"Tale of Two Islands"

The Tale of Two Islands, what a double standard? Here we have two countries that are trying to flee their country for political and economic reason, and the United States is trying to justify a reason as to who have the right to enter this country. If you ask me I think both countries should get the right to stay here.

There were a time Cuba and Haiti both had the same policy to enter the United States under President Carter’s Administration during the Boat lift, but so much revision has been made since then. OK, so they say that the only way the Cubans has entry into the United States is if it is political. Well, it is said that when the Soviet Union, who subsidized Cuba fell apart, Cuba’s economy worsened and poverty quickly spread. The point I am trying to make is, in Haiti they too have poverty and is trying to flee to the U.S for a better life. Why then is it that the Haitians do not get the same treatment. Cuban immigrant makes it to the U.S and they receive asylum, unlike the Haitians who does not.

I think for many the main motivation for leaving Cuba is economic and not political. I don’t dispute that it is a despotic regime that does not have the interests of the people at heart but I think more people are motivated by economics rather than politics. The United States only takes political refugees from enemy states, but it will not take economic refugee. But economic reason is why many people leave their country. The people who flee Cuba do so, because they too want a better life, better housing. Political refugees are people who are usually well educated.

The wet foot/dry foot policy was created to allow Cubans who touch American soil, dry foot to have right to an Asylum, but found at sea you are wet foot and are sent back to Cuba. Bottom line I really think that any Haitians that fleeing their country should have the right to Asylum also. I know that there are many other countries in the Caribbean that goes through poverty, but they have rich soil to cultivate a farm for survival, unlike Haiti they are losing homes to recent floods, and have to cut down trees and other resources to build back their homes which are not sturdy, but just hoping that another hurricane does not cross their path.