Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

Place, not race

Carlos Sanchez’s April 16 letter, Cuba travel policy, confuses nationality with religion and race: “You would never hear of Carnival or another U.S. company doing this if it involved black Americans or Jewish Americans.”

Cuban is a nationality. Black is a race. Jewish is a religion.

A Cuban-born Jew would not be allowed to sail to Cuba under the current law. If Celia Cruz, of African descent, were alive today, she would not be allowed to sail to Cuba, as she was born in Cuba and later became an American citizen.

I hope that all the negativity toward Carnival Corp. has not been because owner Micky Arison is Jewish.

Celia Kaufman, Coral Gables

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Place, not race."

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