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Those who gave up and left Cuba, II

Any comments, questions or observations about last weeks film?

Why black and white?

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28 Sept. 2008Fewer Cubans have been apprehended this fiscal year trying to enter the U.S.,according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The agency said it had seen 25% fewer Cubans trying to illegally enter the US. Thatamounts to 2140 people, compared with 2868 in 2007.

Still, plenty of Cubans are trying to make the 90-mile trip to the United StatesOfficials sent 29 Cubans back in 4 different incidents over the past week.

The Coast Guard said almost 100 Cubans in the past 2 years died or are missingand presumed dead attempting the trip to the US.

The decrease in those attempting the journey cold be due to a busy Atlanticstorm season. Caribbean waters have been dangerous for the past 2 months

due to several hurricanes and tropical storms.

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Operacin Pedro Pan

http://www.pedropan.org/

A program started by the Catholic Welfare Bureau[Catholic Charities] to provide an opportunity forCuban parents to save their children from thefeared Marxist-Leninist indoctrination or thepossibility of being shipped to the Soviet Union[rumors spread, in part, by CIA agents.

The CWB was authorized by the US Dept. of State tonotify parents that visa requirements for children hadbeen lifted, thus enabling kids to travel by commercialflights to Miami.

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Between 26 Nov. 1960 and 22 Oct. 1962,some 14,000 children left Cuba [the

original intent was to rescue 200].

Many of these children were sent to camps inFlorida, others to group homes and private

homes. Those who had family in the Stateswent to live with them [about 50%].

Twice a day Freedom Flights began in Dec. 1965 under an agreement between the 2governments for the purpose of family reunions. Parents of unaccompanied minors

were accorded first priority. close to 90% of those still in care [camps, orphanages]were reunited with their parents by June 1965.

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After the Freedom Flights were started in Dec. 1965, the delays in family reunionswere due primarily to the Cuban governments regulations that delayed theemigration of certain professionals and their refusal to let young men between 15 and26 emigrate with their parents [due to military service obligations]. The relativelyfew other cases where reunions didnt take place were because of parental deaths, or a

parent staying behind to care for an elderly relative.

The CWB has no record of any missing children.

This is an EXTREMELY controversial and emotionalissue. Its very difficult to find objective reports, atleast on-line.

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Some famous Pedro pan children:

Mel Martnez

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http://cuban-exile.com

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The Fall Term 1961 Grand Jury made a thorough investigation of theimpact of the Cuban refugees on Dade County. At that time, the Jury

stated:

Many thousands of Cubans who arrived in Dade County now reside in othercounties

The Federal Govt had spent $70 million on behalf of the refugees and then next

budget called for $80 million.the influx of large numbers of people and great amounts of money had obviouslyinfluenced the economic and social structure

The 100,000 Cubans living there had aided the economy by the use ofFederal funds, aswell as their own, but had increased the unemployment problem by replacing mayDade Countians in the labor market, particularly among the lower income wage

earners. In some instances this has been a factor in the increase in crime.

The problem as to the manner in which exile groups will be permitted to combatCastroism has caused differences of opinion on a national level. Miami, as a Cold Waroutpost, has thus had this added tension to overcome.

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Events leading up to the Mariel

boatlift13 May 1979: 12 Cubans seek asylum at the Venezuelan Embassy in Havana bycrashing a bus through the Embassy gates.

16 Jan. 1980: 12 Cuban men, women and children seeking asylum force their wayinto the Peruvian Embassy in a station wagon. They are subsequently turned overto the Cuban authorities.

21 Jan. 1980: these 12 are returned to Cuban authorities

23 Jan., 1980: these 12 return to the Peruvian embassy after Lima protests

4 April 1980: The Government withdraws police protection from around thePeruvian Embassy, announcing that anyone wishing to leave Cuba should go to the

Embassy. Over 10,000 Cubans seek asylum in less than 48 hours.

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16 April, 1980: An estimated 7488 refugees leave Cuba. 500 to Spain, 420 to Costa

Rica, 368 to Peru. Of the 200 who go to the US. were not among those whostormed the Peruvian Embassy.

20 April, 1980: Castro announces that all Cubans wishing to emigrate to theU.S. were free to board boats at the port of Mariel.

21 April, 1980: The Freedom Flotilla began. Within hours of Castrosannouncement, Cuban-Americans were on their way to pick up relatives.[FYIthis is my birthday!]

21-30 April: Total Cuban arrivals 6333

27 April, 1980: The Federal Emergency Management Agency established

a federal coordinating team in Miami

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May 1980: Total Cuban arrivals 94,101 [1485 Haitians also

arrived].

FEMA reports that the Red Cross does not view this as a national disaster andthey would not assume full responsibility for the care of the arrivals. They wouldprovide comfort kits, cots and blankets when available.

2 May, 1980Cubans seeking word on their requests for U.S. visas were attacked onthe steps of the US Interest Section in Havana by a pro-Castro crowd.

In a press conference it was stated that recent Cuban arrivals would not be eligible forbenefits under the Refugee Act of 1980

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June 1980: Total Cuban arrivals 115, 436

1 June, 1980: Some 1000 Cubans riot at Ft. Chaffee,AR. 2builders were burnt. State troopers and tear gas were neededto disperse the crowd. 84 Cubans were jailed.

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7 June 1980: The US gives the Government ofCuba a note protesting in the strongestpossible terms the cynical actions employedby sending to the US hardened criminalswho constitute danger to any society, andrequested that Cuba accept the return of

these people.

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July 1980: total Cuban arrivals 118,065

August 1980, total Cuban arrivals: 121,994

26 Sept. 1980: Castro closed Mariel andordered all boats awaiting passengers to leave.125,262 Cubans had arrived in Key West via

Mariel.

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All of this background information

is necessary to truly understand

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1994

Because of the wet foot/dry foot policy, 35,000+ Cubans took tothe seas in anything that floated, in an attempt to make it to U.S.

shores.

The crossing is extremely dangerousstorms, strong currents,sharks.....

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Castro allowed this to continue in order to force the USshand in changing policy and allowing more Cubans inlegally20,000 minumum per year through the lotterysystem [Castro had demanded that the number be raisedto 50,000].

From 1994-2004, 230,000 Cubans arrived.Now about 3000 / year arrive.

80-95% of those intercepted at sea declare that they are coming to

the US for economic reasons. They are returned to Cuba.

Only those who can prove that they have been or will bepersecuted are allowed to enter the US.

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About 189,000 Cubans registered for the first lotteryin 1994. Another 433, o00 signed up in 1996, and541,000 registered in 1998.

Miami sources report finding 1 empty raft for every 3 with peoplein them.

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Elin Gonzlez

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Elin today:

Various opinions..

http://www.therealcuba.com/elian_gonzalez.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4471099.stm

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Balseros [2002] http://balseros.miami.edu/

When Castro told Cubans that they wouldnt be punished for leaving Cuba in thesummer of 1994, some 50,000 men, women and children set out for Florida on raftsstrung together with rusted out bits of roof tops, inner tubes wrapped in canvs,and wood ripped from the back rests of park benches.

By the time Pres. Bill Clinton convinced Castro to close the coastline in exchangefor allowing a set number of Cubans into America each year, 1000s of the balseros[rafters] had been detained by the U.S. Coast Guard and sent to Guantnamo Bay.

Spanish journalist and documentary film maker Carlos Bosch followed seven ofthe rafters, from the slums of Havana to new lives in the New World.

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Readings for next week: p.581, 664

What to think about/ watch for:the different ideas that these Cubans had about life in the U.S., the

American dream and how they adapted, or not, to life here.What did they do right, and wrong, upon arrival?What do you think theyre doing now?

The 7 whose lives youll be observing are:

Mericys GonzlezMisclaida GonzlezJuan Carlos SubizaOscar del ValleGuillermo ArmasMiriam HernndezRafael Cano