Life on the Hyphen: The Cuban-American Way

From Desi Arnaz, arguably still the most famous Cuban to hit U.S. shores, to current pop star Gloria Estefan, Cuban Americans have had to balance life within two cultures, one representing their past, one their present and future. While acknowledging that a Cuban presence has flourished in the U.S. for more than 400 years, Perez Firmat directs his attention toward what it means to be a Cuban American in the second half of this century, when a recognizable ``hyphenated'' culture has emerged. Firmat, who teaches Spanish at Duke, seamlessly weaves both personal observances and scholarly analysis of television programs, such as I Love Lucy , music, literature and movies to prove his point: that members of the ``1.5 generation,'' those Cubans who came to the U.S. as children or adolescents, are neither fully Cuban nor fully American, but a dynamic combination of both. Exploring in-depth the art and lives of several Cuban American cultural icons, including Arnaz, author Oscar Hijuelos, poet Jose Kozer, musicians Estefan, Perez Prado and Jon Secada, as well as the mambo and conga dance crazes, Firmat vividly demonstrates how Cuban Americans, while battling assimilation and regression, have greatly enriched popular culture in the U.S. Photos. (Aug.)