Exhibition contributors include Project Director Dr. Sonia Labrador-Rodríguez, Associate Professor of Spanish Language & Literature; Humanities Librarian Theresa Burress; and Y. López Rodríguez.
PARTNERS & CONTRIBUTORS:
State College of Florida Libraries
USF Library Special Collections
Sarasota County Historical Resources
Manatee County Historical Resources
With support from:
New College Foundation
Florida Humanities Council
National Endowment for the Humanities
Cigar Co. Tampa label and other images in this page are courtesy of the USF Libraries Digital Collection.
The State College of Florida Libraries (SCF Libraries) and New College of Florida present:
This exhibit and speaker series is part of a community project led by New College of Florida to build awareness in the Sarasota and Manatee communities of the deep roots that Cuban and Cuban-Americans have in this region of Florida, and to encourage community engagement with cultural, economic, and civic opportunities for Florida-Cuba relations today and into the future.
We present the establishment of the Cuban community in Florida, beginning in the 1860s when cigar-factory owners moved an entire industry from Cuba to Florida and eventually settled in what is now known as Ybor City. The exhibit highlights the leadership role played by lectors, or cigar factory readers, in building the cultural, social, and linguistic community of Ybor. Images of Ybor yesterday and today provide a bridge from history to present day, and the series concludes with the unique stories of individual Cubans and Cuban-Americans who live in south-west Florida and contribute to our communities.
Presentamos los comienzos de la comunidad cubana en la Florida, empezando por la salida de los tabaqueros cubanos en la década de los 1860, primero a Cayo Hueso, para finalmente establecer una nueva comunidad en Ybor City. La exhibición resalta la figura del lector y su contribución para crear una comunidad social, cultural y sobre todo, lingüística. Las imágenes de Ybor ayer y hoy enlazan el origen de la ciudad con el presente. La serie concluye con historias de cubanos y cubano-americanos del centro-oeste de Florida y su contribución a nuestras comunidades.
New College faculty and Sarasota community members who have recently visited Cuba will lead a discussion of current and future economic, civic, and cultural opportunities. Panelists include international relations expert Dr. Nat Colletta, historian Dr. Brendan Goff, sociologist Dr. Sarah Hernandez, and journalist Johannes Werner, Editor of Cuba Standard and host of radio show Florida Caribe.
Docentes de New College y miembros de la comunidad que visitaron Cuba recientemente presentarán una discusión sobre oportunidades económicas, cívicas y culturales en la actualidad y en el futuro. Panelistas incluyen Dr. Nat Colletta, experto en relaciones internacionales, Dr. Brendan Goff, historiador, Dra. Sarah Hernandez, socióloga y Johannes Werner, periodista, editor de Cuba Standard y locutor del programa de radio Florida Caribe.