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immigrants in south Florida, McCoy and Gonzalez (1982) suggest it is
necessary to look at the contributions already made by Cuban-Americans
and other Latin groups who have made their homes here. After all,
McCoy and Gonzalez say, "less than one-third of present residents have
claims to being native Floridians" (p. 36).
Educational Comparison
Rivero's work (1981) is the only research to be found that deals
specifically with 1980 Cuban teenagers in U.S. schools. Rivero finds
that most of the youth he surveyed indicate the U.S. schools are
stricter than most Cuban schools. The teachers of these children
report the children display somewhat unruly behavior in that they
have difficulty taking turns in talking and listening when others
speak. In contrast, these students report the level of difficulty of
the material presented was greater in Cuba, even though there are more
exams and homework here. According to Rivero, many of the Cuban
students appear to have poor preparation in Spanish language, especially
grammar, but are taking advanced mathematics and sciences. Rivero
(1981) says, "Their weakness in their native language may make the
learning of English even harder for these students. This fact, along
with their apparent ability in math, argues for a greater emphasis on
teaching them communication skills" (p. 9). Even though this group
displays many outward symbols of acculturation, Rivero expresses
concern about their understanding of basic work values. Students
avoid being labeled as coming from Marie!, with a disproportionate
number listing Spain, or Costa Rica, or other countries as location
of origin before entering the U.S.