Nadine T Fernandez | SUNY: Empire State College (original) (raw)

Articles by Nadine T Fernandez

Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 2019

ABSTRACT As a development strategy mass tourism often precipitates social changes, expected and u... more ABSTRACT
As a development strategy mass tourism often precipitates social
changes, expected and unexpected. Emigration through marriage
may seem to be an unlikely by-product of the expanding tourist
industry in Cuba, but the increasing number of Cubans emigrating
through marriage to a foreign partner has paralleled the influx of
tourists since the mid-1990s. This article explores how gender
dynamics in the Cuban tourist milieu intersect with gendered
underpinnings of family reunification policies in Denmark by
focusing on the marriage migration pattern of Cuban grooms with
Nordic brides. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark
among Cuban marriage migrants and their spouses, the study
shows a cross-border migration pattern shaped by multiple
factors including global economic asymmetries, the eroticisation
of Cuban culture in the tourism industry, and the gender
egalitarian welfare state of Denmark.

KEYWORDS
Cuba; cross-border marriage; Denmark; divorce; gender; tourism

Annual Review of Anthropology, 1992

In the past, anthropological discussions that gave central place to socialization did so on the a... more In the past, anthropological discussions that gave central place to socialization did so on the assumption that socialization provided the social glue, the sources of continuity and uniformity of shared culture across generations. But theoretical conceptions of social formations ...

Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 2013

The Danish family unification policies are based on an underlying moral agenda rooted in the idea... more The Danish family unification policies are based on an underlying moral agenda rooted in the idea of emotional, intimate, love-based marriages as the basis of the modern nation state. This paper questions the efficacy of this moral agenda by examining the unintended consequences and false dichotomies that emerge with the implementation of the legislation, particularly focusing on kin relations and individual autonomy. Empirically, the article compares how the legislation affects both the intended targets (intra-ethnic marriages among Danes of immigrant descent) and the unintended targets (ethnic Danes who marry non-European spouses, namely, Cubans). This comparative perspective highlights the cracks in the moral agenda of the state's efforts to shape family formation and, ultimately, the contradictions of attempting to promote 'modernity' over 'tradition'.

Identities: Global Studies in Power & Culture, 20(3) 270-287

The discussion of marriage migration in Denmark primarily has focused on citizens of immigrant de... more The discussion of marriage migration in Denmark primarily has focused on citizens of immigrant descent ('New Danes') who marry partners from their ancestral homeland (often Turkey or Pakistan). This type of marriage migration was the target of the strict Danish family reunification policy instituted in 2002. This article examines the genealogy of the morality underpinning the family reunification policies and asks whether the rules actually promote this moral agenda or have unintended consequences. Empirically, I shift the focus from immigrant Danes to native Danes who marry Cubans. Finally, while little attention is paid to the non-western country involved, transnational marriages always involve two nations. This article investigates how state policies on both ends of this migration trajectory shape moral-territorial borders that transnational couples navigate.

Latin American Perspectives, Jan 1, 1996

Page 1. http://lap.sagepub.com/ Latin American Perspectives http://lap.sagepub.com/ content/23/1/... more Page 1. http://lap.sagepub.com/ Latin American Perspectives http://lap.sagepub.com/ content/23/1/99 The online version of this article can be found at: DOI: 10.1177/ 0094582X9602300107 1996 23: 99 Latin American Perspectives ...

International Journal of Qualitative Studies in …, Jan 1, 2001

... A noteworthy aspect of this research is its close attention to the positioning of mulatos}mes... more ... A noteworthy aspect of this research is its close attention to the positioning of mulatos}mestizos in the racial dynamics in Cuba. The Center's researchers rightly treat them as a separate group whose interests sometimes align with blacks, but more often with whites. ...

Annual review of anthropology, Jan 1, 1992

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Books by Nadine T Fernandez

Berghahan Books - Worlds in Motion Series v. 3, 2018

Reviews by Nadine T Fernandez

Current …, Jan 1, 2007

In post-Soviet Cuban state discourse, things are done for the Revolution and la patria rather tha... more In post-Soviet Cuban state discourse, things are done for the Revolution and la patria rather than for the building of socialism. This repatriotization of revolutionary ideology does not imply a total wiping of the state of socialist political ideology, but even when the message to be ...

Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, 2017

Book Chapters by Nadine T Fernandez

Papers by Nadine T Fernandez

American Journal of Sociology, 2010

In 1991, Playboy magazine published Cuba Libre, an eight-page pictorial of naked Cuban women. Imp... more In 1991, Playboy magazine published Cuba Libre, an eight-page pictorial of naked Cuban women. Implied in this title is the fact that Cuban women were being given freedoms that allowed them to pose nude in that American bastion of hegemonic masculine-based desires, ...

Berghahn Books, Dec 31, 2022

Journal of Latin American Geography, 2014

during wartime when trade was diminished. Chapters on viandas and meat likewise discuss origins, ... more during wartime when trade was diminished. Chapters on viandas and meat likewise discuss origins, cultural preferences and fluctuating demand. The penultimate and final chapters focus on the last half century during which the diet of Puerto Ricans has changed considerably. Cruz attributes these changes mainly to two factors: the McDonaldization of the island and the high reliance on food assistance among low income people. A third of all meals are now eaten outside the home, many at fast-food outlets which Cruz likens to a “spreading oil slick” (p. 226). The dubious nutritional value of hamburgers and fries is, of course, well known. Despite the growth of large supermarkets offering a much wider range of food products than before, the diet of about a third of the population is constrained by reliance on the government’s Nutritional Assistance Program which limits choices to “products deemed essential to the preparation of a so-called basic meal – in other words, on the cheapest groceries and other items” (p. 235). It can hardly be a coincidence that Puerto Rico has an obesity rate higher than any U.S. state. Cruz reports that in 2003 the Health Department classified 65 percent of the population as obese – although that may also include overweight people (p. 229). In the U.S. in 2013 27 percent of the population was so classified. One must conclude that Puerto Rico’s current food may include delicious meals, but is not basically healthy. This is a highly readable and frequently entertaining book. Updating figures and tables (which seem to be from the 2006 Spanish edition) would be appropriate and some illustrations (maps, photographs) would enhance the book, but overall it is delectable.

Intimate Mobilities, 2018

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2019

As a development strategy mass tourism often precipitates social changes, expected and unexpected... more As a development strategy mass tourism often precipitates social changes, expected and unexpected. Emigration through marriage may seem to be an unlikely by-product of the expanding tourist industry in Cuba, but the increasing number of Cubans emigrating through marriage to a foreign partner has paralleled the influx of tourists since the mid-1990s. This article explores how gender dynamics in the Cuban tourist milieu intersect with gendered underpinnings of family reunification policies in Denmark by focusing on the marriage migration pattern of Cuban grooms with Nordic brides. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark among Cuban marriage migrants and their spouses, the study shows a cross-border migration pattern shaped by multiple factors including global economic asymmetries, the eroticisation of Cuban culture in the tourism industry, and the gender egalitarian welfare state of Denmark.

Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 2019

ABSTRACT As a development strategy mass tourism often precipitates social changes, expected and u... more ABSTRACT
As a development strategy mass tourism often precipitates social
changes, expected and unexpected. Emigration through marriage
may seem to be an unlikely by-product of the expanding tourist
industry in Cuba, but the increasing number of Cubans emigrating
through marriage to a foreign partner has paralleled the influx of
tourists since the mid-1990s. This article explores how gender
dynamics in the Cuban tourist milieu intersect with gendered
underpinnings of family reunification policies in Denmark by
focusing on the marriage migration pattern of Cuban grooms with
Nordic brides. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark
among Cuban marriage migrants and their spouses, the study
shows a cross-border migration pattern shaped by multiple
factors including global economic asymmetries, the eroticisation
of Cuban culture in the tourism industry, and the gender
egalitarian welfare state of Denmark.

KEYWORDS
Cuba; cross-border marriage; Denmark; divorce; gender; tourism

Annual Review of Anthropology, 1992

In the past, anthropological discussions that gave central place to socialization did so on the a... more In the past, anthropological discussions that gave central place to socialization did so on the assumption that socialization provided the social glue, the sources of continuity and uniformity of shared culture across generations. But theoretical conceptions of social formations ...

Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 2013

The Danish family unification policies are based on an underlying moral agenda rooted in the idea... more The Danish family unification policies are based on an underlying moral agenda rooted in the idea of emotional, intimate, love-based marriages as the basis of the modern nation state. This paper questions the efficacy of this moral agenda by examining the unintended consequences and false dichotomies that emerge with the implementation of the legislation, particularly focusing on kin relations and individual autonomy. Empirically, the article compares how the legislation affects both the intended targets (intra-ethnic marriages among Danes of immigrant descent) and the unintended targets (ethnic Danes who marry non-European spouses, namely, Cubans). This comparative perspective highlights the cracks in the moral agenda of the state's efforts to shape family formation and, ultimately, the contradictions of attempting to promote 'modernity' over 'tradition'.

Identities: Global Studies in Power & Culture, 20(3) 270-287

The discussion of marriage migration in Denmark primarily has focused on citizens of immigrant de... more The discussion of marriage migration in Denmark primarily has focused on citizens of immigrant descent ('New Danes') who marry partners from their ancestral homeland (often Turkey or Pakistan). This type of marriage migration was the target of the strict Danish family reunification policy instituted in 2002. This article examines the genealogy of the morality underpinning the family reunification policies and asks whether the rules actually promote this moral agenda or have unintended consequences. Empirically, I shift the focus from immigrant Danes to native Danes who marry Cubans. Finally, while little attention is paid to the non-western country involved, transnational marriages always involve two nations. This article investigates how state policies on both ends of this migration trajectory shape moral-territorial borders that transnational couples navigate.

Latin American Perspectives, Jan 1, 1996

Page 1. http://lap.sagepub.com/ Latin American Perspectives http://lap.sagepub.com/ content/23/1/... more Page 1. http://lap.sagepub.com/ Latin American Perspectives http://lap.sagepub.com/ content/23/1/99 The online version of this article can be found at: DOI: 10.1177/ 0094582X9602300107 1996 23: 99 Latin American Perspectives ...

International Journal of Qualitative Studies in …, Jan 1, 2001

... A noteworthy aspect of this research is its close attention to the positioning of mulatos}mes... more ... A noteworthy aspect of this research is its close attention to the positioning of mulatos}mestizos in the racial dynamics in Cuba. The Center's researchers rightly treat them as a separate group whose interests sometimes align with blacks, but more often with whites. ...

Annual review of anthropology, Jan 1, 1992

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Current …, Jan 1, 2007

In post-Soviet Cuban state discourse, things are done for the Revolution and la patria rather tha... more In post-Soviet Cuban state discourse, things are done for the Revolution and la patria rather than for the building of socialism. This repatriotization of revolutionary ideology does not imply a total wiping of the state of socialist political ideology, but even when the message to be ...

Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, 2017

American Journal of Sociology, 2010

In 1991, Playboy magazine published Cuba Libre, an eight-page pictorial of naked Cuban women. Imp... more In 1991, Playboy magazine published Cuba Libre, an eight-page pictorial of naked Cuban women. Implied in this title is the fact that Cuban women were being given freedoms that allowed them to pose nude in that American bastion of hegemonic masculine-based desires, ...

Berghahn Books, Dec 31, 2022

Journal of Latin American Geography, 2014

during wartime when trade was diminished. Chapters on viandas and meat likewise discuss origins, ... more during wartime when trade was diminished. Chapters on viandas and meat likewise discuss origins, cultural preferences and fluctuating demand. The penultimate and final chapters focus on the last half century during which the diet of Puerto Ricans has changed considerably. Cruz attributes these changes mainly to two factors: the McDonaldization of the island and the high reliance on food assistance among low income people. A third of all meals are now eaten outside the home, many at fast-food outlets which Cruz likens to a “spreading oil slick” (p. 226). The dubious nutritional value of hamburgers and fries is, of course, well known. Despite the growth of large supermarkets offering a much wider range of food products than before, the diet of about a third of the population is constrained by reliance on the government’s Nutritional Assistance Program which limits choices to “products deemed essential to the preparation of a so-called basic meal – in other words, on the cheapest groceries and other items” (p. 235). It can hardly be a coincidence that Puerto Rico has an obesity rate higher than any U.S. state. Cruz reports that in 2003 the Health Department classified 65 percent of the population as obese – although that may also include overweight people (p. 229). In the U.S. in 2013 27 percent of the population was so classified. One must conclude that Puerto Rico’s current food may include delicious meals, but is not basically healthy. This is a highly readable and frequently entertaining book. Updating figures and tables (which seem to be from the 2006 Spanish edition) would be appropriate and some illustrations (maps, photographs) would enhance the book, but overall it is delectable.

Intimate Mobilities, 2018

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2019

As a development strategy mass tourism often precipitates social changes, expected and unexpected... more As a development strategy mass tourism often precipitates social changes, expected and unexpected. Emigration through marriage may seem to be an unlikely by-product of the expanding tourist industry in Cuba, but the increasing number of Cubans emigrating through marriage to a foreign partner has paralleled the influx of tourists since the mid-1990s. This article explores how gender dynamics in the Cuban tourist milieu intersect with gendered underpinnings of family reunification policies in Denmark by focusing on the marriage migration pattern of Cuban grooms with Nordic brides. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark among Cuban marriage migrants and their spouses, the study shows a cross-border migration pattern shaped by multiple factors including global economic asymmetries, the eroticisation of Cuban culture in the tourism industry, and the gender egalitarian welfare state of Denmark.

The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, 2017

The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, 2011

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2013

The Danish family unification policies are based on an underlying moral agenda rooted in the idea... more The Danish family unification policies are based on an underlying moral agenda rooted in the idea of emotional, intimate, love-based marriages as the basis of the modern nation state. This paper questions the efficacy of this moral agenda by examining the unintended consequences and false dichotomies that emerge with the implementation of the legislation, particularly focusing on kin relations and individual autonomy. Empirically, the article compares how the legislation affects both the intended targets (intra-ethnic marriages among Danes of immigrant descent) and the unintended targets (ethnic Danes who marry non-European spouses, namely, Cubans). This comparative perspective highlights the cracks in the moral agenda of the state's efforts to shape family formation and, ultimately, the contradictions of attempting to promote ‘modernity’ over ‘tradition’.

Identities, 2013

The discussion of marriage migration in Denmark primarily has focused on citizens of immigrant de... more The discussion of marriage migration in Denmark primarily has focused on citizens of immigrant descent (‘New Danes’) who marry partners from their ancestral homeland (often Turkey or Pakistan). This type of marriage migration was the target of the strict Danish family reunification policy instituted in 2002. This article examines the genealogy of the morality underpinning the family reunification policies and asks whether the rules actually promote this moral agenda or have unintended consequences. Empirically, I shift the focus from immigrant Danes to native Danes who marry Cubans. Finally, while little attention is paid to the non-western country involved, transnational marriages always involve two nations. This article investigates how state policies on both ends of this migration trajectory shape moral-territorial borders that transnational couples navigate.

Ethnic and Racial Studies, 2017

Morrison’s book makes an excellent contribution to the growing number of historical accounts exam... more Morrison’s book makes an excellent contribution to the growing number of historical accounts examining race-making in Cuba. She turns our eye to racial processes within the private, intimate spaces...