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The Attempted Reshaping of the Cuban Education System by the United States Government, 1898-1912 Mario John Minichino University of South Florida, [email protected]

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The Attempted Reshaping of the Cuban Education System by the United States Government, 1898-1912 Mario John Minichino University of South Florida, Mario1@Mail.Usf.Edu University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 5-23-2014 In Our Image: The Attempted Reshaping of the Cuban Education System by the United States Government, 1898-1912 Mario John Minichino University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Other Education Commons, and the Other History Commons Scholar Commons Citation Minichino, Mario John, "In Our Image: The ttA empted Reshaping of the Cuban Education System by the United States Government, 1898-1912" (2014). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5275 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. In Our Image: The Attempted Reshaping of the Cuban Education System by the United States Government, 1898-1912 by Mario J. Minichino A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Secondary Education College of Education University of South Florida Major Professor: Bárbara C. Cruz, Ed.D. Stephen J. Thornton, Ph.D. J. Howard Johnston, Ph.D. Madeline Cámara, Ph.D. Date of Approval: May 23, 2014 Keywords: Cuba, education, culture, school law, history of education in the Caribbean Copyright © 2014, Mario Minichino Dedication I dedicate this study a mis dos corazones, my wife and best friend Nona, and my daughter Cate Jane. Nona and Cate, your unquestioning love and support for me as I navigated this process has been a gift; I would not have been able to complete this work without you. I owe you both more than I can ever give. To my mother Margaret and my father Samuel, without the determination that you instilled in me to get the job done, I could not have completed this study. To my mother-in-law Jane, your positive spirit has always made me feel welcomed and loved, that support helped me get to the end of this pursuit. And finally, to my grandparents, Maria Rose Minichino and John Minichino, I carry both your names with pride. Without your determination, and spirit of adventure, I would never have had the opportunity to live in a country where the grandson of immigrants could rise to the appellation of Ph.D.; it has taken a hundred years for us to get here, but we made it. I also wish to thank with the deepest sincerity my Dissertation Committee. Dr. Thornton, our shared passion for the history of education t was inspired by your tutelage and reinforced by your friendship. Dra. Camara, mi amiga Cubana y mentor, su pasión por su tierra natal ha despertado en mí una pasión por la cultura de Cuba, que no podría ser entendido o apreciado por aquellos que no han visitado la isla. Dr. Johnston, your insight into the development of my work and your constant positive support has been essential to my sanity and its success. Y finalamente Dra. Cruz, todavia ha sido una inspiración para mí. Desde nuestro primer encuentro yo estaba asombrado por su interés y compasión por sus alumnos. Como mi madre teórica, hice la major selección. Muchas gracias todos por el regalo de mi educación. Acknowledgments To all of the many individuals who helped either directly or indirectly in the collection of research for this study, I am eternally grateful. I would like to specifically acknowledge the invaluable help of a few. José Antonio Michelena acted as my guide and mentor during my visit to Cuba in June of 2012 during the pilot study for this project. Without his invaluable help and guidance I would not have been able to collect the information I located during my all too brief visit to the island. At the Franklin Institute John Alviti graciously opened up the archives of the Institute allowing me unfettered access to the records on Wilson Gill and a behind the scenes tour of the treasures hidden from public view. Morgan Gwenwald of the State University of New York at New Paltz assisted my research on the Gill method sending me links to several articles on the association with the School City Program and the New Paltz Normal School. I would also like to thank the numerous librarians and caretakers of the Archives both here in the U.S. and in Cuba, your patience with my often strange requests for additional documents were always met with a cheerful response and polite delivery. I would be remiss if I also did not acknowledge my cohort that has supported me through the twists and turns of our journey together. I miss our time together and the fun we have had in class and out. To the boys in the band, Lance, Brandon, Billy, and Greg, thank you for your help in class and with my frequent moves. Ladies, all of you are so very supportive of all of our efforts; it was a pleasure to work with each of you. Finally, Holly, you have been a good friend and a better table partner. I have enjoyed our discussions regarding school, life, and work. Your assistance as a sounding board during my writing has been a blessing. Thank you all. Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................................v Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Background of the Problem .................................................................................................9 The Research Problem .......................................................................................................13 Purpose of the Study ..........................................................................................................14 Importance of the Study .....................................................................................................18 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................19 Research Questions ............................................................................................................21 Method of the Study...........................................................................................................22 Assumptions and Definitions .............................................................................................24 Delimitations ......................................................................................................................29 Summary ............................................................................................................................32 Chapter 2: Literature Review .........................................................................................................34 Citizenship and Belonging .................................................................................................39 Culture................................................................................................................................47 Acculturation and Assimilation .........................................................................................49 Cubanidad ..........................................................................................................................52 Transculturation .................................................................................................................57 Civics Education ................................................................................................................61 Early History of Cuba ........................................................................................................65 Early History of Education in Cuba ...................................................................................68 19th Century American Interest in Cuba ............................................................................77 José Martí and the Cuban Revolution of 1895...................................................................78 A Declaration of War .........................................................................................................80 American Intervention in Cuban Education ......................................................................83 Conditions and Improvement in the 1900s ........................................................................84 Chapter 3: Methods ......................................................................................................................101 Sample..............................................................................................................................103 Constructs ........................................................................................................................106 Purpose .............................................................................................................................109 Audience ..........................................................................................................................111 Data Collection ................................................................................................................112 Research
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