Middle School
Worksheets
Why Did the Cubans Come to America?
Desi Arnaz was the husband of Lucille Ball. Together they had one of the most successful TV sitcoms ever. Gloria Estefan is a famous singer. Tony Perez was a famous player for the Cincinnati Reds. What do they all have in common? They were Cuban immigrants.
During the 1800s and early 1900s, many Cubans moved freely between Cuba and the U.S. The two countries traded sugar, coffee, and tobacco. Cigar factories from Cuba began to move to Florida. Almost 100,000 Cuban workers came and went between the two countries every year.
In 1959, Fidel Castro took over the government of Cuba. Soon, Cuba aligned itself with the Communist U.S.S.R. Over one million Cubans immigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s. Many Cubans feared they would lose control of their lives under Castro's rule. They feared they would be persecuted for their political beliefs. They were afraid they'd lose their possessions. Even worse, they feared they would have to give control of their children to the government.
