Elián González

Elián González (born December 6, 1993) was at the center of a heated custody and immigration battle between Cuba, the United States government, his father, his Miami relatives, and the Cuban-American community of Miami in 2000. The climactic stage of this prolonged battle was the April 22, 2000 seizure of six-year-old Elian by federal agents, which drew the ire and criticism of many in the Cuban-American community and presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush and prompted a Senate inquiry. However, after the Miami relatives' appeals met several rejections by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, and a refusal to hear the case by the U.S. Supreme Court, Elian González returned to Cuba with his father, Juan Miguel González, on the afternoon of June 28, 2000.

Accusations of Stereotyping

Some argue that the media coverage of the affair couched their reports with stereotypes which would not have been tolerated toward any other ethnic group: Time Magazine described the Cuban-led Miami city government as a "banana republic"; the May 1 issue of Newsweek contained phrases like "the fiery Marisleysis" (Elián's cousin, who was seen as a maternal figure to the boy) and "the hotheads around Lazaro"; the New York Times called the Miami Cubans "haters"; the Chicago Tribune called them "crazies"; Pat Oliphant, America's most widely syndicated editorial cartoonist, drew an ape-like Lazaro thumping his chest.

Related Topics:
Stereotype - Ethnic group - Time Magazine - Banana republic - May 1 - Newsweek - New York Times - Chicago Tribune - Pat Oliphant - Cartoonist - Ape

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