Cuba, YanquizaciÓn, and the cult of EliÁn Gonzalez: A view from the 'enlightened' states

• Published in: International journal of qualitative studies in education 2001-03, Vol.14 (2), p.201-219
• Main Authors: Mclaren, Peter, Pinkney-Pastrana, Jill
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0951-8398; 1366-5898
• DOI: 10.1080/09518390010023649

Using the recent controversy surrounding Elian Gonzalez as a centerpiece, and employing a Marxian critique of United States capitalism and imperialsm as a heuristic device, this essay explores the major contradictions surrounding the position taken by the Miami Mafia with respect to Elian and Cuba's communist regime. In doing so, it criticizes the US media portrayal of the saga surrounding "the miracle child". Paramount in this controversy is the campaign of misinformation directed at creating an erroneous image of life in Cuba grounded in the reactionary and virulently negative critique continually waged against Cuba's postrevolution social project. The authors explore the role played by the "Miami Mafia," the anti-Castro Cuban exile population in the United States, in conjunction with official pro-capitalist, "anticommunist" government and media apparatuses designed to create an environment of defamatory rhetoric against the nation of Cuba. In doing so, the authors bring to the surface contradictions and injustices inherent in both the rhetoric and the reality of US capitalism. In addition, this essay highlights the many achievements of the Cuban socialist project, focusing specifically on education. The authors share a concern about Cuba's recent economic experiment and put forward an argument about why market socialism should not be a viable option.