Simple and complex, global and parochial, young and old-this is the Cuban American community all at once. In his book, author Guarione M. Diaz depicts the Cuban American experience by chronicling important events, examining pertinent facts (like the impact of Fidel Castro's revolution and rule), and portraying a vibrant community with a distinctive identity. Diaz, president of the Cuban American National Council, reveals many contradictions about his subject. Cuban Americans have retained their native culture while managing to assimilate successfully into American social and political life.Diaz also looks forward to life after Castro and presents likely aftermath scenarios, not to mention an expression of hope for the establishment of a progressive government and society in Cuba. The Cuban American Experience, an increasingly timely and relevant work, will satisfy readers longing for comprehensive, clear understanding of a complicated story.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE IN HISTORY “Full of…lively insights and lucid prose” (The Wall Street Journal) an epic, sweeping history of Cuba and its complex ties to the United States—from before the arrival of Columbus to the present day—written by one of the world’s leading historians of Cuba. In 1961, at the height of the Cold War, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, where a momentous revolution had taken power three years earlier. For more than half a century, the stand-off continued—through the tenure of ten American presidents and the fifty-year rule of Fidel Castro. His death in 2016, and the retirement of his brother and successor Raúl Castro in 2021, have spurred questions about the country’s future. Meanwhile, politics in Washington—Barack Obama’s opening to the island, Donald Trump’s reversal of that policy, and the election of Joe Biden—have made the relationship between the two nations a subject of debate once more. Now, award-winning historian Ada Ferrer delivers an “important” (The Guardian) and moving chronicle that demands a new reckoning with both the island’s past and its relationship with the United States. Spanning more than five centuries, Cuba: An American History provides us with a front-row seat as we witness the evolution of the modern nation, with its dramatic record of conquest and colonization, of slavery and freedom, of independence and revolutions made and unmade. Along the way, Ferrer explores the sometimes surprising, often troubled intimacy between the two countries, documenting not only the influence of the United States on Cuba but also the many ways the island has been a recurring presence in US affairs. This is a story that will give Americans unexpected insights into the history of their own nation and, in so doing, help them imagine a new relationship with Cuba; “readers will close [this] fascinating book with a sense of hope” (The Economist). Filled with rousing stories and characters, and drawing on more than thirty years of research in Cuba, Spain, and the United States—as well as the author’s own extensive travel to the island over the same period—this is a stunning and monumental account like no other.

Today more than one million emigrés make up the Cuban diaspora, and many, though living in America, still consider themselves part of Cuba. This book captures the struggles and dreams of Cuban Americans. Using this resource, students, teachers, and interested readers can examine the engaging and often controversial details of Cuban immigration. Such details include patterns of immigration, adaptation to American life and work, cultural traditions, religious traditions, women's roles, the family, adolescence, language, and education. Because the author is himself a Cuban American, he does not treat the emigr^D'es as mere subjects nor does he tell their story in statistical terms alone. As an insider, he delves deeply into the soul of the community to illustrate all the dimensions of the Cuban American experience. Gonzalez-Pando's unique vantage point yields not just a detailed account of major events that have influenced the development of the Cuban exile community in the United States, but also a knowledgeable interpretation of the impact of those events. He focuses on the community's self-identification as exiles, showing how these reluctant emigr^D'es have found the strength to succeed in America without surrendering their sense of national and cultural identity. A timeline of Cuban American history, biographical sketches of 20 noted Cuban Americans, a bibliography, and photos complete the text. Like its subjects, this book is thought-provoking and inspiring.

Discusses the history, culture, and religion of the Cubans, factors encouraging their emigigration, and their acceptance as an ethnic group in North America.

Bringing together an unprecedented number of extensive personal stories, this book shares the triumphs and heartbreaking moments experienced by some of the first Cubans to come to the United States after Fidel Castro took power in 1959.