Golden exile

The first to emigrate after the revolution were those who were associated or worked for the old Batista regime. The U.S. embassy in Havana and consulate in Santiago would regularly grant visas to Cubans wishing to leave.[2] Many professionals that were tied to American companies that were later nationalized also decided to emigrate.[3]

Many of the emigrants that would leave believed they would be returning soon to Cuba,[1] believing the U.S. would soon intervene and overthrow the Fidel Castro government.[4] Some of those exiled in the United States would organize a militant resistance to the Fidel Castro government.[3]

On January 3, 1961 the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba and afterwards emigrants gained visas for humanitarian reasons, and after arriving in the United States they could apply for parole and gain refugee status.[2]

In April of 1961 the Bay of Pigs Invasion consisting of many militant and anti-fidelista Cuban exiles would fail to take over Cuba.[3] Afterwards those who would choose to emigrate would view their decision as a permanent one.[4] Fidel Castro would then term those leaving "gusanos" (worms).[4]

Growing controversy in Cuba with the nationalization of Catholic schools spurred the development of Operation Peter Pan to relocate children to the United States.[3]

During the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, travel between the United States and Cuba became restricted. Afterwards Cuban emigration would occur using makeshift vessels illegally leaving Cuba. From 1959 to the end of open travel in 1962 around 250,000 Cubans left the island.[1] The

Researcher Jorge Duany claims the majority of exiles were urban, middle-aged, well-educated, light-skinned, and white-collar workers, who emigrated primarily did so for religious, or political reasons. He also claims that while the first emigrants left because they were old Bastianos, those after left because of disillusionment with the new government and because economic reforms and nationalizations of American companies had harmed their professions.[1] Researchers Irving Louis Horowitz and Jaime Suchlick have claimed about half of those who emigrated were blue collar workers and many of those were agricultural workers and fishermen. They also proposed many left because of Cuba's new rationing system and mandatory military service.[3]

Horowitz and Suchlick claim that while most emigrants were not involved in militant movements a majority did financial support them until later becoming disillusioned after the failures of such movements.[3]

The identity of "golden exile" has been used in Cuban-American circles as an identity to distinguish Cuban Americans who are seen as racially white and exuding conservative values as compared to Cuban Americans who came later in the Cuban exile who may have darker skin.[5] The term "golden exile" has also been used in discussions involving immigration as a term to glorify Cuban immigrants as anti-communist political refugees and productive members of the middle class. This term has spurred controversy due to statistics countering this image.[6]