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Abstract

My thesis studies how Cuban American immigrants achieved political influence in the United States and whether other Hispanic immigrant groups can attain similar successes. The study found a correlation between assimilation and political incorporation. I evaluated Cuban American assimilation via three proxy variables: education, language spoken in the home, and intermarriage. I concluded that Cuban Americans are an anomaly among Hispanic immigrants. The underlying reason is the way in which they were treated by the United States government, and how much government support they received. This observation was followed by a comparison with Mexican Americans who were not granted government assistance upon arrival in the U.S. and have yet to achieve as much political influence, as well as with Nicaraguan Americans who received belated assistance. Identifying the variable that allowed for increased assimilation and political incorporation presents the government with an opportunity. If the U.S. wants to accelerate immigrant political participation, they must bestow legal immigrants with benefits such as professional revalidation programs, and access to American resident programs. The overall social welfare function is maximized by incorporating these immigrants swiftly into the economic and political mainstream. The payoff for American society is a more productive workforce that is more self-reliant and forms the impetus for increased job creation and business formation. The Cuban experience in Miami reveals that their political and economic assimilation allowed them to transform Miami culturally, socially, politically and perfect it as the gateway to Latin America, adding an additional rubric of trade for the country.

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