A majority of the Cubans do not speak English and know little about our customs or practices. There have been no mandatory educational programs for either adults or the unaccompanied minors at Fort McCoy. This has serious consequences in that many of the refugees are resettling in such heavily Cuban areas as Miami. On Thursday. August 21. the Federal Government approved and began a $250.000 program to teach English as a second language. but this seems too little too late for all the refugees already resettled without the benefit of this training. Many fear these Cuban refugees resettling in heavily concentrated Cuban neighborhoods may not learn the English language. and will not readily become assimilated into the U.S. culture. They will instead continue to operate within their own "barrio" subculture. which has suffered many economic and social problems. A mandatory education program could accelerate the process of assimilation. As for my sixth recommendation. I believe military transport airplanes should be utilized for resettlement transfers where practical for budgetary and logistical reasons. Presently. when sponsors are found. the refugee is given a ticket on a commercial airline and given instructions on how to read his ticket. get through the airports. and arrive at his destination. In reviewing the computer printout on the destinations of the resettled refugees. it became evident to me many refugees are resettling in Miami. It would seem to be cheaper and more efficient to use military transport planes when the refugees have common destinations. This method lessens the chances for refugees to become lost in an airport or to hijack an airplane If they wish to return to Cuba. Regarding my seventh recommendation. the authorizing legislation for the amendment was contained in H.R. 6942. the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1980. However. it appears unlikely that the conference committee will report the bill out soon because of the controversial nature of many of the provisions.
Identified stereotypes
Generalization that Cuban refugees resettling in heavily concentrated Cuban neighborhoods may not learn English and will not readily become assimilated into U.S. culture.