Young Cuban-Americans Are Ready for Change

As 2014 came to a close, President Obama announced major changes to the US relations with Cuba. December 31^st began the renewing of relations with Cuba after an embargo was placed on the country over 50 years ago.

Both US President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro welcome the change with enthusiasm as they announced the update over separate broadcast speeches. Though the embargo is not completely eradicated, both leaders promise to increase communication in an effort to bring the two countries into a “more civilized” relationship.

Though reactions among Americans have been mixed, the young Cuban-American population is overwhelmingly supportive of the renewed relations. NPR released statistics which show that 90% of young Cuban-Americans favor restoring diplomatic ties with Cuba.

With the embargo in place, many young Cuban-Americans grew up separated from their families in Cuba, unable to communicate or visit freely with loved ones. For these young Cuban-Americas, the embargo was more than a political barrier. Being raised in the incredibly family oriented Cuban culture, not being able to visit and interact with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even parents left the Cuban-American millennials bitter towards an outdated and rather unsuccessful political barrier.

For young Cuban-Americans and all millennials alike, understanding a world where embargos set on countries because of differing political views is tremendously hard to grasp and sympathize with. As ideas of tolerance shape the up coming generation’s core values, the embargo seems to be increasing irrelevant and unnecessary. With these values in mind, we can anticipate more positive change in Cuban and American relations, moving closer and closer to a full lift of the embargo and free interaction between the two parties.

Homeschooler in the Real World

Emma Folts, a sophomore at Wheaton College, shares her experience about her transition into college and how homeschool has both helped and hindered her.
How has your homeschool experience benefitted you, especially in your transition into college?
I think the one thing that homeschooling did that was really helpful as I entered college was that it taught me time management. As a homeschooler I had the same freedom as a college student has to put things off during the day and go see a friend instead. Since I had that experience, I knew the cost of that.
Also, personal responsibility and accountability with assignments. I feel like a lot of the other students had more expectations for gentler grading and that the professor would give them retakes or extensions, but that wasn’t something that ever happened to me in school. That learning curve wasn’t added because I never had it the other way. I think another thing was that because I was homeschooled, I was familiar with the format of teaching and then studying on my own.
Did you see any issues with your transition socially?
I think that homeschooling had two ramifications for me socially. One was helpful, one was hurtful.
It was really helpful because as a homeschooler, I had spent a lot of time realizing and developing who I was as a person and learning to recognize people who were being themselves, and those were the people I sought out as friends. Friendship as a homeschooler takes a lot more investment. I knew I was choosier with my friends which made me a lot less anxious and a lot more content.
The only real negative impact of the social bit was that I was really used to getting to choose the time I got to spend with people. As a homeschooler I spent a lot of time with people, but that time was controlled by me. As a college student, I found that you can’t really control the time you spend with people and alone time is not really available. Learning to deal with that was a lot harder than anticipated.
Any last comments on homeschool and how it has affected your college experience?
I think homeschooling is really helpful, however it does take a slightly increased amount of advocacy with your peers when you’re entering into college. I think a lot of people come in with certain assumptions about homeschool, especially students. You’re going to get a lot of, ‘oh my gosh, you don’t seem like a homeschooled person!’ [You can’t] take that too personally and explain your experience so that friends can understand it’s an important piece of you, though it might not look like the homeschooling that they’ve seen.
My encouragement to anyone who is a homeschooler transitioning into college is to realize the benefit that you have having been homeschooled, and to realize that the bit of advocacy and explaining that you need to do with your peers is totally normal and that it’s not a big deal. Once they understand your experience, it’s not something I’ve experienced being looked down on for.