A Cuban Diary

St. Louis, 1969. Very good.. [1],105,[8]pp. Printed on rectos only. Folio. Original blue card covers, spiral bound. Minor wear, slightly heavier to covers. Academic work written by Joseph A. Kahl, who was, at the time, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Washington University, specializing in Latin America. Kahl (1923-2010) subsequently moved to Cornell, where he taught until his retirement in 1983. He authored numerous works on the social and class struggles of Latin America. The present work appears to be unpublished, perhaps printed in a small number for distribution among friends and colleagues. A printed note at the top of the first page reads "Private Document: Not to Be Quoted."

In his introductory remarks, Kahl states the purpose of his visit: "For over a year I have wanted to go simply because the Cuban experiment is so important in the context of the future of Latin America. ... My curiosity was heightened by memories of a trip I made to the Soviet Union in 1959. I wondered if Cuban communism would be the same or would shoe distinctively Latin traits. My friends in Latin America, who are mostly intellectuals of varying shades of radicalism, speak about Cuba as something profoundly important to them. A few have been to Cuba and returned with glowing accounts; I wanted to see it for myself."

The account that follows describes the people, the scenery, the social and cultural atmosphere, the agriculture, and ordinary life in Cuba as seen by an enthusiastic outsider. He describes eating in restaurants, noting, "All restaurant meals are separate from the rationing system and require no coupons. There are essentially three classes of restaurants." The three classes are workplace cafeterias, local neighborhood eateries, and "elegant restaurants which operate by advance reservation. ... Government officials can phone for reservations, but not ordinary citizens." The ordinary folk have to wait in line and hope for the best. There is also some discussion of the local politics and the American blockade, and Kahl travels outside Havana, touring several of the provinces. We locate copies in four institutional collections, at Cornell, University of Illinois, Washington University at St. Louis, and the University of Pittsburgh. An interesting first-hand account of Cuba in the early years of the Castro regime.