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While Castro (1974) believes women's role in society has changed
as a result of the Revolution, Garcia (1980) sees the cultural expecta
tions for women's behavior as having changed little since the Revolution.
One of the greatest problems which Cubans face is the scarcity of
material goods. Rationing began in 1962 to alleviate the problems
caused by scarcity. Rationing has resulted in more equitable distri
bution of some basic necessities and has succeeded in decreasing the
infant mortality. Nevertheless, shortages of food and other basic needs
are a source of great frustration for the island inhabitants.
The 1980 Immigrants
The seeds of the 1980 Cuban immigration were sown in the late
1970s and perhaps earlier. Some of those seeds are still in fertile
ground and continue to grow in 1983.
Historical Background
Most press accounts of this migration begin with the storming of
the Peruvian Embassy in Havana in April 1980, by a group of Cubans
asking for asylum. However, the deepening economic and political
problems within Cuba, as well as the return of over 100,000 Cuban-
Americans bearing gifts and stories about the marvelous life in the
.S., are important causative factors in the 1980 immigration (Azicri,
1981-82; Gonzalez & McCoy, 1980). By allowing the Cuban-Americans to
return to Cuba for family visits, the Cuban government expected to gain
additional tourist money to bolster the economy, to demonstrate to the
exiles the institutionalization of the Revolution, and to improve Cuba's