Cuba
Why does Cuba have a refugee crises?
History of Cuba
Cuba is a small island about 100 miles off the coast of southern Florida. It was part of the Spanish empire until it gained independence after the Spanish-American War of 1898. From the 1920s until 1959, a series of dictators ruled Cuba. In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution and overthrew the dictatorship. Castro started a communist style of government, which means that private wealth was taken away - all businesses would belong to the government.
As relations with the United States became bad, many rich Cubans fled the island and settled in Florida. Castro allied his nation with the Soviet Union (Russia) and ruled as a dictator. In 1962, the United States detected Soviet missiles in Cuba, which led to a crisis that almost caused a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and United States. For many years, the United States has imposed a trade and travel embargo on Cuba - which means they wouldn't interact with Cuba. The country's people became very poor, and increasingly lost their rights to the government.
Refugee Crises of the 1980s and 1990s
Two island nations in the Caribbean - Cuban and Haiti - sent floods of refugees to the United States in the 1980s and 1990s. The United States had long had a policy of accepting all refugees from Cuba. Because its people were fleeing a communist dictatorship, it considered them victims of political oppression. It had returned most Haitian refugees, because it considered them as fleeing poverty and not political issues. However, after many Cubans started coming in the 1980s, the influx of boat people from both nations caused many Americans to rethink what we should do about these refugees.
When asked why they decided to leave their homes, Cubans talked about the difficult living conditions. They mentioned the lack of fresh vegetables and the rationing (limited amounts) of rice and meat. They complained about unemployment and low wages. Some said that they were fed up with the police constantly watching them. "They ask for your I.D. card everywhere," said one refugee. "They're always watching you. People are afraid to talk." Castro had several reasons for allowing people to leave Cuba. The mass exodus relieved the pressures for food and other goods. Also, it gave Castro the chance to get rid of those critical of his government. In a May Day rally held in Havana, Castro shouted, "We don't want them, we don't need them!"
Cuba is a small island about 100 miles off the coast of southern Florida. It was part of the Spanish empire until it gained independence after the Spanish-American War of 1898. From the 1920s until 1959, a series of dictators ruled Cuba. In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution and overthrew the dictatorship. Castro started a communist style of government, which means that private wealth was taken away - all businesses would belong to the government.
As relations with the United States became bad, many rich Cubans fled the island and settled in Florida. Castro allied his nation with the Soviet Union (Russia) and ruled as a dictator. In 1962, the United States detected Soviet missiles in Cuba, which led to a crisis that almost caused a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and United States. For many years, the United States has imposed a trade and travel embargo on Cuba - which means they wouldn't interact with Cuba. The country's people became very poor, and increasingly lost their rights to the government.
Refugee Crises of the 1980s and 1990s
Two island nations in the Caribbean - Cuban and Haiti - sent floods of refugees to the United States in the 1980s and 1990s. The United States had long had a policy of accepting all refugees from Cuba. Because its people were fleeing a communist dictatorship, it considered them victims of political oppression. It had returned most Haitian refugees, because it considered them as fleeing poverty and not political issues. However, after many Cubans started coming in the 1980s, the influx of boat people from both nations caused many Americans to rethink what we should do about these refugees.
When asked why they decided to leave their homes, Cubans talked about the difficult living conditions. They mentioned the lack of fresh vegetables and the rationing (limited amounts) of rice and meat. They complained about unemployment and low wages. Some said that they were fed up with the police constantly watching them. "They ask for your I.D. card everywhere," said one refugee. "They're always watching you. People are afraid to talk." Castro had several reasons for allowing people to leave Cuba. The mass exodus relieved the pressures for food and other goods. Also, it gave Castro the chance to get rid of those critical of his government. In a May Day rally held in Havana, Castro shouted, "We don't want them, we don't need them!"