Operation Pedro Pan: Continuing the mission through lessons learned and shared

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

Photography: CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO | FC

PINECREST | When Prie Ramos arrived at St. Louis Covenant School in Pinecrest to pick up her granddaughters on March 16, 2026, she felt emotional at the sight of the Operation Pedro Pan exhibit in the school’s media center.

“It’s so nice to see it,” Ramos said. “At the same time, it’s hard. But they’re memories. I’m so glad that they’re doing this for the kids to know where their roots come from and what we went through.”

Ramos was 10 when she and her brother left Cuba for Miami in 1960 through Operation Pedro Pan. From 1960 to 1962, the program,  supported by the U.S. and led by Miami priest Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh and the Catholic Welfare Bureau(now Catholic Charities), brought over 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban minors to the U.S. and placed them in foster care across the country until they were reunited with their families. The goal was to save a generation from communist indoctrination under Fidel Castro, then leader of Cuba.

The program was named by combining the Spanish name “Pedro” (Peter) with “Pan” to create a pun on the fictional character Peter Pan. It combined the name of the first unaccompanied child, Pedro, who arrived in Miami, with the idea of children “flying” to safety.

“I thank my parents. They gave me an opportunity to get out. And I thank God that I saw my parents again,” Ramos said.

Since fall 2025, middle school students from St. Louis have prepared for their “Childhood in Exile: Operation Pedro Pan 2026” showcase. Their work included research, reading, and writing, along with creative projects, such as painting suitcases, building a Cuban flag from 14,000 cafecito cups, learning choreography, and more.

“This day reflects our commitment to faith-based education, historical understanding, and meaningful learning experiences that connect students to lived history and Catholic social teaching,” said Julie Perdomo, principal of St. Louis School.

The school also invited Pedro Pans to speak at the event.

Miami businessman Tony Argiz, who left Cuba at age nine, described his experience as “a rescue mixed with heartbreak,” which was especially difficult to witness when children realized at the airport that their parents were not coming with them. Sent to Tampa, Argiz grew up in the care of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

“They gave me structure, discipline, and what I would have called tough love. They taught me how to live with rules, respect authority, take responsibility, and how to keep moving forward, even when I didn’t feel like it,” Argiz said.

For Ric Prado, his Pedro Pan story prepared him for his future career in the armed forces. Later, he worked for Special Operations, where he fought against the Sandinista regime and communism in Latin American countries, the “same monster,” he said, that had destroyed his family and country.

“It made it personal. That’s why I never hesitated. It was the best job I ever had,” Prado said. Among his lessons, he encouraged students to discover what really matters to them and pursue it. “If you follow that, you will always have a successful life.”

Even with a combined 55 years of military service, he still feels indebted to the United States.

“I still don’t think that I’ve done enough for this country. And if called upon tomorrow, I’ll be there,” he said.

St. Louis middle school teacher Elcira Gonzalez pointed out that this feeling was mutual among visiting Pedro Pans.

“They have all said, ‘We owe this country more than they ever gave us back,’” Gonzalez shared.

“Having the students see and hear what a privilege it is to grow up in this country, where there’s freedom of religion, of the press, of thought, and of expression, that’s extremely important for our children to learn and appreciate nowadays because it’s such a fragile condition that has to be protected.”

 

‘You are the future’

One of the day’s highlights was an immersive storytelling experience by the Abre Camino Collective. Titled “Second Star to the Right,” it allowed guests to follow the journey of three children traveling from Cuba to the U.S. The production is the work of writer Vanessa Garcia and director Victoria Collado, who have collected Cuban and Cuban American stories since 2019.

“We’ve really been going one person at a time, and then one person tells us about a friend, and we continue,” Garcia said.

For Collado, “That ability to know where you come from and where you are headed—that’s why we need stories.”

At St. Louis’s media center, transformed into Havana Airport, a sixth-grade class was welcomed by actors portraying Pan American Airlines staff. Each student received a small wooden figure named Eduardo and then boarded a recreated cabin where they “flew” to Miami.

Engaging the senses, students listened through headphones as Eduardo (narrated by a child) shared his story. At the end, listeners discover that Eduardo grew up to be Jesuit Father Eduardo Alvarez of Gesu Parish in Miami.

“I’m an old man now. I may forget some names here or there, but I’ll never forget where I came from. And I hope you won’t forget either,” said Father Alvarez, now retired.

After their “arrival” in Miami, students were greeted by Brigid Prio, daughter of the late Elly Chovel — known as “Tinkerbell” — founder of Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc. Prio recalled how Chovel made it her life mission to locate and unite Pedro Pans.

“She also wanted to make sure this story of this major exodus was known and understood,” Prio added.

Before the experience ended, Prio presented a symbolic artifact: the kneeler of Msgr. Walsh. Born in Ireland, “He had nothing to do technically with Cuba. But he became one of the faces and fighters of the cause,” she said.

Inviting students to pray for him, she added, “I always say that Cubans know how to solve things, and the Irish are lucky. That combination is fantastic.”

Students also shared the experiences of their own families with Prio.

“I asked my grandparents what happened. They didn’t go through Pedro Pan because my grandmother didn’t want to separate the family. But my dad is the son of an exiled Cuban immigrant,” said sixth-grader Camila Abreu.

While every generation is responsible for passing on its stories, Principal Perdomo hopes that St. Louis students, whether Cuban or not, continue the legacy and universal lessons learned from Operation Pedro Pan.

“You are the kids, and you are the future,” Perdomo said.

For Prie Ramos, whose granddaughters are in kindergarten, she hopes to share her Pedro Pan journey with them someday.

“They know where we come from, but they don’t know the whole story. Little by little, if God gives me time, I will let them know,” Ramos said.