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CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


No rush to change policies regarding Cuba, Haiti ~ Obama


WASHINGSTON, D.C. -
United States President
Barack Obama has signaled
that there will be no immediate
change to policies regarding
Cuba and Haiti, two of
Washington's closest
Caribbean neighbors.
 Regarding Cuba, Obama
said while he is open to more
overtures to the Spanish-
speaking nation, it must first
show signs of changing its
communist policies.
 "We're not there yet," he
said about the possibility of fur-
ther advances toward Cuba,
such as lifting additional restric-
tions on travel to the island.
 "We think it's important
to see progress on issues of
political liberalization, free-
dom of the press, freedom of
assembly, release of political
prisoners in order for there to
be the full possibility of nor-
malization between our two
countries," Obama told
reporters, while discussing
efforts to overhaul the U.S.
healthcare system.

URGED
 Several members of
Congress and Cuban advocate
groups, including the leading
association that promotes stu-
dent travel to and from the
U.S., have urged Obama to
remove what they said are
restrictive regulations on aca-
demic and other "purposeful"
travel to Cuba imposed by
former US President George
W. Bush in 2004.
 In April, Obama lifted
travel and gift restrictions for
those with relatives in Cuba


and eased restrictions on U.S.
telecommunications firms to
do business there. Last month,
the U.S. administration also
resumed talks with Cuban
officials on what Obama
called a "narrow set of issues,"
chiefly migration. But the U.S.
president said further steps
may take time.
 Obama, however, said if
his administration sees
progress on those "govern-
ment-to-government conver-
sations," then they can be
broadened.
 "We're taking it step by
step, seeing if, as we change
some of the old approaches
that we've been taking, we are
seeing some movement on the
Cuban government side," he
said.
 "I don't think it's going to
be happening overnight," he
added. "I think it's going to be
a work in progress."

TPS UNDECIDED
 At the same time, the U.S.
president said he remained
undecided about granting tem-
porary protected status (TPS)
to tens of thousands of
Haitians living illegally in his
country.
 Obama said while he is
"very sympathetic" to the
immigration issue, it could be
part of a large effort to over-
haul the nation's immigration
laws. He said his administra-
tion is still reviewing U.S. poli-
cy on deporting the estimated
30,000 undocumented Haitians
and would not commit to
whether he supports allowing
undocumented Haitian


migrants to stay and work in
the United States temporarily.
 Haitian advocates and a
host of congressional repre-
sentatives have called on the
U.S. administration to add
Haiti to the list of nations
whose citizens in the United
States receive the TPS desig-
nation.
 Obama said the review is
yet to be completed, adding:
"So I'm not prepared to make
news here today."
 He, however, said he was
"very sympathetic to the fact
that Haiti has gone through
very difficult times (and) that


Obama


a sudden influx of people
from Florida back into Haiti
would be a potential humani-
tarian problem."
 The U.S. president noted
that many Haitians have "put
down roots" in the U.S., sug-
gesting that a resolution to the
situation in Haiti was "going
to be part of a broader con-
versation about immigration."
 In June, Obama invited
U.S. House of Representatives
and Senate leaders to the


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White House to kick off efforts
to overhaul the immigration
laws. Currently, Homeland
Security Secretary Janet
Napolitano is working with
lawmakers on the issue, and


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3)
women spend hundreds of
dollars on nail care, hair care
without assessing whether
these are needs or wants.
These same women have cho-
sen to devote zero dollars on
the educational enrichment of
their children books, check-
ing out library books, visits to
local museums. Which will
have the greatest long-term
impact?"
 The chapter on education
serves up critical advice for
parents. Written by Dr. Lloyd
Cohen, a community activist
with a career that began at
Mico Teachers' College in
Jamaica, the Barry University
educator urges parents to take
active part in their children's
education. Critical to a child's
learning process, Cohen gives
practical tips and a checklist
to help parents get more
deeply involved. The N1u112-L
tions are hands-on and simple,
from providing a quiet place
for a child to study, to asking
the right questions and
rewarding to help maintain
motivation.
 The addition of important
websites and telephone num-
bers to resources that support
pre-K all the way up to col-
lege level programs proves
indispensable. The educator
also stresses the importance of
strong social and development
skills in a child's education.

HOLISTIC
 The guide's holistic
approach also takes into con-
sideration the family's mental
health. Dr. Joan Muir, a
Broward County-based psy-
chiatrist who specializes in


White House officials said they
would like to see legislation
pass this fall or early next year.
0


family therapy and relation-
ships, provides advice for
immigrants who traditionally
frown upon psychological
services.
 "Well, it is really a ques-
tion of what's working,"
Magnus quips. "A typical
response to psychological ill-
health in friends and family
members is denial. Sometimes
we have to try different
options until we get the results
that we want. You might even
need to try multiple therapists
until resolution and forgive-
ness come. In any case,
haven't we all experimented
with some 'mad behaviors'?"
 To help alleviate fears Dr.
Muir outlines the dilIL rL n L
between the various categories
of mental health practitioners
and gives advice on how to
choose the right professional
for particular issues. She even
,u,'L,' ,Is seeking out a thera-
pist that matches one's racial
or ethnic group to help estab-
lish a trusting relationship.
 Indeed, the "Caribbean
American Immigrant
Resource Guide to South
Florida" is all about building
strong family and community
bonds. It acknowledges the
Caribbean American immi-
grant culture, yet also urges
stepping outside the walls of
tradition to embrace the
resources available in an
adopted country like the U.S.
 The guide is available in
libraries across Dade and
Broward counties in Caribbean
American communities.

Dawn A. Davis is a freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.
0


August 2009


U.S.-based scholars launch Caribbean

 American resource guide


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