Cubans in Florida

[Proud liberal 80]

You would think people who witnessed an authoritarian regime up close would recognize who was one between Trump and Biden.....we Americans always look at these Cuban refugees who came here in the 80’s as oppressed refugees....but something tells me that they were actually the societal elite before Castro and left because they lost their status....and this had nothing to do with fearing socialism

[Towlie]

1. The media should stop referring to "the Latino vote" because communism-fearing Cubans are different.

[Ninga]

2. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Very very interesting. The machismo mindset of

Many males regardless of their culture is on my mind a factor, perhaps more so with such cultures.

No matter the driving force behind their trumpian votes, I agree, it wasn’t fearing socialism.

[Nimble_Idea]

3. :patriot:

[snowybirdie]

4. Most of those

living under Castro early on are now gone. But they seem to have instilled in their families a hatred for Communism. The Joe is a socialist argument was powerful and many still believed it. Democrats can work on this after we take over.

[Proud liberal 80]

6. You are right that they are long gone

And instilled that hatred for communism, but I still think that it was based on my original premise.

[Statistical]

5. Many of them were supporters of the fascist thug Batista

So going from one fascist thug to another one isn't a big step.

They are 100% cool with fascism because they assume they will come out on top like their families did under Batista. It explains why his support rose. 2016 Trump was just a clown. 2020 Trump proved he was a fascist.

[jaysunb]

15. You are 100% correct. The rest is just be. Nt

[marmar]

7. I suspect that it will change generationally, as younger Cubans become the voting majority.

[edhopper]

9. We are in the thrid generation

from the first exile. Still waiting. Their community has a decisive anti Democrat bias that is perpetuated.

[yardwork]

11. It has not changed.

[marmar]

17. But the current younger generation has experienced Obama's warming of relations.....

..... the ability to travel to Cuba, and has access to a vast amount of information via their hand-held devices to counter the propaganda.

[yardwork]

20. And at the same time, immigrants from Venezuela and other countries bring their own experiences.

The words socialism and communism mean things to people who left Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, etc. that most of us don't understand.

[Coleman]

8. So few americans know what was in Cuba before Castro

There was a "trumpist" government, authoritarian and a benefit to the oligarchs only. Poverty, slave wages in the cane fields ruled the day. Casinos and organized crime. It was the wealthy's playground.

[Proud liberal 80]

10. Oh yeah

I saw that in The Godfather part 2....never thought much of it until now....lol

[yardwork]

18. Exactly. And the families who fled want that back. Trump is their guy.

Everything Trump stands for resonates with them, including the corruption and mob ties.

South Florida is weird to most Americans. Most of us don't understand the level of cynicism. To many of the wealthy people there whose families came not just from Cuba, but many South American countries as well, corruption is felt to be a given. In their experience, all governments are corrupt. It's just a matter of picking the side that supports your interests. Trump is a natural for them.

This is why we can't think of "the Latino vote" as a homogenous bloc. It is like thinking of "the Europeans" during WWII and being surprised to hear that England and Germany are at war.

[MaryMagdaline]

12. I think we are overestimating the Cuban Miami vote and underestimating the

Venezuelan Miami vote. Massive numbers of Venezuelans obtained their citizenship and with cooperation of Cubans, have become the new Cubans. I cannot tell you how shell- shocked these people are about losing their country to authoritarian leftist regimes.

Cubans and Venezuelans tend to be economic liberals - they believe in helping the poor. Now, right wing radio is turning them into corporatists. Horrifying to watch this happen.

[Dem2]

13. I grew up with Cubans. Most were the wealthy who left to preserve their wealth

So my personal experience tends to back up your theory, although I am loath to stereotype an entire group. Some of the most ardent Rump haters were my Cuban friends. They are no more of a monolith than any other group.

[tavernier]

14. I live around and work with many Cuban people,

Many who are great friends. But to be honest, I believe the culture is very anti black and the males are certainly very machismo. Most of my friends are women. The younger Cuban men are pig headed and misogynistic, IMO. Of course I don’t mean to generalize... I’m only speaking for the ppl I know personally.

[beastie boy]

16. This is the nature of autoritarianism:

Once you accept it, you only see it coming from your adversaries. If it enables your agenda, you are all too willing to embrace it. Reality doesn't matter anymre.

[JI7]

19. The earliest ones may have been elites but life does truly suck there. Same with Venezuela

Doesn't excuse the asshole right wing behavior many have towards other groups.

But we need to acknowledge for many they dealt with hunger and other suffering and get knee jerk reaction if they think someone is a socialist.

[Buckeyeblue]

21. In the Spanish Revolution the fight was to be either communist or fascist

The former communist Soviet Union began the current day fascist Russia. Is facism the natural tendency for those who have lived under communism?

[brush]

22. I think the first wave of Cubans came here after Castro's revolution...

overthrew Batista in 1959, and yes, most were the elite or middle class who could afford to flee from the island. Most of them have passed but many followed during the decades, including the Mariel boatlift people you're referring to.

Their hatred of authoritarian leadership still influences present-day Floridian Cubans' politics as most are still republicans. The irony, as you observed, is that most voted for authoritarian wannabe trump.

You'd think that younger Cuban-Americans, now third or fourth generation Americans, would've rejected their parents and grandparents rightist views and moved towards a more centrist or even center-left political mindset.

That's apparently not the case though as Florida is red.

[COLGATE4]

23. Cuban voters in Florida are absolutely terrified of anything that

sounds like "socialism", i.e. what they experienced in Cuba. So all the Rethugs have to do is keep yelling "Biden is a Socialist", "Pelosi is a l" and it's a done deal. No amount of logic or facts dissuade them.

[OnDoutside]

24. On the plus side, Joe can re-engage with Cuba, without worrying what the FL Cubans might think

of it. They went all in for Trump, and lost.