Wikipedia:WikiProject Cuba/Participant survey

It would be good if writers concerned about Cuba would write to each other or post here and get to know each other better.

I'll start with who I am and why I am here: I am an American from the State of Florida. I have studied Cuba extensively on my own and have taken specific coursework on the graduate-level. I have been to Cuba for research pursuant to graduate-level coursework. My more specific Cuba-related interests include Cuban law and Cuban agriculture. More broadly I'm interested in Cuban history post-1940. I believe Cuba can only be understood by looking at the facts, studying them in depth, listening to both sides of all arguments and cutting through the bull$hit, and then, hopefully, using a little independent judgment, making up your own mind about what the truth about Cuba is. I am joining this project so that my efforts may help other people come to understand this interesting country of unique contradictions and fleeting truths. takethemud 16:40, 20 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

British. Got hooked on this venture after noticing the narrow "heaven or hell" depiction of Cuba early on, and have tried to present a more detailed nuanced picture ever since with varying degrees of success and failure. It keeps the brain ticking over! Would also like to see an expansion of all Caribbean related topics. But am at present motivated by the daunting challenge of making the Cuban articles the best presented of any nation on wikipedia. If we come close, then it would be a highly satisfying achievement, and might even contribute to a greater understanding of one of our most fascinating nations.--Zleitzen 00:10, 21 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cuban. Born in Cuba, moved to USA when I was 13 months old. Never felt truely American or Cuban, torn between two cultures. Always thought "Cuba" was my parents and grandfather place but not mine. Then I went to Cuba in 1994 to find my roots and loved it there. Been going there over and over. Love the architecture, the people, the history. I consider myself Cuban who happens to be a US citizen. Amazed at how such a small island with limited resources can have such an impact in so many different things. Amazed at how far Cubans have gotten in the US also.. 4 US congressmen, 2 US senators, head of so many corporations. Its so unbelievable.Callelinea 02:54, 28 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

American they say, others label all of us cuban descendants or immigrants with cruel petnames like rafters or wetbacks. Let it be known. Born in Miami in 1981 during el mariel invasion, raised in terror. My parents are from different parts of Cuba, they met and married in America, Florida, Miami. My mothers father Herman Walterio Aguilera served 3 years in prison with Fidel cutting sugar cane. My fathers father Mongo Hernandez was also a successful man with an Italian leather shoe manufacturing factory with over a thousand employees, Fidel took it away in 1959 when he also detroyed all the $100 bills. My great great great grandfather via my mothers father is Francisco Vicente Aguilera, he was once vice president of Cuba and died pennyless in New York, truely a free dumb death in my eyes, and I am living for vengeance. My soul was terrorized since before birth by the illuminati and corrupt organizations untill I recently discovered who I really am and my purpose. Beauty as Freedom is within the eye of the beholder, and no longer can another human feel I am trapped. I am participating to contribute my knowledge, perceptions, experiences and projects, along with peaceful movements of hope and faith for our roots as human beings on earth. I want to free everyones mind from unfair modern day slavery also known as imprisonment or detainment. Please enjoy what I give back with my empathy. I highly encourage people to look into these deep legitimate facts, they hold keys to coded doors being encoded by elite fascists. Encourage others before it is too late, the sheeple(sheep people, also known as the dormant innocent beings) need full awakening and are slowly awakening. I have a son now aswell, with a Paula Andrea Restrepo a colombian presedential bloodline descendant. Thank you for your time and thoughts. God bless us all, Namaste, Amen, Jihad, www.MiamiRSVP.com! ArnoldHernandez 11:16, 18 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

British. Long-time collector of Cuban popular music, and of publications about it. Have visited Cuba four times, and been able to see about half of the best-known modern groups, either in Cuba or London. Planning to work through Cuban music pages, add new articles and make existing articles more fact-based, add references and upload some out-of-copyright photographs. Macdonald-ross (talk) 08:19, 1 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

My parents came into the U.S. with my brother, who was seven, during the Mariel. I was born a few years later in Miami. I have lived in the same location in Miami as long as I can remember. As with Callelinea, I too don't feel fully Cuban or fully American and I don't like the Cuban-American label. I feel I'm supposed to be American due to it's the land where I was born but supposed to be Cuban due to it's the culture I was born into. I have never been to Cuba and really don't care to go until the current government changes. --Joel M. (talk) 17:10, 28 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

My name is Osvaldo Valdes, I was born in Havana in 1951 and remember quite well the city during the 50's. My family lived in Avenida 43 between Calles 48 and 60. I attended Candler College and remember the Colegio de Belen where I used to attend Sunday School. The park of El Tropicana was my "spiritual headquarters" and spent many happy hours there. I visited the city 2 years ago and was a shock to see it in such a state of poverty that I still have not gotten over. I use to frequent La Concha, now it is all boarded up, and in disrepair, I remember Miramar, Central Havana, Havana Vieja, etc. We came to the USA in 1962, I studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania under Mario Romañach. I stayed at the FOCSA Building, it was the first article I wrote for Wikipedia. Since that time I've worked on 50 articles, mostly on Havana architecture, where I have done many AutoCAD plans, and events in the city like Havana Presidential Palace Attack (1957). ovA_165443 (talk) 15:59, 21 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]