I lived in Cuba for three and a half years, the last year of which I lived in a Chinese neighborhood with old Chinese people because I was working in Havana. Cubans have a rationing system for purchasing basic necessities, which is called a libreta (a Cuban book). The basic necessities such as rice, oil, beans (Cuban staple), soap, soap, eggs, salt, sugar, milk for minors, and so forth are all supplied on the basis of the libreta, which is not available to foreigners in Cuba. With this book, you can buy things in the designated stores (bodega) at very cheap prices, for example, eggs are less than 5 cents a piece, which is almost no money, but there is a limited amount, if you buy the amount of this book and still want to buy, you have to go to the free market (farmer's market) to buy, the price is much more expensive than in this store, but it is still affordable, again, take the eggs for example, the farmer's market is about 50 or 60 cents a piece. The price is much more expensive than in the store, but still affordable. Objectively speaking, I feel that the living standard of Cubans is not as good as that of Chinese people (average level), but according to the supply system, the basic life of Cubans can be guaranteed, that is to say, they can have enough to eat, if anyone says that the Cubans can't even have enough to eat, and they are starving, then either they don't understand the situation, or they have ulterior motives. However, if Cubans want to live well, it is very difficult because most of the industrial goods are imported and need to be exchanged for foreign exchange coupons (peso convertible) to buy at foreign exchange stores, which are very expensive. For example, a Panda 21-inch remote-control color TV produced by a Sino-Cuban joint venture costs nearly 3,000 yuan in Cuba, and an electric bicycle produced by a Sino-Cuban joint venture costs nearly 6,000 yuan. Many Cubans are trying to make money by opening snack bars, driving private cabs, renting out their homes, or earning remittances from Cuban expatriates abroad. However, Cubans are relatively calm because the gap between the rich and the poor in Cuba is not so big, according to the wage, the low-wage earners are about five or six dollars a month, the high-wage earners are only about twenty dollars a month, and the average wage is about ten dollars a month, because there is a supply system, so this income is able to guarantee a basic life. Moreover, the welfare in Cuba is really better than that in China, education and public health is a big investment, Cubans go to school and see the doctor is really no money, this is not my exaggeration, the real situation is like this, when I went to school in Cuba Cuban classmates not only do not have to pay for the school, the state also gives them pocket money every month, although it is very small (less than one dollar), but there is always ah, and Cuba is so poor. Foreign students in Cuba can also enjoy free medical treatment. I have been sick in Cuba, and some of my Chinese classmates have been hospitalized there for surgery, and they really don't need to pay a penny. And medicine is also very cheap, the people can afford the price of medicine. It is also true that the government agencies are shabby, I once accompanied our Ministry of Education as an interpreter to visit the Cuban Ministry of Education, the leaders of the two countries (vice-ministerial level) talks when the power was even cut off. And their general civil servants' official cars are all broken Lada. As for the Chinese, some of them have a good life, and Cuba has special policies for them. In Havana, there is a "Association for the Promotion of the Chinese Quarter" (the organization that belongs to the school where I used to work), which is a Cuban organization and has many Chinese restaurants under it. Nominally, it is a Cuban public organization, but in fact, the restaurants under the Association are owned by old Chinese or their family members, and the old Chinese who run the restaurants are relatively rich. For example, I have an old Chinese friend there who owns a restaurant called "Dongpo Lou", he has a cell phone, and a vintage car (a 59 year old Ford). The Chinese associations in Cuba (e.g., the Democratic Party, or the various family names) generally have their own restaurants, and their economic situation is relatively good compared to that of Cubans in general. The life of some old Chinese widows and widowers is not as good, but the Association has a retirement home for them called "Yi-Qiao Ju", where I used to live with them. It is true that the life of Cuban Chinese is not very good compared to those in other American countries.
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