Slide 1: The Mariel
Boatlift
Early Unnoticed Sign : Early Unnoticed Sign Castro removed his guards from the embassy in Peru on April 4, 1980.
Quick Facts : Quick Facts Started: mid-April 1980
Ended: October 31, 1980
Number of migrants: 124,776 (18% youth)
Number per day: 3,784
Number that died: 27 (14 of which were on the same boat)
USCG costs per week: $650,000
Number of boats: 1,700
In Cuba : In Cuba Economy declining
Housing shortages
Job shortages
Tensions on island
What happened? : What happened? Castro allowed anyone who wanted to leave to board a ship at the port of Mariel, Cuba, west of Havana. 50-60% went to Miami.
Why did people migrate? : Why did people migrate? Freedom
Relatives in America
Bad times in Cuba
Shelters migrants were welcomed to : Shelters migrants were welcomed to Biggest problem- where to put all the people
Manuel Artime Community Center in Little Havana
Dade County Youth Fair grounds
Opa-Locka airport
Krome
Orange Bowl Stadium
Tent under I-95
What Resulted? : What Resulted? Families reunited
7 % increase in overall population and labor force
Increased homicide rates (nearly 50% inc.)
Riots
People began to carry guns
Unemployment rose (but it was rising in the country, so its not solely do to this)
Need police-hired anyone, police corruption
Slide 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9OddN29Z4
25 seconds
Government reaction : Government reaction Political problems for Jimmy Carter- mental/jail
Ferre (Mayor) goes to White house.
VP Mondale then moved to National Security council instead
Carter Admin. didn’t react forcefully, local governments stepped in.
Reflection of a Marielita : Reflection of a Marielita http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcw3-m5RbLY
Result : Result Many have been successful.
Achieved freedom
As of today people are still trying to go back and find the people who helped them.
Now a Mariel Boatlift database.