Anarchism and Countercultural Politics in Early Twentieth-Century Cuba

297 Pages·2005·1.26 MB·English

by  Kirwin R. Shaffer

Anarchism and Countercultural
Politics in
Early Twentieth-Century Cuba
Kirwin R. Shaffer
university press of florida
Anarchism and Countercultural Politics in Early Twentieth-Century Cuba
university press of florida
Florida A&M University, Tallahassee
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers
Florida International University, Miami
Florida State University, Tallahassee
New College of Florida, Sarasota
University of Central Florida, Orlando
University of Florida, Gainesville
University of North Florida, Jacksonville
University of South Florida, Tampa
University of West Florida, Pensacola

Anarchism and Countercultural Politics
in Early Twentieth-Century Cuba
Kirwin R. Shaffer
University Press of Florida
Gainesville | Tallahassee | Tampa | Boca Raton
Pensacola | Orlando | Miami | Jacksonville | Ft. Myers | Sarasota
Copyright 2005 by Kirwin R. Shaffer
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shaffer, Kirwin R.
Anarchism and countercultural politics in early twentieth-century Cuba /
Kirwin R. Shaffer.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 978-0-8130-3595-6 (alk. paper)
1. Anarchism—Cuba—History—20th century. 2. Cuba—Politics
and government—20th century. 3. Cuba—Social policy. I. Title.
HX861.S52 2005
326.5'7'09729109041—dc
The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency
for the State University System of Florida, comprising Florida A&M
University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University,
Florida International University, Florida State University, New College of
Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of
North Florida, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida.
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
http://www.upf.com
Dedicated to
Mary, Nathaniel, and Hannah

Contents
List of Tables viii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1. Anarchism, Cubanía, Culture, and Power 20
Part One. Anarchism, Nationalism, and Internationalism
2. Cuba for All: Anarchist Internationalism and the Politics of Cuban
Independence 39
3. Symbolic Freedom: Anarchism and the Cultural Politics of
Independence 62
4. The Cuban Melting Pot: Anarchism and Immigration 72
5. Anarchism in Black and White: Race and Afrocubanismo 90
Part Two. Anarchism, Health, and Nature
6. Struggles for a Healthy Cuba: Anarchism, Health, and “White Slavery”
107
7. Curing Bourgeois Ills: Anarcho-Naturism vs. Cuba’s Medical
Establishment 126
8. Rejecting Civilization: Nature, Salvation, and the Rural Ideal in
Anarcho-Naturism 144
Part Three. Anarchism, Education, and the Family
9. Freedom Teaching: Anarchism and Education 165
10.Guiding the Masses: Anarchist Culture as Education 195
11.Imagining Women: Prostitutes, Bad Seeds, and Revolutionary
Mothers 208
Conclusion and Epilogue 223
Notes 235
Bibliography 255
Index 271
Tables
4.1. Immigration, 1912–1919 73
6.1. Ten Leading Causes of Deaths in Havana During 1901 109
6.2. Deaths by Age Group 111
8.1. Percent of Urban Inhabitants by Province (1899–1907) 152
9.1. Public Primary School Instruction in Cuba (1901–1922) 186
Acknowledgments
I am grateful for the help, support, and critical advice from many different
individuals and institutions in three countries over the past decade in helping
to see this book come to fruition. In Cuba, the staffs at the Museo Municipal
de Regla, the Biblioteca Nacional José Martí, the Instituto de Literatura y
Lingüística, and the Instituto de Historia de Cuba (especially Luis Serrano,
Martín Duarte Hurtado, and Marta Cruz Valdés) in Havana were efficient in
their professionalism and generous in their tea breaks. Special thanks go to
Raul, Estrella, Laura, Eduardo, and a battalion of independent taxi drivers for
helping to make my Havana stays comfortable. I offer my deepest gratitude to
Professor Alejandro García at the Fundación Fernándo Ortiz, who, among
other things, introduced me to the wonders of the Instituto de Literatura y
Lingüística where I found several of the elusive writings of Antonio Penichet
and Adrián del Valle.
Perhaps there is no better place in the world to study anarchism than in
Amsterdam’s world-class International Institute for Social History. I owe spe-
cial debts to Hans, who copied pounds of documents for me, and to the in-
stitute’s Information Officer Mieke IJzermans, who not only checked on my
progress but also brought me materials that she thought I would find useful. She
also housed me, fixed a number of meals for me, and took me to the dacha for
cookouts. Ultimately, I feel that this brief word of thanks here is far too little
indeed.
In the United States, I am particularly indebted to the staff at the National
Archives in Washington, D.C., and the interlibrary loan staffs at the Univer-
sity of Kansas, DeSales University (Pennsylvania), and the Pennsylvania State
University-Berks. Financial assistance to conduct research came from a num-
ber of U.S.-based institutions, including research development funds from
the Pennsylvania State University and DeSales University, the Lila Atkinson