See the menus for Mariel in Boston, MA Serving authentic Cuban food.
In 1980, some 125,000 Cubans left Mariel and went to the United States in what is known as the Mariel boatlift. While many reached the US, several died while traveling through the ocean.
Mariel boatlift, mass emigration of people from Cuba to the United States by boat in April–October 1980. After communist leader Fidel Castro rose to political power in Cuba in 1959, he periodically closed the island’s borders and prevented Cuban citizens from leaving.
The cause of the 1980 refugee exodus from Cuba, also known as the Mariel Boatlift, was deeply rooted in that nation’s internal affairs. The first signs that those seeking to leave Cuba in water-borne escape to the United States occurred during the second week in April.
After Fidel Castro loosened emigration policies, some 125,000 Cubans landed on U.S. shores over a span of five months. The Mariel Boatlift of 1980 was a mass emigration of Cubans to the United...
The Mariel Boatlift: How Cold War Politics Drove Thousands of ... - HISTORY
The name Mariel is a girl's name of Spanish, Filipino origin meaning "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved". Actress and author Mariel Hemingway popularized this attractive and unusual variation of Mary, which first emerged in the 20th century.
The Mariel boatlift refers to the mass movement of approximately 125,000 Cuban asylum seekers to the United States from April to October 1980. It prompted the creation of the Cuban-Haitian Entrant Program.