The Cubans are the third largest Spanish-speaking minority in the country, the largest in the southeast. In a poll taken, the median age is 34. The male to female ratio is fifty-fifty and 95 percent of the Cubans live in urban areas. The early waves of immigrants are now in higher-class jobs and the upper managerial positions. The latest group to arrive in the United States has shown to increasingly take lower level jobs. The Cubans that come to the United States represent a large section of our population, especially in South Florida.

When the first Cubans arrived after Castro took over, they were poor, and many times had to share a small house or apartment with many families. At first, this problem was not noticed. The first organization to lend a hand was the Catholic Church. They opened refugee centers to provide shelter for homeless Cubans and began to develop schools for these children. The congregations of these churches noticed the plight of these refugees and began to spread the news of their struggle.

The country's realization of these problems was the essential part into turning their lives around. The news started to show these struggles and started to show the next wave of immigrants landing on our shores. Because of this media coverage, the American people first began to see how communism had spread its influence to Cuba. When arriving in the US, legally, the immigrants were inspected. Then they were either returned home or released in the US. Many ended up living at one of the Catholic hospices. No matter what sort of education or wealth a person possessed in Cuba, here they were treated and lived the same as the immigrants from other nations.

The national government stepped in when they believed that these immigrants began to jeopardize national security. The government noticed the same type of migration out of Cuba as there was out of other communist nations. Because we were in such a struggle against communism, we recognized Cuba as our latest threat and, therefore, made the burgeoning Cuban refugee population heroes of the Cold War. Congress rationalized this tactical spin by saying that these people gave up their homes and their lives to take their chances in a foreign country and therefore should be commended for their courage. Because of these statements made to congress, thousands of dollars were allocated into refugee assistance.

The direct result of having all this money solely for the purpose of supporting the Cubans produced the Cuban middle-class. Many people opened their own businesses and in a very short time many Cubans had established successful businesses. The most important action that happened within Miami's large Cuban community was the establishment of Calle Ocho, eighth street in Little Havana. This became one of the most important communities for Miami Cubans.

The public's view towards Cubans only changed in a few ways. First, some people were unhappy that so many Cubans were entering the community. This happens with every type of immigrant group; therefore, one cannot say that this is strictly an anti-Cuban phenomenon. A more prevalent complaint was that Cuban storeowners were taking over shops that had been established for many years. For example, an Italian storeowner, on Calle Ocho, who had owned the shop for twenty-six years, was forced to sell to a Cuban because the Cubans would mainly buy from other Cubans. This ethnic solidarity put him out of business. These types of situations, however, are also common to most immigrant groups. A segment of the American population sometimes becomes upset when foreigners come into the country and begin taking jobs from more established Americans. So once again this is not an argument against just the Cubans in our country.

In conclusion, this event has had a large effect on our country, especially in Miami. Cubans have landed here to escape communism and have done a good job of making a positive name for themselves. The Bay of Pigs caused a rush of immigration into the country and caused many to live in poverty for a time. In leaving Cuba and coming to the US, Cubans took some jobs away from already established businessmen. Despite these tensions, Cuban-Americans have lived relatively well; this is especially true in comparison to the living conditions they left behind on their home island.

Jason Berry