From Cuba to Ybor City: Race, Revolution, Nationalism and Afro-Cuban Identity

This research project explores race, nationalism, and Afro-Cuban identity in the small Florida ethnic enclave of Ybor City in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It also examines slavery, race, and revolution in nineteenth-century Cuba. The study reveals how Cuban ethnicity and patriotic solidarity ultimately trumped racial divisiveness in the Ybor City. Although the Jim Crow Laws deeply penetrated all levels of society in the U.S. South, black and white Cubans coexisted within the tiny bubble outside of Tampa during the last few decades of the nineteenth century. Historically, scholars have rarely focused on the voices of Afro-Cubans during this critical time period of Cuba’s nation building project, even though black Cubans contributed substantially to Cuba Libre and the Cuban Liberation army. By illuminating the Afro-Cuban immigrant story amidst the violent times of the Jim Crow South, the Spanish-American War, and their relations with the white Cuban exile community who escaped Spanish persecution leading up to the war, a complex and passionate set of characters are revealed who defined themselves as being Cuban, black, as well as immigrants.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Toledo

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Becker, Elizabeth Claire

Contributors dc:contributor

• Britton, Diane

• American History

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1364315042

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:toledo1364315042