What’s life like for Cubans in Miami? Statistics and stories

It seems there was no much of an economical reason to flee the country for the first wave of Cubans in Miami, as their younger relatives confess. For the first wave of immigrants it was about running away from the system, a rigid government, with anti-capitalist rules.

Photo credits:
Christopher Alvarenga

Here’s the hypothesis. The socialist systems we’ve seen did not like the educated, the skilled, leaders, right? So, when the Communist Party started its political journey in 1965 wishing to distribute wealth in a uniform way,  the first to flee the country were these categories that have been the wealth creators. . This is the most popular explanation out there.

Are Cubans in Miami privileged, and if so why?

People may ask. Well, it’s a historic fact. The first Cubans in Miami, as educated rebels most probably had a strong work ethic too, so, it came naturally to be appreciated in the USA.

Recently, Cuban immigration raised a talk, but Cuban immigrants “have enjoyed preferential treatment in the United States since the 1960s, and been given a direct and swift path to legal permanent residence” according to people’s memories and MigrationPolicy.com.

[The] 2018 were the seventh largest group, with more than 1.3 million Cubans accounting for roughly 3 percent of the overall immigrant population of 44.7 million. The United States is the top destination for Cuban immigrants, followed by Spain (141,400), Italy (37,300), Canada (19,000), Germany (13,400), and Mexico (12,900). . . (Cuban Immigrants in the United States, Brittany Blizzard and Jeanne Batalova, MigrationPoliciy.com)

Interexchange.org introduces the idea of Miami as a “temporary” home for first Cuban migrants.

In 1959, the dictator Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba. As a result, a mass exodus of Cuban people arrived in Miami. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans came to Miami, many thinking it would be their home temporarily. The next influx of immigrants to Miami came from Haiti and Nicaragua in the late 1970s after their governments were overthrown. Further, what’s known as the Mariel boatlift in 1980 brought over an additional 150,000 Cubans to Miami. Since the late 1960s, Miami has been shaped by many cultural influences, particularly Cuban.

Wealthy and skillful?

Jose Stevenson shares his part of his knowledge on Quora…

I’d say the first comers in basically the 60s were primarily the wealthy skilled people from Cuba. Some of them could have Plantation Owners, Dentists, Doctors, Businessmen, etc. If you watch Cuba Libre you’ll get a good idea of who they overall were. (Quora)

Roberto Ravelo makes a harsh statement too. How much of that is reality, myth, or stereotype? Please share the stories you’ve heard in the family or your community related to the firstcomers, Cubans in Miami.

As a Cuban American that arrived as a child in the 60’s what Jose said is right , Cubans don’t believe they are Latins they are racist towards Central Americans and blacks. When the first Cubans arrived they were the rich and powerful they started in banking and only helped the Cubans they never helped a black business owner start his business or if he had it to help while it was struggling. Right now there are no blacks in high positions in any Cuban businesses. (Quora)

Like any other imigrant comunity there are different people… the cubans i’ve met were former qualified workers in Cuba (a chemical engineer from a sugar/alcohol industry) but working on kitchens as salad makers, helpers and dishwashers in the capitalist land of oportunities aka USA. Some old exiled cubans got a vantageous position and used their Mob contacts to become that, powerful and wealthy citizens.