Many of them view Miami as a sort of halfway house, a place to hang their hats before an imminent return. But as the hiatus grows longer and their American-born children grow older, the exile community stands at a crossroads. If Castro were to fall tomorrow and democratic reformers assume control of Havana, the Miami Cubans might contemplate returning. But their pocketbooks would tug on them with equal force. They feel deeply grateful to the United States for providing almost unlimited opportunity, but it is, after all, not a home they chose willingly.
Complexity lies just beneath, however.
It's like being the child of a messy divorce. For all its power, this duality is generational. Ruly barely knows Cuba. His parents have taken him on visits, but he does not seem to care for the place. He feels no bond with it.