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I don't think so.
Cuban culture hasn't crept into Anglo culture like the Mexican culture has. I'm old enough to remember when eating a taco was an exotic meal.
Maybe Florida has been affected by Cubans more than Mexicans, but the entire western half of our country has a much longer and more widespread Mexican influence, and it's been going on in the west long before the Anglos took over the territory. In terms of numbers, the Mexicans who moved here to stay are a tremendously larger group than the Cubans.
Cuba and Puerto Rico both have tropical island cultures. While both have contributed greatly to our society, neither has been a fraction as important as Mexico in making us who we are.
You omitted to mention the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 which allows Cubans to become permanent residents (1 year of being physically present). That actually is a BIG help that has hastened the integration of Cubans into US society and being able to become citizens faster and gain political power (especially in South Florida).
I concur that the Cubans coming into the US have generally higher levels of education - which is also a very important factor in their success in getting into the US mainstream.
The Mexicans with higher education generally stay in the country. The ones that immigrate to el Norte do so out of necessity - no economic prospects in the villages, for example.
Those Mexican illegal aliens CAN stay right in Mexico, they ain't starving to death there. Mexican legal aliens who follow our laws coming here I'm def Ok with.
I don't think so.
Cuban culture hasn't crept into Anglo culture like the Mexican culture has. I'm old enough to remember when eating a taco was an exotic meal.
Maybe Florida has been affected by Cubans more than Mexicans, but the entire western half of our country has a much longer and more widespread Mexican influence, and it's been going on in the west long before the Anglos took over the territory. In terms of numbers, the Mexicans who moved here to stay are a tremendously larger group than the Cubans.
Cuba and Puerto Rico both have tropical island cultures. While both have contributed greatly to our society, neither has been a fraction as important as Mexico in making us who we are.
Unfortunately, much of this Mexican influence here is via illegal immigration. That is neither natural nor lawful. It's an invasion. Mexico/Mexicans isn't who we are. They are a sub-culture in this country.
I agree. Learning English would be a start. That fact alone disqualifies most Cubans as being the most assimilated Hispanic ethnic group.
I haven't been to Miami but I imagine that most Cubans know English. However, like the Mexicans they refuse to speak it unless they have to. That is non-assimilation to me.
Although I agree Cuban Americans are industrious and value education, I've met and worked with El Salvadorans, Colombians, Argentinians, Brazilians and Chileans who were ALL industrious, hardworking and value the same things other Americans do. People who make an effort to leave their countries for a better life usually are more educated, industrious and hard working than the ones who stay behind.
As far as "assimilated" -- not even sure what that means any more. When I was growing up, many of my friends had grandparents from European countries who emigrated and lived here, but still did not speak much English. Many of those who have emigrated here intend to "retire" to their countries of origin or at least in the region. A Vietnamese salon owner I know who was born here is totally assimilated with a family, but intends to retire to Singapore. Young Cuban-Americans I worked with want to return to Cuba and start a business when the Castro regime finally falls, although they are totally assimilated.
You wish that ALL immigrants USA receives were like Cubans. USA is taken the best of thegenetic pool from Cuba. Cuba itself was created from a world genetic pool, notonly from Spain as people believe. Those immigrants lied to stay in Cuba backthem, and Cuba let them stay, as Cuba had an immigration policy from late 1800up to 1950’s.
The US has TAKEN the "best of the genetic pool from Cuba?!! Like hell it has. The "best of the genetic pool" ran from Cuba when they should have stayed and fought for their country. There was no "taking" - ever!
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Cuba was among the top 2-3 countries in latinoamerica back in 1959. The level ofeducation in Cuba is higher that many of the latinoamerican counter parts. For instance, there are more med schools in Cuba (11 millions) nowadays than inSouth Africa (50 millions) (I know SA is not in LA, but it is a good example), and the Universities in Cuba are tuff to students. You have to put things in perspective. Cuba isa tiny island, but despite so, it has a world class music. In case you don’tknow: son cubano (commercially called salsa), cha-cha-cha, mambo, guanguanco,rumba, timba, bolero, danzon, and many others. Cuba has el ballet nacional de cuba,a unique world class ballet, whose former dancers are first dancers in the restof the other (“less acclaimed”) dancing ballets (Royal London ballet, Boston,San Francisco, etc). Cubans have now 5 professional world boxing champions,check the USA-baseball teams to see howgood Cubans tare doing here now, many researchers (e.g. the one who discovered who wasthe transmitter of the yellow fever), and many others. Among these people, USAis taking the best.
If Cuba was so wonderful for all of its citizens back in 1959, why was there a revolution??
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The Mexicans, who get into USA, are NOT the best from Mexico. If case you don’tknow, the public (the best there) Universities in Mexico are free of charge, sothose that get into, are good. How many of the illegal Mexicans have Universitydegrees? How many PR (those who came to USA from the 40’s) were collegegraduated? The gene pool of people is important. Those with University degree,are very keen that their kids follow the same path, so those new generationsare successful. That is the key of the Cuba success, which is cementing theirpower. It is not about the quantity but about the quality. There are few jewsin USA compared to Mexicans, but who are most influential? This is the case ofthe Cubans, which are sometimes called “los judios del caribe”.
I've been observing Cubans and the remnants of Cuban culture since 1959 - there is nothing special about them.
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There are alot of lies about the “help” Cubans receive. There is no help of scholarships, specialloans, or anything like that. Cubans in general dislike help, as help resemblesthem communism. The help paralyze people, make them dependent, something everyCuban knows the outcome of that: NO success. Cubans come to USA “to eat theworld” (=comerse el mundo) by their own. The others who complain about it arethose after the “help”. Cubans in general don’t see themselves as victims, butsee USA as a land where their faiths are in their hands. So what the hell toget help? In addition, the visas given in Cuba to Cubans (about 20 000/year)are to those who have the possibility to contribute to USA, so once again, USAis handpicking and getting the best of the Cuba’s gene pool. It is the reverseas the “standard” immigration you see elsewhere. Not surprise Cubans are so successfulin USA.
Text in bold is BS. Cubans don't need visas to be allowed into the US - all they need to do is set one foot on American soil and they are here to stay. I remember 1981 and Mariel when 100,000+ Cubans came to Miami with no documentation whatsoever - so much for "hand picking and getting the best of Cuba's gene pool."
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Instead of focusing on envy the Cuban’s achievements, and this and that, better to worryabout other groups, who are a threat to USA security.
In case youdon’t know, it is said that Salvadoreños have surpassed the Cubans when itcomes to among of people here, many illegals. The point is that it is unknownhow many of them are part of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13),who are classified as the worse threat to USA security, just second afterAl-Quaida. The MS-13 are getting members from other people from Central American countries.
Regarding the word of “assimilation”: That is a nice word which covers discrimination, humiliation,negation, etc to the new comers. People get “assimilated” when they are bulliedby the majority, so they repress their heritage, etc. Florida is basically aredneck state, so what the hells you are going to let the rednecks todiscriminate you (as they did at the beginning to Cubans) until Cubans took mattersin their own hand, and eventually, the best gene pool won, the Cubans
No immigrant group in the history of the US has been granted the extraordinary special privilege that has been granted to Cubans for for almost 50 years: there is no such thing as an illegal Cuban immigrant. They make it to this country, they are fast tracked to US citizenship. That is the ONLY reason why Cubans have achieved so much in such a short time. There is nothing - NOTHING - special about their gene pool.
Yes they think that it is fair to compare Mexican immigrants, few of whom even graduated high school, with Cubans, the earliest waves were disproportionately professionals, executives and skilled workers, and so had the ability to not only fit in economically, but also to help subsequent waves do so as well.
I agree. Learning English would be a start. That fact alone disqualifies most Cubans as being the most assimilated Hispanic ethnic group.
Actually most Cubans do speak English. Because they OWN Miami, they feel that they should make you also know Spanish. The reality is that Miami is the business center for Latin America so it does pay to know Spanish, just as it pays to know English if you live in Panama City.
No immigrant group in the history of the US has been granted the extraordinary special privilege that has been granted to Cubans for for almost 50 years: there is no such thing as an illegal Cuban immigrant. They make it to this country, they are fast tracked to US citizenship. That is the ONLY reason why Cubans have achieved so much in such a short time. There is nothing - NOTHING - special about their gene pool.
Of all the Hispanic migrants clearly Puerto Ricans have it easiest as they are US citizens. Cubans might have it easy ARRIVING in the USA, but they clearly have a hard time LEAVING Cuba. So one has to be a very resourceful type, and exceedingly ambitious to go through all that they must to leave that island, not knowing what their fate will be on arrival in the USA.
Clearly Cubans outperform the major Hispanics groups when measured by their education, household income and occupation. They way outperform Puerto Ricans.
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