Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Mariana
Cuban Rafters
| | Voyage to Freedom | |
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 17, 2024
1. The Mariana Marker
Arrived, Key West, August 3, 2015
21 feet Χ 7 feet. Steel and Wood
The Mariana landed in Key West with 23 men and one woman on board. It had taken just over 24 hours to make the 111 mile voyage from Cαrdenas, Cuba. Empty 55-gallon drums kept the vessel afloat and a. pickup truck engine kept it moving. The voyagers used makeshift oars to help propel the vessel.
In the first quarter of 2015 almost 10,000 Cuban rafters, balseros, were granted asylum after they stepped onto U.S. soil. Another 3,000 were sent back to Cuba because the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted them at sea. Under the Cuban Adjustment Act, known as the "wet foot, dry foot policy," migrants who make it to land are allowed to stay, while anyone picked up at sea must be returned to Cuba.
Why do Cubans risk their lives in these precarious vessels? They seek the possibility of a better life. The balseros from the Mariana were among the lucky ones. They survived the journey and were taken to Miami to begin the application process for permanent residency in the U.S.
Cubans in Key West
by Photographer Rob O'Neal
"Police lights marked the spot whereabout 20 Cubans were seated along the seawall. They waited, sipping on bottled water, talking and joking among themselves. A local hotel was allowing them to take a quick shower.
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It was just a matter of time before the Border Patrol showed up signaling the party's end, so I quickly debriefed them on the journey. They left 24 hours earlier from Cαrdenas, Cuba, a town about 70 miles east of Havana. They went through a pretty bad storm Sunday night but appeared off South Roosevelt Boulevard around 4 a.m. in really good shape.
Jumping into a boat and heading for Florida is nothing new, but times are definitely changing. This morning a guy named Lachy, an articulate nursing school graduate, asked if he could borrow my phone. Why? To update his Facebook status, of course."
Key West Citizen, Aug. 4, 2015
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Immigration • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is August 3, 2015.
Location. 24° 33.491′ N, 81° 48.381′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It is at the intersection of Whitehead Street and Greene Street, on the left when traveling
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, March 17, 2024
2. The Mariana Marker
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Keys. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Anchors (1622) (a few steps from this marker); Sunken Treasure (a few steps from this marker); Audubon House and Tropical Gardens (a few steps from this marker); Audubon House (within shouting distance of this marker); Navy Club of Key West Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Clinton Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Mallory Homesite (within shouting distance of this marker); Steam Power (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key West.
Also see . . . Voyage to Freedom: Cuban Rafters. Mel Fisher Maritime Museum (Submitted on May 1, 2024.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 29, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 250 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
