Cuban Americans

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Cuban Americans (Spanish: cubanoestadounidenses^[8] or cubanoamericanos^[9]) are Americans who immigrated from or are descended from immigrants from Cuba, regardless of racial or ethnic origin. As of 2023, Cuban Americans were the third largest Hispanic and Latino American group in the United States after Mexican Americans and Stateside Puerto Ricans.^{[citation needed]}

Many metropolitan areas throughout the United States have significant Cuban American populations.

Early migrations

Before the

1869 marked the beginning of one of the most significant periods of emigration from Cuba to the United States, again centered on Key West. The exodus of hundreds of workers and businessmen was linked to the manufacture of tobacco. The reasons are many: the introduction of more modern techniques of elaboration of snuff, the most direct access to its main market, the United States, the uncertainty about the future of the island, which had suffered years of economic, political and social unrest during the beginning of the Ten Years' War against Spanish rule. It was an exodus of skilled workers, precisely the class in the island that had succeeded in establishing a free labor sector amid a slave economy.[16]

The manufacture of snuff by the Cuban labor force, became the most important source of income for Key West between 1869 and 1900.^{[citation needed]}

Tampa was added to such efforts, with a strong migration of Cubans, which went from 720 inhabitants in 1880 to 5,532 in 1890. However, the second half of the 1890s marked the decline of the Cuban immigrant population, as an important part of it returned to the island to fight for independence. The War accentuated Cuban immigrant integration into American society, whose numbers were significant: more than 12,000 people.^[17]

The population of Cuban Americans has experienced a surge in growth once again with the arrival of the 2021–23 Cuban migration wave to the United States, where Cubans were intercepted at the Southern border over 300,000 times.^[18]

Key West and Tampa, Florida

In the mid- to late 19th century, several cigar manufacturers moved their operations to Key West to get away from growing laboral and political problems.^[19] Many Cuban cigar workers followed. The Cuban government had even established a grammar school in Key West to help preserve Cuban culture. There, children learned folk songs and patriotic hymns such as "La Bayamesa", the Cuban national anthem.^{[citation needed]}

In 1885, Vicente Martinez Ybor moved his cigar operations from Key West to the town of Tampa, Florida to escape labor strife. Ybor City was designed as a modified company town, and it quickly attracted thousands of Cuban workers from Key West and Cuba with Spanish and Italian immigrant workers. West Tampa, another new cigar manufacturing community, was founded nearby in 1892 and also grew quickly. Between these communities, the Tampa Bay area's Cuban population grew from almost nothing to the largest in Florida in just over a decade, and the city as a whole grew from a village of approximately 1000 residents in 1885 to over 16,000 by 1900.^[20]

Both Ybor City and West Tampa were instrumental in Cuba's eventual independence.

Several other small waves of Cuban emigration to the U.S. occurred in the early 20th century (1900–1959). Most settled in Florida and the northeast U.S. The majority of an estimated 100,000 Cubans arriving in that time period usually came for economic reasons (the Great Depression of 1929, volatile sugar prices and migrant farm labor contracts),[24] but included anti-Batista refugees fleeing the military dictatorship, which had pro-U.S. diplomatic ties. During the '20s and '30s, emigration from Cuba to U.S. territory, basically comprised workers looking for jobs, mainly in New York and New Jersey. They were classified as labor migrants and workers, much like other immigrants in the area at that time. Thus migrated more than 40,149 in the first decade, encouraged by U.S. immigration facilities at the time and more than 43,400 by the end of the 30s.^{[citation needed]}

Subsequently, the flow of Cubans to the United States fluctuated, due to both the domestic situation in the 40s and 50s in Cuba, and U.S. immigration policies, plus intermittent anti-immigrant sentiment. Cuban Migration in those years included, in addition to workers, a small mass of the population who could afford to leave the country and live abroad. The U.S. was considered a favored destination by the Cuban bourgeoisie and the middle classes of society, to send their children to school, take vacations and bring some of their capital to establish small and medium-sized businesses.^{[citation needed]}

The Cuban population officially registered in the United States for 1958 was around 125,000 people including descendants. Of these, more than 50,000 remained in the United States after the revolution of 1959.^[17]

Post-1959 revolution (since 1959)

After the

Some banks pioneered loans for exiles who did not have collateral or credit but received help in getting a business loan. These loans enabled many Cuban Americans to secure funds and start up their own businesses. With their Cuban-owned businesses and low cost of living, Miami, Florida and Union City, New Jersey (dubbed Havana on the Hudson)^[25][26] were the preferred destinations for many immigrants and soon became the main centers for Cuban-American culture. According to author Lisandro Perez, Miami was not particularly attractive to Cubans prior to the 1960s.^[27]

It was not until the exodus of the Cuban exiles in 1959 that Miami started to become a preferred destination. Westchester within Miami-Dade County, was the area most densely populated by Cubans and Cuban Americans in the United States, followed by Hialeah in second.^[28]

Communities like Miami, Tampa and Union City, which Cuban Americans have made their home, have experienced a profound cultural impact as a result, as seen in such aspects of their local culture as cuisine, fashion, music, entertainment and cigar-making.^[29][30]

1980s

Another large wave (an estimated 125,000 people) of Cuban immigration occurred in the early 1980s with the Mariel boatlifts. Most of the "Marielitos" were people wanting to escape from economic stagnation.^{[citation needed]}

Fidel Castro sent some 20,000 criminals directly from Cuban prisons, as well as mentally ill persons from Cuban mental institutions, with the alleged double purpose of cleaning up Cuban society and poisoning the USA. Those people were labeled "inadmissible" by the US government, and with time, through many negotiations, have been returned to Cuba.^{[citation needed]}

Mid-1990s to 2000s

Since the mid-1990s, after the implementation of the "Wet feet, dry feet" policy immigration patterns changed. Many Cuban immigrants departed from the southern and western coasts of Cuba and arrived at the

Jorge Ferragut, a Cuban immigrant who founded Casa Cuba, an agency that assists Cuban immigrants arriving in Texas, said in a 2008 article that many Cuban immigrants of the first decade of the 21st century left due to economic instead of political issues.[32] By October 2008 Mexico and Cuba created an agreement to prevent immigration of Cubans through Mexico.^[33][34]

In recent years,^[when?] Puerto Rico has become a major drop-off point for Cubans trying to reach the United States illegally. As a U.S. Commonwealth, Puerto Rico is seen as a stepping stone for Cubans trying to get to the continental U.S., though Puerto Rico itself is home to a number of Cubans.^[35]

The population of Cuban Americans has experienced a surge in growth once again with the arrival of the 2021–23 Cuban migration wave to the United States, where Cubans were intercepted at the Southern border over 300 thousand times.^{[citation needed]}

Immigration policy

Before the 1980s, all refugees from Cuba were welcomed into the United States as political refugees. This changed in the 1990s so that only Cubans who reach U.S. soil are granted refuge under the "wet foot, dry foot policy". While representing a tightening of U.S. immigration policy, the wet foot, dry foot policy still affords Cubans a privileged position relative to other immigrants to the U.S. This privileged position is the source of a certain friction between Cuban Americans and other Latino citizens and residents in the United States, adding to the tension caused by the divergent foreign policy interests pursued by conservative Cuban Americans. Cuban immigration also continues with an allotted number of Cubans (20,000 per year) provided legal U.S. visas.^{[citation needed]}

According to a U.S. Census 1970 report, Cuban Americans were present in all fifty states. But as later Census reports demonstrated, the majority of Cuban immigrants settled in Miami-Dade County. Emigration from Cuba began to slow down in the late 1990s. Meanwhile, second-generation Cuban Americans increasingly moved out of urban enclaves like Little Havana and settled in suburban areas like Westchester, while those urban areas came to be inhabited by immigrants from other Latin American nations.^[36]

In late 1999, U.S. news media focused on the case of Elián González, the six-year-old Cuban boy caught in a custody battle between his relatives in Miami and his father in Cuba. The boy's mother died trying to bring him to the United States. On April 22, 2000, immigration enforcement agents took Elián González into custody. González was returned to Cuba to live with his father.

On January 12, 2017, President

]

U.S. states with largest Cuban-American populations

State or territory	Cuban-American population (2020 Census)[44][45]	Percentage (2020)	2010 census[46][47]	Percentage (2010)[note 1][13]
Alabama	6,289	0.1%	4,064	0.1%
Alaska	1,105	0.1%	927	0.1%
Arizona	17,635	0.2%	10,692	0.2%
Arkansas	2,287	0.1%	1,493	0.1%
California	97,083	0.2%	88,607	0.2%
Colorado	13,260	0.1%	6,253	0.1%
Connecticut	10,486	0.3%	9,490	0.3%
Delaware	2,065	0.2%	1,443	0.2%
District of Columbia	2,620	0.3%	1,789	0.3%
Florida	1,455,289	6.7%	1,213,438	6.5%
Georgia	36,875	0.3%	25,048	0.3%
Hawaii	2,008	0.1%	1,544	0.1%
Idaho	1,345	0.1%	825	0.1%
Illinois	25,130	0.2%	22,541	0.2%
Indiana	6,940	0.1%	4,042	0.1%
Iowa	3,112	0.1%	1,226	0.0%
Kansas	4,174	0.1%	2,723	0.1%
Kentucky	21,269	0.4%	16,824	0.2%
Louisiana	15,340	0.3%	10,330	0.2%
Maine	1,312	0.1%	783	0.1%
Maryland	12,830	0.2%	10,366	0.2%
Massachusetts	14,024	0.2%	11,306	0.2%
Michigan	14,142	0.1%	9,922	0.1%
Minnesota	5,080	0.1%	3,661	0.1%
Mississippi	2,425	0.1%	2,063	0.1%
Missouri	7,620	0.1%	4,979	0.1%
Montana	769	0.1%	421	0.0%
Nebraska	6,331	0.2%	2,152	0.1%
Nevada	33,028	1.0%	21,459	0.8%
New Hampshire	1,912	0.1%	1,349	0.1%
New Jersey	83,471	0.9%	83,362	0.9%
New Mexico	5,351	0.2%	4,298	0.2%
New York	75,115	0.3%	70,803	0.4%
North Carolina	29,233	0.2%	18,079	0.2%
North Dakota	682	0.1%	260	0.0%
Ohio	10,895	0.1%	7,523	0.0%
Oklahoma	4,376	0.1%	2,755	0.1%
Oregon	7,770	0.1%	4,923	0.1%
Pennsylvania	23,324	0.2%	17,930	0.1%
Rhode Island	1,912	0.1%	1,640	0.1%
South Carolina	10,586	0.2%	5,955	0.1%
South Dakota	809	0.1%	265	0.0%
Tennessee	13,889	0.2%	7,773	0.1%
Texas	111,432	0.4%	46,541	0.2%
Utah	3,240	0.1%	1,963	0.1%
Vermont	721	0.1%	510	0.1%
Virginia	20,964	0.2%	15,229	0.2%
Washington	11,277	0.1%	6,744	0.1%
West Virginia	1,096	0.0%	764	0.0%
Wisconsin	5,436	0.1%	3,696	0.1%
Wyoming	411	0.0%	275	0.0%
United States	2,245,686	0.7%	1,785,547	0.6%

US metropolitan areas with largest Cuban populations

The largest populations of Cubans are situated in the following metropolitan areas (Source: Census 2023):[48]

1. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL MSA – 1,560,875
2. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA – 200,621
3. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA-CT MSA – 165,233
4. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA – 80,327
5. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX MSA – 79,005
6. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA
   – 74,405
7. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA MSA
   – 47,331
8. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA – 44,634
9. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA
   – 35,896
10. Naples, FL MSA
    – 34,535
11. Jacksonville, FL MSA – 27,850
12. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI MSA – 25,522
13. Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN MSA – 24,502
14. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA – 20,384
15. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA MSA
    – 19,300
16. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA – 17,097
17. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA – 16,527
18. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSA
    – 13,555
19. Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA
    – 13,538
20. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA MSA – 12,371

U.S. communities with high percentages of people of Cuban ancestry

The top 25 US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Cuban ancestry are (all of which are in Florida while the top 22 are in

1. Hialeah, Florida 84.1%
2. Westchester, Florida 81%
3. Coral Terrace, Florida 79.7%
4. West Miami, Florida 78.9%
5. University Park, Florida 77.9%
6. Olympia Heights, Florida 75.9%
7. Hialeah Gardens, Florida 75.6%
8. Tamiami, Florida 73.1%
9. Medley, Florida 69.9%
10. Sweetwater, Florida 68.5%
11. Palm Springs North, Florida 67.2%
12. Miami Lakes, Florida 65.2%
13. Kendale Lakes, Florida 64.9%
14. Fontainebleau, Florida 59.4%
15. Miami, Florida 52%
16. Miami Springs, Florida 45.5%
17. Richmond West, Florida 44.4%
18. Coral Gables, Florida 40.2%
19. Virginia Gardens, Florida 39.1%
20. South Miami Heights, Florida 38.70%
21. Kendall, Florida 38%
22. West Tampa, Florida
    35%
23. Miami Beach, Florida 32.5%
24. Ybor City, Florida
    30.2%
25. Golden Gate, Florida 28.2%

U.S. communities with the most residents born in Cuba

For total 101 communities, see the reference given. Top 20 U.S. communities with the most residents born in Cuba are (all of which are located within the Miami Florida area):^[49]

1. Hialeah, Florida 64.5%
2. Westchester, Florida 60.8%
3. Coral Terrace, Florida 56.9%
4. West Miami, Florida 56.5%
5. South Westside, FL 54.3%^[50]
6. University Park, Florida 53.1%
7. Hialeah Gardens, Florida 52.5%
8. Medley, Florida 50%
9. Tamiami, Florida 49.7%
10. Olympia Heights, Florida 48.2%
11. Sweetwater, Florida 48.2%
12. Westwood Lakes, Florida 44.9%
13. Sunset, Florida 38.7%
14. Fontainebleau, Florida 38.3%
15. North Westside, FL 36.4%^[51]
16. Miami, Florida 36.3%
17. Miami Lakes, Florida 34.1%
18. Palm Springs North, Florida 32.8%
19. Kendale Lakes, Florida 32.7%
20. Kendale Lakes-Lindgren Acres, FL 31.3%^[52]

According to the 2023 American Community Survey, there were 1,800,900 immigrants from Cuba in the US,^[53] the top counties of residence being:

1. Miami-Dade, Florida – 925,000
2. Broward, Florida – 80,400
3. Hillsborough, Florida – 75,000
4. Palm Beach, Florida – 44,100
5. Harris, Texas – 29,900
6. Lee, Florida – 28,700
7. Collier, Florida – 24,300
8. Clark, Nevada – 23,300
9. Orange, Florida – 23,100
10. Hudson, New Jersey – 21,100
11. Los Angeles, California – 19,300
12. Jefferson, Kentucky –- 16,000
13. Union, New Jersey – 9,600
14. Maricopa, Arizona – 8,300
15. Bergen, New Jersey – 8,000

According to the 2017-2021 American Community Survey,^[54] there were 1,313,200 immigrants from Cuba in the US, the top counties of residence being:

1. Miami-Dade, Florida – 683,800
2. Hillsborough, Florida – 61,900
3. Broward, Florida – 61,400
4. Palm Beach, Florida – 37,000
5. Lee, Florida – 29,000
6. Harris, Texas –- 26,200
7. Clark, Nevada – 21,700
8. Collier, Florida – 20,400
9. Orange, Florida – 19,800
10. Hudson, New Jersey – 19,200
12. Los Angeles, California – 16,200
13. Jefferson, Kentucky – 11,900
14. Duval, Florida – 7,700
15. Pinellas, Florida – 7,600
16. Union, New Jersey – 6,800

Culture

Assimilation

Many Cuban Americans have assimilated themselves into the American culture, which includes Cuban influences.

Cuban Americans live in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and

More recently,^[when?] there has been substantial growth of new Cuban American communities in places like Louisville, Kentucky, the Research Triangle area of North Carolina,^[55] Katy, Texas, and Downey, California; the latter city now has the second-highest percentage of Cubans and Cuban Americans in the Western United States at 1.96% of the population.^[28]

Cuban Americans have been very successful in establishing businesses and developing political clout in Miami. Cuban Americans have also contributed to and participated in many areas of American life including academia, business, acting, politics, and literature.^{[56] [57]}

In the last 15 years,^[

Religion

Roman Catholic, but some Cubans practice syncretic religions (such as Santería or Ifá), which evolved from mixing the Catholic religion with the traditional African religion. There are also many Protestant (primarily Pentecostal) Cubans, with small numbers of syncretist, nonreligious or tiny communities of Jewish and Muslim Cuban Americans. The Protestant movement in Cuba started after the Spanish–American War when many Americans came to Cuba. Language See also: Cubonics Similar to the 67% of other Latinos, 69% of Cubans under 18 speak a language other than English at home. For Cubans over the age of 18, the percent speaking a language other than English at home climbs to 89%, which is higher than the 80% among other Latino groups.[59] Only 12% of Cubans under the age of 18 speak English less than very well, which is much lower than the 20% among other Latino groups.[59] While roughly half of all Cuban-Americans indicate that they feel more proficient in Spanish, around 60% of all Cuban-Americans do speak English proficiently.[60] 36% of all Cuban-Americans consider themselves bilingual.[60] The choice of many Cuban-Americans to utilize Spanish in the home connects to the desire of Cuban-Americans to retain their ethnic heritage. While many Cuban-Americans are open to some assimilation into American culture, ultimately they still consider themselves a unique group of people who bear their own traditions and perspectives.[60] Food and drink See also: Cuban cuisine batido de mamey (mamey milkshake), papayas and guava paste. A common lunch staple is the Cuban sandwich (sometimes called a mixto sandwich), which is built on Cuban bread and was created and standardized among cigar workers who traveled between Cuba and Florida (especially Ybor City) around the turn of the 20th century.[61][62][63] Cuban versions of pizza contain bread, which is usually soft, and cheese, toppings, and sauce, which is made with spices such as Adobo and Goya onion. Picadillo, ground beef that has been sautéed with tomato, green peppers, green olives, and garlic is another popular Cuban dish. It can be served with black beans and rice, and a side of deep-fried, ripened plantains. Beverages cafe con leche for a larger cup. Also, a cortadito is 50% milk and 50% coffee, while a cafe con leche has more milk than coffee (about 75% to 25%)[64] A common soft drink is Jupiña, Ironbeer and Cawy lemon-lime are soft drinks that originated in Cuba. Since the Castro era, they are also produced in Miami. Other famous Cuban drinks include guarapo de caña. A popular drink of Cuban origin is the Cuba Libre, a mix of Cuban rum and cola, usually Coca-Cola and mojitos. Politics See also: Cuban-American lobby and Dialoguero Until the early 2010s, Cuban Americans historically tended to be more Bay of Pigs invasion left many Cubans distrustful of the Democratic Party, blaming John F. Kennedy for his handling of the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion.[65] Cuban exiles began an alliance with the Republican Party of Florida. In Florida, Cuban-American congressmen have tended to be Republican, beginning with Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Joe Garcia, a Democrat, is an exception). The presence of Cubans in the Republican Party was highlighted by the 2016 presidential race, which featured U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio as prominent candidates, both of whom are of Cuban descent. But in New Jersey, another state with many Cuban Americans, Cuban-American congressmen have tended to be Democrats, for example, Representative Albio Sires and Senator Bob Menendez. Ronald Reagan is particularly popular in the Cuban-American community for standing up to Soviet communism and Fidel Castro's so-called "exportation of revolution" to Central America and Africa (there is a street in Miami named for Reagan),[66][67][68] and George W. Bush received 75 and 78 percent (in 2000 and 2004 respectively) of the Cuban-American vote. The Cuban-American lobby has also lobbied both parties on causes important to Cuban Americans. In recent years, the Cuban-American vote has become more contested between the parties. In the Cuban government.[73][74] In regards to the Filipino Americans.[76] Socioeconomics The median household income for U.S.-born Cuban Americans is $57,000, higher than the overall U.S. median household income of $52,000.[77] However, the median annual personal earnings for foreign born Cuban Americans is $25,000, which is lower than that of US population at $30,000.[77] Around 20% of Cuban-Americans live in poverty, compared to 25% of Latinos generally and 16% of non-Hispanic Americans.[60] The ability of the average Cuban-American to out-earn the average Latino makes it easier for Cuban-Americans to avoid poverty.[60] Historically, Cuban-Americans have also enjoyed greater benefits due to their "refugee" status within U.S. immigration policy.[60] These benefits, such as those provided by the Cuban American Act of 1966, have allowed Cuban-Americans to enjoy an easier time of navigating economic obstacles.[60] Education Among U.S.-born Cuban Americans, 36% have a college degree or higher, compared to 30% for the overall U.S. population. Of foreign-born Cuban Americans, 27% have a college degree. This is higher than the U.S. Latino population (14%) but lower than that of the overall U.S. population.[77] According to the Pew Research Center, Cuban-Americans 25 or older who emigrated to the United States after 1990 have the highest graduation rate, at 26%.[78] According to this same data, Cuban-Americans 25 or older who entered the United States before 1980 had a graduation rate of 24%, while those entering between 1980 and 1990 had a graduation rate of 13%.[78] The decline in graduation rate from 1980 to 1990 can in part be attributed to the presence of Afro-Cubans among immigrants, who generally favor more poorly in multiple areas due to systemic inequalities in Cuba.[60] Almost half of all Cuban-Americans have at least a high school diploma.[78] Part of a series on Hispanic and Latino Americans National origin groups Argentine Americans Bolivian Americans Brazilian Americans Chilean Americans Colombian Americans Costa Rican Americans Cuban Americans Dominican Americans Ecuadorian Americans Guatemalan Americans Honduran Americans Mexican Americans Nicaraguan Americans Panamanian Americans Paraguayan Americans Peruvian Americans Stateside Puerto Ricans Salvadoran Americans Spanish Americans Uruguayan Americans Venezuelan Americans History Americans by ancestry Cuban Hispanic Isleños of Louisiana Mexican Puerto Ricans Political movements Chicano Movement Latino American politics Organizations Association of Hispanic Arts Congressional Hispanic Caucus Congressional Hispanic Conference LULAC MALDEF MEChA NALEO NALFO National Council of La Raza National Hispanic Institute RNHA SHPE UFW USHCC Culture Literature Music Poetry Religion Studies Languages English Spanish Cuban Isleño Mexican New Mexican Puerto Rican United States Spanish Spanglish Portuguese Portuglish Indigenous languages of Latin America Ethnic groups Californio Chicano Isleño Nuevomexicano Puerto Ricans Nuyorican Tejano Asian Hispanic and Latino Americans Black Hispanic and Latino Americans White Hispanic and Latino Americans Lists Communities with Latino majority Latino Americans Puerto Rico  Hispanic and Latino Americans portal v t e Notable Cuban Americans For a more comprehensive list, see List of Cuban Americans. In the United States Congress Ten Cuban Americans currently serve in the United States Congress. There have been eleven Cuban-American US representatives elected from Florida, two from New Jersey and New York, and one each from Texas, Ohio and West Virginia. *Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator from Florida (since 2011) *Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator from Texas (since 2013) *Bob Menendez, U.S. Senator from New Jersey (since 2006) * Maria Elvira Salazar , Congresswoman from Florida's 27th Congressional District (since 2021) *Carlos A. Giménez, Congressman from Florida's 26th Congressional District (since 2021) *Albio Sires, Congressman from New Jersey's 13th Congressional District (2006–2013), and 8th Congressional District (since 2013) Three United States Senators : Ted Cruz, Republican, Texas (since 2013) Bob Menendez, Democrat, New Jersey (since 2006), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 13th district (1993–2006) Marco Rubio, Republican, Florida, (since 2011) Seven are United States Representatives: Mario Díaz-Balart, Republican, Florida's 21st congressional district (2011–2013), and Florida's 25th congressional district (2003–2011) (since 2013) Alex Mooney, Republican, West Virginia's 2nd district (since 2015) Maria Elvira Salazar , Republican, Congresswoman from Florida's 27th Congressional District (2021–present) Carlos A. Giménez, Republican, Congressman from Florida's 26th Congressional District (2021–present) Nicole Malliotakis, Republican, Congresswoman from New York's 11th Congressional District (2021–present) Maxwell Frost, Democrat, Congressman from Florida's 10th Congressional District (2023–present) Rob Menendez, Democrat, Congressman from New Jersey's 8th Congressional District (2023–present) Former Congressmen: Carlos Curbelo , Republican, Florida's 26th district (2015–2019) Lincoln Díaz-Balart, Republican, Miami, U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2011) Joe Garcia, Democrat, Florida's 26th congressional district (2013–2015) Mel Martínez, Republican, U.S. Senator from Florida (2005–2009) David Rivera, Republican, Miami, U.S. House of Representatives (2011–2013) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican, Florida's 27th congressional district (1989–2019), first Cuban-American elected to Congress Anthony Gonzalez, Republican, Ohio's 16th District (2019–2023) [79] Albio Sires, Democrat, New Jersey's 13th congressional district (2006–2013), and New Jersey's 8th congressional district (2013–2023) In state government Cuban Americans have had much success at the state level. In Florida, where Cuban-American legislators hold more seats than anywhere else in the nation, pro-democracy, anti-Castro, and anti-Chavez legislation is often promoted and passed even though states cannot dictate foreign policy. Even in states where Cuban Americans are not concentrated in large numbers they have had successes especially in New Jersey, where albeit a tiny minority concentrated in Union City, Elizabeth, and Newark, they have had enormous political successes.[citation needed] Lieutenant Governor of Florida Carlos Lopez-Cantera (2014–2019) Jeanette Nunez, Lieutenant Governor of Florida (since 2019) U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 16th district Anthony Gonzalez (since 2019) John Couriel (since 2020) Florida State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez (since 2020) In Florida: Frank Artiles, Republican, former Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 118th district José Félix Díaz, Republican, former Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 116th district Manny Díaz, Jr. , Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 103rd district Miguel Díaz de la Portilla, former Republican, Member of the Florida Senate from the 40th district Anitere Flores, Republican, former Member of the Florida Senate from the 37th district Erik Fresen, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 114th district Ileana Garcia, Republican, Member of the Florida Senate from the 37th district (since 2020) René García, Republican, Member of the Florida Senate from the 38th district Eduardo Gonzalez, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 111th Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Republican, former Lieutenant Governor of Florida, (2014–2019) Jeanette Núñez, Republican, Lieutenant Governor of Florida , (since 2019), Former Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 119th district José R. Oliva, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 110th district Ana Maria Rodriguez, Republican, Member of the Florida Senate from the 39th district (since 2020) José Javier Rodríguez , Democrat, Member of the Florida Senate from the 37th district (2016–2020), House of Representatives from the 112th district (2012–2016) Mike La Rosa, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 42nd district Carlos Trujillo, Republican, Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 105th district In Maryland: Wes Moore,[80] Democrat, 63rd Governor of Maryland, (since 2023) In New Hampshire: John H. Sununu, Republican, Governor of New Hampshire, (1983–1989) Christopher T. Sununu, Republican, Governor of New Hampshire , (since 2017) In New Jersey: Marlene Caride. Democrat, New Jersey Carmelo Garcia, Democrat, New Jersey Angelica Jimenez, Democrat, Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 32nd Legislative District (since 2012) Vincent Prieto, Democrat, Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly (since 2014), Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 32nd Legislative District (since 2004) In New York: Nicole Malliotakis, Republican, Staten Island, Member of the New York General Assembly from the 64th district In Connecticut: Art Linares, Republican, Westbrook, Member of the Connecticut State Senate from the 33rd district In Nevada: Moises "Mo" Denis, Democrat, Member of the Nevada Senate from the 2nd district In Virginia: Jason Miyares, Republican, Virginia Beach, Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 82nd district and Attorney General of Virginia (since 2022) Export-Import Bank of the United States in the George W. Bush administration and later named Director of Immigration and Naturalization Services under the Department of Homeland Security. In 2006, Eduardo Aguirre was named US ambassador to Spain. Cuban Americans have also served other high-profile government jobs including White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu (R) Mauricio Claver-Carone serves as the President of the Inter-American Development Bank . Florida-based businessman and Cuban exile Elviro Sanchez made his multimillion-dollar fortune by investing the proceeds of his family's fruit plantations. He is one of the most low-profile philanthropists in the Southern States. Judicial positions: Danny Boggs is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (since 1986) Barbara Lagoa is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (since 2019) Florida Supreme Court (since 2009) Florida Supreme Court (since 2020) Florida Supreme Court . (2002–2008) Notable people José Martí José Raúl Capablanca Carlos Finlay Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Consuelo Montagu, Duchess of Manchester Richard Blanco Alfred-Maurice de Zayas Oscar Hijuelos Ambrosio José Gonzales Alicia Alonso Calixto García Alejandro Mayorkas Television and entertainment Desi Arnaz Mel Ferrer Andy García Eva Mendes Cameron Diaz Cesar Romero JoAnna Garcia Gina Torres Bella Thorne William Levy Christina Milian César Évora Enrique Murciano Néstor Carbonell Danny Pino Marilyn Milian Ana de Armas David Gallagher Cristina Saralegui Raúl De Molina Lili Estefan Raúl Esparza Daisy Fuentes Estelita Rodriguez Singers, songwriters and musicians Celia Cruz Gloria Estefan Camila Cabello Arturo Sandoval Emilio Estefan Sammy Davis Jr. Pitbull B-Real Willy Chirino Ernesto Lecuona Bebo Valdés Cris Cab Jencarlos Canela Fat Joe Olga Guillot Jon Secada Paquito D'Rivera Sen Dog Athletes Al Montoya Dara Torres Ryan Lochte Amy Rodriguez Kiko Alonso Tino Martinez Luis Gonzalez Dolf Luque Aric Almirola Willy Miranda Reggie Otero J. D. Martinez Bronson Arroyo Aroldis Chapman Brook Lopez Robin Lopez John Carlos Monica Puig Luis Tiant J. P. Arencibia Alex Avila Frank Mir Jose Canseco Tony Pérez Yoenis Céspedes José Fernández Orlando Hernández Liván Hernández Jorge Posada See also Floridanos Cubans in Florida Afro-Cubans Canarian people Caribbean Americans Chinese Cubans Ciboney Cuban-American lobby Cuban exile Cuban Canadians Cuban immigration to the United States Cubans Cubans in Miami CubaOne Foundation Cuba–United States relations El Bloqueo Filipino Cubans Guanahatabey Haitian Americans Haitian Cubans History of Cuban Americans History of Ybor City Isleños List of Cuban Americans Mayaimi Nationalities and regions of Spain Spanish immigration to Cuba Taíno Tequesta General: Diaspora politics in the United States Hyphenated American Notes ^ Percentage of the state population that identifies itself as Cuban relative to the state/territory" population as a whole. References ^ U.S. Census Bureau . 2022. 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Retrieved July 14, 2008. ^ "South Westside, Florida (FL 33165) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders". www.city-data.com. Retrieved August 26, 2017. ^ "North Westside, Florida (FL 33178) profile". City-data.com. Retrieved August 26, 2017. ^ "Kendale Lakes-Lindgren Acres, Florida (FL 33183) profile". City-data.com. Retrieved August 26, 2017. ^ "U.S. Immigrant Population by State and County". migrationpolicy.org. February 4, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2021. ^ "U.S. Immigrant Population by State and County". migrationpolicy.org. February 4, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2023. ^ Matt Saldaña, "Raleigh's Cuban community: Their stories, their views on Obama's new diplomacy", Indy Week. ^ "15 Famous Cuban-Americans". Time. December 17, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2017. ^ "Ancestry in the United States". StatisticalAtlas.com. April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2017. ^ "The Cuba Connection". Articles.Sun-Sentinel.com. January 10, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2017. ^ a b Sonya Tafoya (December 6, 2004). "Shades of Belonging" (PDF). Pew Hispanic Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2008. ^ ISBN 978-3-319-95737-1 , retrieved April 1, 2022 ^ Andrew Huse. "Welcome to Cuban Sandwich City". Cigar City Magazine. Archived from the original on July 4, 2007. ^ Linda Stradley (2004). "History of Cuban Sandwich, Cubano Sandwich". What's Cooking America website. Archived from the original on April 21, 2005. The Miami Herald. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 31, 2009. ^ "Café Con Leche- the Best Latte You've Never Had". February 22, 2021. S2CID 20038544. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015. ^ Stuart, Reginald (May 20, 1983). "Miami's Community of Republican Cubans Awaits Reagan with Excitement". The New York Times. ^ Weinraub, Bernard (May 22, 1987). "Wooing Cuban-Americans in G.o.p." The New York Times. ^ "Miami's Cuban-Exi p.9les Mourn Ronald Reagan - 2004-06-09 | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. ^ Cave, Damien (April 21, 2009). "U.S. Overtures Find Support Among Cuban-Americans". The New York Times. ^ Casey Woods (November 6, 2008). "Presidential and Congressional Candidate Cuba Watch: Analysis of Cuban American vote". Candidatecubawatch.blogspot.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015. ^ Marc Caputo (November 8, 2012). "Poll: Obama got big share of Cuban American vote, won among other Hispanics in Florida". Miamiherald.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2015. ^ "More U.S. Cubans Are Shifting To Democratic Party". NBC News. June 24, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014. ^ Kelly Riddell (November 15, 2016). "Trump won over Cubans in Florida, in possible backlash against Obama's Cuba detente". The Washington Times. Retrieved September 23, 2017. ^ Cristina Lopez-Gottardi (November 16, 2016). "The Complex Cuban Vote. Trump won the Cuban-American vote in Florida, but the constituency hasn't shown stable party allegiance". usnews.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020. ^ "The Cuban revolution explains why younger Cuban Americans supported Trump". The Washington Post. November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020. ^ a b San Martín, Nancy (January 12, 2021). "Miami's Spanish-Language Media Is Overrun With Trumpist Conspiracies". Foreign Policy. Retrieved February 17, 2021. ^ a b c López, Gustavo (September 15, 2015). "Hispanics of Cuban Origin in the United States, 2013: Statistical Profile". Pew Research Center. Retrieved April 3, 2017. ^ a b c "Cubans in the United States". Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project. August 25, 2006. Retrieved April 1, 2022. ^ Wehrman, Jessica. "Former Ohio State, NFL Football player joins Congress". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved January 6, 2019. ^ @iamwesmoore (November 9, 2022). "Last week, I lost my grandmother" (Tweet) – via Twitter. Further reading Álvarez-Borland, Isabel. Cuban-American Literature and Art: Negotiating Identities (State University of New York Press, 2009). Bishin BG, Klofstad CA. "The Political Incorporation of Cuban Americans: Why Won't Little Havana Turn Blue?" Political Research Quarterly. 2012;65(3):586-599. Boswell, Thomas D., and James R. Curtis. The Cuban American Experience: Culture, Images, and Perspectives (Rowman and Allanheld, 1983). Buffington, Sean T. "Cuban Americans". in Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2014), pp. 591–605. online De la Garza, Rodolfo O., et al. Latino Voices: Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Perspectives on American Politics (Westview Press, 1992). De La Torre, Miguel A., La Lucha for Cuba: Religion and Politics on the Streets of Miami, (University of California Press, 2003). Diaz, Carmen (2008). Siete jornadas en Miami (in Spanish) (1ra ed.). Miami, FL: Alexandria Library. ISBN 978-1-934804-26-1 . Interviews with Cuban-American women in Miami about Cuban-American identity. García, María Cristina. Havana USA: Cuban Exiles and Cuban Americans in South Florida, 1959–1994 (U of California Press, 1996). González-Pando, Miguel. The Cuban Americans (Greenwood Press, 1998). Herrera, Andrea O'Reilly, ed. Remembering Cuba: Legacy of a Diaspora (U of Texas Press, 2001). Kami, Hideaki, "Ethnic Community, Party Politics, and the Cold War: The Political Ascendancy of Miami Cubans, 1980–2000", Japanese Journal of American Studies (Tokyo), 23 (2012), 185–208. Gustavo Pérez Firmat, Life on the Hyphen: The Cuban-American Way. Austin: The University of Texas Press, 1994. Rpt. 1996, 1999. Revised and expanded edition, 2012. Portes, Alejandro and Alex Stepick. City on the Edge: The Transformation of Miami (U of California Press, 1993). External links Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) Cuban American National Council (CNC) Andres Schipani, "Expats Flock to Cuba as U.S. Reforms Spark A Party", The Observer, May 31, 2009 The Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami "Cubans in Miami, an historical perspective" Center for Cuban Studies (CCS), providing resource materials to educational and cultural institutions. Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cuban_Americans&oldid=1219687049"