The project "Beyond the Imperial Gaze: Cuban Diaspora in Mexico" explores the concepts of exile, diaspora and nation through an examination of the cultural production of the Cuban intellectual community in Mexico. The project uses archival research and interviews to analyze the intersection of Mexico as a site of congregation for Latin American exiles in the 1960's and 1970's, the cultural production of Cubans currently working in Mexico and the reception of this work within Mexico. As both one facet of the Cuban diaspora and a community comprised of exiles and expatriates, this intersection questions the categories of exile and diaspora and the relationship of these categories to the concept of nation. By placing the Cuban community in Mexico into the context of the transnational dialogues created by previous exiles in Mexico, l examine the means by which the current Cuban diaspora draws on the experience of others to construct a transnational identity, while conscious of operating in a unique geopolitical context. The Cuban diaspora in Mexico also holds a singular position which serves to negotiate in the tense relationship between the Miami and Havana, as marked by postcolonial relations of power. The cultural production of the Cuban community in Mexico reflects the position of diaspora as simultaneously a national and transnational phenomenon.