Alejandro Canelas
English 103.0905
Professor Kitana Ananda
October 30 2017
Archival Response
During the Laguardia Wagner Archives visit I learned about resources available to Laguardia Students. During the visit we analyzed a primary source which was the document Res. No.1873, which was submitted by: Ira S. Pers and was a proposal to sponsor 2200 Haitian refugees during the 1980’s. This document was proposed during the Papa Doc administration of Haiti, where the Haitian Dictator Duvalier massacred a large number of Haitians on the basis of skin color. The mass murder of Haitians caused many refugees to seek political asylum in various parts of the United States. However, this document in particular emphasized the detainees being held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This surprised many of us due to that fact that the area used to be a dilapidated area, and now it has experienced an urban renewal and an influx of new wealthier residents.
The main source of contention in this document was the fact that these Haitian refugees were in a state of limbo for long periods of time. They also were denied and/or received fewer due process rights. These rights are meant to be distributed to everyone on United States soil regardless of legal status. However, the reality at hand was that many were often times denied these rights and this caused many to be held at these prison like accommodations. On paper the areas where they were being held were called “detention centers”, but they operated in a systematic prison-like fashion. Furthermore, the document goes on to explain how the then federal Judge Robert Carter issued the release of about 53% of the refugees, but due to similar cases occurring in Florida they were still being held.
The fact that this document was issued during the 1980’s Reagan Administration which was a Republican Administration highlights the fact that this issue was being ignored and swept under the rug. This also calls into question the treatment of refugees and immigrants who happen to be POC and their on-going treatment and denial of status in the United States. This document although published in the 1980’s is still relevant today due to the fact that detention centers are still an issue and the negative treatment towards people coming from non-eurocentric backgrounds.
This document proposed by The Council report of Legal Services Division attempted to rectify the Haitian refugee crisis by showcasing that these individuals will have sufficient sponsorship and will accept responsibility for them. What makes this document rather convoluted is that how does one prove and determine if someone is a refugee or an illegal. The lines are blurred and often times overlap, and it is unfortunate that such a desperate situation requires tedious paperwork in order to prove something that is blatantly obvious. One questions the fact if they were coming from Europe if they would receive the same treatment. Personally, I believe if they were coming from a European Country that they would have received a much faster response and rectification of the situation. It is quite unfortunate that these issues are still relevant today and are still being conducted in much of that same antiquated fashion and still much of the same stigma applies today.