THE CUBAN EXILE PERIODICALS COLLECTION AT THE CUBAN HERITAGE COLLECTION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI OTTO G. RICHTER LIBRARY

Why the Cuban Exile Periodicals Collection  is housed at the Cuban Heritage Collection Division of the Otto G. Richter Library of the University of Miami?  The primary reason is geography. Miami's location made it the logical point of entry into the US for most Cubans who left the Island after Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba in 1959.   The University of Miami which is centrally located in Miami-Dade County, has been and is in a unique position to acquire, preserve and provide access to the Cuban exile periodicals.

Since its founding in 1926, the UM has been closely associated with Cuba and its people, and continues to be historically linked with the Cuban American community.  Cubans in exile from 1959 to the present, have produced numerous periodical publications.  It is in the city of Miami, the so-called "Capital del Exilio Cubano,"  where most of the periodicals published by Cuban exiles appeared and proliferated. Today, many of these periodicals are still being published and new titles are appearing after 41 years of exile.

Among the early arrivals of Cuban exiles were librarians, some of whom joined the faculty of the UM Library:  Rosa Abella, professor emeritus of UM and the late Ana Rosa Núñez, internationally known poet and academic librarian.  The  Cuban Exile Periodicals Collection bears great importance for various reasons.  Through these primary sources, researchers, students and scholars, can analize the changes that have taken place in the Cuban community since their exile began in 1959.  In addition, further studies can be conducted on the socio-economic and historical impact that the Cuban exiles and Cuban Americans have had in many areas of the US, and particularly in the State of Florida.

In the early years, these periodicals expressed the political tragedy that had occurred in Cuba since 1959.  Through articles and editorials, the writers reflected the desire of the exiles to combat the new Communist regime and to re-establish the democratic government in Cuba.  The majority      of the periodicals were published by refugees or by associations despite great economic hardships.  While some titles have lasted a long period of time, many were short-lived, and some were issued only once.

Among the salient characteristics of these publications is their free distribution among Hispanic businesses in the community: groceries, bakeries, pharmacies, etc., in Miami-Dade County.  Over time, the reading audience grew and diversified:  in the early years, the primary audience was the Cuban refugees, followed by the Cuban Americans.  Today, a third generation of Cuban Americans has emerged, the children and grandchildren of the first wave of Cuban refugees.

These periodicals are chronicles of the hopes and aspirations of the Cuban people in exile, of the struggle to maintain a unity of purpose, of the need to preserve, add to, and transmit a cultural heritage and also they depict the very nature of the exile soul striving to be once again, someday, in a free Cuba.

This collection spans forty-some years in the history of this area, and as such, will in the future provide a very important window into the growth and development of Florida, and especially Miami-Dade County.  Therefore, it is with great joy that the Cuban Heritage Collection had the opportunity to cooperate with the University of Florida in the Florida Newspaper Project, which ensures that the written records of these unique and valuable resources will be preserve for posterity.

Esperanza deVarona

Feb. 2000