Miami delightful streets are swarming with beautiful exotic cultures and backgrounds. The lack of diversity is so rare that you can find yourself questioning yourself if you’re in the United States. Miami has always had a high population of Cuban immigrants in the city. However, after the “Dry Feet” policy was put in place the amount of immigrants tripled. The tension between Cuba and the United States has been an on going problem since the Cuban Revolution. Fidel Castro a former president , ran the Communist country from 1976 to 2008.
On November 21, 1999, Elian Gonzalez a five year old boy, his mother and 12 other Cubans launched into a journey in an aluminum boat across sea in hope of touching land in Miami, Florida. After, a couple of days unfortunately Gonzalez mother and ten other Cubans died at sea after a severe storm forced them into sea. Gonzalez and two other survivors were able to make their way to shore were the United States Coast Guard rescued them.
Elian father who already lived in Miami took in his son after authorities released him. However, controversy heated up quickly in the early 2000’s after Gonzalez grandparents who had full custody of him requested him back to Cuba. On April 22, authorities peppered sprayed the Gonzalez home to restrain the five-year-old boy. In search of a better future in the United States Elian was forced to return to Cuba with his grandparents who had full custody of him.
Just like this story there are thousands of other families that risk their lives rafting across mother natures water in search of a better future. The “Dry Feet” policy has only motivated these Cuban families more to build a three-minute raft and to leave everything behind in search of touching the Miami sand.
