The Cuban Experience in Florida: Revolution and Exodus

Resettlement Re-Cap (1963-1969)
Information for Teachers

Background Information

Resettlement Re-Cap was published by the Cuban Refugee Center in Miami for distribution to government agencies involved in the Cuban Refugee Assistance Program (CRA). The publication primarily consisted of human interest stories about the progress of resettlement efforts for Cuban refugees.

This publication highlights efforts at the local, state and federal levels to provide assistance to Cuban Refugees. It also provides insight into the experiences of refugees in Florida and elsewhere who participated in the CRA program.

The CRA was an unprecedented effort brought about by the mass exodus of Cubans from their homeland following the Revolution of 1959. From the early 1960s to the mid-1990s, more than one million Cubans immigrated to the United States. The majority settled in South Florida.

At the national level, the CRA was an important component of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War. The U.S. hoped that programs like the CRA would help improve the reputation of the American government around the world. The CRA also allowed the U.S. to oppose the government of Fidel Castro by strengthening the Cuban exile community.

At the local level, the CRA helped alleviate social and economic problems created by the influx of Cuban refugees into Miami and South Florida. If not for federal assistance under the CRA, Florida and especially Miami-Dade County could not have assumed the financial costs of the Cuban refugee crisis.

1963

1964

1965

1967

1968

1969

Use to Illustrate:

• The efforts of the U.S. government and the state of Florida to manage the Cuba refugee crisis.
• The experience of Cuban refugees with the CRA.
• The type of assistance made available to Cuban refugees by the CRA.
• The hardships and successes experienced by Cuban refugees.

Questions for Students

Teachers should divide students into groups. Each group should read one page of Resettlement Re-Cap and answer the questions below. Advanced students could read a single issue for themselves, or several issues in order to formulate more complex and detailed responses.

1. What can you learn about Cuban refugees from the Resettlement Re-Cap newsletter?
2. What was your favorite story from the newsletter?
3. Do you think this newsletter helps you better understand the experiences of Cuban refugees? If yes, how?

Sample Answers

1. The newsletter provides insight into the personal experiences of Cuban refugees. (Students should elaborate with examples from the text.)
2. (Answers will vary.)
3. (Answers will vary.)

Additional Relevant NGSSS

• SS.912.A.7.16: Examine changes in immigration policy and attitudes towards immigration since 1950.
• SS.4.A.8.2: Describe how and why immigration impacts Florida today.
• SS.912.A.7.11: Analyze the foreign policy of the United States as it relates to Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.
• SS.912.W.8.2: Describe characteristics of the early Cold War.
• SS.7.C.4.3: Describe examples of how the United States has dealt with international conflicts.