Communication style

Compared to other ethnicities, Cubans often communicate in louder, more expressive, and possibly confrontational ways. Be at ease! Finding out what to expect in Cuba is simple. Here are a few noteworthy findings:

Direct eye contact is considerably more preferred to fleeting or indirect eye contact when communicating with someone. It's customary to maintain eye contact throughout the bulk of your conversation with someone because it's seen as a sign of deference and attention.

If you hear or see noisy talks, especially ones that use hand gestures, do not panic. The Cubans simply love being very expressive, thus this is entirely normal and rarely indicates danger or hostility. If someone purses their lips, they are typically indicating in the general direction of the subject of their reference. It's also popular to wrinkle or scrunch up one's nose, usually expressing a "Huh?" or "What?" question.