Conghaileach
18th July 2002, 20:11
The Truth About Cuban Immigration to America
By Greg Gourley, Director , New Americans of Washington
The Cuban-American lobby since the early 60's has effectively
captured the political support of the American public. If Americans
believe what the Cuban lobby says about life in Cuba, then the only
Cubans escaping Castro to the United States are arriving in small,
leaky boats and inner tubes, i.e. Elian Gonzales. That, however, is
not the case.
The truth is that the vast majority of Cubans who leave Cuba for a
new life in the USA do so without getting wet or risking their lives
at sea. They fly from Havana to Miami daily on scheduled flights and
arrive legally in the United States. They are part of a large but
quiet exodus from Cuba that grants at least 20,000 US visas to Cubans
each year, far more than those who arrive illegally.
The image of Cuban refugees fleeing Castro's Cuba in broken down
boats and diving off rafts to swim to Florida shores is common, but
not an honest picture. It is savvy hype and a good Reader's Digest
story used often by Cuban-American leaders to rally support in
Congress and throughout America for the continuation of America's
40-year economic embargo of Fidel's Cuba.
In the past five years, according to federal statistics, more than
9,800 Cubans entered the US without visas. They came across the
Florida Straits and through Mexico. During the same period, more
than 47,560 were granted visas. However, these are not the Cubans
that Miami exile leaders talk so passionately about or want the
America people to know. Instead exile leaders prefer to focus public
attention on those Cubans arrested for illegal entry, political
asylees and Elian Gonzalez.
Those Cubans entering quietly and legally migrate because of an
agreement signed between the United States and Cuba on September 9,
1994 that allows 20,000 people annually to leave the island for
permanent residence in America. They can return to Cuba for family
visits and vacations and are encouraged to spend dollars. Once in
the USA they receive "green cards",assistance in finding work, their
children can attend public school and after five years or sooner
they're eligible to apply for American citizenship.
Desperate to stop a high number of Cubans from leaving the island
and to prevent the reoccurrence of another "Mariel boatlift" that
haunted Jimmy Carter, the Clinton administration in September 1994
made the highly unusual move of entering into an immigration
agreement with Fidel Castro's government. The Cuban government
calls the agreement the "Special Cuban Migration Program."
An addendum was added to the agreement in 1995 specifying that Cubans
intercepted at sea by the U. S. Coast Guard, with a few exceptions,
would be returned to Cuba. The United States also pledged to stop
admitting "all Cuban migrants who reach U.S. territory in irregular
ways." Cuba promised to patrol its shores and waters to discourage
departures, and to take no reprisals against those brought back to
Cuba.
The Cuban government agreed to stem the flow of refugees and the
United States agreed to provide 20,000 visas annually for Cubans
wanting to migrate to the USA with Cuba facilitating their
departure. Those "illegal rafters" who make it to the United States
can, in most cases, stay and file for refugee or asylee status with
the USINS.
About 5,000 of the 20,000 Cuban visas are available through a special
lottery drawing conducted by U. S. officials in Havana. There is no
fixed schedule as to when the lottery is held, and since 1995 only
three drawings have been conducted. It was set up to give some hope
to Cubans who saw little prospect of being admitted to the USA under
normal immigration procedures.
It is indisputable that many Cubans want to leave Cuba. In the first
Cuban lottery in November 1994, 189,000 people submitted entries for
5,000 possible positions. The number soared to 436,000 in March 1996
more than twice the number before. Together, that represents about
a fifth of Cuba's work force.
In l998, more than 500,000 of the island's 11 million people mailed
entry letters to the US Interests Section in Havana. That's 5
percent of the country.
The annual Cuban lottery is administered in similar fashion to
another annual worldwide immigration lottery sponsored by Uncle Sam:
the U.S. Diversity Visa Program ("green card" lottery). The "green
card" lottery established by Congress in 1990 and signed by President
Bush provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas. It is administered by
the National Visa Center and attracts over 11 million entries each
year. Cubans can enter the "green card" lottery, too.
Entrants in the "green card" lottery must have been born in an
eligible country and have a high school education. Applicants in the
Cuban lottery must be between 18 and 55, have a high school education
and have worked in the past two years. (There is no upper age limit
on the "green card" lottery.) Selected persons who pass their
immigration visa interview can take their spouse and any children
under 21 with them to the USA.
Those selected in the Cuban lottery are screened and interviewed by
the US Cuban Interests Section in Havana, must provide the results of
a medical examination, any criminal history records, and evidence
that once in the United States they will not become a "public
burden."
In 1998 only six countries sent more legal immigrants to the United
States than Cuba: Mexico – 131,575; China – 36,884; India – 36,482;
Philippines – 34, 466; Dominican Republic – 20,387; Vietnam– 17,469;
Cuba – 17,375. These are the figures the American public never
heard from the "talking heads" on television or read in the media
during contentious debates about Elian Gonzalez.
Despite all the polemics and rhetoric coming from Miami's Little
Havana about the hardships Cubans have in coming to America, the
United States does have an orderly process for people to migrate from
Cuba to the United States. Elian Gonzalez can apply when he is 18.
However, there are some people who prefer to keep the program quiet.
It doesn't fit their agenda.
Life and death drama on the ocean is a more appealing story for the
anti-Castro groups. Exile leaders downplay the visa program because
it points to the plausibility of normalized US – Cuba relations.
That is the last thing anti-Castro groups want to see.
By Greg Gourley, Director , New Americans of Washington
The Cuban-American lobby since the early 60's has effectively
captured the political support of the American public. If Americans
believe what the Cuban lobby says about life in Cuba, then the only
Cubans escaping Castro to the United States are arriving in small,
leaky boats and inner tubes, i.e. Elian Gonzales. That, however, is
not the case.
The truth is that the vast majority of Cubans who leave Cuba for a
new life in the USA do so without getting wet or risking their lives
at sea. They fly from Havana to Miami daily on scheduled flights and
arrive legally in the United States. They are part of a large but
quiet exodus from Cuba that grants at least 20,000 US visas to Cubans
each year, far more than those who arrive illegally.
The image of Cuban refugees fleeing Castro's Cuba in broken down
boats and diving off rafts to swim to Florida shores is common, but
not an honest picture. It is savvy hype and a good Reader's Digest
story used often by Cuban-American leaders to rally support in
Congress and throughout America for the continuation of America's
40-year economic embargo of Fidel's Cuba.
In the past five years, according to federal statistics, more than
9,800 Cubans entered the US without visas. They came across the
Florida Straits and through Mexico. During the same period, more
than 47,560 were granted visas. However, these are not the Cubans
that Miami exile leaders talk so passionately about or want the
America people to know. Instead exile leaders prefer to focus public
attention on those Cubans arrested for illegal entry, political
asylees and Elian Gonzalez.
Those Cubans entering quietly and legally migrate because of an
agreement signed between the United States and Cuba on September 9,
1994 that allows 20,000 people annually to leave the island for
permanent residence in America. They can return to Cuba for family
visits and vacations and are encouraged to spend dollars. Once in
the USA they receive "green cards",assistance in finding work, their
children can attend public school and after five years or sooner
they're eligible to apply for American citizenship.
Desperate to stop a high number of Cubans from leaving the island
and to prevent the reoccurrence of another "Mariel boatlift" that
haunted Jimmy Carter, the Clinton administration in September 1994
made the highly unusual move of entering into an immigration
agreement with Fidel Castro's government. The Cuban government
calls the agreement the "Special Cuban Migration Program."
An addendum was added to the agreement in 1995 specifying that Cubans
intercepted at sea by the U. S. Coast Guard, with a few exceptions,
would be returned to Cuba. The United States also pledged to stop
admitting "all Cuban migrants who reach U.S. territory in irregular
ways." Cuba promised to patrol its shores and waters to discourage
departures, and to take no reprisals against those brought back to
Cuba.
The Cuban government agreed to stem the flow of refugees and the
United States agreed to provide 20,000 visas annually for Cubans
wanting to migrate to the USA with Cuba facilitating their
departure. Those "illegal rafters" who make it to the United States
can, in most cases, stay and file for refugee or asylee status with
the USINS.
About 5,000 of the 20,000 Cuban visas are available through a special
lottery drawing conducted by U. S. officials in Havana. There is no
fixed schedule as to when the lottery is held, and since 1995 only
three drawings have been conducted. It was set up to give some hope
to Cubans who saw little prospect of being admitted to the USA under
normal immigration procedures.
It is indisputable that many Cubans want to leave Cuba. In the first
Cuban lottery in November 1994, 189,000 people submitted entries for
5,000 possible positions. The number soared to 436,000 in March 1996
more than twice the number before. Together, that represents about
a fifth of Cuba's work force.
In l998, more than 500,000 of the island's 11 million people mailed
entry letters to the US Interests Section in Havana. That's 5
percent of the country.
The annual Cuban lottery is administered in similar fashion to
another annual worldwide immigration lottery sponsored by Uncle Sam:
the U.S. Diversity Visa Program ("green card" lottery). The "green
card" lottery established by Congress in 1990 and signed by President
Bush provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas. It is administered by
the National Visa Center and attracts over 11 million entries each
year. Cubans can enter the "green card" lottery, too.
Entrants in the "green card" lottery must have been born in an
eligible country and have a high school education. Applicants in the
Cuban lottery must be between 18 and 55, have a high school education
and have worked in the past two years. (There is no upper age limit
on the "green card" lottery.) Selected persons who pass their
immigration visa interview can take their spouse and any children
under 21 with them to the USA.
Those selected in the Cuban lottery are screened and interviewed by
the US Cuban Interests Section in Havana, must provide the results of
a medical examination, any criminal history records, and evidence
that once in the United States they will not become a "public
burden."
In 1998 only six countries sent more legal immigrants to the United
States than Cuba: Mexico – 131,575; China – 36,884; India – 36,482;
Philippines – 34, 466; Dominican Republic – 20,387; Vietnam– 17,469;
Cuba – 17,375. These are the figures the American public never
heard from the "talking heads" on television or read in the media
during contentious debates about Elian Gonzalez.
Despite all the polemics and rhetoric coming from Miami's Little
Havana about the hardships Cubans have in coming to America, the
United States does have an orderly process for people to migrate from
Cuba to the United States. Elian Gonzalez can apply when he is 18.
However, there are some people who prefer to keep the program quiet.
It doesn't fit their agenda.
Life and death drama on the ocean is a more appealing story for the
anti-Castro groups. Exile leaders downplay the visa program because
it points to the plausibility of normalized US – Cuba relations.
That is the last thing anti-Castro groups want to see.