Abstract: | ABSTRACT. Many people describe the Cuban community in Miami as a prime example of ethnic solidarity; others see it as internally divided. This study argues that the contradiction can be resolved when ethnic solidarity is seen as encompassing various components and when changes in cohesiveness in response to external and internal influences on the ethnic community are taken into account. These influences include the context of reception in the United States and the relationship between established Cubans and more recent immigrants. We need to refine our understanding of what constitutes ethnic solidarity, how it changes over time, and what role it plays, both within the community in general and within the ethnic‐enclave economy in particular |