The Cuban Americans / Edition 1

by Miguel Gonzalez-Pando

Overview

Today more than one million emigrés make up the Cuban diaspora, and many, though living in America, still consider themselves part of Cuba. This book captures the struggles and dreams of Cuban Americans. Using this resource, students, teachers, and interested readers can examine the engaging and often controversial details of Cuban immigration. Such details include patterns of immigration, adaptation to American life and work, cultural traditions, religious traditions, women's roles, the family, adolescence, language, and education. Because the author is himself a Cuban American, he does not treat the emigrés as mere subjects nor does he tell their story in statistical terms alone. As an insider, he delves deeply into the soul of the community to illustrate all the dimensions of the Cuban American experience.

Gonzalez-Pando's unique vantage point yields not just a detailed account of major events that have influenced the development of the Cuban exile community in the United States, but also a knowledgeable interpretation of the impact of those events. He focuses on the community's self-identification as exiles, showing how these reluctant emigrés have found the strength to succeed in America without surrendering their sense of national and cultural identity. A timeline of Cuban American history, biographical sketches of 20 noted Cuban Americans, a bibliography, and photos complete the text. Like its subjects, this book is thought-provoking and inspiring.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313298240
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/23/1998
Series:	The New Americans
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.56(d)
Lexile:	1420L (what's this?)
Age Range:	15 Years

About the Author

MIGUEL GONZALEZ-PANDO is the founder of the Cuban Living History Project at Florida International University. He came to this country in 1960 and joined the Bay of Pigs invasion, as a result of which he was caught and held prisoner. Upon his release from a Cuban jail two years later, he returbaned to South Florida. He is the editor of Bilingualism in a Multicultural Society (1975), Greater Miami: Spirit of Cuban Enterprise (1995), and Miami: Gateway to the Americas (1996).

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: The "Cuban Exile Country": A Drama Without a Script
Historical Background
Genesis of the Cuban Exile
Development of the "Cuban Exile Country"
Identity, Culture, and Exile Life
The Emigrés' Economic Miracle
Politics of the Emigrés
Epilogue: The "Cuban Exile Country" in the Post-Castro Era
Appendix A: Statistical Summary
Appendix B: Summary of Stages of Development of "Cuban Exile Country"
Appendix C: Notable Cuban Americans
Selected Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Gr 10 Up-Gonzalez-Pando brings a personal yet comprehensive perspective to the history and contemporary situation of this immigrant group. He begins by tracing Cuba's political history from Spanish colonization through tumultuous exchanges of power in the early 20th century, through the Batista dictatorship and Castro's rise to power. The author details what he calls the "Development of the Cuban Exile Country," which he breaks down into specific stages from 1959 onward, many of which correspond directly with shifts in U.S. government policies. Significant events including the U.S.-Cuban crisis in the 1960s, Castro's discontinuation of the freedom flights in 1973, and the Mariel boatlift are woven throughout the narrative, which is careful to reflect the diverse sentiments and experiences of the progressive waves of emigres. The author's attempt to define a cultural identity succeeds in validating the multidimensional nature of both a strong nationalism and the desire for a self-created home. Black-and-white photographs of contemporary politicians, celebrities, citizens, and scenes are sectioned in the middle of the text, and endnotes follow every chapter. The appendix contains immigration and population statistics, a brief outline of Cuban-American history, a list of notable exiles, and a short bibliography. The combination of historical and cultural approaches makes this concise and engaging narrative a welcome addition.-Kate Foldy, Northern Kentucky Univ., Highland Heights, KY

School Library Journal

Captures the struggles and dreams of Cuban Americans. Examines the controversial details of Cuban immigration such as patterns of immigration, adaptation to American life and work, cultural and religious traditions, women's roles, the family, adolescence, language, education, and economic and political issues. An epilogue addresses the post-Castro era. Contains three appendices. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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