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The Americas

Amid a historic wave of emigration, some Cubans are


returning home
By Nick Miroff January 1 at 7:32 PM

HAVANAMauricioEstradaleftCubain2003fullofthesamefrustrationsassomanyotherseagertomoveaway.He
marriedaSpanishwoman,movedtoBarcelonaandgotajobasaprepcook.
Adozenyearslateranddivorced,Estradaisback,thistimeastheproprietorofastylishIberianthemedrestaurant,Torosy
Tapas,decoratedwitholdmatadorpostersandthe
taxidermiedheadsoflonghornbulls.
Havingmyownrestaurantisadream,saidEstrada,48.InevercouldhavedoneitifIdstayedinCuba.
Estradaisarepatriado,arepatriate,oneofthegrowingnumberofCubanswhohaveoptedtomovebacktotheislandin
recentyearsastheCastrogovernmenteasesitsrigidimmigrationrules.Thereturneesareasmaller,quietercountercurrent
tothesurgeofCubansleaving,andtheirarrivalsuggestsamoredynamicfuturewhentheircompatriotsmaycomeandgo
withgreaterease,helpingtorebuildCubawithearningsfromabroad.
NotsincetheearlyyearsofFidelCastrosrule,whenhisleftistidealsbroughthomeanumberofexilesinitially
sympathetictothe1959revolution,havesomanyCubansvoluntarilyreturned.
Thedifferenceisthattodaysrepatriatesarenotcomingbackforsocialism.Theyarecomingbackascapitalists.Whichis
tosay,theyarereturningastrailblazingentrepreneurs.PromptedbyPresidentRalCastroslimitedopeningtosmall
businessandhis2011moveallowingCubanstobuyandsellrealestate,therepatriatesareusingmoneysavedabroadto
acquirepropertyandopenprivaterestaurants,guesthouses,spasandretailshops.
Cubanauthoritiessaidtheycouldnotprovideuptodatestatistics,butin2012,immigrationofficialssaidtheywere
processingabout1,000repatriationapplicationseachyear.Thenumbersappeartohaveincreasedsincethen,atleast
judgingfromanecdotalevidenceandtheproliferationofnewsmallbusinessesinHavanarunbyreturnees.
CommunistauthoritiesnolongerstigmatizesuchCubansorviewthemasideologicallysuspicious,providedtheyrenot
comingbackasantigovernmentactivists.VirtuallyallCubanswhoemigratedareeligibleforrepatriationunlesstheyare
deemedtohavecommittedhostileactsagainstthestate.
Returneessaythepaperworktakesaboutsixmonthstoprocess.Itallowsthemtoreturnhomewithashippingcontainers
worthofgoodsandtoregainaccesstothesocialistcountrysbenefits,includingfreehealthcareandfoodrations.
ForCubansnostalgicforhomeordeterminedtobuildsmallbusinessesontheisland,repatriationofferstravelprivileges

fewothersenjoy.CubansreturningfromSpain,forexample,donothavetorenouncetheirSpanishcitizenshipandtheall
importantEuropeanUnionpassportsthatcomewithit,allowingthemtotravelfarmorefreelythanordinaryCuban
passportholders,whoneedvisasforpracticallyanycountrytheywishtovisit.
TherepatriationtrendisaclassiccaseofCubaningenuity,saidPedroFreyre,apartnerandanexpertonCubatradelaws
attheAkermanlawfirminMiami.Itsaninstinctfortakingadvantageofanyopening,andtheperceptionthatwiththis
mechanismanexpatcanhavethebestoftwosystems.
Tobeclear,thenumberofrepatriatesisdwarfedbythemorethan70,000Cubanswholefttheislandin2015,thehighest
figureindecadesandnearlytwiceasmanyasdepartedin2014.Theemigrationwaveisbeingdrivenbyarangeofoldand
newfactors,fromtheislandsperpetualeconomictroublestonewfearsthatbetterrelationswiththeUnitedStateswill
bringanendtotheuniqueU.S.immigrationprivilegesextendedtoCubans.
ForEnriqueSoldevilla,34,theDecember2014announcementthattheUnitedStatesandCubawouldbeginnormalizing
relationswasthedecisivefactorinhisreturnhomeafteradecadeintheDominicanRepublic.OptimisticthattheU.S.thaw
wouldbringbettertimestoCuba,hemovedbacktoHavanainApril,givingupawellpaidjobinaudioandvideo
production.
LifeintheDominicanRepublicwasgoodprofessionallyandfinancially,Soldevillasaid,butsomethingwasalways
missing.
Hefeltaspiritualneedtobeinhishomecountryandculture,withhisfamilycloseby.
SomeonelikeSoldevillawouldhavehadfewoptionsjustafewyearsago,whenrestrictionsweremuchtighteronprivate
businessandindependentlabor.Buttoday,morethanaquarterofCubasworkforceisnotemployedbythestate.
Soldevillahasbeenworkingasafreelanceproducer,usinghisinternationalcontactsandhisskillstogetcontractswith
foreignclients.HehasdonecastingworkfortheU.S.realityTVshowHouseHunters,somethingthatwouldhavebeen
unthinkableafewyearsago,whenCubanswereprohibitedfromhavingcellphonesandgoingonlinewasallbut
impossible.
PoorInternetaccessisstillamajorheadache,butSoldevillacantakehislaptoptoatouristhotelwithWiFiwhenheneeds
toconductbusiness.ImnotearningasmuchasIdid[intheDominicanRepublic],butthecostoflivingisalotlower.
AndImhappierhere,hesaid.
Manyoftherepatriates,likeSoldevilla,arereturningfromEuropeandLatinAmerica.CubansintheUnitedStatesmaybe
morereluctanttoreturntotheislandbecauseoftheirrelativelyhighincomes.ButAmericaneconomicsanctionsalsomake
itessentiallyillegalforanyU.S.residenttogotoCubaandrunabusiness.Andtheabilitytobuypropertyremainsmostly
restrictedtoCubanswholiveontheisland.

ForKellySnchez,the2011overhaulofCubanrealestatelawswasthebiggestfactorinherdecisiontogiveupajobasan
advertisingexecutiveinSpainandreturntotheOldHavananeighborhoodofherchildhood.
ThechangemeantthataCubancouldacquirearesidencethatcouldalsohouseasmallbusiness.
Snchezboughta200yearoldhouseinthecityshistoricquarter,andshenowoperatesitasasmallhostelcalledCasa
Vieja.Thegroundfloorhas15footceilingsanddoublesasanartgalleryshehasabaranddiningroomontheroofdeck.
Snchezsroomsrentforabout$40anight,anddemandissohighthatshesaidshesalmostentirelybookedfor2016.
Itsinsane,shesaid,referringbothtothedemandandthemyriadchallengesofrunningsuchanoperationincrowded,
crumblingOldHavana.
WhenSnchezleftforSpainin1998asa24yearold,shewasanunemployeduniversitygraduatewithanengineering
degreeandafrustrationthatdrovehertodepression.Iwasdesperatetogetoutofhere,shesaid.
AprofessionalcareerinEuropeiswhatIneededtogrowup,shesaid.ItmademethewomanIamtodaysmarter,
moreconfident,moreopenminded.
LikeSnchez,restaurantownerEstradadescribeslifeabroadasakindofinternationalbusinessschool,aneducationin
capitalism.EstradasaidhehasstruggledwiththetrainingandmanagementofhisCubanemployees,whohesaidstilltreat
theirjobsasiftheyworkforagovernmentrunbusiness.Pilferingisaproblem,hegrumbled,alongwithtardinessandpoor
customerserviceskills.
Likeotherprivaterestaurantownershere,Estradasaidhepreferstohireworkerswithnoexperiencethathecantraintohis
standards,ratherthanhireemployeeswhohavepickedupthebadhabitsofstaterunbusinesses.
InSpain,workerstaketheirjobsseriously,Estradasaid.Theyknowthatiftheydont,theyllbeoutonthestreetwith
nothingtoeat.
Readmore:
AsocialistvisionfadesinCubasbiggesthousingproject
HowCubaisandisntchanging,ayearafterthethawwiththeUnitedStates
Cubasislandofbrokendreams
TodayscoveragefromPostcorrespondentsaroundtheworld

Nick Miroff is a Latin America correspondent for The Post, roaming from the U.S.-Mexico
borderlands to South Americas southern cone. He has been a staff writer since 2006.

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