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The March of Thousands: Some Considerations on the Incorporation of New Cuban Americans into the South Florida Political Culture
The ideological socialization process that incorporates new migrants into the South Florida uncompromising political culture is relentless. The identity of the community seems to depend on maintaining a cold war position on US/Cuba relations.
by Guillermo J. Grenier May 10, 2023 in It is not easy OnCubaNews.com
Between October 2021 and February 2023, almost 353 thousand Cubans have entered the United States, almost all coming through the Mexico/U.S. border. The migrants represent 3.5 percent of the total population of the island nation and between 5–6 percent of the active labor force. For a country of 11 million people, this is a significant event.
The exodus is the most dramatic symptom of the many ailments plaguing Cuban society. From the U.S. economic embargo to the profound aftershocks of a pandemia that eliminated the fledging tourism industry, to a leadership criticized for being uninspiring, inept, or just plain wrong, the burdens of living in Cuba are so overwhelming that thousands of Cuban citizens have decided to risk it all by undertaking a costly and dangerous exodus.