Cuban Exiles in Florida Praise New School Curriculum on Communism
- Florida’s decision to introduce communism history standards for middle and high school students has drawn strong support from Cuban immigrants who fled the regime decades ago.
- For families who lived through the rise of Fidel Castro, the new curriculum offers a necessary warning for American youth.
- State leaders defended the curriculum additions as an essential tool for educating younger generations.
Florida’s decision to introduce communism history standards for middle and high school students has drawn strong support from Cuban immigrants who fled the regime decades ago. According to reporting by The Epoch Times, the Florida State Board of Education voted on Nov. 13 to add lessons on the history of communism to social studies standards for students in grades six through 12, taking effect for the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
Immigrant Perspectives on Florida Curriculum
For families who lived through the rise of Fidel Castro, the new curriculum offers a necessary warning for American youth. Dionel and Marina Cotanda left Cuba more than 65 years ago with $65 between them after communist authorities seized their remaining funds, according to The Epoch Times. Their daughter, Lourdes Cotanda-Ercia, told the outlet that her parents initially thought their exile in Tampa, Florida, would be temporary before realizing the permanence of the regime’s grip on their homeland. Dionel Cotanda recalled the ideological pressures in Cuba prior to his departure, noting in his doctoral dissertation that he initially felt sympathetic to Castro before recognizing the realities of the takeover. Working for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. at the time, he decided to transfer to Tampa after the state placed a random shoemaker in charge of the factory simply because he was a longtime Party member, as reported by The Epoch Times. Marina Cotanda, who was studying journalism at the time, recalled watching Castro manipulate public spaces, including posting signs on doors declaring homes belonged to Castro and having his men parade down streets wearing rosaries to trick practicing Catholics.
State Officials and Community Reactions
State leaders defended the curriculum additions as an essential tool for educating younger generations. Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas said in a statement reported by The Epoch Times that the new standards will ensure students learn the truth about life under communism and gain a deeper appreciation for American liberty. Other Cuban expatriates echoed those sentiments, pointing to ongoing ideological shifts in the United States. Jose Ramon Perez Campos, who arrived in the United States in 1992 after working as a filmmaker in Cuba, told The Epoch Times in a Little Havana cigar shop that people have short memories regarding the seizure of money and land by the state. Marina Cotanda similarly warned that communist influence is active within contemporary American politics and education, operating quietly rather than openly.
