For this special edition of Human Powered, we are sharing an episode of a series called Uprooted produced by our friends at Wisconsin Life and WPR. 

In 1980, there was an exodus of Cubans who left their homes for the United States as part of the Mariel Boatlift. This includes almost 15,000 Cuban refugees who were sent to Fort McCoy in Sparta, Wisconsin. 

Wisconsin Humanities awarded a grant to the La Crosse Public Library in support of an interactive online exhibit on the history of the 1980 Cuban migration. 125,000 Cubans fled to the US and it was a paramount moment of the Cold War. The exhibit is called Uprooted and you can browse the stories and collection at  lacrossehistory.org/online-exhibits/uprooted 

Additionally, a podcast series called “WPR Reports: Uprooted” explores this history and shares stories from people like Enrique Moré. Moré is a musician who came to Wisconsin from Cuba and now is a big part of the La Crosse-area music scene. He and other Cubans share stories about their early lives, moving to Wisconsin, and what life is like living in limbo.