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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 25, 1983)
Page 2 Section I Portland Observer, May 26, 1983 Youth employment available Grauroots News, N. W. — Thi* week Mayor Frank Ivancic an nounced detail* of Portland** third annual, “ Summer Employment for Teen* (SET).” The program is ex pected to provide job* for 600 to BOO youth who will work 20 hour* a week for 13.35 hourly. "W e have job» lined up to clean up around the freeway*, pick up litter and paint fire hydrant*. I think it i* a very use- ful program to provide meaningful work.” Ivancie *ay* the SET program will not conflict with union job*. ” 1 don’t think thi* program will have any effect on any full-time union job. The work that the kid* will be doing is not skilled labor or compe titive with the general labor force.” The budget is comprised of re source* from the recent federal "Job* B ill," the Oregon Depart ment of Transportation and the City Bureau of Water Work*. " I f we think the program ha* to be beefed up I will go back to the City Council and ask for some general fund monies. I believe thi* program it so important for our youngsters to have that work experience. Just the idea of doing something for the City, at fairly low pay, is good ex perience.” He say* roughly 30 percent of the slot* would be targeted to the mi nority youth of the city who are dis proportionately affected by unem ployment. "W e are trying to seek those youth out through the schools. We have never been criticized in the Street Beat past because the program has been heavily skewed in that direction.” Other than litter collection and fire hydrant painting, Portland's SET worker* will clean up city road side areas and provide clerical sup port for city bureaus. "Generally speaking, these jobs would not be done if it weren't for this program.” by Lanita Duka and Richard Brown Education was the topic for this week’s Street Beat with, "Should Oregon institute a minimum compe tency test for teachers and students?” Youth between the age* of 14 and 19 are urged to apply for the SET program. The jobs begin July $ and will end September 2. The contact person for N.E. Portland is Alene Grice at 287-4284. For the west side it's Miro* Hernandez at 796-5372 and for the S.E. side call Holly Schlabach at 248-5174. The mayor indicated that these openings are, "First come, first served.” Oregon opposes Salvador war Tuesday, May 17, Oregon became the first state in the country to pass a bill through its legislature to for mally tell the U.S. government to, "stop military aid to government of El Salvador until there is proof that policy o f violent suppression of civil liberties and human rights ha* been terminated.” Senate Joint Memorial 6, sponsored by Senator Margie Hendrickson of Eugene, gained bi partisan support, passing the Senate with one single dissenting vote (29- I) and the House by a majority of 40-19. The Eugene Council for Human Right* in Latin America, with the support of church and other groups, helped carry out a concentrated lobbying campaign. Those testifying for Senate Joint Memorial 6 in bearings included the A CLU, Oregon A F L -C IO . Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Arnoldo Ramos and Francisco Altchul — diplomatic representatives of the F M L N /F D R , and others. The bill was also supported by chapter* and affiliates of the Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) in 10 Oregon cities. They activated grassroots pressure from the local constituencies in their areas. The Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC), a CISPES chapter, initiated a similar bill two years ago . . losing by only one vote. Oregon CISPES coordi nator Marcia Hamley said of the vote. "T h i* shows what we have known for a long time now — that the majority of people in this country (60-75% depending on which poll you read) oppose U.S. military involvement in El Salvador and Central America. More and more people are becoming vocal in their opposition and finally Congress and local legislators are getting that message.” " I think they should to en sure competency. When you go to school you're there to learn. We have to make sure when you hit the streets you are pre pared.” “ It would be a good idea. This way kids coming out of school at least will know their basic skills." For information on other PCASC activities, call 235-9388 and leave a message or write P.O. Box 6443, Portland OR 97228. > Voices {Continued from page I column 4) attitude towards life. How can they understand what they are doing and what it means to rip o ff your broth ers and sisters. The purse you snatch could belong to a lady old enough to be your mother. And going into your mother's purse is just like going down the street and mugging someone. It is all wrong, taking from the poor. Especially, since we all came over on the same ship." One factor which makes these youth on the street* invisible to local and national statistician* is their abrupt withdrawal from the educa tional system. Dick Kuczek, Re search D irector for the Portland Urban League, says male* have a higher propensity to drop out. "The early-leaver rate for the last two years has remained constant with 14.3% for Native Americans, 9.2% for Hispanics, 9.2% for blacks and 7% for white.” Jimmy say* he and his friends do not care about going to school. " A t least no one made me go to school when I was little. I took it for grant ed that I didn’t have to go. So, I just quit because I didn’t like it.” Jimmy dropped out in the ninth grade. T.J. is still in school but says the kind of education he received is "not a good one.” " I 'm in my second year o f high school and I spend a lot of time downtown. It is like a second home. I know a lot o f the people and if something is going on at home I can always come down here. 1 guess, I can say that I'm learning something. Like mathematics and stuff. That all lean Figure out.” Their presence is also not recorded in the various unemploy ment data that is available for anal ysis. Kuczek says only the youth who are actively looking for work occupy the embarrassingly high youth unemployment figure*. "They are in the hidden unemploy ment data. W ith both black and white youth, teenage males show a higher tendency to be unemployed. Blacks are disproportionately hit by (his hidden unem ploym ent.” He adds a qualifying note by stating the teenage unemployment figures may seem high but the aggregate unem ployment data for Oregon is well above the national average. Kuczek concluded by slating, "W e are not dealing with simple numbers. These kids 16-21 are in their first job hunt ing experience. It w ill shape their whole attitude for years to come. The long-term impact of being told there is no place for them in the system or society is frightening. Ten years down the road there w ill be problems. And the problems w ill come because you can't change their minds and convince them that there is a place for them. W hat shapes their altitudes and behavior now will impact the community in years to come.” Harry Schwartz Painter like the idea of a test. If r do not pas* they should be I back for their own good.” Bob Moor« Store Clark Sammy Lathan Mechanic Ruby Patterson Baautlclan " I believe in a lest for teach er*. If the teachers know they could pass it on to the students. Maybe this is why we are having as many problems as we’re having." F R E " I think so. We know that the quality of education is not what it should be. And, like all jobs, you are tested to ensure competency. A mandatory test wouldn't hurt." E Jim Bergstrom Unemployed "W e have to have certain standards o f education and cri teria to follow. We should re member that some people can't retain it all and we should have a special process for that.” Tour child can learn to swim with tha T . . . for fraal O rientation sessio n s for p a re n ts and kids will be held J u n e 4 (see pool list for exceptions). P articip an ts m u st atten d o rien tatio n . YMCA The free YMCA/YWCA Learn-to- Swim week will be offered at the following pools th ro u g h o u t Portland: Gregory and Donal dlacuaa their true faalinga. (Photo: Richard Brown) T .J . says, " T h e y w on’ t hire us (youth). They think we are going to cause problems. The people who run the restaurants and the fast food places just d o n 't trust us. They think we are going to give stuff out or steal." In response to where he might find work. T .J . replied. " I don 't know. That is what we are trying to figure out.” These young men have entered adulthood at the climax o f the sexual revolution. The practice of hom osexuality, for economic or sexual reasons, surprises many of them. Gregory says, "There are a lor of brothers going around playing with other brothers. I had a couple o f friends into (hat and I d id n 't know until a couple of months ago. You just got to know what is out there. This really surprised m e ." T .J . believe* some o f his friends engage in male prostitution as a means to an end — survival. "Some of my partners are prostitutes. They make good money. Some may even sell a little drugs on the side." The young black males are maturing into a society which, on the surface, tolerates interracial relationships. How do Lionel and Gregory feel about their peers dating while girls? " I believe that the brothers don't have respect for the sisters and the sisters don’t have respect for the brothers. Every brother has a desire when he walks down the street for a sister to recog nize him. The brothers who go for while girls feel a sister can't stand up to their needs. The bottom line is the brothers don't feel proud and the sisters don’ t feel p ro u d ." In G regory's opinion, some black males are attracted to white girls because they succumb to the domi nation of the male. "M any guys feel a white girl will give in more than a sister. Me, myself. I'm going with a black girl and we're thinking about getting married. I don't like seeing black guys out with white girls, but it's happening.” The fragmentation and disunity of today's society stays on the minds o f these two young males. " W e can't talk to one another anymore. Brothers want to shoot and kill one another. It's not like what it used to be. I would just like to see us get along After all, we're in this thing together.” Lionel wants to see his communi ty acting and reacting like it did in 1972. "W hen we went to the parks and listened to good music and everybody d id n ’ t get bold. And everybody didn't get hit. There was unity then and there could be unity now. There was a time in Portland when brothers were 'Live.' " Buckman 320 S.E. 16th P re -re g ia tra tle a la by M A IL O H LV D e a d lift. la Z u e a I . B B 0 IS T B A T 1 0 H U M IT B B Columbia 7701 N. Chautauqua Blvd. AO«» 8 -1» University of Portland Moore St. Community Center 5000 N. W illam ette Blvd. 5430 N. Moore Other location* listed below YWCA 1111 S W 1 0 t h YMCA Metro Canter 2831 S.W. Barbur Blvd. John R. Leach YM CA « 3 8 S.E. Foster Northeast YM CA 1 8 » N.E. 38th ~ ___ lOO» « Porti»»'1 Portland State University Health and P.E. Bldg. 8 » S.W Hall 'Orientation June 3 lit* tir* r.r«" •s « tplW** dddrw. Hot». »' CM'à • It « « Mo.«* ambir YW CA* Columbia w Couch 2033 N W Ollaan iUarneUe
