{"product_id":"the-mariel-boatlift-victor-andres-triay-9781683400929","title":"The Mariel Boatlift: A Cuban-American Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmerican Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award in Local History - Honorable Mention\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFlorida Book Awards, Gold Medal for Florida Nonfiction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSet against the sweeping backdrop of one of the most dramatic refugee crises of the twentieth century, \u003ci\u003eThe Mariel Boatlift\u003c\/i\u003e presents the stories of Cuban immigrants to the United States who overcame frightening circumstances to build new lives for themselves and flourish in their adopted country.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAward-winning historian Victor Triay portrays the repressive climate in Cuba as the democratic promises of Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution gave way to a communist dictatorship under which the people of the island became virtually cut off from the outside world. He illustrates how escalating internal tensions during the regime's second decade in power culminated in an exodus of over 125,000 Cuban refugees across the Straits of Florida during the spring and summer of 1980.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlongside a fast-paced narrative offering a brief history of the Mariel Boatlift, Triay presents testimonies from former Mariel refugees who recall their lives in Cuba before the boatlift and how they longed to reunite with family members who lived in exile in the United States. Their captivating stories detail the physical and psychological abuse they endured in Cuba at the hands of pro-government mobs and the mistreatment many experienced at processing centers there before reaching the port of Mariel. They recall treacherous journeys to Key West aboard vessels that were deliberately overcrowded to life-threatening levels by Cuban authorities, as well as their experiences settling in Miami and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCalled the scum--\u003ci\u003eescoria\u003c\/i\u003e--of society by the Cuban government, a false portrayal accepted and spread by some in the American media, Mariel refugees faced extraordinary challenges upon entering U.S. society. Yet, despite the obstacles placed before them, the overwhelming majority of these immigrants successfully transitioned to their new lives as Americans and many have emerged as leading professionals, scholars, writers, artists, and businesspeople. This book shares their hardships and successes while profoundly illustrating the human impact of international power struggles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Victor Andres Triay\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1683400925\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781683400929\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Florida Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/24\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.05lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/12\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2020","brand":"Victor Andres Triay","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47425370456319,"sku":"9781683400929","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_25497dc7-e9ce-4366-bf2b-2e4f5f14faa8.jpg?v=1761538750","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-mariel-boatlift-victor-andres-triay-9781683400929","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}