during the 1990's, many found asylumcubans in the u.s. in large part because of the advocacy of the very local and politically influential cuban american community in south florida. haitian boat people by comparison were more likely to be called economic migrants despite the fact they were fleeing equally or more repressive conditions. nations were much more likely to be detained and deported then where the cubans and this did not change until the congressional black caucus took up the cause and forced a more humane response from congress. one final example. the neck or rob wittman adjustment and central -- the nicaraguan adjustment act allowed hundreds of thousands to remain in the u.s. and this legislation was the combination of almost two decades of intense advocacy on the part of an unlikely coalition of the political left and political right. there are many other examples i could highlight here about the importance of advocacy. i have a new book coming out in the spring and i discuss many other cases of the importance of advocacy. ad