Covering Cuban Immigrants: A Local Newspaper’s Photographs

Fort McCoy in Wisconsin was one of the hosting sites for Cubans allowed to move to the United States in 1980 through an agreement between the countries, which became known as the Freedom Flotilla and Cuban boatlift. Many area residents were concerned with the sudden influx of immigrants, and a local newspaper, the La Crosse Tribune, covered the Cubans’ months spent in Wisconsin. This history examines the Tribune’s photographs in the context of photojournalism’s professional expectations and in contrast to the U.S. Army’s camp newspaper. The work of Tribune photojournalists provides a valuable historical record of the Cuban refugee experience, offering a balanced perspective on a pivotal moment in President Jimmy Carter’s presidency.