It's very ironic to me that on the day that a new governor is elected in my state, a governor who wants to make my state a sanctuary state, my husband is watching the documentary about Elian Gonzalez...
17 years ago, I was 13. Elian was 7. His mother wanted to escape from Cuba. She put him in a boat (of some sort) that she and her cohorts created- because that was the loophole that Castro gave them. If you make your own boat, feel free to GTFO. Feel free to try and make your way to the sanctuary city of Miami, 'new Cuba'/'little Cuba'."
His parent made the decision to uproot him, his mother decided to take him from his father and the rest of the family HE KNEW AND LOVED... and head for the US where some of her family lived. This is not something new. This is something that still goes on. People send their kids to the US to have the better life, usually as illegals. People send them to aunts and uncles, to cousins, less often to older family members like grandmas or grandpas but if they are over there then of course they are great for assisting in the passage and transition. They claim they are visitors on a vacation Visa, and then they make no plan to bring them back.
In this case, Elian went in the arms of his mother. His mother died on the way there- probably drowned to save his life. A fisherman did find the boy, and help the boy get to his Miami relatives. This all sparked a fire storm in the US. The child was brought here in hopes of taking advantage of the "wet foot, dry foot" immigration policy, where Cubans who reached U.S. shores earned automatic visas. But he was a child here, (lost and) alone in the government's eyes. His legal guardian was back home in Cuba. That legal guardian- his biological father- said he had no urge to go to Miami to live with his son, he wanted his son home in Cuba with him. He did not agree with his ex-wife risking the child's life and taking him to the US, he did not want anything to do with the US. What truly swung this situation, was how the extended family who now claimed Elian as their own dealt wit the situation.
The extended family claimed they were carrying out his mother's wishes, that he grow up in the US with them and become a US refugee. The family claimed the US was now his home. The family claimed he had no ties to Cuba, and that Cuba was not his home. THIS SOUNDS ALL TOO FAMILIAR.
Let me note that Obama eventually dismantled that "wet foot, dry foot" policy- Cubans now have to follow the same process as other refugees and immigrants.
--HOWEVER--
In 2017 we are dealing with the creation of multiple "sanctuary states" across the US. States where they protect illegal immigrants and give them the benefits of naturalized citizens. States and cities where they limit their cooperation with the national government effort to enforce immigration law, in essence they refuse to allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration enforcement to do it's job. They value the illegal immigrants as much or more than legal immigrants, as much or more than natural born citizens.
I have said it before and I will say it again- my husband is an immigrant- straight off the boat , errrm the plane. He is a legal immigrant. He and his family waited their turn, often with bated breath. He and his family hoping they could get to a better place where they would have a chance at a better life. I have many immigrants friends- all legal in some way. Only one out of over 25 is 'questionable'... and he is currently covered under 'the Dreamer Act'. And you know what- he wants to do away with it and KNOW WHERE HE STANDS! He pays his taxes, he does everything a legal immigrant does, he just waits to find out his fate. He, as was Elian, was sent here as a child. He overstayed his "vacation" visa and stayed here with extended family. He went through American schools. He graduated. He has a life here, a license, a car. HE KNOWS HE COULD BE SENT BACK. HE KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS WHY. He has not been back to the motherland to see his parents since he left- HE KNOWS HE CANNOT TRAVEL BACK THERE, HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN. Not until he is a legal citizen. Even traveling within the United States- via plane where they check and double check identity and status and such- gives him anxiety. But he is well aware he overstayed his welcome and is in the wrong.
Why is this relevant? Why could this be relevant?
When Elian came, his family made decisions for him. His extended family made claims in his name. They claimed he now belonged here and this was his home. When I was 13, I didn't understand what the big deal was, but I know I felt that he should be with his father... unless his father was like a rapist or murder or abused him or anything like that. I said "Mommy, if someone tried to keep me from you or Daddy, I would say no!! If someone tried to take me from my home I would say no!" And, truth be told, they had tried to.
I was born to unwed parents. My sister and I were a hot commodity. There was a custody battle going on since I was like 6 months old. The law in my state always sided with the mother- she was the #1 priority legal guardian. Didn't matter if she was a crack whore. Didn't matter if she left us alone in the crib for hours, or in dirty clothes and diapers. Doesn't matter that my sister fell in the river while my mother was getting high and almost drowned and had to be pulled out by neighbors. Complaints could be made but she still wouldn't lose the right to her children. Back then- about 30 years ago- it didn't matter. In fact, my father gave up his rights temporarily because he feared he would lose us altogether. I lived with my aunt for 6 months to a year, maybe 2 years? That timeline is fuzzy- no one likes to talk about it. When my father married my 'mother, he got custody back for being in a stable situation. But she, my birth mother, never lost custody. She never lost a hearing for custody- all she had to do was show up and they dismissed the case. For 10 years this was the pattern, every year trying to grant my parents sole custody so she couldn't taint me, harm me, or take away from my life.
And yet, the year I was 13 I was liberated. I was turned over to my rightful guardians. The government had my back. They changed the law to be 'what is in the best interest of the child'.
I sat through a hearing. I created my own portfolio of my life, of why I was happy, of why I wanted to stay with my mom and dad. I presented it to the judge, and everyone else watched through a TV that was strategically hidden in the room to take the pressure off the child. I told that judge, that I did not know that woman. I had only heard of her. She never sent me a birthday card, never asked to see me. She never called. She never showed up. I told him that I loved my life. I was into drawing and sports and horses, I got good grades- really good grades. I had friends and 2 more sisters and a LIFE. I had a life and was happy. I didn't know anything about this woman, I didn't know her voice, her face, her likes or dislikes. I didn't know if she loved me. I didn't know her and I didn't trust her- I didn't want to speak to her face to face. As a child, I knew what I knew and that was all I knew.
The same goes for Elian. Elian may have known his mother who took him to America- but she perished. When he landed, sounds like they knew he was on his way, but he didn't know them. He quickly adjusted to them since they were all he had. But what he did know was Cuba, and his father. And his father wanted him back, home, with him. When I watched the documentary, I hear a lot of outside sources and adults claiming ownership if a child, claiming to know him best and what's best for him. I hear a lot of selfish people. I hear a cousin saying she told him she was his aunt because it was easier to understand. I see that they sent him to school and the child is frightened- his account of it was that he didn't like school- their account is that he did. And they fought the government and his father over HIM. And in the end, who lost out? Elian did- when he was forcefully and scarily removed from the extended family to be returned to his father. Elian's father did- he had to worry he'd never see his son again, never hold him or watch him grow into a man. Elian's extended family also did- they invested a lot of time and effort and emotion into him. They channeled it to anger when they didn't get their way. They looked to fight the government which harbored them. They made a public spectacle of their beloved sanctuary city, their community, and their way of life.
17 years ago the fate of a little boy rocked the nation and upended an election. 17 years later, that little boy is doing pretty well for himself. He's a respectable young man. He has a degree, served in his country's army, and doesn't want to come back to the US. Sure looks like returning him to his home country made him 'no worse for the wear'.
I don't want my state to be a sanctuary state. I want a country where people who want to be legal, law abiding, tax paying citizens and viable members of our economy and society can do just that. I want a better pathway to citizenship for people in limbo. I want good people to be able to come forward and say "Look, I know I didn't do this the BEST way, but I want to be an AMERICAN CITIZEN. Help me to achieve that goal and I will give you the best of me!"
I also want any criminals who are illegal to be on the fastest planes out of here, no questions asked by anyone. DUI, weapons, stealing, whatever it may be- GTFO.
But that's my view on it. Always open to discussion- so please leave comments!!
17 years ago, I was 13. Elian was 7. His mother wanted to escape from Cuba. She put him in a boat (of some sort) that she and her cohorts created- because that was the loophole that Castro gave them. If you make your own boat, feel free to GTFO. Feel free to try and make your way to the sanctuary city of Miami, 'new Cuba'/'little Cuba'."
His parent made the decision to uproot him, his mother decided to take him from his father and the rest of the family HE KNEW AND LOVED... and head for the US where some of her family lived. This is not something new. This is something that still goes on. People send their kids to the US to have the better life, usually as illegals. People send them to aunts and uncles, to cousins, less often to older family members like grandmas or grandpas but if they are over there then of course they are great for assisting in the passage and transition. They claim they are visitors on a vacation Visa, and then they make no plan to bring them back.
In this case, Elian went in the arms of his mother. His mother died on the way there- probably drowned to save his life. A fisherman did find the boy, and help the boy get to his Miami relatives. This all sparked a fire storm in the US. The child was brought here in hopes of taking advantage of the "wet foot, dry foot" immigration policy, where Cubans who reached U.S. shores earned automatic visas. But he was a child here, (lost and) alone in the government's eyes. His legal guardian was back home in Cuba. That legal guardian- his biological father- said he had no urge to go to Miami to live with his son, he wanted his son home in Cuba with him. He did not agree with his ex-wife risking the child's life and taking him to the US, he did not want anything to do with the US. What truly swung this situation, was how the extended family who now claimed Elian as their own dealt wit the situation.
The extended family claimed they were carrying out his mother's wishes, that he grow up in the US with them and become a US refugee. The family claimed the US was now his home. The family claimed he had no ties to Cuba, and that Cuba was not his home. THIS SOUNDS ALL TOO FAMILIAR.
Let me note that Obama eventually dismantled that "wet foot, dry foot" policy- Cubans now have to follow the same process as other refugees and immigrants.
--HOWEVER--
In 2017 we are dealing with the creation of multiple "sanctuary states" across the US. States where they protect illegal immigrants and give them the benefits of naturalized citizens. States and cities where they limit their cooperation with the national government effort to enforce immigration law, in essence they refuse to allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration enforcement to do it's job. They value the illegal immigrants as much or more than legal immigrants, as much or more than natural born citizens.
I have said it before and I will say it again- my husband is an immigrant- straight off the boat , errrm the plane. He is a legal immigrant. He and his family waited their turn, often with bated breath. He and his family hoping they could get to a better place where they would have a chance at a better life. I have many immigrants friends- all legal in some way. Only one out of over 25 is 'questionable'... and he is currently covered under 'the Dreamer Act'. And you know what- he wants to do away with it and KNOW WHERE HE STANDS! He pays his taxes, he does everything a legal immigrant does, he just waits to find out his fate. He, as was Elian, was sent here as a child. He overstayed his "vacation" visa and stayed here with extended family. He went through American schools. He graduated. He has a life here, a license, a car. HE KNOWS HE COULD BE SENT BACK. HE KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS WHY. He has not been back to the motherland to see his parents since he left- HE KNOWS HE CANNOT TRAVEL BACK THERE, HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN. Not until he is a legal citizen. Even traveling within the United States- via plane where they check and double check identity and status and such- gives him anxiety. But he is well aware he overstayed his welcome and is in the wrong.
Why is this relevant? Why could this be relevant?
When Elian came, his family made decisions for him. His extended family made claims in his name. They claimed he now belonged here and this was his home. When I was 13, I didn't understand what the big deal was, but I know I felt that he should be with his father... unless his father was like a rapist or murder or abused him or anything like that. I said "Mommy, if someone tried to keep me from you or Daddy, I would say no!! If someone tried to take me from my home I would say no!" And, truth be told, they had tried to.
I was born to unwed parents. My sister and I were a hot commodity. There was a custody battle going on since I was like 6 months old. The law in my state always sided with the mother- she was the #1 priority legal guardian. Didn't matter if she was a crack whore. Didn't matter if she left us alone in the crib for hours, or in dirty clothes and diapers. Doesn't matter that my sister fell in the river while my mother was getting high and almost drowned and had to be pulled out by neighbors. Complaints could be made but she still wouldn't lose the right to her children. Back then- about 30 years ago- it didn't matter. In fact, my father gave up his rights temporarily because he feared he would lose us altogether. I lived with my aunt for 6 months to a year, maybe 2 years? That timeline is fuzzy- no one likes to talk about it. When my father married my 'mother, he got custody back for being in a stable situation. But she, my birth mother, never lost custody. She never lost a hearing for custody- all she had to do was show up and they dismissed the case. For 10 years this was the pattern, every year trying to grant my parents sole custody so she couldn't taint me, harm me, or take away from my life.
And yet, the year I was 13 I was liberated. I was turned over to my rightful guardians. The government had my back. They changed the law to be 'what is in the best interest of the child'.
I sat through a hearing. I created my own portfolio of my life, of why I was happy, of why I wanted to stay with my mom and dad. I presented it to the judge, and everyone else watched through a TV that was strategically hidden in the room to take the pressure off the child. I told that judge, that I did not know that woman. I had only heard of her. She never sent me a birthday card, never asked to see me. She never called. She never showed up. I told him that I loved my life. I was into drawing and sports and horses, I got good grades- really good grades. I had friends and 2 more sisters and a LIFE. I had a life and was happy. I didn't know anything about this woman, I didn't know her voice, her face, her likes or dislikes. I didn't know if she loved me. I didn't know her and I didn't trust her- I didn't want to speak to her face to face. As a child, I knew what I knew and that was all I knew.
The same goes for Elian. Elian may have known his mother who took him to America- but she perished. When he landed, sounds like they knew he was on his way, but he didn't know them. He quickly adjusted to them since they were all he had. But what he did know was Cuba, and his father. And his father wanted him back, home, with him. When I watched the documentary, I hear a lot of outside sources and adults claiming ownership if a child, claiming to know him best and what's best for him. I hear a lot of selfish people. I hear a cousin saying she told him she was his aunt because it was easier to understand. I see that they sent him to school and the child is frightened- his account of it was that he didn't like school- their account is that he did. And they fought the government and his father over HIM. And in the end, who lost out? Elian did- when he was forcefully and scarily removed from the extended family to be returned to his father. Elian's father did- he had to worry he'd never see his son again, never hold him or watch him grow into a man. Elian's extended family also did- they invested a lot of time and effort and emotion into him. They channeled it to anger when they didn't get their way. They looked to fight the government which harbored them. They made a public spectacle of their beloved sanctuary city, their community, and their way of life.
17 years ago the fate of a little boy rocked the nation and upended an election. 17 years later, that little boy is doing pretty well for himself. He's a respectable young man. He has a degree, served in his country's army, and doesn't want to come back to the US. Sure looks like returning him to his home country made him 'no worse for the wear'.
I don't want my state to be a sanctuary state. I want a country where people who want to be legal, law abiding, tax paying citizens and viable members of our economy and society can do just that. I want a better pathway to citizenship for people in limbo. I want good people to be able to come forward and say "Look, I know I didn't do this the BEST way, but I want to be an AMERICAN CITIZEN. Help me to achieve that goal and I will give you the best of me!"
I also want any criminals who are illegal to be on the fastest planes out of here, no questions asked by anyone. DUI, weapons, stealing, whatever it may be- GTFO.
But that's my view on it. Always open to discussion- so please leave comments!!
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