Minor Genre: Proverb 

Text: 

• Spanish: Quien tiene un amigo tiene un central 
• Transliteration: He who has a friend has a sugar mill 
• Free Translation: He who has a friend has riches

Context: When asked about this, my informant told me she has a powerful relationship with this piece because her friends are everything to her. Having migrated from Cuba, she relied on the close relationships she created abroad to thrive. She mentioned that she can count on her close friends for anything, and they were the ones who cared for her the most during the Covid pandemic, for example. She told me she values their friendship because they’re the ones who are with her through the good and bad times; to her, they are worth gold, which the proverb implies. The informant first heard this proverb in her elementary school in Cuba.  She mentioned that the teachers would teach the students certain proverbs and that they were part of their school culture. When asked, she also noted that her parents would say it. My informant mentioned using this proverb when talking about her friends or referencing a third person she sees has a strong relationship with someone. For example, if she saw someone helping their friend, she would say, “Quien tiene un amigo, tiene un central,” because, at that moment, that support is as valuable as having riches. She also mentioned that having a support system outside of Cuba is extremely important for Cuban immigrants, and often that support comes from friends. For example, some of my informant’s closest high school friends who immigrated to Spain spent the first few months living with each other while providing emotional and economic support. 

Analysis: Looking at this piece in its entirety, we can notice that it does not directly compare a friend to riches but to a central or sugar mill. This is valuable to the proverb because, in Cuba, sugar production and exportation were key to the economy. Keeping that in mind, the owners of the central had abundant money and were even considered to be the owners of the small towns established around the central. Essentially, it was the person who had the most money. Again, looking at Cuba, having a friend to be there when you need running water, holding your spot in line for gas, or someone with a working flashlight during a storm blackout can go a long way. After looking at the cultural context, comparing a friend to a sugar mill means that a friend makes you the wealthiest person with their support. As proverbs are intended to offer advice from collective wisdom rather than from an individual, this proverb holds the wisdom of past Cuban generations who understand how valuable it is to have a friend on and outside the island. It serves as a reminder to fellow Cubans and immigrants to value their friendships because even in a country that may lack monetary riches, they can still be rich in their relationships with others. Its structure is also typical of a proverb with a topic and comment structure that relieves personal responsibility from the person saying it. Additionally, this proverb serves as a way of knowing who is in your cultural group because unless you are from Cuba and possibly another Caribbean island that thrived on sugar plantations, you will not understand this proverb.