| Almost three-quarters of a million people emigrated from Cuba to the United States from 1959 to 1980, in response to the revolution which transformed all of Cuban society. The Cubans arrived during three distinct periods: from 1959 to 1962; from 1965 to 1973; and during the Mariel boatlift of 1980. Over half of the emigres settled in south Florida, specifically, in Miami. This study is a social and cultural history of the Cuban emigre community in south Florida from 1959 to 1989, which chronicales the details of their immigration and adaptation, as well as the cultural, political, and intellectual life of the community.;The study consists of five chapters. The first chapter, "Exiles, not immigrants," discusses the first two waves of Cuban immigration, and analyzes how the federal government and the local community in south Florida responded to the emigres.;Chapter Two, "Adapting to Exile," explores how Miami became the symbolic center of el exilio. Cuban culture found its most vital expression (outside of Cuba) in Miami, where it was ultimately reinterpreted in new forms. The most important exile organizations emerged in this city, as did the exile media.;Chapter Three, "The Mariel Boatlift of 1980," discusses the most recent, and controversial, wave of Cuban immigration, and analyzes how the "marielitos" adapted to both the emigre community and the larger society.;Chapter Four, "From commando raids to C.A.N.F.," traces the evolution of Cuban exile politics over the past thirty years. The final chapter, "The politics of creativity," explores the role of the intellectual in the emigre community.;The Cuban emigres created a "hybrid society" in south Florida. Miami, in many ways, is reminiscent of the pre-revolutionary society the emigres left behind, and yet at the same time, is uniquely American. Emigre culture, politics, and creativity is a dialogue with the myriad of cultures that intersect in south Florida. |
