Cuba has stood for decades in U.S. politics as a bitter symbol of the Cold War, but the recent diplomatic thaw is scrambling that narrative as Americans increasingly see the Caribbean island nation as a land of exotic tourism and lucrative business opportunities.

Even as those giddy expectations collide with the reality of Cuba's slow changes, President Obama on Sunday is set to become the first sitting president to visit in 90 years, a reward of sorts for the communist-led government in Havana.

Obama is scheduled to arrive with First Lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, for a full-family, two-day embrace of the push to normalize relations, complete with cultural tours, a baseball game and even dinner at the Palace of the Revolution, the seat of President Raul Castro's authoritarian government.

U.S. officials say Obama will not meet or appear near the president's brother, Fidel Castro, who led the communist revolution in the 1950s and