Speech #880164464

As Senators know. the purpose and content of this program is to render effective asylum by providing our Cuban guests with opportunities for selfsupport. chiefly through resettlement. Mr. President. the talents of many Cuban refugees are going to waste because State professional licensing laws keep those without permanent status from practicing their skills or professions. This situation. and the expensive and laborious procedure to obtain this status under present law. is keeping many Cubans on relief rolls and in various difficult circumstances. I am thinking. for example. of the Cuban lady in Kinde. Mich.. a doctor of philosophy. or another in Holland. Mich.. a former teacher of English in Cubaboth of whom have been unable to teach Spanish in the local public schools because of their immigration status. But these refugees are qualified. They could fill an urgent need. These two examples are multiplied throughout the country in every State and especially on the welfare rolls of the Cuban Refugee Center in Miami. The bulk of the Cubans are highly skilled and educated personsprofessional. technical. and managerial workers. office personnel. and skilled workers. I firmly believe this reservoir of talent should be tapped to the fullest extentin the interest of the individual Cuban. for the development of our society. We can then anticipate a decreasing Federal expenditure in the program of assistance. and a progressive solution to the problem of refugees from Cuba. The bill I offer today would help accomplish this objective. I am hopeful. also. that this bill would encourage the resettlement of Cubans to other countries of this hemisphere. The refugee talent should also be tapped for the economic. social and political development of the Western Hemisphere. And certainly. we could find no more effective spokesmen to describe the destruction of freedom under Castros brand of communism than the Cubans who have fled their homeland. Today. however. refugees are hesitant to leave the United States. Under their present immigration status they are not assured of reentry. if for valid reasons they choose to return. The proposed bill would help remedy the situation. The Subcommittee on Refugees and Escapees. of which I have the honor to serve as chairman. has conducted extensive hearings on the Cuban refugee problem. On the basis of these hearings and additional study. I believe the passage of this bill would have immediately beneficial effects for all concerned.