Cuban Immigration to the United States
 For many
Cubans, reaching U.S. soil is highly desired. Living in a
socialist country under the dictatorship of Fidel Castrol has brought about more
equality but it has also limited many others. These individuals seek more
political freedom and a democratic form of government. Others seek to live in a
land of capitalism where there are fewer restrictions and more opportunities.
Cubans who are against Fidel Castro and living in
Cuba are not free to express
themselves and their lives may be threatened if they dare to speak out or to
assemble anti-Castro groups in their homeland. Many
Cubans are looking to join
their families already in the United States. They turn to smugglers at times who
can charge thousands of dollars or they may resort to making homemade boats and
even rafts for the 90 mile journey from Cuba to Florida. Others fly to countries
such as Mexico to enter the U.S. via that country. Not all are successful and
children and adults sometimes end up losing their lives in their efforts to
reach American soil.
With the drastic wave of over 30,000 Cubans that tried to enter the United
States back in the summer of 1994 this caused the U.S. and Cuban government to
work out an immigration agreement. Cuba agreed to do a better job of patrolling
their seas to prevent Cubans from leaving their country. If they were not
successful in reaching Florida soil and were intercepted by the United States
Coast Guard who is responsible for overseeing America’s seas and shores, the
Cuban government also agreed that there would be no reprisal against the Cubans
who were returned. However, in reality Cubans that are returned usually face
some kind of punishment by the Cuban government like imprisonment. The general
rule is that once an individual reaches American soil not American waters, they
are allowed to remain in the U.S. This policy is often referred to as the “wet
foot, dry foot policy.” Not all Cubans who are intercepted before reaching
American soil are returned to Cuba, there are some exceptions to this rule. For
example, a Cuban who is fleeing from political persecution may be allowed to
resettle in another country besides the United States or possibly in the United
States.
In 1994 the U.S. set a quota of 20,000 immigrant visas annually for Cubans of
which 5,000 come from a lottery system. The special lottery administered by
American officials in Havana gives Cubans permanent U.S. residency. However, it
has not been done on annual basis since its implementation in 1995. The special
lottery is highly sought out since those selected are entitled to a
Green Card
and work assistance. In addition, their children are allowed to enroll in the
public school system. One of the biggest incentives is that in a time period of
five years or less they may gain eligibility to apply for
U.S. citizenship.
However, there are some requirements as to who can apply for the lottery. Those
applying must be at least 18 years old and no older than 55 years old. They must
have a minimum of a high school education and for the last two years must have
worked. After winning the lottery, the applicants are required to undergo and
pass an immigration visa interview as part of the screening process. The
interview is conducted by the U.S. Cuban Interests Section in Havana and the
applicant must also submit medical records and any criminal records. The purpose
of the screening process is to ensure that they will not become a burden to the
United States government. Lottery winners are entitled to bring their spouse and
children who must be under 21 years of age.
Throughout the years there have been many publicized cases of Cubans that get
intercepted before reaching Florida soil such as that of Elian Gonzalez in 2000.
He was a Cuban child who had survived the voyage from Cuba to Florida along with
two other Cubans on an inner tube. Two fishermen handed them over to the U.S.
Coast Guard and temporary custody of Elian was given to his great uncle. The
mother and ten others also made the voyage but did not survive. She had taken
the child without the father’s permission and this ended up becoming a child
custody case of Elian’s relatives in Miami and the father back in Cuba. The
relatives’ attorney claimed that Elian Gonzales could remain in the U.S. under
political asylum because this would result in a better life for him. On the
other hand, the Cuban government along with Elian’s father demanded that the
child be returned to Cuba. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the
child could not file for political asylum because he was too young and thus only
the parent could make a decision. The U.S. Supreme Court stated that they would
not hear any appeals for Elian Gonzales and the relatives were ordered to turn
Elian over to American authorities so that he could be reunited with his father.
The relatives refused to turn him over and a SWOT team was brought in to take
custody of the child. This political/custody battle lasted for about seven
months and was widely covered in the media. Not all the cases of
Cubans fleeing
to the U.S. receive this extended coverage, but they occur on a continuous
basis. The dream of reaching U.S. soil for many Cubans still remains the same.
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