MOAD Talks: The Cuban Refugee Program and the Freedom Tower
On November 4, Dr. Mauricio Castro — author of Only a Few Blocks to Cuba — speaks at the Freedom Tower about the Cuban Refugee Program and its relationship to the history of Miami's most iconic building.
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On Wednesday, November 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, the Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College hosts MOAD Talks with Dr. Mauricio Castro at the Freedom Tower — an evening of reflection and learning about one of Miami's most consequential historical chapters.
Dr. Castro is the author of Only a Few Blocks to Cuba: Cold War Refugee Policy, the Cuban Diaspora, and the Transformations of Miami. His work examines the Cuban Refugee Program and its relationship to the history of the Freedom Tower — the building that served as the processing center for hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Freedom Tower's History
The Freedom Tower at 600 Biscayne Blvd is one of Miami's most significant historic landmarks. Built in 1925 as the home of the Miami News, it was repurposed in 1962 as the Cuban Refugee Center — the first stop for Cuban exiles arriving in the United States during the Cold War. The building processed more than 650,000 refugees over the following decade, earning it the nickname "the Ellis Island of the South."
Dr. Castro's research illuminates the policy decisions, the human stories, and the long-term consequences of that period — consequences that are still visible in Miami's demographics, politics, and culture today.
November 4, 6:30–8:30 PM. Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Blvd. Registration required at moad.mdc.edu.
The PGM Edit
On November 4, Dr. Mauricio Castro — author of Only a Few Blocks to Cuba — speaks at the Freedom Tower about the Cuban Refugee Program and its relationship to the history of Miami's most iconic building.
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