Drawing in 'Cuban': Examining the life and work of expatriate Cuban cartoonists

Drawing in "Cuban" profiles 11 expatriate Cuban cartoonists who emigrated to Mexico, Spain and the United States between the 1960s and the 1990s. The aim of the study was to determine under what circumstances the artists left Cuba; how they adjusted to the social and economic systems of their new host countries; and how their lives and work abroad have affected Cuban society.; Information about the artists' childhoods, educations and their work in Cuba and abroad was obtained by conducting in-person interviews with the artists and their families in their host countries. Additional interviews were conducted in Cuba with cartoonists and officials in order to gain an understanding of the role cartoons and other cultural products play in Cuban society.; The artists were divided into three cohorts---the Old, Middle and New Guards---based on their dates of emigration. The stories of their struggles and successes in Cuba and abroad interweave with, and personalize, the wider canvas of Cuba's tumultuous history and its struggle against perceived enemies in the United States. A comparison of their experiences revealed that while the older cartoonists chose complete exile and opposition, younger artists have elected to maintain closer ties to the island, reminiscent of Cuban expatriates who lived in the U.S. around the turn of the century. As a result, the experiences of the older cartoonists have been rejected by Cuban society---and therefore lost---while those who have maintained ties to the island continue to make important contributions that are helping to change Cuban society.