‘In Cuba I was a German shepherd’ Portray of Cultural Encounters “Here in America, I may be a short, insignificant mutt, but in Cuba I was a German shepherd.” (Prescott, 2008, p. 36) This quote is from the beautifully and evocatively written; Ana Menendez’s short story In Cuba I was a German shepherd. This short story gives a memorable glimpse of how Cuban exiles start a new life in America. The story is full of light humor and sharp observation, nostalgic memory and bitter longing. The author of the story, Ana Menendez, is an expert in showing how our heritage and our origins continue to shape up our lives, even when we are far from home and encountering other cultures. Cultural encounters influence people and at times they could be traumatic. …show more content…
The title itself speaks of the past and gives the reader an image of what was life like back home. It refers to a joke told in the story conveying the difference between Cuba and America. The joke is about a Cuban dog that encounters a beautiful American poodle and asks her to marry him, but she replies disgustingly “…you’re nothing but a short insignificant mutt.” The Cuban dog answers back with “Here in America, I may be a short, insignificant mutt, but in Cuba I was a German shepherd.” The main character, Maximo, sees himself in the German shepherd who was a Professor and well-respected man in Cuba. Then, everything changed once he moved to America. He was no longer the important German shepherd. The joke doesn’t only describe Maximo’s situation and the change of his social status. It portrays the cultural encounters that a lot of Cubans faced when they came to America. The author, writing in exile, is able to differentiate between what is and what was. Writing for them is a way to connect with the different cultures they have encountered. It helps recover the past from nostalgic memory. Memory for Menedez is portrayed through day dreams and