Internationalism's Remittances: The Impact of Temporary Migration on Cuban Society

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.13169/intejcubastud.5.1.0041
• Pages: 41-60
• Published date: 01 April 2013
• Date: 01 April 2013
• Author: Sarah A. Blue
• Subject Matter: Cuba,internationalism,remittances,migration

IJCS Produced and distributed by Pluto Journals www.plutojournals.com/ijcs/

INTERNATIONALISM’S REMITTANCES:

THE IMPACT OF TEMPORARY MIGRATION

ON CUBAN SOCIETY

Sarah A. Blue

Texas State University, USA

Abstract

Since the implementation of post-Soviet economic reforms, remittances have had a strong

inf‌luence on the Cuban economy and society. While economic and social inf‌luences of

remittances from permanent migration have been examined, the same cannot be said of

remittances from temporary migration. As part of an expansion of professional service

exports over the past decade, tens of thousands of Cuban professionals (internationalistas)

have worked abroad, remitting their earnings and often returning with substantial savings and

a broadened global perspective. The expansion of professional service exports across more

than 65 countries in the global south has extended the inf‌luence of remittances far beyond

Miami and the USA. Using f‌irst-hand accounts of returned internationalistas interviewed

in Havana in 2010 and 2011, this article explores the socio-economic inf‌luences of the

remittances from Cuban internationalism.

Keywords: Cuba, internationalism, remittances, migration

Introduction

Opportunities for Cuban professionals to work abroad throughout the revolutionary

period have been relatively few and highly coveted. Migration out of the country

has tended to be permanent. When an opportunity for temporary migration is

available, it is closely linked to and regulated by the Cuban government. Positions

to work abroad have been created on an unprecedented scale over the past decade,

however, through the expansion of what the government refers to as international

collaborations or humanitarian missions abroad.

International collaborations have enabled Cubans without relatives abroad

to earn hard currency and increase their household’s standard of living without

having to migrate permanently or seek out higher salaries in a sector where dollar

earnings are available. This government-contracted migration has provided an

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42 ACADEMIC ARTICLE  SARAH A. BLUE

I J  C S 5.1 S 2013

escape valve for Cuban professionals, likely minimising external or internal brain

drain (Feinsilver 2008). Through temporary migration, Cuban professionals can

avoid leaving their profession as a result of permanent migration or changing to

a non-professional job that provides more access to hard currency (CUCs). It also

provides opportunities for economic advancement to otherwise disadvantaged

groups (Blue 2010).

Temporary migrants who work on government-contracted missions are

positioned to be key players shaping a new Cuban society through the resources

they’ve acquired working abroad. These ‘international collaborators’ (interna-

tionalistas) are return migrants – coveted across the developing world – who

arrive home with capital, experience, new ideas and connections (Conway et

al. 2012; Démurger and Xu 2011; Dumont and Spielvogel 2008; Jones 2011).

In contrast to permanent migrants who remit, return migrants are ‘embedded’

in in their communities, providing the strong social ties necessary to potentially

translate new ideas and capital into meaningful change at home (Jones 2011).

By expanding professional service exports, the Cuban state has created a class

of tens of thousands of temporary migrant workers, most of whom will return,

invest, and contribute to Cuban society. Using the words and experiences of

returned internationalistas, this article explores the impact of temporary workers’

remittances, both economic and social, on Cuban society.

By contrasting the social and economic inf‌luence of remittances from permanent

and temporary migrants on Cuban society, this article aims to recognise the

major inf‌lux of capital and ideas stemming from a decade of expanded Cuban

internationalism. The experiences and perceptions of temporary and permanent

migrants in Cuban society are stark. While long-term migrants are considered

to have ‘abandoned’ the revolutionary effort, short-term internationalistas are

sacrif‌icing the comforts of home to work in diff‌icult conditions in the name of the

revolution. The f‌irst group resides in a wealthy society with a strong consumer

culture and remits to Cuba both goods and ideology that reinforces that culture.

The second group is serving on humanitarian missions in impoverished areas in

poor countries on the periphery of the capitalist world economy. In a seeming

contradiction, professional contract workers work in the spirit of humanitarian-

ism and collectivity, motivated by economic and political independence while

sacrif‌icing for the revolution and promoting its goals. There are important

differences as well as commonalities in how the remittances sent from these

different contexts affect Cuban society.

This exploration of how Cuban internationalism has affected Cuban society

begins with a review of literature highlighting the history of Cuban internation-

alism and its expansion over the past decade. It then explores the inf‌luence of

remittances in Cuban society, from both permanent and temporary migration.

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