Elian Gonzales was a 5 year old boy whose mother wanted him to have the opportunities that the United States could offer him. So his step dad, mother and Elian took their chances as well as 9 others and boarded a small homemade boat from Cuba and tried to cross the ocean to come to the United Sates. Unfortunately their boat capsized and Elian was the only survivor. On Thanksgiving Day 1999 two Boaters found him in the ocean clinging to an inner tube.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service also known as the INS took charge of Elian and contacted the Cuban government to locate his father. His great Uncle who was living in the United States was contacted and took temporary custody of Elian. The United Sales government along with the Attorney General at the time, Janet Reno, decided that it was only right that Elian be sent back to Cuba where his father lived. (His father didn’t know that Elian had gone anywhere) The Cuban community in Florida was outraged and there were mass demonstrations in the streets. Many Cuban immigrants believe that the Cuban regime is an oppressive communist country, and that Elian would be better off here the United States. Also it was argued that if his mother gave up her life for Elian to have a better one here, why he should be sent back to a country with vast poverty and no opportunities. The United States is what his mother wanted. Our country was strongly divided and rioting continued for 7 months while Elian’s case went through our justice system. His maternal and paternal grandmothers were flown in from Cuba to give testimony at hearings to decide Elian’s fate. His father was finally flown in from Cuba to be reunited with his son. Elian was asked if he would like asylum to stay in the United Sales. But He wanted to go back to his country. (it was said by some people that Fidel Castro threaten to murder the remaining relatives that were still in Cuba if he didn’t come back. ) The American relatives would not give Elian back saying that his mother gave up her life to bring Elian to America. Anti-Castro supporters formed a human chain around Elian’s great-uncle’s house in Miami’s Little Havana district, determined to stop the boy from being taken away.
Finally Janet Reno sent armed Federal Agents into the house to take Elian at gun point from his great Uncle and to reunite him with his father. Elian was frighten and was taken screaming and crying from the house.
After Elian was back with his father he was happy again and after all appeals were finished he and his family were allowed to go back to Cuba. Fidel Castro met them at the airport and Elian became a hero for Cuba. Castro took little Elian on a speaking tour for 2 months and used the incident for many politically charged speeches about the evil imperialistic United States.
Fidel Castro has followed the life of Elian very closely. He shows up to birthday parties, and school functions. Elian is now a man and is serving in the Cuban military. He considers Fidel Castro a personal friend. The people of Little Havana, Florida say Elian has been brain-washed by this revolutionary regime. Elian says someday he would like to be a member of Cuba’s National Assembly like his father. I feel that because of the tragedy of Elian’s family and that Fidel Castro could exploit this tragedy to forward his doctrine unto the people of Cuba, Elian may become one of the lucky ones in Cuba that will have a better life. This never would have been his fate if tragedy hadn’t struck. I also feel that Elian should have been allowed to stay with his extended family in Little Havana because this is what his mother died for. At least until he was 14 or 18 where he could make his own decision to where he wanted to live.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service also known as the INS took charge of Elian and contacted the Cuban government to locate his father. His great Uncle who was living in the United States was contacted and took temporary custody of Elian. The United Sales government along with the Attorney General at the time, Janet Reno, decided that it was only right that Elian be sent back to Cuba where his father lived. (His father didn’t know that Elian had gone anywhere) The Cuban community in Florida was outraged and there were mass demonstrations in the streets. Many Cuban immigrants believe that the Cuban regime is an oppressive communist country, and that Elian would be better off here the United States. Also it was argued that if his mother gave up her life for Elian to have a better one here, why he should be sent back to a country with vast poverty and no opportunities. The United States is what his mother wanted. Our country was strongly divided and rioting continued for 7 months while Elian’s case went through our justice system. His maternal and paternal grandmothers were flown in from Cuba to give testimony at hearings to decide Elian’s fate. His father was finally flown in from Cuba to be reunited with his son. Elian was asked if he would like asylum to stay in the United Sales. But He wanted to go back to his country. (it was said by some people that Fidel Castro threaten to murder the remaining relatives that were still in Cuba if he didn’t come back. ) The American relatives would not give Elian back saying that his mother gave up her life to bring Elian to America. Anti-Castro supporters formed a human chain around Elian’s great-uncle’s house in Miami’s Little Havana district, determined to stop the boy from being taken away.
Finally Janet Reno sent armed Federal Agents into the house to take Elian at gun point from his great Uncle and to reunite him with his father. Elian was frighten and was taken screaming and crying from the house.
After Elian was back with his father he was happy again and after all appeals were finished he and his family were allowed to go back to Cuba. Fidel Castro met them at the airport and Elian became a hero for Cuba. Castro took little Elian on a speaking tour for 2 months and used the incident for many politically charged speeches about the evil imperialistic United States.
Fidel Castro has followed the life of Elian very closely. He shows up to birthday parties, and school functions. Elian is now a man and is serving in the Cuban military. He considers Fidel Castro a personal friend. The people of Little Havana, Florida say Elian has been brain-washed by this revolutionary regime. Elian says someday he would like to be a member of Cuba’s National Assembly like his father. I feel that because of the tragedy of Elian’s family and that Fidel Castro could exploit this tragedy to forward his doctrine unto the people of Cuba, Elian may become one of the lucky ones in Cuba that will have a better life. This never would have been his fate if tragedy hadn’t struck. I also feel that Elian should have been allowed to stay with his extended family in Little Havana because this is what his mother died for. At least until he was 14 or 18 where he could make his own decision to where he wanted to live.
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