A Weekend in Havana: Tourism Between Florida and Cuba in the 1950s

Havana was one of the popular tourist destinations in the 1950s, and Florida was the gateway for most of this profitable tourist trade.   Re-live this tourist trade through a presentation that includes many original, home-made images of Florida and Havana in the 1950s, including all the nightclubs, casinos, restaurants, and beaches that attracted tourists by the thousands.  Set against a backdrop of an increasingly popular and powerful insurrection, the presentation will re-examine U.S.-Cuba relations in the years prior to Fidel Castro’s assumption of power.

Paul Dosal is professor of history and executive director of ENLACE (Engaging Latino, African American, and other Communities for Education) at the University of South Florida.  As director of ENLACE, Dosal manages a statewide network organized to promote college readiness, access, and success for Latino and African-American students. A third-generation descendant of Cuban immigrants who settled in Ybor City in 1889, he specializes in the history of the modern Caribbean, with particular interests in the history of Cuba and Guatemala.  He has published four books and numerous scholarly articles and book reviews.

Required Equipment:

• LCD Projector
• Screen
• Microphone (for a large group)
• Podium