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Known
as Miami's Ellis Island, the Freedom Tower is located in Downtown
Miami. The historic building served as the main gateway to the US
for 400,000 Cuban refugees from the early 1960's through the 1970's.
As long as I can remember my parents and grandparents would always
tell me, "That's where we were processed when we first arrived
here."
On January 6, 2000 a large group of Cuban exile demonstrators gathered
right across the Freedom Tower. They blocked the entrance to the Port
of Miami, one of the largest shipping ports in the country. They were
protesting immigration officials decision to grant custody of Elian
Gonzalez to the boy's father in Cuba. The peaceful protest brought
out key figures of the exile community. It led to a standoff with
police officers and sparked a media frenzy. |
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