Chairman KENNEDY. You can't write to her, communicate with her in any way?

Miss LEE. No.

Chairman KENNEDY. Do you receive any word from her from other refugees that come out?

Miss LEE. Yes.

Chairman KENNEDY. They say she is well?

Miss LEE. Well, she was in a few times already.

Chairman KENNEDY. Is she on the American list, do you know, is she on the Cuban list?

Miss LEE. I don't know.

Chairman KENNEDY. Mr. Thomas, can't we find that out, about whether her mother is on the Cuban list?

Mr. THOMAS. Yes, sir. We have all the names alphabetized. We can flash down to Miami Center and find that out.

Chairman KENNEDY. Perhaps before you leave you can talk to Mr. Thomas. He might be of some help in at least ascertaining whether your mother is on the Cuban list, and perhaps be of some additional help.

Miss LEE. Yes. My brother is here. He don't see my mother in 5 years.

Chairman KENNEDY. Mr. Thomas will be glad to help.

I want to thank you very much for your appearance here today, and to thank Dr. Urrutia and Mr. Grimes from the International Rescue Committee.

This concludes this afternoon's hearing. The subcommittee stands in recess until Friday at 10 o'clock at Rutgers University, where we will continue our hearing in the field on the problems of the resettlement programs in New Jersey.

The subcommittee is adjourned. (Adjourned at 4:10 p.m.)

DEAR SENATOR KENNEDY: I regret that I shall be out of the country when you will hold hearings in New York City on resettlement of Cuban refugees. While my experience with the resettlement of Cuban refugees was limited to the latter part of the period when I served as Commissioner of Welfare of New York City, I believe you will wish to know my opinion on the adjustment potential of those Cuban refugees for whom I shared some responsibility in planning for them. Without exception, the Cuban refugees for whom I planned were men and women who had a tremendous contribution, professionally, culturally, and socially to take to the life of this City. I recall with deep satisfaction the large group of Cuban refugees whom I interviewed in Florida as part of my efforts to recruit staff for the Department of Welfare. I hired a group of men and women and those who were able to remain with the Department were superior employees. Among those whom I was not able to employ were many who had other skills and abilities that other City and State Departments could well have used. All of them had skills and employment experiences in areas in which there was, and, I dare say, still are manpower shortages. The entire group was eager, ambitious, and determined to be self-supporting, contributing members of the community.

I have no doubt that your hearings here in New York and elsewhere will establish that my experience is supported by many others who have had the privilege of direct contact with this group of wonderful people.

DEAR SENATOR KENNEDY: The following is in reply to your letter of April 19 with regard to the Senate Judiciary's Sub-committee's request for information concerning "the impact and problems created in the school system by the influx of Cuban refugee children over the past several years."

Impact:

1. None of the bureaus of the Board of Education of the City of New York has exact information on admissions and discharges of Cuban children since we do not identify students according to their national origin (with the exception of Puerto Rican pupils).

2. According to an informal survey conducted recently in selected school districts together with the data available to the Bureau of Attendance we estimate that there are about 3,500 alien Cuban students of school age in our public schools and that two-thirds of these are in the elementary schools. Problems:

1. The New York City Department of Welfare reports that only 2% of the Cubans who have arrived here between 1961 and 1966 have applied for public assistance.

2. The Bureau of Attendance field staff has had little contact with Cuban absentees and has reported that the few absentees referred to the Bureau have presented no major problems.

3. The field superintendents, generally, report that the Cuban refugee students do not present serious guidance, attendance, social, or educational problems other than those related to learning English as a second language. Thus, these students do need special help in the language arts areas. They receive intensive instruction in English, corrective reading, special Spanish language library services, and help with additional Spanish language texts and other printed material.

I hope this limited information will be of some value to the Subcommittee. Yours very sincerely,

JOHN B. KING, Executive Deputy Superintendent.

SIR: May I join with the many other friends of the people of Cuba who have been forced to flee their homeland due to political oppression and now reside in the United States as parolees.

Since the advent of Dictator Fidel Castro on January 1, 1959, there has been a continuous flow into the United States from Cuba of Cubans forced to leave for political and religious reasons. Since that time many thousands have found a new haven and home in the United States, have made the adjustment of culture and language and are now self-supporting and contribute to the betterment of our country. These people, for the most part, represent the educated and professional middle class which once existed in Cuba.

When they fled Cuba, most of these people left with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Arriving penniless, they have effected a miraculous transition to self-supporting status. However, in most instances their incomes are not comparable with that which they enjoyed when working in their homeland. They, therefore, even today, have limited funds and little, if any, savings. The present requirements of Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended, do not provide any means by which they may qualify for immigrants visas while in the United States. They must presently leave the United States and travel abroad-in most instances, either to Canada or some other nearby country, to qualify at the United States Consulate for their visa. After qualification, they may return to the United States. The costs of this trip abroad are exceptionally burdensome to most of these people of limited means. I would therefore exhort you to use your good offices for the successful passage of legislation which will amend Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended, as follows:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 245 (c) of the Immigra tion and Nationality Act of 1952 is amended by deleting the period at the end thereof and adding 'except an alien who is a refugee from Cuba as defined pursuant to section 405 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954, as amended.'"

Respectfully yours,

JOSEPH P. CLIFFORD.