The Cuban-Americans in the spotlight: An attempt to find the roots of a controversial refugee case

The United States and Cuba have not had diplomatic relations for four decades since a new communist government was born in Cuba in 1959. The Cuban-American relationship for the last 40 years has been marked by tensions and confrontations. In this thesis I will examine the roots of these confrontations, the formation of the CubanAmerican exile community in Miami, map its social, historical and economic background. Besides, and on the basis of that, I will try to find the answer to the question why a particular case — the case of a six-year-old Cuban rafter boy — got into the focus of national and international attention setting in action numerous famous and less famous lawmen, politicians and the whole Cuban exile community in the United States, and brought about a national movement led by Fidel Castro throughout Cuba.