Migration As An Issue In U S Cuban Relations

Between revolution and counterrevolution -- The legacy of violence -- A time for dialogue? -- The crisis of 1980 -- Acting as a "superhero"? -- The two contrary currents -- Making foreign policy domestic?

In the summer of 1994, the Caribbean Sea became the scene of a mass exodus of Cubans as they launched their homemade rafts in the direction of the United States. What were the origins of this "rafters crisis"? Why did the U.S. government decide that those Cubans would not be automatically admitted as they had been previously, and instead intern them at the Guantanamo Naval Base? How was this wave of Cuban migration different from those that preceded it? How has this migration - and the Cuban emigre community - been used by Washington against Cuba since the 1959 revolution? And why has this policy become such an important U.S. domestic issue? Jesus Arboleya, an authority on Cuban migration, presents a detailed review of the different waves of Cuban migration to the United States. Arboleya considers how a lessening of the intransigence on both sides of the Florida Straits has led to the migration accords between Washington and Havana. He asks whether these accords reflect a possible new direction in the tumultuous relationship between the neighboring nations.

Two decades ago affairs between the United States and Cuba had seen little improvement from the Cold War era. Today, U.S.-Cuban relations are in many respects still in poor shape, yet some cooperative elements have begun to take hold and offer promise for future developments. Illustrated by the ongoing migration agreement, professional military-to-military relations at the perimeter of the U.S. base near Guantánamo, and professional Coast Guard-Guardafrontera cooperation across the Straits of Florida, the two governments are actively exploring whether and how to change the pattern of interactions. The differences that divide the two nations are real, not the result of misperception, and this volume does not aspire to solve all points of disagreement. Drawing on perspectives from within Cuba as well as those in the United States, Canada, and Europe, these authors set out to analyze contemporary policies, reflect on current circumstances, and consider possible alternatives for improved U.S.-Cuban relations. The resulting collection is permeated with both disagreements and agreements from leading thinkers on the spectrum of issues the two countries face—matters of security, the role of Europe and Latin America, economic issues, migration, and cultural and scientific exchanges in relations between Cuba and the United States. Each topic is represented by perspectives from both Cuban and non-Cuban scholars, leading to a resource rich in insight and a model of transnational dialogue.

"Examines the impact of international migration on the society and culture of Cuba since the colonial period"--Provided by publisher.