Cubans transform US city: “Every day there are more of us”

At least 50 Cubans arrive each day at the immigration office in Louisville, Kentucky, where the island’s population has grown in recent years and are now re-adjusting to the economy and local customs.

A report from BBC Shows how Cubans are changing what was previously an unattainable migration possibility and Important cultural sites have been allocated Life in Louisville is slowly changing.

More than 50,000 immigrants from the Caribbean nation currently live in Kentucky, including entrepreneurs, employees, doctors, artists and students who have come to call themselves “Cantubanos.”

More than 15,000 people have settled in Louisville alone since 2021 as a result of increased migration flows after the July 11 anti-government protests of that year on the Caribbean island and subsequent visa waivers by Nicaragua, which facilitated migration.

Cubans who have lived in the city for more years say it used to be hard to find a Caribbean food restaurant, and now there are many food businesses like Sweet Habana, where they come eager to eat roast pork and yuca with mojo, the owner admits. , a woman of about 40 years.

They’ve opened up eateries, told the media they like Kentucky because of its low taxes, affordable cost of living, job opportunities at big companies like Amazon, General Electric and UPS, and the potential for affordable real estate.

There is also La Bodeguita de Mima, centers for teaching salsa and a casino, accessible schools for learning English, and a local magazine. CantubanosGuide where guidelines for newcomers and income and work options are published.

Many already consider Louisville as the “second Miami” in the US.

In September, the New York Times stated that Cubans “represent the largest immigrant group in Louisville, and their numbers, which are steadily increasing, have helped offset population decline in the county of 770,000 residents, (…), as young Americans Big cities to go there.

By comparison, Cubans find an environment conducive to entrepreneurship and new life in Kentucky, which is currently happening in Miami, which has become the least affordable city in the country in terms of housing.

“What you achieve in Miami in 10 years takes you three or four,” said a BBC interviewer.

According to that outlet, Louisville has undergone a significant cultural shift, evidenced by the presence of Cuban businesses, signs in Spanish and the sound of salsa and son in the streets. He affirms that the cultural diversity brought by Cubans has enriched the daily lives of Louisville residents.