Paper Summary:

This paper describes how the United States became immersed in its relationship with Cuba during the Cold War with its increasing control over the flow of Cuban refugees. The author shows how even though it appeared that the U.S. won the War, the US actually suffered in the midst of a large influx of refugees that hurt the economy more than it helped like it was thought it would.

From the Paper:

"The United States deemed it their responsibility to rescue the Cuban refugees from the ills of the Castro communist regime. Therefore, the United States established passive policies to allow Cubans to enter with the Coast Guard not showing any effort to turn away those Cubans that had no legal documentation to come into the states. Most importantly, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) did hold immigration hearings extradite Cubans that came illegally or to those that had expired visas. Instead, the INS took the easy way out and allowed for "extended voluntary departures." In December 1960, there was a large flood of Cuban refugees which led to the formation of the Cuban Refugee Emergency Center in Miami, Florida. President Kennedy later enacted a law in 1966 that sanctioned aid to Cuban refugees on a permanent status. These policies displayed that the United States would tailor its strategy of containment in order to produce a positive, responsible image of the nation. In all truths, the United States was trying to save themselves from the perils of containment. However, they tried to mask this fear of communism through McCarthy ideals that the fear and make it appear as if they were the redeemers of the Cuban people.
"By the 1970's, the idea of saving Cuban refugees began to disintegrate as more Cubans came over who were not able to assimilate into the labor market. As an alternative, they looked for aid from welfare. At this point, the United States saw that the influx of Cubans was actually a nuisance instead of a help to the American economy. Their foreign policy of containment against communism in Cuba actually backfired. The Castro regime actually benefited from the freedom flights of Cuban refugees with rebels being shipped away and their property reallocated. Castro even sent away the mentally impaired along with criminals who were from the area of Mariel known as Marielitos. Nonetheless, officials with the State Department still claimed that the acceptance of Cuban refugees advanced U.S foreign policy during the Cold War."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ells, Dr. Mark D. Van. Immigration & Ethnicity in American History. http://www.vanells.com/125-29.pdf (accessed September 26, 2009).
• Gaddis, John Lewis. "Reconsiderations: Containment: A Reassessment." Foreign Affairs, July 1977.
• McCormick, James M. American Foreing Policy and Process. Belmont: Clark Baxter , 2005.
• Scanlan, John, and Gilburt Loescher. "U.S Foreign Policy, 1959-80: Impact on Refugee Flow from Cuba." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1983: 116-137.

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