Migration is a natural part of living systems, and human history is no exception. Yet it remains one of the most debated public issues of our time.
Both people and borders move. Who is allowed to move, and who is granted rights, lies at the heart of how nations define belonging. In Germany and the United States alike, these debates have been deeply intertwined with evolving ideas of race and ethnicity.
These timelines trace how citizenship and belonging have been constructed, challenged, and redefined through laws, social movements, global events, and cultural works — and how those histories continue to shape the present.
In 1959, the Cuban Revolution initiated a mass migration of Cuban citizens to the United States. This influx was prompted by Fidel Castro’s political defeat of Fulgencio Batista and the July 26 Movement that ushered in a new communist state. Many immigrants arriving in the U.S. after 1959 were wealthy, white-collar professionals, property owners and political elites, looking to protect their assets from the new political system. A diverse range of Cuban immigrants followed—some fleeing political persecution and others drawn by economic opportunity. Due to its proximity, the majority of Cuban immigrants migrated to Miami.
theguardian.com
