BACKGROUND HISTORY
The Need for Orphanages:
The Orphan Train program ran from 1853 to 1929 that placed many children from the eastern part of the United States in to the western part of the United States. Orphan Trains were a way to prevent overcrowding and were used to connect children with potential parents. The trains would stop through towns and go through what was like an interview process. If the parents felt there was a fit they would sign a paper and raise the child until they were eighteen. The potential parents could sign for as many children as they would like. Also part of the process was parents could be able to return the child or children after one year if the fit was not right.
When Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959, parents were worried that their children would become indoctrinated by the government because of what they were beginning to teach in schools and that parental authority would be taken away. Students were being taught how to bear arms, anti-American songs and slogans. With great fear from parents they contacted and urged the Catholic Welfare Bureau for help. The Catholic Welfare Bureau was able to convince the U.S. Department of State to get Visa requirements waived for the children and with that the operation of saving these kids began. Operation Pedro Pan, as it was called ran from December 1960 to October 1962. During this time more than 14,000 Cuban children were sent to the United States from Cuba. While Operation Pedro Pan was happening every effort was made to avoid publicity so that it would not be used for political propaganda.
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