Cuban Migration in Germany: Analysis and Perspective Between Two Countries
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Cuban Migration in Germany: Analysis and Perspective Between Two Countries Inauguraldissertation zur Erlangung des akademisches Grades Doktorin der Philosophie am Fachbereich Politik- und Sozialwissenschaften der Freien Universität Berlin vorgelegt von Lena Pérez Naranjo Erstgutachterin: Prof. Dr. Helgard Kramer Fachbereich Politik und Sozialwissenschaften Institut für Soziologie Freie Universität, Berlin Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Werz Institut für Politik und Verwaltungswissenschaft Universität Rostock Datum der Disputation: 23. Januar 2013 To my mother with love Daisy Naranjo Alba Gracias mami … ii Acknowledgment This study was possible due to the participation of many persons, who in different stages of the research gave me their comments and support. In first place I would like to thank the participants of the study, they did not hesitate in telling me their stories and were cooperative any time I needed to talk to them. To all of them, thank you! I’m also grateful to the foundation Friedrich Naumann in Germany. From the first moment I presented my project they supported the idea. Without them it would have been not possible to work intensively during the last three years. I would also like to thank my partner Florian. He brought Germany closer to me, believed that I could accomplish the project and supported me when I was lagging behind. My gratefulness goes also to my first supervisor Prof. Dr. Helgard Kramer. Being in her colloquium gave me the strength to learn the German language, as well as theories and methods in sociology. She had always an open ear and mind when discussing about Cuba and gave me orientation when I needed it. I also thank my second supervisor Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Werz for believing in the project and letting me know that I could make it. Finally I would like to thank Sarah, Elke, Michaela, Uschi, Magda, Emilio, Vera, Ulrike, Wolfgang, Martha, Ana, Nicole, Sabine, Lotti, Karlheinz, each of them, sometimes without knowing it, made possible that I could make steps forward. And of course, thanks a lot to my little daughter Eloisa, for being healthy and have a beautiful smile. She made me strong and made me distinguish, what is essential to what is not. iii Preface While I’m writing the last pages about the Cuban migration in Germany, the Cuban migration law of 1976 is about to be modified. The law 1312 of October 2012 will be in force from the 14th January 2013 onwards. The main changes correspond to the derogation of the invitation letter and the exit permit. Any Cuban, who will like to travel, will need only his or her passport and the visa to the country they want to visit. These two modifications will change the conception of traveling out of the island and staying abroad. Cubans, who want to travel, won’t be classified as contra revolutionary. They will be just human beings wanting to go from one place to the other in search of knowledge, new perspectives or just for the fun of being in movement. The stories here described are the struggles of many Cubans when they had decided to go to another country. How they had to fight their way in order to reach their goals. Going abroad, and in this case staying in Germany was a carefully planned strategy, which took sometimes years to be accomplished. These are the stories of people who left precious things behind, who left family and friends with the uncertainty if they could return or when they could return. Long before preparing their luggage they had to fight their way among the many corridors of the Cuban bureaucracy and only their persistency and objectives saved them of not getting mad in this attempt. The year 2013 will open new perspectives to the future Cuban travelers. The stories that are to come will be told in another book. The stories told here are already part of the Cuban migration history. iv Abstract The present study deals with the migration of Cubans to Germany. This migration flow depends on one hand on broader international migration movements, on the other hand on Cuban politics towards migration. My first concern is to contribute to fulfill the gap regarding central issues of this migration movement. Due to the characteristics of the Cuban migration, it should be possible to differentiate this migration flow from other migration movements from Latin America to Europe. The two main problems of research are motivations Cubans have for migration as well as the procedures they have to follow when they travel abroad. The other problem is related to difficulties they face in their integration process into the German society and how the Cuban diaspora in Germany maintains relations with its country of origin. Both questions will be explored using the qualitative methodology of Grounded Theory. From its theoretical perspective this research is anchored in new migration theories like the ‘transnational migration’ and related concepts like social network and social capital. Individual and family decisions for migration are at the center of the analysis. From the historical perspective I explore how the Cuban migration flow to Germany was and is influenced by the different political constellations since 1960 in the receiving country. At that time Germany was divided into GDR and FRG Cubans arrived in the GDR to study and/or work as part of exchange programs. Arriving in the FRG was only possible through marriage with a FRG citizen. After the reunification it is possible that Cubans travel to Germany especially due to private reasons. Regarding the motivations leading to migration it was found that being discontent with the political system and dissatisfaction regarding the economic situation in Cuba were conditions participants took into account when deciding for migration. Especially for professionals it was found that difficulties they faced in obtaining a liberation letter and exit permit, made them later take the decision to remain in Germany. As it will be shown, in the case of Cuba, politic-economic conditions play a central role when deciding for migration. Once in Germany, it is supported the finding that Cubans attempt to be integrated in the German society at politic, economic and cultural level. Integration in Germany is close related to the migration politic in Cuba. Hence, being deprived of their civil rights when they are considered migrants by the Cuban government or the obstacles they face in case they want to return permanently to Cuba, make them struggle for their integration in Germany. Though Cuba treats its migrants as if they were not part of the Cuban nation, Cuban migrants maintain relations with their country of origin and through remittances they support their relatives in Cuba and contribute from abroad to the Cuban economy. v Table of Contents Introduction …………………………………………………... 1 Research Aims, Questions, and Intended Outcomes ………. 14 Chapter 1 Migration Theories …………………………………………... 16 Transnationalism in a broader context ……………………... 21 Transnationalism: Origins and development ……………….. 21 Transnationalism and cross-cutting concepts ……………… 27 Social networks ……………………………………………... 27 Social capital ………………………………………………... 29 Remittances in transnational context ……………………….. 31 Transnationalism and Integration ………………………........ 33 Chapter 2 Four migration waves from Cuba Four migration waves from Cuba (1959-1994) …………….. 37 “Golden Exile” (1959-1962) ………………………………... 37 Camarioca and “Freedom Flights” (1965-1973) ……………. 42 Mariel boatlift (1980) ……………………………………….. 46 Rafter crisis (1994) ………………………………………….. 51 Summary ……………………………………………………… 57 Chapter 3 Cuban migration in Germany Revolutionary Cuba and the divided Germany ……………. 63 Cuban students in the GDR …………………………………. 66 Cuban workers in the GDR …………………………………. 74 Cuban-German families in Cuba and the GDR …………….. 85 Cuba and the FRG …………………………………………... 94 Revolutionary Cuba and the reunified Germany ………….. 96 Political, economic, cultural, and scientific cooperation between Cuba and Germany ………………………………… 103 Political relations between Cuba and Germany from 1990 until the present ………………………………………………... 103 Economic relations between Cuba and Germany …………... 112 Cultural relations between Cuba and Germany …………….. 116 Some considerations about the current situation in Cuba and its relation to the EU and Germany ……………………………. 118 Summary ……………………………………………………… 124 Chapter 4 Methodology Using qualitative methodology ……………………………... 130 Grounded Theory as methodology employed ………………. 132 Origin and Development of Grounded Theory ……………... 135 Conducting the research ……………………………………... 140 Data collection ……………………………………………… 143 Overview of the sample …………………………………….. 144 vi Conducting interviews and transcription …………………… 145 Theoretical sampling and coding procedure ……………….. 150 Initial coding ………………………………………………... 153 Focused coding ……………………………………………... 156 Axial coding ………………………………………………… 158 Theoretical coding …………………………………………... 161 Memos ………………………………………………………. 163 Theoretical sensitivity and reflexivity ………………………. 165 Chapter 5 Findings Farewell Cuba…Forever? …….…………………………….. 168 Living conditions in Cuba before departure ……………….. 168 Attaining educational level in Cuba ………………………… 169 Having a job ………………………………………………… 171 Having a family and/or relationship, but where? …………… 176 Having a place to live ……………………………………….. 182 Changing political view …………………………………….. 184 Summing-up ‘Living conditions in Cuba before departure’ ... 187 Strategies for leaving the country …………………………… 188 Planning a strategy to leave the country ……………………. 189 Meeting someone ……………………………………………