Portland Obaarvar, September 17, m i P*g« n
Hispanic rights at issue
PORTLAND CLEANING
WORKS
Reagan policies bring mixed reaction
ler K atti
by Peter K atti
______ .
_
.
**
Southwest Voter Registration and
Education Project.
M o tt leaden o f U .S. Hispanic
organizations are reacting with a
combination of approval and anger
at President Ronald Reagan’s new
initiatives toward Mexico. In the
wake o f Mexican President Jose
Lopez P o rtillo ’s M ay 8-9 visit to
Washington, U.S. Hispanics are at
once pleased with what appears to
be a new and friendlier relationship
between the two countries, and
dismayed that the Administration’s
hand of friendship has yet to be ex
tended to them.
Indeed, even as U .S .- Mexican
relations are improving, Ad-
m inistration-H ispanic relations
seem to be de teriorating, they in
dicate.
Hispanics, generally, have ex
pressed strong disapproval of the
new “ guest w orker” program
proposed by the Administration and
apparently, welcomed by Mexico.
They are also angered over A d
ministration-backed efforts to alter
radically the Voting Rights Act.
And
they
assail
the
Ad
ministration’s near-total failure to
appoint Hispanics to Federal posts,
and the relative lack of consultation
with Hispanic organizations.
Admittedly, says Pablo Sedillo.
Secretary for Hispanic A ffairs of
the National Conference of Catholic-
B ishops, M e x ic a n -A m e ric a n s
“ don’t have to offer what the Ad
ministration thinks, at least, that
Mexico has to offer." He means oil.
But U.S. Hispanics do have votes
- lots o f them. And in the 1980
Presidential election, they gave a
record percentage of their votes to
the Republican candidate. While
Reagan won only 25 percent of the
Hispanic vote in the five South
western states, that represented the
highest percentage for a Republican
in at least 20 years, according to the
The Administration policies that
please Mexico may very well
alienate these Hispanic-American
voters. For their interests are often
at odds, as currently in the case of
the proposed "guest w orker”
program.
Under the Administration’s plan,
which is expected to be presented to
Congress in a few weeks, some
50,000 Mexican guest workers
would be permitted to enter the
United States legally each year to
seek temporary employment. Unliek
the widely criticized "b ara cero ”
program of 1942-64. this plan would
not restrict the Mexican workers of
agricultural labor.
The program, says Ruben
Bonilla, president o f the League of
United Latin American Citizens,
would “ drive a wedge between two
peoples,” as Mexican citizens
willing to work for low wages push
Mexican-Americans out of jobs.
Antonia Hernandez, o f the
Mexican-American Legal Defense
and Education Fund, called the
proposal “ a form o f legalized
slavery.” She added. " I f this coun
try needs workers, allow them to
come in as legal resident aliens and
not as a subclass." She fears there
would be a tendency to identify
Mexican-American citizens with this
"subclass” and treat them both as a
“ commodity."
The Mexican workers would not
only be exploited themselves, they
would be used to depress wages and
discourage labor organizing, said
Raul Yzaguirre, president o f the
National Council o f La Raza in
Washington. W hile Mexican-
Americans are “ pleased” with the
meeting between the two presidents,
Yzaguirre said, “ It is unfortunate
that the one thing on which they are
tangibly agreeing is harmful to us."
In contrast to the views o f most
Hispanic leaders, former U.S. Im
migration and Naturalization Ser
vice Director Lionel C astillo ex
presses “ full support" for the guest
worker proposal, noting that he had
suggested a similar program under
the Carter Administration.
" I have the minority perspective,
adm ittedly," he said, “ But if you
talk with Chicano businessmen and
community people instead o f
leaders, you’ ll find quite a bit o f
support."
No one suggests, however, that
U.S. Hispanics will support another
major Administration-supported
initiative that will affect minorities -
- the proposed changes to the Voting
Rights Act, which includes require
ments for bilingual ballots and
similar measures in heavily non-
English-speaking regions.
Parts of the Act are due to expire
next year. President Reagan told
Hispanic leaders in a February 5
meeting that he was inclined to sup
port extension of the act only if the
law were changed to apply to the en
tire nation. But “ nationwide
coverage” is a well-known code
word for destroying the act, her-
nandez claims.
The act was held constitutional on
the grounds that the various parts of
the country to which it applies have
records o f voter discrimination.
Nationwide, there is no such record,
and the entire act might be subject
to a finding of unconstitutionality.
Critics of tne change also argue that
nationai coverage would make the
job of enforcement virtually im
possible.
Hernandez and other Hispanic
spokesmen have been meeting with
the Justice Department as the Ad
ministration prepares its form al
position on extension.
Extension o f the act is "in d is
pensable to the continued increase
of Chicano (voter) turnout and par
ticipation," said W illie Velaquez,
executive director of the Southwest
Voter Registration and Education
Project. Opponents of extension, he
claims, are “ directly working to
limit Hispanic political participation
and increased influence."
BoniUa, who personally endorsed
Jimmy C arter, said the only
Hispanics well-regarded by the
White House are those who go “ hat
in hand” to endorse Reagan’s
economic policies. The barb was
aimed at the Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce, which endorsed Reagan
in the election and supports the
President’s economic package. Hec
tor Barreto of Kansas City, national
president of the Chamber, expressed
full support for Reagan’s policies
toward Hispanics, including the
guest worker program. Mexican
workers will be taking jobs that
economically advancing Mexican-
Americans are moving out of, he
asserted.
Barreto has been favored with
several meetings with President
Reagan, including a luncheon
meeting with the President and
Lopez Portillo.
Barreto has expressed approval of
the A dm inistration’ s record on
Hispanic appointments, also, noting
that the posts o f director o f the
Small Business Administration and
the Minority Business Development
Adm inistration have gone to
Hispanics.
But most Hispanic leaders expec
ted far more in the way o f A d
ministration appointments. "When
we met with the President” in
February, said Pablo Sedillo, “ He
said there would be five to seven
sub-cabinet appointments, which we
took to mean under-secretary or at
least assistant secretary in the
Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
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Copyright 1981 Pacific N ew t Service
Grenada expects U.S. invasion
Grenada, a small Caribbean
Island with a Black. English-speak
ing population, has charged that the
United States is planning and prac
ticing an invasion o f its soil in the
near future.
Grenada recently celebrated the
second anniversary of its successful
revolution against its former ruler,
Eric Gairy. Following the revolution
the United States offered $5,000 in
foreign aid with the condition that
the country would not accept aid
from Cuba. Since Grenada refused
it has been the target of propaganda
against its essential tourist trade and
of alleged C IA terrorism and sabo
tage.
Prime Minister Maurice Bishop
charges that the extensive war ma
neuvers now taking place in the Car
ibbean are a precusor to an immi
nent invasion. Over 120,000 U.S.
troops, 250 ships and 1.000 aircraft
from 14 nations are participating in
the maneuvers, from August 1st to
October 15th, extending from the
South Atlantic through the Carib
bean to the Baltic Sea. “ Operation
Ocean Venture” is the largest West
ern m ilitary exercise since W orld
War II.
The ( aribbean phase was con
ducted from August 9th to 21st, at
Vieques Island and Salinas in Puer
to Rico and Guantanamo Bay in
Cuba. The first mock battle was tar
geted at an Eastern Caribbean
island called "A m b e r and the
Amberines. The Grenadian gov
ernment believes this is an obvious
reference to Grenada and its island
wards Carriacou and Petit M artin
ique.
“ Amber" is described as being in
fluenced by "C o u n try Red”
(Cuba?) to export terrorism to vari
ous contries in the Caribbean Basin
and to engage in various “ anti-dem-
ocratic activities." "Amber” is sup
posed to be supporting a guerilla
movement of about 400 to 500 men
in “ Country Azure" (E! Salvador?).
“ Country A zu re” is supposed to
have invited U.S. forces to neutral
ize the guerillas.
The practice invasion o f “ A m
ber” to rescue American citizens
held hostage there began August 9th
with a parachute drop into Vieques
of over 350 troops of the 75th Ran
ger Battalion, based in Fort Lewis.
The troops flew non-stop from Nor
ton Air Force Base. California, cov
ering the same distance as from their
base in Washington to Grenada.
During the night, prior to the para
troopers arrival, an undisclosed
number of combat troops especially
trained for mountain combat were
landed in the western mountains of
Vieques. The parachute drop was
followed by the landing o f 1,000
marines in amphibious units and air
assaults.
The battle was planned to last 17
days, while an unconventional un
derwater demolition team and other
special forces— “ the guys that do
the diriy tricks” according to Navy
Captain Dale Luvey— move to free
the hostages held on “ Amber Is
land."
After rescuing the hostages. Rear
Admiral Robert P. McKenzie, coor
dinator of the project, said the U.S.
troops would remain on the island
until elections are called and “ a re
gime favorable to the way of life we
espouse” is installed.
Justifying the need for the war
games, McKenzie said, “ What we
have here is a p olitical-m ilitary
problem. When Carter created the
Task Force, he did so for political
reasons. Now we see that it fulfills
one of the most valid military rea
sons,” which is “ the need to re
spond to the activities of Cuba and
C astro .” Also involved in the
maneuvers were contingents from
Great Britain and the Netherlands,
which have colonies in the area.
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Giving the Grenada charges add
ed credibility is the fact that there is
an area in the southern tip of Gren
ada called Amber, and it is near the
international airport being built
with the assistance of Cuba. The ter
rain clearly resembles that of Vie
ques.
When peop _
heard about the
1981 Weight
Watchers
foo d Plans,
our classes
attracted
lots o f
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The government o f Grenada re
ports that it has received intelligence
reports that either a mercenary inva
sion or direct m ilitary aggression
will take place before November I,
1981.
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Visit O M SI
Whan the ships com * home: John Jones pause«
• survey activities on Swan Island during recant
P o rt o f Po rtlan d tou r.
(Photo: R ichard J. B ro w n )
OM SI begins a new tradition Sep
tember 20, with FU NBURST 81. a
day o f special events, foods, rides
and exhibits. Though this is the sec
ond year for Funburst, it marks the
first time that O M SI has had a fre t
admission day for the entire spec
trum of the public.
The idea behind Funburst is to
give all communities in the Portland
Vancouver area something special.
And to provide it in such a way that
admission price does not pose a
problem.
Special exhibits and shows will
range from helicopters to free laser
light shows and special displays on
solar energy. There will be kite fly
ing sessions on the lawn just up the
hill from O M SI. Foods and bever
ages will be readily available, and
games will range from the perennial
milk bottle toss to the inevitable
dunk tank.
There will be plenty of special ac
tivities, wandering minstrels, face
painters, caricature artists, etc. For
more inform ation on this special
day, call O M S I’s recorded informa
tion line (228-OMSI) or the business
office (248 5900). FU NBURST 81.
Sunday, Sept. 20, 11 am-6 pm.
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Join Any Class Anytime
North Portland
Carpenters' Hall
2225 N Lombard St. (at Brandon)
M °n .
7:00 pm
Thurs
9 : » am
Emanuel Hospital
2801 N. Gantenbein
Emanuel East, Room 2001
(Nursing Home)
Thurs.
7:00 pm
Fellowship Baptist Church
KT32 N Lombard St.
Tu«.
7:00 pm
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5049 N.E. Sandy Blvd.
Mon.
9 :3 0 am & 7 :0 0 pm
Tuaa.
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9:30 am
For information call collect Portland (803) 297-1021, weekday» 8:30-6:00
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