Of Flights and Flotillas: Assimilation and Race in the Cuban Diaspora

Abstract

Recent work on the integration of immigrants suggests that the process of assimilating into American society often occurs along fragmented paths. The segmented assimilation theory contends that discrimination and unequal opportunities affect processes of adaptation. This article considers this theory in the context of how the adaptation of Cuban émigrés differs along lines of race. Using data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census 5 percent Public Use Microdata Samples, we investigate the process of assimilation and settlement among the Freedom Flight and Mariel Cuban exiles in Miami. Results suggest that the speed and degree of assimilation differs according to race, subject to nationality and period of arrival.

El trabajo reciente relacionado con la integración de inmigrantes sugiere que el proceso de su asimilación dentro de la sociedad americana a menudo ocurre por sendas fragmentadas. La teoría de la asimilación segmentada sostiene que la discriminación y las oportunidades inequitativas afectan el proceso de adaptación. Este artículo considera esta teoría dentro del contexto de la manera como la adaptación de emigrantes cubanos difiere en términos de líneas de raza. Utilizando datos del 5 por ciento de la Muestra de Microdatos para Uso Público de los Censos de los Estados Unidos de 1990 y 2000, investigamos el proceso de asimilación y asentamiento entre cubanos exiliados en Miami, que hicieron parte de los grupos Freedom Flight y Mariel. Los resultados sugieren que la rapidez y grado de asimilación difieren de acuerdo con raza, nacionalidad y época de llegada.

Key Words:

• Cuban
• Florida
• immigrants
• race
• segmented assimilation

关键词:

• 古巴
• 佛罗里达州
• 移民
• 种族
• 分割同化

Palabras clave:

• cubanos
• Florida
• inmigrantes
• raza
• asimilación segmentada

Acknowledgments

KELLY WOLTMAN is a public policy professional and received her master's degree in 2007 from the School of Geography and Earth Sciences at McMasterUniversity, Hamilton,Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]. Her research interests include immigrants, demographics, and population health.

K. BRUCENEWBOLD is a Professor in the School of Geography and Earth Sciences at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada. Email: [email protected]. His research interests include migration, immigration, and health issues.

Notes

*Coefficient value significant at p < 0.05.

*Coefficient value significant at p < 0.05.

*Coefficient value significant at p < 0.05.

*Coefficient value significant at p < 0.05.

1 Miami continues to serve as a strong magnet for Cubans moving within the United States and has a strong ability to retain its Cuban population (results not shown).

2 Throughout this analysis the Miami–Fort Lauderdale CMSA is referred to as Miami.

3 Although worthy of exploration, investigating the latest wave of Balseros émigrés is beyond the scope of this analysis. The Balsero wave began in 1990 and continued until 1996, providing only one reference point in time within the context of this study.

4 Although the Mariel Boatlifts took place over a relatively short period of time compared to the Freedom Flights (which occurred over a nine-year period), we expand their period of arrival to create a comparable cohort for our analysis that fits data constraints in terms of period of arrival. The overwhelming majority of Cubans that entered the United States between 1980 and 1989 entered within the first year.

5 Tenure is not included in the regression equations as it is not a determinant of income.

6 A full discussion of race and race theory incorporating Latinos (Latinas) vis-à-vis blacks and whites is beyond the scope of this article. Readers are directed to the series of articles in a special issue of The Professional Geographer, volume 54, number 1 (2002), edited by Richard Schein, which explore geography and race and racism in North America, as well as the individual articles by authors in this collection. Dunn's (1997) Black Miami in the Twentieth Century provides a historical interpretation of race history in Miami and the impact of Cuban immigration.

7 The New York Times reports, for example, that many Cubans would no longer return home, even with a change in the country's leadership (Lacey 2007).