Early Cuban Exiles: Memories of Loss, Struggle, and Rebirth
Program Details
From 1959 to 1973, more than 600,000 Cuban exiles came to the US in two waves. Almost all arrived with only a few clothes and pocket money. Based on interviews with 54 persons who witnessed or participated in this beginning of the Cuban diaspora, David Powell tells how and why they left Cuba, what they found when they arrived here, and how they built new lives. More than 300,000 Cubans came to the US in 2022, the largest number for any year on record. This presentation tells how and why this diaspora all began.
About David
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the Columbia Journalism School, David Powell worked as a reporter for the Associated Press in New York, Miami, and Tallahassee. After earning a law degree from Florida State University, he practiced law for thirty years. Moved by the stories of Cuban Americans he met through his work, he began interviewing them for his oral history book about Cuban exiles who came to the US from 1959 to 1973. David and his wife reside in Tallahassee.
Contact Information and Details:
This speaker is a published author with the University Press of Florida. Please visit the UPF website to find out how to buy their latest book and other great titles about Florida’s rich history and heritage. Florida Humanities members enjoy a discount on all UPF purchases. Click here to become a member today!
