LFB Scholarly

"This book impressively critiques the established common generalizations about Cuban immigrants and their acceptance in local U.S. society….The main thesis of this work is that Cuban economic and social success cannot be understood without acknowledging ‘the extensive role the US government played in accepting, assisting, and resettling Cuban refugees’….Recommended. All levels/libraries.” – Choice

Description

Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, Current offers a fresh approach to a topic that has received a fair amount of attention. She questions traditional narratives on first and second wave Cuban immigration that construct a monolithic Cuban experience and identity. This traditional singular identity and experience is the basis of the Exile Model, which presents Cubans as overtly political, highly educated, universally white, economically successful, residents of Miami, and martyrs of Castro’s revolution. This oversimplification ignores the structural assistance that facilitated the Cuban “success story,” the racial and economic plurality of Cuban immigration, and the existence of Cuban communities outside of Miami.

About the Author

Cheris Brewer Current is an Assistant Professor in the Willma Hepker School of Social Work and Sociology at Walla Walla College.