Reflection/Reaction Paper 04: Pick one of two options

Note: There are two options here and you are only required to do one of them.

The first is for those interested in Cuba and the problematic relationship it has with the USA. This one can be completed after doing the readings for this week.

The second is a reflection on Latin America as a whole and will require that you read the rest of the text.

Option A: Normalizing Relations with Cuba

Length 500-750words

Topic

Normalizing relations with Cuba: In your opinion, should the USA normalize relations with Cuba? Why or why not? Please be sure to address the major issues that are addressed in the text and the supplemental materials (see below). In particular, you should reference most or all of the following:

The role the USA has played in Cuba since it helped liberate it from Spain

The reasons WHY we still have such a hostile relationship with this island nation (what has this nation done to its own people and the to the USA)

The reasons you do (not) see communist Cuba as a viable threat to the USA

The details of the embargo and the other sanctions the USA has imposed on Cuba [basically, what would be eliminated if we normalized relations with Cuba]

Your feelings about our relations with Cuba

The feelings that other countries have about this strained relationship

See in particular the CBS News article "U.N. General Assembly votes against U.S. Cuba embargo for the 22nd year in a row (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site." which outlines the United Nations' reaction to our continued embargo
how might one argue that this hostility is affecting the Cuban people arguably more than the Cuban government itself
finally, how do you see the future of Cuba? Do you think the current government should stay in power? What do you think would happen if the socialist government were to fall? How would the nation change? Who would benefit most? Who would suffer? What role would multinational corporations play?

Preparation

Re-read the sections that deal with the history of the relations between the USA and Cuba in the text: Chapter 16 (pages 239-248) and Chapter 20 (pages 308-314). See also the article (also listed below) about the United Nations' take on this same situation.

NOTE: You do not have to be pro-Castro, BUT this should be an INFORMED opinion and not just a knee-jerk reaction to a "communist" Cuba and/or dictatorship. Remember that the USA has a long history of supporting unpopular leaders, including many communists and ruthless dictators (see the sections we just read on Guatemala and Chile, for a few instances of this type of involvement). Moreover, our third most important trading partner today is communist China, so the communist-angle should not form the sole basis of your argument. Finally, you can simply overlook the positive aspects that the Castro government has brought to Cuba. You should highlight the good and the bad and then make your overall assessment as to whether or not we should normalize relations with this neighbor that is only 90 miles to the south.
Option B: Final Thoughts and Reflections on Latin America

Length: 500-750words minimum. (I have written 411words in this prompt alone, so that is a relatively short paper given the nature of the assignment.)
Topic

What is "Latin America" and what does that term now mean to you?

For the fifth and final reaction paper for this course, I would like for you to reflect on what you have learned in a more comprehensive way.

Instead of just listing facts and details, try to explain the current conception you have of this vast region.

Here are some questions to reflect on (Please try to incorporate this information as you compose/write out this paper):

What is "Latin America" to you?

In what sense is there a place called "Latin America"?

What common features does this region share that allows us to speak of a Latin America (as opposed to a group of nations that are all very different unto themselves)?

In what sense is this term "Latin America" elusive?

Why can it be argued that Latin America is not really a united place?

What are the most important social (languages, religions, cultures, traditions, etc.), economic, and political similarities and differences in the region?

How do the non-European peoples factor into this discussion? (Not just indigenous peoples, but Africans and other groups of immigrants that came later). Do they help define Latin America as a singular region or does their presence serve to disrupt this type of facile classification?