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.
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