Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Tattoos in Cuba

Culture | June 2nd, 2016

Mike Dalager

Illegal tattoos in Cuba? Yes please…I’ll take one. That’s right. Tattooing is illegal in the entire country of Cuba. Not one license has ever been issued.

Tattooing has had a rough history around the world anyways but to think that nowadays we aren’t forward-thinking enough to let people decide on their own what or what not to permanently affix to their own bodies, is just ludicrous at best.

I am a big proponent of freedom of choice and maybe I have a biased opinion, but the rules in place already state that a person has to be 18 (an adult by classic definition) in order to get a tattoo. That seems like enough of a law, but in some states there is a 24 hour waiting period before the artist is allowed to make his or her masterpiece. And obviously there are health codes to comply with as in most businesses. No problem there.

If there is already a platform or outline for this type of work to exist, why not just put it in place? Ché Alejandro owns and operates the Toy Store Tattoo shop in Havana, Cuba. He has been in the tattoo scene in Cuba since the beginning. He has even been dubbed the “grandfather of tattoos.” His shop has been shut down, equipment confiscated, his employees fined, etc. all for practicing his art form. The main root of the problem lies within the political system of Cuba: communism.

is government-owned which means the citizens of Cuba are not allowed to own private businesses. Everyone who has a job makes similar wages, equaling around US$30 per month. No free enterprise. A few years ago, however, Raul Castro loosened some of these restrictions and issued operating licenses for more than 200 different types of businesses for private citizens to run.

Oddly enough, tattoo parlors were not on that list. Ché can’t even buy his equipment anywhere in the whole of Cuba. A special importer has to getlicensed to bring new needles, different grips, colorful inks, and even tattoo magazines to the people of this culture.

Hopefully there will be some more positive changes in the near future, but Ché will still be there biding his time giving tattoos and tattoo advice to all those willing. Despite how illegal it is, I still enjoyed getting a tattoo by Ché at less than half of what it would cost in the U.S. Maybe there are some benefits of this illegal way of life.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comArea children ages 10 and over are invited to join the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum to explore how rivers work at two Fargo Public Library locations this summer. Stream Table Workshops will…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

Friday, July 25, doors at 8:30 p.m.Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, Fargo"This is what you need to know about Daikaiju,” said Kelly Weidman. “They're loud. They're all instrumental (duh). And they're the band to see…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…

By Ed Raymond fargogadfly@gmail.comThere might be room for Trump on Mount Rushmore after allDuring King Donald’s first term he told Kristi Noem, then a congresswoman and now his secretary of homeland security, his dream was to be…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comAri Aster’s political satire “Eddington” premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in May, where Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” received the prize. A…

Press ReleaseTouchmark at Harwood Groves will host a special artist reception featuring renowned glass artist Jon Offutt on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. in the community’s auditorium. The event celebrates Offutt’s temporary…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…