How did Cubans come to America during waves 1 and 2?

During Wave 1 of Cuban migration in the early 1960s, many Cubans fled to the United States following the Cuban Revolution, with the majority arriving via small boats and planes. The U.S. government facilitated this migration, providing asylum to those escaping the new communist regime. Wave 2 occurred in the 1980s, particularly during the Mariel Boatlift, when thousands of Cubans left from the Mariel Harbor in response to economic hardship and political repression, with U.S. Coast Guard ships assisting in the transport. These waves greatly shaped the Cuban-American community, particularly in Florida.