Acculturation and Diabetes Self-management of Cuban Americans: Is Age a Protective Factor?

Migration to the United States has been linked to obesity and poor diet quality. We investigated the relationship among diabetes self-management, diet, age and acculturation factors for 182 Cuban-Americans (Females = 110, Males = 72) with type 2 diabetes recruited from a randomized mailing list in South Florida. Inadequate glycemic control (β = 0.257), BMI (β = 0.251), total fat intake (β = 0.251), and smoking (β = 0.200), were positively associated, while understanding of overall diabetes care (β = -0.165), was negatively associated with migration (N = 162, adj.R2 = 0.286, F = 14.65, p < 0.001). These associations suggest that effective diabetes education targeting acculturation issues is lacking.

Diabetes Self Management: Are Cuban Americans Receiving Quality Health Care?

Objectives: We investigated the relationship among factors predicting inadequate glucose control among 182 Cuban-American adults (Females=110, Males=72) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (CAA). Study Design: Cross-sectional study of CAA from a randomized mailing list in two counties of South Florida Methods: Fasted blood parameters and anthropometric measures were collected during the study. BMI was calculated (kg/ m2). Characteristics and diabetes care of CAA were self-reported Participants were screened by trained interviewers for heritage and diabetes status (inclusion criteria: self-reported having type 2 diabetes; age  35 years, male and female; not pregnant or lactating; no thyroid disorders; no major psychiatric disorders). Participants signed informed consent form. Statistical analyses used SPSS and included descriptive statistic, multiple logistic and ordinal logistic regression models, where all CI 95%. Results: Eighty-eight percent of CAA had BMI of ≥ 25 kg/ m2. Only 54% reported having a diet prescribed/told to schedule meals. We found CAA told to schedule meals were 3.62 more likely to plan meals (1.81, 7.26), p<0.001) and given a prescribed diet, controlling for age, corresponded with following a meal plan OR 4.43 (2.52, 7.79, p<0.001). The overall relationship for HbA1c < 8.5 to following a meal plan was OR 9.34 (2.84, 30.7. p<0.001). Conclusions: The advantage of having a medical professional prescribe a diet seems to be an important environmental support factor in this sample’s diabetes care, since obesity rates are well above the national average. Nearly half CAA are not given dietary guidance, yet our results indicate CAA may improve glycemic control by receiving dietary instructions.

2014 FIU Cuba Poll: How Cuban Americans in Miami View U.S. Policies Toward Cuba

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A Minimal History of the Cuban Revolution (Historia mínima de Ia Revolución Cubana), Book Presentation by Author Rafael Rojas

This flyer promotes the event "A Minimal History of the Cuban Revolution (Historia mínima de Ia Revolución Cubana), Book Presentation by Author Rafael Rojas", part at the SIPA at Books & Books series. This event held at Books & Books in Coral Gables.

Women in Cuban Music: An Illustrated Lecture, by Emilio Cueto

The flyer promotes the event "Women in Cuban Music: An Illustrated Lecture, by Emilio Cueto" cosponsored by the FIU Libraries as part of the Viernes de Musicalia series of the Díaz-Ayala Cuban and Latin American Popular Music Collection.

Classically Cuban Concert Save the Date: December 8, 2013@ 5:00pm

This flyer promotes an annual concert held since 1994, featuring musical pieces with Cuban themes by composers from Cuba and elsewhere.

9th Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, Dispersed Peoples: The Cuban and Other Diasporas [Call for Papers and Panels]

This is the call for papers and panels for the 9th Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, Dispersed Peoples: The Cuban and Other Diasporas.

Boy exile turned saint: Elián Gonzalez as a contested religio-ideological symbol among cuban-american catholics

This Master's thesis explores the hypothesis that Elian Gonzalez functions as a religious and ideological symbol for Cuban-Americans similarly to La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre. Both La Caridad and Eliin are contested symbols among most Cuban and Cuban-American individuals, meaning both groups appropriate them toward their religious and ideological ends. The Virgin aids in the formulation of a collective identity for members of the Cuban exile community. Her shrine in Miami bridges the spatial and temporal gap between the exile community and the homeland of Cuba and represents the exile's hope for a return to a free Cuba. Elian functions as a metaphor of the Cuban exile experience, and thus a multi-leveled, transnational, religious and ideological symbol. In order to assess this, theoretical and journalistic materials are used, along with personal interviews and participant observation. This methodology is used to determine the function Elian serves for this community.

Infant feeding practices of Cuban mothers residing in Dade County, Florida

Research has shown that infant feeding practices differ between cultures. A convenience sample of 51 first generation Cuban mothers with infants birth to 12 months of age were surveyed to identify their infant feeding practices, and why they introduce foods to their infants in the manner in which they do. Data obtained from the mothers' responses to an English/Spanish Questionnaire were summarized by frequencies. Findings revealed that Cuban mothers consider a variety of foods from the major four food groups to be suitable for their infants. They introduced solids to their infants at the average age of four months and fed their infants in the manner in which they did because they thought it was healthy/nutritious. Cuban mothers may feed their infants as taught by health care professionals if their infant feeding practices are incorporated in the culture specific infant feeding programmes developed by the health team.

La mujer en defensa de la mujer: voces femeninas del romanticismo cubano (Poesía y cuento)

Throughout history, women have played an important role in literature. Nevertheless, since Sappho's poetry until now, feminine voices have had to struggle for recognition of their works. Before the nineteenth century, women were almost ignored in Spanish literature. Society kept them as "ángeles de la familia," taking care of their homes, husbands, and children. Some of them, such as María de Zayas y Sotomayor in Spain and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in Mexico, complained about their situation in their writings. However, they expressed their fight not as a generation but as individuals. In the nineteenth century, the ideas and ideals of Romanticism, were brought to Latin America from Europe. Cuba was among those countries where the new movement took roots. Initiated by Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, a group of women began to participate in literary reunions, and to found newspapers and magazines where works authored by women, dedicated to feminist ideas, were published. They indeed through literature started to live out womanhood in order to intellectually leave the ideological prisons where society had been keeping them. This study scans the literary works of all Romantic women writers in Cuba. It specifically analyzes poetry and short stories, and investigates how these authors expressed themselves in their works against the patriarchal society, where they lived and wrote their books. An eclectic critical method has been used. Findings were very revealing. Only three of the fourteen writers studied in my dissertation had been previously mentioned by major critics. Most of them had been ignored. However, the greatest discovery was that they prompted something new: For the first time they projected themselves as a group, as a collective consciousness, and this fact established a difference with former women writers in Cuban literature before Romanticism. In other words, they produced a "Renaissance" in Cuba's literature. In spite of how they lived between 1820 and 1900, their struggles for women's rights have linked them to our current times.

The impact of migration and intergenerational changes on the Cuban family in the United States

This study examines changes in the Cuban family in the United States produced by time, migration, and the rise of new generations. The thesis will use a data set extracted from the 5% Public Use Microdata Series (PUMS) of the U.S. Decennial Census of Population for the years 1970, 1980 and 1990. Contingency table analysis and comparison of means were used to examine various family-related variables. The analysis points to changes in the traditional Cuban family towards less traditional family arrangements. The multigenerational feature of the Cuban household has diminished as the elderly have become independent and are more likely to be living on their own. Although female labor participation remains high, the occupational patterns of the first generation of Cuban women have diversified and a new trend has emerged for the second generation. The second generation of Cuban women demonstrates a strong inclination for white-collar occupations. Fertility rates remain low.

Children's Literature, Ideology, and Cultural Identity Before and After the Cuban Revolution

Mediante de un acercamiento cronológico, esta disertación analiza la función de la ideología como herramienta poderosa para construir la nación y moldear al futuro ciudadano en la narrativa infantil cubana pre y pos-revolucionaria. Aunque una tradición y un proceso de formación de identidad nacional anteceden la literatura infantil publicada antes del triunfo de la Revolución, en los períodos posteriores existe una estrecha relación entre el contexto social de los textos y su función ideológica. Partiendo de “La Edad de Oro” (1889) de José Martí, este estudio se enfoca en los cambios socio-culturales que influyen en el desarrollo de una narrativa infantil nacional que transita del didacticismo más férreo a una variada exploración temática. Por encontrarse entre la Colonia y la etapa revolucionaria, el período republicano ha recibido poca atención crítica, marginado a veces de la herencia literaria de la nación. Sin embargo, el análisis de varios textos representativos en este período permite apreciar la integración de un pensamiento cubano desde búsquedas y posiciones muy diferentes a las del período siguiente, de 1959 a 1989. A partir de 1990 una diversificación temática fomenta objetivos muy distantes del enunciado didáctico. Este estudio concluye que en contraste con los pertenecientes a generaciones anteriores, en los escritores formados dentro de la Revolución, especialmente a partir de la década del ochenta, existe un interés especial por abordar temáticas inexploradas en la literatura infantil tradicional. El divorcio, la muerte, los conflictos generacionales y las diferencias raciales son sólo algunos de los temas que matizan la narrativa infantil posrevolucionaria, cuyos presupuestos ideo-estéticos, se encuentran intrínsecamente relacionados al contexto sociocultural.

Calle Ocho revived : artists studios commemorate the role of Cuban exiles (1960-1973) in the development of Calle Ocho

The purpose of this study was to learn about the historical development of Eight Street in order to use this information in the revitalization of this area with the new migration of artists. This study demonstrated a cyclical pattern prompted by the economical success of the immigrant group. The 1960 Cuban migration brought an era of life to Eight Street. As the Cubans became successful they left the area causing a decline. Presently the area is witnessing a migration of artists that may bring it new life. The thesis retrofits buildings in this area to create a series of artist studios. These studios are designed using elements of 1960 Cuban urbanity, an era of robust urban life for this street.

Cuban Hip-Hop in Miami: A Conversation Moderated by Nora Gámez Torres

Discussion moderated by CRI visiting scholar Noram Gamez Torres discussing the future of Cuban hip-hop, its racial politics, and the impact that the cultural exchange policy has had on these rappers and their music. Includes performances and discussion by artists Aldo Baquero (Los Aldeanos), Raudel Collazo (Escuadr6n Patriota), David Escalona (Omni Zona Franca), and Silvio Rodriguez (Silvito "EI Libre").

Revisiting the Cuban-American Vote: A Symposium

Symposium of scholars, pollsters and elected officials to discuss the changes and continuities in Cuban-American voting patterns. Participants include: Dr. Astrid Arraras, Department of Politics & International Relations, FlU Dr. Danielle Pilar Clealand, Department of Politics & International Relations, FlU Dr. Rodolfo de Ia Garza, Department of Political Science, Columbia University Dr. Susan Eckstein, Department of Sociology, Boston University Dr. Eduardo Gamarra, Department of Politics & International Relations, FlU Dr. Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley Dr. Guillermo J. Grenier, Department of Global & Sociocultural Studies, FlU Dr. Mark Hugo Lopez, Pew Hispanic Center Dr. Daria Moreno, Department of Politics & International Relations, FlU