Education. and Welfare. who has been charged by the President with the responsibility of operating this program. to institute a resettlement program. I now ask the Secretary of Health. Education. and Welfare to reevaluate the entire Cuban refugee program and to give immediate and special emphasis on accelerating my request for relocation and resettlement of the Cuban refugees out of the Miami area. These Cubans who are here are fleeing from Communist tyranny and do not seek charity. In my judgment. it would be a mistake for us to feel that the only solution to their problem is to hand them a relief check and emergency supplies. We must make strong and concerted efforts on more than a temporary basis to reorient these people in other areas and give them an opportunity to make their own livelihood until such time as they are able to return to their own homeland. Our local citizens. churches. and community have done an outstanding job. They have opened up their hearts and pocketbooks to these people. but there is a limit to their ability to assist and to the number of jobs in Greater Miami that can be given to the Cuban refugee. Obviously. each Cuban refugee knows that for every job held by one of the refugees. an American worker has been displaced. and this in an area where there is already a shortage of jobs. It is doubtful. under present circumstances. with the continuing flow of refugees into the Miami area. that any more refugees can be absorbed into the economic lifestream of our community. In fact. we have already passed a reasonable level of absorption. It will take considerable local effort and support to launch an immediate and effective relocation program in the proportion needed. Accordingly. I call on and ask our community leaders who have so generously given their time and attention to this whole problem from the very beginning to assist in this most important effort of resettlement. This committee should be composed of local governmental officials. church leaders. officials of the press. business people. labor leaders. and representatives of the Cuban refugees. We must. at the local level. make every effort to secure the cooperation of the Cuban refugees in this resettlement and relocation program. This can be accomplished with patience and understanding. I am sure that the Cuban refugees and their leaders are thoroughly cognizant of the generosity of the people of Greater Miami and the people of the United States through their Government and that they. the Cuban refugees themselves. will. through their own organizations. recognize that it is to their own benefit to initiate and support an accelerated relocation program. If the resettlement program is to succeed. their individual leadership and assistance must play a very important part.
Keywords matched
refugee refugees