One of the greatest effects that globalization is having in Cuba is on its economy. Cuba has been a socialist state since 1959, and has since existed with a state run economy. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsidies and imports provided by the Soviet Bloc something had to give. In 1981 91% of Cubans were employed by the government compared to 78% in 2006. Much of that private sector growth has been in the tourist trade. In 1990 350,000 tourists visited Cuba and in 2011 that number had increased to nearly 2.7 million! This means an increase in foreign investment as well as an influx in foreign imported goods to meet the demands of the expanding tourist market. This influx in foreign capital and goods can be looked at as a positive in many way but it has also had some negative side effects as well.
Most notably we can look at the negative effect tourism and globalization has had on Cuba's labor market. Cuba has long been one of the mostly highly educated work forces in the Western Hemisphere. (Feel free to read up on this on my awesome report on Cuban Education on this very web page!) Where was I? Oh yeah, so with the nearly ten fold increase in the Tourism trade in Cuba over the past two decades we have seen a dilemma created for Cuban workers. Many high school graduates are electing to take jobs as taxi drivers and waiters over the opportunity to attend a university because they can make much more money doing the former. Cubans are substituting higher education for cold hard cash, but unfortunately those jobs are considered dead end jobs with little chance of upward movement.
Globalization of course is having an effect on its long standing communist form of government. Like I mentioned above Cuba has been a self proclaimed socialist state since 1959. And since the U.S. embargo in the 1960's has been more or less "on an island". That made it easier for the Cuban government to control the daily aspects of Cubans way of life and implement their socialist policies. Now by opening up the island to the global market, and by re-opening relations with the U.S. we will see if the Cuban government will survive. The influx of tourists, foreign investment. and the exchange of ideas can no doubt have an effect on what was a fairly homogenous island nation for decades. The question is whether the future changes will be for the better or worse. The easy answer is it will benefit some and leave others behind.