|caption =
PitbullArmando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American recording artist. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
{{·}}
C RomeroCesar Julio Romero, Jr. was a Cuban American film and television actor, best known for his portrayal of The Joker in the 1960s television series Batman...
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A GarciaAndy García is an American actor. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather: Part III, The Untouchables and When a Man Loves a Woman. More recently, he has starred in Ocean's Eleven and its sequels, Ocean's Twelve...
E MurcianoEnrique Murciano is an American actor. He is best known for playing Special Agent Danny Taylor in the CBS drama Without a Trace.-Early life:...
{{·}}
S O'BrienMaría de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien is an American television journalist. She is currently the host of CNN Special Investigations Unit on CNN, and is best known for anchoring the CNN marquee morning newscast American Morning from July 2003 to April 3, 2007, with Miles O'Brien...
{{·}}
M VeronicaMayra Verónica , is a Cuban-born American raised model who acquired her fame in the United States....
G EstefanGloria Estefan is a Grammy Award-winning Cuban-American singer and songwriter. She is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 90 million albums sold worldwide, 26.5 million of those in the United States alone...
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D ArnazDesi Arnaz was a Cuban-American musician, actor and television producer. He gained international renown for leading a Latino music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra...
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C DiazCameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She broke out in the 1990s with her roles in The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding and There's Something About Mary, and subsequently appeared in Charlie's Angels, Shrek, Vanilla Sky, Gangs of New York, What Happens in Vegas and several...
E MendesEva Mendes is an American actress. She began acting in the late 1990s, and became known after a series of roles in several major Hollywood films, including 2 Fast 2 Furious, Hitch, Training Day, We Own the Night and The Spirit.-Early life:Mendes was born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents and was...
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C GutierrezCarlos Miguel Gutierrez served as the 35th U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2005 to 2009. Gutierrez is a former Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Kellogg Company.-Early life and career:...
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C MilianChristine Flores , better known by her stage name Christina Milian , is an American R&B and pop singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and model. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Milian moved to Los Angeles when she was 13 years old, desiring to be an actress...
Dave LombardoDave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...
{{·}}
Joanna GarcíaJoanna Leanna García is an American television and film actress. She is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery on The CW sitcom Reba, her leading roles on short-lived series Welcome to The Captain and Privileged.-Early life:García was born in Tampa, Florida, where she was...
|poptime =
Cuban1,611,478 Americans0.5% of the total US population (2007)
|popplace =
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
(mainly South Florida,
Tampa Bay AreaThe Tampa Bay Area, or Tampa Bay, after the body of water it surrounds, is the second most populated metropolitan region in the state of Florida, the 19th-largest metro area in the United States, the fourth largest in the Southeast behind only Miami, Atlanta and Washington, and second largest on...
, and Greater Orlando),
Greater BostonGreater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston to that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
and
New York Metropolitan AreaThe New York metropolitan area, also known as Metropolitan New York, Greater New York, or the Tri-State Region, is the most populous metropolitan area in the United States and is also one of the most populous in the world. The metropolitan area is defined by the U.S...
|langs =
American EnglishAmerican English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two thirds of native speakers of English live in the United States.English is the most common language in the United States...
and
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
|rels = Predominantly Roman Catholic; minority Protestant,
SanteriaSantería is a syncretic religion of Caribbean origin, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi.- Etymology :...
, Jewish and others.
|related = Spaniards{{·}} Italians{{·}}
PortugueseThe Portuguese people are the ethnic group or nation native to the country of Portugal, in the far west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe...
{{·}} Hispanics
Afro-CubanThe term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
{{·}}
Jewish CubanJewish Cubans, Cuban Jews, or Cubans of Jewish heritage, have lived on the island of Cuba for centuries. Some Cubans trace Jewish ancestry to Marranos who fled the Spanish Inquisition, though few of these practice Judaism today. There was significant Jewish immigration to Cuba in the first half of...
{{·}}
Chinese CubanA Chinese Cuban is a Cuban of Chinese ancestry who was born in or has immigrated to Cuba. They are part of the ethnic Chinese diaspora .-History:...
}}
{{Hispanic and Latino Americans|right}}
A
Cuban American ({{lang-es|
Cubano americano}}) is a
United States citizenArticle I, section 8, clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of...
who traces his or her "national origin" to
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents. Cuban Americans form the third-largest
HispanicHispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of origins in Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain - "Mexican," "Puerto Rican," or "Cuban" - as well as those who indicate that they are "other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino." Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or...
group in the United States and also the largest group of Hispanics of European ancestry as a percentage within the group in the US.
Many communities throughout the United States have significant Cuban American populations. However
Miami, FloridaMiami is a major coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. With an estimated population of 424,662 in 2007, Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the...
stands out as the most prominent Cuban American community, in part because of its proximity to Cuba. It is followed by
North JerseyNorth Jersey is a name for the northern part of the U.S. State of New Jersey. Located between two major cities: New York City and Philadelphia, this relationship led Benjamin Franklin to describe the state as "a barrel tapped at both ends."...
, particularly
Union CityUnion City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 67,088, living on a land area of 3.28 km² . It is the most densely populated city in the United States, with a density of 52,977.8 per square mile -...
and
West New YorkWest New York is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 45,768. The ZIP code for West New York is 07093. West New York is part of the New York metropolitan area, with about 19% of the...
.
Immigration
Prior to the
Louisiana PurchaseThe Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of the French territory Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
and the
Adams-Onís TreatyThe Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, settled a border dispute in North America between the United States and Spain. The treaty was the result of increasing tensions between the U.S. and Spain regarding territorial rights at a time of weakened Spanish...
of 1819, all of
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
and
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
were provinces of the
Captaincy General of CubaThe Captaincy General of Cuba was an administrative district of the Spanish Empire created in 1607 as part of Habsburg Spain's attempt better to defend the Caribbean against foreign powers, which also involved creating captaincies general in Puerto Rico, Guatemala and Yucatan. The restructuring of...
(Captain General being the Spanish title equivalent to the British colonial Governor). Consequently, Cuban immigration to the U.S. has a long history, beginning in the
Spanish colonial periodThe Spanish colonization of the Americas was the settlement and political rule over much of the western hemisphere which was initiated by the Spanish conquistadors and fought mostly by their native allies...
in 1565 when
St. Augustine, FloridaSt. Augustine is the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, in the United States. Founded in 1565, it is the oldest continuously occupied European established city, and the oldest port, in the continental United States. St. Augustine lies in a region of Florida known as The First Coast, which...
was established by
Pedro Menéndez de AvilésPedro Menéndez de Avilés was a sixteenth century Spanish admiral and pirate hunter. He is best remembered for his foundinggvkeogjnie0syhgw4s5ilpeaik,\wsketljfkjknse3k.tz;gdxpjik,\wskrema.zg;fkjding of St...
, and hundreds of Spanish/Cuban soldiers and their families moved from Cuba to St. Augustine to establish a new life. Thousands of Cuban settlers also immigrated to Louisiana between 1778 – 1802 and
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
during the period of Spanish rule.
In the nineteenth century, many Cubans settled in Key West and were employed in making cigars, a craft they had learned in Cuba. The Cuban government had even established a grammar school in Key West to help preserve Cuban culture, There, children learned folk songs and patriotic hymns such as "
La BayamesaEl Himno de Bayamo is the national anthem of Cuba. It was first performed during the Battle of Bayamo in 1868. Perucho Figueredo, who took part in the battle, wrote and composed the song. The melody, also called La Bayamesa, was composed by Figueredo in 1867...
," the Cuban national anthem. In 1886, Vicente Martínez de Ybor moved his cigar manufacturing plant to the west coast of Florida to avoid unionization of workers. Ybor City, currently a neighborhood in Tampa, became one of the state's largest Cuban American communities. Italian immigrants in the early twentieth century also established an enclave in Ybor City. A keyword search using the search term Ybor City will yield a number of songs and stories from Cuban Americans.
Smaller waves of Cuban emigration to the U.S. occurred in the early 20th century (1900-1959); most settled in Florida and the northeast U.S. The majority of an estimated 100,000 Cubans arrived in that time period usually came for economic reasons (1929 depression, volatile sugar prices), but included anti-Batista refugees fleeing the military dictatorship, which had pro-U.S. diplomatic ties.
1960–1980
Political upheaval in Cuba created new waves of Cuban immigrants to the U.S. In 1959, after the
Cuban revolutionThe Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt that led to the overthrow of U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista of Cuba on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement led by Fidel Castro....
led by
Fidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician, one of the primary leaders of the Cuban Revolution, the Prime Minister of Cuba from February 1959 to December 1976, and then the President of the Council of State of Cuba until his resignation from the office in February 2008...
, a large Cuban exodus began as the new government allied itself with the Soviet Union and began to introduce communism. From 1960 to 1979, hundreds of thousands of Cubans left Cuba and began a new life in the United States. Most Cuban Americans that arrived in the United States initially came from Cuba's educated upper and middle classes. Between December 1960 and October 1962 more than 14,000 Cuban children arrived alone in the U.S. Their parents were afraid that their children were going to be sent to some Soviet bloc countries to be educated and they decided to send them to the States as soon as possible. This program was called Operation Pedro Pan (
Operation Peter PanOperation Peter Pan , was an operation coordinated by the United States government <, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, and certain Cubans. Between 1960 and 1962, over 14,000 children were sent from Cuba to Miami by their parents...
). When the children arrived in Miami they were met by representatives of Catholic Charities and they were sent to live with relatives if they had any or were sent to foster homes, orphanages or boarding schools until their parents could leave Cuba. In order to provide aid to recently arrived Cuban immigrants, the
United States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election....
passed the Cuban Adjustment Act in 1966. The Cuban Refugee Program provided more than $1.3 billion of direct financial assistance. They also were eligible for public assistance,
MedicareMedicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over, or who meet other special criteria. The medicare program also funds residency training programs for the vast majority of physicians in the...
, free English courses,
scholarshipA scholarship is an award of access to an institution, or a financial aid award for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s, and low-interest college
loanA loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
s. Some banks even pioneered loans for exiles who did not have collateral or credit but received help in getting a business loan. These loans enabled many Cuban Americans to secure funds and start up their own businesses. With their Cuban-owned businesses and low cost of living,
Miami, FloridaMiami is a major coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. With an estimated population of 424,662 in 2007, Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the...
and
Union City, New JerseyUnion City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 67,088, living on a land area of 3.28 km² . It is the most densely populated city in the United States, with a density of 52,977.8 per square mile -...
(dubbed "Little Havana-on-the Hudson") were the preferred destinations for many immigrants and soon became the main centers for Cuban American culture. Union City had the opportunities offered by the
embroideryEmbroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
industry. According to author Lisandro Perez, Miami was not particularly attractive to Cubans prior to the 1960's. It was not until the mass exodus of the Cuban exiles in 1959 that Miami started to become a preferred destination.
Westchester, FloridaWestchester is a census-designated place in suburban Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,271 at the 2000 census....
within
Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 2,387,170 in 2007, making it the most populous county in Florida and the ninth most populous county in the United States...
, stands as the area most populated by Cubans and Cuban Americans in the United States, followed by
Hialeah, FloridaHialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2006, the population estimate by the U. S. Census Bureau had the city's population reduced to 209,971, making it the sixth largest city in the state...
in second.
1980s
Another large wave (an estimated 125,000 people) of Cuban immigration occurred in the early 1980s with the
Mariel boatliftThe Mariel Boatlift was a mass exodus of Cubans who departed from Cuba's Mariel Harbor for the United States between April 15 and October 31, 1980....
s. Along with the 125,000 immigrants came 25,000 criminals, mentally ill, and other dregs among Cuban society which Fidel Castro knowingly infiltrated into the country to corrupt the so-called "American Imperialist Society". Some of the "Marielitos" became prosperous through their own efforts, with government assistance and assistance from earlier immigrants, relatives and charitable organizations.
Mid-1990s to 2000s
Since the mid-1990s, after the implementation of the "Wet Foot, Dry Foot" policy immigration patterns changed. Many Cuban immigrants departed from the southern and western coasts of Cuba and arrived at the
Yucatán PeninsulaThe Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
in
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
; many landed on
Isla MujeresIsla Mujeres is a small island town a short distance off the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea. Isla Mujeres is also one of the eight municipalities of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is about northeast of Cancún, at 21.20° North, 86.72° West. The island is some ...
. From there Cuban immigrants traveled to the Texas-Mexico border and found asylum. Many of the Cubans who did not have family in Miami settled in Houston; this has caused Houston's Cuban American community to increase in size. The term "dusty foot" refers to Cubans immigrating to the U.S. through Mexico. In 2005 the Department of Homeland Security had abandoned the approach of detaining every dry foot Cuban who crosses through Texas and began a policy allowing most Cubans to obtain immediate parole.
Jorge Ferragut, a Cuban immigrant who founded Casa Cuba, an agency that assists Cuban immigrants arriving in Texas, said in a 2008 article that many Cuban immigrants of the 2000s left due to economic instead of political issues. By October 2008 Mexico and Cuba created an agreement to prevent immigration of Cubans through Mexico.
U.S. communities with high percentages of people of Cuban ancestry
The top 25 US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Cuban ancestry are:
- Westchester, Florida
Westchester is a census-designated place in suburban Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,271 at the 2000 census....
65.69%
- Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2006, the population estimate by the U. S. Census Bureau had the city's population reduced to 209,971, making it the sixth largest city in the state...
62.12%
- Coral Terrace, Florida
Coral Terrace is an unincorporated suburban community and census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,380 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Coral Terrace is located at ....
61.87%
- West Miami, Florida
West Miami is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,863 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Miami is located at ....
61.61%
- University Park, Florida
University Park is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,538 at the 2000 census....
59.80%
- Olympia Heights, Florida
Olympia Heights is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 13,452 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Olympia Heights is located at ....
57.65%
- Tamiami, Florida
Tamiami is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 54,788 at the 2000 census. Tamiami is a combination of the words "Tampa" and "Miami". The Tamiami Trail, a roadway that connects the two cities, was the reason for this unique combination...
56.63%
- Hialeah Gardens, Florida
Hialeah Gardens is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,297 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S...
54.31%
- Medley, Florida
{Infobox Settlement|official_name = Town of Medley, Florida|other_name |settlement_type = Town|motto =|image_skyline =|imagesize =|image_caption =|image_flag =...
51.91%
- Sweetwater, Florida
Sweetwater is a Miami suburban city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,226 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 13,992...
49.92%
- Palm Springs North, Florida
Palm Springs North is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,460 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Palm Springs North is located at ....
43.59%
- Miami Lakes, Florida
Miami Lakes is a Miami suburban incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,676 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
42.28%
- Kendale Lakes, Florida
Kendale Lakes is a census-designated place Miami suburb in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 56,901 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kendale Lakes is located at ....
38.58%
- Fountainbleau, Florida
Fontainebleau is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 59,549 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fontainebleau is located at ....
37.29%
- Miami, Florida
Miami is a major coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. With an estimated population of 424,662 in 2007, Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the...
34.14%
- Miami Springs, Florida
Miami Springs is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city was founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation", and James Bright, during the famous "land boom" of the 1920s and was originally named Country Club Estates...
31.83%
- Richmond West, Florida
Richmond West is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 28,082 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Richmond West is located at ....
29.30%
- Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is known as the home of the University of Miami.The population was 42,249 at the 2000 census...
28.72%
- Virginia Gardens, Florida
Virginia Gardens is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,348 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the village had a population of 2,294.- History :...
26.11%
- South Miami Heights, Florida
South Miami Heights is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 33,522 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Miami Heights is located at ....
25.70%
U.S. communities with the most residents born in Cuba
For total 101 communities, see the reference given.
Top 101 U.S. communities with the most residents born in Cuba are:
- Westchester, FL 55.8%
- Hialeah, FL 53.5%
- Coral Terrace, FL 51.9%
- West Miami, FL 50.5%
- South Westside, FL 48.3%
- University Park, FL 48.1%
- Hialeah Gardens, FL 47.5%
- Medley, FL 46.0%
- Tamiami, FL 45.7%
- Olympia Heights, FL 45.2%
- Sweetwater, FL 45.2%
- Westwood Lakes, FL 44.9%
- Sunset, FL 32.7%
- Fountainbleau, FL 32.3%
- North Westside, FL 30.4%
- Miami, FL 30.3%
- Miami Lakes, FL 30.1%
- Palm Springs North, FL 29.8%
- Kendale Lakes, FL 28.9%
- Kendale Lakes-Lindgren Acres, FL 24.3%
Assimilation
Many Cuban Americans have assimilated themselves into the American culture, which includes Cuban influences.
Since the 1980s, Cuban Americans have moved out of "Little Havana" and "Hialeah" to the suburbs of Miami, such as
KendallKendall is a census-designated place and an unincorporated suburban Miami community in Miami-Dade County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the area had a total population of 75,226....
, as well in the more affluent
Coral GablesCoral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is known as the home of the University of Miami.The population was 42,249 at the 2000 census...
and
Miami LakesMiami Lakes is a Miami suburban incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,676 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
.
Many new
SouthSouth America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere...
and
Central AmericaManagua
Guatemala City
San Salvador
San Pedro Sula
Panama City
San José, Costa Rica
Santa Ana, El Salvador
León
San Miguel|-|}...
ns, along with new Cuban refugees, have replaced the Cuban Americans who have relocated elsewhere in Florida (
Fort LauderdaleFort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of Broward County. According to 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 183,606...
,
OrlandoOrlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region...
,
Tampa BayThe Tampa Bay Area, or Tampa Bay, after the body of water it surrounds, is the second most populated metropolitan region in the state of Florida, the 19th-largest metro area in the United States, the fourth largest in the Southeast behind only Miami, Atlanta and Washington, and second largest on...
and
West Palm BeachWest Palm Beach, also known as West Palm, is the most populous city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida. West Palm's economy is currently ranked #4 in the Milken Institute Best Performing 296 U.S. Cities index...
) and dispersed throughout the nation.
Cuban Americans live in all 50 states,
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
and
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
, which received thousands of anti-Castro refugees as well in the 1960s, and Cuban American population growth is found in
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, Georgia,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
,
IndianaIndiana is a U.S. state, the 19
th admitted to the Union. It is located in the Great Lakes region, and with approximately 6.3 million residents, is ranked 16
th in population and 17
th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38
th in land area, and is the...
,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
,
Rhode IslandRhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
,
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
, and
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
.
More recently, there has been substantial growth of new Cuban-American communities in places like
Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 23,329 at the 2000 census.-Greater Hazleton:The City of Hazleton and its surrounding communities are collectively known as Greater Hazleton. Greater Hazleton encompasses an area located within three counties:...
;
Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital city of the state of North Carolina, the seat of Wake County and the second largest city in North Carolina. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S...
,
Palm Desert, CaliforniaPalm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 41,155 at the 2000 census. Other cities in the Coachella Valley are Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta,...
and recently a small increase in
Appleton, WisconsinAppleton is a city in Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, on the Fox River, 100 miles north of Milwaukee. The population was 70,087 at the 2000 census...
. {{Fact|date=November 2007}}
Cuban Americans have been very successful in establishing businesses and developing political clout by transforming Miami from a beach retirement community into a modern city with a younger demographic base with a distinct Caribbean flavor.
Political beliefs
{{POV-check|date=April 2008}}
Cuban Americans tend to be slightly more politically
conservativeConservatism in the United States is a major American political philosophy. In contemporary American politics, it is often associated with the Republican Party...
than other
HispanicHispanic is a term that historically denoted a relationship to the ancient Hispania . During the modern era, it took on a more limited meaning, relating to the contemporary nation of Spain....
groups in the United States and form a major voting block for the
Republican PartyThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
(GOP) in the state of
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
. Many Cuban Americans fled the island to escape what they felt as a political and economic oppression that they experienced under the
Fidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician, one of the primary leaders of the Cuban Revolution, the Prime Minister of Cuba from February 1959 to December 1976, and then the President of the Council of State of Cuba until his resignation from the office in February 2008...
's communist
regimeThe word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature. It may also be used synonymously with "regimen", for example in the phrases "exercise regime" or "medical regime".-Politics:In politics, a regime is the form of government: the set of rules, cultural or social norms,...
. As such, they tend to identify with the strong anti-communist stance of the Republic Party.
The failed
Bay of Pigs invasionThe Bay of Pigs Invasion , was an unsuccessful attempt by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba with support from US government armed forces, to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro.The plan was launched in April 1961, less than three months after John F...
, and its association with
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, left many Cubans distrustful of the Democratic Party.
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
, on the other hand, is particularly popular in the Cuban exile community (there is a street in Miami named for
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
). More recently, the
Clinton administration'sWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
heavy handed use of armed INS agents in the seizure and return of
Elián GonzálezThe custody and immigration status of a young Cuban boy, Elián González , was at the center of a heated controversy in 2000 involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, his father, his Miami and Cuban relatives, and the Cuban-American community of Miami...
to his father in Cuba under the direction of
Janet RenoJanet Wood Reno is the former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
and
Eric HolderEric Himpton Holder, Jr. is the 82
nd and current Attorney General of the United States and the first African American to hold the position...
may have affected the outcome of the 2000 Presidential election by stoking the passions of the exile community and serving to increase the Republican turnout in a contest that was ultimately decided by fewer than 1,000 votes in Florida. Although Cuban Americans still vote mostly Republican, their support for the Republican Party has somewhat eroded in recent years as younger American born Cuban Americans continue to assimilate within the general population.
Food
{{see also|Cuban cuisine}}
Cuban food is varied, though rice is a staple and commonly served at lunch and dinner. Other common dishes are
arroz con polloArroz con Pollo is a traditional dish that is common throughout Latin America and The Caribbean, especially in Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Honduras and the Dominican Republic...
(chicken and rice),
pan con bistec (
steakA steak is a cut of meat. Most steaks are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibres, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, though they are also often pan-fried. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry...
sandwichA sandwich is a food item consisting of two or more slices of bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of food, typically taken to work or school, or picnics to be eaten as...
),
platanos maduros (sweet
plantainMusa paradisiaca, the plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana ....
s),
lechon asado (pork),
yucaYuca can refer to:*Yuca, Cassava *Yuca , a disparaging Venezuelan term used to refer to rock music...
(cassava root),
flanCream Caramel, flan, or caramel custard is a rich custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top, as opposed to crème brûlée, which is custard with a hard caramel top....
,
batido de mamey (mamey
milkshakeA milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and flavorings or sweeteners such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce. Milkshakes are usually served in a tall glass with a straw, and whipped cream may be added as a topping. Several popular milkshake flavors...
),
papayaThe papaya is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. It is native to the tropics of the Americas, and was cultivated in Mexico several centuries before the emergence of the Mesoamerican classic cultures...
s, and
guavaGuavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium, which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America...
paste.
Cuban versions of pizza contains bread, which is usually soft, and cheese, toppings, and sauce, which is made with spices such as Adobo and Goya onion. Picadillo, ground beef that has been sauteed with tomato, green peppers, green olives, and garlic is another popular Cuban dish. It can be served with black beans and rice, and a side of deep-fried, ripened plantains.
Beverages
Cubans often drink cafe cubano: a small cup of coffee called a cafecito (or a colada), which is traditional espresso coffee, sweetened, with a sugar foam on top called espumita. It is also popular to add milk, which is called a cortadito for a small cup or a cafe con leche for a larger cup.
A common soft drink is
MatervaMaterva is a mate soft drink, produced in Miami by Cawy Bottling Company. Materva is made from yerba mate, an herb imported from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Materva is very popular among Cubans and other Hispanics in the United States...
, a Cuban soda made of
yerba mateYerba mate or yerba-mate , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, eastern Paraguay and southern Brazil...
. Jupiña,
IronbeerIronbeer is a soft drink that originated in Cuba in 1917 and created by Manuel Rabanal. It has been described as tasting like "a fruitier Dr Pepper" or like Ironport soda...
and Cawy lemon-lime are soft drinks which originated in Cuba. Since the Castro era, they are also produced in Miami.
Demographics
| Official Immigration to the U.S |
Year of
Immigration |
White White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
|
BlackThe term black people usually refers to a racial group of humans with skin colors that range from light brown to nearly black. It also has been used to categorize a number of diverse populations into a common group. Some definitions of the term include only people of relatively recent Sub Saharan...
|
Other The Other or constitutive other is a key concept in continental philosophy, opposed to the Same. It refers, or attempts to refer, to that which is 'other' than the concept being considered. The term often means a person other than oneself, and is often capitalised...
|
Asian Asian people or Asiatic people is a demonym for people from Asia. However, the use of the term varies by country and person, often referring to people from a particular region or subregion of Asia...
|
Number |
| 1959-64 |
93.3 |
1.2 |
5.3 |
0.2 |
144,732 |
| 1965-74 |
87.7 |
2.0 |
9.1 |
0.2 |
247,726 |
| 1975-79 |
82.6 |
4.0 |
13.3 |
0.1 |
29,508 |
| 1980 |
80.9 |
5.3 |
13.7 |
0.1 |
94,095 |
| 1981-89 |
85.7 |
3.1 |
10.9 |
0.3 |
77,835 |
| 1990-93 |
84.7 |
3.2 |
11.9 |
0.2 |
60,244 |
| 1994-2000 |
85.8 |
3.7 |
10.4 |
0.7 |
174,437 |
| Total |
87.2 |
2.9 |
9.6 |
0.2 |
828,577 |
| Race by Cuban national Origin, 2000 |
| Country of Origin |
White |
Black In the United States, a Black Hispanic or Afro American Hispanic is an American citizen or resident who is officially classified by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget and other U.S. government agencies as a Black American of Hispanic descent. African American/Black...
|
Other |
Cuba CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
|
85.0% |
3.6% |
7.1% |
| Total: 1,241,685 |
1,055,432 |
44,700 |
88,159 |
The ancestry of Cuban Americans comes primarily from
SpainSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
During the 18th, 19th and early part of the 20th century, large waves of
BasquesThe Basques are the native people of the Basque Country .The Basques as an ethnic group primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country, a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-eastern Spain...
,
CanariansThe Canarians are an ethnic group living in the archipelago of the Canary Islands , near the coast of Western Africa...
,
CatalansThe Catalans are the people from, or with origins in Catalonia, an Autonomous Community in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France –known in Catalonia proper as Catalunya Nord, and in France as the Pays Catalan– are often included in this definition.-Extended concept:The...
,
AndalusiansThe Andalusians are the inhabitants of the southern region in Spain. They are generally not considered an ethnically distinct people because they lack two of the most important markers of distinctiveness: their own language and an awareness of a presumed common origin. Andalusian Spanish is said to...
, and
GalicianThe Galicians are an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is Galicia, which is a historical region in Southwestern Europe, embracing a territory situated in the north-west of Spain...
s emigrated to Cuba. Much of Haiti's white population (
FrenchFrench people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law.* People whose ancestors lived in France or the area that later became France....
) migrated to Cuba after the Haitian War of Independence in the early 18th century. Also, minor but significant ethnic influx is derived from diverse peoples from
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
places such as Lebanon and Palestine. There was also a significant influx of Jews, especially between the World Wars, from many countries, including Sephardic Jews from Turkey and Ashkenazic Jews from Poland, Germany and Russia. Other Europeans that have contributed slightly include Italians, Germans, Swedes, and Hungarians. Many Chinese also settled Cuba as contract laborers and they formerly boast the largest
ChinatownA Chinatown is a section of an urban area with a large number of Chinese residents, usually outside of Greater China. Chinatowns are present throughout the world, including those in East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe....
in Western Hemisphere as most Chinese Cubans left for Florida.
US Census and ACS
In the most recent census in 2000 there were 1,241,685 Cuban Americans, both native and foreign born and represented 3.5% of all Hispanics in the US.
About 85% of Cuban Americans identify themselves as being
WhiteWhite Hispanic and Latino Americans are White Americans of Latin American origin.As the concepts of race and ethnicity — "ethnicity" is used as a synonym for Hispanic or Latino origin — are mutually independent in the Office of Management and Budget's and United States Census Bureau's definitions,...
, mostly
SpanishSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
, which is the highest proportion of all other major Hispanic groups. In Florida, Cuban Americans have cultural ties with the state's large
Spanish AmericanA Spanish American is a citizen or resident of the United States with ethnic origins in the southwestern European nation of Spain.Spanish Americans are the earliest European American group, with a continuous presence since 1565....
or European Spanish community. In the 2007 ACS, there were 1,611,478 Americans with national origins in Cuba. 983,147 were born abroad in Cuba, 628,331 were U.S born and of the 1.6 million, 415,212 were
not a U.S citizen.
Economics
The median household income for Cuban Americans is $36,671, a figure higher than all other Hispanic groups, but lower than for non-Hispanic whites.
In contrast, US-born Cuban Americans have a higher median income than even non-Hispanic whites, $50,000 as compared to $48,000 for non-Hispanic whites.
Education
25% of Cuban Americans have a college education, about twice the average of all other Hispanic groups, and lower than that of non-Hispanic whites, of which 30% are college graduates.
However, 39% of US-born Cuban Americans have a college degree or higher, as compared to only 30% of non-Hispanic whites, and 12% for all other Hispanic groups.
Religion
Being of primarily
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
extraction, most Cuban Americans are Roman Catholic, but some Cubans practice the African Traditional Religions (such as
SanteriaSantería is a syncretic religion of Caribbean origin, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi.- Etymology :...
or
IfáIn traditional Yoruba culture, Ifá refers to a system of divination and the verses of the literary corpus known as the Odú Ifá presented in the course of divination. Orunmila is the deity associated with Ifa diviniation. In some instances, the name Orunmila is used interchangeably with the word Ifa...
), which evolved from mixing the Catholic religion with the traditional African religion. However, there are many Protestant (primarily Pentecostal) with small numbers of
syncretismSyncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. This may involve attempts to merge and analogise several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an...
, nonreligious or tiny communities of Jewish Cuban and
MuslimThe latest statistics for Islam in Cuba claim a population of around 3,000 Muslims representing 0.03 percent of the population. Outside sources claim this number may be as low as 300 or as high as 7,000 though the true numbers are not known due to the Cuban government's state atheist attitudes...
Americans.
Immigration policy
Before the 1980s, all refugees from Cuba were welcomed into the United States as political refugees. This changed in the 1990s so that only Cubans who reach U.S. soil are granted refuge under the "
wet feet, dry feet policyThe wet foot, dry foot policy is the name given to a consequence of the 1995 revision of the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 that says, essentially, that anyone who fled Cuba and got into the United States would be allowed to pursue residency a year later...
". Cuban immigration also continues with an allotted number of Cubans (20,000 per year) provided legal U.S. visas.
According to a U.S. Census 1970 report, Cuban Americans as well as
LatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American or Spanish-speaking descent."* "A Latin American."...
s lived in all 50 states. But as later Census reports demonstrated, the majority of Cuban immigrants settled in south Florida. A new trend in the late 1990s showed that fewer immigrants arrived from Cuba than previously. While U.S. born Cuban Americans moved out of their enclaves, other nationalities settled there.
In late 1999, U.S. news media focused on the case of
Elián GonzálezThe custody and immigration status of a young Cuban boy, Elián González , was at the center of a heated controversy in 2000 involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, his father, his Miami and Cuban relatives, and the Cuban-American community of Miami...
, the 6-year-old Cuban boy caught in a custody battle between his relatives in Miami and his father in Cuba, after the boy's mother died trying to bring him to the United States. On April 22, 2000, INS agents took Elián González to the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C. From there, his father took him back to Cuba.
Political representation
There are now four Cuban-American members of the
United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
;
Lincoln Diaz-BalartLincoln Rafael Diaz-Balart , an American politician, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, the Florida Senate, and since 1993 has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing...
,
Mario Diaz-BalartMario Rafael Diaz-Balart is an American politician. Since 2003 he has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing...
,
Ileana Ros-LehtinenIleana Ros-Lehtinen is a Republican United States Representative for having held that office since 1989. She is currently the most senior Republican woman in the U.S. House, and is the first Republican woman elected to the House of Representatives from Florida...
, Albio Sires and two Senators (
Mel MartinezMelquiades Rafael "Mel" Martinez , né Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
of Florida, and Bob Menendez of
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
) in the
United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
. The former
Secretary of CommerceThe United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce." Until 1913 there was one Secretary of Commerce and...
, Carlos M. Gutierrez, is also a Cuban-American
Eduardo AguirreEduardo Aguirre Reyes, Jr. is a principal in Atlantic Partners, an international consulting firm, based in Houston....
served as Vice Chairman of the
Export-Import Bank of the United StatesThe Export-Import Bank of the United States is the official export credit agency of the United States federal government...
in the
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
administration and later named Director of Immigration and Naturalization Services under the Department of Homeland Security. In 2006, Eduardo Aguirre was named US ambassador to Spain. Cuban-Americans have also served other high profile government jobs including
White House Chief of StaffThe White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President...
,
John H. SununuJohn Henry Sununu is a former Governor of New Hampshire and former White House Chief of Staff under President George H. W. Bush. He is the father of John E. Sununu, a former senator from New Hampshire, and formerly a U.S. Representative...
.
Cuban-Americans also serve in high ranking judicial positions as well. Danny Boggs is the current chief judge of
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
and
Raoul G. Cantero, IIIRaoul G. Cantero, III is a Florida lawyer and a former Justice of the Florida Supreme Court.-Career:...
, served as a Florida Supreme Court justice until stepping down in 2008.
In 2006
Marco RubioMarco Rubio is the former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, having served in the 2007 and 2008 Legislative sessions. He was first elected to the Florida House as a Republican on January 25, 2000, from the 111th district.-Personal life:Rubio is a Roman Catholic of Cuban descent, and...
became Speaker of the
Florida House of RepresentativesThe Florida House of Representatives, one of the two Chambers of the Florida Legislature, is composed of 120 members, each representing a district.Representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years...
.
The majority of Cuban Americans, because of long-standing opposition to the Communist regime in Cuba, have voted Republican for decades. In recent years however, some younger Cuban-Americans have switched their affiliations to the Democrats. {{Fact|date=June 2009}}
Further reading
- Miguel A. De La Torre
Miguel A. De La Torre is an associate-professor of social ethics at Iliff School of Theology, a religious scholar, author, and an ordained minister.-Biography:...
, "La Lucha for Cuba: Religion and Politics on the Streets of Miami," University of California Press, 2003.
See also
{{Portal|United States|Nuvola USA flag alternative.svg}}
{{Portal|Cuba|Nuvola Cuban flag.svg}}
- White Hispanic
- White Latin American
White Latin Americans are the white population of Latin America. They are the descendants of 15th–to–19th century colonial-era settlers and of post-independence immigrants. Original settlers were mostly Spanish and Portuguese, but post-independence immigrants were more diverse, among them many...
- Afro Latin American
- Cuba-United States relations
Cuba and the United States of America have had an interest in one another since well before either of their independence movements. Plans for purchase of the nearby island have been put forward at various times by the United States...
- Cuban British
Cubans in the United Kingdom are Cuban people who were born in or have migrated to the United Kingdom. According to the 2001 Census, there were 1,083 Cuban-born people living in the UK...
- Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
- Cubans
Cubans are people inhabiting or originating from Cuba. Most Cubans live in Cuba, although there is also a large Cuban diaspora, especially in the United States.-Demographics:...
- Diaspora politics in the United States
Diaspora politics in the United States is the study of the political behavior of transnational ethnic diasporas, their relationship with their ethnic homelands and their host states, as well as their prominent role in ethnic conflicts. This article describes case studies and theories of political...
- Hispanos
Hispanos .Hispanos was a name given to people of colonial Spanish descent in the United States who retained a predominantly Spanish culture. The distinction was made to compensate for flawed U.S. Census practices in the 1930s which used to characterize Hispanic people as non-white...
- Hyphenated American
In the United States, the term hyphenated American is an epithet commonly used from 1890 to 1920 to disparage Americans who were of foreign birth or origin, and who displayed an allegiance to a foreign country. It was most commonly used to disparage German Americans or Irish Americans who called...
- List of Cuban Americans
- Spanish American
A Spanish American is a citizen or resident of the United States with ethnic origins in the southwestern European nation of Spain.Spanish Americans are the earliest European American group, with a continuous presence since 1565....
- U.S. embargo against Cuba
- White Cuban
External links
{{Hispanics/Latinos}}
{{Cuba-United States relations}}
{{Caribbean American}}