NIU students probably don’t know much about Cuba, other than an infamous missile crisis 40 years ago. Omar Lozano wants that to change.

The junior history major thinks two native Cubans will help shed light on what the island nation currently faces. Student Yanelis Martinez Herrera and journalism teacher Javier Duenas Oquendo have spoken at a couple of local colleges while on visas, and will visit NIU at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the University Resources for Latinos, 515 N. Garden Road.

“They are going to help inform what life is like for Cuban youth today,” Lozano said.

Most Americans lack knowledge about the communist nation because every time Cuba is mentioned, a discussion of its politics isn’t far behind, and daily life gets ignored, Lozano said.

Herrera serves as president of the Federation of Law Students at the University of Camaguey. Oquendo formerly was the Federation of Students vice president at the University of Havana. Seeking Cuban approval to tour the United States wasn’t easy.

“They needed I don’t know how many letters from (American) professors from the places they were going to speak,” Lozano said.

He met up with the duo at their speaking engagement at Loyola University in Chicago, and was especially interested because he spent the better part of 2000 in Cuba. A Colombia native, Lozano visited many of the major Cuban towns before coming to America and attending NIU.

One “everyday” experience that sticks in Lozano’s head is seeing Cubans speaking two to three languages, dispelling some of the myths about education problems on the island.

“Cuba is a nation that faces an imperialistic economic embargo, but is still able to maintain free education and free health care,” Lozano said.

Tuesday’s speeches are co-sponsored by the History Club, OLAS and the Latino Law Students Association.

“They’re going to bring up the bad things, too,” Lozano said. “It’s not going to be one-sided.”