Politically, they are an extremely strong force in Florida politics, and they have gained the sympathy of many other Americans because of the strong anti-Cuban (i.e. Castro) sentiment in the country. Socially, many early Cuban American immigrants have assimilated into the country. They have higher college education rates than other Hispanics, and they have moved up the ladder to own businesses and join the middle class in many areas. Economically, they have a higher median family income than other Hispanic groups, they contribute to the American economy, (since most cannot send money back to Cuba), and they have transformed Miami into what some call "little Cuba." Cubans are also primarily Catholic and continue their beliefs after they immigrate, and they tend to maintain close family relationships with extended family members in close proximity, like other Hispanic groups. What is different is that there can be decided differences between early Cuban immigrants and the most recent Cuban immigrants, and so the group is not joined harmoniously in all their beliefs and support.
Central Americans may be the least understood or acknowledged of all the Hispanic immigrant groups. They are the smallest of the four groups discussed here, and they began immigrating to this country later than other groups, such as Cubans and Puerto Ricans. Linguistically, they speak Spanish at home and English at work and school, but in some areas there are Mayan dialects, as well. Politically, they tend to be aligned with Mexican-Americans, and many white Americans do not know how to distinguish between the two groups. They have more political clout in California and the Southwest where many of them settle, and since many Central American immigrants have been refugees from political turmoil, there are often businesspeople, politicians, and other middle and upper class individuals in the mix, who may be more educated than many of their Hispanic counterparts....
They have not been tracked separately to know just how much they affect politics, but there are at least two elected Guatemalan officials in California, and other Central American officials represent the immigrants, as well. Catholicism is still the dominant religion, but many Central Americans blend that with their Mayan beliefs to form a more modern form of the religion, and many follow other forms of religion, such as Evangelical Pentecostal Protestants. Economically, they tend to have fewer unemployed members, and fewer living below the poverty level than other Hispanic groups. Families tend to be close, and like Mexican-Americans, they often send money home to relatives if they can. They still suffer from more poverty than white Americans do, but they also can move up to the middle class is more cases. They also do not tend to form bonds with Mexican-Americans or other Hispanic groups as easily, even if they live in the same ethnic neighborhoods.
In conclusion, it is clear there are many commonalities among these groups. The Spanish language, Catholicism, and close family ties are several. It is interesting to note that in most all the cultures, it is important for immigrants to keep close ties to their home countries, but that immigrant children and grandchildren tend to drop those ties to culture and homeland, assimilating more into American culture. While white Americans tend to lump all of these different ethnic groups into Latinos or Hispanics, it is important to note there are vast differences between many of the groups, and that can lead to misunderstanding, confusion, and resentment.
References
Hayes-Bautista, D.E. (2004). La Nueva California: Latinos in the Golden State. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Lassiter, S.M. (1998). Cultures of color in America: A guide to family, religion, and health.
Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
