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JA N . 27, 1999
Page A6
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...... .....................................................
T hank Y ou F or R eading
> e r s p e c t / r e s
Showing My Race: Politically Incorrect
Essays On Identity IV
B y P rof . M c K inley B urt
More than a little interest ( and
consternation) was generated by
my review o f the racial and ethnic
categories under consideration for
government-wide record keeping
and statistical data collection. This
is not at all surprising, since the
Year 2000 census-taking is near at
hand.
We may also be assured that
many different spins will be placed
on this radical new approach to
counting A m erica’s population.
The U.S. Office o f M anagement
and Budget (OMB) gives the rather
brief explanation that “there is in­
creasing criticism that the older
standards no longer truly reflect
the U.S. populations diversity.”
It may be timely to pause here
and quote colum nist C larence
Page, “It is not biology that deter­
mines race. It is bureaucrats”. Page
is the African American author o f
an important and eye-opening book
o f essays that was cited early on in
this series (1 borrowed freely from
the whimsical- y e t- serious title).
“ Showing My Color: Impolite Es­
says on Race and Identity,” Harper
Collins, 1996.
Just as I have pointed out in
these columns and at the univer­
sity, much o f the post-slavery eco­
nom ic ex p erien ce o f A frican
Americans is linked to the ebb and
flow o f European immigration.
Page brings a very effective un­
derstanding to this problem and
sheds light on a contem porary ur­
b an
s itu a tio n
where open dis­
cussion is often
considered ‘po­
litic a lly in c o r­
rect’. I quote him.
“ As it h a p ­
pened, the liber­
alized im m igra­
tion laws in 1965 that dropped
preferences for Europeans coin­
cided with riots and the abandon­
ment o f inner-city neighborhoods.
Contrary to popular myths, the ri­
ots failed to revive inner-city ghet-
toes. Instead, old businesses and
jobs fled, often to be replaced by
immigrant shopkeepers who soon
became common fixtures in in­
ner-city neighborhoods nation­
wide.” ?. 184
This quote is from chapter 9, of
Page’s book, “Middleman Minori­
ties,” a thoughtful study o f the not
infrequently volatile social environ­
ment that develops with the arrival
o f certain non-white immigrants.
Likeelsewhere in the nation-except,
perhaps, New York - this topic has
been quietly-con-
ducted but vigor­
ous politically
incorrect’ topic
X »
P k o iin n o k
o f conversation
K IN I.IT
formany African
Bi ri
Americans in the
_____________ Northeast com ­
munity.
This is especially true for those
blacks who have deplored the slow
pace o f the group’s economic de­
velopment - or who have been
equally unhappy with the fact that
m ostprogress’ has been with Fed­
eral intervention. Very soon, dis­
cussions center around “what eco-
nomic goals should have been
achieved in consequence o f the
means and talent assembled dur-
ingthe ‘Million-M an-M arch’.”
Not many blacks believe that
they are being racist when their
conversation parallels the next
quote from Page’s book. In most
inner-cities, it is about paradigms
for success, and what is needed to
repeat the drive and m otivation of
a century ago. ‘Why can’t we do it
again?’
“Great shifts o f international
population come to ground at the
com er grocery. Korean, Arab and
even some black West Indian mer­
chants, riding into town on the
wave o f p o st-1965 immigration
policies, have restored enterprise
to many blighted urban neighbor­
hoods. But they also find them ­
selves caught in the middle, a new
class o f ' middleman minorities on
the urban battleground.”
This series will be concluded
next week as we show just how
close Mr. Page is to the Portland
mindset.
Parental drug and alcohol abuse fuels child maltreatment Oregon’s crisis
mirrors national findings
O regon’s and the n atio n ’s chil­
dren are drow ning in a sea o f paren­
tal substance abuse and addiction,
according to a landm ark report from
the C enter o f A ddiction and Sub­
stance A buse, housed at C olum bia
University.
The report titled “N o Safe Haven:
Children o f Substance A busing P ar­
ents” describes these children as
endangered: “There is no safe haven
for these abused and neglected chil­
dren o f drug-and-alcohol abusing
parents. They are the m ost vulner­
able and endangered individuals in
A m erica.”
For the past 10 years, drug and
alcohol involvem ent has been the
num ber-one reason children have
been rem oved from their hom es and
placed in foster care, says Kay Toran,
director o f the State O ffice for Ser­
vices to Children and Families. For
the period 1995 to 1997, 65.6 per­
cent o f the children entering foster
care did so as a result o f parental
alcohol or other drug involvem ent.
“T he fuel behind this calam ity o f
child abuse and neglect is alcohol
and other drugs,” says Toran. “O ur
child welfare professionals struggle
to find resources to help parents
w hile trying to protect their chil­
dren. A lcohol and drug abuse has
forced a shift in the w ay w e deliver
child protective services.”
SFC studied more than 3,700 cases
where children had been removed from
their homes because o f abuse. The
study found that alcohol and drug prob­
lems are pervasive in families ofabused
and neglected children and that sub­
stance abuse is a substantial barrier to
these children returning home. One-
third o f children remain in care be­
cause o f parental alcohol or other
drug problems.
Die national report calls for more
funding for substance abuse treat­
m ent and concludes: “The best hope
o f a safe haven for these children is
to prevent alcohol and drug abuse by
their parents.”
Glickman Announces
Settlement in Minority
Farmer Lawsuit
A g ric u ltu re S e c re ta ry
an G l i c k m a n t h i s w e e k
in o u n c e d
an h is to r ic
;r e e m e n t to s e t t l e th e d is -
im in a tio n l a w s u it a g a in s t
e U .S . D e p a r tm e n t o f A g -
c u l t u r e b r o u g h t th e A f r i-
in A m e r i c a n f a r m e r s ,
d o r è th a n tw o y e a r s a g o ,
s a id th a t t h i s civ il r i g h t s
r u g g le w a s U S D A ’s a p -
r in tm e n t w ith h i s t o r y .
T o d a y ’ s a g r e e m e n t w ill
o s e a p a i n f u l c h a p te r in
e D e p a r t m e n t ’s h i s t o r y
id a llo w u s to o p e n a m o re
i n s t r u c t i v e f r o n t in o u r
f o r t s to b e th e f e d e r a l
v ii r i g h t s l e a d e r in th e
1st c e n t u r y , ” G l i c k m a n
id . “ I w a n t to e s p e c i a l l y
a n k P r e s i d e n t C l in t o n .
T h ro u g h h ia s in v o lv e -
e n t, w e p a s s e d a w a iv e r
th e s t a t u t e o f l i m i t a t i o n s
lo w in g o l d e r c a s e s to b e
:a rd , a n d t o d a y w e h a v e
ac h ed a fa ir an d re a s o n -
ile r e s o l u t i o n . ” G lic k m a n
id , “ B y th e g u i d e p o s t s I
ta b lis h e d fo r n e g o tia -
o n s, th is s e t t l e m e n t is f a ir
f a r m e r s a n d f a i r to U .S .
x p a y e rs.
T h e s e t t l e m e n t a ls o r e ­
in s f l e x i b i l i t y in te r m s o f
)w i n d i v i d u a l f a r m e r s '
ises a re r e s o l v e d , so w e
in d o o u r b e s t to m e e t
e ir n e e d s . ” U .S . D i s t r i c t
id g e P a u l F r ie d m a n to d a y
g ra n te d p r e lim in a r y a p ­
p ro v a l to th e s e ttle m e n t an d
s e t a f a ir n e s s h e a r in g fo r
M a rc h w h e n th e a g r e e m e n t
is e x p e c te d to b e g iv e n f i ­
n al a p p ro v a l, a llo w in g a
p ro c e s s in g o f c a se s.
T h e a g r e e m e n t s p e lls o u t
a p r o c e s s fo r s e t t l in g th e
c a s e s o f A fr ic a n A m e r ic a n
f a r m e r s w ho h a v e s u e d th e
D e p a rtm e n t as p a rt o f a
c l a s s a c tio n fo r d i s c r i m i ­
n a tio n c o m p la in ts b e tw e e n
1981 a n d 1996. T h e r e a re
tw o tr a c k s to th e p r o c e s s .
T h e f i r s t tra c k a llo w s th o s e
w h o m e e t th e c la s s d e f i n i ­
tio n a n d w ho c a n p r o v id e
s u b s t a n t i a l e v id e n c e o f d i s ­
c r i m i n a t i o n to r e c e i v e a
m o n e ta ry s e ttle m e n t o f
$ 5 0 ,0 0 0 , as w e ll as a d d i ­
t i o n a l r e l i e f in th e fo rm o f
d e b it w rite -d o w n s and
s o m e o f f s e t o f ta x l i a b i l ­
ity -
„
T h e r e is a s e c o n d tr a c k
fo r t h o s e w ho b e l i e v e th e y
h a v e e v id e n c e o f e x tre m e
w r o n g d o in g . T h e s e c a s e s
m u s t b e w e ll d o c u m e n te d ,
a n d fa r m e r s m u s t j u s t i f y a
la r g e r p a y -o u t.
W hen a
f a r m e r m e e ts th is s ta n d a r d ,
t h is tr a c k a llo w s f o r a t a i ­
lo r e d s e t t l e m e n t th a t w ill
b e d e te r m in e d b y a t h i r d
p a r ty . F a rm e r s a re n o t r e ­
q u i r e d to ta k e p a r t in th is
s e ttle m e n t p ro c e s s .
I n s t e a d , th e y c a n a l s o
c h o o s e to c o n tin u e t h e i r i n ­
d iv id u a l c a s e s in c o u r t o r
u t i l i z e th e D e p a r t m e n t ’ s
a d m i n i s tr a t i v e p r o c e s s . “ I
w a n t to m a k e c l e a r th a t th is
is n o t th e e n d o f U S D A ’s
c iv il r i g h t s i n i t i a t i v e . W e
s t i ll h a v e m o re to d o to e n ­
s u re th a t a ll o f o u r c u s ­
to m e rs a n d o u r e m p lo y e e s
a re t r e a te d w ith d i g n i ty an d
re s p e c t.
B ut w ith o u t q u e s t i o n , t o ­
d ay w e m a rk a m a jo r m i l e ­
s to n e in o u r e f f o r t s — n o t
j u s t fo r th e f a r m e r s b u t fo r
a ll th e g o o d , d e c e n t p e o p le
h ere at U S D A w ho h av e
w o rk e d h a rd to h e lp b rin g
us to th is d a y ,” G lic k m a n
s a id .
S o o n , n o t i c e s w ill be
s e n t o u t to a ll m e m b e rs o f
t h e c l a s s m a k i n g th e m
a w a re o f t h e i r o p tio n s u n ­
d e r th is s e ttle m e n t. O n c e
t h e f i n a l s e t t l e m e n t is
s ig n e d , th e c a s e s w ill b e g in
to b e p r o c e s s e d . “ I w a n t to
th a n k e v e r y o n e w ho w o rk e d
t i r e l e s s l y o n th is s e ttle m e n t
a g r e e m e n t. I w a n t to r e c ­
o g n iz e th e A fr ic a n A m e r i­
c a n f a r m e r s a c r o s s th e
c o u n tr y w h o s to o d u p fo r
th e ir rig h ts .
W e are a
s t r o n g e r d e p a r tm e n t a n d a
s t r o n g e r c o u n t r y to d a y fo r
t h e i r c o m m itm e n t to j u s ­
t i c e , ” G lic k m a n s a id .
Your Tune
eir uture.
It’s a fact.
The more you get involved in the lives o f children, the less
likely they are to use alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.
Positive, healthy activities help kids build skills, self-
discipline, and confidence.
Get into the act. Call 1.800 .7 2 9 .6 6 8 6 . Se habla espanol.
YourTime.Their Future. Lets Keep O u r Kids Drug Free
T D D 1.800.487.4889. h ttp ://w w w .h ea lth .o rg
Y ourT im e
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VW I'I
S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
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