Me, My Country and IR - Essay Example

According to the Morales (2), the conflict between the United States of America and Cuba has been there for a very long time. However, the conflict reached its peak when Cuba’s dictators took over power in 1959. The regime repressed political opponents, restricted fundamental freedoms, and violated human rights. The ensuing conflict made my grandfather to migrate from Cuba to the United States with several other disgruntled Cubans. De La Torre (34) found out that the Cuban-Americans are the third dominant Hispanic group in the U.S. certain areas have large populations of immigrant Cubans.

Based on the 2010 census, there were 1,785,540 Cuban-Americans (both native and foreign born). South Florida alone has over 856,000 Cuban-Americans due to its proximity to Cuba (De La Torre, 45). The region stands out as the largest Cuban-American community. Furthermore, in 2013, a report by the American Community Survey found out that the number of Cuban-Americans has increased to 2,013,150 (Kami, 187-188). My grandfather migrated in the United States in the 19th century both as a labor immigrant as well as due to the authoritarian Cuban regime.

Most of the immigrants considered the U.S. as a favored destination. Upon arrival, he told me he experienced various problems including inability to find stable work and language barrier which forced him to take English language classes. I have read in various articles that these problems are still experienced by immigrants. In 1960, the U.S. imposed an embargo on Cuba and later broke diplomatic relations with the nation in 1961. The dispute was as a result of the expropriation of American properties by the Cuban government combined with its decision to adopt a one-party communist way of governance. The U.S.

blockaded Cuba in the process. Today, Cuba is the only blockaded nation globally. However, there is still debate on the U.S.