Many Cubans dream of the day where they will meet U.S. soil. Cuba has been living under the social dictatorship of Fidel Castro and is now under the dictatorship of his younger brother, Raul. This social dictatorship has created a climate of fear within Cubans who are against the Castro regime. The citizen’s of Cuba are prohibited to express opinions or speak against the regime, and if found doing so are subject to imprisonment and torture. This has created a large incentive for Cubans to travel to the U.S. where they are given freedom and a democratic nation. However the journey to the U.S. is in no way free or democratic.
In order to do so, many turn to smugglers who bring them in by sea or land and charge sky rocketing prices. The question is: Do these smugglers care? No. Smugglers are charging from five to fifteen thousand dollars per person to attempt to bring these immigrants into the U.S. Many of them charge the fee before even embarking on this journey, is this right? Not only can this be a scam but also it can create highly dangerous situations in which the smuggler does not care about the welfare of its passengers but rather its money. Not only do they not guarantee U.S. soil but also many times smugglers torture their passengers as a result of not paying their dues ahead of time. This was the case of Yurizan Gonzalez. Gonzalez and many others have faced up to two weeks of torture in order to send a “frightening message” to relatives of those immigrants. Why would it be necessary to pay for it ahead of time if they have not yet arrived? This form of immigration has brought about a decrease in the number of Cubans willing to partake in this dangerous journey. What can we do to stop this? The truth is unfortunately: Nothing.
http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/cubaimmigration.html
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/75870.html
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You say there is nothing we can do about the hardships Cubans face in immigrating to America. If this is the case why even bother advocating Cuban immigration? If nothing can be done why should we even worry about their hardships? My point is I think there is plenty we can do. Whether it be lobbying for new legislation that makes it easier for Cubans to get into America or starting private organizations that help Cubans immigrate, there must be some solutions. While there may be no good or easy solutions I feel as though there are always ways to help. I understand the major problem is leaving Cuban soil because of the strict laws they have but America has helped people of other countries escape tyranny. For example, many people were able to escape Kosovo and find refuge in America. Why is it you believe nothing can be done?
ReplyDeleteCuban immigration is not advocated by the United States, but rather a necessity and want of the Cuban population. How would the U.S. be able to stop torture or hardships of the Cuban populations immigration if it doesn't even take place on U.S. soil? The only way this difficult journey could be in someway be "improved" would be lifting the denial of entry if Cuban immigrants are found at sea. This would give them a guaranteed entry to U.S. soil and would most probably largely reduce their hardship, but the chances of this happening are low and unrealistic. Even so, immigrants would still need to pay smugglers their dues in order to get out of the country safely and this can still create torturous situation of those immigrants. You yourself say " the major problem is leaving Cuban soil", you state that the U.S. could help but why would the U.S. turn against Cuba who holds powerful ties with Russia? A turn against Cuba means turning against all governments that recognize the Cuban dictatorship.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you towards the fact that
ReplyDeleteCubans in hopes of migrating to the United States face tremendous risks.I also understand that Cubans face many hardships under the Castro Regime, but I also believe that by embarking in the journey for freedom, those individuals are aware of the potential risks they could faced with. If they are willing to take those risks then they should cope with the consequences brought upon by their decision. By the way the United States is not the only democratic country they can turn to for help. There are many other countries in Central and South America that would be willing to accept Cuban immigrants as residents of their own.
But would the standards of living and opportunities given to the Cubans be the same? Would they be able to live successfully in these other countries? I am not saying that they are not welcome in other countries, but rather they would much rather prefer to live in the U.S. where opportunities are endless.
ReplyDelete