Domino Park - A Miami Hub Hosting Cuban Old Traditions

One of the areas I plan to cover is stories about community cultures.  I start in Miami in the neighborhood of Little Havana for a couple of reasons. First, it is one of my favourite windows into a dynamic culture; second, it is a double treat also indicative of an interest-based community.  

Cuba has long been known as a Castro communist country.  This revolution took place in 1959, spawning thousands of hurried evacuations from Cuba.  Before this date, Havana was a vibrant, thriving, and cosmopolitan city—a glamorous tourist destination filled with nightlife, music, and culture.  There was daily ferry service between Key West and Havana. 

There is a 1990 Robert Redford movie called “Havana” that shows this both before and during the revolution.

As Cubans fled Castro’s brutal regime, they settled in a part of Miami that became known as Little Havana; they brought their food, music, traditions, heritage, and customs, and this vibrant neighborhood became a hub for Cuban culture.  One of its most iconic areas is Domino Park, where locals gather to play dominoes—a beloved game with deep roots in Cuban society.

The common interest of dominoes isn’t the only benefit, however. It serves as a social hub for the Cuban community, including Cuban exiles and immigrants. Many of these older, regular players actually experienced the flight from the revolution firsthand, and these gatherings enable them to socialize and reminisce about their escape from Cuba and life before the revolution.

Domino Park is also a popular tourist attraction, offering visitors an authentic glimpse into Cuban life.  When I came to see this gathering of the community, the first thing I noticed was the players’ intense focus and fast-moving pace, while they were also engaged in serious conversations with each other on various topics. They seemed totally oblivious to the strangers’ staring eyes around them. Its lively atmosphere is a great example of a close-knit community, where both older and younger generations connect with their heritage and with one another.

Here’s an interesting article from 2015 on the Domino Park.