Unfinished Business: Kennedy and Cuba

Castro's rise to power triggered a mass exodus of Cubans from the island. Among the first to leave were those with entrenched business interests, large landholders, and other wealthy Cubans who had helped Batista remain in power. The majority of emigrants traveled to the U.S. and settled in South Florida—particularly Miami—and New Jersey. Many considered themselves exiles, and they actively plotted to overthrow Castro, believing that their stay in the U.S. was temporary—just until the trouble in Cuba cleared.

Members of the Cuban community accepted the surge of refugees and assisted their countrymen as best they could. Houses soon became overcrowded and community assistance services spread thin. Eventually, new arrivals turned to private charities and churches for assistance.

It became a challenge to handle the influx of children who came from Cuba unaccompanied. Makeshift facilities were established to house them, and many were taken in by friends or relatives and thus absorbed into the community. The National Catholic Welfare Council placed thousands of children in foster homes through 47 dioceses in 30 states.

In the early years of Castro's regime, a monumental effort began to send children to the United States. Cuban church and community leaders in Havana and Miami worked together with the U.S. government to form Operation Pedro Pan. The name comes from the storybook classic Peter Pan, about a magical boy who could make children fly. This organization flew children out of Cuba to Miami and made sure that they received proper care. The U.S. Department of State issued hundreds of visas that Cuban churches and private schools distributed.

The first two Pedro Pan children arrived in Miami on December 26, 1960. In the next two years more than 14,000 more boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 17 emigrated via Pedro Pan. After the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, more and more Cuban parents sent their children away, even though they could not be certain of reuniting with them. Operation Pedro Pan ended when the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 terminated all flights to the U.S. out of Cuba.

From October 1962 until December 1965, there were no flights between Cuba and the U.S. Many children waited years for their parents to join them. When the Freedom Flights began on December 1, 1965, Pedro Pan parents and family members received priority departures. Some 5,000 families were reunited within the first six months. It is estimated conservatively that more than 150,000 Cubans entered the United States as a result of Operation Pedro Pan—the largest recorded exodus in the Western Hemisphere.

Waves of Cuban Immigration to the U.S.

• Initial Exodus (1959-62): 200,000
• Freedom Flights (1965-73): 250,000
• Camarioca boat lift (1965): 149,000
• Mariel Harbor boat lift (1980): 125,000

Currently, the U.S. admits up to 20,000 Cuban immigrants annually.