Abstract	A black and white photograph of a Mariel migrant in their homemade t-shirt and hat showcasing their nickname. The caption reads: "Luis Naranjo Soca, alias, Billy Joe [also spelled Jo, Joel] Blanco, poses in a hand-painted shirt and a hat someone had made for him. Billy Joe gained fame when 'Billy Joe Blanco was here' signs began appearing all over Ft. McCoy."
Abstract	Photograph of a Cuban refugee who arrived in Wisconsin in 1980 as a result of the Port of Mariel exodus, showing everyday life in the refugee detention center at Fort McCoy, Wis.
Abstract	During the harshest period of Fidel Castro’s rule in Cuba (which spanned 1959-1979), Cubans were publicly scrutinized, censored and prosecuted by government and law enforcement officials. Youth were often imprisoned for offenses including political dissent or ideological diversions, drinking in public, religious beliefs, their sexuality or gender expression, and failure to serve in the military. In 1978-1980, Cubans broke into international embassies in Havana with the purpose of seeking asylum, and the Cuban government retaliated with force. In April 1980, after a violent incident at the Peruvian embassy in Havana, Castro opened the Port of Mariel near Havana, allowing Cubans who wanted to emigrate to the U.S. to leave the island. Amid the Cold War, the Carter administration welcomed these asylum seekers to the U.S. The arrival of more than 125,000 Cubans to the coasts of South Florida in the span of a few months had a long-lasting impact at local, national, and international levels. This event known as the “Mariel Boatlift.”
Abstract	The Mariel Boatlift was the largest and most controversial Cuban exodus to the United States. The Cuban-Haitian Immigration Task Force (CHITF) set up four camps for the resettlement of Cuban Mariel migrants, one of which was Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. Fort McCoy was open from April – September 1980, with its refugee population peaking in June at 13,413. Approximately 90% of the Cuban population sent to Fort McCoy was male, aged 25-35, Black or mixed race, had no English language skills, and included approximately 145 unaccompanied minors.
Alternative title	pr070-01-012
	1980-264 unknown source of numbering
	Fi-11A unknown source of numbering
Owner	La Crosse Public Library
	Fort McCoy (Wis.)
Photographer	Mary Bower
Type of resource	still image
Genre	picture
Genre authority	marcgt
Publisher name	La Crosse Public Library
Place of publication	La Crosse, Wis.
Date published	1980-08-31
Date captured	2024-01-26
Language	eng
Width	14.38
Height	32.0
Subject topic	Cuban Americans--Wisconsin--Photographs Authority: LCSH
Subject topic	Mariel Boatlift, 1980--Photographs Authority: LCSH
Subject topic	Refugees--Cuba--Photographs Authority: LCSH
Subject topic	Refugees--Wisconsin--Fort McCoy--Photographs Authority: LCSH
Subject topic	Photographs Authority: LCSH
Subject geographic	Fort McCoy (Wis.)
Subject geographic	United States--Wisconsin--Fort McCoy
Subject topic	Fort McCoy (Wis.) Authority: LCSH
Subject topic	Noncitizen detention centers Authority: LCSH
Subject topic	Refugee camps--1980-1990 Authority: LCSH
Subject topic	Refugee camps—Fort McCoy (Wis.) Authority: LCSH
Subject topic	People--Immigrants Authority: Local
Subject topic	People--Refugees Authority: Local
Subject topic	Naranjo Soca, Luis "Billy Joe(l) Blanco" Authority: Local
Subject temporal	1980
Content	Forms part of the Mariel Exodus digital collection held by the La Crosse Public Library Archives
Funding	Funded in part by a 2023 grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin.
Ownership	The La Crosse Public Library does not own the original image but has been granted permission from the U.S. Army (owner) to share this image.
Use and reproduction restrictions	This item is in the public domain. There are no known restrictions on the use of this material.
Collection	Mariel Exodus
ID	139c68a1-abaa-4a4f-8d5d-eb19232b994c/wlac0000/20240913/00000013