Natasha Nix
Cirenaica Moreira, "Cuba waits for you"
1995
When looking for a photograph, I tried to find something what wasn't done by someone in United States. I wanted to find the beauty that lied outside of our country. So many times are cultured pieces overlooked. I really wanted to find a photograph that had something to do with my ethnicity. I'm Cuban on my mother's side and I thought that I should find something from that country.
Moreira's photograph, "Cuba waits for you", is something that I can connect to in a small way. The woman in the picture stands naked with the Cuban flag covering parts of her body. I look at the image and I see the sexualization of women from other countries. So many times will you hear a man call a woman who is not white "different", "wild", "exotic". Women of color are seen as creatures from far off places that should be tamed and taken. I had a man tell me once that I was a beautiful exotic woman when he learned I was Cuban. I am not exotic. We are not exotic. We are not a new specimen to experiment with, to quench some sexual fantasy with. We are not here for the pleasure of men. We are women with dreams, souls, passions, and love to give. We are full of life and intelligence. We're not toys.
