Abstract

In July of 2021, thousands of people took to the streets in different cities of the United States in demand of military intervention by the U.S. government and freedom for the people of Cuba. This study aims to explore the motivation behind the Florida-based Cuban American popula-tion to engage in acts of civic protest. The study explains the unique characteristics of the Cuban American Immigrant group in the United States influencing social movement participation. The study provides an analysis of the background of the S.O.S. Cuba movement. To accomplish this, in-depth focus groups were conducted to explore the opinions, reactions, and perspectives among the Cuban American population regarding S.O.S. Cuba. In these focus groups, participants shared their experiences, their Cuban identity, and how that identity has played a major role in informing their actions in the U.S. A qualitative content analysis revealed interviews four major: dictatorship trauma, detachment, gratitude to the U.S. government, and a history of sacrifice, struggles, and sadness. These prominent themes, along with their sub-themes, are used to understand why Cuban Americans, as a group, have been found to refrain from participating in major social movements and the influence of the S.O.S Cuba movement on the changing attitudes of political participation.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2022

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Vergara, Angela

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Sociology

Degree Program

Applied Sociology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0009327; DP0027050

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027050

Language

English

Release Date

December 2022

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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