Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The state of Florida has the largest Cuban community in the US. Consider the history of Cuban immigration to the US. What were some of the motivations for migration? How has migration from Cuba shaped the culture of the cities within the US? How did Florida become a major destination for those leaving Cuba?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider their prior knowledge regarding Cuban migration and Cuban communities in the US. Cuban migration to the US can be broadly separated into two waves: first, economic migrants in the late-19th and early 20th centuries; and second, refugees during the mid-to-late 20th century. Cruz’s play takes place during the former wave, in which many Cubans settled in Florida. (Please see the first and fourth Paired Resources for more information). These communities would grow over the next decades as many Cubans migrated to Florida to find work in the growing cigar manufacturing industry. (Students should understand that 30 years after the play’s setting, the next wave of Cuban immigrants to Florida would include many refugees who sought political asylum after the introduction of Communism in 1959.