professional training was needed. I recall a few cases in which the head of the family suffered from a hernia which prevented him from seeking a resettlement opportunity. A corrective operation put the man and his family back into productive activity. Though this type of program we were able to reduce the financial assistance caseload in Miami from nearly 67,000 refugees in October 1962, to less than 12,000 in October 1965. I might point out that the majority of the remaining 12,000 persons are on financial assistance rolls because of old age or medical disabilities.

As I mentioned earlier, the record of the Federal agencies on this program is good, the work of the voluntary agencies has been remarkable, but what has been outstanding has been the generosity of the American people on one hand and the courage and determination of the Cuban refugees on the other hand to make this a warming experi ence in this century of the homeless man.

On September 28, 1965, Fidel Castro announced that he would permit any Cuban who desired to leave the island to do so. On October 3, 1965, President Johnson replied that the United States would open its doors to all who seek asylum. Subsequently a "memorandum of understanding" was agreed to by both Governments and on December 1, 1965, the current airlift was initiated. The memorandum called for the establishment of lists in both countries. The first lists were to be based on the priorities stipulated in the memorandum. These priorities, subsequently to be known as priority A cases, were defined as follows: parents of unmarried children under the age of 21. spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21 and brothers and sisters under the age of 21. Where humanitarian consideration requires the inclusion of persons residing in the same household with the immediate relative this is permissible. All other cases in which the relationship is not that listed under priority A are designated to be priority B cases.

Two flights per day, 5 days per week, from Varadero Airport, Cuba, arrive at the International Airport in Miami. This means around 4,000 Cuban refugees per month are being transported on the current airlift. Since December 1, 1965, when the airlift was initiated, 14,874 refugees have arrived in this country, as of April 1, 1966. During this same period the voluntary agencies have resettled 10.109 refugees away from the Miami area, so one can see that no great buildup of refugees in that area is occurring.

Who are these refugees? They are close relatives of Cubans already in the United States. They are composed of 62 percent women and children, and thus do not pose an economic threat. The breadwinners are varied from professional and managerial backgrounds, 9 percent of the total, through clerical and sales, 12 percent of the total, to a 2 percent fishery and agricultural skills. Only 6 percent of the total are over 65 years of age.

Mr. Chairman, I know that you have scheduled a number of witnesses who will comment on the New York scene, but I would like to take just a few moments to record some of our impressions. I spoke earlier of our having introduced a Federal program to give care to over 8,000 unaccompanied children. I take pride in reporting that the current family reunion scheme is paying large dividends in this area. Less than 1,000 children remain on the program today. Let me

cite the case of Bertha Vilkas living in the Bronx. Her father, Chuna Vilkas, was born in Lithuania, as was his wife. On March 21 they came on flight 149 to rejoin their daughter. There have been many similar reunions of parents with their children who have been from 3 to 5 years in the United States.

From June 1961, to April 1, 1966, a total of 29,446 Cuban refugees were resettled from Miami to New York State.

The distribution of refugee resettlements in New York State follows possibly sets the pattern in the rest of the country.

Cuban refugees are primarily city people. They fit in and therefore go, more readily to cities. Large cities usually sponsor larger numbers of refugees, but not necessarily larger in proportion to population than the number resettled in the smaller cities.

In New York State, the heaviest resettlements have been made in New York City. The numbers and the proportions decrease almost in direct ratio to distance from the center of the city.

Brooklyn has taken about 4,000; Queens a somewhat larger number; Manhattan about 3,000; the Bronx a little over 2,000. A small downstate city like Yonkers has taken over 160 persons. The big takers upstate are Rochester with 242 and Buffalo with 129.

Cuban refugees have resettled in nearly 250 communities in New York State, but over 150 of these communities have taken 10 refugees

or less.

In February 1966, from among the refugees resettled in New York State there were an estimated 380 cases receiving public assistance. A Cuban refugee case averages just under two persons. This means that about 760 persons out of the nearly 30,000 resettled in New York were on welfare. This is 2.5 percent of the total.

There are a number of Cuban students receiving loans from the Cuban student loan program, which is modeled after the loan program available to American students under the National Defense Education Act. In the years 1961 to 1965 these Cuban students attended 31 colleges and universities in New York State. In these years the total amount of loan funds provided students in New York was $420,000 with New York University having received the largest amount for loans. As we have pointed out in previous testimony, the Cuban students have made a very satisfactory record on repayments of these loans.

We do not have complete records of the location of each of the 1,700 medical doctors who reached this country from Cuba, but we do know that more than 50 are located in New York State. We are proud also that, in cooperation with the Welfare and Personnel Department of New York City, more than 20 Cuban lawyers have been hired as social work interviewers and have been doing a commendable job. In the field of professional training, our program has participated, along with other Federal programs, in support of the training of five Cuban refugee optometrists at the optometric center in New York City. Five of these students will be graduated on June 17 and all five have already passed, with high grades, the first part of New York State's examination in optometry.

Mr. Chairman, may I again pay tribute to the people in New York for their generous participation in, and support of, the Cuban refugees who have entered their midst.

I would like to conclude by calling the committee's attention to two problems in which legislation might be the answer. First concerns the immigration status of the great majority of Cuban refugees. Circumstances willed that they be placed on parole as they enter this country just as the Hungarian refugees were treated in 1957. But Congress enacted legislation that gave the Hungarian refugees an adjustment of immigration status to that of permanent residence, but the Cuban refugees have been permitted to remain in limbo on this matter. This situation has placed an economic burden on these people and it is hoped that some legislative action along the lines of the bill introduced by Congressman Ryan and the bill cosponsored by yourself in the Senate might be approved.

The second matter concerns those refugees who took the initiative to try to reach the United States the long, hard way; that is, through Spain, Mexico, or other third country. It was unfortunate that these refugees would fall victims of a delaying action of having to produce an employment certificate before being qualified for a U.S. visa. There are over 120 cases of parents of unaccompanied children caught in this web. Here again, we hope that some legislative action will be introduced to relieve this injustice.

I shall be happy to answer any questions which might come up now or at a later time during other testimony, if the chairman so wishes. Thank you.

Chairman KENNEDY. One of the things that we are interested in, Mr. Thomas, is how well the Cuban refugees who are being resettled are working into the fabric of our society. Obviously, the purpose of the resettlement program is to make them self-sufficient and selfsupporting.

I am wondering if you could comment on whether that purpose has been achieved to your satisfaction.

Mr. THOMAS. I would say "Yes" to that question, because we have resettled 105,000 persons in over 3,000 communities in every State of this Nation, and the records that these people have made have been good ones. I think that one measure, as has been indicated in earlier testimony, is the number of persons who have to receive financial assistance. We have never been over 4.5 percent of our resettled refugees having to seek public assistance.

We have made some studies, not in New York State, but in five other States, and we have found that the average length that a Cuban has to stay on public assistance has been 6 months. This varies, of course, from State to State. It also varies from the makeup of the population. If there is a larger number of persons over 65 there might be a tendency to be a little higher in the need for public assistance. But the record has been very, very good.

Chairman KENNEDY. What information do you have, for example, of Cuban refugees being involved in brushes with the law?

Mr. THOMAS. Here again, the record has been very commendable. We have had a recent conversation with the police authorities in Miami, and they have told us that outside of the few traffic violations due to lack of understanding of the traffic signs and so on there has not been any distinct number of crimes among the Cuban refugees.

There is a tendency always to headline a situation in which a South American person might be involved, and many times there is a tendency to put "Cuban refugee" behind it. But by and large, the record is very good.

Chairman KENNEDY. How well have the students been worked into the school life?

Mr. THOMAS. I think we could talk all day about the record that these Cuban students have made around the country. We see them come into a high school in the junior year, for example, without any knowledge of the English language, and take the top honors in the class by their senior year. Around the country there are presidents of student bodies, there are football players, American football players, not the Cuban-style football, and so on, and the record has been very good.

On our loan program, sir, we have had this year 3,500 students in some 200 universities, and we have had really no complaints at all from any of the school authorities.

Chairman KENNEDY. How long has the helping and assisting Cuban refugee students loan program been going out?

Mr. THOMAS. It's patterned on the same criteria-
Chairman KENNEDY. How long it been going on?

Mr. THOMAS. It's been going on since 1961.

Chairman KENNEDY. What kind of delinquencies have you had since 1961?

Mr. THOMAS. We have had very few, sir. I think I have some of the figures here on that particular end.

We have loaned since 1961 some $7.7 million on it. On the accounts due we have had only $12,500 delinquent. In other words, out of 1,221 students who were scheduled to repay their loan only 65 have been delinquent. That is a very good record.

Chairman KENNEDY. How does that compare say with

Mr. THOMAS. We are proud to say that our program is far ahead of the record of the American students that we pay.

Chairman KENNEDY. Have you been satisfied that the Cubans have made the adjustment, in a great number of cases, the language adjustment and the cultural adjustment here in the United States?

Mr. THOMAS. I feel that the Cuban refugees have been about the easiest refugee group that I have ever worked with, as far as adjustment in the United States is concerned. I suppose it is because of the type of refugee we have received, who are of the well educated and of the higher class of society.

The nearness of Cuba to the United States has meant that many Cubans visited and spent time in the United States, even went to school here, so there was a close tie with our culture, so it hasn't been too difficult for them to adjust, outside of the language problem.

Chairman KENNEDY. HEW has sponsored statewide programs for training Spanish teachers, is that correct?

Mr. THOMAS. We have tried to set up professional training programs where we could to help the refugee who was caught in Miami to encourage them to resettle. We have established teacher training projects in a number of universities. Last summer we had 9 projects of this kind going, and they averaged about 30 teachers in each class.

These teachers have been able to work in schools teaching the Spanish language where the State laws permit a person who is not a permanent resident to do so.

Now, the number of States in this category is very few.

Chairman KENNEDY. Then to the best of your information, with regard to your experience, with regard to the cultural and language adjustment, working into our educational fabric, their observance of the institutions within the United States and respect for our law and order, the Cuban refugees have been model citizens; is that correct? Mr. THOMAS. There have been surprisingly few instances of the opposite. It is a very good record.

Chairman KENNEDY. Just one final area. Could you give us what information HEW has on the number of political prisoners which are being held today in Cuba?

Mr. THOMAS. Sir, this is a little bit outside of our competence, but the State Department, which deals with this matter, has informed us of a list of somewhere around 1,900 names which they seem to have records on and which they have requested us to punch on our data processing equipment in Miami. That is the only information I have, sir.

Chairman KENNEDY. And the number of Americans?

Mr. THOMAS. The number of Americans, on our records are a little under 600 Americans, involving a total of 1,900 persons, including household members.

Chairman KENNEDY. Who have asked to leave?

Mr. THOMAS. Who have asked to leave; yes, sir.

Chairman KENNEDY. What does your record show about Americans who have not asked to leave?

Mr. THOMAS. There again, the State Department estimates that there are about 1,500 perhaps in toto.

Chairman KENNEDY. Are there any efforts which are being made by HEW to get those citizens out?

Mr. THOMAS. Not by our Department, sir, but the Department of State is active, very active, in this area, both on the political prisoners and the Americans.

Chairman KENNEDY. Have you been working with the Department of State on this problem?

Mr. THOMAS. Well, we don't exactly work with them, because this is their sphere, but we do have interdepartmental meetings on the whole matter, with an exchange of information.

Chairman KENNEDY. You have been having interdepartmental meetings with them. Has this problem of political prisoners and Americans in Cuba come up?

Mr. THOMAS. Yes, sir: both of them have.

Chairman KENNEDY. Would you be free to describe to the committee what progress is being made to seek their release?

Mr. THOMAS. I wouldn't like to do that, sir, because the State Department was asked to present to your committee a statement on this. I know that they had subsequent conversations with the Swiss Ambassador since our last meeting, so I think they would be in a position to give you more accurate information.