Polls showing overwhelming U.S. support for a variety of pro-Cuba policy questions illustrate a continuing trend that questions the wisdom of the U.S. policy of isolation towards Cuba.
Cuba is the only country in the world where U.S. citizens are subject to travel restrictions for tourism.
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In terms of overall U.S. public support, Gallup reported in February 2016, “A majority of the American public, which for decades has viewed Cuba in a decidedly negative light, sees the country favorably for the first time in Gallup polling history. Fifty-four percent now view Cuba positively — an increase of eight percentage points from last year, 16 points from two years ago and 33 points since 2006.”
First conducted in 1991, the FIU Cuba Poll is the longest-running research project tracking the opinions of the Cuban-American community in South Florida.
From the beginning, Drs. Guillermo J. Grenier and Hugh Gladwin, faculty members in the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies, have directed the survey. The poll was designed to measure the views of Cuban Americans about U.S. policy options toward Cuba.
The consistency of some of the responses, as well as the shift in others, provides the most complete picture of Cuban-American political attitudes over time.
Here are some of the poll questions and responses from the FIU Cuba Poll released this month:
Support for new policies initiated by U.S. government (By Age)
Support for new policies initiated by U.S. government (By Where Born)
Should people living in U.S. be allowed to invest in Cuban businesses? (By Age)
Summary of Conclusions from the 2106 FIU Cuba Research Institute Poll
- The changing demographics of the Miami Cuban-American population is the driver for changes in attitudes;
- A large majority of Cubans who recently migrated to the United States and young Cuban Americans welcome the changes in U.S.-Cuba policy;
- Cuban Americans in Miami express strong support for policies that increase contact between U.S. citizens, including Cuban Americans, and the Cuban people;
- A majority of Cuban Americans express strong support for measures that increase commercial relations between U.S. businesses and Cubans on the island for specific ventures;
- Current U.S. immigration policies directed at Cubans receive strong support but restrictive changes in the policy are also supported;
- Cuban Americans in Miami-Dade County continue to have strong ties to friends and relatives on the island;
- The new arrivals along with the second/third generations are reshaping the political landscape of South Florida.
Image Credit: Sean Meehan/NOAA Fisheries