, who performed traditional Cuban tunes with a modern twist.
CRI in the News | Classically Cuban Concert: The Danzón Is Cubanness
El Nuevo Herald's Olga Connor interviews pianist David Virelles about his performance of legendary danzones with a personal touch.
CRI in the News | Cuba's Travel Troubles: Travel Restrictions Taking a Toll on the Island
Soledad O'Brien travels to Havana, Cuba for a special report on how the island is coping in the wake of President Trump's tough new travel and economic restrictions.
CRI Newsletter | Winter 2019
We're proud to share our past accomplishments and plans for the next semester. Thanks to all who support our work!