YOUTH IN REVOLT? GENERATIONAL CHANGE AMONG CUBAN AMERICANS IN MIAMI by S. Hannah Champion A thesis submitted to the Department of Sociology In conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada (February 2011) Copyright ©Sarah Hannah Champion, 2011 i Abstract The ideological battle fought between the United States and Cuba has been centrally located in Miami, Florida. The ninety miles of ocean separating the two nations serves as a type of no‐mans land, the hypothetical battlefield separating Cuban‐ Americans from their homeland and families across the Florida straits. For decades, the Miami Cuban community was seen as possessing a single identity, one of vehement anti‐Castro sentiment and an ever‐present desire to return to the homeland of their memories and past. However, recent literature has suggested that fissures are becoming more apparent in the façade of absolute unity. The break in ideological singularity has emerged along generational lines, invoking Karl Mannheim’s pioneering work on the sociological analysis of generations. This paper attempts to decipher the extent to which a Mannheimian generation is emerging among the youth of the Cuban‐American population in Miami Florida. Using discourse analysis an analysis of print news media conducted on 16 articles from the Miami Herald and 11 articles from the New York Times was undertaken to gain an understanding of the coverage of two major events seen to have an impact on young Cubans in both Miami and Cuba (Juanes’ concert for peace and the Elian Gonzalez case). This analysis shed light on the extent to which an older generation of Cuban‐Americans maintains control of resources. As expected, the Miami Herald was far more likely to espouse ideology supportive of the exile ideology. It became clear that generational ruptures were recognized only when they did not conflict with the traditional rhetoric of anti‐ ii Castroism and discourse of regime change in Cuba. Without this type of space for vocalizing dissent, it is difficult for a counter‐movement along generational lines to form. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that the exile ideology maintains control over what is considered permissible dialogue in traditional media outlets such as the Miami Herald, pointing to the conclusion that not all voices and opinions are recognized within the Cuban‐American community in Miami. iii Acknowledgements Of course none of this would have been possible without the support and guidance of my supervisor, Dr. Cathie Krull. Her assistance from the beginning in helping me narrow my (very wide) original topic, to the final stages of editing has been much appreciated, and has greatly enhanced my writing abilities. I especially thank her for her understanding throughout a variety of trying times in my personal life as well. I would also like to thank my second reader Dr. Laureen Snider. Her kindness in all aspects of the process, and rapid responses to e‐mails and requests were quite remarkable and made the process much smoother. I would also like to thank my external examiner Dr. Susan Lord for agreeing to serve on my committee, as well as for a wonderful trip to Cuba in the summer of 2009 and for teaching me a great deal about Cuban cinema. In addition, my eternal gratitude goes out to Michelle Ellis, saviour to Sociology grad students. Words cannot describe the great lengths she goes to to ensure every graduate student is taken care of. I would also like to thank Dr. Fiona Kay for providing me with employment and a great deal of guidance throughout my academic career at Queen’s University. This thesis was a long and trying process that crossed over many difficult life events. I would not have gotten through the writing process without the support and kindness of the beautiful people in my life. On many occasions I wanted to quit, to give up – but through the support and friendship of the following people I survived: iv Dad: Thank you for always supporting me (including putting a roof over my head, food on my plate and helping when money got tight). Thank you for never questioning my decisions, and being confident that I am the master of my own life. Your constant confidence in me has provided me with the self‐confidence to always trust my instincts and be independent. Those are the two best gifts a parent could hope to give. B.B.: Thank you for your support both in my academics and life in general. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you (in life, or in school). You are an amazing person, and I cannot thank you enough for your support. We have weathered some very trying times together, and I am so proud that we got out of them alive; it is a true testament to the strength of our friendship. I look forward to whatever the future brings us, and I know that you will always be an important part of my life. J.T.: Thank you for being you and allowing me to be me. You are perfectly aware of my distaste for all things mushy, but you are the closest thing to a sister I’ve got and I love you. Our (many, many, many) visits to Cambodiana and stress‐busting workouts kept me going throughout. The late‐night deliveries at Second Cup were also much appreciated. I can’t wait to see what trouble we can muster up next. M.R.: Thanks for the non‐thesis related conversation and moments of randomness. The many philosophical conversations and utter ridiculousness have helped keep me sane. Fountains, needles, vans in Guelph parking lots, brewery tours and other instances of absurdity and belligerence have been InCrEDiBle. A picture is worth 142 pages, cheese whiz and death spirals. v M.K., S.B., V.W., L.S., D.L., N.W., A.V., S.A. (and everyone else from my cohort I’ve forgotten): The best thing that came of my Master’s were the friends I made. I truly cherish each of you, and hope to maintain our friendships eternally. Thank you for forcing me to be social. Thank you for the laughs, the dinners, the conversations (both academic and random) and most importantly ‐ the dance parties. To the owners and residents of 26 Hamilton and the Tavern, thanks for the parties. Brothers: Thank you for existing, and for grounding me. You both make me so proud to be a part of this family, and inspire me daily. Mom: Thank you for late night edits and drives to and from Kingston. Both made life much easier. Your support is unwavering, and I thank you for that. I love you. Step­parents: Sergio and Ben, thanks for making my parents happy. They’re way easier to deal with that way. Caleb, Joshua, Courtney and Paul: You all came into my life at the tail end of this process, but have helped me as much as anyone else and have impacted my life in ways I cannot describe to you. What was supposed to be a casual part‐time job to make a few extra dollars and get me out of the house became much more than that. Caleb and Joshua – you are too young to understand the ways you have impacted my life. I hope one day, when you are older you will read this and understand the magnitude that your presence has had on me over these past few months. In many ways, you have saved me. Don’t grow up; stay innocent and beautiful. But if you must grow up, as we all must in some ways – I can’t wait to see the amazing adults you become. vi Table of Contents Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ii Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………………………………… iv Table of Contents ……………………………………………………………………………………………... vii List of Tables …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. xi Chapter 1: Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Research Questions ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10 Research Significance ………………………………………………………………………………………. 10 Chapter Summaries ……………………………………………………………………………………….… 11 Chapter 2: Historical Overview …………………………………………………………………..…. 14 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………..… 14 Migratory Waves ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 19 Migratory Experiences of the Golden Exiles ………………………………………………………. 20 Pre­Revolutionary Cuba: Socialization of the Exiles ………………………………...….. 21 Migration and Post­Migration Experiences of the Golden Exiles ………………….. 24 Golden Exiles in Miami: The Creation of a second Havana ………………………..…. 29 The Migratory Experiences of the Economic Émigrés ……………………………………..…. 30 Prelude to Mariel: Cuba in the 1970s ……………………………………………………….. 31 vii The Marielitos ………………………………………………………………………………………... 34 The fall of Socialism: Cuba in the 1980s and 1990s …………………………………… 36 The Balseros …………………………………………………………………………………………... 39 Post­Migration Experiences: Economic Émigrés in Miami ………………………….. 40 Chapter Three: Theoretical Underpinnings ………………………………………………… 43 Conceptualizing “Generation”: The Mannheimian Tradition …………………………….… 43 Generational Location ………………………………………………………………………………... 45 Forming Bonds: Generation as Actuality …………………………………………………….. 48 Breaks in Generation Location The Generation Unit ………………………………….. 49 Generational Entelechy …………………………………………………………………………... 50 Mannheim Revisited ……………………………………………………………………………………….... 51 Generational Cohesiveness: Active, Passive and Strategic Generations ………… 52 The Role of Collective Memory ……………………………………………………………….... 54 Global Generations …………………………………………………………………………………. 56 Generational Differences in Cuban Adaptation …………………………………………………... 61 The Formation of an Ethnic Enclave ………………………………………………………...…. 61 Exile Ideology ………………………………………………………………………………………… 66 Effect on Politics …………………………………………………………………………………….. 74 Youth in