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Eddie Park
Sabatino Mangini
English Comp 1
December 4th, 2014
I-Search Proposal
Our last assignment of my fall semester English class is to perform an I-search paper. We
are meant to take a debatable topic research it, break it down, and ponder. In the past Ive always
had trouble with debates as I tend to take both sides in and see the validity of each so it became
hard to find a topic I felt was truly worth debating. Eventually I came to find what Id say was
the perfect topic for me; The Cuban Trade Embargo. All of my life I was aware the Embargo
existed, I was aware that it cut off Cuba from us, I wasnt however aware of why it was there and
why after so long it remained.
With recent progress made with the Communist State and our own I figured it was time I
learned what the deal was. I began my research back in the 60s with the start of the Embargo, I
learned of Fidel Castro and Cuban ties to the Soviet Union. From there I learned of the Cuban
Missile Crises and the act it played during the Cold War. I followed the timeline through the
years watching interactions between our two countries as well as the worlds opinion on the
matter.
Considering I knew so little I hadnt much of an opinion beyond let bygones be
bygones but I soon found that the said bygones hadnt truly gone by. I came to modern day
where Fidel has died and his Brother Raul has taken control; still communist, still cut off. I
started to search for contrasting opinions on the matter; what good has the embargo done if any?
Does this 1960s relic still hold its relevance? What reasons are there to lift the Embargo; What
reasons are there to keep it? I found valid arguments on each side and seldom discovered
contradictions in information. I wanted to know what all the bickering was about and I guess I
found out, but now the question rises; The Embargo; to be or not to be?

Eddie Park
Sabatino Mangini

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English Comp 1
December 4th, 2014
I-Search Process
I began with google, as most research papers do, to find the history of the Cuban Trade
Embargo. The Idea for my topic came from a NY Times Room for Debate post but I didnt
read beyond the title until after I had my own information and opinion. I jumped from the
Embargo to Castro and his regime searching political review sites and historical archives. From
the history of the past I came to the present scanning current news media for the recent actions of
Cuba as well as its relationship status with the U.S..
In a series of notepads and empty Word documents I began to compile bits and pieces of
information needed to construct a viewpoint on the matter. I discovered much bias within certain
news media, for or against the embargo and began to take their points into consideration. I found
that the majority of the world (The U.N.) disagrees with the Embargo, Ive also come to terms
with the fact that the U.S. is both stubborn as well as persistent. Despite the negative response we
held strong to our decision to box out Cuba and refused to sucome to the peer pressure of the rest
of the world.
It wasnt until I had the history that I wrote the background on the Embargo, and it wasnt
until I knew the stand points that I constructed my paper. My process became about me knowing,
not a paper I had to write for an English Course and after pondering up until the last minute was I
only able to write my opinion: the due date; an hour before class.

Eddie Park
Sabatino Mangini
English Comp 1
December 4th, 2014
Cuba and the U.S. Sitting in a Tree

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E-M-B-A-R-G-O
The U.S. and Cuba have had a cloudy past over the last half century and to this day
concessions to end the hostilities have not been fully made. Beyond political stances against
Cuba much of the American population has an opinion on the matter; whether it be for or against
the re-connection of these two countries. The highest point of debate stems back to the start of
the disagreements with a trade embargo but that was 50 years ago. Does the economic,
commercial, & financial embargo of Cuba by America still hold its relevance or is it just an
outdated historical fossil? To understand the debate one must know the history; one must know
each side.
In 1962 America almost entirely cut ties with Cuba through a trade embargo; with
attempts to sway them into a democracy it was thought that cutting off needed supplies would
cause them to fold, lo and behold it did not. The reason for this embargo, after so many years of
symbiotic partnership between the countries, was Fidel Castro. Castro had overthrown the US
backed Cuban President, Fulgencio Batista, and turned cuba into the first communist state in the
western hemisphere in 1958. One of America's prime concerns about the predicament was
having a Soviet ally so close to home while the Cold War (47-91) was still going on so
President Eisenhower signed a partial trade embargo, initially to stop the transference of
weapons, that would grow to be the one we have today. Through the years the embargo was
altered and amended by many presidents, the conditions America, lastly Bush Sr, set forth for
lifting this embargo included Cuba transitioning to Democracy by removing Castros power and
for better Human rights to be implemented.
50 plus years after the start of the Embargo and its still in play. Fidel Castro stepped
down from his role as president in 2008 and died in 2011 leaving the country with his right hand
man and younger brother Raul Castro. Since Fidel Castro stepped down and Barack Obama took
office some tension has been relieved though a decent amount of bad blood still
remains(CFR/ProsCons). Much of this bad blood comes from the case of Alan Gross, a U.S.
subcontractor who went to Cuba to deliver equipment for communications and was imprisoned
after Castro's regime believed he was attempting to destabilize their government (CFR). The
U.S. also holds various Cuban prisoners.
Cuba remains on the U.S. state department's list of terrorism 23 years after it was
decided, though no evidence supports the claim currently (CFR). Cuba is also still a Communist

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state as there is only one political party and has been in power for 50 years. Raul Castro has
begun to push the country in a direction to strengthen its international standing through economic
reforms and lifting travel restrictions while President Obama has been working with him to clear
the air. It is highly debated whether or not to raise this embargo; there are many points for and
against it and thus I explored.
Lift the Embargo:
Those who believe the embargo should be lifted tend to stick to a general list of reasons;
the embargos time has passed; its unnecessarily expensive; its ineffective, unsupported, and
targets the wrong people.
Since the embargo was imposed over half a century ago it is said to be outdated, the
reasons behind it (i.e. the cold war, etc) have become non-existent and thus lost its merit. The
embargo is also costing the U.S. money that could be gained through trade, Austin Tymins of
Harvard Political Review states losses from the embargo add up to as much as $1.2 billion
annually.
The embargo is seen as ineffective to many as the Cuban Government hasnt budged, it
seems stubborn for the U.S. to keep it up and reflects poorly on us. Reuters, an international
news agency, posted an article about how over the years the United Nations have urged the U.S.
to end the embargo; its reached its 23rd time. Each vote comes to a similar conclusion;
everyone else votes for it to end except for the U.S. and our ally, Israel. At the U.N. podium
Cubas Foreign Minister appealed to the U.S. for change stating the embargo has caused great
harm to the people of Cuba and caused cumulative economic damage amounting to more than $1
trillion.(Reuters) Considering how the rest of the world feels towards Cuba it seems as though
the U.S. has a deep seated grudge, as stated by Austin Tymins (HPR) the Cuban embargo
seems like an outdated way to punish Fidel Castro when in actuality, the Cuban people are being
punished. With all of the restrictions towards Cuba its been left with no room to grow; only get
by, so to many it makes sense that this metaphorical dome put around them has kept them in the
same state. Castro sits high on his dictator-seat while his people are forced to stand
dumbfounded as the U.S. holds its grudge, nothing changes for the man in control; the embargo
even gives him an excuse for his failures.

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Keep the Embargo:
Those who preach to keep the embargo hang onto reasons such as; Cuba doesnt deserve
it as it hasnt made any concession to human rights; lifting the ban would undermine those
working for democracy; Cuba is a money pit; and lifting the embargo will do no good for the
people.
Cuba holds strong to its repression of free speech, association, and assembly. These
crimes against human rights violate the terms put forth by the U.S. government required to end
the embargo; Cuba also remains a communist state, defying another term. Carlos Montaner,
Cuban Columnist & author, believes that for these reasons Cuba doesnt deserve normal
diplomatic relations. In a post made for NY Times Room for Debate Montaner mentions that
Cuba constantly undermines the U.S. and shows no remorse for its acts against humanity.
Montaner goes on to consider that raising the embargo would put the hard work of Cuban
democrats & reformists to change their country to shame.
In an article posted to USNews.com George Benitez speaks of how no good could come
of liftng the embargo, Benitez states that ending the embargo would be bad business, strengthen
an oppressive government and abandon American values. (USNews) Castros regime, Cuba as a
whole, owes billions of dollars to various countries; the credit level is one of the lowest out their.
Benitez speaks of how Cuba in many cases refuses to pay these debts however loans are what
would be necessary to normalize relations with Cuba(USNews) thus we only serve to be
screwed over. Lastly Benitez mentions that over the years any money that has gone into Cuba
has only lined Castros pockets; even the outside pay of workers goes through the government.
Described in his article outside firms paying Cuban workers pay in hard currency($/ ), where it
is converted to local currency and in that conversion over 90 percent of the wage payment
disappears (USNews) raising the embargo would only allow more money into the dictatorships
hands.
Just Me:
Its hard to say for sure where I stand as there are so many variables; on one side we can
go with selfish and avoid relations as we have for the last half century or we can appeal to
humanity and the Cuban public and open up; pushing democracy by example instead of force.

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I believe one can jump into a pool and regret it, but to ease in, than you know what you're
getting into. Granted this hesitation can falter results and one may never jump into the pool but in
this case I think its better to be safe than sorry. In contrast, ripping off this metaphorical band-aid
weve put on Cuba has the ability to get it done with so we can start making progress as opposed
to taking the safe but slow road. I feel dropping the embargo entirely wouldnt be smart at this
point in time, not as Im for it but as I believe time can change things and weve trapped Cuba
within this 1960s mindset.
Christopher Sabatini, senior director of policy at the Americas Society and Council of the
Americas, wrote a counterpoint in the NYTimes Room for Debate entitled Democracy can not
Take Root in Isolation. Sabatini makes a point that lifting the embargo and opening relations
with Cuba will theoretically allow more trust, he says doing so will promote a greater flow of
information and independent activity that has led to political opening across the
world.(NYTimes) I believe Sabatini is correct to assume a local helping hand may be exactly
what Cuba needs to get on its feet, living in the past gets us nowhere. I question with this debate
something Ive been questioning about my own life, hung up on how things were/are I believed
them to never be able to change but if you never try how will you know for sure? Through our
stubbornness and inability to compromise (Cuba and us) we drove Cuba as deep as it is into the
ground, being one of the worlds superpowers I believe we should, to some degree, take the moral
high-ground and attempt to lead Cuba out of the outdated darkness.
Eddie Park
Sabatino Mangini
English Comp 1
December 4th, 2014
To Ponder
Its hard to ponder on my research process as it was simply how I go about learning
things. I jump around like a kid and a dictionary with a book with words beyond his
understanding. There wasnt a part of my research that didnt work as everything I discovered
came to manifest this paper and my opinion on the subject. From this research I take away a
knowledge I never had; the issue with Cuba in whole. I never knew what to think or where to

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begin and never had much interest as it was before my time, but Ive learned so much and I
hope to watch the situation progress and ultimately resolve within my lifetime.

Should I continue to research this topic some questions I would ask would be:
1: Is there any rising knowledge of Cubas association with terrorism?
2: Are reforms made by Raul Castro made selfishly or with his country in mind?
3: Is there anyway we can Big Brother Cuba and lead them from their financial
crises

Works Cited
"Hitting 'Restart' With Cuba." The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Oct. 2014. Web.
04 Dec. 2014.
"Cuba Embargo - ProCon." ProCon. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.
"Economic Embargo Timeline." HistoryOfCuba. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.
"Reexamining the Cuban Embargo." Harvard Political Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
Benitez, Jorge. "Lining a Dictator's Pockets." US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 02
Dec. 2014.
Planas, Roque. "7 Reasons The Nonsensical Cuba Embargo Has Got To Go."The Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
Donath, Mirjam, and Louis Charbonneau. "For 23rd Time, U.N. Nations Urge End to U.S.
Embargo on Cuba." Reuters. N.p., 28 Oct. 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.

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ee, Brianna. "U.S. Cuba - Relations." Council on Foreign Relations. N.p., 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 02
Dec. 2014.
"Cuba Human Rights." Amnesty International USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014.