In this Book
- Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980: The First Twenty Days
- Book
- 2014
- Published by: The University of Alabama Press
summary
Winner of the Florida Historical Society's 2015 Stetson Kennedy Award
The 1980 Mariel Boatlift was a profound episode in twentieth-century American history, impacting not just Florida, but the entire country. During the first twenty days of the boatlift, with little support from the federal government, the state of Florida coordinated and responded to the sudden arrival in Key West of more than thirty thousand Cuban refugees, the first wave of immigrants who became known as “Marielitos.”
Kathleen Dupes Hawk, Ron Villella, Adolfo Leyva de Varona, and Kristen Cifers combine the insights of expert observers with the experiences of actual participants. The authors organize and present a wealth of primary sources, first-hand accounts, archival research, government records, and interviews with policy-makers, volunteers, and refugees that bring into focus the many far-reaching human, political, and cultural outcomes of the Mariel Boatlift that continue to influence Florida, the United States, and Cuba today.
Emerging from these key records and accounts is a grand narrative of high human drama. Castro’s haphazard and temporary opening of Cuba spurred many thousands of Cubans to depart in calamitously rushed, unprepared, and dangerous conditions. The book tells the stories of these Cuban citizens, most legitimately seeking political asylum but also including subversive agents, convicted criminals, and the mentally ill, who began arriving in the US beginning in April 1980. It also recounts how local and state agencies and private volunteers with few directives or resources were left to improvise ways to provide the Marielitos food, shelter, and security as well as transportation away from Key West.
The book provides a definitive account of the political, legal, and administrative twists on the local, state, and federal levels in response to the crisis as well as of the often-dysfunctional attempts at collaboration between governmental and private institutions. Vivid and readable, Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 presents the significant details that illuminate and humanize this complex humanitarian, political, and logistical crisis.
The 1980 Mariel Boatlift was a profound episode in twentieth-century American history, impacting not just Florida, but the entire country. During the first twenty days of the boatlift, with little support from the federal government, the state of Florida coordinated and responded to the sudden arrival in Key West of more than thirty thousand Cuban refugees, the first wave of immigrants who became known as “Marielitos.”
Kathleen Dupes Hawk, Ron Villella, Adolfo Leyva de Varona, and Kristen Cifers combine the insights of expert observers with the experiences of actual participants. The authors organize and present a wealth of primary sources, first-hand accounts, archival research, government records, and interviews with policy-makers, volunteers, and refugees that bring into focus the many far-reaching human, political, and cultural outcomes of the Mariel Boatlift that continue to influence Florida, the United States, and Cuba today.
Emerging from these key records and accounts is a grand narrative of high human drama. Castro’s haphazard and temporary opening of Cuba spurred many thousands of Cubans to depart in calamitously rushed, unprepared, and dangerous conditions. The book tells the stories of these Cuban citizens, most legitimately seeking political asylum but also including subversive agents, convicted criminals, and the mentally ill, who began arriving in the US beginning in April 1980. It also recounts how local and state agencies and private volunteers with few directives or resources were left to improvise ways to provide the Marielitos food, shelter, and security as well as transportation away from Key West.
The book provides a definitive account of the political, legal, and administrative twists on the local, state, and federal levels in response to the crisis as well as of the often-dysfunctional attempts at collaboration between governmental and private institutions. Vivid and readable, Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 presents the significant details that illuminate and humanize this complex humanitarian, political, and logistical crisis.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. xiii-xvi
- Part I: Castro's Anti-American Obsession
- Part II: The First Days
- 9. Friday, April 25—Miami to Mariel
- pp. 67-70
- 11. Sunday, April 27—The Hand of God
- pp. 77-88
- 13. Tuesday, April 29—A Momentary Honeymoon
- pp. 103-112
- 14. Wednesday, April 30—Agency Games Begin
- pp. 113-124
- Image Plates
- pp. 137-150
- 16. Friday, May 2—Assessment, Assessment
- pp. 151-166
- 17. Saturday, May 3—Chaos to Confusion
- pp. 167-178
- 18. Sunday, May 4—One Potato, Two Potato
- pp. 179-184
- 19. Monday, May 5—All the Ships at Sea
- pp. 185-196
- 20. Tuesday, May 6—The Mixed Blessing
- pp. 197-208
- 22. Thursday, May 8—The Witching Hour
- pp. 217-220
- 23. Friday, May 9—Checkmate
- pp. 221-224
- 24. Saturday, May 10—Yet Another Try
- pp. 225-226
- Part III: Mariel - The Legacy
- 26. The Mariel Boatlift's Impacts
- pp. 233-246
- 27. Indictments, Threats, and Retrospections
- pp. 247-254
- Postscript
- pp. 257-258
- Appendix A. List of People Involved
- pp. 259-268
- Appendix B. Organizational Abbreviations
- pp. 269-270
- References
- pp. 309-316
- Contributors
- p. 339
Additional Information
ISBN
9780817387686
Related ISBN(s)
9780817318376
MARC Record
OCLC
882778600
Pages
355
Launched on MUSE
2014-07-19
Language
English
Open Access
No
Copyright
2014