203
their desire to be acknowledged for their social and economic con
tributions. "Even when we raise a great deal of money for the Heart
Fund or Cancer Society, the public isn't aware of us," confided one
leader.
The Chamber president's statement that the English press seldom
covered news of the Hispanic community was confirmed by a review of
the articles available in the library of one of the major Florida
nev/spapers. Between January 1980 and December 1981 45 articles about
the local Hispanic community appeared in the three major newspapers
serving the local area. These articles were mostly about Hispanics'
requests for money for social services or the bilingual program in
the public schools. Of the five articles about the Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce, four covered the Chambers' protest of Castro's visit to
the United Nations. One article related the efforts of Hispanic
businessmen to help the 1980 Cubans find jobs. Four editorials pub
lished during that time emphasized the importance of teaching English,
not Spanish, in the school system. One special 1980 edition carried
an historical review of the Cuban and Haitian migrations. This one
time publication was unusual in the depth in which it covered the
refugee odyssey of 1980.
Both the Chamber president and the editor of the Spanish language
biweekly discussed the assistance which the Hispanic community gave
the 1980 Cuban arrivals. The people provided clothing, food, and money
to those in need. Some assisted in finding people homes and employment.
Several Cuban-Americans who were interviewed emphasized the need
to orient the new Cubans to the U.S. way of life. The expression