Skin tone wise, I’m pretty white. My DNA is something like 98% of European ancestry. However, I was born and raised in the USA, but to Cuban immigrants. My first language was Spanish and I use all of the slang because that was the only language used in my house since my parents never learned English. I speak with my hands. When I speak Spanish to Hispanophones, they comment on how thick my Cuban accent is. When I hang out with new people, there’s a good chance someone will ask me where I’m from. Basically, there’s something about me that tells people I’m not a typical White American.
I have been to Cuba about 20 times. I can wear my Cuban cousin’s clothes and catch a local bus in the remote parts of Havana in which we are literally packed to the practical max. It’s so packed, you dont need to hold anything to stay standing because you couldn’t possibly fall, and unless you’re right underneath the bar, you couldn’t reach it anyway. This is where no tourist would ever think to go. Yet, someone will still recognize me as a foreigner. WTF? There’s something intrinsically American about me.
Did you ever ask what gave you away?
Yeah, but I never got any definitive answers. They would just be vague and say it was something about me.
Huh, wonder what the subtle body language was?
This might be offensive, but I want everyone to know that my intentions are innocent. I’m only expressing how I think. If I do say something offensive, I would like to know so that I could work on it because I want to get better at understanding in an inclusive and fair manner. Because I even thought to write this disclaimer, I’m guessing there probably is something offensive, so if there is, please let me know where I’m being a jerk.
From my experience noticing other people’s body language in both countries, people in Cuba seem wayyy more laid back and free with their body language. In the US, it seems like people are trying to meet an undisclosed standard of presenting as “having it together”, so people seem rigid and stuck. My interpretation is that people in Cuba are more authentic with their emotions, while people in the US are more controlled. My guess is that I probably look emotionally blunted to the people in Cuba.
