Operation Pedro Pan and the Exodus of Cuba's Children

327 Pages·2020·8.943 MB·English

by  Deborah Shnookal

Operation Pedro Pan and the Exodus of Cuba’s Children
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OPERATION PEDRO PAN
AND THE EXODUS OF
CUBA’S CHILDREN
Deborah Shnookal
University of Florida Press
Gainesville
Copyright 2020 by Deborah Shnookal
All rights reserved
Published in the United States of America.
25 24 23 22 21 20 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Shnookal, Deborah, author.
Title: Operation Pedro Pan and the exodus of Cuba’s children / Deborah
Shnookal.
Description: Gainesville : University of Florida Press, 2020. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019058809 (print) | LCCN 2019058810 (ebook) | ISBN
9781683401551 (hardback) | ISBN 9781683401827 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Refugee children—Cuba. | Refugee children—United States.
| Refugee children—Services for—United States.
Classification: LCC HV640.5.C9 S55 2020 (print) | LCC HV640.5.C9 (ebook)
| DDC 362.7/7914089687291073—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019058809
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019058810
University of Florida Press
2046 NE Waldo Road
Suite 2100
Gainesville, FL 32609
http://upress.ufl.edu
CONTENTS
List of Figures vii
Acknowledgments ix
List of Abbreviations xi
Introduction 1
1. A Revolutionary Hurricane Sweeps Cuba 21
2. Alfabeticemos! Let’s Teach Literacy!
Learning the “Why” of the Revolution 63
3. The Patria Potestad Hoax 105
4. Operation Pedro Pan and the Children Who Could Fly 127
5. The Dark Side of Neverland 160
6. The Pedro Pan Paradox 197
Conclusion: Ambassadors, Soldiers, or Spies? 213
Notes 223
Bibliography 285
Index 305
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FIGURES
0.1. Pedro Pan girls waiting at Miami airport 10
0.2. Literacy brigadista girls, 1961 19
1.1. “The youthful face of Cuba today” 23
1.2. Literacy brigadistas, 1961 27
1.3. “How they want to dress this Day of the Kings,” 1961 29
1.4. “Avon calling for unity!” 37
1.5. Young brigadista and his pupil 41
1.6. “Compañera Domestic: Study!” 44
1.7. Nationalization of private schools: “Thanks Fidel!” 56
1.8. Battle of the billboards: “Will this child be a believer or an atheist?” 61
2.1. Vanquishing illiteracy and Uncle Sam 66
2.2. Recruitment advertisement for literacy campaign brigadistas 71
2.3. Report from the Conrado Benítez Brigades 78
2.4. Father’s song to his brigadista son 88
2.5. Literacy brigadistas with giant pencils 93
2.6. The anti-Castro movement view of the literacy campaign 98
2.7. Literacy brigadistas celebrate the end of the campaign 102
3.1. “Hide the kid!” 107
3.2. Cuban press report of the discovery of fake patria potestad law 115
4.1. “Last one in . . .” 131
4.2. Fr. Bryan Walsh with Pedro Pans at St. Raphael’s, Miami 156
5.1. Pedro Pans learn to salute the U.S. flag 189
6.1. Film poster for the 2017 documentary, Elián 205
6.2. Statue of José Martí and child, Havana 211
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This project has had a rather long gestation, and there are many people I
wish to thank for their support.
First and foremost, I am grateful to the Pedro Pans and the literacy briga-
distas who were most generous in sharing their stories with me.
I also must acknowledge the assistance I received from many others in
Cuba and the United States, especially Mirta Muñiz; Jesús Arboleya; Fabían
Escalante; José Buajasán; Ramón Torreira; Luisa Campos, director of the
Museo de la Alfabetización (National Literacy Campaign Museum) in
Havana; Prensa Latina photo archive (Havana); Ximena Valdivia (Barry
University Library, Miami); Amanda Moreno (University of Miami Li-
brary); Irving Kessler and Jerry Nickel the librarian (Lourdes Casal Library,
Center for Cuban Studies, New York); and Jon Elliston (former researcher
at the National Security Archive, George Washington University, Washing-
ton, D.C.). A number of librarians at La Trobe University’s Borchardt Li-
brary also facilitated my access to overseas materials from Australia.
The wonderfully supportive and stimulating environment of La Trobe
University’s Institute of Latin American Studies has offered me inspiration
and encouragement over many years.
I would also like to thank Ralph Newmark and Heidi Zogbaum at La
Trobe University, and also Lou-anne Barker and Christine Graunas, for
their help in getting the final manuscript knocked into shape. My thanks
also to Stephanye Hunter and the editorial team at the University of Florida
Press for their enthusiasm about publishing this book.
Most importantly, I have sincerely appreciated the patience, advice, and
encouragement from my wonderful dear friends and colleagues Barry Carr
and the late Steve Niblo.
Finally, I should express my gratitude to my compañero David for sup-
porting me when it was most needed on this and our longer journey and
many adventures together.