Fritas Cubanas

This semester, I've followed different Cubans around to get their stories. Now, everyone will get an inside look at one of MY favorite Cuban meals. I'm going to show you how to make a basic, yet delicious, Frita Cubana. If you want to learn how to make a hamburger with some Cuban flare, watch the video below. I've also included the recipe to make recreating this signature dish a bit easier.



Ingredient List: 1 lb. of ground beef, 1/4 cup of whole milk, 1 cup of bread crumbs, 2 minced onions, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, juice from half a lime, 4 teaspoons of garlic powder, 6 hamburger buns, 1 cup of shoestring potato sticks, and extra virgin olive oil.

Instructions: soak breadcrumbs in milk, Beat egg. Mix egg, onions, salt, ketchup, lime, garlic powder, paprika and soaked breadcrumbs into the ground beef. Make six thin beef patties. (You can refrigerate the patties over night before cooking to let the seasoning really sink in.) Fry fritas in a small amount of olive oil and cook very well on both sides until done. Set fritas on ketchup-smeared buns and cover with shoestring potato sticks. Add any other condiments you wish and close. Enjoy!

CASA Week

Ready to exhibit your Cuban pride?! Well here's your chance. It is officially Cuban American Student Association week at the University of Florida and the group has plenty of events planned. I've included a list of a few of the fun things you can do to express your culture. Hey, even if you're not Cuban, how could you resist Pan con Lechon?!?!?!

~March 4th- Fun in the Sun and Free Cuban Lechon at Lake Wauburg Pavilion (1pm to 4pm)
~March 5th- Community Service Event: Collection for Pleasant Place House at Turlington Plaza (10am to 2pm)
~March 6th- Miami Immigration Lawyer Luis Fernandez speaking at La Casita (7pm; refreshments provided)
~March 7th- Free Cuban food lunch series at La Casita (11am to 1pm)
~March 8th- Cuban Club Night at Mojitos (Get in free before 11:30 with CASA Week Flyer)

If you have any questions, email casauf@yahoo.com.

Hope you enjoy the events!!!

(Photo courtesy of CASA's Facebook Group)

Virtually Cuban

I've heard it time and time again... I miss the Cuban food my abuela makes back home! If you're craving that authentic home-cooked Cuban meal, look no farther than Virtually Cuban Restaurant and Internet Cafe. I sat down with the co-owner and chef of Virtually Cuban, Carlos Camejo, to get some insight as to what it means to him to be a Cuban American living in Gainesville. Of course, we talked about food too! Click here to enjoy the slide show and interview in a new window. Or just watch it below.

You're Invited

In my quest to find photographs related to my blog topic, I stumbled upon a little Cuban restaurant on 13th Street named Virtually Cuban. Besides smelling absolutely delicious, the staff, especially the owner, were very nice. In fact, he even invited me to a party and he wants everyone of you to go too! For those of you who are interested, Virtually Cuban will host a a huge party at the restaurant two nights after Fidel Castro passes away. Yes, a party to celebrate someone's death sounds a little morbid, but most Cuban Americans will be itching to party that day, whether they admit it or not. So stay tuned to THIS BLOG, for the latest on the party. Also, expect a separate blog post on Virtually Cuban!!!

Cuban Courses

For those Cuban-American UF students who want to take their nationality one step further than just clubs and organizations, the University of Florida is home to a Center for Latin American Studies where students of all ethnicities can learn more about Latin American and Caribbean countries, including Cuba. The Center’s mission is to enhance the scope and quality of such studies at UF. To achieve this goal, the Center funds fellowships and interdisciplinary research, organizes student and faculty exchanges between UF and Latin American and Caribbean institutions, and sponsors study abroad programs among many other things.

According to the Center’s course catalog, several classes teach about the happenings of Cuba, whether political, social, or economical. In two course descriptions, Cuba and Cuban-Americans were specifically mentioned (SPW6902 and LAH3300). The Center’s website is filled with information, including a calendar of events and a newsletter that mention several upcoming lectures including one on February 26th entitled “The Cuban-American Lobby: Myth and Reality”. The lecture to be given by Maria Cristina Garcia, Professor of History at Cornell University, will be held at the Keene Faculty Center. I hope to attend that event and speak with other Cuban American students who go to listen to Ms. Garcia as well.

More on this center and its faculty, staff and students to come. I hope to set up an interview with the director of the center, Carmen Diaz Deere. Based on the website, one of her geographic regions of expertise is Cuba!

*Banner and Logo Image Courtesy of The Center for Latin American Studies Website*

Facebook Finds

Any who knows me knows that I am not a Facebook fan. I have nothing against the social networking site, it’s just that if I had it, I know I’d be searching the profiles of random people all day long. Against my better judgment, I have joined the site for the sake of blog research. I typed the word “Cuban” into the group search bar and VOILA!... 479 groups appeared. I narrowed it down to just UF groups and the search returned 38 matches. The most popular of these groups included:

o CASA- 190 members
o Cuban Gators- 175 members
o Azucarrr- 202 members
o Cuban Mafia: UF Division- 47 members
o Being Half Cuban is Amazing- 75 members


*Cuban Flag from Google Images*

Other groups that include Cuban students but are not geared specifically toward that nationality are “Gators Latinos y Latinas”, “Latin Gators”, and “Latinos Unidos”, which at the time of gathering this data had 2, 316 members.
Obviously the Cuban-American population at UF is substantial and many of those students are so proud of their heritage that they have chosen to exhibit that pride via this extremely popular social networking site. I may have to stick around Facebook… who knows, maybe I’ll start my very own Cuban student group!!!

La Casita

“La Casita” is the Spanish term for “The Little Home”. Appropriately enough, the house referred to as “La Casita” at the University of Florida is home to about 40 Hispanic/Latino student organizations on campus. Also known as the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, La Casita provides a campus location for undergraduates and graduates students alike to gather and celebrate their culture. This convenient meeting area located on West University Avenue, hosts events from different cultural organizations, fraternities and sororities, and academic clubs. The purposes of the organizations run out of La Casita range from social to service. The Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures at UF was the first of its kind in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1994 as a “home away from home” for students of Hispanic descent.

The club associated with Cuban-American students (CASA), is also based out of La Casita. As part of my research, I decided to drop by the house to see the facilities and get a calendar of upcoming events. When I asked them if CASA held their meetings at La Casita, they quickly replied, “No way, CASA is way too big!” Clearly there exists a large Cuban-American student population at UF and they are obviously very willing to proudly tout their heritage.
*La Casita Logo Courtesy of La Casita Website*

More Than Just Cuban

I originally set out to speak with students who were very involved in clubs and activities that cater directly to the Hispanic/Latino population. However, yesterday’s post got me thinking even more about those students who are Cuban-American but don’t feel like it defines who they are. Keyla Bade is one such student. A Cuban-American and a second-year English/Pre-Law major at UF, she reminds me that your culture does not necessarily define who you are or what you stand for. As I wrote yesterday, the answer to the question “What are you?” can be more than just your nationality.

Gabcast! Cuban Invasion...Gainesville Style #1

What Are You?

I’ve been asked time and time again. What are you? What kind of a question is that!?! I’m a student… I’m a daughter… I’m a person!!! But when people pose that question I safely assume they want to know about my ethnic background. So I reply “Cuban” and all parties involved are satisfied.

I have found myself asking that annoying question to anyone with a Spanish accent in research for this blog. People either look at me strange or respond with some Latino nationality.

I must admit, I was surprised by one of the responses I received. When I asked a girl (who will remain anonymous) what she was, she quickly said, “Cuban… but not like the refugees from the raft. My parents came on a plane.”

Do Cubans actually distinguish themselves from other Cubans based on the mode of transportation that got their family to America? Better question yet, how many UF students are actually ashamed of their Cuban roots? While I will never find an exact number, I’m curious to meet students that feel that way to add a different perspective to this blog.

Note: The Gainesville Sun ran an article last fall about students who don’t take much pride in their cultural heritage. Read it here now!



Photo courtesy of Google Images. Translated it reads, "Welcome to Cuba. Pearl of the Antilles."

Multicultural Affairs

So many miles away from their traditional Cuban roots, I wanted to know about the different outlets that Cuban-American students have to celebrate their culture on and around campus while studying at the University of Florida. I was pleasantly surprised to find the wide array of organizations that cater to the Hispanic-Latino community at UF. Not being involved in any of these organizations myself, I was impressed by the number of students who did find time to take such pride in their heritage. The Dean of Students Office website offers tons of information about these groups, making it a perfect site to begin my research on the “Cuban Invasion” in Gainesville. Via the link labeled Multicultural Affairs, I discovered that UF is home to over 40 Hispanic-Latino organizations! After feeling guilty that I could only name two of them (CASA and Sabor Latino- two organizations that a few of my close friends were involved with), I set my sights on educating myself about the opportunities the university has to offer regarding Hispanic-Latino affairs. I immediately wondered… How many of those clubs are specifically geared towards Cuban-American students? How many Cuban students actually participate in the activities the organizations have to offer? I hope to find answers to these questions and more throughout the semester as I chronicle the Cuban Invasion…Gainesville Style!

Campus Cubans

As a Cuban-American student at the University of Florida, I am deeply interested in finding out how other students like myself express their Cuban heritage while in Gainesville. Do they eat croquetas and drink cafe con leche? Do they spend their nights at local salsa clubs? Are they involved in campus organizations focused on catering to the Hispanic-Latino community? Over the course of the semester, I plan on finding out.