Constraining stories: four narratives that limit options for U.S.-Cuba relations

2011-11-30This dissertation examines the relationship between the United States and Cuba from the perspective of political and cultural narratives about Cuba existing in the United States from 1823-2010. These narratives serve to explain and justify U.S. policy toward Cuba. Four dominant narratives have been identified: Cuba as possession of the United States, Cuba as a Cold War adversary, Cuba as a place from which to escape, and Cuba as led by an anachronistic tyrant resisting the tide of democracy. These narratives have some overlaps and some contradictions, but all have strong ties to the narrative in the United States about the Cold War. Even though the Cold War is over, the explanatory power of the Cold War narrative continues to exercise authority in U.S.-Cuba relations. In addition to explaining U.S.-Cuba relations, narratives tied to the Cold War limit options for policy change. This dissertation analyzes political and popular discourse to uncover the sources of these narratives and how they remain so prominent in the United States. Understanding how these narratives develop, function, and survive provides insight into how leaders might create narratives that are more reflective of current political reality between the United States and Cuba