Marielito

American  

[mahr-ee-uh-lee-toh, mah-rye-lee-taw] / ˌmɑr i əˈli toʊ, ˌmɑ rjɛˈli tɔ /

noun

• Marielitos
  plural

1. a refugee from Cuba who came to the U.S. in 1980 as part of a mass migration that sailed from Mariel, Cuba.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Marielitos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Marielito

First recorded in 1980–85; from Latin American Spanish (Cuba), equivalent to Mariel, the port from which the migration began + -ito noun suffix, usually diminutive

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Marielito Marielitos

In December 1984, Castro agreed to take back 2,746 Marielito criminals and mental patients.

From Time Magazine Archive

Last April, Sarmiento became the first Marielito to earn an FLU. engineering degree.

From Time Magazine Archive

Yet Cuba refuses to accept any Marielito, criminal or not.

From Time Magazine Archive

Miami has by far the largest Marielito population.

From Time Magazine Archive

Carlos Alfonzo, 38, a Marielito exile from Havana who now lives in Miami and is perhaps the most gifted young artist in the show, paints somewhat under the influence of Wilfredo Lam.

From Time Magazine Archive

The majority of Marielitos are hard-working and peaceful; some are former political prisoners and professionals.

From Time Magazine Archive

Approved in advance by Attorney General Edwin Meese, the agreement will apply to all the Marielitos under detention.

From Time Magazine Archive

Since then, the Marielitos, most of whom live in Florida, have remained in legal limbo.

From Time Magazine Archive

Nonetheless, about 1,080 Marielitos are in the federal penitentiary in Atlanta.

From Time Magazine Archive

Federal courts have ruled that since the Marielitos were met by Immigration and Naturalization Service agents at Florida ports, they never legally "entered" the U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive