Gilman Scholar studies Latin American politics in once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cuba

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 13:36:39 +0000

When Ryan Bourgoin chose a location to study abroad, popular study abroad options for American college students like Italy, France, and Great Britain were the farthest thing from his mind.�� Instead, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock junior political science major was interested in studying Latin American politics and wanted to travel to a country where he would be immersed in a very different culture. “I’m glad that I went to Cuba of all places and not a western European country,” said Bourgoin, of Sherwood. “I wanted a study abroad experience that would be very different from what I was used to at home. There was a lot more to be learned in a country like Cuba that has only recently opened up relations with the U.S. and transitioned out of the Castro era.” Bourgoin, one of three ��Vlog��ý Little Rock recipients of the U.S. Department of State’s , spent seven weeks this summer living with a host family in Vedado, a neighborhood in Havana’s business district, through USAC’s La Habana (Havana) study abroad program. He took courses at The Instituto de Filosofia and studied government and politics in Latin American and Latin American social revolutions. “These classes really helped me get some needed credits to help complete my major,” Bourgoin said. “Latin American politics is an area where I was not very knowledgeable. I learned how interrelated the politics of the U.S. and Latin America are. You can’t talk about anything that happened in Latin America since the 19th century without talking about America.”�� Bourgoin said it was an interesting experience to be an American living in Cuba. Even though the U.S. and Cuba have different political ideologies, the people he met with friendly and caring, yet frank. “There is still a mentality that this a political problem between governments and not people, so Cubans can treat Americans well. They are a very generous people,” he said. “It’s a very strange paradox. Cuba tries to show that they are standing up to America, but they also are interested in American products and tourism for the economic boon.” Studying abroad in a non-English speaking country not only gave Bourgoin the opportunity to improve his Spanish skills, but he also gained a new perspective on life.��

Ryan Bourgoin (right) and his classmates travel around Cuba during a study abroad trip.

“It’s very interesting to be the minority in a country that conflicts with America in a lot of its core values,” he said. “Although I’ll never truly understand the struggles that people of color face in America, I think it helps me to see the perspective of what immigrants go through in this country and get a perspective on what it is like to not be in the majority.” As part of the program, he also took a one-week tour of southern Cuba to visit historic sites such as Playa Girón (one of two landing sites for seaborne forces of about 1,500 armed Cuban exiles during the Bay of Pigs Invasion), the colonial city of Trinidad, and the Ernesto “Che” Guevara Mausoleum, who was a major figure of the Cuban Revolution. “Che Guevara’s mausoleum is like visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in America,” Bourgain said. “They take it very seriously. A lot of the older people in Cuba are still big fans of Castro, but many of the younger people thought the Castro brothers were cowards.” His trip to Cuba has inspired some potential research projects. As a Donaghey Scholar, Bourgoin will complete a year-long final project next year before he graduates. He’s interested in studying the changes Cuba underwent after the Castros’ departure from power or the effects of the U.S. embargo against Cuba. After Bourgoin graduates in May 2021, he plans to continue to travel internationally, perhaps by working as an international teacher or joining the Peace Corps, and to continue to develop his career as a writer. In the end, Bourgoin said the opportunity to learn more about the residents of Cuba was the most rewarding part of his study abroad experience. “I also enjoyed meeting the Cubans and getting to know what they thought of their country, other countries, and life in general,” he said. “Several of the Cubans told me that the only good things about Cuba was the free healthcare and education, but even though they don’t have a lot, that they find enjoyment in being able to�� walk around without worrying much about violent crime. The streets are very safe. There was also another perspective: We don’t have a whole lot here, but we have enough to share, so how could you want more?”��

Rare book collector lends Vigía collection to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for Cuban art exhibit

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 16:58:02 +0000

In 1998, Bill Fisher visited the, also known as the MARCO, with his brother and grandmother during a trip to Mexico. At the art museum’s gift shop, Fisher spotted something that took his breath away.�� “I found these incredibly beautiful books about which I knew nothing,” said Fisher, a San Antonio-based tax lawyer and rare book collector. “I clearly recall a magazine of poems and stories for children, made in the shape of a house with a chimney, cellophane windows, and other charming details. The books have such a sense of joy and whimsy that I bought them all on sight. Then I asked to speak to the buyer to learn more.” He discovered that the works were created by the Cuban publishing cooperative, under the artistic direction of Rolando Estévez and Alfredo Zaldívar. Founded in 1985, artisans in Matanzas, Cuba, created handmade books using collaged, repurposed materials. �� According to an, Ediciones Vigía originally served as a meeting place for artists and writers to discuss their work. They began creating artistic fliers to advertise their meetings. This eventually grew into an independent publishing house that creates handmade interactive works of book art that are internationally renown. “Ediciones Vigía creates community in Cuba,” Fisher said. “It’s a cooperative where people come together to create and publish these books, providing lots of job opportunities. Then there is the community of authors and artists who contribute works to those books. Then there is the fan network of Vigía — librarians, collectors, and readers who love the books and the context from which they come.” Fisher lent 71 of his prized Vigía books for a Cuban art exhibit at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “Binding Communities: Cuba’s Ediciones Vigía and the Art of the Book and Entrepreneurism,” will be displayed in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Ottenheimer Library from March 14 to April 19. The exhibit’s opening reception on Tuesday, March 14, will feature a talk by Fisher, where he will discuss some of his favorite pieces in the exhibit and his nearly 20-year search for Vigía books. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Ottenheimer Library Room 535. Since that fateful day nearly 20 years ago, Fisher has collected more than 500 Vigía books. Through his search, he has met scholars, librarians, and other collectors who appreciate the artistry of the Vigía books. “When I show people the Vigía books, their eyes light up,” Fisher said. “They can spend all evening asking questions and handling them. It’s exceedingly engaging.” He met Dr. Erin Finzer, chair of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of World Languages, in 2012, when they were both making presentations on the Vigía books at a conference at the University of Missouri. Fisher’s favorite books in the exhibit are “Testamento del pez” (The Fish’s Testament), written by Cuban Poet Gastón Baquero, which is in the shape of a cigar box, and the first publication of the script for the famous Cuban movie “Fresa y chocolate” (Strawberry and Chocolate), which he sought for years before plucking it from the shelves of a bookstore in Mexico City.

Bill Fisher’s book “Testamento del pez” (The Fish’s Testament) written by Cuban Poet Gastón Baquero, Photo by Carly Machen/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Gilman Scholar studies Latin American politics in once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cuba

Rare book collector lends Vigía collection to ����Vlog��ý Little Rock for Cuban art exhibit

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Rare book collector lends Vigía collection to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for Cuban art exhibit