--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cuba is like going to a whole other…" description: "\"Cuba is like going to a whole other planet. It's so different but it's so similar to the United States, to Miami. It's like a doppelgaenger. It's the m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-louis-gates-2372_cuba_cuba-is-like-going-to-a-whole-other-plan_1245726.jpg" --- # Cuba is like going to a whole other planet. It's so… ![“Cuba is like going to a whole other planet. It's so different but it's so similar to the United States, to Miami. It's like a doppelgaenger. It's the mirror image. And I have no doubt, that once Cuba becomes democratic, that it will be the favorite tourist destination for Americans.” quote by Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-louis-gates-2372_cuba_cuba-is-like-going-to-a-whole-other-plan_1245726.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-louis-gates-2372_cuba_cuba-is-like-going-to-a-whole-other-plan_1245726.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-louis-gates-2372_cuba_cuba-is-like-going-to-a-whole-other-plan_1245726.jpg) > “Cuba is like going to a whole other planet. It's so different but it's so similar to the United States, to Miami. It's like a doppelgaenger. It's the mirror image. And I have no doubt, that once Cuba becomes democratic, that it will be the favorite tourist destination for Americans.” [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cuba feels like an alternate world, sharing similarities with the US yet distinct, and could become a top US tourist spot if it democratizes. **In simple terms:** Cuba is similar yet different, and may attract US tourists after democracy. Key Takeaway Recognize cultural parallels while respecting differences. Themes culture politics tourism comparisons Mood curious optimistic Type observation forecast When to use this quote - travel planning - policy analysis - media reporting - educational curricula Key Concepts democracy identity globalization Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of Cuban culture appeal to Americans? - How would democratic transition reshape its tourism industry? A Different Perspective Political change may be slow or unstable, affecting tourism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cuba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuba/) [Destination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destination/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Miami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miami/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Mirror image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror-image/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Tourists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tourists/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [I'm truly blessed, because many of my friends come to Cuba. They like it here-they can relax and not worry about drive-by shootings or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/i-m-truly-blessed-because-many-of-my-friends-come-to-cuba-they-like/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [ The neighbors were more than neighbors \[on Cuba\]. They were like part of the family. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/the-neighbors-were-more-than-neighbors-on-cuba-they-were-like-part-of/) [Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/) > [Of course, I like Miami. What's not to like?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-griffin/of-course-i-like-miami-what-s-not-to-like/) [Eddie Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-griffin/) > [Miami’s like paradise. And I think the beaches are topless. So we’re gonna spend a lot of time at the beach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauly-d/miami-s-like-paradise-and-i-think-the-beaches-are-topless-so-we-re/) [Pauly D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauly-d/) > [Miami is nothing like me, and that's why I need to be here - it's the opposite. I'm practical, where this place is moody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/miami-is-nothing-like-me-and-that-s-why-i-need-to-be-here-it-s-the/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [Miami is nothing like me, and thats why I need to be here - its the opposite. Im practical, where this place is moody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/miami-is-nothing-like-me-and-thats-why-i-need-to-be-here-its-the/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [Watching 'CSI: Miami' is like watching 'Teen Jeopardy!' or doing the crossword puzzle in 'People' magazine. It makes you feel smart even when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-geist/watching-csi-miami-is-like-watching-teen-jeopardy-or-doing-the/) [Willie Geist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-geist/) > [I know a lot of people and Miami has become like my home. I have been here for a long time. I had many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandro-nesta/i-know-a-lot-of-people-and-miami-has-become-like-my-home-i-have-been/) [Alessandro Nesta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandro-nesta/) > [Miami's like a semi-Vegas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trina/miami-s-like-a-semi-vegas/) [Trina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trina/) > [When I'm in Miami I like to go and watch basketball, the Miami Heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/when-i-m-in-miami-i-like-to-go-and-watch-basketball-the-miami-heat/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [“American foreign policy was a mirror image of Russian foreign policy: whatever the Russians did, we did in reverse. American domestic policies were conducted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/american-foreign-policy-was-a-mirror-image-of-russian-foreign-policy/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) > [“There is light in the shadow just as there is shadow in the light and although many disclaim these shadows as everything unpleasant in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kensi-brianne-smith/there-is-light-in-the-shadow-just-as-there-is-shadow-in-the-light-and/) Kensi Brianne Smith > [“I continue to marvel at the reluctancy of people to look into the mirror and see all the darkness that's within them: all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/i-continue-to-marvel-at-the-reluctancy-of-people-to-look-into-the/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“Such a nasty bruise,” he says, staring straight into my eyes. I am stunned he can see it. Delicate to the touch and tender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/such-a-nasty-bruise-he-says-staring-straight-into-my-eyes-i-am/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More by Henry Louis Gates > [In Ethiopia, the black people became Christians 1700 years ago, hundreds of years before Northern Europe turned to Christianity... And here, most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-ethiopia-the-black-people-became-christians-1700-years-ago/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I don't think the riots derailed the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-don-t-think-the-riots-derailed-the-civil-rights-movement/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Politicians will not put forth programs aimed at the problems of poor blacks while their turnout remains so low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/politicians-will-not-put-forth-programs-aimed-at-the-problems-of-poor/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I'm a tech geek. Whenever I read about something new, I think to myself, How can I take this and make it black?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-m-a-tech-geek-whenever-i-read-about-something-new-i-think-to-myself/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I think that the implication of King's assassination has not been fully appreciated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-think-that-the-implication-of-king-s-assassination-has-not-been/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I want to be remembered as someone who tried to bring the story of our ancestors to the broadest possible audience. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-want-to-be-remembered-as-someone-who-tried-to-bring-the-story-of/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [In 1957, when I was in second grade, black children integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. We watched it on TV. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-1957-when-i-was-in-second-grade-black-children-integrated-central/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Since the day Martin Luther King was killed, the black middle classes have almost quadrupled, but the percentage of black children living on or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/since-the-day-martin-luther-king-was-killed-the-black-middle-classes/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Diversity doesn't mean black and white only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/diversity-doesn-t-mean-black-and-white-only/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Because Lincoln is so closely identified with what it is to be American, everyone wants to claim him, to rewrite his story to satisfy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/because-lincoln-is-so-closely-identified-with-what-it-is-to-be/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [My grandfather was coloured, my father was Negro, and I am Black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/my-grandfather-was-coloured-my-father-was-negro-and-i-am-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [Wherever you go in the history of America, there have been Black people making contributions, but their contributions have been obscured, lost, buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/wherever-you-go-in-the-history-of-america-there-have-been-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [The act of writing for the slave constituted the act of creating a public, historical self, not only the self of the individual author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-act-of-writing-for-the-slave-constituted-the-act-of-creating-a/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [You can say I had a severe case of 'Roots' envy. I wanted to be like Alex Haley, and I wanted to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/you-can-say-i-had-a-severe-case-of-roots-envy-i-wanted-to-be-like/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [In America one drop of black ancestry makes you black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/in-america-one-drop-of-black-ancestry-makes-you-black/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) [Explore all 169 Henry Louis Gates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) ## More Cuba quotes > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [There is us living the Cuban experience that we believe is ours. We do not believe that it is perfect, but it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/there-is-us-living-the-cuban-experience-that-we-believe-is-ours-we-do/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [Part of me believes that Beyonce and Jay-Z were naive when they chose to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary in Cuba. However, as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/part-of-me-believes-that-beyonce-and-jay-z-were-naive-when-they-chose/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Kennedy had made a mess in Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. He had to do something to look good. The Apollo program of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-schirra/kennedy-had-made-a-mess-in-cuba-at-the-bay-of-pigs-he-had-to-do/) [Wally Schirra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-schirra/) > [“The war that killed my grandfather and great-uncles and thousands of other blacks is only a footnote in our history books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-garc-a/the-war-that-killed-my-grandfather-and-great-uncles-and-thousands-of/) [Cristina García](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-garc-a/) > [I don't want anything from Cuba. I want them to be free and enjoy the things I enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/i-don-t-want-anything-from-cuba-i-want-them-to-be-free-and-enjoy-the/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [Greece is a sort of American vassal; the Netherlands is the country of American bases that grow like tulip bulbs; Cuba is the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/greece-is-a-sort-of-american-vassal-the-netherlands-is-the-country-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Clearly if the United States' relationship with Cuba changed, which would require a regime change inside Cuba, if Cuba moved towards a more democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/clearly-if-the-united-states-relationship-with-cuba-changed-which/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [Our Cuba policy was a major obstacle to getting things done in the hemisphere and a source of tension around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/our-cuba-policy-was-a-major-obstacle-to-getting-things-done-in-the/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) > [Fidel Castro outlasted U.S. presidents determined to overthrow him, survived the collapse of the communist bloc that sustained him and outlived many of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-gjelten/fidel-castro-outlasted-u-s-presidents-determined-to-overthrow-him/) [Tom Gjelten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-gjelten/) > [Cuba forces in Angola gave a real shot in the arm to the liberation movements, and it also was a lesson to the white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/cuba-forces-in-angola-gave-a-real-shot-in-the-arm-to-the-liberation/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's a growing consensus that the best way to defeat communism in Cuba is to get its citizens hooked on American goods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/there-s-a-growing-consensus-that-the-best-way-to-defeat-communism-in/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [I have my great grandmother's recipe for black beans, all the way from Cuba, and I know how to make those. I'm actually pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-pino/i-have-my-great-grandmother-s-recipe-for-black-beans-all-the-way-from/) [Danny Pino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-pino/) > [A whole series of changes that are in the code, are in the laws of the United States. If Cuba changes its position toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/a-whole-series-of-changes-that-are-in-the-code-are-in-the-laws-of-the/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) [Browse all 654 Cuba quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuba/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cuba is like going to a whole other planet. It's so different but it's so similar to the United States, to Miami. It's like a doppelgaenger. It's the mirror image. 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