By blockading and placing an embargo upon Cuba, exiles hope to weaken Castro and his regime to the point of collapse. In turn, the Cuban cigar is off limits to many here in America. The Cuban cigar's role in exile culture is that of a symbolic scapegoat. The cigar companies and manufacturers in Cuba are government controlled. Therefore, by placing an embargo against Cuban cigars, Cuban exiles feel as if they are placing an embargo upon Cuba's present regime which, in their opinion, has oppressed and deprived many exiled Cubans of Cuba.
Passions run high and politics run rampant in Cuban exile communities throughout the Unites Sates.
Consequently, the Cuban cigar has played a role in the development of this culture by serving as something that Cubans could look upon and agree on. By blockading Cuban cigars, made by government-controlled factories, exiles are blockading the government and hoping to move closer to reclaiming Cuba's past glory.