Memorandum from Burnis T. Coleman to A. Worley Brown Regarding Cuban Refugees in Florida, January 27, 1961

Refugees

Refugees--Employment

Cuban Americans

Refugees--Government policy

Refugees--Services for

Memorandum from Burnis T. Coleman, general counsel for the Florida Industrial Commission, to A. Worley Brown, chairman of the Commission, regarding recent efforts to provide employment for Cuban refugees in Florida.

Coleman, Burnis Theo, 1905-2007

State Archives of Florida, Series S756

1961-01-27

memorandums

eng-US

Text

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Postwar Florida (1945-1968)

Tampa (Fla.)

Hillsborough County (Fla.)

Miami (Fla.)

Miami-Dade County (Fla.)

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Florida Industrial Commission

Brown, Adrian Worley, Sr., 1928-1997

INTER-OFFICE COMMUNICATION FLORIDA INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION DATE January 27, 1961 TO: Mr. A. Worley Brown, Chairman FROM: Burnis T. Coleman, General Counsel SUBJECT: Cuban Refugee Problem. Summary of above problem. You have the narrative report from Mr. Leitch in detail. (1)History: The Commission first became involved in the Cuban refugee problem because of the great number of non-English speaking Cubans who attempted to register and apply for work in the Employment Office in Miami. This resulted in a special budget request which was approved by the Budget Director for the establishment and staffing of a special office of Spanish speaking interviews to register and classify these refugees. The Cuban Refugee Center was established by Mr. Voorhees (representative of the President) and the work was transferred to this Center and our special employment office closed. The Center is Concerned with the total problem of the refugees which partakes much more of a resettlement and welfare character than just the placement of persons in jobs (2)ACTION TAKEN BY COMMISSION: After the commission closed its special office upon establishment of the Cuban Refugee Center, it continues to be primarily concerned with the registration of some of the refugees and efforts to place them in employment. In this connection, the use of the clearance facilities of the Employment Service which extend throughout the nation, has been discussed but has not yet been put into full use,mainly because of some restrictions, as follows: Federal law prohibits visitors and persons illegally in the country from working, and while there have been oral official (federdel) statements of policy to overlook these technicalities in an effort to help these refugees, there have been some complaints of efforts to place these people in areas where there is already a labor surplus. As of now the Commission is not engaging in a substantial portion of the work done in effort to handle the Cuban refugee problem. (3) PRESENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND PARTICIPATION: As stated in (2) above, the Commission has gradually withdrawn from active participation in this problem except to the extent that its Employment Service facilities are made available primarily for the possible number of refugees have been registered by the Employment Service. Because of the labor surplus in the Miami area very few refugees have been placed locally and there is little prospect for any significant number of placements.

Mr. A. Worley Brown January 27, 1961 Page 2 (4) SCOPE OF PROBLEM AND RELATION TO COMMISSION: As outlined above, it having now been recognized by federal authorities as well as by local organizations and individuals that the refugee problem is much more than as unemployment problem, in fact extending into the area of international relations and political involvement as it does, the primary emphasis is on their welfare needs. In the future the Commission may, along with other employment agencies, assist in the placement of some of these refugees after they have become settled in communities. They are not the laboring class of people, therefore their ultimate placement if they remain here will have to be established through voluntary organizations into several communities of the nation. (5) POSSIBILItIES OF USING COMMISSION FACILITIES IN THE FUTURE: The Commission’s personnel may register any applicant without regard to his alien status. However, the great mass of refugees are still classified as visitors. Nineteen hundred (1900) are refugee parolees (identified and possessing authority from the Immigration Service to remain in the country),; also an additional recognized refugee “overstay” group of 12,000. The number of visitors not yet classified is approximately 33,000. Thirty-six thousand (36,000) of the refugees are in the Miami area. There are approximately 2000 in the Tampa area. The Tampa Employment Service manager is on a local citizens committee assisting in efforts to aid them. No public funds are involved in the work in Tampa. (6) RELATION TO THE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE IN MIAMI AND FLORIDA: As above stated, feeling has been expressed concerning the depressing of wages in an already labor-surplus area by the influx of these refugees. This is particularly true in the Miami and Tampa areas where unemployment of local persons has for some time, and continues to be, high; more than 20,000 in Miami. Mr. Shebel’s report from Tampa shows that to a lesser degree the same problem exists in Tampa. Efforts are being made by various organizations and professional groups to assist with these problems, nut the barrier of language and the limitations of authority to practice in professional areas have made it necessary to make some kind of temporary arrangements to help them sustain life until more permanent suitable relocations can be effected. BTC/fw

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