One thing we can all agree on regarding the subject of immigration is that we, as a country, cannot agree on immigration.

We have come light years away from the hope-filled promise of Ellis Island and the poem written by Emma Lazarus: “Give me your tired your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free…”

Oh, no! No huddled masses here, please. 

So when did the shift occur, and what are the possible ramifications of accepting “no more huddled masses.”

Immigration is so different for each person coming to America.

No two stories are alike. The story of Geomarys Marque began in 1961.

She was nine, and she came to the United States by herself on a Freedom Flight from Cuba.

“I think back on that day and I can’t imagine how I came alone,” Mari explained. “My granddaughter is 10 now, and I can’t imagine her making that trip.” 

She added, “I was fortunate to come here on a student visa. I came by myself to meet my father, who was a citizen in this country at the time. Coming here was not just about having a better life, it was about keeping the children of Cuba away from socialism and communism. We were fleeing for our freedom. We didn’t know what to expect when the new government had taken over. Our parents didn’t know. The government was changed to a system where you didn’t want to raise your children. Children had to wear uniforms. Children as young as 15 were sent to boot camps to work in the sugar cane fields. The government would come in a truck and take kids to the fields. Parents wouldn’t see them for months.”

According to Mari, she was one of the fortunate ones that come to this country on a student visa. A few months after she came here, she was sent to a boarding school in Florida. The flights that brought them here were referred to as “Peter Pan Flights,” which were sponsored by the Archdiocese.

“That is what all the parents did at that time,” she said. “They wanted to get their child out of that situation. Thousands of children came here. Children from 5 to 18 were stripped from their families and flown to Florida. From there, they were shipped to states with a much different climate than Cuba. Some were foster children. Some were in good homes, some were not. Some were used as child labor. It was very scary.” 

But what bothered her the most, she said, is that the children did not have a voice in what was happening to them.

“Our parents were not here, so other people were making decisions for us,” she explained. “You went where you were sent. I don’t know the criteria and guidelines, but I know one state could not have absorbed that many children. They had no choice but to relocate them.”

Mari did feel fortunate, but boarding school was a challenge at her young age.

She explained, “I was more scared than anything. Even at that young age, I wasn’t one to shy away from things. I didn’t speak the language. A couple of days I didn’t even eat because I didn’t know that when the bell rang it meant we would eat. I couldn’t communicate. It took me three or four months before I settled in.  I had lived with my grandmother and mom till I was nine. When I was stripped from them, it felt like my heart was torn apart. I remember looking out the window at the school and thinking none of it seemed real.”

It wasn’t long until Mari could read and write in both languages. According to her, many Cubans can do that. They had no choice. She remained in boarding school until she was just a little shy of 15. Her mom had come from Cuba at that time and she went to live with her and her stepfather in Miami.

To the outsider, her story might seem fascinating, but to other Cubans it wasn’t so unusual.

“Many have the same story,” she said. “To me it makes for a great memory. And it did make me stronger. I learned to do for myself and defend myself against bullies.  It was an all-girls school and nine-year-olds were with 17- and 18-year-olds.  I learned to protect my body. I also learned what harmed you and that all people don’t have good intentions. I guess I learned self-preservation.”

Anyone that meets Mari can quickly see she is a positive person and doesn’t feel traumatized from her experience. 

“I went to another private school, then college andI became a professional. I did mission work for 15 years. I did prison ministry for a long time. That was how God moved me to help others,” she explained.

She was a legal specialist for the government for 30 years before she retired. 

“I raised my three daughters with the grace of God,” she said. “God was good to me. Grace is not something you earn or deserve. God bestows his grace upon our lives. I never had to go through what a lot of people do with their kids. There was never a problem with them, and they are still good. They are great moms and wives.”

Mari added, “I feel that a lot of people are closed-minded and don’t always see what people have been through. I lost my mom in 2012, and I was always very close to her. She told me nobody knows anyone’s story. When we look at others, we have no idea what they have gone through. I really wish people were more tolerant and less judgemental and rude.”

She also believes that what doesn’t break us makes us stronger.

“My daughters were raised differently than me,” she said. “They are adults with their own children. They know my story. When they were younger, though, they would ask me why I reacted as I did. I had to react quickly to actions. You learn with life and age. The sad part is sometimes we learn too late about the circle of life.”

Mari looks at America as her country. Like many immigrants, she appreciates her life here.

 “This is my country,” she said. “I have strong Cuban roots and I always say I am Cuban American. But I love this country. We have many things here that we take for granted like running water, autos, transportation, and you can get a ticket to anywhere. We have all these blessings and I do feel very blessed.”

Mari continued, “We have always opened our doors to every single immigrant that sought shelter. God has blessed this country. I have travelled all over and there is no country in the world that compares to the USA. Even those on low incomes have it better than most countries.” 

She does not take anything for granted here.

“I have a dishwasher and five televisions,” she said. “I truly appreciate that. I wonder why I have all these blessings. I can’t understand how people don’t appreciate what they have. Even turning on the faucet is a blessing to me, and I do conserve water and energy. If I’m not in a room the light is off.”

She explained that there are still people that live by the light of the candle. They have many blackouts in Cuba. 

“Power is turned off at random times, without any thought to how it affects anyone,” she said. “I believe people in this country should count their blessings. If they haven’t visited other countries they just don’t know. For instance, the people in Haiti live in so much poverty and certainly don’t feel safe. We are all children of God.”

Mari is one of many immigrants in this country, and in many ways she seems to appreciate this country more than those that have lived here for years. And let us not forget, that all of us had parents that were among the “huddled masses yearning to be free.” And the reasons they came here were much the same as Mari’s family that sent her off as a young child. They wanted a better life for her, and she didn’t forget that. She has now spent years making a better life for others.