Prospectus Example
How the Cubans view themselves
in Western Media
A Prospectus
For History 299
Dr. Ganaway
April 21, 2010
Introduction
As a young child, I remember living in New York during the latter part of the
Cold War years. In school, we had “bomb drills” in which time we got under our desks
and took cover in case of a bomb or missile hitting the city. The apartment building that I
lived in had a “fallout shelter” downstairs underneath the building to house survivors of
nuclear war and spare them the effects of radioactivity. In my pre college studies, I
didn’t learn much about the politics behind the United State’s foreign relationships with
Cuba and the former Soviet Union and the Cold War itself. The basic premise that was
embedded in the lessons that I did receive was that the countries of Cuba and the former
Soviet Union had anti-American stance. I was taught that these countries disliked the
U.S.’s Capitalist economic system, the U.S.’s anti-Communist stand, and the American
way of life. In the pre-internet 1980s, like most Americans, I got much of my
information from the television and the newspapers because they were the main
source of information for learning about world events. Images of war, conflict or chaos
within a country helped Americans to form public opinion on foreign countries. Fidel
Castro himself was well aware of this fact when he assumed power in Cuba. To get
American support, he appeared on “Meet the Press” during the week of April 1959. The
Cold War heavily influenced entertainment in the Western Hemisphere. In the movies
and television shows, prior to the 1990s, the countries of Cuba and Russia were portrayed
as oppressive, communist countries. All of the institutions were in these countries were
nationalized and there was oppressive control over their respective arts, media, athletes
and citizens. The Cuban or Russians characters in the screen plays were portrayed as
criminal minded
in Western Media
A Prospectus
For History 299
Dr. Ganaway
April 21, 2010
Introduction
As a young child, I remember living in New York during the latter part of the
Cold War years. In school, we had “bomb drills” in which time we got under our desks
and took cover in case of a bomb or missile hitting the city. The apartment building that I
lived in had a “fallout shelter” downstairs underneath the building to house survivors of
nuclear war and spare them the effects of radioactivity. In my pre college studies, I
didn’t learn much about the politics behind the United State’s foreign relationships with
Cuba and the former Soviet Union and the Cold War itself. The basic premise that was
embedded in the lessons that I did receive was that the countries of Cuba and the former
Soviet Union had anti-American stance. I was taught that these countries disliked the
U.S.’s Capitalist economic system, the U.S.’s anti-Communist stand, and the American
way of life. In the pre-internet 1980s, like most Americans, I got much of my
information from the television and the newspapers because they were the main
source of information for learning about world events. Images of war, conflict or chaos
within a country helped Americans to form public opinion on foreign countries. Fidel
Castro himself was well aware of this fact when he assumed power in Cuba. To get
American support, he appeared on “Meet the Press” during the week of April 1959. The
Cold War heavily influenced entertainment in the Western Hemisphere. In the movies
and television shows, prior to the 1990s, the countries of Cuba and Russia were portrayed
as oppressive, communist countries. All of the institutions were in these countries were
nationalized and there was oppressive control over their respective arts, media, athletes
and citizens. The Cuban or Russians characters in the screen plays were portrayed as
criminal minded
Bibliography: Aguirre, Benigno. “Social Control in Cuba.” Latin American Politics and Society 44, no. 2 (Summer 2002): 6. revolution. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1968. Farber, Samuel. The origins of the Cuban Revolution reconsidered. N.p.: University of North Carolina Press, 2006. Fornet, Ambrosio. “Cuba: Nation, Diaspora, Literature.” Critical Inquiry 35, no. 2 (Winter2009): Fischoff, Franco, A., Gram, E., Hernendez, A., & Parker, J. (2001). Offensive ethnic clichés in movies: Drugs, sex, and servility New York Press, 2008 Geisler, Micheal, and et al, eds Massachusetts Press, 2003 Hadley-Garcia, G Citadel Press, 1993. Hillsman, Roger. The Cuban missile crisis: the struggle over policy. Westport: Praeger Publishing, 1996, p McAuliffe, Mary, ed. CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis. N.p.: History Staff, Central Intelligence Agency, 1992. (2002). Press of Florida. (1996) Time [ 2 ]. BERNARD K. GOLTZ. 1959. Haven for Cubans Protested. New York Times file), January 7 (Current, http://www.proquest.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ (accessed April 28, 2010). [ 3 ]. Time. Dynamic Boss takes over a US neighbor. January 12, 1959. Pp. 10-20 [ 4 ]