From time immemorial Cubans have been moving to America in search of greener pastures. Most Cubans mostly Musicians started settling in areas like New Orleans. This eventually worked for the formation of American-Cuban connections around the United States. Cubans began living in all parts of the U.S, and Florida came to be the preferred destination. The immigrants came in huge numbers to create their own communities (Hendrick, p. 9).
The Cuban migrants to the U.S were initially made up of business people, landowners, politicians from the Batista dictatorship. War criminals, that ran away from the island after the dictatorship was toppled by Fidel Castro, were estimated at 3,000. This has with time changed for emigrants who go to the United States for different reasons.
The year 1980 marked a new phase when 125,000 Cubans, usually called “Marielitos”, because they emigrated by way of boats that came from the US to collect them at the Mariel port in western Cuba. Cuban’s nickname reminded the Americans that they were not the same as their predecessors. The same was for the “rafters,” that is, those who came to the United States by homemade rafts after 1994 (Hendrick, p. 21).
The ever-swelling population of immigrants in the U.S made the U.S government take precautions thus put restrictions to discourage the influx. However, the Cubans could not give up on their venture and that is why many resorted to using the rafts for the following discussed reasons:
First, the Cubans believed that rafts are the most convenient way of getting to the coveted American soil. Since it is an illegitimate method, there would be no subjection to rigorous vetting procedures of getting a Visa to America which has proved very hard for most Cubans (Hendrick, p. 15).
It is also cheaper compared to using other means like air or even using smugglers who charge many dollars to get one to the U.S soil. Since most of the Cubans can not afford these high costs they decide to use rafts, which are far much cheaper, for the 90-mile journey from Cuba to Florida.
Many Cubans are never aware of the great danger that they put themselves in by opting to use the rafts. This can be linked to the lack of awareness from the government which has not greatly concerned itself with the safety of its citizens who out of ignorance use the rafts believing that they can take them safely to the U.S, (Hendrick, p. 90).
There had also been exemption in policies. For example, immigrants intercepted could be retained if found with legitimate reasons for fleeing. This, however, encouraged the immigrants who found it hard to stay in Cuba to use the rafts. This is because they hoped that they would not be taken back to their country if intercepted.
The rafts also remain the only viable options to many Cubans who due to poor governance and dwindling economy at home, opt to brave themselves for sailing in the dangerous waters with the hope that they would arrive safely and be away from the sufferings that they face while in their native land.
As a way to discourage the above vice, (Hendrick, p. 185) says the US federal government can, through its coastal guard ensure that all illegal migrants once intercepted are deployed to their native land and handed over to their respective governments. The US government also needs to establish comprehensive laws regarding illegal migration so as to seal any loopholes that may encourage people to pursue illegal steal their way into the country.
Work Cited
Hendrick A. Illegal Migration to the U.S, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 2005.