It seems to be like the Mariel boat lift created some super negative images and stereotypes of Cubans entering the US since many of these people came from jail. Fidel mentions that Cuba does not want them since they are unwilling to contribute to the revolution. Thousands of people packed onto boats to travel to the US in hopes of a better life. Based off of the interactions between the white US citizens and the Cuban immigrants and the reaction to the riots (as portrayed in the movie), the people of the US who are caucasian were never going to see the Cubans as citizens or even people with basic rights. Al Pacino is from New York and his parents are immigrants from Italy (he has no Latin American heritage). I find it interesting that the first time we see Tony Montana he has on a floral shirt. Very tropical and exotic. He is a construction worker which is stereotypical. The questions they ask him when he gets to the US are extremely prejudiced. Tony's lines about Communism and ...