The papers reflect professional activities of Agustín Castellanos, one of the most important figures in Cuban and international medicine who was nominated to receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1960. His contributions to medical science include research in the areas of cardio-vascular diseases, radiology and pediatrics. The materials consist of correspondence, Curriculum Vitae, medical articles, awards, papers from medical conferences, research papers and reports.
The records document official activities of Cuban Committee for Democracy (CCD), which is association of Cubans committed to promotion of democratic dialogue in the US and to non-violent transition to democracy in Cuba. CCD is based in Miami. The materials include clippings, memorandums, official correspondence, invitations, pamphlets, financial reports, documents, Articles of Incorporation and meeting agendas.
This collection contains working papers, publications, and reports pertaining to the Ethnography of Cuban Drug Use, a research project funded by U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse. The research team comprised of two University of Miami anthropologists, a sociologist and a demographer. Kirby was one of the two anthropologists and the project's research assistant in charge of collecting information about Cuban women.
The 1978-1981 project was funded to study patterns of drug use among a sample of Cuban men and women living in Miami, Florida. The research methods used by the research team included participant observation and the administration of structured and open-ended interview schedules. Life and drug histories were recorded on tape, transcribed, and coded using the Human Relations Area Files Outline of Cultural Materials for ease of retrieval and data analysis.
The researchers focused on patterns of legal and illegal drug use among a sample of Cuban refugees who had been living in the United States since Castro's rise to power in 1959. Kirby's contribution to the study was in conducting life history interviews with sixty women and in compiling statistical data on women's use of minor tranquilizers and herbal remedies. Patterns of drug use and abuse were placed within the context of stressful life events such as the exile experience, acculturation, and downward socioeconomic status.
