Immigrant Economic Adjustment and Family Organization: The Cuban Success Story Reexamined

The economic adjustment of Cuban-origin persons in the U.S. has been traditionally analyzed at two levels: the individual and the community (enclave). The analysis presented here represents a complementary approach at the household level. Data from the 1980 U.S. Census show that the relatively successful economic adjustment of Cubans is largely a family, rather than individual, phenomenon. The data also permit an identification of the structural features of the Cuban-origin family that facilitate economic adjustment. The results have special implications for the study of the labor-force experience of Cuban women and their role within the enclave economy.