"Cubans began arriving in the United States in large numbers after the 1959 communist revolution led by Fidel Castro. At first, the elite class arrived as political refugees and supporters of the U.S.-backed regime that Castro’s revolution had ousted. The flows then grew to include middle- and lower-class Cubans as the revolution radicalized. In 1966, Congress passed the Cuban Adjustment Act, which allows Cubans to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs, also known as green-card holders) after being physically present in the United States for at least one year. The Cuban population in the United States grew almost six-fold within a decade, from 79,000 in 1960 to 439,000 in 1970.

          Although Cuba limited emigration of its residents, three events after the 1959 revolution allowed Cubans to exit the island for the United States. The 1980 Mariel boatlift brought nearly 125,000 Cubans to Florida. Continued migration by sea to the United States led to the 1995 establishment of the wet-foot, dry-foot policy, which allowed any Cuban arriving by land or sea to remain in the United States legally. Despite recently resumed sanctions against Cuba and increased deportations of Cuban nationals, the Cuban Adjustment Act remains in effect today" (Blizzard and Batalova).