Writings

Books

A History of Little Havana (The History Press, 2015)

I co-authored a “people’s history” of Little Havana: the first book offering an in-depth history of this famous neighborhood, with a focus on the contributions of Cubans and other Latino residents. My co-author is renowned Cuban American sociologist Guillermo Grenier.

Imagine Miami a Better Place

I also wrote the concluding guest essay in the anthology Punto de Partida: Stories of Truth and Hope, edited by longtime El Nuevo Herald columnist Daniel Shoer Roth, published in 2007.

I am currently working on a book based on my Ph.D. dissertation, which examines the racial politics involved in development of Little Havana’s heritage tourism district.

Articles

“Orisha Dances in Little Havana” Cuban Counterpoints

I was a columnist for Little Havana’s community newspaper, Calle Ocho News. You can find my articles for the paper here. All of them have also been published in the print version of the newspaper, in both English and Spanish.

On this site I will also be posting some of my previous unpublished articles and other writings:

You Are My Other Me: Teatro Inlakech (1993)

Indeed, when members of a community collectively create a play, act its parts, and perform it in schools, backyards and churches, it becomes difficult to determine who is actor and who is audience.

“When you see [Chicano theater], it becomes a reflection of what can be . . . and what we need to create for ourselves,” remarks Javier Gomez, founder and director of the 16-year-old Chicano theater group, “Teatro Inlakech,” based in Oxnard, California.