THE EFFECT OF THE 1959 CUBAN REVOLUTION ON CUBA'S MIGRATION CHARACTER: A HISTORICAL EXAMINATION FOCUSING ON FOREIGN MIGRATION RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CUBA-USA

Abstract

Migration, which has taken place throughout history and everywhere, and in the most general sense;
is a social phenomenon defined as displacement. In this study, the change in the immigration
character of Cuba is examined in terms of the effect of the 1959 Cuban Revolution, and the external
migration relationship between Cuba and the USA is selected as a limitation. In this respect, firstly,
a general definition is made of the concept of migration and migration theories. Then, in order to
deal with the situation before the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the immigration character, which is the
immigration character of post-Columbian Cuba, is examined. The content of this section consists of
introducing the traditional economic-political structure of Cuba, starting from the general
geographical structure. In the third part, the immigration character of Cuba after the 1959
Revolution is examined in the following five periods: Historical Exiles (1959-1962), Flights to
Freedom (1965-1973), Exit from Mariel (1980), Balsero/Rafter Crisis (1994) and Post-Soviet
Migration (1995-2023). This section, which focuses on Cuba-US relations, makes visible the
change in Cuba's immigration character after the 1959 Revolution and analyzes the dynamics in
which Cuba turned into an emigrant country while it was a country of immigration. In the
conclusion part, as a result of the examination, a Cuba-USA-focused historical analysis is made on
the meanings of the changing immigration character of Cuba through migration theories. In other
words, this study answers the question about the transformation of Cuba from a country of
emigration to a country of immigration, with a focus on the external immigration relationship
between Cuba and the USA. It offers a historical analysis of the migration character. Thus, besides
making an academic contribution to the immigration dimension of the 1959 Cuban Revolution's
impact on Cuba, it is aimed to contribute to migration studies.