In the early 1960s, my parents and many relatives migrated to the United States from Cuba as political exiles; this occurrence influenced the course of my artwork. From 1990-2000, I created work for the Immigration Series, exploring issues of cultural identity, history, immigration, assimilation, and marginality. Through this work, I came to understand cultural migration on a personal level, and drew attention to the importance of diversity to a larger audience. Feeling I had thoroughly addressed the concept of cultural identity, I dramatically changed the direction of my work for another decade. However in January of 2011, I traveled to Cuba for the first time with my immediate family to visit Havana and to meet relatives that chose to stay behind. Despite my belief that I had long ago moved away from creating work about Cuban lineage, I returned inspired based on this life changing experience.
Cuban-American Piñatas (2012, with new pieces added 2016-2017 and 2019) is a response to my witnessing a sea of commodities, medicines and food being carried into Cuba in suitcases by U.S. visitors to assist those who have no access to necessary, daily items. Instead of candy, a mound of personal commodities like toothpaste, razors and socks lies on the ground amongst thirteen suspended suitcases. The installation draws attention to the unfavorable conditions in Cuba, as well as the economic failings of the government. Fidel Castro and Che Guevara’s revolution was supposed to rectify economic and social inequity, and yet, six decades later, these injustices continue with expatriates trying to bridge the disparity gap. In 2012, the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy estimated $2 .5 billion in goods, pharmaceuticals and food were brought into Cuba yearly. In addition, foreign remittances (money sent to Cuba by émigrés) were estimated at more than $2 billion a year by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Cuban-American Piñatas (2012, with new pieces added 2016-2017 and 2019) is a response to my witnessing a sea of commodities, medicines and food being carried into Cuba in suitcases by U.S. visitors to assist those who have no access to necessary, daily items. Instead of candy, a mound of personal commodities like toothpaste, razors and socks lies on the ground amongst thirteen suspended suitcases. The installation draws attention to the unfavorable conditions in Cuba, as well as the economic failings of the government. Fidel Castro and Che Guevara’s revolution was supposed to rectify economic and social inequity, and yet, six decades later, these injustices continue with expatriates trying to bridge the disparity gap. In 2012, the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy estimated $2 .5 billion in goods, pharmaceuticals and food were brought into Cuba yearly. In addition, foreign remittances (money sent to Cuba by émigrés) were estimated at more than $2 billion a year by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.