The Portable Island: Cuban Diaspora Views on Integration and U.S. Policy

Speakers:

• Ruth Behar, Professor of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Anthony DePalma, Writer-in-Residence, Seton Hall University
• Christopher Sabatini, Senior Director of Policy, AS/COA; Editor-in-Chief, Americas Quarterly
• Lucía M. Suárez, Assistant Professor of Spanish at the Romance Languages and Literatures Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Michele Wucker, Executive Director, World Policy Institute (Introductory Remarks)

Summary

At the Americas Society and Council of the Americas launch of The Portable Island: Cubans at Home in the World editors Lucía M. Suárez and Ruth Behar discussed along with other Cuba experts, the current state of the Cuban diaspora and the human costs of the United States’ 50-year embargo against the island. Panelists also looked at future policy implications for Cuba’s transition, given the country’s large population living abroad.

Speaking from experience on the personal consequences of U.S. policies designated to isolate the Cuban government, panelists noted non-governmental paths toward increased dialogue between Cubans living abroad and those on the island. Discussants also speculated on the implications of the new administration’s policies toward Cuba—some of which have opened the door for dialogue between the two governments, but have yet to reinstate policies that allow for greater cultural, educational and therefore, personal exchange.

The Human Costs of Isolation

Cuba’s relationship with the outside world goes beyond Havana and Miami, Suárez said—acknowledging the diversity of the Cuban diaspora community. However, the U.S.-Cuba relationship is unique in its degree of isolation between the two closely located neighbors. She and Behar shared personal anecdotes from The Portable Island that illuminate the identity crises and the sense of landlessness and pain that many Cuban exiles experience. They stressed the need for greater personal exchange between Cubans at home and abroad, citing U.S. travel restrictions that have kept some families apart for over four decades. Panelists agreed that more exchanges would depend both on policy changes from Washington and on grassroots efforts that would facilitate cultural and educational dialogue.

While discussants concluded that a more open relationship between the two countries is necessary, they voiced concerns about the potential social costs of a more open Cuban state. Christopher Sabatini noted the growing disparities on the island between Cubans who receive remittances from abroad and those who do not, while other panelists noted that Afro-Cubans are less likely to be employed by the hotels that cater to foreign tourists (one of the few lucrative employment options)—deepening economic disparities along racial lines.

Panelists also urged restraint on the part of the Cuban exiles, some of whom may be eager to reclaim property that was expropriated, noting an obvious clash of ideals and beliefs between those who have lived under Castro’s regime and those who were exiled. However, they said that the Cuban diaspora community has changed dramatically since the 1959 revolution. For example, younger Cuban-Americans are less homogenously politically conservative and have fewer emotional ties to the island.

Improving Relations between the U.S. and Cuba
 
Panelists discussed how the Obama administration may change relations with Cuba, given the President’s willingness to set in motion a thawing of tensions with the island. While such diplomatic overtures have not been seen since Jimmy Carter was President, the administration has not yet re-enacted Clinton’s educational and cultural exchanges. However, Obama’s moves to remove limits on remittances and allow for more family visits to the islands, will affect the political landscape both on the island and at home—reuniting families while potentially exacerbating social inequalities between those who do and do not have family abroad. Anthony DePalma encouraged dialogue between both nations and the opening of all ports. All agreed that engagement at the grassroots level would be crucial to improved relations.

Conclusion

The Cuban diaspora is a diverse and dynamic community. As first-generation Cuban exiles age, a less politically homogenous generation, which for the most part does not plan to return to the island will emerge, changing the traditional political tensions between Miami and Havana. Assuming relations between the two countries continue to thaw, it will be crucial that policymakers in Washington and in Havana bear in mind the personal implications of their policies.