Speech #870100902

Mr. Speaker. now that it appears a major resettlement program for Cuban refugees. who have fled Castros Communist tyranny. is about to be undertaken by the Federal Government. I would like to take this opportunity to call the attention of the Congress to the many fine individuals. business firms. civic organizations. State and Federal agencies that have done such a splendid jobunder the most trying of circumstancesin the State of Florida. and particularly in Miami. in assisting these homeless peoplevictims of a terrible Communist betrayal. First our thanks must go to President Kennedy and Secretary of Health. Education. and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff who immediately recognized the Cuban refugee problem as a national problem and undertook to immediately implement recommendations for the tremendous job of receiving. screening. feeding. clothing. and caring for these needy people. However. notwithstanding this excellent work by the Department of Health. Education. and Welfare. the people of south Florida initially faced and continue to have a tremendous responsibility for the Cuban refugees. I am very proud of the outstanding manner in which our citizens and our organizations met this challenge and responded to the needs of the men. women. and children fleeing their homeland and entering a new land of freedom. The part which these people and organizations played is a message which should be brought to the people of the United States and the world. It would be an impossible task for me to name every individual in Miami who has opened his heart to the Cuban refugees since they first fled to this country seeking safetyI would have to read the entire Miami telephone directory and still add several thousand names. Mr. Chairman. since Castro came to power in Cuba in January 1959. over 130.000 citizens of that country have fled the Communist oppression which seized their homeland. Some 65.000 of these homeless. but courageous people. have sought the shelter of freedom in the Dade County area of Florida. Approximately 50.000 persons have been registered as refugees in the Cuban Refugee Center in Miami. They are still pouring into Miami at the rate of 1.200 weekly. To any cityregardless of how prosperous it might besuch an influx of terrorized. heartsick people. most of whom had little. if any. funds. can bring tremendous problems. To a city such as Miami. Flawhich has been gripped in the throes of unemploymentit could have been a backbreaker except for the hearts and courage of the citizens of Miami. Late in 1959. the churches of Miami. recognizing this problem. opened centers to provide medical outpatient care. food. used clothing distribution. and home visits to serve the needs of the refugees who had begun arriving from Cuba. Faced with thousands of Cuban citizensmany of whom had never traveled out of their native countrythe Miami Herald and the Dade County Bar Association. in October 1960. cosponsored a Latin Legal Forum. which was conducted in the Spanish language at the Dade County Auditorium. These two fine organizations realized that the Cuban refugees were confused by immigration laws. traffic laws. and many other new and strange daily events. They saw the immediate need for integrating these homeless people into the community and took positive action. The Federal Government took cognizance of the enormity of the problem and on December 12. 1960. the Cuban Refugee Center was opened in Miami. with the local government officials. as well as Bazel Crowe. the city manager of Key West. Fla.. and Dr. Joe Hall. the superintendent of the Dade County public school system promising the fullest of cooperation. Private agencies came to the assistance and located at the center. Among these fine organizations are the Catholic Relief Services. an activity of the National Catholic Welfare Conference. the Protestant LatinAmerican Emergency Committee. affiliated with the Church World Service. the United HIAS Service. Inc.. which is the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society cooperating with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. and the International Rescue Committee. a nonsectarian agency. Other organizations which came to immediate assistance included the National Committee for Resettlement of Foreign Physicians and the Community Services division of the AFLCIO. The U.S. Employment Service established offices at the Cuban Refugee Center to promote job opportunities for employable refugees. The U.S. Public Health Service. operating through the facilities of the Dade County Public Health Department. began medical care and treatment of these homeless. destitute people.