Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 1974)
Hag«* 2 Portland/Obaerver Thursday, June 6, 1974 Quotas and the 'New Ethnicity’ by Bayard Kuatia WE SEE THE WORLD THROUGH BLACK EYES ALFRED L. HENDERSON Editor/Publisher EDITORIAL FOCUS It is illegal! ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■ : Another Point of View § ■ The pla n o f the M u ltn o m a h C ounty Board o f Com m ssioners in e lim in a tin g 150 positions a nd the e m p lo ye e s w h o h o ld those positions, is to use se n io rity a lo n e . A lth o u g h C h a irm a n James This trib u te a n d fa re w e ll are p a id to the g re at G leason re p o rte d ly w ill g iv e the fin a l a p p ro v a l on Edward K ennedy "D u k e " E lling to n by Dr. C arlton B those to be te rm in a te d (to insure the re te n tio n o f G oodlett, p re s id e n t o f the N a tio n a l N e w sp ap er frie n d s a nd re la tive s? ) the o ffic ia l w ritte n p o lic y is Publishers A ssociation - Black Press o f A m e rica: se niority. "M a n is p ro m ise d th re e score a nd 10 years in The courts have d e te rm in e d that it is ille g a l to the h oly w t. Your 75 years w ith th re e score years use s e n io rity or a n y o the r a rb itra ry c rite ria to as a com poser a nd a m usician w e re b o u n tifu l. d e te rm in e re te n tio n or p ro m o tio n o f e m p lo ye e s "Y o u r m usic b ro u g h t joy w h e re th e re was if th e y d isc rim in a te against an "e ffe c te d class" sorrow, love w h e n lovers p iq u e d Your c re a tive o f'e m p lo y e e s . Surely the Board o f C ounty C om genius has been a v iv id p ic tu riz a tio n o f the Black m issioners m ust kn ow that the m a io rity o f th e ir expe rie nce in A m e ric a fo r th re e score o f our fiv e m in o rity e m p lo ye e s have been h ire d w ith in the and one h a lf score years o f fre e d o m . last th re e or fo u r years because o f fe d e ra l "W hile y o u r passing fro m th e m orta l scene re q u ire m e n t a nd co m m un ity pressure. This p ro leaves a c o n te m p o ra ry vo id , yo u r c re a tiv e genius cedure is c le a rly ille g a l and m ust be stopped. leaves an im m o rta l legacy. As lo n g as h u m a n ity To m a ke this p o licy even m ore d iscrim in a to ry , "Takes the A T ra in " w h e n e v e r "B o y M eets G ir l" , in assessing se n io rity the county w ill not consider w hen life 's m oo d turns " I n d ig o " , a nd w h e n e v e r e m p lo y m e n t tim e w ith fe d e ra lly fu n d e d protects or m en c o n te m p la te " In th e B e g in n in g Was G o d ", the tra in in g program s, one o f the purposes o f w h ic h is librettos o f life w ill sing songs o f |oy that once to tra in a nd e m p lo y m in o rity a nd o the r d is upon a tim e th e re liv e d a m an c a lle d Duke a d v a n ta g e d p eople. Is this not b re a kin g fa ith w ith Ellington. th e fe d e r a l g o v e rn m e n t and w ith th e s e "T ru ly, you have g lo rifie d the a ge in w h ic h w e e m p lo ye e s — m o ra lly if not le g a lly ? liv e ; life has fu lle r m e a n in g because o f your O f course there are some w h ite e m p lo ye es w ho creations o f joy, rh y th m , a n d yo ur love. F a re w e ll." w ill su ffe r u njustly also -- som e o f those w ho h ave w o rk e d fo r years on 'te m p o ra ry ' status and have never been g iv e n c iv il service standing. W e fin d also that the m aior b ud ge t cuts a re in th e a re a o f services — w h ich not o n ly most c lo se ly serve the needs o f p e o p le , but also, because o f fe d e ra lly fu n d e d a nd special p ro jects, e m p lo y the m a jo rity o f m in o rity w orkers. W e e xpect that h um an services w ill be the first to be e lim in a te d -- th ey a lw a y s are. But c h o p p in g out some program s a nd s tiflin g others by u n re a so n a b le p erson ne l cuts is even m ore d a m a g in g w he n ca rrie d o ut by an o rg a n iz a tio n as c a llo u se d to w a rd the needs o f its constituents as (Continued from pg. 1. col. 91 young people need, and they M u ltn o m a h C ounty. W e cannot expect the county who cannot afford extensive learn to trust some of the a d m in is tra tio n , w hose first concern is p ro te ctio n o f nursing care. This program staff, then those people are th e co un ty im a ge , to reve al a n y se nsitivity a bo ut has employed a number of fired and the program closed, th e needs o f p eople. minority persons, particu where can they go and what larly in the Model Cities justice can they see. Mrs. The p e o p le o f M u ltn o m a h C ounty m ust not just area. Page asked. sit id ly by w h ile program s vita l to the h e a lth o f the “We are attempting to The United Affirmative c o m m u n ity are e lim in a te d . It is not just a question show them that there are Action Committee and the o f jobs fo r m in o rity p e o p le th a t hangs in the methods of obtaining justice, United Minority Workers, b a la n ce . It is also the pro gram s th a t p ro vid e but “if the system fails us along with Arthur Dilworth essential services to the a g in g , the yo u n g , the sick this time we can’t hold them and Elaine Piper, have filed back any longer," Mrs. Page a n d h an dicap p ed . It is tra g e d y w h e n the county a suit in federal District continued. She explained Court charging Multnomah can purchase a g o lf course b ut ca nn ot p ro v id e care that young people feel that if County with discrimination fo r a c h ild h e a d in g into d e lin q u e n c y or nursing they can't get jobs and use against minorities and wo care fo r our e ld e rly citizens. A n d w h o w ill pick up the new county financed golf men. th e tab fo r the p e n ite n tia rie s a n d nursing hom es if course, neither will anyone In explaining the reason not th e taxpayer? else. Proby said there is for the suit. Art Dilworth. discontent among men in Chairman of UAAC, ex M id d le class w h ite O re g o n ia n s cannot a ffo rd to their 20's who have families plained that the committee loo k a w a y because it is the Blacks, the Indians, the to support and want jobs. has unsuccessfully attempted C hicanos w h o are loosing th e ir jobs or because it to obtain relief for the past 6 Suit names Commissioners is the poor w h o w ill su ffe r fro m the loss o f p ro months, and failing this, gram s. This tim e , if justice is n ot fo u n d , a ll o f The suit charges M. James their only recourse is through M u ltn o m a h C ounty w ill su ffe r the results. the courts. The committee Gleason, Chairman of the presented the County Board Board of County Commis MEMBER of Commissioners with an sioners; Dan Mosee, Ben — Oregon affirmative action plan, but Padrow, Donald E. Clark, Newspaper the plan was not accepted. Mel Gordon, Commissioners, Publishers They spent much time re individually and as board Association = 86 viewing and assisting in the members; John Bice, Direc writing of a new personnel tor of Administrative Ser ordinance that “has been lost vices; John Raynor. Per ER somewhere in the bureau sonnet Director and Director m cratic shuffle.“ The ordi of Training and Personnel; Second Class Postage Paid Published every Thursday nance was to have been Jewell Goddard, Director of by Exie Publishing Com at Portland, Oregon. reviewed in early April. The Human Services; Daniel pany, 2201 North Killings UAAC obtained a hiring liman, Director of Environ The Portland Observer's of worth, Portland, Oregon freeze from the Board, mental Services; Tom Price, ficial position is expressed 97217. Mailing address: pending implementation of Director of Justice Services; only in its Publisher's column P.O. Box 3137, Portland, an affirmative action plan, and Ixiren Kramer, Chief I We See The World Through Oregon 97208. Telephone: but hiring has continued. Assistant for the Board. The Black Eyes). Any other 283 2486. UAAC members contend suit asks that the County ha- m aterial throughout the that minority applicants have ordered to implement an paper is the opinion of the Subscriptions: $5.25 per been denied because of the affirmative action plan and individual writer or sub year in the Tri-County area, fr«*«-z»- but whites are being that punitive damages be mitter and does not neces $6.00 per year outside Port hired. paid to Pi,H-r and Dilworth. sarily reflect the opinion of land. Dilworth said "We intend The suit charges that th« Portland Observer. to pursue this matter all the Multnomah County has prac way. We will not be ticed employm<-nt policies placated with tokenism, but that exclude minorities, and will accept nothing less than that minorities that are hired full equality of opportunity in are disproportionately placed application for positions with in short term or insecure job all public and private em positions, and that minorities ployees..“ will be unfairly affected by pending budget cuts. Art Dilworth was hired in September by Jewell God W arning given dard as a Human Services Glenna Page. Director of Planner. His duties included the Urban Indian Movement, contacting community or and Nate Proby, Chairman of ganizations and developing the United Minority Workers, an affirmative action plan for predicted violence if young the Department of Human people are not able to find Services. Dilworth claims work and if the programs that he has not been allowed they have looked to for help to obtain information neces are closed. When they start sary for his work. He also programs that offer services believes he is the subject of NNPA bids farewell The Black community may soon face the formidable challenge of finding an al ternative to the quota sys tem. «Although the Supreme Court, in the Defunis judge ment, avoided the issue for the present, there are in dications, particularly the minority opinion of justice William Douglas, that the high court may eventually declare unconstitutional the prarliro of establishing separate standards for Blacks ami other minorities. Whatever finding th«- court reaches, it is ini|M>rlanl that Blacks In-gin to consider the implications of quotas us a strategy for overcoming dis crimination and achieving economic justice. I have already slated my objections to quotas; in brief. I feel quotas are an exaggerated form of tokenism which represents a poor substitute for a full employment policy and have a devastating psy chological effect on th«- very people they are designed to help. Another important issue is the division between Blacks and their traditional allies which the quota controversy is creating. In thv Defunis rase, for example, many Jewish or ganizations. and a number of white ethnic groups opposed the fioliry of giving minon ties preferential treatment in college admissions, while civil rights organizations sup ported the practice. Further evidence of the divisive potential of quotas was provided at a recent New York Conference on affirmative action and prefer ential treatment. The par tieipants included Blacks, Puerto Ricans. Jews. Italian Americans, and labor union ists. These were individuals in substantial agreement on a broad range of social and economic issues. Many had marched side by side with Multnomah County « NW A, Here’s one paper you doni z have to hide from the kids. racial discrimination since he was hired on a tenqtorary (■ositinn, while at least one white man with the same or less qualifications is earning more than $7.000 a year more than his salary. Dil worth said he was invited to apply for his present position and was promised that within two months he would receive a salary income of $7.000 a year. He has not received a salary increase and has been told that his position has been deleted from the budget. Mrs. Piper charges that she was invited to apply and was hired for a position as property manager in August of 1973. Her job description was changed giving her addi tional duties with no increase in pay. She was subjected to emotional abuse by a super visor who has since been terminated, and finally was fired in mid January of 1974, although she was allowed to work until March 1, 1974. While with the county she wrote the Property Man agement program which is now being used by Mult nomah County, as well as by Washington County and the City of Portland. Mrs. Piper was told that she was terminated beeaum- her re sume had been "misinter preted". UAAC spokesmen added that county employees who are laid off will he especially effected becausi- the county did not tiegin paying into the Unemployment Compensa lion fund until January, 1974, so employees will not receive maximum unemploym ent coni|M-nsation payments. Martin l.uther King and A. Philip Randolph in the most crucial and dangerous campaigns of the civil rights movement. But it was obvious that on the question of racial quotas, these historically unified forces were poles distant. We heard, during th«* course of th«- conference: A ap»k«*sman for an Italian-American organization severely criticize affirmative aclion programs, declaring that Italian Americans were systematically discriminated against and exrlud<-d from IMisilions of influent-«* in government and education; - A woman insist that only Puerto Ricans (as op |x»s<-d to Cuban or Domini can) teachers could relate to Puerto Rican children, just as, she asserted, only Italian teachers of Milanese dialect could relate to Milanese Italian children; A young law school graduate of working class background criticize compen satory education programs for largely excluding while working class students. As th«- above examples indicate, many of th«- com plaints bordered on the ab surd. The problems of white working |M-opl«-. as serious as they are do not approach the grim consequence of racial prejudice. But their frustrations are real enough, They must deal with subtle, condescending Many live just prejudice. b«-vond the shadow of pov erty and share with Black people aspirations of upward mobility for themselves and their children. And they are reacting to social injustice by turning inward, rejecting the possi bility of broad social change while trying to grab a share of society's sjioils for them selves, with little thought to the overriding consequences. They are doing this, more over, in the name of Jewish. Italian, or Irish or Polish solidarity. "The Bank With a Purpo*«" There are those who hail the resurgence of ethnic awareness as a positive de velopment. And certainly it is im|K>rtant that individuals have a sense of pride in the traditions and accomplish merits of their ancestors. But much of what |>ass«-s as the "New Ethnicity“ is nothing more than a new tribalism, a world wide phenomenon in which all soctal intercourse is judged by the «legre«* it ben«-fits a particular race, religion or nationality. Quotas are an inherent part of this penomenon. They imply that all problems can b«- solved by erecting a wall around one's own group, so that all outsiders arc excluded. Eventually, that wall will iN-come smaller, as sub groups are form«-d based on their accent or aorial class, or wh«-ther th«-y live in th«- city or country; until finally the wall becomes so small it excludes everyone, except the individual and his family. FREEDOM BANK OF FINANCE O wned by th» Po op lt o p P 'tlP d lor me Poopio Chocking Account« • Saving Account« * Bank by M ail ■ Real Ettate Loan« • Auto loan« • Hom« Improvement • Traveler« Check» • Money Order» • Eicrow Service ( h a trio r l o lle t lr I la erre rre n t Em ployee of the M onth Free Checking Accounts wilh $300 00 Minimum Balance Free Checking Service to Senior Citizens (65 or overt OPEN SATURDAY 10.AM-2 PM ( h, i k w ith eilhi i lii .mi h ii I hui I IdewtiCheck C MON IMUMS 10 * M IH , 10 « M » I-M Mt IN fMUH*. 1 A M • «i M A M b »’ M V I* M *> P M P K O M O N T BRA N CH 7 F 2 I i E N N E IlL IN IN G G S tW TH I K IIL W O R 1 M A IN O F F IC I in r j r T w N t U N IO N r 288-6 5 7 1 282* 1-2216 M e m b e r r e d e ie i O e p o u l In s u ra n c e C u 'O Not Everyone Subscribes To The 1 Portland Observer b a t tb e n , an t e v e r y o n e c o m e s In o n t o f t h e r a in , e it h e r . ow A b o u t Y o u ? $5.25 $6.00 RATES: in Tri-County A rea and Arm ed Services O th e r A reas of the US Name Address C ity ___ State Zip 22 0 1 N. K ill in g jw ò rth P o rtla n d , O re g o n 9 7 2 1 7 P R IN T IN G PROBLEMS? C a ll us to d ay! EIJSA'S HOBBY HOUSE We have everything grand ma made: quilta, pillows, hats, decals, pin cushions, pot holders, swans and many more. Come in and see us. 505 NE Knott 287 9384 Sat. & Sun. 1 to 6 p.m. C om m ercial p r in tin g - L ith o g ra p h y T y p e s e ttin g - Web Press EXIE Publishing, Inc. 283-2487
