How has the Cuban Americans prospered in America?

Answer 1

The Cuban revolution was communist and therefore targeted the assets and priveleges of the middle and upper classes and sought to redistribute those assets and priveleges to the rest of society in order to create a classless society which is the goal of communism. The Middle and upper class people who stayed in Cuba had their assets seized and redistributed and their priveleges typically revoked. Many middle and upper class Cubans chose instead to sell their nonliquid assets and migrate. These middle and upper class Cubans were typically some combination of educated professionals, prosperous business people or large landowners. These upper and middle class immigrants had a background of education, professional accomplishment, prosperity or ownership of large agricultural estates. They possess a culture of prosperity, conservatism, ambition, financial acumen, political savvy and a strong work ethic.

Cuban immigrants tend to be very conservative politically and also Cuban immigration tends to be supported by the conservative establishment as Cuban out-migration discredits the philosophy of Communism. Liberals tend to be pro-immigrant in general so Cubans uniquely are welcomed on both sides of the political spectrum. Other Latin American immigrants come with strong labor movements, less education or a more relaxed work ethic and so arouse Conservative ire.

The United States of America is capitalist and strongly opposes communism as official policy. Part of that policy was that refugees or defectors from communist countries were given automatic assylum in the United States. Therefore, Cuban immigrants/refugees who make it to Florida, which can be done by paddling in a makeshift raft, are given assylum, settlement assistance and the right to work legally.

Lastly, as is typical in Latin America, the middle and upper classes are either entirely of European ancestry (typically Spanish or, in Brazil, Portuguese) or they have a greater than average proportion of European ancestry and lighter skin.

So, to summarize. Qualities that set the typical Cuban immigrant apart from the typical immigrant from elsewhere in Latin America:

1) White or lighter skin and therefore less or no racism. More acceptance, easier to blend in.

2) Legal refugee status and short term government refugee settlement assistance

3) Background of education, professional accomplishment, prosperity or ownership of large agricultural estates. A culture of prosperity, ambition, financial acumen, political savvy and conservatism.

4) Political support across the spectrum

5) Oftentimes Cubans who fled the revolution came to the USA with significant financial assets. This is also true of Mainland Chinese who arrived fleeing Communism in the late forties and early fifties. They also have done very well in the USA.

6) Most Cubans immigrated to Florida which has a very similar climate to Cuba and is full of immigrants from the rest of Latin America as well. The culture, climate and informal lifestyle of South Florida is less of a culture shock than faced by Puerto Ricans in New York or Mexicans in Chicago, for instance.

Some other, minor factors:

7) Cubans have a good reputation in the rest of Latin America. Mexicans and Peruvians, particularly, are viewed poorly by other Latin Americans. Mexicans tend to be stereotyped as thieves and Peruvians as savages who eat cats and dogs.

8) Before the revolution, Havana was a big tourist center with Americans. Gambling was particularly big. My grandparents had fond memories of their trip to Havana on a cruise. Cuba did not have the reputation for dangerous street crime that Mexico and Puerto Rico had.