The United States policy on Cuban immigrants and refugees has dramatically changed over the past decade. Preferential treatment and a speedy path to legal permanent residence for Cuban immigrants in the United States date back to the 1960s. After Fidel Castro’s 1959 communist revolution, Cubans began pouring into the United States in large numbers. Initially, it was a group of political refugees and defenders of the American-led government overthrown by the Castro revolution (Thomas & Dunkerley 37). Since then, the flow of middle- and lower-class Cubans has increased as the revolution has become more radical. This act was enacted by Congress in 1966 and allowed Cuban nationals who have been in the United States for at least a year to become permanent legal residents. Preference given to Cuban immigrants would almost certainly end when communism is abolished on the island unless unstable political conditions necessitate continuing a program for refugees. Cubans may face the same challenges as other nationals trying to immigrate to the United States if the country’s policy on immigration treats all applicants equally. Therefore, the study seeks to explore Cuban migration and their experiences in the United States of America.
Cubans in the United States are older, more educated, have higher median household incomes, and own their own homes at higher rates than the rest of the Latinx population in America. Cubans in the United States are distinct from the rest of the Hispanic population in many ways, even though there are significant differences between those who reached before 1980 and those who arrived afterward (Thomas & Dunkerley 47). The United States has always been more welcoming to Cubans than other Latin American migrants. Because of a special power granted by the U.S. Attorney General, nearly all Cuban migrants have been granted full legal status and a path to U.S. citizenship. Migrants from Cuba detained at sea are sent back to their homeland, while those who make it to American soil are permitted to stay.
Outright hostility between Cuba and the United States has fluctuated between the two countries. Both countries have taken significant steps toward putting the Cold War past behind them and establishing a long-term relationship in recent months. Immigration policy must be a part of this transition process as economical and political ties between the two neighbors grow stronger. Due to Cold War, Cubans have been granted preferential immigration status for more than fifty years (Thomas & Dunkerley 35). Immigration policy must be normalized as part of economic normalization, eliminating the unwarranted and unfair favoritism that is a vestige of an earlier period of our history.
Mexican immigration remains low despite strict government policies that restrict the number of foreigners allowed to enter its borders. In the 19th century, Mexican migration to the United States rose as a result of a variety of factors. In 1902, the reclamation policy of the United States served as an incentive for newcomers to the country. More than a million Mexicans have emigrated to the United States due to the Mexican Revolution and its aftermath and the growth in the economy of the United States (Thomas & Dunkerley 36). Immigrants’ integration into American society was determined by U.S. foreign policy and national interests. Mexican Americans make up the biggest group of Hispanic Americans, and the potential for interaction with other Mexicans is very high. In addition, Cubans often seem to have a much more positive opinion of the federal government and are much more motivated to recognize the United States as their home. Among Latin Americans, the Cubans formed a distinct ethnic subculture.
The emigration of Cubans has taken place in stages over the last six decades, each one becoming more varied. Exodus from Cuba began with revolutionaries who were dissatisfied, with the wealthiest members of society in pre-revolutionary times forming the bulk of the emigrant population. As Cuba and the United States declined after 1959, a more diverse group of Cuban-Americans moved to the United States. More recent emigrants represent a more diverse cross-section of Cuban society than previous waves of migrant workers from Cuban society’s middle and lower classes. Most of the immigrants from Cuba came to the United States due to the country’s political and economic transformations. During the later waves of migration, political and economic factors became increasingly intertwined. The exodus of Cubans has fluctuated in response to the ups and downs of the Revolution in Cuba and the country’s ongoing disputes with the United States (Thomas & Dunkerley 38). Many factors influence education and economic opportunities in Cuba, making it difficult to determine the economic and political motivating factors for migrants. More than four and a half generations earlier, many Cuban migrants saw the Castro regime as a threat to their economic well-being. With the notable exception of a few rare examples, most people from the Latin American Market have been motivated by economic reasons.
For the most part, the Cuban number of immigrants occurred in two distinct periods: the first wave of Cubans to arrive in the United States due to Cubans seeking to establish cigar factories in Tampa and plotting to overthrow Spain’s colonization rule movement. The Second-series migration of Cubans to Miami resulted in a dramatic shift in the city’s demographics and culture. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, economic emigration also occurred. The exodus of Cubans may appear inconsequential (Thomas & Dunkerley 47). The number of Cubans moving to the United States, on the other hand, has increased dramatically. In the beginning, there was some hope. Cubans have no hope for the future with the corrupt and inept military gerontocracy in charge. Cubans will not own export enterprises or form joint ventures with foreign companies. It is becoming increasingly difficult to live in Cuba because of the country’s oppressive government, low prices for exports, and bureaucracy that is as stifling as it is oppressive. Concerns about a new, extra-tough era could arise if Venezuelan subsidies are reduced or eliminated. Cubans are still haunted by the dark days that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the fall of communism across Europe’s eastern shores.
Emigration has been encouraged by the Castro regime. Internal pressure is reduced by establishing an escape valve that weakens opposition. The ban on travel outside of Cuba is no longer an issue, a major source of grievance for the island’s Cuban population. More than two million Cuban-Americans living in the U.S. are a major factor in encouraging and facilitating migration (Thomas & Dunkerley 39). Their encounter in this country is a draw for those on the island suffering and yearning for a better future. Uncertainties and problems surround Cuba’s future. More than half a century of communism is bound to leave a lasting impression on Cubans. Even if civilian reformist leaders replace the Castros, there may be slow and painful reconstruction. A large and wealthy exile population, proximity to the United States, and major tourist attractions are just three of Cuba’s unique advantages. A tolerant and fully accountable political system in conjunction with an open, legal, and fair economic growth set by the Cuban leadership can transform the country’s economy. There is little hope that life in Cuba will improve significantly shortly.
After Fidel Castro’s 1959 communist revolution, Cubans started arriving in great numbers in the United States. Initially, the ruling class showed up as political exiles and ardent supporters of the American-led regime overthrown by Castro’s uprising in Cuba. As the revolution became more radical, the flow of Cubans from the middle and lower classes increased. Some migrants come to the U.S. via countries like Spain and Mexico that were not directly involved in the conflict. Around one hundred and twenty-five thousand Cubans fled to Florida from the port of El Mariel during the 1980s in a dramatic boatlift that changed the United States and Castro’s reputation forever. The United States’ policy toward Cuban refugees has changed recently, and fewer are now allowed to enter the country, and many have been deported (Thomas & Dunkerley 41). The immigrants also provided cheap labor to the U.S. economy, thus leading to a warm reception. Moreover, mixed reaction concerning the arrival of the immigrants was due to political issues between the two countries.
The new millennium brought about major changes. A growing economy in the Western United States and the ongoing Mexican revolution in the early twentieth century sparked a mass migration of Mexicans to the US. On Mexican-Americans, the 1930 census had a population of over 1.6 million. During the Spanish American War of 1898, the United States seized Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Panama from the Columbian government. As a result of the United States expansion into the Caribbean, the region saw its first significant influx of outsiders. In 1930, eighty-seven thousand Puerto Ricans and fifty-one thousand Cubans lived on the mainland. This period of economic hardship disrupted the flow of migrants from the Caribbean and Mexico. Some Latinx chose to leave the United States because of the lack of jobs and xenophobic hatred they faced. Thousands of Mexican-Americans were left with no alternative (Thomas & Dunkerley 45). It was common for deportation campaigns in Southern California to force migrants onto Mexican trains and buses. Due to the new law and the shifting political-economic system of the Americas, migration patterns have shifted dramatically over the last half-century. There has been a dramatic increase in people moving north from Mexico and other countries. The United States now has significant populations from every country in Central and South America. Latinx people are reshaping the American culture’s financial, socioeconomic, and ethnic fabric. The Urban Institute provides timely data and evidence that demonstrates how policies, initiatives, and procedures impact the lives of Latinx people. Latinx activists, humanitarians, and other changemakers rely on them for the data they need to improve the lives of Latinos.
Since the Cuban Revolution, more than a million Cubans have immigrated to the United States, making it one of the most significant events in American history. Like those of Cuban Americans, immigrant communities have thrived in Miami and other cities across the United States (Thomas & Dunkerley 42). Wave upon an influx of migration re-created and reimagined Cuban culture after the revolution in a new homeland, paving the way for Miami’s transformation into a Latin City in America. Other Latinos, both newcomers, and natives have also contributed to giving the United States a distinct Latin flavor.
Work Cited
Thomas, Victor B., and James Dunkerley. “The United States and Latin America: The New Agenda.” Harvard University Press, 1999.