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IN M N M H I
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S epi ember 25, 1996 • T he P ortland O bserver
P age C2
InlDSIP^INIiC
wMMmiiNiinry
, CALENDAR
September is National Hispanic Heritage Month
Dolores Huerta
Coming to Oregon October 6
Dolores Huerta, Co-founder and Secretary-Treasurer o f the U nited
F a rm W o rk e rs o f A m e ric a , A F L - C I O , w ill speak in Woodburn on
Sunday, O c to b e r 6 Ms Huerta's appearance headlines an event honoring
the w ork o f the late C ip ria n o Ferrel, former President o f the Pineros y
Ca m pesin o s U nidos del Noroeste ( P C U N f o t -\n E n g lis h -th e N orthw est
T re e p la n te rs a n d F a rm w o rk e rs U nited. T h is event w ill take place from
3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at P C U N ’s Risberg H a ll, located at 300 Y o u n g Street
in W oodburn. For information, contact La rry Kleinm an at (503) 982-0243.
César Chávez Leadership Conference
Latino high school students are invited to attend the 6th annual C ésar E.
C h á v e z Leadership Conference, which is the largest student event in the
H ispanic com m unity in Oregon. The conference w ill be held a, the
U niversity o f Portland's C h ile s Center on O cto b e r 8 Sign up through your
school.
Minority Business Opportunity Day
is coming!
The 12th Annual M inority Business Opportunity D ay Trade Fa ir is
com ing to the O re go n C o n ve n tio n C e n te r on O cto b e r 9. T h is event is a
procurement conference designed to help Women- and M inority-owned
businesses be more successful in this increasingly competitive economy.
Fo r Trade Fa ir or W orkshop information, call Don Matsuda or Bob Jensen
at the S m a ll B u sin ess A d m in istra tio n , at (503) 326-5105 or 326-5102.
Fo r inform ation regarding the luncheon, call Zaid a Klem at Im p act, (503)
245-9253. The O re g o n C o n ve n tio n C e n te r is located at 777 N E M L K ,
Jr. B lvd . in Portland.
Oregon Latino Voter Registration Drive
needs volunteers
O L V R E P needs volunteers to help register voters for the Novem ber 5
general election. C ash contributions are welcome, too. Contact (5 0 3 )3 0 4 -
0058 in Salem for more information on how you can help this statewide
En nuestras proprias palabras
A idolicia Diaz, a 17-year -oldstu­
dent at Sierra Vista High School in
Baldwin Park, California, won first
prize in this ye a r's student essay
contest sponsored by the California
Association fo r Bilingual Education.
A idilica says that she was so afraid
to speak English when she first got to
school in the U S. that she asked her
father to take her back to Nayarit,
Mexico.
There, she continued her studies,
but after three years, she returned to
live with the rest o f her fa m ily in
California
Because she was so well-educat­
ed in Mexico, she says, this time she
fo u n d it easier to pick up her studies
in English Aidalicia says that she s
extremely proud o f being Mexican,
and has fo u n d that in learning a
second language she didn "t have to
abandon Spanish. “You don t have
to forget your first language or your
first culture, "she says. “Ifyou come
*here, it's because yo u want to learn
another one But yo u still have to
keep your culture, cien porciento,
one hundred percent. "
IN M Y O W N W O R D S
by Aidilicia Diaz
“ When I came to this school, I had
bilingual classes for three years. I
met many people who were from
different places. T h e y were from
C h in a , V ie tn a m , M e x ic o , South
Am erica and Germ any. W e all spoke
different languages. W e all marched
to different tunes.
“ A s we sat in our bilin gu al class­
es, we sometimes talked about the
ate human harmony.
“ N ow , three years later, my friends
and I have many regular classes.
When we speak, it sounds as if we are
m arching to the same tune as every­
one else We are part o f the sym pho­
ny that guides us to a better future. I
am proud o f who I am, and o f the
language I brought with me from my
own country. M y language repre­
sents who I am and my new language
represents who I am becom ing. I feel
I add a different rhythm to this sym ­
phony because o f my culture, which
is in me. M y friends and I are a
sym phony o f voices.
“ A s you can see, we, the bilingual
program students, speak other lan­
guages. We have our own tunes, but
we strive to comm unicate with oth­
ers who also speak and have their
very own sounds. When we com m u­
nicate and we don’t use our own
sounds, we do it in English. Th a t’s
when we come together and make a
sym phony. That is why b ilin gual
education truly is a sym phony o f
voices.”
Photo and article, written by Mandelit del Barco, appeared in Si
Magazine, Spring 1996.
Source: New York Times News Service. Photo credit: Joe Rodriquez
cultures o f the country that we each
came from. When we did this, we
tried to comm unicate in English. We
all sounded very different, sort o f
funny, sort o f out o f tune. A t that
time, anyone who listened to us speak­
ing w ould have only heard what they
w ould think was a sym phony out o f
tune. W e did n’t think we sounded
like a sym phony at all.
“ A sym phony is made up o f many
different instruments with one spe­
c ific goal: to create harmony. I think
o f us, the students in my class, as the
instruments with different languag­
es. We are the ones who could only
comm unicate together by way o f the
E n glish language, as we tried to cre-
InOurOvv n Wor<ls(F.n Nuestras
Proprias Palabras) « ill lie a reg­
ular feature of The Portland
Observador.offering to Hispanic
south the opportunity to express
their thoughts and feelings and
to describe their experiences- as
a Latinoina predominantly Anglo
environment. The Observador
encourages our voting readers to
submit their own w riting and a
photograph and we w ill trv to
find space in our pages for you.
Latinos, unions need each other
effort.
Mexican-American art
A n exhibition o f both recent and retrospective w orks by M exican-
Am erican artist M ax Pruneda w ill be shown at A r t o f the People, located
on First Street near Y a m h ill in Portland. Th e exhibit, titled “ I ranslating
M em ory,” w ill run through the month o f September. Fo r information, call
(5 0 3 )2 2 1 -0 5 6 9 .
Pre-Columbian art
exhibit coming to Portland
A n •othibition o f Pre-Colum bian art from M exico, Central and South
A m erica w ill be shown in Portland in October at A b an te F in e A rt, a private
art gallery located on the corner o f Second Street and Y am hill, adjacent to
the M A X line. For information, call Rudi M ilpacher at (5 0 3 ) 295-2508.
Portland Observador
seeks youth writers
T h e P o rtla n d O b se rv a d o r is seeking essays by young writers for our
In O u rO w n W ords (E n Nuestras Proprias Palabras) feature. We would like
to publish yourthoughts, feelings and experiences from a H ispanic perspec­
tive. Contact Editor, T h e P o rtla n d O b se rv a d o r, 4747 N E Martin Luther
K in g Jr. B lv d , Portland O R 97211. Please include the name o f the school
you attend and a daytime phone number.
Hillsboro PHCRC welcomes public comments
The Hillsboro Police Hispanic Community Relations C ommittee
meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday o f each month in the Public
Services B u ild in g at 155 N . First Street, Room 245. The P H C R C exchang­
es ideas with the public on issues o f comm unity interest and offers problem
solving. Contact N ancy A rriaza at (503) 693-4705 for information.
Young Parents Program needs volunteers
The O re g o n H u m a n D evelopm ent C o rp o ra tio n is actively recruiting
for volunteers to help with it's Y o u n g P a re n ts P ro g ra m Volunteers 12
years old and older are needed for help with child care in a nursery setting
during the w eekl;y support meetings, W ednesdays, early evenings. 1 he
program's goal is to help young parents and pregnant adolescents in the
H illsb o ro area enhance their parenting sk ills and promote the healthy
developm ent o f their children. The Y o u n g Parents Program is funded by
the O re g o n D epartm e nt o f H u m a n Re so urce s, the C h ild r e n 's T ru s t
F u n d , and the W a sh in g to n C o u n ty C o m m issio n on C h ild r e n and
F a m ilie s Contact A liso n Peck, Coordinator of Volunteer Services at
O H D C at (503) 640-6349.
Register and vote!
Your vote is your voice. S u volo es su voz.
You cannot afford to miss the opportunity to vote and help set the
agenda for the future.
There is still time to register to vote in the November 5 general
election. Registration cards must be postmarked by Ocotber 15.
If you have moved or changed party affiliation since you last voted,
you must re-register by the same deadline.
The Multnomah County election office may be reached at 248-3720.
The numbers for Washington County are 648-8670 and Clackamas
County 655-8510.
H isp anic Am ericans have a long
and proud history in the United
States H isp a n ic A m e ric a n P ro ­
files is an easy-to-use reference
that provides a record o f more than
150 role models whose contribu­
tions have influenced every aspect
o f Am nerican life.
Included in the collection are
biographies o f farm labor leader
C é s a r C h â v e z , n o v e lis t O sc a r
H ijuelos, Tejano singer Selena, and
by S harolyn A. R osier ,
AFL-CIO N ews
H isp an ic Am ericans, the fastest-
gro w in g segment o f the w ork force,
are fin d in g out that unions can be
instrumental in helping them w ork
their w ay up the econom ic iadder.
“ I f diversity is an asset for A m e r-
ic a -a n tj it is - it is even more o f an
asset for the labor movement,” said
A F L - C I O E xecu tive V ic e President
Lin d a C have z-Tho m pso n. “A m e ri­
c a ’s unions are the best hope for
w inning higher wages, better bene­
fits and more dignity for La tin o s and
other people o f co lo r.”
Rich ard Bensinger, A F L - C I O o r­
g a n izin g director, sees La tin o s as
key to the future o f the labor m ove­
ment. “ The ranks o f the movement
cannot increase sign ifican tly w ith ­
out La tin o w orkers,” he said.
T h e number o f Latino s in the w ork
force w ill increase 75 percent by the
year 2005, according to the Bureau
o f La b o r Statistics. One out o f six
new w orkers w ill be Latino.
La b o r’s involvem ent with H isp an ­
ic w orkers dates back to the found ing
o f the Farm W orkers U nion in the
early 1960s. From the 1968 grape
boycott to the Service E m p lo ye e s’
Justice for Janitors demonstrations,
unions have stood by Latino s in the
w orkplace and in the halls o f go vern­
ment.
Besides the Farm W orkers, other
unions with strong traditions in o rga­
n izin g Latino s are S E IU , the Hotel
Em ployees and Restaurant E m p lo y­
ees, U N I T E and A F S C M E . But as
their numbers increase, Latinos are
find ing homes in other unions as
well.
“ M any o f the most successful or­
g a n izin g drives have involved most­
ly La tin o w orkers - the Laborers on
M a rylan d ’s Eastern Shore, U N I T E
in D allas, the Carpenters during the
d ryw allers’ cam paign, and the Farm
W orkers, w hich is the fastest-grow­
ing union in the country today,”
Bendsinger said. “ T h e challenge to
the labor movement is to recruit more
Latino organizers.”
A m ajor voice for Latinos in the
labor movement is the Labo r C o u n ­
cil for Latin A m erican Advancement,
an A F L - C I O co nstitu ency group
founded in 1972. Starting with a hun­
dred delegates at its first convention,
L C L A A hosted more than 1,000 del­
egates at its A u gu st convention in
C o rp u s C h risti, Texas.
Pow er through the union card and
the ballot box is the message that
L C L A A brings to H isp anic w orkers
and their fam ilies, said L C L A A E x ­
ecutive D irector A l Montoya. “ M any
H isp an ics have made big contribu­
tions to our nation in labor, business,
p o litics, the arts, sports and other
fields. But there are many who are
denied such opportunities.”
T h e key is to provide good, steady
jo b s at decent pay to help Latinos
make a full contribution to the econ­
om y and society, he explained.
Y o u n g Latinos are ready and w ill­
ing, as this year’s Union Sum m er
revealed. “ We have between 100 to
200 Latino s in Union Sum m er,” said
A n dy L e v in , the program director.
“ We recruited at predom inantly H is ­
panic co lleges like A rizo n a State,
San F ra n c is c o State U n iv e rs ity ,
Brookland Com m unity C olle ge , the
U niversity o f T exas at San Antonio
and L o s Angeles Com m unity C o l­
lege.”
Several Latino recru its already are
w orking with the U F W organizing
strawberry pickers in W atsonville,
C a lif. Eight Latinos also serve as
Union Sum m er field staff directors.
S till, unions have a long way to go
to break through to Latino workers.
“The y know Cesar C h ave z but they
don’t know about Lin d a C h ave z-
Thom pson and Dolores Huerta,” said
Tan ia Rosaria, assistant coordinator
for the W ashington and Sacramento,
C a lif., U nion Summer sites.
But the union card definitely means
an escape out o f poverty for Latinos,
whose poverty rate is three times as
high as the rate for white fam ilies.
H isp an ic w orkers who are union
members earn 50 percent more than
non-union Hispanic workers, accord­
ing to L C L A A .
“ W ithin building services, there is
a large percentage o f Latino w ork­
ers,” said Anna A v ile s, immigration
coordinator for S E IU “ The Justice
for Janitors campaign is an ongoing
effort we w ill continue to do as part
o f a new vision and leadership” w ith­
in the union.
The union also has a pilot project
to help imm igrants become legal cit­
izens so that they are e ligible to vote
in C alifo rnia. The project has been
tested, and the union hopes to expand
it to other areas and to include Asians.
C a lifo rn ia unions have jo in e d
Latinos to fight d ivisive initiatives
like Proposition 187, which would
prohibit immigrants from receiving
p u b lic aid and attending p u b lic
schools. Although the proposition
passed, enforcement is forbidden
until courts render judgm ent on sev­
eral lawsuits.
With immigrant-bashingand attacks
on affirmative action on the rise, these
coalitions are becoming more impor­
tant. Miguel Carreras, the newly elect­
ed executive secretary-treasurer o f the
Lo s Angeles A F L -C IO , was able to
arrange the first meeting between Lat­
ino leaders and African-A m erican
ministers in Lo s Angeles.
“ U nfortunately, everybody has
been fighting for the crum bs,” said
D avid S ic k le r o f A F L - C I O Field
M obilization Department. “T h is al­
liance w ill make our coalitions much
stronger.”
Those strengthened ties are e vi­
dent in the planning for the Oct. 12
national Latino and im m igrant c iv il
rights march. The A F L - C IO , its a ffil­
iated unions and constituency groups
are m ajor contributors.
Raise your children to resist violence
Research has shown that violent
o r a g g re s s iv e b e h a v io r is often
learned early in life. However, par­
ents, fam ily m em bers and others can
help them learn to deal with their
em otions w ithout using violence.
Parents and others can also take steps
to reduce or m inim ize violence. It is
important that parents become better
at w orking w ithin the fam ily, school
and the com m unity to prevent and
reduce youth violence.
Suggestions for dealing
with children
G ive yo u rch ild re n co n siste n t love
andattention. W ithout a steady bond
to a carin g adult, a ch ild is at risk for
becom ing hostile, difficu lt, and hard
’ to manage. B e h a v io r problems and
delinquency are less like ly to devel­
actor and activist Martin Sheen.
op in children whose parents are in­
Robert Goizueta, former Chairm an
volved in their lives, especially at an
and C E O o f C o ca -C o la , and Ellen
early age.
O choa, the first Latina selected by
M ake sure your children are su­
N A S A and a space shuttle D isc o v ­
pervised. Insist on know ing where
ery astronaut are profiled as well.
they are at a ll times and who their
Both inspiring and informative,
friends are. N eve r leave young c h il­
H isp a n ic A m e ric a n P ro file s (One
dren home alone, even for a short
W orld/BallentineTrade Paperback;
time.
$9 00, 1996) serves as an excellent
Show your children appropriate
introduction to the variety and rich­
behaviors by the w ay you act. The
ness o f IIisp a n ic Am erican culture.
behavior, values, and attitudes o f
Hispanic American Profiles
4
In our own words
parents and sib lin gs have a strong
effect on children. V a lu e s o f respect,
honesty, and pride in your fam ily and
heritage can be important sources o f
strength for children.
Don’t hit your children.
P hysical punishments stop un­
wanted behavior o nly for a short
time. Even with very harsh punish­
ment, children may adapt so that it
has little or no effect.
Be consistent about rules and d is­
cip lin e. C hildren need structure with
clear expectations for their behavior.
Parents should involve children in
setting rules whenever possible.
M ake sure that yo ur children do
not have access to guns. D o n ’t carry
a gun or weapon. Ify o u do, this tells
your children that using guns solves
problem s.
T r y to keep your children from
seeing violence in the home or com ­
m unity. C hildren need a safe and
lo vin g home where they do not have
to grow up in fear. C hildren who
have seen violence at home do not
alw ays become violent, but they may
be more lik e ly to try to resolve con­
flicts with violence.
T r y to keep your children from
seeing too much violence in the me-
dia.
Teach your children ways to
avoid becoming victims
of violence
Teach them safe routes for w alk­
ing in your neighborhood. Encour­
age them to w alk with a friend at all
times, and in safe, w ell-lighted areas.
Stress how important it is for them to
report any crime or suspicious activ­
ities they see to you, a teacher, some
other trustworthy adult, or the police.
Show them how to call 9 11.
Make sure they know what to do if
anyone tries to hurt them: Say “ no,”
run away, and tell a reliable adult.
Sli css the daugci so f talking to strang­
ers. Tellth em n e verto o p e n th e d o o r
to or go anywhere with someone they
don’t know and trust.
Help your children stand up
against violence
H elp them to understand that it
takes more courage and leadersh ip to
resist violence than to go along with
it.
Help them accept
diversity in people
C hildren need to be taught to ac­
cept and get along with others from
various ethnic, racial and cultural
backgrounds. Teach them that criti-
I
c izin g people because they are d if­
ferent is hurtful, and that nam e-call­
ing is unacceptable.
An extra suggestion for adults
Take care o f yo u rself and your
community. Stay involved with your
fam ily, neighborhood and friends.
Reducing stress and social isolation
can help in raising your children. Get
involved in your comm unity. T ry to
make sure guns are not available in
your area Com plain to television
stations and advertisers who sponsor
violent programs.
Encourage your children to get in­
volved in groups that bui Id pride in the
community. In addition to making
your neighborhood a safer place, these
groups provide a great opportunity for
parents, children, and neighbors to
spend time together in fun, safe, and
rewarding activities.
(portions o f this article were e x­
cerpted from the pamphlet “ R aisin g
children to resist violence What you
can do” , published by the Am erican
Academ y o f Pediatrics and the Am er­
ican P sycho lo gical Association. For
copies ofthe pamphlet, write to A A P ,
D ivisio n o f Publications, P.O . B o x
927, E lk G rove V illa ge , II 60009-
0927)