"Tio, [so] 'some Mariel refugees turned to crime because they were envious of what their friends and relatives in the U.S. had achieved during the previous 20 years and the newcomers did not want to wait that long for success or to drive a Cadillac.'
Yeah man, I saw that movie, I think it was called something like "Scareface" or something like that."
Posted by: Abajofidel on February 12, 2008 @ 12:45 AM
It seems almost incredible (not that I would quote fantomas with approval, since even he has his moments); but, rather, that Henry Gómez would resurrect the specter of Mariel to detract attention from his own despicable support for those who continued the persecution of the marielitos on U.S. soil which had begun in Cuba. It was Castro and his propagandists who resurrected the dormant specter of xenophobia in this country by depicting the Mariel refugees as criminals, social misfits and undesirables. It was not only the liberal media that bought into this canard but an indescript college professor named Newt Gingrich, who would use it to forge a career for himself in politics by revitalizing the oldest American political tradition and turning the Republican Party into the new "Know-Nothing" Party. Gingrich's success culminated in the "Contract [on] America" but its effects are still visible today with every Republican presidential candidate (except McCain) vying for the title of "The Biggest Xenophobe."
For the record: The Mariel refugees have replicated the success of earlier waves of Cuban exiles. By all economic and social criteria they are indistinguishable from them. The criminals which Castro infiltrated among them — and who should never have been categorized with them — were long ago deported without due process to Communist Cuba. Doubtless many of these were not in fact criminals as defined by U.S. laws but the victims of Castro's policy of criminalizing all human activity in Cuba. The marielitos identified as "criminals," justly or not, numbered at most 3000 out of a total migration of 135,000. Castro agreed to their return and lost nothing in the bargain since he had used them to turn the entire country against Cuban exiles (no just the marielitos) and succeded in cracking a hole in the Cuban Adjustment Act (1966) which Clinton and George W. would later use to deport not "criminals" but all Cubans who tried to flee Cuba and did not make it to U.S. soil through a gauntlet established to prevent them by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Cuban Coast Guard working in close collaboration.
Readers of Babalú or this blog know of Henry Gómez's support of the "Wet Foot/Dry Foot" policy and his disdain for all "newcomers" from Cuba, whom he would prefer to see rendered in Castro's pressure cooker. Especially fresh in our memories is his complete abandonment of Elenita, the 5-year refugee girl whose craven father wanted to return her to Cuba so that Fidel could have a matched set of abducted children in his trophee case. Henry, who in 2000 had also supported the kidnapping and repatriation of Elián, is nothing if not consistent in his disdain for the hapless denizens of Castro's hell, making no exception even for the youngest ones.
My constant prodding of him on this issue caused Henry recently to declare himself against xenophobia. Still, the candidates which he supported in the Republican primary were the biggest xenophobes in the party. On certain issues, such as more government largesse for the rich and preserving Reagan's legacy, he is an uncompromising ideologue; when it comes to xenophobia, however, he is perfectly willing to ignore Reagan's support for amnesty and line-up with his party's biggest xenophobes. McCain, the only Republican candidate to have supported amnesty for illegal immigrants, who, in fact, put his political career on the line to obtain it for them, Henry despises more than Castro himself and he's turned Babalú into an anti-McCain blog in order to secure the election of Hillary and/or Obama, which he believes will "cleanse" the Republican Party of moderates and restore Newt Gingrich to primacy in the party. No matter, of course, that both Democratic candidates would be disastrous for this country and even more so for Cuba. Henry must prove his point at all costs. Because, of course, it's not about the future of the U.S. or Cuba. It's all about Henry, the political animal since the age of five, avenging himself on those who want to transform the Republican party into something other than a haters' club and hatred is all that Henry has to offer.
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23 comments:
When castro went on the air to claim that all those in the Peruvian Embassy were lumpen y escoria I did not believe him, because I don't believe anything castro says, that is why he sent some "criminals" and insane people on the boatlift, he had to show the world that he was right.
Later after the lift I found out what was happening in Miami, how they were turning their backs on the Marielitos, I was shocked and moved to the core, never have I turned my back on a fellow Cuban, nothing brings me more pleasure than to meet one anywhere I find myself.
Henry is a xenophobe, he has turned his back on his own people, I for one am ashamed of him, ashamed to know Cuban blood runs through his veins, shame on you Henry.
Yo resiento que nadie habla mal de nuestra Generacion del Mariel. aun cuando sabemos que Castro vacio las carceles la gran mayoria de nosotros hemos y somos exitosos en los EEUU sin recibir ayuda federal . con nuestro propio esfuerzo, Recuerdo que mi barco se llamaba el Charles M un camaronero viejisimo capacity 100 ..fidel metio 160MAS. Menos mal que no nos metieron hardcore criminals, teniamos testigos de jehova . Por poco nos ahogamos todos a las 5 de la mañana le empezo entrar agua al barco en una tormenta de agua y viento brutal. gracias al esfuerzo de algunos el barco pudo ser arreglado en la travesia. fueron 14 horas , repletos de vomitos, sin agua , hambre , pero estabamos dispuesto a todopor salir de el infierno de castro. Memorias que nunca se olvidaran.
There were a lot of criminals that came on the Mariel boatlift.
Most of them have been killed or imprisoned.
The rest of the Cubans assimilated, but also forced us to assimilate as well. It became a merging of cultures.
When I was in sixth grade, I was in a class filled with Cuban Americans who spoke better English than Spanish.
By the time I got to seventh grade, I was in a class filled with Cubans who could not speak English.
Those first few years were a struggle for everybody. We were all in culture shock.
By the time I got to high school, it really didn't matter anymore.
Carlos:
By the time you left high school you probably spoke better Spanish than you would have otherwise and had a better understanding of the roots of your Cubanness thanks to your classmates who came on the Mariel boatlift.
That was their contribution you your life. You and other Cuban-Americans doubtless contributed also to their adaptation to American society.
So, in other words, it was all good for you personally and all-around.
Marielitos as criminals is an urban legend invoked by those, as yourself, who have no personal knowledge of it, or who stll are intent on besmirching them and all Cuban exiles.
P.S.:
There is only one Cuban culture which we all share in common in addition to everything else that makes us Cubans. We are one people separated by one man. Castro's definitive victory would be to destroy the Cuban family; but much as he has tried to divide us over the last 50 years this is one victory that has been denied him.
Manuel:
Yes I agree, there is only one Cuban culture, I consider myself lucky indeed to have been born there, even though I bleed for her everyday of my exile, we are all one.
Fantoms:
Your story moved me, yes it is true that we all, no matter under what conditions we left, will remember that day until we die,I wish you were this fantomas everyday.
BTW you still owe Agustin an apology.
Manuel,
It is no urban legend that many of the Marielitos were criminals.
Every culture has their share of criminals and Castro ensured that we would get more than our fair share of criminals during that boatlift.
The crime rate in Miami increased drastically during the first two years.
Miami became Murder Capital of the United States.
Yes, the Colombians had a lot to do with this because they were in the midst of a coke war in Miami.
But that also presented plenty of criminal opportunities for many of the Marielitos.
There was a lot of truth in Scarface, even though it was a remake of a movie based on Al Capone's life.
Most Marielitos have worked their asses off since coming to this country. And many have succeeded greatly.
I know I will open a can of worms when I say this, but most Marielitos do not have that sense of entitlement that many of the older Cubans have.
They were humbled by Castro's regime, so they were very appreciative of being here.
On the other hand, many of the older Cubans still had and still have that resentment left over from the Bay of Pigs betrayal.
When the early Cubans came, they thought it would be temporary. That they would be back in Cuba once Castro was overthrown.
After all, dictators had come and gone in Cuba for decades, so they didn't think this would be any different.
But the Marielitos knew there was no going back.
The Marielitos had closure with Cuba.
Los Viejitos never had closure.
Marielitos as criminals is an urban legend invoked by those, as yourself, who have no personal knowledge of it, or who stll are intent on besmirching them and all Cuban exiles.
I lived it. I grew up in a Cuban neighborhood which became even more Cuban after Mariel.
I went to a school that was majority Cubans, many of those Marielitos.
Many friends of the family had relatives that had come over on the boatlift.
Most were extremely decent people. But there were more than a few bad apples among them.
I don't know why you find it so hard to accept that there are Cuban criminals.
My family is Colombian and god knows there are plenty of Colombian criminals.
Carlos:
No, I do not accept it if you are telling me that the marielitos were more prone to crime than other groups, just as I would not accept it if you made that assertion about Colombians. Why should 1% define 99%? It does in the minds of xenophobes in this country but we should do nothing to perpetuate or validate these corrosive stereotypes which are the foundation of racism in this country.
You are right about something: Cubans who arrived in the U.S. shortly after the Castro takeover did not bring with them the inferiority complex that many Latin immigrants do. This is no doubt due to the fact that we did not come from a Third World country and were not socialized into believing that Americans were demi-gods or the U.S. an unduplicated phenomenon. I think that is also the root of the Cuban success in this country.
If you empty jails and prisons and allow the inmates to mix with the general population that is emigrating to the United States, of course you're going to have a group that is more prone to crime.
Not all of these inmates were just "political prisoners".
Vana,
I was not moved at all by Comdom Head's story. I believe there is much embellishment in that "story of woe". His sad story means nothing to me because his behavior since is despicable and it shows his true mettle and inner self. I appreciate your concern, but I don't need any apology from him. I judge people by their actions and his since he made his fateful appearence on this blog, speaks volumes about his personality and education. His language and demeanor in dealing with others, betray who he really is: an uncouth, uneducated and crude character. Nothing more and nothing less.
"By their actions you shall know them", says the Bible, and his actions tells us more about the person and his character than all of his platitudes and sob stories he has concocted and told us here.
Let's not forget his behaviour and insults to Manuel's mother and mine.
What kind of decent person uses such insults to denigrate one's mother?. It betrays who he really is deep inside. I know the type, becasue I met his kind many times. His use of "solar" language and epithets tells us much about his background and home life.
Agustin:
There is an inkling of truth in what fanto relates, no not just him, but all those that crossed the straits under such terrible conditions, it pains me so that my brethen suffers in such a way to escape the island prison, it's very easy to touch my heart when it relates to Cuba and Cubans.
That he is uncouth, uneducated ill bred, who shows little concern for other people goes without saying, I don't trust him, but must admit his story as related made me think of the thousands like him who went through hell in the Straits of Florida.
Vana,
it is very true some of those refugees went through hell to come out of the hell Cuba is now. But from there to believe his sob story is a wide gap. If it was true, you can tell by his writings (if we can call them that, I prefer rambling and disjointed words) he has not learned anything about humility or concern for his fellow human beings from his harrowing experience. You must remember that this is the same person who wished for a hurricnae to sweep over Cuba in a comment in another blog. Who in his right mind would wish for such a thing for the country he left? I wonder what he would think of anyone wishing for the same thing when he was living in Cuba. Get my drift?
Agustin:
Yes I get your drift, I have to agree with you that he's not of sound mind, a hurricane will not hurt the regime, only the poor souls in that unfortunate island, to wish that upon your fellow man has only one explanation, SOCIOPATH, those who only feel their pain, never the pain of others.
His use of "solar" language and epithets tells us much about his background and home life.
Farinas what is a solar ...Dont know one , Have never been in one
I used to live right next to one of Papa fidel's house. Are you saying fidel is the byproduct of a solar . I have never heard fidel saying a bad word , have you and I think he is very well educated
get my drift? homeboy
Fantomas:
you have never heard fidel say a bad word? he's as foul mouthed and vulgar as you, I have heard him say many, remember when El vacilon de la Mañana called him pretending they were chavez? he said many bad words, including mariconson besides others, I can cuss with the best of them, but you are plain vulgar.
fantomas:
You never cease to amaze me. Don't tell me that you now have a "henry" for Fidel! Or should I say, "hankering?"
Manuel,
he only seeks attention and the limelight, and he will say anything to get it. I must say that you have shown a lot of forebearence, the patience of a saint and much civility and fair play. For that, I salute you. If I was in your place, I would have banned him from my blog a long time agao, if I had one.
Agustin blogs are still free open one.
Manuel do you want me to stop writting here? please tell me , this will make it officially the second blog today that has banned my comments. Se te adelantaron MAT
Te madrugaron. Me cerraron
farinas said
Manuel,
he only seeks attention and the limelight, and he will say anything to get it.
I come in defense of Mr Fantomas. I have met him only once briefly in Vegas at a Porn Convention and the only thing i know about him is that he is a Super Delegate in the Democratic Party
Mr Fariñas why do you worry so much about a character, a monster, a con man, a movie icon from the 60's, a thief, Have yo ever seen any of Fantomas movies?
Please
Manuel,
I never said all Marielitos were criminals. I know that is far from the truth.
MAT,
now he wants to play the victim and says if you don't want him here he will leave and stop commenting. As if anyone has told him that.
As I said, you have shown infinite patience, boundless understanding and fair play in his case and time after time he has taken advantage of that fact to spew his hatred and insults at everyone he happens to fancy at that moment.
I remember well his vitriolic and insulting comments towards Vana and yourself. I guess this is one case where one has to suffer the
the ignoramuses in order to preserve the sacred right to freely voice one's opinion.
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