The Cuban American community is spread out over the Bay Area, but some in San Francisco said the collective reaction to what’s happening is not easy to analyze. The Mission District in San Francisco is preparing for the Carnaval festivities and the Carnaval parade this weekend, but what’s hap pening in Cuba is casting a cloud over the joy. The area in the Mission around 24th and Bryant is where the Carnaval Parade will kick off Sunday morning. It is part of one of the Bay Area’s longest running, colorful, multicultural street festivals and the Cuban American community joins enthusiastically. But the general manager of the popular Cubita restaurant on Mission Street, Daniel Said, says the Trump administration’s federal indictment against Raul Castro has impacted the mood, stirring up mixed feelings in a community with many Cuban exiles. “I think there has been such a large disconnect between the Cuban American community and Cubans as a whole, just from what’s going on in our past country to country, that it just seems like another barrier to overcome,” Said said. Cubita workers also point out Cuba’s people  are struggling with sanctions by the Trump administration as well as problems caused by the Iran war. Recently, several DJ’s from Cubita held a fundraiser and are currently in Cuba to help families there. “Gave them the necessities, basic things like being able to get water, food and things like that, for us it does hit us personally we do know people that are struggling there right now despite the grand scheme of what’s happening ‘politically’ but it ends up being very on the ground level that we need to really help and support the people that we know,” said Vincent Chooi, a Cubita worker. The Cubita general manager also says while the community has mixed feelings about Castro, in his opinion, they’re skeptical of President Trump’s motives as well. “Yeah, I think it’s all revolved around them, right? It’s all very self-serving and in the long run, is it helping the Cuban people as a whole? Probably not,” Said said. Participants say they still expect the carnival celebrations to be as joyous as they always are but they say they will be keeping an eye on what’s happening in Cuba. ...read more read less