Daniel Adler and students from his AP Economics class journeyed abroad to the forbidden country of Cuba from June 18 to June 26. The group of 30 spent six days in Havana and two days in Trinidad.
The trip was planned by Distant Horizons, a travel company that has been located in Long Beach since 1985. Since direct air flight from the US to Cuba is not allowed, the group landed at Mexico City as their intermediary destination to and back.
From roaming author Ernest Hemingway’s house to swimming in the Bay of Pigs, students had the chance to visit Cuba’s many historic sites including a memorial commemorating the 1953 Cuban Revolution, which brought rise to Dictator Fidel Castro. They also spent much time interacting with the locals and learning Cuban culture.
“The most fun part was playing baseball with the high school students in Cuba,” said Mr. Adler.
Students attended seminars at the University of Havana and listened to speakers discuss the situation of their country and the problems they face. Some speakers were United States expatriates and defectors.
“One would talk about how the United States needs change, and then another would say that it’s Cuba that needs to change,” said AP US History teacher Patrick Gillogly, who joined Mr. Adler on the trip. “It was an interesting mix of tradition and change.”
Hiding behind the beautiful beaches and breathtaking scenery of Cuba reveal a country in distress and a firsthand lesson in economics. A victim of a U.S. financial and commercial embargo since 1960, Cuba has suffered in respect to their economy. Tourism remains the country’s most important revenue stream.
“Our tour guide who lives there [in Cuba] talked about ration cards and how what the government handouts are not nearly enough to survive, let alone live comfortably,” said senior Aida Ylanan.
The country is still recovering from the Special Period, a severe economic depression after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Soviet Union accounted for a large majority Cuba’s imports and exports, leaving it extremely vulnerable after their fall. Although Cuba is still a communist country, a large portion of the population is pushing for progressive measures and reform. Some private businesses have even received government permission to open.
“I wanted my students to see an alternative economic system and judge for themselves how well it worked,” said Mr. Adler. “Regardless, the people are the same as us.”
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