Cuban-American Political Culture and Civic Organizing ─ Tocqueville in Miami

This book studies civic organizations in Miami’s Cuban community. Few places in the United States have been transformed by immigration the way Miami has been transformed by Cuban exiles. Cuban civic organizations help to explain why this is the case. Civic organizations are the heart of the story of the social and political power and influence of Miami’s Cuban community. This community is home to a broad tradition of active political participation and many civic organizations. The sheer number of organizations suggests they have something to do with the community’s considerable vibrancy and civic capacity. How do the organizations work? How have they managed to be so successful over so many years? What can be learned about successful civic organizing from their experience? How will changing United States-Cuba relations impact Cuban civic organizations, and, in turn, broader Miami? These are questions this book helps to answer.

Robert M. Ceresa is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Huston-Tillotson University, USA. He is interested in the politics of culture, particularly the role actors at the local level play in shaping larger cultural environments. His work addresses the questions of how cultural resources are used in the context of civic and political engagement efforts, and how these choices make a difference in politics.