Lesson 9: Refugees from the Caribbean: Cuban and Haitian “Boat People” OBJECTIVES OVERVIEW Students will be able to: This lesson looks at the incidents of “boat people” refugees from • Compare the countries of Haiti and Cuba in the 1980s and 1990s and the different U.S. pol- Haiti and Cuba and the cir- icy responses to the incidents. It provides a brief history of each cumstances of the refugees nation, an overview of U.S. foreign policy toward the two from both countries. nations, and story of the “boat people” crises and their after- • Compare the U.S. policies maths. In the activity, students role play presidential advisers and toward refugees from both decide on a policy for Cuban and Haitian refugees to recom- countries. mend to the president. • Express a reasoned opinion on the Supreme Court deci- sion in Sale v. Haitian Centers NOTES Council. • Develop policy options for Reading: This is a long reading. If necessary, it can be easily bro- refugees from both countries, ken into two parts—the Cubans and Haitians. evaluate them, choose the Activity: Be sure to review “Some Possible Policy Options” with best policy, and justify it with the class. Make sure students understand that there are many reasons. other possible policy options. STANDARDS ADDRESSED National U.S. History Standard 31: Understands economic, social, and cultural developments in the contemporary United States. Understands how recent immigration and migration patterns impacted social and political issues (e.g., major issues that affect immigrants and resulting conflicts . ) California History-Social Science Standard 11.11: Students analyze the major social problems and domestic policy issues in contemporary American society. (1) Discuss the reasons for the nation’s changing immigration policy, with emphasis on how the Immigration Act of 1965 and successor acts have transformed American society. The Immigration Debate: Historical and Current Issues of Immigration 1 © 2010, Constitutional Rights Foundation Refugees from the Caribbean: Cuban and Haitian “Boat People” wo island nations in the Caribbean— between the countries. The United States also Cuba and Haiti—sent floods of refugees adopted a policy of accepting all refugees Tto the United States in the 1980s and from Cuba. Two crises—one in 1980 and 1990s. The United States had long had a poli- another in 1994—put that policy to the test. cy of accepting all refugees from Cuba. In April 1980, several Cubans broke through Because its people were fleeing a communist the gate and demanded asylum at the Peruvian dictatorship, it considered them victims of embassy in Havana. Soon, a huge crowd sur- political oppression. It had returned most rounded the embassy, and over 10,000 Cuban Haitian refugees, because it regarded them as citizens rushed inside asking for asylum. After fleeing poverty and not political repression. several days of negotiations with Castro’s gov- The influx of boat people from both nations ernment, eight American nations agreed to caused many Americans to rethink what we take most of them as political refugees. The should do about these refugees. United States promised to admit 3,500 of Refugees From Cuba these Cubans. Cuba is a small island about 100 miles off the The Mariel Boat Lift coast of southern Florida. It was part of the Shortly after settling the problem at the Spanish empire until it gained independence Peruvian embassy, Castro announced that any after the Spanish-American War of 1898. The Cuban would be allowed to leave the country. United States occupied the country for several Word of this announcement spread quickly years in the first decade of the 20th century. through Florida’s Cuban community of From the 1920s until 1959, a series of dictators 600,000 people. These Cubans immediately ruled Cuba. seized on this unexpected opportunity to get In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution and over- their relatives out of Cuba. Overnight, Florida threw the dictatorship. It soon became evi- Cubans got together a fleet of boats they dent, however, that Castro intended to lead a owned, rented, or chartered. They sent this communist regime in Cuba. As relations with fleet racing for Cuba. Some of the boats were the United States deteriorated, many well-off little more than outboard pleasure craft. Cubans fled the island and settled in Florida. Over the next few days, Cuban gunboats met Castro allied his nation with the Soviet Union the boats from Florida and escorted them and ruled as a dictator. into Cuba’s Mariel Harbor, 110 miles from In 1961, the United States sponsored an ill- Key West, Florida. The boat crews handed fated Cuban-exile invasion of Cuba at the Bay Cuban soldiers lists of relatives they wanted to of Pigs. The following year, the United States bring back to the United States. The relatives detected Soviet missiles in Cuba, which led to were notified by Cuban police and transport- a crisis that almost caused a nuclear war ed to Mariel. Hundreds of other Cubans between the Soviet Union and United States. made their way to the Cuban port hoping to For many years, the United States has get passage to Florida. imposed a trade and travel embargo on Cuba During May and June, hundreds of boats and has broken off diplomatic relations made the trip. In some cases, boat owners The Immigration Debate: Historical and Current Issues of Immigration 2 © 2010, Constitutional Rights Foundation At its nearest point, Cuba is about 100 miles south of Florida. Just to the east of Cuba is Haiti, about 500 miles from the United States. (Perry-Castaneda Map Collection, University of Texas Library) charged as much as $1,000 a person to pick “They ask for your I.D. card everywhere,” said up the Cubans and bring them to Florida. At one boat-lift refugee. “They’re always watching the peak of the boat lift, 300 boats were you. People are afraid to talk.” reportedly anchored in Mariel Harbor waiting Castro had several reasons for allowing people for passengers. Another 200 boats waited their to leave Cuba. The mass exodus relieved the turn outside the harbor. pressures for food and other goods. Also, it On arrival in the United States, many of the gave Castro a chance to get rid of those criti- Cuban “boat people” were met by relatives in cal of his regime. In a May Day rally held in Key West and joyous reunions took place. Havana, Castro shouted, “We don’t want One newly arrived Cuban said, “It is the thing them, we don’t need them!” In addition, we have dreamed about and prayed for, but rumors began to circulate that the Cuban gov- never thought would happen.” ernment had added vagrants and criminals to When asked why they decided to leave their the boat lift. homes, Cubans talked about the difficult liv- As far as the United States was concerned, the ing conditions. They mentioned the lack of whole boat-lift operation was illegal. At first, fresh vegetables and the rationing of rice and the federal government did not act. Finally, meat. They complained about unemployment President Jimmy Carter called the boat lift an and low wages. Some said that they were fed “unprecedented emergency” and ordered the up with the police constantly watching them. U.S. Navy and Coast Guard to help boats in The Immigration Debate: Historical and Current Issues of Immigration 3 © 2010, Constitutional Rights Foundation distress. By the end of May, about 1,000 boats ing, Castro once again declared that all in trouble had been aided or even towed to Cubans who wanted to leave, could leave. shore. Remarkably, fewer than 30 boat-lift Many Cubans boarded small boats and rafts, refugees died at sea. hoping to make it to the U.S. mainland. But Meanwhile, U.S. authorities had to deal with the Clinton administration did not want a refugees who had arrived in Florida. Toward repeat of the Mariel boat lift. It ordered the the end of May, well over 100,000 of them Navy and Coast Guard to pick up the refugees were crowded into temporary refugee centers. and take them to the U.S. naval base at Many were airlifted from Key West to Elgin Guantanamo, Cuba. This marked the first Air Force Base in northwest Florida where a time that Cubans had been denied entry to tent city was created to house them. the United States. In late May, amid reports that as many as The Cuban and U.S. governments negotiated 250,000 more Cubans might try to reach a new agreement. Cuba agreed to stop the Florida, the U.S. government began to act. It refugees, but to allow 20,000 per year to emi- seized boats sailing for Cuba and fined their grate. The United States would process their owners. The boat lift was over. About 120,000 applications in Cuba. The United States also Cuban refugees now had to be resettled in the allowed the more than 30,000 Cuban refugees United States. held at Guantanamo to immigrate. But the Refugee camps were set up in Florida, Clinton administration stated a new “wet Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas. Under feet–dry feet” policy toward refugees who fled U.S. law, all refugees must be sponsored. This on their own: Cuban refugees caught at sea means that someone must be responsible for would be returned to Cuba. Cuban refugees the refugee until he or she becomes self-sup- who made it to the U.S. shore could stay. porting. Those Cubans with relatives in the The Bush and Obama administrations have United States found sponsors and were quick- continued to follow this policy.