Type of School Attended in 1992, by Parents’ Wave of Arrival

• FIGURE 4.3

Why?

• Wave of arrival and type of school are interrelated and heavily influenced by socioeconomic factors

• Cubans from the exile wave were mostly elites and can therefore afford private schooling for their children

• The Mariel wave included sizeable representation from Cuba’s lower socioeconomic sectors

Ethnic Self-Identification

CILS respondents were asked to indicate, in an open ended question,

how they identified themselves

Findings

• Slightly over half the respondents identified themselves as Cuban-American

• Cubans were more likely to identify themselves as hyphenated Americans than any other ethnic group in the CILS survey

• Cubans ranked the lowest of all groups in the CILS survey to identify as plain Cubans

• Cubans were more likely than any other group in the CILS survey to identify as plain Americans

Why?• “groups that are more advantaged and had

lengthier stays in the United States exhibit a greater tendency to identify as American”– More advantaged because of the resources available as

a result of the Golden Enclave– Oldest immigrants in the United States

• Paradox– It is paradoxical that children growing up in the most

highly developed U.S. immigrant enclave, where their cultural traits from their country of origin are reinforced, are the most likely to identify themselves as Americans instead of Cubans

Ethnic Self-Identification in 1992, by Parents’ Wave of Arrival

• FIGURE 4.4

Cuban American is the most popular label for all waves

Ethnic Self-Identification by Type of School Attended

• Figure 4.5

Reinforces the fact that groups that have been in the U.S. longer and have more advantage are more likely to embrace the American label

Ethnic Self-Identification of the Cuban-Origin Respondents

• 2 Figures for 4.6 (92 and 95)

The Hispanic and American label switched places in three yearsTendency of Cubans to abandon the American label in late adolescence

Why is there a dramatic shift towards a Hispanic label?

• CILS researchers do not know• “adoption of a Hispanic identity is not

associated with a positive adaptation profile, but with several dimensions of disadvantage”

Perceptions of Discrimination

CILS respondents were asked if they felt they were discriminated against

Percentage Who Reported Experiencing Discrimination by Parents’ Wave of Arrival in 1992 and 1995

• Figure 4.7

Although the percentage of discrimination went up in 1995, out of all of the groups in the CILS survey, Cubans are the group least likely to report discrimination in 1992 and in 1995

Why?

• They are protected and insulated by the Cuban enclave

• They are shielded within their community from discrimination from the host society

• Cubans in mostly white and mostly black schools are more likely to report discrimination

Language

CILS Respondents were asked about English Proficiency, language preference

and foreign language proficiency

Percentage Who Preferred English by Parents’ Wave of Arrival in 1992 and 1995

• Figure 4.9?

The CILS data shows that more than 90% of Cuban respondents preferred to speak English

Percentage Who Preferred English by Type of School Attended

• Figure 4.10

There is a significant increase in the percentage of students in private schools to report that they spoke Spanish very well

Why?

• This can be attributed to the fact that private schools offer a curriculum that enhances Spanish language skills– Offer Spanish classes in literature and grammar and

extracurricular activities including Spanish club, cultural fairs and Spanish writing contests

– This is important because it is easy for children of immigrants to rapidly lose skills in their parents’ language

• The same private school students who reported a dramatic rise in their Spanish language also increased their English language skills and their preference for English

Aspirations and Achievement

Percentage Who Aspired to Earn an Advanced Degree by Parent’s Wave of Arrival

• Figure 4.13

• Overall, Cuban children have high aspirations and goals compared to the rest of the CILS sample– This could be because of the advantage of the first

generation and the resources that the enclave have to prevent downward assimilation

Measures of Educational Achievement by Parent’s Wave of Arrival and Type of School Attended

• Table 4.2

Academic performance relating to overall GPA and dropout rates are one of the lowest in the CILS sample

Findings• GPA

– Only the students attending the private schools exceed the mean GPA

– Only the students attending white suburban schools come close to the mean GPA

• Dropout Rates– Cubans have the highest dropout rates compared to any other

group in the CILS sample• Paradox

– Given such favorable migration and reception for Cubans because of the Golden Enclave, we would expect successful academic outcomes and instead they have below average grades and the lowest dropout rates in the sample

Why?• 1. Cubans are the most advantaged, oldest, and most

acculturated group and they are beginning to follow the mainstream American pattern in which aspirations and confidence remains high because they believe the resources will be available to them without extra academic effort

• 2. The confidence of second-generation Cubans to succeed without much effort is because they are the dominant immigrant group in Miami. Therefore, there are an availability of resources and employment within the enclave for upward mobility– The enclave acts as a safety net instead of a springboard for

second generation Cubans