The Fifth Column · Kmele Foster, Michael Moynihan, and Matt Welch

Cuba, Race, and the American Category Problem w/Ted Henken (Members Only #312)

March 31, 2026·19 min·1 clip

Hankin argues that Cuba's massive recent immigration and Cuban-American political power make it a critical U.S. concern.

This episode of The Fifth Column features host Kmele Foster and guest Ted Henken, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Baruch College with two decades of expertise on Cuba. Henken is currently writing a book based on interviews with independent Cuban journalists. The conversation centers on why contemporary Americans should care about Cuba's political and social situation. Henken argues the influential Cuban-American community in Florida remains a primary driver of U.S. foreign policy interest. He notes a massive new wave of emigration, with an estimated one to two million people leaving Cuba in the last five years, primarily for the United States. Henken describes Cuba's unique "communist poison" that intensifies common Latin American problems like poverty and inequality. He highlights the island's independent journalism sphere, where reporters face interrogation, job loss, and exile. A significant portion of the discussion covers "El Paquete," an offline digital distribution network for media that operates in Cuba's limited internet environment. Henken explains this "sneakernet" system involves runners delivering flash drives with curated content, tolerated by authorities if it avoids politics and pornography. He draws a cultural parallel, stating Cubans are very similar to Americans, sharing a "superiority complex" and having exported baseball and music. Henken contrasts the historical Cuban sentiment of "Yankee, go home" with a current desire for American intervention to secure civil liberties. He references the famous U.S. foreign policy quote about preferring a stable "son of a bitch" who is "our son of a bitch." The professor shares his personal connection, having an ex-wife and current wife who are Cuban, and running a former blog called "El Yuma," playing on the Cuban slang for a foreigner. The tone is conversational and educational, blending academic analysis with personal anecdote and historical context. Listeners interested in U.S.-Cuba relations, immigration trends, and underground media ecosystems will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a debate on current U.S. policy or a deep narrative story might find the discussion too academic.

As heard by us

A sharp, loose Cuba conversation about Cuban American politics, migration pressure, culture, and media control.

The Fifth Column brings Ted Henken on to make the case that Cuba still matters to Americans, even when Washington's attention is elsewhere. His argument is practical before it is romantic: Cuban American politics can shape U.S.

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Why you'd press play

Ted Henken on why Cuba does to Americans what the full moon does to a werewolf.

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