European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The wave of cuban refugees who arrived aboard a flotilla of boats 10 years ago stirred up a great Deal of fear and resentment. By Dan Sewell associated press Hen reporter Maria Montoya first visited key West fla., it was just after Midnight on May 1,1980. The boat lift of refugees from Mariel Cuba was in full swing on that dark night. But the journalist was on the other Side of the cameras at the time. A . Coast guard ship had rescued Montoya husband Eduardo and 10 other people who had been packed inside a disabled 18-foot boat adrift in the Gulf Stream after completing most of the 90-mile journey from Cuba. The boat lift was Only 10 Days old then and Montoya and her husband got a warm reception. They were loudly cheered As they stepped onto . Territory and were welcomed by . Soldiers and Volunteer workers who gave them food and clothing. One sight seemed strange to Montoya. A a i saw 300 men their Heads almost shaved sitting on the  Quot she said. I asked a Why Are those men sitting apart someone told me those Are the criminals and the mental patients Castro is sending  Quot i i t7en was being hailed As Quot the Freedom Votilla a an embarrassment to Fidel Castro s regime and a Chance As president Carter said to Welcome Quot with open arms Quot those fleeing oppression. But before it ended wer months later when Castro closed the port of Mariel it and become a disaster costing hundreds of millions of ars stirring murderous crime Waves and escalating prejudices. A the whole Mariel boat lift struck very deep Nasty ords in the minds of the american Public Quot said Frank the Atoff be d Rector a immigration policy group cra7aritito 13603,716 a derisive Label meaning misfits a Hoo ski do Core cry it it finals Sharry said. Quot but you know a Nat most of them did just Fine Quot he added. Or Foya now 33, who risked a relatively  0-10 years later the stigma remains life As a cuban radio and television actress is among dozens who have been successful in the Media and the arts. Others have made their Marks in Fields such As business education and sports and several boat lift children became Honor students and valedictorians. But the stigma remains. Even after the initial crime Waves blamed on Mariel refugees subsided their image was furthered by such cases As the 1984 slaying of a Miami Beach police officer 1987 riots and hostage taking by refugees in Federal prisons in Atlanta and Oakdale la. And the fire last month that claimed 87 lives at the Happy land after hours social club in the Bronx in which a Mariel refugee is charged. Unlike Many of the Mariel refugees Montoya now 33, who recently returned to key West to film a report for Spanish language a Ltd television on the boat lift a anniversary never hesitates to Tell people when and How she arrived in this country. A a bad people came and a lot of Good people came Quot she said. Quot i held Back a lot when people were talking about How bad the Mariel people were. Quot people would say to me a of you done to look like a Mariel person that bothered me. There was a stereotype and i am an  nearly a month before her arrival Montoya and her husband had dashed into the peruvian embassy in Havana joining a confused desperate throng that finally totalled 10,800 people. Quot i think Castro never expected that Many people wanted to leave. When he saw that he wanted to spoil their image Quot Montoya said. . Sen. Bob Graham was then in his second year As Florida s governor. He recalls attending a luncheon in Washington d.c., in april 1980 and being told by hastily scattering state department officials of the embassy situation. Within weeks the Distant seeming foreign policy question became his states crisis when Castro abruptly announced that Mariel was open. A ragtag Armada of boats chartered by cuban americans anxious to pick up relatives set sail and returned with some surprising cargo. Along with parents aunts and uncles friends and former political prisoners the boats brought passengers who had been picked by the cuban government. Castro and the state controlled Media crowed that the United states was getting Quot the bums and  Quot we done to want them Quot Castro told a cheering Havana crowd. Quot we Don t need  by throwing in cuban miscreants Castro portrayed the boat lift As a sweeping out of his society. Unleashed on american society from cuban gulags the boat lift s criminal element spurred crime explosions in Miami a Little Havana and among the elderly of Miami Beach then spread into other . Cities. Their crimes were the worst of Many problems. Quot it had a human Impact by adding 125,000 people to the population Quot reflected Graham. Quot it contributed to a tense Community situation by surfacing tensions. I think it contributed to the May 1980 Liberty City race riots. Quot Castro was Able to unload criminals and undesirable elements and there was an immediate and continuing a Strain on health and social  with the cuban Economy stagnant and the government increasingly isolated by the crumbling of the socialist bloc . Officials say they have readied continued on Page 14 wednesday april 18, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13