Lend a helping hand is a way how human beings show empathy to the situations that others people face day to day. Cuba is a small island about 100 miles from the coast of South Florida. It was part of the Spanish Empire until it gained independence after the Hispano-American War of 1898. The United States occupied the country for several years in the first decade of the 20th century. "During the summer of 1994, thousands of Cubans appeared off Florida." Cubans decide to let behind their roots and start a new life in an unknown place for them.
In the book “Harvest of Empire,” Juan Gonzalez affirms that "the massive help that the federal government gave to Cubans in the most prosperous Hispanic immigrants in this country" (González 109). In essence, González is attributing the success of Cubans to the help offered upon arrival. It also implies that if immigrants today receive the same form of government support, they also have the same opportunities as Cubans. Contrary to Gonzalez's belief, the Cuban's rapid advancement and success were due to his education, skills and previous work experience. Although the Cubans received government support, most of their success was achieved.…show more content… González argues that the monetary aid to which Cubans have access consists of special benefits, such as "initial funds" for their businesses, that no other Latin American immigrant received. An example of a special benefit was a Character Loan, which established that "an exile who had no guarantee or a loan could obtain a commercial loan based on his or her origin or position in Cuba" (Gonzalez 111). Since these Cubans were educated and had experience as experts, they qualified for these loans, instead of receiving them. Banks have become an account for which refugees have been in
