Nothing speaks more eloquently to the lack of freedom in Cuba than those who have left it. In the space of 15 years. nc less than 750.000 peoplenearly 10 percent of the islands populationhave fled the tyranny of Fidel Castro. 650.000 of these have seen fit to settle in the United Stateswhich says a great deal about freedom in this country as compared to "freedom" in Cuba. These refugees came from all walks of life. but almost all have one thing in commonthey came to this country with little but the clothes on their backs and yet they have overcome the barriers of both language and culture to lead successful lives in a new land. In a future statement I will go into greater detail about what motivated so many people to leave home and belongings behind to make a new life for themselves in a strange country. But. for now. suffice it to say that the conditions that motivated them in the first place still existwhich explains why there are still many who wish to leave Cuba yet none who are clamoring to return. When the Cuban refugees first started coming to this country. there were a lot of people who felt they would be a burden rather than an asset. that they would simply drift into town. seek out welfare. live off the dole. and contribute little to the community in which they settled. Subsequent history has proved the doubters wrongand resoundingly sowhich speaks not only to the character of those who have come here. but also to the plight of those left behind. Just as we are proud of the refugees who sought freedom in this country and then proved how well a free society can work. so too must we be concerned about those to whom Castro has denied the same chance. And. so long as 8 million plus Cubans suffer under the chains of tyranny. we must. for the sake of principle. remain concerned. . Hopefully. it will not be too long before those still In Cuba will have the freedom that the refugees now enjoy. But. in the meantime. the whole world can take a lesson from the record compiled by the socalled Cuban exiles. Of the 650.000 Cubans who have come to the United States. about half have settled in the Miami area and their accomplishments border on the unbelievable.
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refugees