DOCUMENT RESUME.

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ED 189 253 UD 020 764

YAUTHOR Chin, Laura, Ed.; And Others

TITLE Civil Righks Issues of Asian and Pacific Americans:

Myths and Realities.

INSTITUTION Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C.

Pue DATE BO

NOTE 867p.; Some Exhibits may be'mai.ginally legible.pue to

reproducibility factors: Consultation held at George

Washington.University (Washington, DC,.May 8-9,

1979).

EPFS PPICr MF06/PC35 Plus,Postage.

DESCRIPTORS *Asian Americans: Census Figures: *Civil Rights:

Educational Needs; effales::Healfh Services; Housing:

Immigrants: *Public Policy: *Social Problems

IDENTIFIERS. *Pacific Islanders . 1BSTRACT

This report contains papers presente4 and the

transcripts of proceedi4qs of a consultation to the United States

Commission on Civil Rights on the civil rights of Asian and Pacific

Americans. The proceedings are divided into,nine sections. Each

section contains.the transcripts of summ'arized presentations cf )

papers, discussions on each topic, and the formal gapers prepared for

the consultation. Topics of the sections are: (1) anoverview

ircluding presentations on civil rights, the identification of

isxues, and Federal exclu.sionary policy; (2) the policy, methodology,

a'fid impact cf census issueS: (3) women's issues, including

discussions on poverty, politics, legal issues, military wives/ the

emerging rolsiof Asian immigrant women, and health issues; ((ê)

Plimigration iTsues including refugee policy, undocumented aliens, Ind

pond), impaCt and strategies: (5) the copcerns of Pacific Americansi

(6) issues in 'education: (7) employment issues; (8) housing issues:

and (91-health and social service issues. M1

'Mb

Ar

.. -. .. * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the bi?st that can be made * * from the oricinal document. * *******************4***************************************************

u
Civil Rights

Issues of

ian and P bific

Americans: (

MYTHS, IES

May 8-9, 1979 Washington, D.C.

, A Consultation Sponsored 14

the-United States

Commission on Civil FlIthts

vb.

0

A

U S DE PAR TMENTOF HEALTH.

EDUCATION &WELFARE

.NATIONAL INSTITUTE or

rOUCATION

T1415 DOCUMENA tins BEEN REPROOUCED EXACTLY As RECEIVED FROM

THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION 0.,FIGIN

AT ING IT POINTS oF VIEW OR OPTNIONS

STATED DO NOT NECESSARIL Y REPRESENT OFF ICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE or

EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY
Preface

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights consultation on "Civil Rights

1sSues of Asian and Pacifio Americans: Myths and Realities," was hekl

May 8-9, 19-79, sit Lisner Auditorium On the campus of the George

Washington University, Washington, D.C.

In phntning the consultation, Commission skta, conferred with a

wide 'variety of Asian and Pacific American organizations. "lheir

advice and expertise were essential in determining he foci* and

contents of the consultation, as well `as in selecting sentors and

respondents. The Civil Rights ComMission is indebted to the many

Asian and Pacific Amprican experts and activists who, contributed to

the planning of the consultation!

This was a large consultationbbth in the number of topics .

presenked and in the number of barticipants. Becauke of time

constraints, those making form* presentations sunarized their

written papers. Those papers and the transCript of the proceedings are

included in this repw.

The consultation was under the Special 'Projects l'ivision of çhe

Commission's Office of National Civil Rights Issues. Project direc

-was Dolores Harming; assistant project director was Her rt

Wheeless. Overall supervision was provided by Frederick B. Routil,

director of special projects. Assistant Staff Director for National Civil

Rights Issues was William T:White, Jr, - The Commission acknowledges with gratitude the contributions of

the\ folloWing staff members: James S. Arisman, Violeta Baluyut,

Tyrone Boyd, Almeda Bush, Laura Chin, Ki-Taek Chun, Patric'ia

Ellis', Charles Ericksen, Alfonso Garcia, David Grim, Kenneth

J-larriston, Barbara Hulin, Eric Jensen, Juanita TaMayo Lott, Frank

Matthews, Dennette Petteway, Betty Stradford, Ginger Williams,

Celeste Wiseblood, and Royce Wolfe. Staff- from th6 'Commission's

regional,offices also participated.

Final edit and review of the consultation proceedings was done by

editor Laura Chin, Publications Management Division, 'Office of 4

Management.

Final preparation of the document foi publication wa.'s-lie responsibility of Vivian M. Hauser, Audree B. Holton, Deborah A. Harrison,

and Tanya D. Wideman, supervised by Vivian Washington, in the

Commission's Publications Support Center, Office Management.

,
411 CONTENTS

SESSIONS

Morning Session*ay 8, 1979 1 Afterpobn Stission, May 8, 1979 164

Morning Session, May 9, 1979 189

Afternoon Session, May 9, 1979 598

OVERVIEW

Civil Rights in the Asian/Pacific American Community

Presentation of Minoru Yasui, Executive Director, Commission on

Community Relations, Denver, Colorado 4

Identification of Issues - Presentation of Canta Pian, Acting Director, Division of Asian

American Affairs, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and

Welfare 7

Federal Exclusionary Policy

Presentation of L. Ling-chi Wang, Assistant Professor, Asian

American Studies, University of California, Berkeley 21

Discussion 25

Papers Presented

An Overview of CMI__Rights Issues of Asian and Pacific Americans:

Myths and Realities, by Minoru Yasui . 32

Statement of L. Ling-chi Wang ) 40 , CENSUS ISSUES

Policy

Presentation of NampC-o D.R. McKenney, Chief, Ethnic and Racial

Statistics Staffs, Population Division, U.S. Bureau of theCensus 46

Methodology - Presentation of Fortunata M. Azores, Former Chair, Census . Advisory Committee on 5he Asian and Pacific American Population for the 1980 Census 48

Presentation of Keewhi Choi, . Statistical Division, Center for

Disease Control, Atlanta Regional Office, U.S. Department of

Health, Education, and Welfare 53

Impact

Presentation of Dr. Roberto S. Mariano, AVtociate Professor of

Economics, University of Pennsylvania 54

Presentation of Dr. Nick Young An, Orofessor of folitical Science,

Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 59

Presentation of Tom Kim, Director, Korean Community Service

Center, San Francisco, California 61

Discussion - 65

iv
Papers Presented

Census Methodology and the Development of Social Indicators for

Asian and Pacific Americans, by Fortunata M. Azores 70

Problems of Undercount of Asian Ainericans and pacific Islanders,

by Keewhan Choi " 80

/

r, Impact a Cen\sus Issues on AsiWacific 'AMericans, by Dr.

Roberto S. Mariano \-- ,--84

Political Implications of the 1980 Census for-Asian Americans, by

Dr. Nack Young An 91

Statement on Census IssuesImpact and Reaction;Pby Tom Kim 96

WOMEN'S ISSUES

Poverty Perspective

Preientation of Irene Hirano, Executive Dirtor, To Help Every- ,

woman Clinic; Los Angeles, California 102

Political Participation /

Presentation 'Of Rita Fujiki Elway, Communicatibn Design, Seattle,

Washington 106

Legal Issues

Presentation of Diane Yen-Mei Wong, Executive Director, 'Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs, Office of the

Governor, Olympia; Washington . 110

Military Wives/Emerging Rolm of Asian immigrant Women

_ Presentation of Bok-Lim C. KIM, Associate Professor, School 'of

Social Work, University of Illinois, Urbana 114

Health Issues

Presentation of Tin Myaing Thein, President, Communicasia, Inc.,

San Diego, California 118

Discussion . 122

Papers Presented

Poverty and Social Service Perspecti4ves, by Irene Hirano 125

Strategies for Political Participatiork of' Asian/Pacific Women, by

Rita Fujiki Elway 133

Asian/Pacific American Women: Legal Issues, by Diane Yen-Mei

Wong 140

Military Wives/Emerging Roles of Asian Immigrant Women, by

Bok-Lim C. Kim 149

Health Issues Affecting Aiian/Pacific American Women, by Tin

Myaing Thein 153

5
IMMIGRATION ISSUES

Refugee Policy and Impact

Presentation of Pho Ba Long, Senior Researcki Associate, National

Indochinese Refugee Clearinghouse, Center for Applied Linguistics, Arlington, Virginia

Presentation of Dr. Enrique Delacruz, Assistant Director, Pacific

Asian Consortium in Employment, Los Angeles, California

Priclation of Janlee Wong, Director, Indochinese Community Health and Education

Presentation of Julia

Resettlement Study,

ton, D C.

Undocumented Aliens

roject, San Diego, California , adala Taft, Project Director, Refill/ft

1 eves TransCentury Foundation, Washing164

167

170

174

Presentation of Davici North, Director, _Center for Labor and

Migration Studies, New TransCentury Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Dtacumion

Policy Impact and Strategics : Presentation of Dorothy Cordova, Director, Demonstration Project

for Asian Americans, Seattle, Washington

Prtsentation of Dr. Tuan Nguyen, Associate Director of Program

Evaluation, District V Mental Health Center, San Francisco,

California

Policy

Piesentation of the Honoxible Leonel Casti119, Commissioner, U.S.

( Immigration and Naturalization Service

, Presentation of Shirley Hune, Assistant Professor, University of the

District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.

PrKsentation of Bill Ong Hing, Immigration Attorney, San Francisco Neighbtrhood I.,egal Services 200

Discussion 203

Pipers Preaeated

The Issue of Family Reunification Facing Indochinese Refugees in

the U.S., by Pho Ba 210

Issues and Concerns on Indochina Refugee Resettlement, by Dr Enrique Delacruz 215

Indochinese Refugees: The Mental Health Perspective, by Janlee Wimg 222

Parole Statds of Refugees: An Impedipient . to Effective Resettlement, by JulirVadala Taft

Asia-Pacific Illegal Aliens: A Discussion of Their Status, Limits-

, tions, and Rights Under Law, by David S. North , 238

178

181

183

188

191

195

234

Nvi

6

f
Immigration IssuesPolicy, Impact, -and Strategies, hy Dorothy L

Cordova 245

Asian InAigrants: Civil Rights Issuee, Service Needs, and Some

Suggested Solutions, by Tuan D. Nguyen ) 27 I

U.S. Immigration Policy and Asir Americans: Aspects and

Consequences, by Shirley Hune 281

An Overview of Federal Immigration Policies and Their Wects osi

Asian and Pacific Americans, by Bill Ong Hing 41292

PACIFIC AMERICANS' CONCERNS

Overview - Ptesentation of Faye Untalan Munoz, Diector, Racial Minority t.

Mental Health Training Program, Western Interstate Commission'

kr Higher Education, Boulder, Colorado 308

FejilrA Policy

Presentation of Ruth Van Cleve, Director, Office of Territorial

Affairs, U.S. Department of theinterior 312

Cenave and Immigration

Presentation of Paige KaWelo Barber, Field Administrator, ALU

LIKE,Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii 316

Discussion

318

Employment

Presentation of Aurora Jose, Staff Attorney, Office of the Honoreble Antonio Won Pat, Delegate to Congress, Guam 322

Health and gocial Services

Presentation of Juan Rosario, President, Federation of Quamadian

Associitions of America, San Jose,California 326

Education

Presentation of Elam Hertiler, Ombudpman for State Education

Agencies, Office or Education, U.S. Department of Health,

Education, and Welfare 329

rbsentation of Pat Luce, President, Office of Samoan Affairs, Sin.

Francisco, California L 332

Diecuasion

336

Papery Presented

Pacific Islanders: An Overview, by Faye Untalan Munoz . 342

Health Problems and Inadequate Access to Health Care Services for

Pacific Islanders in California, by Juan B. Rosaio 349

Civil Rights hid Constitutional Conflicts with Samoan Culture: A

`, General Overview, by.Failantusi Avegalio 353

The Identification Crisis of Pacific Americans and Its Implicatiois

for Educational Opportunities, by Pat H. Luce 360

EDUCATION ISSUES

Report of the Asian and Pacific American Qucatiod Conference at"

San Francisto, California, April 25-27, 1979 367

... tL

4
Presentation of Stephn Thom, Director, Asian Ind Pacific American Concerns Staff, Office of Education, UA_Department of

Health, Education, and Welfare 367

Impoct of Policy, Programs,. and Enforcement on the Educational Needs

of Asian Americans

Presentation of L. Ling-chi Wang, Assitftant Professor, Asian

American Studies, University of California, Berkeley 370

Discussion 376

EMPWYMENT ISSUES

Myths and Realities

Presentation of Amado Cabezas, Director, Human Services Research, ASIAN, Inc., San Francisco, California 389

Presentation of Manoranjan Dutta, Professor otlEconomIcs, Rutgers

University; New Brunswick, New Jeriey 393

Presentation of Setsuko Matsimaga Nishi, Professor, Department of

Sociology, Brooklyn College, and the Graduate Center, City ' University of New York 397

Presentation of Joseph Chung, Professor of Economics; Illinois

Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 400

Discussion 402

Strategies

Presentation of Henry Der,. Executive Director, Chinese for

Affirmative Action, San Francisco, California 404 _

Prttsentation of Abraham Shen, Director, Chinatowi; Planning

Council,'New York City, New York 408 ..

Presentation of Anthony Kahng, Associate Professor of Industrial

Relations, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New \

Jersey , 411

Presentation of William- Leong, Executive Director, Cliinese Economic Development Council, Boston, Massachusetts r ,. 413

Diecussion . , i 416

Federal and State Policy

:-- Presentation of Dr. Armando Rodriguez, Commiissoner, U.s. Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission i 417 , Presenttition ofbale Minami, Attorney, Oakland, California 420

Presentation of Betty Lim Guimarei, Commissioner, California Fair

\.., Employment Practices Commission 424 Merlon , ,

. . 6 4 27

i Papers Presented

f Disadvantaged Employment Status of Asian and Pacific Americans,

by Dr. Amado Cabezas

. 434

Asian and Pacific Anierican Employment Profile: Myth and Reality,

' by Manoranjan butts .445

, viii

NY.
-- Asian American Employment Issues : Myths and Realities, by

Setsuko Matsunaga Nishi 495

Small Ethnic Busisess as a Form of Disguised Unemployment and

Clieap Labor, by Joseph Chung

508 Statemeht of Henry Der, Executive Director, Chinese for Affirmative Action 518

Employent Discrimination and Strategies: From Benevolence 'to

Legal Struggle, by Dr. Anthony Kahng 527

Chinese Economic Development Council, by William J. Leong 541,

Statement on Employment Issues, by Dr. Armando M. Rodriguez 551

Discrimination Against ,Asian and ,Pacific Americans in Federal , Civil Rights Enforcement, by Dale Minami 555

Employment IssuesFederal and State Policy, by Betty Lim

.Guimares 560

HOUSING ISSUES

Impact Presentation of Kerry Doi, Executive Director, Pacific Asian

Consortium in Employment, -Los Angeles, California 567

Presentation of Harold Lui, Chinatown Planning Council, New

York City, New York 1.

570

Presentation of David Ilumin, Director, West Bay Multi-Service

Corporation, San Francisco, California , 574

Discussion 578

Strategies and Remedies

,Presentation of Gordon Chin, Executive Director, Chinatown

Neighborhood Improvement Resource Center, San Francisco,

California 584

Presentation of Robert N. Santos, Executive Director, International

District Improvement Association, Seattle, Washington 587

Presentation of J:iy Kim, Attorneyo Lawrynce Avenue DeVelop-

. ment Corporation 590 \

Discussion 595 \

Federal Policy

Presentation of Lawrence B. Simons, Assistant Secretary of Housing, Federal Housing Commissioner, U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development 598

Presentation of JeromeRift, City.Council, Fourth District, Kadtas

City, Misseuri, and Ptofessor of Urban Law, University of.

, Missouri 602

Discussion 606

Papers Presented

The Status of Housing for Pacific Asiair Communities in Los

Angeles, Califorpia, by Kerry Doi 613

JiX

9
Statement on Housing IssuesImpact, by Harold Lui 622

Housing Problems in South of Market, San Francisco, by David G

llumin 625 Housing Problemt in San Francisco Chinatown, by Ocirdon Chin 629

Housing Issues in the International District, Seattle, Washington, by Robert N. Santos 634

Housing IssuesStrategies and Remedies, by Jay H. Kim, Esq. ..., 642 The Impact of Federal Policies and Programs Upon the Housing Problems of Asian Americans: The Kansas City Experience, by

Jerome D. Riffel and,John J. Huffman 648

HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICE ISSUES

Mental Health Issuu . Presentation of Professor Kenji Murase, Department of Social Work Education, San Francisco State University, California 666

Presentation of DE. K. Patrick Okura,Director, International Division, National Institute of Medtal Health, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and. Velfare ,

, 668

Presentation of Dr.Steven Shon,Psychiatrist, Richmond Maxi-Center,

San Francisco, California 672 Presentation' of Evelyn Lee, Director, Mental' Health and Social

Services Division, South Cove Mental Health Center, Boston,

Massachusetts 676

Discussion 680

Community Services

Presentation .01. Sandra Ouye, Kirnochi, Inc., San Francisco, California 681

- Psesentation of Dr. Lawrence Koseki, Deputy' Director, State Department Social Services and Housing, Honolulu, Hawaii 684.

Presentation of Dr. Kinzo Yamamoto, Director, Analysis and Evaluhtion. Health Resou1rces Administration, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare 687

Presentilion of Helen Fugh Hiyes, Dir, or, Chinese Cultural Cedter; Washington, D.C. 689

Presentation of Victorina Peraltd, Director, Adult Services, City of Philadelphia, Social Services Department 692 Discussion 695

Papers Presented

State and Local tublic Policy Issues in Delivering Morita! Health and Related Tervices to Asian and Pacific Americans, by

Professor Kenji Murase 701

Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities, by K. Patrick Okura 722 The Delivety of Mental Health Services to Asian and Pacific

Americans, by Steven Shon 724

Mental Health Services for the Asian Americans: Problems and

'Alternatives, by Evelyn Lee 734
I et

Civil Rights and Affirmative Action: Issues, Dilemmas, and Alternatives, by Dr. Lawrence K. Koseki 757

The Chinese Cultural Center, by Helen Fugh Hayes 770

Community ServicesState and Local Policy, by Victorina Peralta 777

EXHIBITS

I. Position Statement of the Japanese American Citizens League,

National Committee for Redress 789 \

2. The Japanese American Incariitation: A Case for Red. ress (June

1978) (Commission files).

3. Statement of Nampeo D.R. McKenney, Chief, Ethnic and Racial

Statistics Staff, Population Division, Bureau of the Census,

Washington, D.C. 792

4. Korean Community Service Center (background paper) 798

5. Samoan Community in the State of California (prelimiriary

survey) 80?

6. David Carliner, The Rights of Aliens: 171- Basic ACLU Guidf to

Alien's Rights (Commission files).

7. Letter from Ruth G. Van Cleve, Director, Office of Territorial

Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, to Frederick Routh,

Director, Community Liaison Division, Office of Congressional

and Public Liaison, U.S. Coirimission on Civil Rights, regarding

the origin arid nature of the differential pay scales in the territories

of American Samoa and Guam 809

8. "The Cuban Refugee," by Robert L. Woytych, District Director,

Miami, Florida, from / & N Reporter, Ottober 1967 811 A

9. Text of White House press release, dated November 6, 1965

announcing that the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana win

represent the interesti of. the United States of America in Cuba.

10. The Asian Image in the United States: Stereotypes and Realities

(prepared by Asian Americans for Fair Media) (Commission

files).

11. Bel Air Manor, Nurse/Health Care Facility Agreement, dated

August 14, 1978 'on files).

12. A Petition 'us. Commission on Civil Rights (signed by J.S.

consultation participants and observer9. 822

13. Statislcs from the U.S. Immigration and Nguralization Service

for the record) (Commission files).

14. Selecte4 Papers Submitted to the Consultation by the Asian and

Pacific American Concerns Staff (APACS), U.S. Department of

Health, Education, and Welfare, as presented at the Asian and

Pacific American Education Conference,San Francisco, California,_April 25-27, 1979. (The papers listed are on file at bolih the

U.SY-Commission on Civil Rights and from APACS; various

1 1

xi
papers from the conference have also been reprinted in Bridge

magazine):

Integrating Asian American Curriculum Into the Classroom, by

Gloria 'Kumagai and Sharon Shiraiwa

Meeting the Counseling and Guidance Needs of Asian and Pacific

Americans for the 1980's, by Edwin E.A. Manzano

The Responsiveness of Postsecondary Education to APA Needs,

by Yori Wada

The Guam DilemmaThe Need for a Pacific Island Education

Perspective, by Katherine B. Aguon (keynote presentation at

.t he conference)

Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Assertiveness and Self-Image, by

EsteHe Pau-on Lau

A Model of Curriculum Innovations for Infusing the Teaching of

the Asian-American Experience in the Elementary Classroom,

by Philip J. Lanasa, UI

Perspectives din Teacher Training for DesegregatiOn and Cultural

Diversity,- Some Issues and Concerns, by Robert Y. Fuchigama

National Asian and Pacific American Edration Agenda (devel- oped by the National Asian/Pacific American Education

Alliance)

151 Letters from Frederick B. Routh, Director, Special Projects Division, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to: Wilson C. Riles,

Superindlident of Public Instructions, Department of Education,

Sacramento, California, requesting a copy of decision to terminate

State fiinds for the Chinese and Jornese bilingual and multicultural education programs; Stuart Honse, Executive Officer,

California Housing Finance Agency, requesting current State

plan for low-income, multiple unit housing in inner cities; Rolancl

E. Carnfield, Jr., Director, Area Office, San Francisco, HUD,

requesting record of the current affirmative fair market plan for State of California; James H. Price, Area Office, Los Angeles, llUD, for current affirmative fair market plan, section 8 housing

assistance programs; Lloyd L. Umagat, Director of Labor,

Government of Guam, requesting official statement on the origin

and nature of the differential pay scales; and J.L. Grey, Director, Department of Manilower-Resources, Government of 'American

Samoa, Pago Pago, requesting official statement orr origin and

nattire of the differential pay. scales 829

46. 7light of Asian Wives Of. Americans," Response, July-August

1975 (Commission files)

17. "Casework with Japanese and Korean Wives of Americans,"

Social Casework vol. 53, no. 5, May 1972 (Commission files).

xii

12

Oh,
A

18. "Asian and Pacific Islander Amer ;cans. .Heritage, Charbcter-7

istics, Self-Image, Conflicts, Service Needs, Organizatioa . .as

reported by Japanese, Chinese, Pi lipino, Korean;and Guainanian

Leaders in the United States," Social Casework, vol. 57, no. 3,

Makh 100 (Commission files).

19. A Selected 13ortrait of Asian-American Health Manpower.

(information on trends of Asian American health manpower and

some policy implications) (Commission files).

20. "Needs and Potentialities Assessment of Asian-American Elderly in Greater ,Philad4hia" (prePared by the Asian-American

Council ofpreater Philadelphia) (COmmissiOn files).

21. List of Pacific and Asian American Organizations (developed by

the Division of Asian America Affairs (DAAA), Office of

Special Concerns, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

' (Commission files and also available through

1 3
CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES OF ASIANAND PACIFIC AMERICANS:

MYTHS AND REALITIES

A Consultation Sponsored by the U.S. Commis-,

sion on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C., May "8-9,

1979

I. - The U.S. Commission on Civil Ights conveilled pursuant to notice

at 8:30. a.m., Arthur .S Flea lining, Chairman, presiding. Prescnt:

Arthur S. Flemming, Chairman; Stephen Horn, Vice Chairman; '

Frankie M. Freetnan, Commissioner; Murray Saltzman, Commissioner; Louis Nunez, Staff Director

Proceedings Tar'

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. ask the consultation to .come to order

please. I'm very happy td welcome you to this consultation being

conducted by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the "Civil

Rights Issues of Asian and Pacific Americans: Myths and Realities."

It seems .to me that it is appropriate at the Opening of this

consultation to read into the record a proclamation by the President of

the United 9tates. This proclamation reads:-

America's greatnessits ideals, its system. of government, its

economy, and its peoplederives from the contribution of

peoples of many origins who come to our land seeking human

liberties or economic opportunity. Asian Americans have played a

significant role in the, creation of a dynamic and pluralistic

America, with their enormous contributions to our science, arts,

industry, government, and commeice.

4
Unfortunately, wc have not always fully appreciated the talents and the contribution which Asian Americans have brought to the United States. Until recently, our immigration and naturalization laws discriminated against them. Thcy were also subjected to discrimination in education, housing, and employment. And during World War 11, our Japanese Ameriean- citizens were treated with suspicion and fear.

Yet Asians of diverse originsfrom China, Japan, Korea, the Philippinesvnd Southeast Asiacontinued to look to America as a land of hope, opportunity, and freedom. --

At last Their confidence in theLUnited States has been justified. We have succeeded in removing the barriers to full participation in American life and we welcome the newest Asian immigrants to our shorereftigees from IndoChina, displaced by political and socia) upheavals. Their successful integration into American soclety and their positive and activsptiti6pation in our national life demonstrates the soundness or America's policy of continued openness to peoples from Asia and the Pacific.

The Ninety-fifth Congress has requested the President by House Joint Resolution 1007, approved Octçbér 5, 1978, to designate the

seven-day period beginning on .Ma 4, 1979, as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week." , No*, therefore, 1, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, declare the week beginning on May 4, 1979, as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. I call upon the peoplis of the United States, especially the educational cornmtmity, to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth of March, in the yeacsf our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy- nine, and of the 1~ence of the United States of America the two hundred and third.

Signed, Jimmy Carter.

You have had the opportunity of examining the agenda that has been developed for this consultation. In doing so, g'm lure that you have noted that it is a very full agenda. We appreciatqf the response that we have received from nivitations extended to persons to

participate in this consultation.

As the presiding Commissioner, I'm calling attention now and will

continue to call attention to the fact thit it will be very, very necessary for us to adhere rather strictirto what is anot a 5-minute rule liut

10-minute rule as far as presentations are concerned. this is necessary t if all those who have been inviied are 43.0114kaapi opportunity 10 present their points of view.

2

15

AP
Now, hack of these presentations, in many instances, will be papers

and, of course, the full text of the papers will he made a part of the

proceedings of the consultation.

I'm goine to la colleague, the Vice Chairman of the

Commission, Commissioner Stephen Horn, if he will preside during

ihe first part of 4his consultation, which is entitled, "An Overview."

Commissioner Horn.

"N

3
Overview

VICP CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank nu very much, Mr. Chairman.

.,) Ladies and gentlemen, our first ieries of panelists will provide an

overview on civil rights in the Asian and Pacific American community

and fauns the identification of issues for the Commission as well as

discuks the Federal exclusionary rfolicies thatchave existed.

Our 'first speaker is Mr. Minoru Yasiii, the executive director of the

commission on community relations in the city of Denver. We're delghted to welcome Mr. Yasui since he has also been an extremely

active meniber of the Colorado Advisory Committee tc; the United

States Commission on Civil Rights.

Please proceed.

Presentation of Minoru Yasul, Executive Director, Commission on Community RelatiOns, Denver, Colorado

MR. YAsui. Thank you, Comwissioner Horn.

Members of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, so far as the

Asian and Pacific Americans are concerned, I'd start out by saying, obviously, I'm hot an expert; I am a person of Japanese ancestry

coming from Denver, Co loi-ado.

I would point out that the Denver area certainly is detached and

somewhat isolated from the mainstream of Asian Americans, wliich is

concentrated primarily on the west coast and to a large d ree, on the

east coast. Looking at the populations 9f Asian AmericaL.tld here, by the way. I would emphasize that Eve're talking sheet -the East

Asians; we certainly exclude the Middle East, the Arabs, the Indians,

the Pakistanis, SQ on. We're talking about the nations surrounding Abe

Pacific rim primarily.

So fano we understand, and again I speakfrm the standpoint of an

isolated person in the .kocky Mountain west, we're probably talking

about 2.5 million perlons of 4sian American background. I do not believe that there are adequate statistics actually, at the

present time, to indicate precise numbers. It is my understanding we're

probably talking about Chinese Americans at three-quarter million or 750,000; we'ie talking about Japanese Americans, who covstitute

probably 600,000; the third largest group, as we understana it, is probably the Korean group, probably about 400,000. We have, of

course, the Filipino Americans; our estimate is probably a quarter

million or 250,011k. We're talking about the Indochinese refugees and,

as I understand during the past 4 or 5 years since April 1975, we

probably have 185,000 or 200,000 individuals from Southeast Asia.

4

17
Then, of course, the Pacific Wanders, and I have no figures on

these, but we are talking about approximately 2.5 million individuals in

the United States.

So far u the Asian AMerican population in the . United States is

concedhed, we need to keep in mind there are tWo very distinct

groups. There are those individuals who are ciesendants of longtime

residents in the United Statesthe CtInese American group,indoubtedly, goes back to the early 1800s.

We're talking about a group of people who have been here for over

100 years. The Japanese American population probably came primarily during the mid-1800s to the.turn of the century. I myself am a thirdgeneration Japanese American in the United States.

The problems the Chinese Americans, the Japaneie Americans, o

the longtime residents are certainly different from the problems of the

newly arrived immigrants.

I might her digress just a half a second to say that I attended the

Organization of Chinese Americans' national conference in Denver,

Colorado, and they were talking aliout the ABC and the FOB, and this

intrigued me. The ABC, as I understood it, is "American-born

Chinese," whereas FOB is Lfresh off the boat"; but we need to

distinguish between the problems of the longtime resident of Japanese

9r Chinese ancestry and those who are newly arrived 'because the . probleAts certainly are different.

fret hie talk very briefly abctut the Sansei or' the third, fourth

heneration of Asian descent. Our prklblem is not( so much that of,

education or trying to obtain education; it is not so much the problem

of trying to obtain gainful employment nor tc, find heme. The

problem is that the discrimination against longtime cesidents is far

more subtle; we're findin it in-Ihe problems of pamotion; we're

finding in the social cust ms within our localities, .although there is

clearly a legal right to urchase a home wherever we please, with

whatever resources that iNt have. There are subtle' ways in which this

is discouraged.

These are the kinds of probaeins that we face: Wfirras in the case of

the newly arrived immigrant, the prOtlem tralically is that 41inguage.

Unfortunately, many pf the newly ',thief, immigrants are not

adeqvately firepared in the English language ancli terefore, -have real

problems so far as educatiOn concorned; they have real prOblems so

far as employment is conC:einted,. ndk4 hopsiug, and these kinds ' . problems. We know that there are h. bê educated persons, a high school

teaci#, a Ph.D. from China or wherever, who, if they cannot handle

the inguage, cannot find the necessary et41oyment and obviously

cannot share in the good life that the Unittsd Stitetk offers.

1.0

5
I'm not sure what n s to he done in th6,,regard to give a very

specific example, althou he Lau case decided by the United States

Supreme Court requires instructiOns must be given in the language

hat people understand, unfortunately, so far as the Southeast Chinese,

I clbchinese arc concerned, we find in the city and county of Denver

o ly 22 individuals who can handle both the English language and the

!al uage that this individual is accustomed to. Obviously, if we do not

ha the resources that kind of opportunity cannot be extended.

t me point out a couple of More specific instances. I have refetresil

to th 1ongtime resident. We know that at one point the United States

bepa tment Qf Health, Education, and Welfare did not consider Asian

Amen ans as a minority group, and we know that despite the success

of indi iduals_ such as Minoru Yamasaki, I.M. Pei, in the field of

architec urc, we do have individuals of Asian American background who arc IsadVantaged, who are in.the poverty groups, and to exclude

this group in toto from the specific programs of education, wc think is

highly discriminatory.

We find that Oe Small -Business Administration has ruled that the

Asian American s not a minority and therefore cannot receive special

assistance. We know that scofar as the newly arrived immigrants ire

concerned, so Tar \as the Chinese Americans or Japanese Americans,

we do have individuals who are disadvantaged and who are entitled,

lun'der the law, to receive this kind of assistance.

/, I'm going to conclude by harking back to what Chairman Flemming

referred to in the proclamation from the President. It is my position

that in 1942, 'the United States recognized racial discrimination as law

of the land. I refer to the evacuation process. We know that the cases of Hirabayashi v. United States, Yasui v. United Sloes was carried to the

Supreme Court of the United States and the Spereme Court ruled that

in times of emergency, in the exercise of war power, the Federal

, Government may use race as a basis for distingdishing between, those

citizens of a particular national background and those who are of a

different background.

We further know that, in the Korematsu case the Supreme Court

again ruled by a decision of six to three that that kind of distinction can

be made and Ametican citizens in their own native land may be

actually forcibly- removed from their homes and placed in places of

incarcejation.'

'That is law of the land as it exists todaY.

6

19
Services.

The Japanese American Citizens League", headquartered in San

Francisco, is now engaged in iiiitional campaign to secaYe some

redress. The point is not so much the financial payment of damages or

reparations, the point is to make sure that we have, in our processes of

government, through legislation in Congress, that this country

recognizes such racial discrimination shall not occur again.

I have submitted a paper going further into details in this regard; I

have also brought 'a redress pamphlet which I will leave with the

secretary. And this, then, will conclude my formal presentation. 1 would, nevertheless, indicate that I express my apprecistirm and things

to the Commission for bringing forth the issues of the Asian American

in this consultation.

Let me again indicate, although our faces may be different, although

our background may be from the Orient, we, too, ire Americans. We ,

believe in the greatness and ih the great ideals Of this countryf We .

thihk that there is a future for all humanity in the United States of

America.

Thank you,

[Applause.]

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you, Mr. Yasui.

. Our next presenter will be Ms. Cants Pian, the Fting director of the

Division of Asian American Affairs in the DeSirtment of Health,

Education, and Welfare:

Presentation of Cants Plan, Acting Director, ,Olvision of

Asian American Attain, 'U.S.. Department of Health, Education, imd Welfare

[Ms. Plan requested that the complete text of her prepared paper be

presented here in the trapscript in lieu of the summary of her statement.]

7

Consultation 'Focus: identification of .Nssues

by Canta Plan*

I am very pleased to be here tOday on the occasion of Asian and

PaCifiC American Heritage WEek. My, presentation will be an overview of the civil rights topics to be covered indepth over these ite'xt 2

days. The topics lac the Census, Women, immigration,. pacific

Islanders, Education, EmplOyment, Housing, and Health and SOcial

Cants Pim is acting director, Division of Asian American Affairs, Department bf Health.

Eduction, and Welfare:The opinions expressed in this paper arc those of the author and do not

necessarily represent thpolicies of HEW.

7
,1

I. Census

Issue:

During the 1970 census ethnic minorities were undercounted. Vose who were most likely. to tie missed were thr neediest in our

communities: the poor,- the aged, the non-English speaking, and the

immigrants. Poor people, living in densely populated neighborhoods, often failed to return camps qUestionnaires because of their mistrust of

government officials and because of language barriers. While figures are not available for Asians, blacks were undercounted by an estimated

7 percent!nationally.

When thealeor are undercounted, it is more difficult to substantiate our needs c., in turn, Mnders our abiliN to obtain needed

assistance at all levels ofgovernment. Effective enforcement of voting

rights and affirmative action *laws require tihat we have accurate

statistics on ethnic minorities. Undercounts in 1980 would severely

affect the population's ability to secure its fair share of funds for

community and economic development, health, and employment programs.'

Remedies:

Several measures have been taken to

and Pacific Americans in .1980. Mostly

Asian/Pacific American Advisory co

led to expansion of the number of i

groups to be identified on the 100

i ludes Vietnamese, -Samoa

ad *tion to the groups

prove the count of Asian

otably the activities of the

thee on the 1980 census has a ividual Asian Pacific American

rcent count in 1980.. The list noW

Guamanians, and Asian Indians in

led in 1970.

as also recommended the use of translated

questionnaires or instruction sheets, use of ethnic press and media to

inform people A.-but the census, neighborhood centers where people who have questions about the census could go, and affirmative action

to hire APAs in the Census Bureau.' The Bureau, in turn, his been hiring bilingual communy ser:ice %specialists to conduct

. timely precensus cluipatgnsib m nithe communitief." _ Bills have been introduc 'ku Congress that thus ftr have failed to

pass which would, require the Federal departme`ntsto collect and !'

' Tajima, Mark, Statement in SuPport of &IR, 23 and ru.R. 249, Paeifk/Asian Coalition (PAC), "

111979. ' emus Advisory Committee on the Asian and Pacific Americans Population for the 1980 Census, mmary Report," February 1979.

8

2 1

.1
resularly publish data on APAs and to improve their collection of

such statistics.4 Similar measures have been introduced in State

legislatures.

APAs are a rapidly changing population, and since 1970 our

population has doubled. The decennial censuses are too far between

and' the ,results become too quickly (nit of data to prOvide @dequate

guidelines for policy proposals affecting Asian and Pacific,Americans.

To!issure that the needs and progress of this population are accurately

reflected, Federal statistical agencies should identify Asian and Pacific

Americans- in all statistica) activities including the current population

survey, also administered by the Censua Bureau, which is the most

widely used source of national statistics between the censuses.5

II. Women

AlthOugh the qi.ncrns of Asian and Pacific American women are

being treated hete as5a separate. issue, the concerns of the women

cannot 'really be separated. Their isSues cut across many other subject

areas being dealt with today. The 'women's concerns are one part of

the issues of the entire Asian Pacific'American community.

Equal employment opportunity is a major concern for Asian and

Pacific American women. More than any other population group,

Asianland Pacific 'Xine-ricin women are joint 'breadwinners with the,

men in Asian households. Two out of every three aduy Asian and

Pacific American women are in tlie work forcea labor force

participation rate tht is higher than any other group.'

Yet Asian 'women are channeled into a narrow range of lower

ranking jobs because of stereotypes and language and cultural barriers.

Women Who are less educated and less proficient in English work in'

factories, restaurants, or in small fetail shop, toiling for long hours at

meager wages.? Working conditions are bad and employment security

is minimal. Many professionally trained women, particularly those

who are foreign educated, are unable to find jobs commensurate with

their background and skills. Underemployment, An., employment at

cf. 11.1.11 249 introduced by Representatives Norman Mineta.and Robert 'Matsui and S.J.R. 23

introduced by Senators Spark Matsunaga and Daniel Inouy.e.

' Mariano, Roberto S., "Problems and Perspectives: Towards an Appropriate Data Base for Asian

American Characteristic?' (presented to the Workshop on the Status of EmployMent, Unemployment and Underemployment of the Asian/Pacific Americans. Stanford University, Aug. 20-25,

1978).

U.S., Bureau of the Canny,' Survey of Income and Education (unpublished data).

U.S.. Department of Hellth, Education, and Wel(are, Asian American,Field Survey: Summary of the

Data (May 1977).

9

1

-14

.16
- level. beloW one's education and training, is a continuing problem for

immig tits.' Wages are lOw and cheap day care services for the

chrildrei are not available.

The he lth problems of Asian women are considerable. Because of

language problems, work schedules, the high cost of medical care, and; cultural barriers, many immigrant women .do not get any medical care

except in emergencies.' Studies show that famil violence and isolation

sire serious problems -for women married to fo ner U.S. servicemen.

Living in Small towns and rural places, far reino-- d from other Asians, some Vietnamese and Korean battered wivp are unable to cope with their family problems."'

yhrough the mass Inedia, Asian women have been victims of

degrading stereotyPes which portray them in rolei ranging from exotiC

dragon ladies to docile servant girls." Such perceptions have ham- pered Asian women's effortsto assert themselves and fully realize their potentials.

Remedls:

As women, Asian and caci lc American women share many of the

same concerns that nlajority wothen in -our society have. Because of

this, Asian Women have begun increasingly to participate ancr become visible in the women's .movement. More Asian end Pacific American

women's organizations have coalesced with other, women's organiza- tions to voice support for such issues as equal pay NI- equal work, reproductive chbice, and the ERA." / Remedies that are needed to deal with specific Asian women's issues

include vocationally oriented, English language training for new

immigrants, job training to upgrade and expand employment opportu- nities for the underemployed, and materials to sensitive career

counselors to the unique guidance and counseling needs of Asian women.about to enter the labor force.

Recently immigrating Asian women need information in their own languages about health, social, and legal services availabl; in their communities. The network of organizations thltoperate emergency shelters and legal assistance services for battere'd women must be made

aware of the problems of Asian battered wives.

U.S., Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, A Study of Selected Socio-economk characteristics of EMnk Minorities Based on the 1970 Census. Vol 11.- Asian Americans (1974). Plan, Cant's, "Asian Pacific American Women's Health Concerns" (presenlid to Women and Health Roundtable, Sept. 14, 1978.) " cf. Kim. Bok-Lim, "Asian Wives of U.S. Servicemen: Women in Shadow" in Amerasia Journal, volt 4, no: I, 1977.

" Lott, Juanita Tamayo and Cants Pian, Beyond Stereotypes and Statistics: Emergence of Asian and Pacillc American Women. Organization of Pan Asian American Women (Washington, D.C., 1979). " Ibid.

10

23
Ty/immigration and Refugees

losuc

America is a nation of immigrants, but Asians were the first group to

be specifically excluded by racially discriminatory immigration laws.

The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and much of the subsequent

immigration laws were emicted to bid- Asian groups whenViere were

no quotas or numerical ceilings on other racial/ethnic groups. Only

after, national origin quotas were abolished in 1965 and new policies

were established favoring the immigration of people to reunify families

and to increase certair needed occupational skills, did the numbers of

Asians immigrating reach significant levels. Today, Asians comprise a

third of the legal immigration to this country each year." 11;ilf of the

/ Asian and Pacific American population is made up of immigrants and

refugees.

Ambiguity and inequity surrounding immigration laws and alien

rights still confront new and potential immigrant groups to this

couptry. Many aliens with U.S.-approved petitions for immigration

have to wait many years to get visas. piyersubscription of visa numbers

and long delays in processing applications have contributed ko the

phenonmetion of overstaying aliens who fail to return t their native

countries.'4

bnce here, immigrants experience multiple problems. they have to

cope with immediate and practical problems of ,honaing, education,

employMent, and the task of learning .English. The new immigrant

needs guidance in the form of information and referrals to community

services. At present, most immigrants learn about these resources late,

by accident, or from other immigrants who have gone through similar

experiences. Unlike countries such as C ada, Sweden and Israel, the

U.S. Governnient expects new immigraI to find their own way

around."

Legal immigrants.are confronted by a body of law that is vague and

often discriminatory. For example, different interpretations have been

made about the eligibility of recent immignants for welfare services.

The policies in some States have not been to treat permanent residents

and citizens alike." However, charges have been made that by going

on welfare, recent immigrints are abusing the welfare system.

Proposals have been introduced in Congress to stighten up eligibility

" U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Annt'ial Report.

" Nair. Murali, "Social Services to New Immigrants: A Paspit to Successful Adjustmenr in

Migration Today. February 1978, pp. 10-15.

" !bid-

" New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on ivil Rights, The Forgotten

Minority: Asian Americans in New York City (November 1977).

./ 2.4

11
standards and to require periods of up to 5 yeart residency berore

immigrants become eligible for public assistance." Clearly, a fair and

consistent policy is needed in this area,

. Immigrants have been victims, 9,k"dragnet raids" conducted by

immigration agents when they believe'llift there may be illegal aliens present. Persons whom they suspect of being illegal aliens and who cannot produce proof of legal residencedauthorization to work; or citizenship are arrested. Harassments of this kindicause fear and distrust among many Asians even though they are legal residents of this country."

Remedies: /-

A number of remedies have been and can be implemented to help .alleviate the problems of recent Asian immigrants. The INS, for example, is expanding its outreach program, providing training to

comminkity organizations that provide social services to immigrant groups on how to more efficiently process people for adjustment of status and citizenship. INS officers are being trained on constitutional rights and human relations. The agency is pushing to automate the visa ' processing procedUres to speed 'it up. INS offkeri are also beginning

to inform aliens of sources of free legal services ahd informing non-.

English-speaking aliens of their rights."

Models like Hawaii's State Immigrant Service Center and San Francisco's Chinese Newcomers Service Center could be emulated.

Such centers provide information on the varied services and refer the

immigrants to appropriate agencies; providing Counseling, accultura- tion programs, outreach, and other support services necessary for

immigrants to become economically productive and socially adjusted; and develop alternative mechanisms for coping with the many

problems confronting the immigrant population."

Issue:

Dramatic increases in a continuing flow of refugees from Indochina have offset Asian asylum countries' willingness and ability to provide them with temporary care. The extent of U.S. commitment to participate is clouded by outdated refugee provisions of existing U.S. immigration legislation. Existing immigration law is inadequate to meet the needs at the preient time. The absence in the law of a clear expression of U.S. intentions, and commitments to participate in

" Statement by Senator S.I. Hayakawa, Congressional Record Mar. 28. 1979. p. S3606 introducing S. k 816 to amend the Social Security Act. See also, U.S. General Accounting Office, Number of Newly Arrived Aliens Who geceive Supplemental Security Income Needs to be Reduced Feb. 22, 1978. " New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commiuion on Civil Rights. ibid. " PAC. "It:IS to Inform Aliens tif Free Legal Services," Feb. 4, 1979.(news re)ease), " Junasa, Bienvenido D., "Asian ImmigrantsAdjustment and Integration," Journal ofAlian-Pactfic and World Pespectives. vol. 2. no. I, Summer 1978.

12

25
refugee resettlement has made planning very diffiCult. for those

processing refugees and those involved in resettling them."

Rmedies:

Federal assistance for resettlement of Indochinese refugees is

provided flir under the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance

Aci of 1975 which is due to expire on September 30 of this year. A

greater degree of continuitS, and consistency needs to he brought into

U.S. refugee admissions and resettlement policies. A more realistk !

annual quota for refugee admissions, and a resettlement program fully..

coordinated with this, .would help alleviate' some of the current

problems. The administration's proposed Refugee Act of 1979 would

overhaul the present system, raise annual admissions to 50,000, and

transfer the discretionary parole authority to the.President."

Projects for the Indochinese should build on the capabilities.of the

Indochinese themselves. Funding preforence should be given to those

Indochinese self-help organizations with close affiliations to the

Indochinese community. Grantee agencies should be encouraged to .

employ lndbchinese to the ffillest, giving them an opportunity to

develop and administer their own projects.

IV., The Pacific laland-iiithericana

Issue:

Problems for Pacific klanders can be found, both in their Pacific

Island hOmes add when ihey are transplanted to the continental United

States. The Islander's experience has been within a mutual aid sdciety

that is nontechnical, nonindustrial, and noncompetitive. In the island

society, family and social groups provide support. Substantial educational systems on the islands and language problems prevent many

Pacific Island students from competing successfully in the U.S.

educational system, and many adtilts from finding other than Idw,-

skilled laborer jobs." Much of the difficulty of planning social programs for. Pacific

Islanders in the continental U.S. is due to lack of information on th6

population. Lacking hard evidence, the needs pf the group havirbeen

ignored and _neglected"; 1980 will -be the first year the atiostal

statistics on Samoans and Guamanians will be available.

" U.S., General Accounting Office, The Indochinese Exadur 4 Humanitarian Dilemma April 1979.

'1 Ibid.

" Munoz, Faye Untalan, "Pacific Islandeni inlhe US." in Civil Rights Digest, Fall 1976.

" Shu, Ramsay and Adele Salaniasina Satete, The Samoan Community in Southern California:

Conditions and Needs. Asian American Mental HetIth Research Center, November 1977.

9 6

13
t. .N7

Remedios:

The status of Guamanians and Samoans need to be recognized as a

legitimate responsibility of the U.S. Appropriations for Social Security

benefits and social services should be extended to,these U.S. territories as they are to the States. Future bills need to be monitored to make

sure assistance to these areas is not overlooked."-

Assistance to these areas has to be provided lit sucii a -way that it is_

sensitive to the cultural ways. For example, they have to recognize the

importance of extended kinship ties and the role of the chiefs who are

the family ..ads. Beginning this year, HEW is providing formula grant monies to the islands in block fashion, permitting the indigetious

piapulation more flexibility to fund accordiqg to their own priorities aria needs.H.More effOrts need to be-made tb train the population ,and

enable them to control their own social and economie interests.,SiMilar

efforts clearly have to be made for Pacific Islanders on the mainland.

V. Education

Issue:

Among the manx,educational issues affecting Asian and Pacific

Americans, bilinguaeeducation is undoubtedly the most imPortant, particularly in light of the continuing influx of Asian and Pacific Island

immigrants who speak little or no English.

The Lau V.' Nichols decision in 1974 was the strongest basis for' the push for bilingUal-biculturat education as lin alternative form of . 40ducation for children of limited English Proficiency. Bilingual-bicultnral education as a concept recognizes 'the pluralistic nature of our

society and appreciates linguistic and cultural diversity." .Although

.bilingual education has-deihMiStrated its potinta for.providing basic

skills and cultural :enrichment, some local school districts and

communities have resisted court orders to provide bilingual-bicultural . education. A backlash against bilingual education exitts, centering on

the claim that the program has not shown significant progress in

teaching children'English."

As school diStricts in many parts of the country face budget cutbacks resulting from Proposition 13 and other revenue reducing nrasuresAsian and Pacific Island American teaqhers recently hired

" Recommendation of the Social Welfare Task Group in DAAA's Conference on Pacific and Asian AtheAlbihramiliei and HEW-Related Issues, Mar. 9-12, 1978.

" The program of...41. solidated grants to the Insular areas as authorized by Title V of pub. L. 95-131 (the Omnibus TerdWes Act).

41 cf. Wang, Ling-chi, -"Lau .v. Nichols:, The Right O't Limited-Englfsh Speaking Students."

tionertista Journal, vol". 2. Fall 1974.

" "cf. Epstein, Noel, Policy deferhatives fir Bilingual Bieulturtil-Education. 1978.

14

27
, I -- to teach in bilingtial programs are among the most vulnerable to being

laid off."

4. iv\

Rimed lis:

Policies toward bilingual education need to be examined together

with policies toward desegregation. Efforts in support of the former

should not detract from, efforts to priivide appropriate bilingual

educatiotkservices to Asian Americans.

Proposa re being made by the community to elevate the Office of

Bilingual EduIti to the status of an Assistant Secretary under a

new Depart of Education. Such a step woul. underline the

importa of bilingual edbcation in our society. /

The educational profile of Asian and Pacific Americans is a

disparate picture. Education is highly valued in some subgroups as a

key to economic security and educational attainment levels are high.

In other groups, economic necessity requires that young people entr

the lalxir force early and the population is undereducated. The'

presence of some Asian Americans in, highly technical fields should

not cloud the fact thiti other Asians need adult and vocational

education to provide them with the English language and job skills

they peed to support their fainilies.

- - Asian participation in affirniative action programs is another area of

civil rights concern. While the Supreme Court's ruling on.the Bakke

case upheld most affirmative action programs,*-potentially it was

harmful to Asian and Pacific Americans. The [Justice Department]

brief suggested that there was no apparent underrepresentation of

Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. medical profession. It has been

pointed out, however, that most of these personnel are Asian foreign

medical grgluates whose presence itthe Inedical profession does not)

reflect Ksian and Pacific American opportunities for a medical'

education in the U.S."

Remedies:

While the decision has no immediate impact on the status of Asian

Americans, it him; ppt the group undei scrutiny as far 'as affirmative

action in education is concerned and, as more Bakke-type legal

challenges take place, the Asian position could be more precarious. An

examination of possible legal strategies would be in order.

Po "Cutbacks will Devutate Bilingual Program," Ean/Wesi, Apr. I I, 1979.

Kong, Andiony. "The Bakke Decision: Who Wpn7" Bridge. vol. 6, no. 3. Fall 1978. A 15
VI. Emp)oyment

Issue:

The employment ituation for Asian and Pacific Americans is

characterized by underemployment and the channeling of Asian workers intp a narrow range of jobs. Discriminatory practices

systematically exclude the population from occupational areas. Unemployment is low for Asians because many immigrants are willing to

take menial jobs at wage levels below what many other Americans are

willing to work for. Many Asian workers have two or more jobs. This, and the presence of multiple worVers in the family, 'make it possible for Asian inimiogrant families to suppdrt themselves in lowincome communities." For Asians, underemployment rather than

unemployment is the appropriate index of employment concern. Some gOvernment and civil service agencies, including city police

and fire departments, have systematically excluded Asian Americans

from employment On a de facto basis with use of qualifications

istrictions based on language and height, as well as culturally biased

pllicement tests." A study done for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission revealed that in the San Francisco Bay 'Area, Asian

Americans experience 'substantial job discmination in the major

industries. The study found that Asian AmeriCans are underemployed

in construction yiere unions have traditionally barred Minorities, and

in wholesale tirade industries where they are heavily employed as

clerical and service workers."

In cities like New York and San Francisco, language barriers and

transportation problems relegate Asians,. living in the ghetto areas, to work as waiters and garment factory sewers. These are low-paying,

deadend jobs. Wages are often below minimum wage, but employees are willing to work for whatever they can get."

. Recent stuilies of Asian and Pacific American business pattesns show that their participation is rigidly structured and stereotyped. Asian and Pacific American companies are typically based on self- employment and confined mainly to small retail (hide and service

enterprises which show low profitability and are vulnerable to market

fluctuations over which they have little control." Despite this evidence of the disadvantaged status of Asian in business enterprises,

the recent legislation (P.L. 951--507) that amended section 8(a) of the

.. HEW, Division of Asian Amel:ican Affiqrs, "Asian American Field Survey: Summery of the Date" (May 1977).

" "Probltms with Police Test," Sat? Fmnciscv Journal, Apr. 18, 1979.

" Cabezas, Amado Y. and Hero! T. Yee. Discriminatory Employment of Asian Americans, 1977.

" Lam, Dean, "Chinatown Swea shops,': Amerasia Journal, 1973.

" Asian and Pacific/American Federal Employee Council (APAFEC), "Comments to the United States Smell Business Administration" (no date). See also, U.S. Department of Commerce. OMBE,

lbakEconomic Analysis of Asian American Business Patterns, 1977.

16

2,9
1

4 Small Business Act identified only blacks, Hispanics, and Native

Americans as the socially and economically disadvantaged groups

eligible to participate in the program. The legislation failed Jo include

Asian and Pacific Americans among the eligible,groups although they

had been included and had participated in the 8(a) program in the past.

The exclusion of Asians from this ,and any similar minority business

programs would have a considerabli negative impact on this population.

Remedlis:

Some gains have been made in 'the hiring and upward mobility of

Asian and,Pacific Americans among some Public and private employers." Community action and litigation have brought about recognition

in some cities of the need for bilingual staffing on police forces and in

other public services. Despite such strategies, progress las been slow;

Asians like other minorities are underrepresented in many industries

and occupational areas. Asians stand to lose ground if budget cutbacks

at die local level eliminate much needed affirmative action ind

emOoyment programs. More efforts need to be made to enfbrce

existing Federal laws on equalemployment opportunity.

VII. Housing

luus

Lack ol adequate housing is a major problem for many Asian

American communities. Asian immigrants and elderly who are low

income, often congreSate in the older sections of major Cities where

buildings are dilapidaW and rents are high. Although "Chinatowns,"

"Little Tcjcyos," and "Manilatowns" are attractive to many tourists,

the physical.euvironments of many such ethnic communities have been t

deteriorating. A 1970 San Francisco study -found that the density of

residences in that city.' 'Chinatown was 11 times that of tlie rest of the

city." Cases where families of six Ilve .in a single room are

commonplace. In addition to the high cost of rents, sonie rentors are

reqii,ired to pay up to $1,000 in "key money," a lump sum paid to the

landlord for the privilege of renting an apartment.

The demand for housing in Asian ethnic communities is on the

increase as mop immigrant families move in. However, redevelopment pas negatively affected Asian Americancommunities throughout

the Nation. Th: push by developers to condominiumize or develop

new downtown office buildings and shopping malls has reduced the

supply of low-intome housing for Asian poor -and elderly. Urban

" Chinese for AffirmMive Action, Annual Report

" San Francisco Department of City Planning Chinatown. 1970 Census: Pardo:ion and Housing

Summary and A/sabot&

A 3 0

17 , 1
renewal and construction of freeways hay reduced the sue of nian y Chinatowns and threatened their survival.3"

6.010(110m \

"

.,

, Housing strategies to help avoid eviction of elderly and poor incomed residents are needed. Development has to be controlled by the commynity through land use regulations and public impyovement projects.5' Communities ne 1 to obtain funding for theixiusing and

are needed.

economic development p )grams. Federal support for low-cost

housing that is well built an

Where displacement occurs, mechanisms need to be implemented to hely residents to relocate to renovated low-cost units nin their communities. Services are needed that would assist those Asian

Americans who do wish to move out of inner-city areas to do so.

VIII. Health and Welfare

1 *sue:

, 1, Underutilization of health and welfare services by Asian and Pacific A.hiericans has beeh documented repeatedly in feseareh on the needs

-of this population. Asians, particularly those of low-income status, generally would prefer to seek asfistance from family members and

relatives, or frionds and neighbors rather than a public agency.

, There appears to be consistent pattern of Asian Americans doctoring themselves, using folk remedies, or resorting to traditional modes of treatment and seeking the services of a physician only when they\ . experience an acute illness and then only for immediate relief ofi syriiptomq° The Asian American field survey of 1974 found that morf

than 20 p,acent of Chinese children and aboilt half of Chinese adWts at._

the New York City Chinatown sample had never had atye or a dental exam. Moreover, 23 percent of tkie adults had ever had

physical exams." The 1972 report of the White House Conference on

Aginikreported on a study showing that a third Of the Asian elderly

never had a medical 'or dental exam. Rults of a special pap test " es ear

screening Program offered to Asian women between 1973 and 1977

.4, ,

. " cf. Sung, Betty Lee, Chinese Manpower and Employment. U.S. Department of Labor, 1975; California Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commisaion on Civil Rights. Aston Americans and fist* Peoples. A Case of Mistaken Identity (1975); apd Little Tokyo Anti-eviction Task Force, "Figdevelop- ment in Los Angeles Little Tokyo," Counterpoint, Asian American Studies Center, UCLA71976, pp. 327-33.

" Chin, Doug, "A Strategy to Develop Housing without Displacing Residents," The Interndtional Examiner, February 1979.

" Huang, C. and Orachow, F.. "The Dilemma of Health Services in Chinatown 'New York Cliy" (presented at the Annual Conference, American Public Health Association, New Orleans, La., October 1974, as reported in "Report of the Special Populations Subpanel on Mental Health of Asian/Pacific Americans" in The President's Commission on Mental Health Report (1978). " The President's Commission on Mental Health Report (PCOMH). Ibid. " Ibid.

18

1

wiz;
found that one out of every four women participants between 30 and

50 had never had a pap test before." ... Such study findings make it clear that there is a serious need or

programs for prevention and early detection of illness among A ian

and Pacific Am*icans, particularly among the elderly and rec nt

immigrants. . Studies have shown that language, lack of knowledge about how to

use services, and cultural differences 'are the primary obstacles

preventing Asians from participating in public social and health

service programs." Health and welfare agencies Iiiive few bilingual

staff, haphazard provisions for non-English-speaking clients, and very

little publicity to the Asian community about their ervices."

The failure to provide health and social services bilingually air

biculturally poses an important civil rights issue for Asians and other

minority gronpi. A 1979 national survey of key civil rights leaders and

organizations indicated that the majority of respondents felt that the

absence of,bilingual-bicultural staffin health aifencies is disinatory

against Asian Americans and Hispanics W is an issuenil priority

vot) cern." The Office for Civil Rights wain HEW has determined

th in HEW-assisted health and social servce i -programs, aq_absence

or sufficient number of bilingual staff in public contact liositions to

service non-^ or limited-English-speaking persons causes delay in

receipt of services, reduces the level of benefits, and completely

discourages participation by some potential beneficiaries. "OCR has

also found that where staff cannot communicate ffilly and effectively

with non- and limited-English-speaking person4 such persons safer

gr

Pe

ty,

benefits.

speaking

er difficulties in program participation than do English-speaking

terms of waiting delays, expense, breaches of confidentialifin r findings of ineligibility, and unwarranted termination of

R has explicitly noted, non- and limited-Englishrsont are denied equal services on the basis of rOç or

national gin ,in violation of Title VII and its implemen ing

regulations."

When bilingual-bicultural Buff, treatment approaches that include

cultural sensitivity and the involvement and support of natural

communify and family structures are available, service utilization rates

" Plan, Celia "Asian Pacific American WoMen's Health Concerns,' op. cit.

" cf. Downssratioil Project for Asian Americans, "DPAA Project Effectivenese Evaluation

Report," Los Angeles, 1973; Pacific Asian Elderly Research Project, Critical Asciors in SorWce

titg:rcal Study," Anomie Itnirnal, vol. 5, no. 2, 1973.

1978; sad Dok-Lim, "Problems and Service Needs ofvfitsian Americans in Chicago: An

" DPA4., op. cit.

*i National Study of Major Current Cilia Rights Probk;ms Ide4tiIIed by Civil Rights Officials,

Organizations, Leaders and Experts (CRC Education and Human ve)opment, Inc. under contract

to the U.S. Commission on Civil Wets, 19,79).

4' OCR MAR ProPosod Policy on NOWand Limited English Speak ng Persons, Sept. 2, 1976, m

cited ins petition to Secretary Joseph A. Centeno by Hogan and Hartson, dated Nov. 21, 1973.

19

,
of Asian Americans increas For example, the number of Asian and

Pacific Americans using Asian American counseling and referral

service in Seattle in I year NM approxurditely equal to the total

number of APAs using a total of 18 other community mental health

centers over a 3-year period." Similjirly, it was reported that alter the

establishment of a mental health nter in San Francisco specifically

design to serve Asian and P tfic American patients, more Asian

patients were seen in the first 3 months of the center's operation than

were seen in other fiicilities in the catchment area for the previous 5

years." \

A study of the "Chinatown project" has demonstrated that the use

of bilingual-bicultural stall can significantly improve productivity,

quality of services, and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of

service delivery. The prOject is a branch of the Social Security

Administration in New York City's Chinatown staffed entirely with

Asiim workers and using bilingual literature and signs.

The project's data established that the average nunit)er of claims

cleared per week by the branch office significantly exceeded the

average rateS for the parent office, the region, and the Nation:"

Remedies:

Reflecting ths severe need for bilingual-bicultural services, major

civil rights orgahizations in the Hispanic and Asian coOminities have

petitioned the Office for Civil Rights to develop and 'implement

regulations, that would require bilingual staff and printed matter in

HEW-funded public assistance programs whose service area population is at least 5 percent non- oi. limited-English speaking. An

employment program involving filling appropriate staff vacancies that

result from attrition with qualified bilingtial personnel has been

recommendeci If implemented and enforced, Ihe proposals in by

the civil rights groups would signifcantlyiassist in the erfadi tion of

the 'forms of discrimination described." .

' Mechanisms are needed to increase the Icnowledge and sensitivity of

servict providers toward Asian gientele. Government at all levels

must be made aware of the seriousness and extent of health and

welfare problems among Asian and Pacific American communities in

order that public resources can be directed to remedy ihe situation.

Pressure must be brought to bear on providers of health and soci ! services at the local, State, and Federal levels to improveservices to

" Sue, Stanley, and Herman McKinney, "AsiaXAmericins in the Community Mental Health Care

System, "American Journal of Orthopsychiarry. vol. 45, no. I, January 1975, as cited in PCOM/f. op.

cit.

" PCOMIL op. cit.

is Owan, Tom "Improving Productivity 41 the Public Sector by the Use of Bilingual/Dicultural " o a Sty!' (presented to the National Conferenceson ial Welfare, Chicago, Ill., May lb, 1977)

gan nd Hutson, op. cit

/
the Asian population through programs that are effective for this

population."

Direct funding to Asian and Pacific American organizations to

develop model service delivery programs such as community-based,

multipurpose service delivery ceMers and satellite outreach centers

should be encouraged. Mechanisms for reimbursement of traditional

Asian forms of health care (e.g. acupuncture and herbs) need to be

established. To relieve the shortage of bilinguel health professionals

and paraprofessionals in certain Asian groups, including refugees and

Pacific Islanders, opportunities for training and licensing of persons in

these populations need to be increased."

Resources and ftinding have been made without consideration of

\APA concerns. The situation results from lack ofAPA involvement in

-.the decisioninaking process. Efforts need to be made to see,that Asian

and Pacific Americans are appointed to serve on high level policymaking bodies and Federal, State, and local government boards, committees, and councils, Apecially where substantial numbers of Asian and

Pacific Americans are affected." Chief among the positions where

Asian Pacific Americans need to be appointed are those thal have

impact on the civil rights of the population. Consideration, therefore,

should be given to the appointment 'of an Asian and Pacific American

to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much. Our last member of

this panel, who will discuss Federal exclusiouary policiet, is Professor

of Asian AMerican Studies, Ling-chi Wang, Univeisity of California,

Berkeley. 4-

Prs..ntatIqs of b Ling-chl Wang, Assistant-PrO4ssor, Asian

American Studies, University of California, Berkeley

DR. WANG. Thank you, Commissioners. -

op I would like to begin this presentation by .expressing my gratitude

for this unprecklented opportunity to present soMe of the major civil

rights issups of Asian Americans to the Commissip and its staff today

and tomorrow.

. Even though a few State advisory committees of the Commission

bave, in the past few years, undertaken hearings at the State level,.I

believe thii is the first consultation on, Asian American civil riig

issues by the full Commission sin6e its founding.

I remember it Was in 1971 that the chinese for Affirmative Action

group, a community-based civil rights organization in San lqiincisco,

" cf. Weave, ierrAL., "Public Policy Responses to Environniintal Factors in High Blood

Pressure" (presented to the National Symposium on High Blood Pressure Control in U.S. Asisli and

PacifIC Populat* ns, San Frsticisco, Calif.. Oct. 1, 1977.

" cf. PCOA4U.Jp. cit. ci PCO op. citt fr

11 21- /
first approached the Commission staff in Los Angeles of the need to

deal with the unique civil rights problems of Asian Americans, and to

include Asian Americans on the staff, State Advisory Committees, and

indeed, the Commission itself.

It took a few years to put a few Asians on the staff and on the State

Advisory CommOtees; it took a little longer to include Asian

American concerns on the agendas of the State committees with high

concentration of Asian American population. . This long and overdue 2-day consultation must, therefore, be seen as

another step in our long struggle to have our voice heard and in our

long journey toward achieving equal opportunity in the United States.

With the support of this Commission, we hope to see the first Asian

American appointed to this Commission in the very near future.

[Applause]

I have prepa a for the Commissiop an historical overview of some

of themajor i ues related to Asian (American civil rights. I believe

that it's very rtant, first of all, in any discussion on the civil rights , issue of Asian merffans, that,it be based on some historical analysis

because most f the problems that we're talking about today are

actually rooted i history.

Like many ot er minority groups, women and poor whites in this

country, Asian mericaris today face many civil rights problems. And

I could only sum arize some of the major points in my presentation; I

will submit a co slete paper for the record.

Now, these ci il rights problems could not be fully undePstood

without an adequate understanding of the history of the various Asian

groupsiin the Uhited States. So I will not go into the detail of history

itselrfor today, \ttowever, I do like to summarize some major points

that I think wIl be important for the Commission and other

government agetiFies responsible for enforcing civil rights law to

consider.

The first point 1. anted to make is that in reviewing the civil rights

of the various Asia1 and.Pacific American groups, we cannot assume

that all of us are ho ogeneous. Even, thou'gh we ciimg from Asia, with a

common geographi4 and similar cultural origins, eaok represents

distinctly different I guage hnd cultural backgrounds, and each was

brought into itt men an history at a different stage of economic

devillopment in the U ited States and for quite diverse purposes.

Once in the Unite States, Asian experiences of racial owression

elicited different, co munity responses. The different anti-Asian

exctusion laws furthei created different li estyles and needs between

)those Asians who fa e before the ex9ltsion lawsfor Chinese it

would be 1882, for\Japanese, 1924, an for the Filipinos, 1934and

"%hose who came after lhe immigration laws of 1965, which lioth Ms.

22

r:
Pian and Mr. Yasui talked about. Also, there's a further difference

between those who were born in the United States and those new

immigrants who have just arrived.

What all this means is that we must treat the Asian group carefully

and draw no hasty conclusions or generalizations that cannot be

substantiated by facts. This was precisely one of the problems that we

faced with the Federal brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in the case

ofBakke, where the U.S. Justice Department assumed the homogeneity of Asian Americans and made a number of generalizations

regarding Asian Ameritans. I am certain some of these erroneous

allegations will be discussed during the course of this 2-day consultation.

But I wanted to point out, the whole idea of the nonhomogeneity

among the Asian groups is an important one, because there is a

tendency for us to sweep all the minorities under, you know, the same

d of treatment or category, and, in particular, I think of the smaller

Aian and Pacific groups. I think it will spe very heportant for us to

gnize their unique problems in the United States.

e second point I wish to make is that it is of utmost importance

for this Commission and other civil rights enforcement agencies to

develop different monitoring techniques and criteria to review the civil

rights status of Asian Americans. The tendency, in fact, the practice is

to apply the familiar and, indeed, standardized institments to measure

compliance status on Asian Americans without regard to their

transferability or applicability to the unique problems facing Asian

Americans.

For- instance, the primary concern as pOinted out by previous

speakers in the area of education has to be, for instance, for the

immigrant groups; the problem of non-English-speaking children; for

the black community, of course, the school integration is the primary

issues But for Asian Americans, especially for the new immigrant, the

prolilems faced by the Lau v. Nichols case is a primary concern.

Another example of this kind of nontransferability of one category

or criteria developed in one group to another group would be, for

instance, in the area of employmeht. It has been pointed out that the

primary proyem for 'Asian Americans is underemployment. But for

blacks, the primary concern has been unemployment.

In the area of manpower training, for a while Federal policy, for

instance, did' not recognize language defigiengy, as a problem of

employment. And it took a-While-lor thelDepartpent of Labor to

23

3 6
begin to acknowledge th fact that if one does not speak the English

language, one will have a problem getting into the labor market, and, therefore, manpower training program must allow the training of

language for adult immigrants.

Likewise in the area of polities, I guess voting rights, of course, is ofi primary concam for us; but perhaps even more important for Asian

Americans, we have to become citizens first and be provided bilingual elections.

Before l943sians in the United States were not, eligible for mituralization kith by judicial interpretation and by act of Congress. To get to that point of voting in ele6tions, Asians must be naturalized

first, and once they get naturalized they still have to be able to

understand the language itself. Therefore, the Bilingual Voting Rights Act is a major concern for us, and I think that the Federal agencies must do everything.that they can to make sure that the voting rights of

Asian Americans are not violated.

Now, I could go on and give more examples, but I think the point I wanted to make here.is the national criteria for defining the severity of civil righti violations have shown very little sensibility to Asian American concerns, and I think it's not fair to Asian Americans. I

think this has led to many assumptions about a fact that Asians have

made it, they have assimilated, they no longer have any kind of problems with regard to civil rights. I think what is needed for this

Commission and other Federal enforcement agencies to do is to

develop a new set of criteria that will reflect the history and the

sensibility of Asian experience in America. The criteria developed for blacks may not he applicable for Asians.

The third point I wanted to make is that because of the absence Of

any viable and relevant criteria for reviewing Asian American civil

rights status, Federal Government agencies responsible for collecting data, investigating violations, and enforcing civil rights laws have

come up with virtually no comprehensive report or study about Asian Americans. Whether it be this Commission, the Office of Federal

Contract Compliance, EEOC, the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and on mid on with all the researching arms of the

various departments within the Federal establishment, we have found

very little of any usable type of information on Asian Americans.

In other words, Asian American problems have been totally ignored

by the -Federal establislitnent by virtue of the absence of data. This

.situation has adversely affected the Asian Americans in government funding to the community and, of course, in the enforcement of the

civil rights laws.

And in this regard, I think it's fair to sky that because of the kind of negligence on the part of the Federal agencies, the Asian community

24
J

has not been protected and has not been served in terms of their civil

rights problems.

The fdurth point I want to make in my statement is the conspicuous

absence of Asian Americans on Federal commissions, boards, councils,

advisory committees, and task forces, and, of course, in these

Commiision's staffs.

It is obvious that available goiernment resources and services,

whether it be.in the forms of data collections, investigation, funding, or

law enforcement, these resources and services ire distributed by those

with power to distribute. Absence of high level AsiarAmerican

advocates in these -ctfttcial agencies effectively render the Asian

American communitY ineligible for needed resources and services.

This is one lesson that I think many of us have learned from the

veterans of civil rights movement: that you have to have your own

advocate within the Federal agencies to get services, and I think if we

were to review the status of Asian participation in these commissions,

councils, advisory committees, and what have you, I think you will

find a conspicuous absence of Asians, and therefore we, by virtue of

that, were excluded from any kind ofservices.

Finally, Vie last point I wanted to make is that I cannot overemphasize the importance of having an Asian American on this Commigion

to reflect the Asian sensibility and awareness. Hopefully, through the

monitoring role of this Commission, the Asian American concerns can

be effectively transmitted to other Federal law enforcemeni agencies

as well Nvho have been/charged with the responsibility of overseeing

the civil rights of Americans in general.

Thank you.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much.

VPplaute.1

Discussion

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. On the lass point, we should note for the

record, since sometimes citizens do notiunderstand the process, that ii

terms of service on this,.Commission, tlie decision is not made by any

member of the Commission on Civil Rights; that decision is made by

an incumbent President of the United States who nominates an

individual for service, and that individual, if he or she is to serve, is

then confirmed by the Senate of the United States.

Ttill now yield to my colleagues who might have questions of the

varioqs panelists.

Chairman Flemming?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING, Mr. Yasui, you mentioneo the steps that

have .been taken rather recently growing out of the existence of the

Concentration camps during World War II.

r 25
I'm wondering if you would just elaborate on that a little hit -more,

indicating what the resent or what the objectives of the movement

are, and also indicating just where it stands at.the present time?

Mft. YASUL Yes, Chairman Flemming. At the preseptroment, the

Japanese American Citizens League, as I indicated, in San Francisco

has formed a national committee looking at the problems of 37 years

ago. As a lawyer, we recognize that there' is no way in which we can

undo the legal decisions of the United States Supreme Court. The

Supreme Court has indeed ruled that the 'differential treatment

accorded to American citizens of Japanese ancestry isycnktitutional, is

legal.

We further recognize, therefore, there can never be a suit againstihe

United States Government for damages directly; that we recognize.

We, therefore, belieie that it is incumbent upon the,-Congress of the

United States to address the problem.

At the present moment, to bring you up to immediate date, the

proposal is to establish a congressional commission tolnain reexamine

the factual bases upon which evacuation was based, 'and to make

findings and conclusions; hopefully out of that would grow the actual

finding as to the consequences of the evacuation process. Obviously,

we would hope that there would be recommendations as to tiow this

might be redressed.

I would be less than candid toif I did not mention that there are

groups on the west coast, particularly in Seattle and in Los Angeles,

that are saying *e want reparations, $25,000 per individual, a total sum

of $3 billion. lfn international politics, $3 billion is not a great deal of

money; we know that West Gerniany has paid over $44 billion in

N., reparations to Jewish groups, and to Israeli interests. I am not

concerned about the monetary aspects; I am concerned about that this

muntry establish on thc record that the evacuation process based upon

individuals' ancestry background was wrong.

This is why I am participating in this national campaign to indicate

that a. congresSional commission should make thai finding and make

`rcommendations to the appropriate redress.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Thank you very much.

Ms. Pian, I'm wondering if you- would tell us about the major duties

and responsibilities of tte Divisionsof Asian American Affairs in the

Department of Healtfi, Education, and Nelfare7,Just hitting the high

spots.

MS. PIAN% I'd be very glad to.

The Division is in the Office of the Assistant Sec.retary for Planning

and Evaluation, and our mission is to help increase the impact of HEW

programs on Ulf Asian and Pacific American community and to serve

26

39
as an advisor to the Department on matters concerning this popula:

tion.

I might add that we are one of only two offices in the entire Federal

system that is specifically established to address the concerns. of

Asian/Pacific Americans, and, as a result, we are called upon

frequently by other Federal agencies to provide statistics and other

information concerning this population.

, I would hope that other offices such as thi,s one could be established

in other Federal agencies so that there could .be more resources to

address our concerns,

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Essentially, then, you're a staff office; you,

advise other units of the Department of Health, Education, and

Welfare. Z1s. PIAN. That's cdrrect.

HAtroAAN FLEMMING. I assume that in most instances, you, in

ffect, vohinteer the advice; but are there instances where units in the

Department have turned to your particular office and requested advice

and 'assistance, and if ifo, would you maybe give us an illustration?

MS. P!AN. Recently, our officc was called upon to provide input

,relatinwro the consolidation of grants to the Pacific-Islands. Legislation had been passed to consolidate HEW grants to the Pacific Island

Territories, permitting those territories to exercise greater discretion

Over funding to meet their own priorities and n44ur office

provided suggestions on this process through the Assistant Secretary

for Planning and Evaluation.

Another example is that our office helped to link the Asian and

Pacific Awrican communities with the first group of Indochinese

reftwees coming "to the U.S., thus helping to expand the network- of

agencies providing services to that population.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Thank you very much.

Mr. Wang, I was interested in your comment that what is needed, in

your judgment, is a new set of criteria in determining civil rights

violations as they affect the members of the Aldan American

community. I assume that in your parer probably you'Ve identified

what you feel those criteria should be. But you might identify just one

for us by way of illustration, in connection with the discussion that will

be going on here in,the next 2 days.

Dlt. WANG. Thank you You know, one of the common things that

one hears in the media;and even among aca&mic circles, is that Asian

Americans have "made -it." And the criteria used' to reach that

conclusion is pretty much based on the census data from 1970. And if

one were to look at the census figures, one immediately sees that the

median income of some Asian groups have not only reached parity but

in some cases even higher than the national median, and the fact that

.3 27

,4 0
the Asians have become quite dominant as a group in the professional

and technical occupational categories. This type of study has led

people to believe that Asians have made it.

Now, my contention is that thefirst of all, these criteria are not

applicable to Asians in the sense that the Asians are actually

concentrated primarily in two States in the United States, California

and Hawaii, rather than evenly distributed among 50 States, as is the

case for other groups. Since these two States ha:/e the highest standard

of living, the median income is not surprisingly a lot higher than the

*rest of the 48 States. Furthermore, if you were to look at those two

States, Asians are primarily concentrated in twothree metropolitan

areas: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Honolulu where the standard

of living is even higher. And then, if we were to look aetsian

Americans from the point of view of their socioeconomic status in

those concentrated areas in comparison with the dominant population,

we find vast disparity between Asians and whites. We also find .Asians

located in highly discriminated sectors of the labor market.

On the one hand, there is a very high concentration of Asians in the

professional and technical categories and, on the other hand, a very

high concentration in the service category. Then if you go further into

the metropolitan areas statistics, you'll find that within, for instance,

the highly technical professional categories, you find Asians concentrated primarily in two, three areas: in engineering, in acconnting, and

in health technology, and conspicuously absent in others. ,These are

the.primary areas for highly educated Asian males.

What about the Asian fetnale who has gotten a college degree? They

are inVariably in clerical categories. For the service category, we find

that Asians are not in that so-called -uniform services, like police,

firemen, and Sheriffs. Instead, they are actually in restaurants, hospital

workers, janitorial services, very low-level type Of jobs. And for

females, it's timarily domestics and in the sewing factories, the socalled

Then, if you were to look further.into each one of these categories,

in terms of where Asians are located, for example, in accounting and

engineering, you'll find again Asians to be primarily in the lower level

of the profession. In other Words, if you really dig into it, you find

very, very consistent and highly institutionalized discrimination in the

labor market. And I think that's the kind of thing we ought to be

looking for and be sensitive about.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Thank you very much.

MR. YAWL Mr. Chairman, could .1 commentjust one statement?

Talking about averages and -to .reenforce what Dr. Wang is ing

about, it's like the illustration of a peison who's head is in the er

28

1
aild hiifeet is in the fire; on the average the guy's temperature is pretty

good.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you.

Commissioner Freeman?

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. None.

VicE CHAIRMAN. HoRN. Commissioner Saltzman?

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. I don't have any questions.

VicE CHAIRMAN HORN. I'd like to ask Dr. Wang one question with

regard to the AIR. (American Institutes for Research) study, which I

suspect you're familiar with, that was made of bilingual education.

Could you briefly describe for the Commission those aspects of that

study as they pertain to Asian American languages and the effective-

. ness of the implementation, and any comments you have with regard

to the appropriateness of that study in terms of methodology, etc.?

DR. WANG. Well, to begin with, I think you're familiar with the

circumstances under which tile contract was awarded. In fact, there

was a subsequent Federal lawsuit against HEW and some allegations

of impropriety in the awarding procedure. All these took place before

the entire Watergate disclosure: There were allegations made about

the political `--

VICE CHAIRMAN HoRN. Well, m nterested i in the research

methodology.

DR. WANG. Okay. Then subsequently iictually I was contacteci by

the AIR to be one of the advisers. I went to the first and ont meeting

that I attended because I found that thethat everything that I trjed to

bring out was completely ignored, mid so I finally gave up my

participation after the first meeeting.

NOw, as far as the studritself, it has very little relevancy to Asian

Americans. I do .not like the,for instance, the .way the study was

conducted. The only thing that they cover as far as the Asian

Americans was concerned is the so-called exemplary program, a Title '

VII prOgram came out of the Asian American cimmunity.

I suggested to them that in order to make a study that has some

meaning to the Asian community, they ought to look at programs that

have existed a little bit longer than just 1 or 2 years. I suggested that

the Title II program funded in San Francisco Chinatown tie the targee

years. But instebadelt to look at the program that -was :fairly of their study, by then it was already inexistence for 4 or 5

new; just barely got started. In fact, it was plagued with a' lot of

problems. I personally know the problems, of the new prOgram, and I

knew such a study would not do us any good.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Let me ask you this, in terms of the 1.,ast

decision in which I believe you did some of the research for that case,

4 12

14.
'

have there been subsequent studies done in the San Francisco Public

Schools that would give us some feeling as to whether change has

occurred and the degree to which Asian American students are

learning the English language through the 'lingual education ap- proach/

DR. WANG. The only study that has come- out since the Lau

decision or since the consent decree which was issued by the Federal

ilistricticourt AIN uent to the Lau decision, was the report submifted

iv San 'Francisco Board of Education to the Federal court as part of

the consent degreea report, progress report.

In that report, I regret to inform you, it indicated that around 1,200

non-English-speaking children were receiving no identifiable setvices.

VICE CHAIRMAN HoaNTWhat is the date on that report?

DR. WANG. The date, I think it was in November 1978 or

Decepber 1978.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. SO it would be probably the 1977-78 school

year then?

DR. WANG. 'Yes. There has been some progress made, there's no

questioq in ply mind. It's interesting how the school district reacted to

the Lau decision. Sometimes these figures about how many children

need-rvices go up agil down depending on the political climate and

the schbol district's abTlity and desire to serve.

For instance, when the Lau decision came out in 1974, San

Francisco reported around 9,000 in the whole school system. Then, a

year' after that, in 1975, they reported 6,100. Suddenly it dropped

down and then, after persistent cOmmtinity pressure, if eventually

went back up to 9,000 or 10,000. It was interesting for me to find out

that 2 years ago they conducted a survey which was mandated by the

consent decree, a home language survey, and it showed 34,000.out ofa

school district of 61,000 whose home language is other than English.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I'd like to ask Ms. Piaq if the Division of

Asian American Affairs in HEW was at all involvea idthe decision on

the American Institutes for Research contraCt?

Ms. PIAN. No, we were not.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Was the office in existence at the, time that

contract was let?

MS. PIAN. Yes, but the AIR study Wiebnducted py the ffice of

Evaluation and Dissemination in the Office of Education. Th Officky

of Education Planninsin_ASPE was involved in the inception that

study,13ut the Division of Asian American Affairs was not invo ed.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. In other words, the Division of A ian

American Affairs' under the Assistant Secretary of Planning and!

Evaluation was not consulted even though the Assistant Secretary fot

36 - 13
Planuing and Evaluation might have been consulted by the Commissioner of Education NW his staff?

MS. P1AN. Yes. I was not wIth the Division of Asian American

Affairs at the time, but I am -quite, in ihat DAAA was not

involved in the decision on the AIR, study. )

V,ICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Any fUrther questions by my colleagues?

I'd like to thank each of you for coming here to Washingtoh -to share

your overviews with the Commission. We deeply appreciateit. Thank

you very much.

[Applause.]

P.

44

31
t.

Papers Priminted

An Overview of civil Rights issues of

Allan and Pacific Americans: Myths arid

eeiities

by Minotu Yasui*

Introduction

Asian Americans, particidarly. Pacific Islanders, residing east of the

Rocky Mountainsi and west of th6 MississippLitive(, in the Great

Plains area of the United States, ce generally detached from

concentrated poputation centers of individuals of similar backgrounds

.1 and certainly are isolated from the 'major 3cAive (4oss currents

affecting Aplan American ana Pacific Uander isfues.

The six States (Colorado, Montanr Wydilleing, Utah, North and

South Dakola) constituting Federal Region VIII have.a population of

slightly more than 6,million inhabitants on-more than 582,000 squares

miles of territory or slightly more than 10 persons per square mile.

Three percent of the people of the United Shoes live in this' region,

which constitutes about one-sixth of the land area of our cortry.

Proportionately, the populations of Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders in this region4 even more infinitesmally smallert perhaps,

Asian Americins constitine less than 0.3 percent of the total population in this regic11. Moreover, the Asian American population is

divided and pubdivided into a number of ethnic or nationality groups,

with different languages, diversVpultural and social backgrounds, lid

at all levels of assimilation into the American mainstream.

/The Chpese Americans, and to a lesser degree, the Japanese

Americap have been in the United States for four and five

gener ons; whereas, the Indochinese or Korean groups are uently "fresh off the boat" and have been in the linikid States on y during

the past few years. The r ent immigrants from Asia, with little or no

ability to function in thT English language, and having very little

knowledgioof oitc American thores or customs, find it exceedingly

difficult to' communicate effectiveli their needs or even to exist

satisfabtorily in the United States.

Because of the sparse populations of Asian Americanein this region,

and becauae of the wide divergence of needs and aspirations of this

group, in this region, there is no general commonality of needs or.

Minoru Yuui is the executive director of the Commission on Community kelstions, Denver, Colo.

32

15
- TABLE 1

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders In the United Stat s

Chinese Americans 750,000

Japanese Americans 800,000.

Korean Americans 400,000'

Filipinos grid Filipino Americans 250,000

Indochinese (All groups) 200,000"

Pacific Islanders 100,000

Korean tzigrants hove boan silt -the United Stales lh large numbers.

up to 'a t 150,000 per year, durkig the last sevral yars.

IndoChIneee, many of whom are ithn c Chinese, as well as Vietnames,

Cambodians, Laotians, Al'hongs, Thalt_and others hav generally come to the

United States as refugees since the fa11 of Saigon In April 1975.

grievances of the Asiaii American groups in this region. Hence, the

up views herein being presented undoubtedly reflect the det4chment and

isolation of this particular writer and site certainly personal and

subjective. c do not know whether the concerns1 expressed herein

are shared b ther Asian Americans on either the kest coast or east

coast, or lndeea by any others in this region. views herein

exp are those c'f an American oC Japanese-an try, born in the

$t e o Oregon before World War-I (ti16), evacuated from the west

c t in 942, and a Colorado resident d ng the past 37 years, and as

h, are highli individUalized viewpointi.

Asian Amerkiens In the United Stats

lt is our understanding that since the 1970 U.S. census ihere have

been some substantial. changes and *creases in Asian American

populations in the United States. No one seems to have accurate

figures mrof 1979, bitOt is- wilerstanding that there are about 2.5

million Asian Americaria and 1hific Islanders in the U.S. as estimated

in table I.

It cannot be overemphasized that each of the ethnic groupsçlisted

above and all of the 'subgroups mentioned lire distinct and diffe t as

much, perhaps, as Greeks are different from Swedes, or ts Spani s

'are different from Russians. Too often, Americans believe that I

"Asians" are alike, with similar language, culture, and background.

Civil rights stiuAgles bf each of these groups are in many ways

different for each group. :-----N,

Oenerally, civil rights and other social problems of Asian Americans

ILin thkalnited 'gates can be divided broadly into those- affecting the

newly-arrived iinmigraritwithin the past 5-10 yearsand those

involving Asian Americans whose roots in America-go back several

generations. Nevertheless, the problems of the newly-arrived immigrant anwa those of second, third, fourth, or even fifth generation Asian

. 33
e(

, An ericans arc intertwined and interminglqd, because most Americans

re rd all Asians as having been INorn and reared in a quaint and exotic

homcCif not actually born in the far-away Orient. It is only oo often

'that Asian Americans with adviu ced Ph.Ds, or M.D. degr , or other

credentials igher learning are ked: "My, you speak ocj English;

where did y i learn to speak English?" or "When did you conic to this

I conntry?"

Longtime Residents of the United States

The. Chinese have had in impact upon western Euroikan civilifai

tion as long ago as the beginning of the 13th century, when Mongol

trovpers carrying the war banners of Genghis Khan 'deka& the

ItAssians ink 1223, and invaded Poland. Hungary, and the Danube

Valley. Marco Polo of Venice journeyed to the far-off land of Cathay

during the mid-1200s to learn of the advanced civilization in China,

which made Europe look like a land of barbarians. The influence of

China upon the world has not only been long continuing but also

profound. Most .Americans, unfortunately, are not even aware of the

long ago influences of Chinese civilization which affect their daily

lives today, but indeed, today, are still inclined to look down upon the

"heathen Chinee."

And yet, we know that the seafaring nations of Europe were

carrying on trade with China during the 1500s, and by the early 1800s,

European nations and the United States penetrated and invaded China.

Conversely, by the mid-1800s, Chinese coolies (working men), notably

from the southern areas-near cfnton, were imported to work the sugar

cane fields and the pineapple plantations of Hawaii, and later brought

over to the American mainland to work on railroads, in the mines, to

do laundry and cooking, and all the menial, backbreaking work that

our pioneering white inen avoided.

Despite all of the patience, hard work, and forbearance exhibited by

the Chinese immigrants during the late 1800s, virulent anti-Chinese

hiciVement swept the west coast. The Japanese laborers were brought

in after the Meiji restoration in 1868, and as Japanese 'families were

established on the farms and cities of the west coast, the anti-Oriental

movement took up the cry of the "Yellow Peril" and succeeded in

persuading the Congress of the.United States to enact the-Oriental

Exclusion Act of 1924, prohibiting any further immigration frdm the

Orient. It was not.until 1952 that anti-Oriental immigration laN4s were

amended to permit immigrants from the Orient to enter the United

States as permanent residents.

With the outbreak of ,World War II, with the bombing of Pearll,

Harbor on December.-7, *941 4subsequentlyall persons of ancestry

having 0.031 percent degree of )apanese blood or more were foryibly

34

17
rembved from their homes and incarcerated in iartime internment

camps in the desolate desert and swamp 'areas of the United States.

Although cases were carried to the Supreme Court of the United

States, the ps. Supreme Court ruled that such differential treatment

of the Japanese American was justified a a constitutional exe ise of

war power, while acknowledging that slich military oçtlerJagainst

civilians were based ugorarace, and race alone.

Tlr above backgr d is set forth to indicate the deep-rooted and

now established leg 1- and constitutional basis for discriminatory

. actions against those ian Americans who have for generations in the

United States demon ratedmore than amplytheir loyalty to the

United States of AMerica, and yet find certain civil rights and

opportunities denied to them solely on the basis of an Oriental

(nncestry. . It should be noted that such legally discriminittory governmental

actions were not enforced against Americans of 4ropean ancestry.

Newly Arrivod Asian Inplalgrants

Because of lafiguage problems, the -newly arrived Asian immigrant

to the United States is trinerally having an excruciating time.

Educational opportunities ar4--in effect and in factdenied to such itrc_

immigrant who cannot speak linglish. In the Denver.area, it was noted

that there were 22 individuals who were flutht in English as well as in

one or more 4f the Indochinese tongues to serve approximately 4,000

reffigees from Southeast Asia. Although the Lau case, decided by the

U.S. &wreme Court, requim4g instruction o be in the language

.1,1understood by the studentin act and in e is not being followed

in this region because of a lack f interpreters or instructors capable of

handling the Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Hmo'ng, Thai, or other

languagel.

Because many such newly arrived immigrants from Southeast Asia

are unable to function in the English language, copportunities in

--.. education, in employment, and as a result, in housing ,,and in the

normal, iisual amebities of life are denied to these individuals. We do

not have statistics for other regions but it might be illuminating to

mention data for the Mountain-Plains region as follows: As best that

can be determi , thet are about 18,500 persons of Asian American

backgroimd in, t lAnver metropolitan area. These individuals

constitute about 0.1 of nercent of the total population of an estimated

1.7 Million peo e in This ttropolitan area.

Estimates n pe'rsbns of Asian American background in the

Mountain:- ants regidh] the Colorado 'Alliance of Pacific Asian

18

35
TABLE 2

Parsons ofAhn American Background In tha Mountain-Plains

Region Numbar of Persons

Korean Americans \ 6,000

Japanese Americans 3,500 Chinese Amaricans 1 3,000

Indochinese (all groups) ', 4,500

Vietnamese \ 1,500 Cambodian 800

# Laotian 600

M'hong 400

Thal I ,200 Fiiiping. /

.f Pacific t Anders T \

1 uuuu k (negl ible)

Americans (CA13AA), headed by Or. Nai-Kwang Chang, director of,'

rearch and development for Community College, Denver, Colorado

(9857 East 16th Avenue, Aurora, colorado 80010) indicated 18,000

(see table 2).

With the exception of possibly1 3,000 Japanese Americans and

probably about 1,500 Chinese Am ricans, the others are generally

recent immigrants to the United Stat

The longtime resident of Japanese American or Chinese Amerivan

anceMry is generally of higher than average educational level alkd

generally is fairly well off econ mically. Th problems of the '1,

established Asian American is not i obtaining an education, or a job,

or a home for himself and his family the problem is usually a question

of being promoted to the highest ley I of his or her ability.

Because of America's preoccupa ion with discriminatdry ractices

against blacks for some 200. yea , and becmise of an aakeniiig

conscience about discrimination a ainst Hispanics and native American Inaani, extraordinaryietrforts re made to promote and recognize

these groups. In these efforts nly too frequentlythe equally or

better qualified Asian American s passed over or is replaced.

In two specific instances in Ienver, a Japanese American holding a

high position with the regional office of Health, Education,

Welfare was replaced by a HOpana, who also had high credentials.lif

comPlaint is lodged because of repla&ment of the Asian American, - but complaint is made that 'no equivalent assignment was ever made

for the- Japanese Amerin official. Another_examplee involved a

Chinese American Ph. . whoP was temporarily appointed vice president in charge 1f he Avaria Campus of Community College upon termination o Spanish-surnamed educator. Although thg

record is clear Ihat t is Chinese American ,`educator was performing

superbly as the a inistrativs head of this branch campus, he was

36

4 f)
;

replaced by a Spanish-surnamed educitoralso wkh a Ph.D.solely

becausethe student body was heavily Hispanic and in order to provide

a top level position for a Hispanic.

Small &Ohms. Administration.

As set forth in appendix A (attached), it was learned that the UfS.

Small Business Adiiiliatration (SBA) eliminated Asian. Ame

businessmen as "minoritY businesses," although there is no qu on

that Asian Americans do constitute a minute minority in a, hite

America that iureoccupied ikith blacks and Hisparics.

Because the Wonomic base of Japanese Americans wasiwiped out in

1942-46, and .because the vast majority of Asian Americans in the

United States do not *re a solid business base from which to operate,

it is our position that the Federal .Small Business Administration must

include Asian Americans in the category of "minorities" in those" . specializel cales where assistance is obviously needed -in order to

make a biness venture successful.

wo Id not argue that a Minoru Yamasaki or an I.M. Pei be

tO...S A loans, but, on the other hand, we would .point out that

are multiMillionalres among the black and Hispanib populations in the

United States.'Most emphatkally, wedo not believe that aid to blacks

and Hispanics should be diminished;"or that the interests of the blacks

and Hispanits be Rifted against Asian Americans or native American

Indians, but rather that special consideration also be offered to all

disadvantaged groups.

Fundamontal Violations of Civil Rights

During 1942, as a result of the anti-Oriental mindset of certain

military and governmental officials, 120,000 persons of Japanese

ancestry were forcibly removed from the west coast and incarcerated

in desolate desert camps in clear violation of their human rights. tIslo

charges were ever filed against individuals that resulted in a couviction

and sentence to such camps. Because such persons 9! Apanese

ancestry were incarcerated during World War II, the financial losses

to that group of people exceeded $40,000,000.

Completely aside from'the financial losses, the denial of the right to

peaceftilly assemble, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, the

right to be secure in their persons, papers 'and effects, the rig& to be

tharged ty a presentment or indictment, the right not to be deprivad

of liberty or property without due process of law, the right to Si speedy

and public trial, the right to be confronted by witnesses against him,

the right to have assistance of counsel, the right to ball; and the right

to be free from cruel or unusual punishment, were all denied to persotrl

'of Japanese ancestry 'during. World War II in the sbagetul and

37

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50
A. )

/

4

unwarranted evapation and internment of all persons of Japanete

\a.. ancestry ont the west coast. The i ony of this whole episode is that

thrce-fl irths of those evacuated id interned were United States

citiiens and 23,000 subsequently efved in the Armed Forces of the

United States with outstanding gallantry and heroism. The previously

untold storLip -that some 8,000 of these Japanese Adericans served in

the Pacific -T heat re in operations against the nation, of their ancestry.

. . , .. We are cognizant of the fact that Unite 41 States Supreme Court in

Pi e cases of Hirabayashi v. United States, 3 U.S. 115 (1943), and Yank E

v. United States, 320 U.S. 115 (1943), 40 that imposition of militar71 1 . curfew orders against civilians was a proper exercise of war power,

despite the fact that these military orders *were applied against United%

States Eitizens on the basis of race, and race alone. Further, the case of

Korernatsu v, United States, 323 U.S. 214 (1944), held that 'military

orders were constitutional even thpughirequiring removal of persons

on the balls of raceby a six to three decisi9p. 1,

We hre particularly concerned, at this time in history, that these

decisions of the United States Supreme Court kill exist as law of .the

land. We are well aware that these decisions are like a loaded gun

pointed at the head of every United States citizen and that in times of

emergency or crisis this weapon could be used to deprive innocent

yeople of their basic constitutional rights. We'know that given the

anti-Orientilism of the wçst,castirJ the event of problems witlithe

People's Republic of ChiAathis eapon might be used against

American tizens of Chinese ancestry and perhaps against other

United Sta s citizenp of other unpopular ancestries.

.3 As parl o its natibnal campaign to seek means of deterring the use of

such milita or ers to deprive Unit4d States citize s of thNr basic

con14ional rights, the Japanese American Citizens League has c. -

tic ..upot( a campaign for redress for the wrongs cominitted by

, -- tl United States Government in 1942-46. 1

When the United States is attempting to stand up in the world as the

protectO and cpamilion of human rights, it does .not enhance the

image of the Uled States to have that kind of indefensible record. I Moreovek when the United States Government i trying to persuade

the People's Republic of East Germany to appropriate reparations for

Jewish victims of the Holocaust, it does not apkar o be consistent for.

our Federal Gc:4ernment to make these pleas wi9C such an uncorrect- \. ed blemish in our history. We know that the experiences of extermination and horror' suffered by 6 million Jews iii Europirlic far durpass the

experiences of Japanese Americans in the United Stlitesthat there is

38

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/ I.,

, no comparison, but we believe the nation preaching freedom, liberty,

brotherhood: and democracy can ill afford to leave unredressed the

injulttices of the put.

.... We believe that this is an issue that affects all Americaps and would

have specific applicability to parsons of Asian background because the

record woutd show that the United States does, indeed, regard all

human bsittipt as humanand does not make a distinction in the case of

individuals of Asian background.

The hope and dream of the,Japanese American Citizene League is to

b d a trust Rind which shall be use4to protect and defen4 the human

tights of all people in perpetuity in the name of, those Japanese

Americans who underwent the unmitigated injultice'of evacuation and

incarceration during World War ll in their own nativpland.

N

Conclusion

Regretably,<teme does not permit the full exploration and development of tflPmany issues confronting Asian Americans in the United

States. We know that this great Nation does exert efforts to live up to

the ideals enunciated in the Declaration of Independence and in the

fUndamental Bin of Rights written into the Constitution of the United

Staies of America.

We believe in Aetierica; we are firm in swr fail that these United

States will continuously exert efforts to become a more democratic,

more-freedom loviy, and indeed, the land of liberty and justice for all.

.141,

4

A

39

r.r
P4ilt

Ps Stiltement Of- L. Ling-chi Wang, Assistant*

Professoi, Uhivereity Of California,

Berkeley

.,I would like to begin this presentation by expressing my gratitude

fqr this unprecedented opportunity to present sonte of the major civil

riihrs issues of Asian Americans to the Commission and its staff today

and tomorrow. Even though a few State Advisory Committees of Ale

Commission have, in the past few years,' undertaken hearings at die

State level, I believe this is the first consultation on Asian Americr

civil rights issues by the full Commission since its founding.

r- I reniember it was in 1971 that jhe Chinese for Affirmative Action

(CAM, a community-based civil rights organization in San Francisco,

first apprised the Commission staff in Los Angeles of the need to deal

with the unique civil rights problems of Asian Americans and to

include Asian Americans.on the staff, §tate Advisory Committees,

and, indeed, the Commission itself. It t6ok a few years to put a few

Asians on tV,staff and op the State Advisory Committees. It took a

little longer To include Asian Ajnerican concerns on the agendas of the

tate committees with high concentration of Asian.American populaion. This long, overdue,2-day consultation Must, therefore, be seen as

nother step in our long and uphill struggle to have our voice heard

and our long journey toward achieving equal opportunity in the U.S.

With the support of this Commission, Ime hope to sae the first Asian

American appointed to this Commission in %very near future!

The first point I would like to make : We cannot begin to

comprehend the civil rights problems of Asian Americans unless we

have an adequate understading of the unique bistorical experience of

each Asian group in the U.S. Even though each Asian group entered

the U.S. at a different time in American history, the purpose for which

the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, of Filipinos were brought was not

different from the African slaves or the Mexican bracerosto mett the

periodic demands for cheap lab% in the mines, railroads, agriculture

fields, and manufacturini industries in the fast, expanding west coast

economy. Thus, between 1852 and 1882, the year when the first racist

immigration law was enacted by Congress to single out the Chinese for

total exclusiód from the U.S., about 300,000 able-bodied Chinese men

were brought into the West. Moreover, during the critical transitions

-.Worn plantation to industrial economy in the South and from keen.

competition among large numbers of small manufacturers to domination by industrial giants in the East, Chinese coolies were, respectively,

deployed for a brief moment to replace the emancipated black slaves

40

53
er the Civil War in the South and recruited to serve as strike

kers in smaller Mum manufacturing factories.

long the /tame line, but in. a period after the exclusion of the

Chinese, Japanese contract laborers were recruited predominantly as

seasonal, migrant agricultural workers in California and plantation

laborers in Hawaii. From 1890 to 1924, whtliPsthe Japanese were

permanently excluded by Congress like the Chinese1 &total of 272,000

Japanese contraCt laborers were brought ovr to meet the serious labor

shortage and rising .4frtfor cost and agitation; in the West. Liicewise, as

another wave of demand for cheap labor arose, yet another Asian

group, this time, some 150,000 Pilipino contract laborers, weir enlisted

between 1924 and 1934, when the Great Depression finally put an end

to the long history of large-scale human transportation from across the

Pacific. Itlis not until the late 1960s and 1970s when we witnessed

similar massive migrations of Asians to the U.S.: the airlifting of about

150,000 Indochinese and the arrival of families and professionals'

previously excluded by our discriminatory immigration laws before

1965.

As our economy fluctuated between growth and depression, so each /

Asian group was successively subjected to the saw brutal treatment as

the Native Americans, Afro Americans, eastern and southern European immigrants, and Mexican Americans. Almost withouexception,

each economic crisis was accompanied by an anti-Asian movement.

Among the major crises were the depressions of the 1870s, 1920s, and

1930s. Respectively, they victimized the Chinese, Japanese, and

Pilipinos. These intense, nationwide anti-Asian movements were

marked by widespread mob violence and political agitations and

invariably they resulted in the passage of numerous racist laws, among

them were the genocidal immilt%tion laws enacted by Congress,

beginning with Those against the Chinese in 1882., the Japanese in 1924,

and. the Filipinos in 1934. In other words, each Asian group was

imported to meet a concrete demand for cheap labor, and each was,

subsequently excluded by law when each was no longer perceived to

be needed or when it was no longer politically and economically

expedient to continue its utilization. The series of exclusionary

immigration laws, directed specifically at each Asian group, was

designed to deport and exterminate the Asian population from the

American soil because these laws had no provisions for Asian, laborers

to bring over their wives, children, and parents, and antimisceienation

laws in virtually every State barred most Chinese and Pilipinos, and

some Japanese and Koreans from the possibility of normal family life

in the U.S. To niake life intolerable and totally hopeless, these

restrictive and racist laws, upheld by repeated judicial interpretations,

alio. rendered Asians ineligible for naturalization, on the one hand, and

41

5 4
e

tt,

" 1

4yitematica1ly evicted Asians from jobs, land, and buSinesses, on the

other hand. They urther suspended permanently Asian rights, privileges, and even sanctuaries in the white society. Let me just cite a

few examples:

California inscrited into its State constitution in 1879 this article:

"No corporation now existing orhereader formed under the laws of

this State shall, after .the adoption of the Constitution, employ, directly 9r indirectly, in any capacity, any Chinese or Mongolian:

The'Legislature shall pass such laws as may be necessary to enforce

this provision. No Chinese shall be employed on any.State, County,

Municipal" or other public Work, except in punishment for crime."

Almost inimediately after the constitutional convention, the legislatugs enacted a law providing that any corporation "who shall employ in any nianner or capacity. . .any Chinese or Mongolian is guilty of a misdemeanor."

In the case of People v. George W. Hall, Chief Justice Hugh C. Murray of the State Supreme Court of California held that Chinese

belonged to 'the category of Negro and Indian and as such should

not be allowed to give evidence in favor of, or against, a white man. \

In his opigion, Murray wrote, the Chinese, Negroes, and Indians are

respectively, "a race of people whom nature marked as inferior, and who are incapable of progress or intellectual development. . .as

their history has shown. . . If we could admit them to testify, (we) would ,admit them to 0 the equal rights of citizenship, and we

might soon see them at the polls, in the jury box, upon the bench, and in our legislativehalls." This ruling was sustained in Speer v. See

Yup Co. and People v. ElYea in 1855 and People v. Brady in 1871 and

remained in force until 1873.

In another dfision handed down by a Federal district court judge in Califora in 1870, the Chinese were held ineligible for naturalization and thus for suffrage. A. similar cast, the Ozawb case, was handed down in 1921 against the Japanese. This dertiiil

effectively Prevented Asians from exerciiing their tivil and political rights anti deprived them of 'any weapon to protect theMselves against lawlessness aid racial discrimination. Thii"coort deCisiop was 6rentually enacted into law by Congress in 1882 and remained

..in effect until 1943. . The Alien, Land Act. of 1913 forbids "aliens ineligible to

citizenship" from purchasing land and the Alien Land Act of 1920,

,42

5 r"
101

1

prOhibits leasing and sharecropping. Both laws were aimed at

Japanese, but are applicable to all Asians. These laws were not

repealed until Nov. 6, 1956.

Undoubtedly, the most flagrant violation of thc constitutional

.rights of Japanese Americans was the signing 'of Executive Order

9066 by President Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, .and 'subsequent

Supreme Court ruling, justifying the internment of some 110,000

Japanese Americans in concentration camps.

It was against this oppressive background that Asian communities

were established in isolated. ghetto areas in American cities and rural

areas. Politically disenfranchised, economittity discriminated, and

socially ostracized, thepretiominantly male AsiOi communities were,

so to speak, left to their own devices and were controlled, to a large

extent, by a quasi-government, made up of the merchant class mid

consulate officials from Asian countries, which happened,to have some

access to the outside world and often acted as intermediary between

the communities and governinent agencies in the U.S. and in Asian

Countries. They operated ethnically oriented small businesses, ran . t

sweatshops, and worked on menial jobs rejected by or noncompetitive

with whites. Decades of neglect by government and exploitation by

both Asian and white employers left ../qan communities to this date

with legacies of social, economic, and politioal prbblems common in

all minority ghettoes in the U.S., to be diseased and elaborated during

this 2-day consultation. , .

.,

. ,. I just want to add that current popular beliefs, held most firmly by 4.

government agenciesthat Asians have no problems, that Asians have

m e it, that Asians take are of their own problems, and that Mians

are too proud to seek government assistanceare but persistent ..----

--, manifes tiong of the highly institutionalized government attitude

'toward Asian Americans ofbenign neglect. The latest'example of this

attitude came fromvpone other President Jimmy Carter in his recent

Proclamation on the AsianjPeeific Amerlan Heritage Week. In his

proclamation, 'President Carter treated discrimination against Asians as

a thing of ihe pasc and proudly proclaimed, "We have succeeded in

removing the bar,,

into American society and their positive and

'irs to full participation in American life. . . . Their

successful integ

active participati tn our national life demonstrates the soundness of

, Affierica's policy of continued openness to peoples from Asia and the ----N.

Pacific."

Esien while the President was proclaiming the spccessful integration

of Asian Americaa4nto American society, the Office of Federal

Procurement Policy and the Small Business Administration were

proposing regulations, based on the Addablio, bill, to exclude Asian

, 5 6

43.
. t 3

-.1 Americans from the "protected category," thereby denying them of

.tsf. the benefits given tv minority small businesses.

The perpetuatiou .of the histonc quasi-government in the Asian

commanity to this date further allows agents of foreign goVern- mentsespecially the KMT [K(tomintang] fröiNTaiwan, the KC1A

from South Korea, and the operatives of the Mar&s dictatorshipto

rampantly violate the civil and political rights of Asig4p Americans

. with impunity.

It was against this bleak and hopeless setting (hat.the second or the

Amefican-born generations of Chinese Americans, Japanese Ameri- cans,. and Korean Americans, disproportionally smaller in numbers, - emerged before the World War 11. Convinced that the only way to) break out of the low socioeconomic sktus and ghetto existence was to

cast aside their language and cultinaheritage and to become fully Americanized, most Asian parents, at great family sacrifice, sent their

children to segregated schools, and pinned their future solely on their

investment in education. Soon many American-born Asian Americans '. \received high school diplomas while others succeeded in getting

academic and professional degreet from colleges and universities. i

Howpyer, in spite of their educational achievements, they found

theinselves, upon graduation, able only to find jobs 41 farms, in hand

laundries, restaurants and stores owned and opevrke^y their parents, meaning in menial' jobs Aot commensurate their a6ility and

training e cause of racial barriers erected within the highly segmented

labor.. i rket. Those unwilling to put up with the second class

citizenship reluctafitly emigrated to China or-Japan where their skills ',' were needed bur their cultural environment was, ironically,Ialien to

theicupbrin ngs because they were too successful in wiping out their

Asian heritag ..-

It was not lintil, during and after...the, World Wasilk with an

unprecedented. demand for skilledvnd technical personnel in warrelated industries, that this pool of highly educated Asian Americans was recruited tom their isolated communities and placed in the

rivarious newly eated technical and clerical Occupations.

However, i woul4 be erroneous to perceive the new job opportunities afforded these well-educated_ Asian Ame.riCalr in, war-related

industries during the war and thrdughbW the Cold War as the definitive removiil of the racial1 barrier, nd final acceptance or assimilation of Asians in the Amenctan 'Mains cam, as many, including Asian Ameri creh, ave come to believe. T in with! the war..and

ihe Cold WaCcreated a now fam9us atid ec mically indispensable

. ruilitity-industrial complex which demanded arge' numbers of highly ned and technicall 1a---ti of our labor force shifted dramatically rom agricultural type of

tr4k competent persdnne .l Secondly, the composi44

5 7

1
jobs in 1910 to the dominance of the white-collar type ofjobs since the

war. Specifically, these changes, along with the new changes in

government postwar fiscal and monetary t;olicies, meant a greater

demand for highly trained technical and clerical workers. In the case

of the wellbeducated AsialinAmericans, it was by necessity.that they

were drawn or drafted into the war industries, clearly not due to such

politically charged notions of "success" and "assimilation." In other

words, Asian Americans were recruited into a new expanding sector

of the labor marketthe war-related industriesin very much the

same manner as their 'anceitors or ,parentshen they were first

brought over from Asian to meet the de/1[mnd 6r a particular type of

labor in the rapidly developing economy of the West.

There is no basis to ccinclude that Asians who now work in jobs

labeled as "white-collar," either technical or clerical, should be

copArued as being "Miccessful," "model," or "assimilated." I am

cdrtain that the .panel. on "Employment Issues," scheduled to appear

before this' Convhission torrorrow, will demonstrate that the Asian

:--\participation in the labor market continues to be highly restricty4e and

limited:Careful analysis will show a disproportionaly large percentagr

of Asian Americans, especially among the non-English-speaking ones,

are -now working in substandard menial jobs in/sweatshops and in

service industry, while those well educated and considered to have

iticgessfully entered the primary sector of the labor market are found

to be in only cerfain jobs t kr& race-typed, such as, engineering,

accounting, and he;kh tec no ogy for Asian Males, clerical work for

Asian females, segregated consistently by ray& prejudice, lower

safary schedules, restricted upward mobility), and inferior employment

status and benefiti.' Popular siereotypes arl pseudo-scientifiq studies

suggesting tAsian Americans are successful or fully assimilated,

,therefore,, h4e virtually no material basis. Their sole function is puly

political: to sidestep the important issues of racism in the labor market

and to pit Asian minority group against other minority groups in the

U.S. This, I submit, is both racist and divisive. Froma public policy

standpoint, this myth absolves the government oVany responsibility of

protecting the civil rights of Asian America s and assigns Asian/

Americans to a permanent status of beingpneglected.

5 8

45 If

xc
Censt(s Issues

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. The major subject to be looked at this

morning has to do with census issues, and I'm asking my colleague,

Commissioner Saltzman, to preside during this discussion.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. I'll ask the members who will participate in this section of-oll presentation td come to the platform all

together, Ms. Nampeo D.R. 11Kenney, Mrs. Fortunata Azores, Dr.

Kecwhan Choi, and Dr. Roberto Mariano, Dr. Nack Young An, and

an additional one, Mr. Tool Kim.

Nampeo Mc Kenney will make the firit Presentation around census

issues. Ms. McKeriney works for the Bureau of the Censua,where she

is chief of thb,EthniC futd Racial Statistics Staffs in the Population \ Division.

Ms. Mc Kenney. / ^. Presentation of Nampo° D.R. Mc Kenny, Chjef, Ethnic and

Racial Statistics Staffs, Population Division, 'U.S. Bureau of

the Census

MS. MCKENNEY. Commissioner and audience. I'm very please to

have this opportunity to speak to you this morning. I would like to

focus on the 1980 census in relation to the Asian and Pacific Island

Americans.

S. Within the past decade, census statistics have been increasingly used

for the formulation of Federal policy and the allocation of billions of

dollars under both Federal and State programs..Thus, a census which

accurately enumerates and classifies the population is of paramount

concern to the Census Bureau and the Asian and Pacific American

population, is well as to many other groups in our country.

`lamkensus Bureau will be making every effort to improve the

count orthe population in 1980. I will briefly enumerate just a few

steps which we are taking to achieve thislabjective.

First, the 1980 census will include some new and *modified

procedures designed to get an accurate csunt: Advisory' committees

oil the Asian and Pacific Island American population and, on other

minority groups have been established to .fielp the Bureau in planning

the 1980 census.

.

. ,A minority statistics program at the Bureau has been functioning for

.several years. Its primary 'objective is to coordinate the Bureau's total

efforts to get im improved count, dy the end Of this year, 1979, about

200 community service sPecialists in 12 regional-offices of the Census

Bureau will be actively working in the local communities across the'

c5iuntry, publicizing the census and seeldng the, assistance and

cooperation of the communities in getting a complete count.

46

.59
We are confident 'that we have taken the right approaches for

achieving our objective. Ilowever, 1 cannot overemphasize the

importance of getting the cooperation of the local communities, ethnic

groups, and the respondents if we are to get an accurate count in 1980.

In -the 1980 census, more information than ever Wok will be

collected and published on the Asian add pacific American populations. One of the major issues which the Bureau had to resolve in its

early planning stages was hoiv to best collect information oit. this

population group. The procedures have not been finalized. In the 1980

census, as in past censtves, the basic information on Asian Americans

will be obtained from a race quemtion. This race item has been

expanded beyond that used in 70 and will idenqfy the following

Asian and Pacific Islander ups: Japanese, Chinese, Filipino,

Hawaiian, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian Indian, Samoan, and Guamanian.

This race question is included on the short- and long-form

questionnaires; thus data for all of these I4 racial groups 'will be

available ori a 100-percpit basi. , The race item will also include an "Other" category with a space for

a write-in entry. These write-in entries to the "Other" category will be

coded on the sample questionnaires, and this coding will also allow for

the separate identification of othbr Asian groups, such as Canitxxlian,

Pakistani, etc., from our sample tabulations.

The race item is based_ upon self-identification; it doesn't refer to.

biological or anthropological concepts. In 1980mestionnaires will be

mailed out to households in about 90 percent of the country; each

householder will be asked to identify the Jace of its members: In those

situations where the census taker visits the household to get the census

information, they are instructed to ask the race questio.n,

In the 1980 census, a great deal _information will be tabulated and

publislied on the, Asian and Pa lc Island Americans. This is clearly

indicated in our proposed plans for Volume I reports.

We will firsl publish 100-percent data, which will include counts.

and basic Claracteiistics such as age, Sex, relationship, and mitital

status in the Volume I, P-B reports. Inventory distributions of sample

data, education, oecupation, income, and migration will be presented

in Volume I, P-C reports, and later on, detailed cross tabulations will

be available.

For the first time in a decennial census, the. Census Bureau will

publish counts and characteristics of 14 Asian an* Pacific Islander

groups based on the race item. Attached is a handout which provides

more detailed information about the specific -groups, eharacteristics,

and geographical areas for which data will be published in the Volume

I reports.

GO 47
A special Voluble II report on Asian American populations is also planned for 1980. W4 are now in the early planning stages and working to develop the best approach for this report. Such a report may taddress sonic of the special issues and concerns which are of

importance to the Asian and Pacific Islander community. We certainly would appreciate any comments or suggestions for the report In 1980 -additional data on Asian and Pacific Islanders will be

derived from items such as ancestry, current lani,wage, citizenship, and

inthugration. Copies of the questions are attached.

With regard to estimates of the undercount .of the population, the Census Burean is researching the problem of developing national estimates for various population groups. The basic difficulty is that

there is an absence of certain information, such as vital rates, which is a

necessary component of the estimation process currently in use for the white and black populations. At present, the limitations ofthe data and

the process inAbility to devise an acceptable alternative technique have

prevented the development of estimates of undercoverage among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans as well as some other groups.in

the census.

Before closing, I'd like to mention a potential Source of data otc the Asian and Pacific Island Americans. This is the current population

survey (CPS). This is a representative sample of about 70,())0

households. The race question format has recently been expanded so

that Asian and Pacific Islanders can be identified. The new procedure will be completely implemepted by early 1980.

During the next 2 years, we will be evaluating the CPS information

to determine if we can publish data on the Asian and Pacific Islander

population on a.cumulative basis in the future.

Thank you.

COMMISSIONER SA I:17M AN.-Thank you.

Our nekt participant is Ms.`Fortunata Azores, who is presently a

graduate student in urban planning atlhe University of California Los Angeles and is former chair of the Asian Census Advisory

Committee for the Department of Commerce. Ms. 44res.

Presentation of Eortunata M. Azores, 'Former Chair, Census Advisory Committee on the Asian and, %wino American

Population for the 1980 Census

MS. AZORES. Thank you, Mr. Commissioner.

My topic today will be on the census methodology ,and the

development of social indicators for Asiait and Pacific Americans.

lh recen't years, there has been increasing concern over quality of

life. Census statistics have been used to detect chanc in the social

48

6 1
aspects of life M employment, education and housing, for example, and

to monitor progress towards societal goals.

Public decisionmaking has relied heavily on social statistics for the

direction that it takes. It is, therefore, extremely important that these

statistics reflect the social condition of the Asian and Pacific American

populations, as well as of the laTger population groups in the country.

From published census data, itowever, it is difficnit to find adequate

measures that will provide meaningful, quality of life indicators for

Asian and Pacific Americans.

Current census data does not provide adequate descriptors for the

Asian and Pacific American populations. This is due, in part, to the

Census Bureau's past methods in data collection, aggregation/disagregation of data, and reporting of data. As an example, the

1970 census form had five Asian and Pacific American categories in

the race question: Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, .and Hawaiian,

while no total count of Asian and Pacific Americans was ever made

froiii the 1970 census. The Census Bureau did release estimates of the

Asian American population but they always included only the three

largest Asian subgroups.

In We, the Asian Americans, in a 1970 census publication, the inside

front cover indicated approximately 1.4 million Asian Americans in

the country. This number included only Japanese, Chinese, and

Filipino Americans. In smaller print on page 3, however, the report

acknowledged that 70,000 Ko ans, 9,000 Pakistanis and 76,000

.. Indians were also counted.

Why were they not included in the total count of Asian Americans?

7------ Asian Americans are not as many as some other minority groups, but ---)

the count of their numbers has been made even smaller by the failure'

f of the Census Bureau to properly identify them and to adequately

report those that they are able to identify.

Obtaining a complete count o( Asian and Pacific Americans

involves more than .getting proper- identification categories for the

relevant population. groups. It involves an effective community

outreach . program in the hiring of bilingual enumerators from "the

.respective Asian and Pacific American communities.

A great deal might be said about the methodology in these activities,

however, my presentation will focus on the Census Bureau's methods

,. of reportingt -Asswiing that the data collection procedures are perfect,

the real test is in fiow the data are finany tabulated and displayed in the

published reports. For no matter how the Census Bureau tries to be

.objective, the way it presents the data can create a bias in the

interpretation of that dataa tiias that can work to the detriment of

the Asian and Pacific American populations.

6 2

49(
A few examples will help illustrate how this occurs. Take kbe matter of educational achievement. Asum Americans are known to have high educational attainment. Census data supports .. this fact. Asian Amen- cans also have a high dropout rate. Filipinos particularly are alarmed at the proportion of their youth population who do not go On to college after graduation from high school. Census data also support this fact, but the general publiC is not aware of this. Census statistics in

published reports focus on the-high educational attainment of Asian 4mericans. As a result, the impression is created that Asian Americans have equal oPportunity in education and have no need to be included in affirmative action programs. It would be interesting to know how many or what proportion of the highly educated Asian Americans received their training in this country.

The census questionnaire has an item on language, the purpose of which is to get a measure of the number of persons with limited- English-speaking ability. The measure is needed for the implementa- tion of the Bilingual Education Act and cithe Noting 'Rights Act as amended in 1975. But Census Butrau publications do ff.& show the proportion df Asian Americans that have limited-English-speaking

ability.

The Census Bureau has published a sepayate report called National Origin and Language. It is one table listing a number of Asian and Pacific American languages but makes vo reference to English language difficulty.

There is something special about this volunih, however. In several of its tables the socioeconomic characteristicsVrthe population are given by nativity, parentage, and country of origin. Only China and Japan are included in the countries of origin, but the manlier of displaying the characteristics is very Tcvearing and has gr6at implications f Asian Americans in general. For example, there is one table bn and class of workers. It indicates a difference of Over $5,600 beiween the median family income in 1969. of Japanese persons,16-years-old and over, who are :foreign born andIthose who are native born. in another table an unemploynient status and occupation, the difTerence between the native-born and foreign-born Chinese males who are 16 years old and over is very obvious in the occupational distribution. It is especially evident in the category of service workers . where 13 percent of the native born and 30 percent the foreign born are employed.

\, If significant differences like these exist in the socioeconomic

characteristics of native- and foreign-born Americans, they should be made explicit in other publications, as, for example, the subject report on the Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos in the United States, the single

50

6 3
\

most comprehensive compilation of population charactelistics on

Asian Americans.

The moderfor publication of data in Asian Americans shAtild be one

that conceptualizes the Asian Amfrican population not simply as

Asian Americans, but as native- or foreign-born Asian Americans.

Another subject report that bears mentioning is the one on school

enrollment. Table I of that book relates to enrollment by ethnic

characteristics inchaing. Chinese and,Japanese ethnic groups. However, table 2 of the same book is devoted to enrollment status and year

1 of*1.immigration, but only of European-born persons 3 to 49 years old.

The table includes data for 21 European countries of origin. With

the changing pattern of immigration to this couhtry, Asian origin

peoples comprising less than one-third of total immigrants, it would be

hard to accept the continued emphasiatm European immigrants in the

publication and remirting of 1980 census data.

Just as the Bureau's abandonment of the concept of head of

household is a reflection of its 'recognition of changing or emerging

lifestyles in American, so must the Bureau rethink its policy in other

areas to reflect a changing compAition in the American population.

In December 1977, the Census Bureau came out with a book called

Social Indicator*, 1976 Its introduction has a section on ethnic

diversity "l'vf. the population and contains one table showing the

Filipinos as a major source of immigrants since 1970. Another table

incjudes Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos in the racial breakout for

certain socioeconomic characteristics. There are all together three4

tables on .sOcioeoconomic characterititics by race or ethnic origin.

However, the tables have different groUpingS of race or ethnivity and

different sets of characteristics measured. There Was no way of

looking at the same characteristics aeross all groups.

Tbe extent of Asian American coverage:in this important document

is in the twO small tabls.in the introduction.

ln the II main chapters of the book there i§ no mention qf Asian

Americans. Out of some 50 'tables with racial breakouts,, Apt one

included an Asian American category. A book which is supposed to

describe the current social conditions and trends in the United States

has once again ignored the existence of the smaller population 'groups

for whom the identification of the social conditions and trends is most

essential.

The socioeconomic characteristics desired by Asian Americans and

by the Pacific American populations as well, are obtained from sample

data. However, there is a problem with the statistical Tenability of

sample data on the Asian and Pacific American population, particularly those that arc obtained from the current population survey.

64
elk

But there arc plans to redesign the current population survey after

1980. It is hoped that whatever plan is adopted wilt provide a data base

sufficient to derive statistically reliable measures on the Asian and

,Pacific American populations.

. In summary, I would like to propdse that the Census Bureau adopt "the following procedures for 1980. One, publish a total count of Asian

and Pacific Ainericans with breakouts available, not only for the major

subgroups but also for the category., "other Asian."

. Two, develop adequate descriptors for the Asian Americans,

including breaking out the populations not just by subgroups but by place of birth, where such differentiation is most appropriate.

Three, explore alternative sample strategies in order to obtain

statistically reliable data on the Asian and Pacific American populations. Activities inihis area should be reported to the Asian and Pacific

American Census Advisory Committee.

Four, publish adequate measures that will allow the formulation of

meaningful social indicators for the Asian and Pacific American

populations.

And five, publish data on the Asian and Pacific Americans in a

manner that they can easily be compared with similar data for other

population groups.

The Asian and Pacific American populations are not asking for

ispecial treiitment. They are asking that statistics produced by the Census Bureau be as relevant for them as they are for the larger

population groups.

Without those measures, policy and program planners, as well as

administrators of various public and private institutions, will continue

to ignore the needs of Asian and Pacific Americans. Asian and Pacific

Amcricans will be deprived of equal opportunity to participate, in

affipnative action programs and to receive funds or services for which

thei' may be eligible. ThiS ideal of equal opportunity is a' violation ory

their rights under the law and must not be allowed to continue.

A rethinking of Census policy and certain adjustment in the

methodology will be the first step toward equalizing the opportunities

for the Asian American population in this country.

Thank you.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you, Ms. Azores. The next

presentation will be made by Dr, Keewhan Choi. Dr.' Choi is a

mathemat4 1 statistican at the Center for Disease ControLin Atlanta: Dr. C i?

52
Prsentation of Dr. Koewhan Choi, Statistical Division, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta Regional Office, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

DR. CHOI. Thank you, Commissioners.

Ladies and gentlemen, the topic of my presentation this morning is

the problem of the undefaaint for Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders. Even though there are 3 to 4 million Asian Americans and

Pacific Islanders in the U.S. today, we have neither the accurate

population count nor adequate information on their socioeconomic

characteristics.

The 1980 census will provide us with valuable information on Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders. However, there are several problems

in connection with the 1980 census. The most critical problem for the\

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is that of the undercount.

The United States Bureau of the Census had conducted extensive

evaluation of the censuses conducted in 1950, '60, and '70. A common

finding of these evaluation studies is that the undercount is a major

problem, particularly for the minorities.

For example, blacks as a group and especially black males in the

working age, have been undercounted far more than whites. No

estimate of the undercount for the Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders is given in the 1970 census. For the reasons to be stated later,

the undercount problem is much more severe for the Asian Americans

and Pacific Islanders; the undercount of the Asian Americans and

Pacific Islanders in the 1980 census and the population estimates made

by thewill be maCle by the Census Bureau between the censuses will

have serious consequences, namely political underrepresentation and

unfair distribution of Federal and State funds for social service

programs.

Accurate census data are needed for recognition of the political

influence, the setting of goals in affirmative action programs, and

support of bilingual and bicultural education of Asian Americans and

Pacific Islanders. Also, an adequate data base is essential to measuring

your progress under various social programs and to measure the

effects of policies and programs to remedy past discrimination.

For the 1970 census, the Census Bureau estimates the undercount

rate to be 2.5 percent for the whole Nation, but over 18 percent for

black males of 20 to 34 years old. I estimate the undercount of Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders in the 197tkensus to be well over 20

percent.

Main reasons for the undercount are language difficulty, nonWestern cultural backgrounds of ever-increasing numbers of new

immigrants, and crowded housing conditior, among others.

53
Let me elaborate on some of these points. The undercount of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are, in part, due to large

numbers of immigrants each year since the repeal of the quota system

based on national origin in 1965. ln 1970 it was estimated that there

were 2 to 2.5 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. By 1980 it to. is estimated that there will be 3 to 4 million Asian Americans and

Pacific islanders.

Each year the population of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

increased by, approximately 100,000 to 150,000. The majority of the

recent immigrants are non-English speaking and from non-Western

cultural backgrounds, and they do not understand census forms and

procedures.

Another reason for the undercount is the crowded housing conditions for new immigrants. In many cities, it is quite common for more

than one family to live in a single apartment. Because.of the language difficulty, it is most likely that only one family will be enumerated in

the census for such multifamily dwelling.

The recolimendations to remedy the undercomit problems are: One, precensus information campaign, through community organizations and ethnic newspapers; two, census questionnaires and the instructions

to be translated into each of the major Asian languages and the census

enumerators particularly in cities with large concentration of Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders should be bilingual and bicultural; three, special postenumeration survey which is niiodeled after the Census Bureau's monthly current population surVey is needed. Such

survey should cover approximately 5 percent of the Asian American

andAmericans and Pacific Islanders.

Such survey will provide -us with, one, adequate information on

socioeconomic characteristics of the Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders; two, the undercount rate; three, the accurate number of new

immigrants; four, immigration record and vital statistics of the Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders should be linked with their census

records.

Thank you.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you.

Our next speaker is Dr. Roberto S. Mariano. Ir. Mariano is

curreitly. on leave from the University of Pennsylvania to teach

economics and to pursue research interests at the Berkeley campus of

the University of California.

Dr. Mariano.

Presentation of Dr. Roberto S. Mariano, Associate Professor

of Economics, Univerillty of Pennsylvania

DR. MARIANO:Thank you.

54
I am supposed to talk about the impact of census issues On

Asian/Pacific Americans, and that is what I'll try to cove! in this 10-

minute presentation.

At the very 'outset let me point out that there is indeed an

information gap regariing AsianYPacific Americans. Their socioeconomic conditions and needs remain undocumented on a national and

regular andlreliable manner.

Such paucity 01. comprehensive data and the consequent lack of

(public awareness wid appreciation of Asian American problems may

lave led to remarks like: "Why worry about the Asian Americans,

they're doing well anyway. They can take care of themselves. Their

undercouneln the 1970 cehsus could not have been any worse than for

whites since they are such an educated group."

Such remarks may also have come out of myopic impressions drawn

from aggregate information from tho .1970 census. At first glance, such

data from the 1970 census may 'indeed indiCate that Asian Americans

are we)..I off in terms of incoi , employment, education, and returns to

schooling. However, appropriate adjustmentl should be introduced

because of the reality that there are multle workers in Asian

American familitv and that most Asian/Pacific Americans reside in

high cost areas in, tbe U.S. Also, a more relevant comparison is with

non-Hispanic whites, instead of the overall nationwide kzyrages,

because disadvantaged groups in the overall population wit) Cam to

lower national averages and thereby artifically inflate the status of

Asians.

1 When such appropriate adjustments and copparisons are made, a

different and rather disturbing picture emerges, showing indeed a

clearly disadvantaged group. For example, Filipino and Chinese men

are no better off than black men with regard to median incomes in

standard metropolitan statistical areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Cllicago, and Honolulu, where there is a high

concentration of Asian Americans. There is also considerable evidence

of underemployment and in 5MSAs with large Asian populations

there-areeconomic substructures such as Asian-owned or Asian-family

businesses which provide increased employment but at the price of

deprtssed wages.

It is sad to say that, to this date, for a profile of Asian/Pacific

Americans on a national level, we still have to fall on 8-year-old data

_i coming from the 1970 census. Thus, we look forward to the 19

census for a More recent picture of the Asian/Pacific American scene

to erase myths and misconceptions about the well-being 0

Asian/Pacific Americans. But beyond that,, the cominOensus will

hoepfully create an impetus towards the development of a inechanisin

for generating reliable comprehensive data on a ,regular basis for

55

68
4.

Asian/Pacific Americani. The conduct of the 1980 census will have far riaching effects towards the documentation of thvonditions and . . needs of Asian/Pacific

II Americans, and the consequent verification of publicand govern/nent perceptions of these needs at- various levels of

government.

Basic census infoppation such as sheer count of a minority subpopulation and its regional distribution provides the essential framework for legislative hpproval of- government projects and allocation of funds. Furthermore, becanse of the timing of thelmnsus and recommendations by various commissidns like the National

_. CommisAon for Manpower ölicy and the National Commission for Employment and ,Unernplo ment Statistics, the results.of the coming

, census will also directly imfact on the possibfe redesign of-the current population survey towards the 'development of more reliable data for' minority gr9ups.

.. This interphase between the census al.the redesign 'of the CPS makes 'this codling census even-- more important to Asian/Pacific Americans. For, as I argue in tlls paper, I feel that the 11)S has the best potential for providing a coinpkehensiVe, relhible, and reghtar data , base for the socioeconomic demographic profile of Asian/Paciftc Americans. The importance ofsuch a data base, with equal emphasis on boverage, quality, and timeliness can hardly be stressed often

enough. For example, in the area -cif equal employment opportunity, policy actions have focused on promotin& equality in labor market opportunities for all racial and ethnic grotspt Data1systems, conse- qvently, should reflect these policy goals to enable the policymaker to measure the labor force status ofminority groups. - Given all these considerations, I will now procfrd to cover three topics .which I related directed or indirectly to the V80 cengus and which have immediate impaet on the clarification- of Asian/Pacific

American issues. These are: One, the ,census undercount of Asian/Pacific Americans; two, reporting of Mian/Pacific 'American

:data; and, thre, the current population surVey. I will briefly,discOss some of my conamenteon these three topics; more details are contained

in the report I will submit to you. With regard io the census' undercount, the problem h'as -been...,

, discussed extensively in the Census advisory committee and ulso'Partly by-earlier speakeis. It bears remating -that it is of utmost iniportance that the tdercodht .tif Asian,Aniericar be controlled'at- a minimum. The e ts of serious undercount errorilwoUld be real and critical in J

' terms o the impact on the allocation.of.government funds and'also on decisions which the Census Bureau will subsequently make- regarding- possible ',modifications of the CPS - towstds better eoverage of ee AsianfPacific Americans. This impact, especially:the first, becomes

i -

- A. , 56 . fl
even more critical given that State and local estimates of unemployment are used in the, allocation ohrederal funds for employment and,

training progriams. And also the National Comnnssion on Employivent

and Unemployment Statistics has analyzed in its preliminary report the

possibility 'of biving the 44tribution of funds on the decennial and middecade censuses. This same commission _has also suggested expanding

the size of tha CPS to obtain more reliable data for minorities, States,

and major SMSAs.

W

that I've given about misconceptions.atose out of reporting in the 1970

ith regard to data reporting and data analysis, the earlier examples

census. Appropriate documentation, to my mind4,1neans not only the

collection of appropriate data, but als6, and perhaps even inore

importantly, appropriate interpretation and presentation of the information in the data. Because of the diverse ethnic composition within

the Asian/Pacific American group, data collected airrrepbrted should

shed light on the varied heterogeneous needs of the various Mimi

groups. Some of these needs are quite visible to the public eye, as in

the case.* the refugees from Southeast lAsia. Some, on the other hand,

tan persist and remain unnoticed and emain unaddressed unless they

are brought to the attention ofthe public and of government agencies'

and government officialkyitness the abysmal ghettos of second-.and

third-generation FilipinaTn Honolplu.

Chie suggestion for the 1980 censtis is Ole preparation of a

comprehensive special subject report on ksian/Pacific Americans

covering all the Major Asian ethnic groups and distinguiscling between

native born and foreigh born. For States like California, Hawaii,-,

Illinois, New YOrk with significant Asian/Pacific American pOpula-.

tion, there should be a breakdown of data by race to identify the Asian

category and, whenever possible, identify ethnic origin S well.

. With regard to the current popillation survey, the situation

is that Asian Aniericang are not identified at all; instea the cm part

of a residual category ii the question of racewh

am) they are lumped with blacks in the tabulation o re are, .

of course, going to be changes to correct this situatlo e these.

changes- will be implemented sOmetime this year, at way of .

Identifying Asian Americans as a race.

.

. The saMpling design for the CPS is probabilisticim;1-4 th

relative _representation- of minority groups in the Survey iill batem".

directly propottional to their relative size in the poptilation. Thus, for

Aslail AMericans, the relative reliability of estimates obtainable from

theAurvey as cur ently designed must be tremendously low, considering that this g up comprises knly about 1.2 percent of the total

population based on '76 figures, as compared ti 5.2 percent for

Hispanics and 11.2.percent for blacks. N.

.t 57
Oi -possibility is for the Ceiyfais Bureau to oversample from this subpopulation, and the Census Bureau has already 'done some

preliminary studies akong these lines. These were reported in the Workshop oil tj EmploymeA Status of Asian/Pacific Americans, held in Stanf6rd, California, last Auglst 20 -25, 1978, which Ptofessor Dutta will be talking about later on in this consultation.

Calculations from these studies indicate that annual average esti- mates of Asian/Pacific American tool] population, civilian labor force, employment _and, labor force participation rate have fairly

reasonable coefficitnts of variation ranging between 1.2 percent and 3.3 perceN. On the other hand, despite aggregation over the whole

year, the *employment rate will still have a relatively highet coefficient of variation, about over f0 percent.

However, Census Bureau representatives in that -conference indicat- ed that costs involved in, say doubling the Asian/Pacific A4erican

sample in the CPS, are well within reasonable limits. I pose (he

following questiOn now to the Bureau of the Census: Would it not be possible to obtain reliability at reasonable costs by doubling or even

tripling. the Asian sample and aggregating over tr period of 1 year?' I myself cannot answer this question now 'but hopefully, it will be possible for the Commission to elicit lome response from the Bureau of theCensus.

The National Commission on Employment and Unemployment StatMcs actually recommends biennial publichtion Of Igregate CPS estimates of labor force . statistics for small mino-rities like the

Asian/Pacific Americans. This once every 2 years publication of

indicators, if they art-to-guide and support policies, represents, to my Mind, too long a Op, especially if the currPht trend of high

immigration rates from Asia continues. So I would argue .for a 1 year aggregatiOn to start withöather than 2 years as has been recommended

by other commissions.

In conclusion, I have argued here that the neak;.vof many Asian/Pacific Americans are real. This gathering bf Asians is indeqe

iMpressing but it must be t Ipered -by awareness that there are pressinft problems and that Any second- and third-generation

46,41/Pacific Americans are suffering as members of an invisible minority.

The exivenc of Asian/Pacific American Heritage week is an important step. d liberati9ns in this gathering should be an eye- opening and perhaps even painful experience for both Asian/Pacific

.Americansimd th vernment. There is a false-tense of well-being, a miscpnceptiot) urtured the mind not only of the public but also of

Many Asians themselves.

58

I \
/

-----4'he 1980 census, properly implemented and analyred, will provide

the appropriate docuinentation we need to see how the Asians, indeed

_ a disadAntaged group, as shown by microdata from the 1970 census,

have fared ever the last 9 or 10 years. After 1980, we argue that the

current populafion survey will be the best vehicle for timely,

comprehensive, and reliable information on the socioeconomic profile

o Asians. The redesign of the CPS is not an unrealistic request. It can

done at reasonable cost; it certainly will be a significant step

....r

. fo ward.

, Beyond the census and CPS data there are other data information

\. sources, which, in some cases, document these problems in an evly

more blatant an&conclusive fashion, For example, ether that witfilii(i

the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights itself, in the p t few years there

has been an ongoing national projeat on Asian and Pacific,-14nd

Americans. A study of this magnitude will certainly be of great help

..providing some answers to the qucsions and problems thakare goin

) / to be discussed in this con on, and hopefully it will be possible for

the Commi re with during this conference, the important

high ights of this study.

There are, incleed, problems; many problems are pressing; wecannot

expect an overnight change, an overnight solution, but the probrems

.. are there, and there is no better time to act than now. .. Thank you very mu

COMMISSIONER SAI ZMAN.Th *you, Dr. Mariano.

Our next presautee. Dr. NackJYoung AnADr. An is a professor of

political science at Georgia St te University. We are particularly

L./pleased to welcome Dr. An, who is presently a membtr of this

CommissiorCsn Georgia State Advisory Committee. 1

r Dr.,/ An?' - , Presentatkin of Dr. Neck Young An, professor of Political

Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, 6k7la

DR. AN. Thank you very much. - \

I'd like to add my word of tha to the Commission for this

opportunity. I feel that the needs for rate count in the census and

the importance of all the matters itiV vaii in the census and the

impOtance of 111111ii-matters involved in the census process have been

adequately demons ted by the previous speakers, and therefore, I'd

like to address my If piimarily to some of the problems that seem to

be hindering in the ensus progess.

I come from an)area that has n t been traditionally considered a .

favorite Asian jut

Skletes. Mid some of

b4n already addr

).

namely t southeastern part of the United

problems..that militate against the census have

by Dr. Choi, who's also from the same area,

4
but I feel that his comments were somewhat broad and general or . applicable to the entire Nation. And I'd like to address myself more specifically to the problems that may be germane to the Asian American comniunities in our area.

If those problems that have been already addressed are serious enough nationally, I should say that they are even more acute M the - southeastern part of the United States because most of the Asii Ms in that area are recent immigrants, and a larg7 percentage of the peopie have conic to the United States within the last 3, 4 years. And therefore, their problems arc much greater thian the problems that may - hr faced by their counterparts in other parts Of the United States.. I would like to point out at least three areas where the problems may lie. Number one is, of course, a language harrier. This is an extremely acute problem for the Asian Americans in that area /because 99.9 percent of them are, as I previously indicated, recent immigrants, and very kw of them are in professional categories. And many of them are engaged an rather menial type of labor, and their level of education is relatively lower than I would say that of the Asian population at large in this country.

Ana, therefore, I would estimate that over 50 percent of the Asians in our region would have very difficult time really handling the language pertaining to the census taking, and on top of all this there is a subtle fear or the mistrust of government that they carry over to the tinned States from their own-native lands.

Many people from Asian countries are not socializedpoliticallY to trUst in their rvernment, and there's a considerable fear aniong the Asian Americans that the censusi data information that they provide may be used against them in somi ways, and we need to do somethingve ,

to alleviate or allay that kind of fear before we can expect them to fill out those forms and cooperale in the process. / . And anotjieralca, ,of course, in addition to those, is thin these people have no un erstanding of the significance of a census. They come from ! rather hotigeneous societies back in Asia, and never really e ri- enced anything-like the way celsus data have been in the ynited S tes in allocating Federal resources. Moreover, they don't ugde the A. pglitical signifiqance of being counted. And there are major problems .that netd_to be surmounted befpte we can achieve something that approximates the accurate censrai in 1980.

Perhaps,I 'Should suggest that, in addition to some of the things that the Census Bureau lifts already undertaken,

. additional steps be taken in order to reach the Asian communities at the grassroots level by waging a massive campaign through workshops and through pelvspa- per accounts in ortier to disseminate .the information: That will undoubtedly contribute toward allaying theirsuspicions and coming to

...., 60

0 73

rr

"4'1
the recognition of the importance of participating in the census. By

doing so, we may be able to narrow the gaps, maybe lower the

percotrige of the undercount from over 20 percent that Dr. Choi has

. eatirnatea, to perhaps down Co more acceptable level of 4 or 5 percent.

In the absence of these concerted efforts, I fear that the rate of

underbount may be even higher in 1980 than it was in 1970 because of

the massive infusirs df new immigrantvhe ratio between the natives

. and the new immigrants ia much higher in 1980 than what it was in

1970, and therefore I hope this Commission will bring to the attention

(.------ of the Census Bureau the importance of adding further efforts to reach

the Asian communities at the grassroots level. , And even with the accurate count, Asian Americans will still

constitute a tiny fraction of the population in the United States; but,

because df th ry strategic political, geographical location af Asian

1 Americana in t e Un' ed State4 namely in California and New York

with the largest elec ral votes in the presidential election, the Asian

Americans may be/counted among -significant political strata that

pdliti al candidates may pay some attention to.

S hat

h k Th k conclues my remars. d an you very muc.

.. -- - -

,. . IAPplatIliAl

COMMISSIONER SALTZMA,N. ank you, Dr. An.

Our final presenter is Mr. Tom Kim. Mr. Kim is the director of the

Korean Community Center in San Francisco which provides legal,

social, mental health, immigrata and senior citizens services.

MriKim.

Presentation of Tom -Rim, Director, Koreari Community Ser- , vice Center, San Francisco, California

MR. KIM. Thank you.

My name is.Tom Kim, and I work within the Koryan community

and maybe that would be my strongest perspective today. was asked'

to talk about the impact of the census in the corrimunity, think the

first statement I would makejJ.h fact that my have my

sonjuly oldest son wiWb1fnext year in 1980. So that means that my

familIF waited 18 yedrs until the..fourth generation before being

counted as Korean Americans in America.

I don't count that small figure that you talk about that's supposed to

hav s. come out in '70; We never saw, so far as I'm concernedmy

family waited 18 years into the fourth generation before being counted

as Americans. I think that in terms of impact this ityliat lwhere I'm

coming from.

4.1

I think that 'one of the first things that I must bring outtis the fact

that the Korean community is a 90 percent immigrant com unity, but

that immigrants, when aoming to America, have endur a difficult

74

61
(two

process, a prolonged and arduous process, before they even get to America. And when they conic to America they come to become American citizens, to participate fully in American life, and we have a country here, the United States, which consists of a pluralistic mosaic that was created by immigrants from a diversity of cultures. With the exception of Native Americans, eve4 one in this room can look at their roots in the contents of another coyntry. So we are a country of immigrants, and there's no question that the various cultural pluralities that exist form a flexible and pluralistic

society; which means that this country can actually draw from all the different cultures rather than to deny.

So that wliat I'm saying is, basically, a permanent resident or an immigrant should not be treated as a second-class citizen when they cape over to become citizens and they have to wait to be naturalized_ Basically, we work very closely with other Asian While we consider communitie.

ourselves with other Asian American communityl, it is critical to understand while there are 'important commonalities antongst these groups, there are also critical significant differenceS. These differences in historical background culture, previous politi- cal relationship, langilage, immigration patterns and ways in which each group has responded to the cultUre of this country, make each group a distinct entity with distinctive patterns of social services. The very term Asian American many times has become a political statement. And I think that is one of the things that we must look within the Asian and Pacific Island context and 'recognize that we have these very distinct different groups. And with all due respect to every community, I think if you're going to work with the Asian and rj. Pacific Island communities, if you're dealing with thf Chinese community, you must talk to the Chinese community. If you're talking to Japanese community, you must be talking to the Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Guamanian, what have you, right ou down the line. ! think that when you use the word Asia, I feel that I qannot speak for other Asian groups because I really dofi't know.w%at's happening in all the other Asian groups and I will not pretend to. I think the key thing is to respect our individuality, respect our differences, and also respect our commonalities.

But at this time it's at least a pleasure to see a mix, for the first tire, where we see a strong mixture of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Pacific Islanders; I think it can be improved but we see the 6eginning. Also, I think that in terms of data collection, you must remember large immigrant populations are very suspicious, as Dr. Nack An said earlier, and I think that you must be very careful in approaching immigrant populations. Interviewers must be carefully developed, take into consideration the characteristics ofa less acculturated community,

62

75

411
I think, again, this talks about the differences between the different

,ethnic groups, and you must be aware of them and not treat all Asians 'ell

as alike. We are not hbmogepeous; remember also the higher

percentage of an immigrant population means more potential of a

lower count. . Secondly, I agree with the ACLU that there are problems of

privacy and confidentiality in the design of the 1980 census; we feel

that the Census Bureau information should not be matched against

records kept by the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security

Administration, Defense Department, or other government agencies.

Although the Census Bureau has pledged this information is

confidential, this recent information is due to the disclosure of the lack

of confidentiality of government agencies in the past. Also, we agree

that after names have been verified, the perrnal identification on

census information should be destroyed rather than kept on computer

tapes.

We take the strong position on the confidentiality of the census

because past governmental agencies have not AcTored_ pledges of

confidentiality, but I don't think that happened with iIe Asian

Americans. I think that without going into a lot more; I think two

three points that I brought outwe feel is very important in terms of

looking at each group separatelyalso looking at the regional

differences, and if you want t3 bring out the west coast.to compare

Asians, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle49 use the methodology of one city and to take it to another city, you .011 find that there is

no way it will work because all three cities are so different, that if you

tried to use the same basic approach, maybe it will -work in one but it

Tuiè won't worl1 in the other two.

And in terms ofmethodology and terms from.where the community

is coming from, I think filet, tikbe very specific, thethat the Census

Bureau should be reaching outto the ethnic newspaperi, the teleAsion

statio-ns, the Community-based.service agencies, strganizations, groups,

and churches, and give proper notification for publicity purposes

before the Census Bureau's implementation of its survey. The Census

Bureau should develop close working relationships with organizations

mentioned above for the purpose of consultation and for regarding

appropriate sensitive methods of outreach and implementation.

'

The community-based service agencies can be utilized as help

centers for biblicall assistance in filling out the Remus questionnaires

vr and public information, that census field offices be based in Ihe target

communities; this can be facilitated by community-based agencifs on a

contract basis.

Multilingual flyers to include Korean translations alsO should be

prepared to explain in simple tertps, confidentiality and the geed and

63

76
reasons for an accurate count in the census and also equitable allocation of public resources_ These multilih mil flyers should be distributed to postal offices, other govermnent public agencies, hospitals, health clinics in the areas and zones which have high concentrations of Asian residents in addition to above-mentioned

community -organizations. In other words, what we're saying is that wherever you know there are Asians, that these multilingual flyers be sent out to that area so they know how to respond and be given the information needed; also, that multilingual flyers be' utilized and developed for field visits when people are not at home or cannot be reached so that responses can be made.

It must be noted that Asian immigrants, especially senior citizens, children, and housewives, are highly suspicious, oftentimes reluctant and fearful of strangers whO represent government agencies. Permanent residents should be hired for bilingual enumerator positions. Among the recently arrived in Asian communities, there is a scarcity of naturalized citizens; for these communities hiring priorities should bt given to bilingual citiiens and one of the issues, that a naturalized-or a citizen be hired first and a permanent resident would be hired second if you cannot find a bilingual citizen.

Well, if you have a 90 percent immigrant population, you know

whpt's,going to happen. So if you exhaust all the various lists that exist and by the tinie you decid to ga out and look for others, you will have wasted sO much ti e that you will not, be able to find

enumerators for our commu ities.

Sa what I'm saying is that you should directly deal, with that issue and not for any other 'reason than to facilitate the census, and I think I *

would even say that,if, and I think if, you talk to osr whoever the

powers to be, but I think that if you just lifted it even just for the

census, in terms of hiring.permanent residents, I think something must be done bec'ausostee got to start now; thatand also that total 1 a

tabulations of prinialls. arc given regardless of whether or not the count is under 5,000. In other words, we want total interest printouts of all figures, allat all times, and that community specialists be

increased throughout the Nation with comprehensive bilingual materi- al and bilingual contract fervice backup in local areas.

Above all, any agency, be, it government, profit, or nonprofit, must contact members of;the respective ethiiic group fb be involved before, during, and after t4 issue if any work:is to be successful and relevent. Also, we suppor fully the Senate 'ipint Resolution 23 by Senators Matsunaga and Inguye, related to the publication pf economic and social statistics for Americans of East Indian, Pacific Island, and Asian descents. And I think I want ta bring out just one little point.

64
Here we're talking on Asian Heritage Week, and before I left Sbn

Francisco I was made aware of the fact that the Small Business

Administration has just excluded Asians as a minority. And to be quite

frank, I think this is a very dangerous precedent to be set at the

Federal level. And as I sit in front of you, the U.S. Civil Rights

Commission, we are aware of the fact, that theyre excluding , us

alreadyI, as a minority. Please be aware of this and let it be known

that this is not to be done.

Thank you.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you, Mr. Kim.

[Applause.]

I'd like to remind you of a statement by the Chairman, Chairman

Flemming ,. that we would be happy to receive your more full

presentation papers if you wil leave them with the staff.

At the time I'll turnwe have a few brief moments left for questions

from my colleagues.

ma. Freeman? 4

Discusilon

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. I want to4sok each of the panelists for a

verkexcellent presentation. The subjec of undemountis one in Which

you know and have Indicated all minorities have a real concern, and

since this has been stated so well by each of yolrand there have been

certain specific recommendations to the census, or in connection with

changing it, I would like to ask Ms. McKenney if she' would-want to

respond to ways in which,* perceives that the census can improve

and will, if she wishes to cespond, to the reco mendations which have

been made?

MS.. MCKENNEY. A number of specifi recommendations have

been made here today, and during the past 3 or 4 years, similar

recommendati4tis have been received from) ple across the country.

We have taken a number of steps which4i1 address these concerns.

For example, with reference to the recommendation about using

bilingual census takers, the Bureau will use every .means to hire

bilingual enumerators. In areas where there are concintrationq of nonEnglish-speaking persons, we will make every attempt to hire workers

who are bilingual. But we will need the communities' help to

encourage people to take the census jobs. And here again I wiiuld like

to empha* the importance of the community leadet encouraging

people to %fork in the census.

There will be a massive publicly campaign mounted in connection

with the 1980 clonsus, accomplished through several avenues. First,

there will be a campaign through the advertising council, and we have

made it very cleakkuitthere must tie publicity geared to minoritiesto

,e/ Arb" 65 it

78
the Asian and Pacific Islimders, blacks, Spanish, and other groups. The minority component will he an integral part of our advertising

campaign.

The community services specialists will publicize the census. There will be 206 people across the Nation going into the conununities,

talking to the local leaders of ethnic groups and asking them to work with us. We will ask well-known people in the local communities to

make public announcements of us. Articles will be printed in local ethnic newspapers. We will also conduct workshops on the 1980

census with national, regional, and local groups. Our community

seryices representatives and other staff. in our regional offices will be

available to COndUct workshops in the various local communities.

With regard to the specific recommendation about 'the use of

citizens and noncitizens, we kre restricted; by laws and regulations whic equire that citizens must be hired first.

ITO er, when .we cannot meet our hiring needs through the use of

qualifie citizens, then we will hire bilingual persons who are not citizens of this cOUntry.

Concerns were rfiNed about the large number oftigrants and the

difficulties that immigrants have with the English translation of the questionnaire. And we agree with you that it is a problem, and we're

trying to address it. First, as I said before, we will try to use bilingual

census takers in areas with a high proportion of non-English-speaking

\residents.% wever, if a census taker goes to a household and the people in t e even household do not speak English, then the census

takyr is instructed to notify his or her supervisor so that a bilingual person can call and get the information.

We will have copies of the instructions for .the questionnaire along with a number of publicity material$ translated into a number of

languages. The pensus takers Would have this instruction guide to use

in asking thc censtis questions.

MR. KIM. May. I respond, just I second? To-L-to give the Commissioners a chance to ask their questioni.

Dr. Flemming?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Well, I was going to ask a similar question of Ms. McKenney. Did you complete yout answer to Commissioner Freeman's qpestion?

Ms. KctENNEY. Yes, I. did.

CHAIRpAN FDEMMING. Well, I was going to aiik, as I note hele, Ms.

Azores Vhip former chair of the Asian advisory coMmittee of the Departmetly of Commerce.

YoU've listened ,to Ms. McKenney's initial presentation, you've

listened to her.responses to tbi4 particular questions Are there areas

tharyi u feel still need to be addressed?
Now, I just simply ask you to identify the areas and we'll have to

elaborate on it later, because 'we are running short on time, but if there

are certain areas that you feel still need to be addressed, that are`of

concern, why, if you would just /identify those, then we'd have that in

front of us.

MS. AZORES. I think that ive have addressed everything, all the

important ones that need to be addressed. We discussed a lot of these

in advisory committee eeetiligs. At this point the questionnaires are

already at the printers, I think, and there's nothing we can do about thg

content of what is going to be asked in the census.

We are still working on the community outreach program. Community involvement has to be a continuous thing that we all have to do

until census day. The next thing that we are going to be addressing is

really on the matter of how the census is going to report t,he data that

they will finally get. That is why my talk focused on that /

We haven't really gotten to the topic of reporting at our advisory

committee meetings but that will be one focus in the future.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you.

Mr. Nunez?

MR: NUNEZ. Yes, Dr. Choi, this Commission over the years has

taken a great interest in the cenvs and the undercoupt, and I was

interested in your population estimates. As I understood what Ms.

Mckenney originally said, the 1970 census indicated that there were

approximately 1.4 million Asian Americans, and you indicated that

perhaps there were 3 to .4 million in your estimate, and then you

indicated that there was an undercount of about'20

Two questions I would raise here. I'm not qui"ear how you

estimated the 20 percent undercount. We have found that it is a

c9Mplicated procedure to try to figure out the extent of an undercount

interested in how you came to the 20 percent.

And secondly, getting to the 3 or 4 million people, even assuming

20 percent undercount and assuming an increase of 100,003 a year over

a 10-year pferiod, you woulil.not get near 3 or 4 million, so t wonder if

you cdt)144 respond to both ol those questions?

DR. CHOI. What my estimate was by 1980 there will be 3 to 4

thsttticrie The reason I use such a wide range of figures is because that's

about the closest estimate you can get by reviewing all the existing

pBature.

y 1970, again when the people quote the figure aPproximately 1.5

million, that's a severe undercounting. Because each year the census,

starting about 1968--large number of immigrants are coming in, well

ovet the national quota, 20,000, because some immigrants do not come

under the quota, like spouses of citizens.

67
Like oile year Korean immigrants were over 30,000.*So, when you multiply this by four, those Chinese, Korean, Filipinos, there's the three largest groups of immigrants from Asia. That's well over a 100,000.

The number of immigrants are 100,000 to 150,000 each year. So the 20 percent is a very conservative figure, because that's undercount rate for the black, young maleswell, also females, too, and the reasons for undercount arc very similar for black and the Asian America addition, there are two additional handicaps with Asian Am which result from the greater undercount; one is the language difficulty. ,t

In a 1973 HEW studystudy sponsored by HEW, Asian American, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander% I've since tried to figure out I've tried to read the percentage of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders'with severe language difficulty. The percentages range from 12 percent to 50 percent of the heads of the families in 1973. And that's

Also, the crowded housing conditions is one of the common features for all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; there's more than one family per household, and they do not know each other too well, so it's because of the crowdeq housing condition and the language difficulty and /also, the pattern of babysitting so the children are not counted because children are with the babysitters. So, the three reasons make the undercount rate much higher for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders than blacks.

COMMISSIONAR SALTZMAN. Thank you, one final question, I guess from Dr. Horn?

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Ms. Mc Kenney, I'm wondering to what degree has the Bureau of the Census found it feasible to use some sort of computer plan to try to identify Asian American, Pacific Islanders names in Social Security records in order to get some notification through thqm to their families of an impending census count? I realize there are a lot of problems anytime one tries to identify names because people marry, take other names, etc., but' if we're talking about community outreach and how do you reach people, I wonder what your thoughts are?

MS. MCKENNEY. We are not using the Social Security names as a source for identifYing Asian Americans. We do rely upon local people to give us a view, of where the expansion in the Asian and Pacific Islander community has occurred since 1970 and to give us a listing of the 'leaders in the community. And we consider that the local people are one of pur most valuable resources. When the community servicer specialists go into a community, they have a guide which-Indicates the organizationschurch and civic, ethnic groups, block groups, and
school groups, etc.to contact. With each contact coAnunity

services specialists ask for names of additional leaders, people that we

should contact, and also informatkm about different organizations and

their missions are gathered. So that we can determine which ones can

limed most benefit in the census.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Okay, on that point, Mr. 'Kim, when you

mentioned that methodology has to be different in these various cities,

did you mean anything more than what Ms. Mc Kenney has just said as

to the variety of community groups, ethnic newspapers, etc., that

census enumerators should use to reach out or_do you mean something

statistically?

MR. KIM. Well, I don't question what is being said, I question the

implementation, and not you personally, obviously, but I question the

implementation.

I personally have dealt with several census issues; every peison

who's ever come through where we've done free census surveys for

we always ask them to contkct the supervisor, to contact us so we can

develop a linkage with the local census.

Ot It of six surveys each' tate we did it free, and said just itsk, we

didn't supervise the contactors, it never happened.

It went to the meeting that was supposed to be the so-called

outreach meeting. I wall told three times in that meeting thRisbecause

they couldn't answer my question; call Washington, D.C. I'm here. 'So

the point is (still haven't got theaanswei, other than we're going tckdo

all these things, yet we have not seen-it happen. Plus one other thitig,

you have not provided the bilingual backup 1,sth the coMmunity

_specidlist in terms of materials and the cross section and thejust the

availability, they don't have it.

So I mean all these fine words are fine, only if they're implemented.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. I'd like to thank all the panelists for this

very fascinating, deep, insightffil presentation an the census issues.

Thank you so much for your papers.

[Applause]

.1f

s69
-4

Papers Presented

Census Methodology and the Development of 'Social Indicators for Asian and P1ci9c

." Americans

by Fortunata M. Azore6"

The United States decennial

., census, which is a total count of die pOpUlation of the country, was mandated bY The Constitation for the

purpose of reapportioning seats in the. House of Representatives. It is also used for delineating congressional district boundaries and appor- tioning seats in the State legislatures. Importaut as the decennial census is for purposes of redistricting, much of the current intereat in it derives (roiD its mak, other uses. It serves as a basis for the allocatioti of governeent f)inds: It functions as a control 'factor in various

interCensal estintes, including the -current population survey. It- is used to derive social indicaitors to detect changes in social aspects of life (e.g., employment, 'education, housing) and to monitor progress

towards sc:Wietal goala.' Most important, perhaps, -for the Asian and Pacific Anlerican populations is this use of census data as social

indicators to measure the qualily of life of the American people. Whether .the measiires obtained from the census adequately reflect what they are presiimed 'to reflect is sometimes questioriable. The fact remains, however, that census data are used as soCial indicatOrs Seeving as tools for policymakers. Public decisionmakft has felied heavily dn ?. social, statistics for the directron that it takes. It i4,.thezefore,extretne1y , imPortant that these statistids reflect the social conditiOr of fhe Aiiki ' and Pacific American populations as well as' that of the Urger population groups hi the Country. , . .. . From pablished census data, it is difficult to find adequate measures-, ,that 'will provide meaningful social7-4jualitjr of lifeindicators NE Asian and. Pacific Americans. The ability to derive meaUingful indicators' for ar particular population is directly related to ,the adequacy of the descriptors for, that population. Currebt en§us data does not" iirovidc' adequate descriptors for the Asian and 'Pacific

American populatiOns. Tkiis is due, in part, to the Cenaus burecall's past 4, _ Fortunata M: Azores is- chairperson of Philippine Americans. for ComnignitYlAction Development (PACAD). and

IMialph M, Brooks, et al, Toward the Measurement of Social Indicators: Conceptual and Methdddlogical Implications." Journal Paper No. ..1-7-37 of the Iowa Agrivulture and Borne Eeonomics'Eltperiment Station s(Ames, lows). Project no.. )837.

.

.

. 83
- 4 ,--

-methods in data collection, aggregation/disaggregation of data, and

reporting of data.

As art example, the 100 census form had five Asian and Pacific

American categories in the race question: Japanese, Chinese, Filipino,

Korean, and Hawaiian. While no total count of Ash's( and Pacific

AMericans was ever made from the 1970 census, the Ceiisus Bureau

did release estimates of the Asian American population. But they

included only the three largest Asian population subgroups.

.1

. In We,'the Asian American.z a 1973 census publication.prepared "as

an aid to. education," the inside front.cover indicated approximately

1.4 million 'Asian Amer-Nils in the country.. This number included

only Japanese Anricans, Chinese Americans, and Filipino Americans. In imaller Wm on page three, the report acknowledged that

70,000 Koreans, 9,000 Pakistanis and 76,000 Indians were also countbdA

Why were they not included in 4he total count of Asian Americans?

Asian Americans are not as many as some other minoriey groups but

upts of thsir numbers have.been made even smaller by the failure

e Census Ifurean to properly identify them and to adequately

report those Witt they are able to identify.

Numbers are very important Me society we live in. Because of the

192- relatively small number of reported Asia& and Pacific Americans,

many government agevies-have igaored teir presence by,failing to

include them in their outreach program's and by 'ling to make a

sincere effort to Maly their p ta ems and seek solution, 'or them. The .4 Asian and Pact*c Anieffdlir Advisorji Committee to the Census

, Bureau therefore worked for the,expansion of the "race and national . origin""categories in the 1980 cenauS uestionnaire. As asesult, "Asian

Indian" "Vietnamese," `Samoan," d "Guamanian" will be added to

the original"five Asian and Paci9Pmerican categories. In Odition,

the adyisory committee recornmended a Category cabled "Other

/ *Asian."

1

_ The panel on decennial ceneus plans of the Committee on National

Statistics of the National Reselich Council supported this recommen- .,

. dation in its report released in, November 1978.2 The Census Buseau's

response to. the advisory -committee's . recommendiflion made in

February. 1978 was that the "Other Aldan". caienry "could be made

availtble from computer tape files if it is nOt included in sample slata . publiCations.? . Such a response is meaningless. _IF the category is made, it nyust be

included in the publications. Many data users, and the majority of

Nationatltescarch Council, 'Counting flw People in.1980: An Apprelisal of Census Plans. A report of

the 'Panel oir Decenniil Census Plans, Committee on National Statistics (1978), p. 68.

* U.S., Bureau of the Census. Minutes of the Meeting of the Census Advisory Committee o1c the

Asian and' Pacific Americans PopulatioIrfor the 1980 Censs, Peb. A4, 1978, p43.,

a.
z

Asian and Pacific Alrnerican users, have no ace s to computers or no

budget for ctomputer time. Asian and Pacifi American data that are

not in'published form is, for practical purpoés, nonexistent.

Obtainipg a complete count of Asian and Pacific Americans

involves 'more than getting proper identification, categories-for the

relevant epopult4ion groups. It .involves an effective community

outreach program, the hiring of bilingual enuMerators from the

respective /Asian and PaCific American communities, and adopting

proper editing prOceduresamong other things. A great deal might be

said about the methodolOgy in each of these activ'ties. However, this

paper wil fbcus on the Censps Bureau'4, inethMs of reporting.

Assuming that data collection procedures are perfect and that there is

no undercount, the real test is in-how the data are finally tabulated and

displayed in the published reports. For no matter how the Censy.

Bureau may try to be objectiVe, the way it presents the data can create

a (bias, in thOnterpretation of that dataa bias that can work to the

detriment of sian and Pacific American pOpulations.

A few exa ples wit illustrate how this occurs: Tittle' At matter of

educational achievement. Asian Americans are known to have high

educational attainment. Census data supports this fact and the statistics

/ have gained wide circulation. The percentage of Asian Amtricans

with little or no educatiop is also very highhigher in fact than that of

some other Population group5 Statistics to prove this are also found in

census tabulations but the 'in rmlition has not received any publiC

attention. -What remains' in ie public's mind and that of the

policymakers ig the fact, that Asian AjneriCans haVe a 'high median of

school years completed, that more of them have finished college than

of any other group, and that they, .thelefore, must bc getting equal

opportunity in education and have no need for affirmative action.

It would be interesting to know how many, or what peoportion, of

the highly educated Asian Americans' received their training in this

country. it) 1970; ,12 percent of the' foreign-born Asian Americans

(both males and females) in the 15-17 year old bracket were not

enrolled in school. In contrast, among 'the foreign-born Asian

Americans 18-24 years 61d, 44 percent of the males and 68 percent of

the females were not enroll0 in schoo1.4

In the Filipino population, in particular, the nonschoWenrollment of

', both natiye- am) foreigntborn peisons 18-24 years old was 72.5 percent

for the males and 76.8 percent for the females.5 All this indicates a very.

' U.S., Bureau of the Census, 1970 Census of Popuption, Subject Report- School Enrolment, PC(2)- lay A.

U.S., Bugau of the Census, 1919 Census of PoPulation, Subject Report: Soplmile, %hlneie,

Filipinos in the United Slates, PC(2)-10. . a 72 :
*

l El \

. Y 1 TABLE 1 ,---- Educational Attainment of Pinions 25 Yars Old and Oval by

fits &elected Racial/Ethnic Characteristics, 1970.

Years of school

completed Total Whit. Black

Jap- alum

Chlnse

Fillpine

. No school 1.6% 0.9% 3.3% 1.8% 11.1% 5 6%

Elementary

1 74 years 3.9 2.7 11.5 2.3 5.1 9.5

5-7 years 1 0.0 8.2 18.8 6.3 10.7 11.7

8 years 1 2.7 . 11 .8 10.5 8.5 5.6 5.1

Higp school

r-3 years 1 9.3 19.3 25.0 12.2 9.7 a. 13.4

4 years

siC011ege

"I- 4 years or more

31.1

10.6

33.5

11.8

21.0

4.2

39.3

15.9

21.2 7

25.6

19.9

22.5

... . 44edian school

years completed 12.1 12.2 9.7 12.5 12.4 12.2

% H.S. graduates 52.4 57.1 31.0 . 68.8 57.8 54.7

4.

Sources: U.S.. Belleau of the Census. 1970 Census of Population, Subject Report:

Educational Attainment, PC(2)-68. and SubJect Report: Japanese, Chinese and

Filipinos in the United States. PC(2) -1G.

high dropout rate for Asian Americans after high school and points to

the need to Anther investigate if, indeed, these is equal opportonity for

Asian Americkni to go to college, as has been suggested by the

Department of Justice in the case of Bakke v. The Regents of the

University of Calffornia

1410 false impression of the educational situation of Asian Americans

is due, in part, to the way that education data have been presented in

the subject reart of Japanese, Chinese, fiAd Filipinos in the United

States, perhaps the most used census publication and possibly the only

etne that many government agencies consult for information regarding

Asian Americans. This book, however, makes no4distioction between

native- and foreign-born Asian Americans and therefore hides the fact

of the true conditions of those who have spent most of their lives in

this country.

Another issue foi,,Asian Americans, which needs but does nkt get

supporting data from census publications, is the language' inblem.

Vith the liberalization of the immigration law in 1965., large numbers,

dr Asians., have come, and are still coetinuing to come, t%tate United

States to make it their home.-Because of the nature of the preference

categories provided in the law, many of the Asian immigrants are

college or versity graduates. Still, coming from non-tnglish

speaking co tries, the majority of the immigrant families have limited

73.

,

A
-41

r*

command of the English language. The census questionnaire has an item on language, the purpok of which is to get a measure of the

number of persons with limited English-speaking ability. 'he measure

,.,_ is needed for the implementation of the Bilingual Educatio Act and of the Voting Rights Act, as amended in 197. Presumably, th theory'is 0 that language ability is related to well-being, that a pers n in this country with limited English-speaking ability does not have equal opportynity to progress 'effectively in school or to exercise the right to

vote. But census publications do not show the proportion of Asian Americans who have limited .English-speaking ability. A survey of languages was conducted by the Census Bureau in July 1975 in conjunction with the current population survey. An. advance

report on -this study was issued in July 1976.° The tables in that

publication generally re0orted the languages according to the number of speakers. Asian Americans ," languages were low-on the list. The twopage narrative made no mention of any Asian language. The only nqnEnglish languages mentioned in the narrative were Spanish and Italian: An analysis of the same language survey was done by the National Center for EdUcation Statistics (NCES)7, and it was mere clear on the

language situation of Asian Americans. The study showed that within

the Asian language groups, a large proportion of the population . claimed a non-English mother tongue and that this was their usual lanoline. Further, it Vnionstrated that "in no case is ethnicity a

reliable predictor of current language usage or even of mother tongue

, for various ethnic groups," citing the example of German and

Korean.° While German represented one of the largestethnic heritage

.A groups in the study, only 21 percent of them had German as a mother

tongue and only ) percent spok it as their usual language. In contrast, 95 percent of the Koreang- ha orean as their mother tongue and 47' percent of them spoke it as their usuallinguage (table 2). The

tabulation and reporting of results in- the NCES study is not only a more accurate description of the language 'situation in the United

States, it is also more useful in making ,... policy decisions in the

enactment or implementation of relevant legislations. The Census Bureauhas,published a subject report called National Origin and Language.! Itlias only one table,(table 19) listing a number of Asian and Pacific American languages and it makes no reference to

English language difficulty, only to the number of people claiming Ow'. , . U.S., Bureau of the Census, "Language Usage in the United States" (Advance. Report), Current Population Report, Special Studies, Series P-23, No. 60 (July 1975). 1 Dorothy Waggoner, nguage and Demographic Characteristics of the United States Population with -Potential Need lingual Education and other Special Programs" (July 1975) National Center for Education atistics, Washington, D.C., p. 6.

. Jbid., p. 5.

, '. U.S., Bureau of the Census, 1970 Census of Population. Safer: peport: National .Origts .and Language. PC(2)- I A. 6 74
.11 /.

TABLE 2

Ethnic Heritage Groups by the Proportion of the Group Claiming

Group Mother Tongue and Speaking the Group Language as the

Usual Languag

Ethnic heritage group

Jr* (EHG)

Proportion of EHG

claiming group

mother tongue

Proportion of EHG

speaking group

language as usual languag

Xorean 95% 47%

Chinese 84 44

Filipino 82 30

Spanish 81 44

Greek 79 24

Japanese 71 17

1?ortugese 67 18

Italian 67 7

French 47 7

German 21 1 Source- Dorothy Waggoner, "Language and Demographic Characteristics (if the US

' Pópulation with Potential Need f9l1Bilingual Education and Other Special Prbgrams," .,

July 1975, National Center for Edurtiopal Statistics. U S Department of Health,

k Education, and Welfare.

) r

\

language as their mother tongue. Ijowever, there is something special

about this ,roluniE. In several 'of its tables, the socioeconomic

characteristics of die population ire given by nativity, parentage, and

country of origin. Only China and Japan are included in the countries

of' origin. Ma the manner of diSplaying the 'characteristics is very

revsaling an4 has great implications for Asian Americans, in general.

For example, table 14 on income and class of worker. ihdicates the'

median family indome in 1969 for Japanese pers8ns 16-years old and

over to be $13,775 for the native born and.$8,374 for the f reign born.

Ta le 13 on unemployment statUs.and'ocoupationdshows hat among

na iwe-borri Chinese males-who ire 16 years bid and over, 28 percent

are professional or technical workers and 13 percent are service

workers. In contrast, while 311 percent of the foreign-born Chinese

males 16 years-old and over are in the professions, 30 percent of them

are employed as setvice worker's (table 3).

If significant differences like these exist in the socioeconomic

characteristics of native- and foreign-born Asian Americans, they

should be nude exp1iei4..in other publications as, for example, the

subject report on Jaminese, ditinese, and Filipinos in the United

S,tatesthe single most comprehensive compilation of population

haracteristics of Asian Americans. The mod or the publication of

ata on Asian Americans should be one thaU eptualizes the Asian ,

..,

*

'Pr 75
^ TABLE 3

Percant Occupational Distrlbutkin of chine,. Malec 16 Years Old

and Ovr by Nativity, 1970

Professional, technical,

Tittal U.S.' Native born' Foreign born'

& kindred workers 28.9 27 7 30.6 Managers & administrators,

except farm 11.4 14.0 11.4 Sales, clerical,

& kindred workers 13.8 / 20.2 10.5 Craftsmen, foremen,

operatives, & labo . except farm 21.1 23.9 16.5 Farmers & farm m agers, farm laborers remen 0.7 1.1 0.4' Service workers, xcept private househ d 23.6 12.9 , 29.7 Private household workers 0.4 0.9 0.6

N - 114,433 33,606 62,501

Sources: 1. U.S., Bureau of the Census, 1970 Census of Population, Subject Re.p)31fi

Japanese. Chinese and Filipinos Et the United States, PC(2)- 10 (data based on 20% sample).

2.. U.S.. Bureau of the Census 1970 Census of Population, Subject Report' National Origin and Language. PC(2) -1A (data based on 15% sample).

American population not simvly as Asian Americans but as native- or

foreign-born Asian Americans. To treat them as if they were a

homogeneous group is a gross distortion of reality.

There is yet another subject report that bears mentioning, the one on

school enrollinent.'° Table 1 of that book relates to enrollment by

ethnic characteristics, including Chinese and Japanese ethnic groups.

Table 2 of the same book is devoted to the enrollment status and year

of immigration, but only of European-born persons, 3-49 years old.

The 'table inCludes data for 21 European countries oforigiti. With the

changing pattern of immigration to this country, Asian opgin peoples

comprise no less than one-third of the total immigrants;4t would be

had to accept a continued eMphasis on European immigranis in the

publication and reporting of 980 cenhs data. !, Just as the Bureau's

abandonment of the concept o. "head of household" is' a reflection of

its recognition of a changing or emerging lifestyle In America, so must

the Bureau retbink its policyl in other areas to reflect a changing

composition in Die American ppulation.

1° U.S.. Bureau of the.Cenaus, 1970 Census of Population, Subject Reiort: School Ettrolhnent. PC(2) 5A. . 76
In December 1977, the Census Bureau published a book called,

Social Indicators I976. " It is a comprehensive volume with chapters

on population, fajnily, housing, social security and welfare, health and

nutrition, education and training, work, income, publiqc safety, wealth

and expenditures, social mobility and participation, and cultGre,

leisure, and use of time. The book is over 600 pagesIong and contains

around 280 tables with just as many charts.. Its lintroduction has a

section on ethnic diversity of the population and contains 1 table (table

A) showing the Philippines as a major source of immigrants since 1971.

Another table (table E) includes Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos in

the racial breakout for certain socioeconomic characteristics. There

are altogether three tables on socioeconomic characteristicsby race or

ethnic. origin. However, each table has a different grouping of

race/ethnicity and a different set of characteristics measured. There-

"bre, tpere is nG way *of looking at the same characteristics across all

groups. . s The extent of Asian American coverage in this important document

4s in the two tables in the introduction. In the II Main chapters of the

book, there is no mention of Asian Americans. Ont of some 50 hAbles

with racial breakouts, not one included an Asian American categoiy.

A book which is supposed to "describe the current social conditions

and trends in the United States" once again ignores the existence of the

smaller population groups for Whom the identification of social

conditions and trendsis most esseatia).

There are numerous other censa'publications which have little or

no information on Asian Americans. The more important ones for the

Asian American populations will be mentioned here. These are the

special studies on the characteristics of American youth and the

1114 subject reports on education, gmployment, occupation and industty,

income, and low income. While these topics may be contained in the

subject reporton Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos in the United States,

the items amrtables are often not comparable. This lack of cOmparability creates difficulty in the development of a standard measure against

which to judge the relative well-being of the Asian American

populations.

The socioeconomic characteristics desired by Asian Americans, and

by .the pacific American populations as well, are obtained from sample

data. Howevec there is a problem with the statistiCal

sample data on the Asian and Pacific American populations, particularly those obtained from the current population survey. According to

the Census Hureau, even oversampling at the rate 'of four to one in

areas with large concentrations of Asian and Pacific Americans will

" U.S., Bureau of the Census and Officeof Federal Statistical Policy and Stlindards. Social Indicators

/976, (1977).

9 0

4t

; 77
still yield high coefficients of tariation But evelf assuming that the

coefficient variatunks (CVs) cannot be brought down to the preferred(

level, might not a , relativdy higher standard of error perhaps bet

tolerated in the absence of other data for social planning purposes? For

the Asian and Pacific Americalis populations, for which no intercensal

figures have been available, perhaps a measure with a high coefficient of variation is better than no measure at all. But there are plans to

redesign the sainple for the current population survey after 1980. It is hoped that whatever plan is adopted will provide a data base sufficient

in size to derive statistically reliable measures for the Asian and Pacific

American populations.

To obtain relevant quality of life indicators for Asian and Pacific Americans, the . U.S. Census Bureau should adOpt the follOwing

procedures for 1480:

1. Publi. st total count of Asian and Pacific, Americans with

;breakouts avai able/not only for the major subgroups but also for the ( category, "Other Asian." . .

. , 2. Develop adequate descriptors for the Asian Americans, includ-1

ing breaking out the populations not just by subgrimps but by place

I)f birth, where iuch further differentiation is most appropriate.

3. Explore alternative sampling strategies in order to obtain

statistically reliable 3,1ata on the Asian and Pacific American

populations. Activities in this area should be reported to the Asian and Pacific American teirus Advisory Committee.

4. Publish adequate measures that will allow the formulation of 4.- meaningful social indicators for the Asian-and Pacific American

populations. .- 5. Publish a sObject report on Asian and Pacific Americans with

tables of socioeconOmic characteristics that will allow comparison

with similar characteristics of other population groups. Adoption of a new sampling strategy and refinement of thr Asian

and Pacific American categories will entail additional expenses for the amsus Bureau. But thechanges arc neCessary if the data on Asian and Pacific Americans are to be useful in public decisions. Asian and Pacific Americans are not asking for` special treatment. They are

asking that.statistics produced by the Census Bureau be as relevant for

them as they are for larger population groups. Without those kinds of numbers there can be. no social-indicators or measucos-of their quality of life. Without those measures policy and progrem planners, as well as

administrators of various public and priVate agencies, will continue io

ignere the needs of Asian and Pacific AmericanS. Asian and Pacific

/Americans will be deprived of equal ,opportunity to participate in

affirmative action programs and to receive funds or services jor which

they may be eligible. This denial of equal opportunity is a violation of

78

fl
their right under the law and must not 'be allowed to continue. A1

rethinking of census policy and certain adjustments in reporting

_ methodology will be a first step towards equalizing the opportunity for

, the Asian and,Pacific American populations of this cotmtry.

v A

4

4

si

1

po.

79
.\

Problems of Undercount of Aslan4merlcana and Pacific Islanders

1. his paper deals with the problem of the undercount for A.sian

Nibericans aiiici Pacific Islandbrs, Even though there are 3 to 4 million

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. today, we have

neither an accurate potailation count nor adequate . infoimation on

their socioeconomic charibieristics.

The 1980 census oould prOvide us with valuable information on

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. However, there are several

problems in connection with the 1980 census: The most critical

problem for .Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is. that of the

undercount. 4

Aa U`ndercount of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the 1980

census and the population estimates, which will be made by the Census

Bureau:between the censuses, wiffbhave serious consequences, namely

political undejreiresentation and unfair distribution qf Federal and

State funds for ial service fprograms. Accurate census data are

needed for conkion of the pMitical influence, the setting of goals in

affirmativ action p ograms, and support of bilingual and bicukural

educatio 'of Asian Amei TaiflthPacific Islanders. Also( an adequate

data base is essentrtoineasuring our progress under various social

programs and to meas te the effects of policies and programi to

remedy past discrimination. f.".

by Keewhan Choi, /Ph.D.*

Main reasons for the Undercount include langua e diffidilty and

non-Western cultUral backgrounds of ever-increasing umbers of new

immigrants, and cnawded housing conditions.

Five recommendations to remedy the undercount problems are: (1)

a prrensus information campaign *cough community organizations

and ethnic newspapers; (2) census questionnaires and die instructions

translated into each of the major Asian languages aiid bilingual;

biculpiral census enumeratorspatticularly in cities with large concentrations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, (3) a special

postenumeration stirvey mo4eled/41er theiCensus Bureau's monthly

current population survey (whicil shOuld cover approxiniately 5

percent of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders), (4) a link of

immigration records and vital statistics records:0 Asian Americans

and PacifiCIshinders with their census records,' and (5) an upward

Keewhan Choi is with the Statistical vision,' Center for Disease Control, HEW, Atlanta Regional Office.

80
adjustment of the population count of Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders in the 1980 census to account for the undercount.

Undercount

It is not possible to count every person in the United States at any

post. Even in small countries such as Sweden and-Norway, undercount

bf the population occurs. The U.S. Bureau of the Census has

conduated extensive evaluation of the censuses of 1950, .1960, and

1970! A common finding of these evaluation studies is that the lir

V

undercount is a major problem, particularly for minorities.

Incomplete coverage of the total population in 1970 and net census

errors have been estimated at the U.S. Bureau of the Census by Jacob

S. Siegel, using analytical techniques similar to those used t-,,y Ansely

Cook, MelVin Zelnik, and N.W. Rives, Jr.' The general method is to

develop an estimate of the population independent of the census, uaing

birth and death certificates for previous years;, immigration chid

emigration data, medicare data, aid previous censuses. The accuracy

of the estimate depends on the consistency of the statistics [med.

Even though the estimates are the bcst that can be made, the data

have several serious deficiencies for A Americans and Pacific

Islanders. The data and technique, of esti1lation do not provide us with

coverage estimates for Asian America s and Pacific Islanders. First,

only two races were identified and uset in the Siegel method, white

and "Negro and other races,' and the undercount estimates for

"Negros and other races"-were, in several instances, based on the -data

for native blacks. Second, the immigration data for Asian Americans

and Pacific Islanders were not used in the undercount estimates. Third,

Asian Americans, who are rat ent immigrants in particular, have

additional causes for undercount than blacks. Asian Americans and

Pacific [Anders were undercounted in..1970 crsus because of the

relatively large number who had immigrated shortly_bei fore 19.70 from

non-English-speaking backgrounds and non-Western cu tures.

There have been high rates of immigration of Korcans and Filipinos

after repeal' of the immigration by quota system based on national

origin in 1965. There has' also been a great iikflux of Indochinese

refugees since 1975 (U.S. Congress, 1977)s A maximum of 150,000

refugees are allo cd tO immigrate annually.

Fourth, neIthe4 the birth and death certificrites of Asian Americans v and Pacific Isla ciers nor their medicare data have been compiled fc?,r

U.S., Bureau of the Census.Esrinraier ofCoverage of Popularity, by Sex. Race. and Age: Demographic

Analysis (1974b). 1970 Census' of Population and Housing, Evaluation and- Research Program,

PHC(E)-4.

U.S., CongrEss, House (1977c). Pretest Census in Oakland. California animden, New Jersey,

Hearings before the Subcommittee on Census and ftspulafion of the Committee on Post Office and Civil

Service. 95th Congress, ii sess. Serial No. 95-42, Mar. 25 and May 46,1917.

81

"r-\ 9 4 f
an estimate of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders independent of the previous (1970) census.

Even though no solidly based estimateS Of the Pacific 'hinders in ihe 1970 census can be made for Asian Americans for the thur reasons

discussei abo)ve, the undercount rate is expected to be-larger for Asian

'Americans and Pacific Islanders than for blacks. The undercount rate for blacks was estinlated to he 7.7 percent while the rate for whites was 1.9 percent in the 1970 census. However, the undercount rate varied widely by age group: The undercount rate for black men in the 25-44 te group was estimated to be 18 percent (U.S. Census Bureau, 1974)3

Reasons for the Undercount , Main reasons for, the undercount of Asian American nd-Paeific $ Islanders were: (1) language difficulty, (2) non-Western cultural backgrounds of the ever-increasing numbers of newhnmigrimts, and

(3) Crowded housing conditions.

It has been found n previous studies (see, for example, Asiani American Field Study, 1977)4 that a large proportion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have language problems, including mairy who have lived in the United States for a long time. The

problem of language is much more acute among the recent immigrants..,

Those Asian Americans and PAct% l Islanders with a language problem

do not understand cenSus forms nd procedures. Asian Americans, particularly recent immigrants froM non-Western cultures with their

likolong habits of avoiding official dealings with their shmetimes

r e ressive governments, might cause the undercount by not participatin

f

in the census.

Many AsOn Americans and Pacific Islanders live in dwelling units which may he diffictilt to find for enumeration, particularly in urban

areas where they are concentrated. Such hard to find dwelling units

include those in alleys, basementjapartments, or rooms in apparently

single-family s dwellings. Also,. many Asian Americans and Pacific'

Islanders live with boarders or distant relatives (Asian American Field Study, 1977). Those boarders and dirStant relatiVes tend to be, *tted

inadvertently from the listing of persons living at the address. N, Implication* of the Undercount

Undercgunt of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders may influence

the apportionment of representatives to' the U.S. House of Representa3 U.S., Bureau of the Census. gstimates of C'overugc otftpulation V .5ex, and Age: Demogruphk Anqfysis (1974),. 11)70 Census of Population and I-lousing, LiValuatio . and Research Program, PHC(E)-4. tabre b. 'i / 3 U.S., Department of Health, Education.and Wdfare Asian A mericanVield Study 4.1977) OP() Stock No. 01.7-000-00195 -7.

. , /

82
lives. Under the equal proportions method, a sniall shift in a State's

., t)opulation even a shift of onecould theoretically result in a change

in the State's representation. Within a State, undercount may affect

boundaries of congreisional districts, State legislative districts, or city

council districts.

Siegel (Census, l975)5 speculates that the attention elected officials

9 pay to various groups of voters tends to be related to their perceived

size. The undercount of Asian Americans and Vacific Islanders may

result in lack of political influence with their elected officials.

Because general revenue lharing programs administered by the

Department of the Treasury, and most grant money of the Department

of Health, Education, and Welfare are based_ on the population count,

_the undercount of Asian Americans anti Pacific Islanders in those

cities with large concentrations results in underallocation of funds to ., those citieg.

The population count is also crucial in formulas to allocate funds for

health, education, and social service programs, in which the absolute

number and Koportion of target populations are related to funding.

The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act is an example of

such a funding program.

Recommendations

The following five reCommendatiolis are made to overcome the

undercount problem: _ 1. The Census Bureau shou d conduct an extensive precensus

information 'campaign through community Organizations and ethnic

newspapers. Also, the Census Bureau sitould seek the cooperation of

community organizations in hiring enumerators.

2. Census questioinaires and instruptions should be translated into

each of :the major AsananguageS, andMhe centus enumerators, .. panic-Wady in oities with la 5L.encentrations of Asian Americans and

Pacific Islanders, should becbi

3. A special postenumeration sutirey modeled after the Census

Bureau's monthly cuntnt population ;rark,ey should be conductod.

Such a survey should cover approximat 5 percent of Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders. .- 4. Immigration records and vital statistics recOrcis pf Asitin Americans and Pacific Islanders should be linked with their census records.

5. The population count of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in

the '1980 census should be adjuAled upward to account for the

undercount. . u.s., Burenu of the Census, Coverage of Population in the 1970 Cen.suPand Some Implications for

PuhlkPrrwrams (1975). Current Population Reports, Special Studks, Seriesf-23, No. 56.

,

9 G.

83
Impact Of Census Issues on Asian/Pacific

Americans

by Dr. Roberto S. Mariano'

There is ari information gap regarding Asian/Pacific Americans.

Their socioeconomic conditions and needs remain undocumented on a

national and mular and trliable manner. Suck paucity of comprehensive data and the consequent lack of public awareness and appreciation

of the problems faced by Asian Americans may have led to not too

uncommon remarks like:.."Why worry about the Asian Americans

they are not a disadvantaged group; they are doing wellthey can

take care of themselves." "How many are they anyway? Their

undercount in the 1970 census could not have been any worse than for

whites since they are such an educated group."

Such remarks may also have come out of myopic impressions drawn

from aggregate information from the 1970 censul. At first glance, such

data may indeed indicate that Asian Americans are well off in terms of

income, employment, education, and returns to schooling. However,

appropriate adjustments should be introduced because of the reality

that there are multiple workers in Asian American families and tliat

most Asian/Pacific Americans reside in high-oost areas in the U.S.

Also, a more relevgnt comparison is with non-Hispanic whites than

with the overall nationwide averages since "disadvantaged igroups in

the overall population will tend to lower national averages and

thereby artificially inflate the status of Asians."

d When such appropiiate adjustments and comparisons are made, then

" a different and rather disturbing picture emerges, showing, indeed, a

clearly disadvantaged group. For example, Filipino and Chinese men

are no better off Alan black mew with regard to median incomes in

standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSAsIsuch as LO8 Angeles,

Ss.n Prancisco, New York; Chicago, and Honolulu where there is a

high concentration of Asiari Americans. -With regard to employment

and occupational status, the Asian unemployment rate is low but this is

becausejnany Asians are willing to work in low-status, low-income

occupations for which they are overqualified. There is considerable

evidence of underemployment, and in SMSAs with large Asian

populations, tliere are economiC substvucturem, such as Asian-owned or

Asian-family businesses Which provide increased employment but at

the price of depressed wages. With regard to earnings relative io

education, returns to schooling for Asians are generally substantiallY

Roberto S. Mariano is professor of economics, University of Pennsylvania, snd is visiting

profrssor, University of California at Berkeley.

g4 9
below those for non-Hispanic whites. Returns for FilipMos afe

practically nil111 As a group, "Asians do gam by increased education

but not as much as whites. Most emphatically, they do not catch up; in

most cases they fall behind." [For more details, see Moulton (1978).J

It is sad to say that, to this date, for a profile of Asian/Pacific

Americans on a national level, we still have to fall back on 8-year-olt

data coming from the'\I 970 census. Thus, we look forward to the 198U

census for a more .recent picture of the Asian/Pacific American scene."

But beyond that, the coming census will hopefully create an impetus

towards the development of a mechanism for generating reliable

comprehensive data onlf regular basis for Asian/Pacific Americana.)

The conducktif this census Will have far reaching effects towards the

documentation of the- cdnditions anl needs of Asianqacific Americans and the consequent clarification of public aiki government

perceptions of these needs at the Federal, State, and city levels.

Basic census information, such as sheer count .of a minority

subpopUlation and its regional distribution, provides the essential

framework for legislative approval of government projects and

allocation of funds. Furthermore, because of the timing of this census

and recommendations made by various commissions such as the

National Commission for Manpower Policy and the National Commispion for Employment and Unemployment Statistics (NCEUS), results

of this coming cepsus will also directly impact on the possible redesign

of the current population survey (CPS) towards the development of

more reliable data for minority groups. This interphase between the

census and the redesign of thc CPS makes this coming census even

more important to Asian/Pacific Americans. For, as I Will argue later

in this paper, I feel that the CPS has the best pdtential for providing a

comprehensive, relia6le, and regular data base fo the socioeconomic

demographic profile of Asian/Pacific Americans. The importance of

such, a data base (with equal emphasis on coverage, quality, and

timeliness) can hardly be stressed often enough. In the aret of equal

employment Opportunity, "policy actions have focused on promoting

equality in labor market opportunities for all racial and ethnic groups.

Data systems consequently should reflect these policy goals to enable

the policymaker to measure the labor force status of minority groups."

[Quoted from page 77 of the. NCEUS preliminary draft report (1979).]

Given sill these considerations, I now propose to touch further on

these topic's which are all related, directly or indirectly, to the 1980

census and which have immediate impact on the clarification of

Asian/Pacific American conditions. These are:

(1) Census undercount of minorities, especially of the

Asian/Pacific Americans;

(2) Reporting of Asian/Pacific American data;

85
, (3) The Current Population Survey.

I will discuss the first two topics only briefly since other speakers in

this conference, I believe, will talk about them-in -rnore' detail. After

these two short discussions, the focus shifts to the Current Population

Survey ani other sources of information concerning Asian/Pacific

Americans.

Consuallndercount of ihe Ashm/Pacific Amerf-. I

This problem has V-en-disculied extensiely in all Asian/Pacific

American Censits Allvisory Committee. According to Census

Bureau estimate, there was a 2.5 percent net national undercount rate

in the 1970 census. However, there are undereount Werentials by

political jurisdiction, by various population entities; and by economic

and social status. Rates of undercount d*Fr geographicallywith the

Southspffering the poorest coverage rate. Studies in the Bureau of the

Census also Show that the rate is worse for the poor than for the

affluent, for blacks than for whites, for males than for females. )

, With regard to Asian/Pacific Americans, several recommendations

have been made to alleviate this undercount problem. Some of them

include the utilization of bilingual ethnic enumerators, translation of

questionnaires, and instructions, and timely precensus campaigns for

community public information. The suggestion has also been made

that the Census Bureau work with local community organizations to

allay fear and appiehension toward census interiiewers, to encourage

participatien, and to obtain adequate counts in areas with high housing

densities such as the ChinatoWlis in New York and San Francisco.

For the 1980 census, it bears repeating that it is of utmost

importance that this undercount be controlled at a- minimum. The

effects of serious undercount errors will be real a9d critical in terms of

their impact on the allocation of gOvernment funds and tplso on

decisions which the Census Bureau will subsequently make reksiAling

possible modifications of the CPS towards better coverage of

Asian/Pacific Americans. This impact, especially the first, becomes

evin more' critical given that State and local estimates of enemployMent are used in the allocation of Federal ftipd,s for employment and

training programs and the NCEUS has analyzed in its preliminary

report the possibility of basing the distribution .of funds on the

decennial and mid-decade censusea. The NCEUS Ilas also suggested

expanding the size of the CPS pa obtain more reliable data for

minorities, States, major SMSAs, and cities With a population of over 1

million.

86

99
Data Reporting And Data Analysis . Appropriate documentation, to my mind, means not only the

collection of appropriate data but also, and perhaps even more

importantly, appropriate interpretation and presentation of the infor--

mational conlat of tt;e data. Because of the diverse ethnic 'composition. within the Asian/Pacific American minority, data collected and

reported should shed light on the varied heterogeneous needs of the

various Asian gropps. Some of these needs are quite visible to the

public eye, as in the case of the refugees from Southeast Asia, but

some, on the other hand, can persist and remtiin unnoticed and remain

unaddressed unless they are brought. to the attention of the public and

of government agencies and government officials. Witness the abysmal

ghettos of srcond- and third-generation Filipinos in Honolulu!

Proper attention must also be paid to the spelidal characterigics of

Asian/Pacific Americans. As we have indicated earlier, more

realistic comparisph of the well-being of Asian/Pacific* Americansiis

with the non-Hispanic whites. Furthermore, comparisons of this type

should also take into consideration the facts-Lthat there is a preponderance of Asian/Pacific American families with multiple workers and

that most Asian/Pacific Americans are located in ,major cities in the

U.S. with high costs of living.

One suggestion for the 1986 c ism is the prepatation of comprehensive special subject re'ports on Ian/Pacific Americans Covering all

the major Asian ethnic groups and distinguishing between native born

and foreign born. For States like California, Hawaii, Illinois, and New

York with significant Asiap/Pacific American population, there

should be a breakdown of data by race to identify the Asian category

and whenever possible identify ethnic origin as well.

For other data sources, additional tabulations beyond those currently published by the Bureau of Labbr Statistics would help maintain the

progress (or lack of it) of Asisn Americaus in the labor market. Some

of these are: a further disagggation bY race and by sex of the Cin-rent

tabulation, of persons by occupation by industry; a tabulation of

al,erage savings by race, sex, age, and occupation; 'and a tabulation of

gross flow data by race, sex, and age be ween industries, occupations,

and employment statuses. This last tabula ion follows the transitiOns of

individuals from their industry, occupad , and employment status in

one month to their status in the subsequent month. This tabulation is

useftil in that antidiscrimination policies affect the distribution of

employees by race and by occup'ation througb the hiring and

promotion process and would manifest themselves through the rate at

which specific jobs are opening to minority groups.

1 I)

87
The Current Population Survey

The current population survey (CPS) is a monthly household survey

covering the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population, and is conducted by the Bureau -of -the Census to provide estiihates of

employment, unemployment, size of the labor force, and other basic

.labor force information on the population as a whole ii.s well as various

subgroups of the populations. The primary objective of the .CPS is to

provide monthly estimates on a sample basis with measurable reliability for labor force data. The CPS produces additionally a large aMount of detail, not otherwise available on a monthly basis, on the economic

status and activities of the U.S. populatibn.,

. Data haye been provided at the national level since the beginnin of

the CPS. More recently, funds have become availab ri ting

expansion of the sample to idtrease the reliability of data for States and ' selected SMSAs. To improve the reliability of estimatts tabulated at

levels below the census regions or for groups with small representation

in the survey (such as Americans of Spanish descent or origin), some of the monthly estimates are cumulated for publication as quarterly

and annual? averages. Data on Americans of Hispanic origin have been

tabula ed separately on a quarterly basis starting in 1978. On the other

hand, sian Ancericans are not identified at all but.instead form parkof

a residual category in the question of race (white/black/other) and are

lumped with blacks in the tabulation ofresults.

For an averaget month, a total of about 58,000 households are

included in the national sample and 45,000 of these are eventually

interviewed. (The attrition of 13,000 is due to various reasons such asnonexistence of a housing unit, unavailability, and ineligibility of household's chosen.) The sampling design for the CP§ is probabilistic, thus implying that relative representation of-minority groups in thC

survey will ,be directly proportional to their relative size in the

population. Out of the 45,000 households evintually interviewedTsuch

a small number of them are Asian An Hera' (aut 540 bo over the

Nihole Nation) that ev,en if identified they wbuld not provide reliable

information on Asian American population characteristics.

A similar problem actually arises in the case of blacks and Hispanics but not 10 such an extent as to precludt reporting or pertinent

infbrmation on a monthly basis in the case of blacks and on a quarterly

bails for Hispanics..

For Asian Americans, the relative reliability of estimates, if

obtainable from the survey as currently designed, must be tremendously low considering that this group comprises'only about 1.2 percent of

the total population as compared to 5.2 percent for Hispanics and 11.2

percent for blacks (biised on 1976 figures).

88

I.

1 01
What can be done for the Asian/Pacific Americans? One possibility

is fin the Census Bureau lo oversample from this subpopulation via

appropriate stratification of the population to ensure appropriate

-reliability of estimatea. The Census Buireau has already done some

preliminary studies along these lines. These' were reported in tIie

Workshop on the Employment Status of the Asian/Pacific Americans

held in Stanford, California, last- August 20-25, 1978. Calculations

frOm these studies indicate that annual average estimates of

Asian/Pacific American total population, civil labor fOrce, employment and labor force participation rate would have fairly reasonable

coefficienta of variation ranging between 1.2 percent am) 3.3 percent.

On the other hand despite aggregation over the_ whole year, the

unemployment rate will still have a relatively higher 10.0 percent

coefficient of variation. Furthermore, Census Bureau representatives

also indicated in the Stanford conference that costs involved in, say,

doubling the Asian/Pacific American sample in the CPS. are well

within reasonable limits. I pose the following question 'now to the

Bureau of Census: Would it not be possible to attain reliability at

reasonable costs by doubling or even trebling the Asian sample and

aggregating over a period of 1 year? f Granted that the National Commission of Employment and Unemployment Statistics recommends "biennial publication of aggregated

CPS estimates of labor forcp- characteristics for small minorities" Such

as The Asian/Pacific Americans and Native Americans. However, if

such population indicators are to guide and support polioies, a gap of 2

yertrs is, to my mind, too long, estrcially if the current Ire d of high

imMigration rate from Asia continues.

I gather that the Census Bureau plans to identify Asi and Pacific

Americans as a separate group the CPS sometime in 1979. Beyond

this, Asian ethnititieg should also be identified. The NCEUS notes that

the ethnic categories listed currently by the CPS "are almost entirely

white ethnic categories. . . ." Since ethnic differences are as substantial among blacks and Asians as ,among whites, the commission.

suggests that the CPS expand its ethnic listings to include ethnicity of

races other than whites.

I have argued in this paper.that the needs of many Asian/Pacific

gokAmericans are real. This gathering of professional Asians is indeed

impressive but must be tempered by awareness that there -are toressing

Poblems ,and that many second- and third-geiterAdon Asian/Pacific

Americans are suffering as members of an invisible minority. - The existence of Asian/Pacific American Heritage week is an

important step. The delibefations in this gathering should be an eyeopening and evep(-painful experience both for Asian/Pacific Americans and the government. There is a faise sense of well-being--a

1 0 89
misconception nurtur,ed in the mind of not only the general puhlio hut..

also many Asians themselves.'

The 1980 censlsi properly implemented and analyzed, will provide

the appropriate documentation.we need to see how the Asian/Pacific

Amedcans, indeed a disadvantaged group as shown by microdata from

the'1970 census, have fared over the last 9 or 10 years. After 1980, we

argue that the current population survey will be the best rhicle for

timely, comprehensive, and reliable inforniation on the socioeconomic

profile of Asian/Pacific-Americans. The iedesign of the CPS is nol an

unrealistic request. It .can be done at reasonable cost. It certainly

wonld be a significant step forward. . 4 There are indeed problems. We cannot expect an overnight change,

an overnight solution. But the problems are there and niany of them,

tkave persisted over tbe.yeais. Beyond the census and CPS data, there

lire other data and information sources, whieh, in sne cases,

document these problems in an eVen more glaring and cl5nclusive

fashion. -State data' will be af particular use. Within the U.S.

Commission on Civil Rights itsek, I gather that in the past few years

there has been ah ongoing nationarproject on Mian and Pacific Island

Americans. A study of,this magnitude will certainly be of great help in

_providing some answers to the questions and problems I have posed in

this paper. Hopehilly, it will be possible for the Commission to share

with mi during, this conference the important highlighti of this study':

Asiani(Paciftc Anyericankproblems exist. Many of them are pressing.

There is no better time to act than now!!

9b
Political implications of the 1980 Census

for Asian American

by Nick Young An'

Never in the history of this Republic has the. constitutions)

_requirement of a decennial census assumed as much significance for

Asian Americans as the forthcoming _1980 censit. Historically a tiny

minority in a Nation settled primarily b;/ people from Europe, Asian

Americans accounted for only 1 percent of the tptal population as o(

the.1970 census (1,369,412). With the exception of those areas on the

west coast and Hawaii-with a sizeable Asian American population, in

the, rest of ,the oeuntry,Asiati Americans have not been considered

politically significant' enough to consider theit support critical.

Consequently, Asian Americans, while considered a model minority

socially, have been subjected to a benign neglect in the political realm.

The picture, however, has begun to change rapidly during the past

decade, with the influx of Asian immigrants in large nUmbers

folloWing the drastic changes in American immigration poligies since

, 1966, underscored by the abolition of the national origin quota system,

the bedrock of racist immigration policies. In addition te. the large

numbers of Asian immigrants under the new nondiscriminatory laws,

nearly 200,000 Indochinese refligees since the Vietnam debacle helped

elevate Asian Americans as a visible minority with human and social

needs, so much so that Asian Americans are clearly recognized today

tui a significant group in American society. , Various government programs recognized the needs of Asian

Americans as a distinct minority group, along with blacks, Hispanics,

Native Americans, and Chicanos. The National Institut, of Mental

Health, for example, through its minpity projects division, flmded

several 'projects that benefited Asian Americans along with olker

minorities. It is expected that this trend will persist in the years ahead,'

as Asian Americans, settled in large metropolitan areas of the Nation,

are recognized in the political processes as a potent polia t' I force to

contend iith. With an aqcurate count in the 1980 cens this group

wik able to take a fair share of the benefits the ety has to

dispense. But many obstacles stancOn the way of a complete count.

The Censui Bureau has aCknowledged an undercount in minority ,

populations enumerated during the 1970 ceiAus. The Undercount in the

1970 census was estimated as 2.3 percent of the total population and

6.3 percent of the black popolation. The undercount is most prevalent

. Dr. islack Young An is professor of politirl science, Deportment of Political Science, Ocorgia

State Universftytittlants, Oa.

104

91
in the South and the Northeast where there are large keic en va tIons of'

poor and minorities. The report estimated that in the South, 3.1

percent of the- population was misised while 6.7 percent of the black population was not countrd:-In the Northwest, 2.6 percent of the population was missed, and 7.5 percent of the black population was not included in tht count. While there are no similar fignres for Asian Americars,.the undercoupt among this groupistimated at around 15

percent, and the figures are expected to exceed 20 percent for the C forthcoming census in the absence of concerted efforts to reduce the . instances of undercount in the 19$0 census. . There are many encouraging signs at the various levels of govern- ' ment. The United States tensus Bureau has allocated a considerable

amount of resources to disseminate information and to promote a

complete count. Minorities sections have been created in each regional . office to reach racial and linguistic- minorities. State and local

governments, especially municipal governments, are also making all- out efforts to lave every one of their citizens counted in this year's

census. Many municipal governments have appointed "complete cc:Milt committees" composed of citizen volunteers to aid their respective

municipal governments in their efforts to reach everyone within their

jurisdiction.

Atlanta, Georgia, is such a municipality. Its mayor, Maynard

Jackson, assigned a very high value to a complete count as more

important than- anything else the governmpRt does this year. Various

subcommittees are to work in close contaCt with dil/erse groups and

the nrws med)I as a part of their efforts to achieve a complete count.

Neverthe,é5s, these efforts are likely to be thwarted by several obstacles. n addition to the usual problems confronting other

minorif , Asian Americans will face additional impediments that are

largely cultural and linguistic in nature, somewhat peculiar to newly

arrived immigrants from Asian countries. At the May 1975 National Conference on Social Welfare, "from gwan indi6ated that a large Segment of Asian elderly did not or could not rtspond to census

inquiries on account of fears and suspicion of the Federal Government

resulting from past experiences -and the inability to read, write, or

speak English. As a result, the decennial census seriously undercounts

the siie 'of Asian populations, especially the elderly and rural segments.

Census data, therefore, may be biased in the directions of describing

the better informed segment of Asian American populations. Indeed, one acute cultural barrier that militates against a complete count among Asian Americans is ingrained in their political experi- ences prior to coming to the United States. In most cases, they were

socialized from early year. i of their fives _to distrust or at least to be

suspicious'Of government. Their trust level is so low that no more than

92'

105
perfunctory cooperation is likely 'in most instances, unless massive

efliIrts are mounted to allay their/ Apprehensions about possible abuse

of personal 'data. . - The Indochinese refugees, for example; who have recently escaped

from a country that has endured for many years the deadly internecine.

warfark are naturally wary of any contact with government in Einy

form. Their memories are still fresh with the price one paid for being

,on the wrong side of politics. Many still have their relatives and

members of immediate families in Vietnam, and their concerns for

them frequently dispose them toward shying away from anything to

,.

do with government. The general fears of goverinnent and uncertainties about the uses of census data might -discourage them from

.ef °operating fully in the census process.

On account of many yeait of the political division in China, people

from Taiwan and Hong Kong are even more given to the proclivity to

keep their personal data to themselves. The fear of possible political\

retribution on their relatives and th-e-ir friends on the mainland and in

Taiwan for political reaZons has subconsciously inculcated in them a

natural aversion to having much to -do with governmtnt and politics.

T e lack of tradition favoring the 'trust relationship between the

vernment and the citizen is ndt easy to overcome.

Another serious barrier is the absence of facility with tkie English

language, which tends to exacerbate the first problem. Most of-the new

immigrants from Asian countries, especially the elderly, may., have

linguistic difficulties in handling the census form, even in their native

language in some instances. The linguistic inability requires sharing

personal data with a census taker, which removes the impersonal

nature of the entire process. They will become even more uneaiy

\-...

about exposing themselves to a stranger. It will require a tremendoti,,,,,

amount of education to surmount the difficulties.

Additional diffiCulties are likely to stem from the transitional

S character of the residential patterns, which is characteristic of new

immigrants. Most of the newly arrived -do' not own a home of their

own and do not have a permanent, regular employment. They tend to

move from one job to another, one apartment to another, and from one

town to another. They seldom leave forwarding addresses when they

move. (In 1978 More than a half of the Korean residents in the

metropolitan Atlanta area, for example, moved, which represents a

much higher ritethan for the rest of the Nation. i

A problem of a different nature persists among farmworkers in rtyal

areas. Northern California, for example, has many Filipino farmworkers who do not have families of their own and livel-with other single

t workers in boarding houses. As many live together in a single housing

unit, it will be difficult to have each individual occupant respond to the

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census inquiries. Many.of them came to this country befoie an() during

the Second World War, and most of them are quite elderly, usually

witHout command of the English language.

. An accurate census is of vital importance to the entire Nation in

numerowways, especially this year. First of all, it is expected to have

major impact on the political landscape. By 1982 the House of

Representatives will be reapportioned in accordance with Abe 1980

census, and the electoral college will also be reapportioned to reflect

those House changes. There will be a dramatic shift in power balance

between the Northeast lind North Cei*al (the Frost Belt), on one

hand, and the South and West (the-Sun llelt), on the other, as a result

of the population growth in the Sun Belt.

When John F. Kennedy / was elected President in 1960, the Frost

Belt had 284-e1ectoral votes, the Sun Belt only 245 (the Frosties led by

41). Four years later, the Frostie lead had already dwindled to only 12.

By 1972 the Sun Belt had, for the first time in American history, more

electoral votes than did the Frost Belt States, but by only a slim lbwvote lead. According to Census Bureau projections, the South and,

West will have 26 more electoral votes than the Frost Belta 22-vote

%shift from 1960.

This development on, the American lx)litical scene is likely, to

enhance the political Ntatus of Asian Americans nationally, as California, where Asian Americans aaount for nearly 20 percent or the

State's population, emerges with the expected 47 electoral votes,

nearly 9 percent of the total electoral votes needed to win the

Presidential election in the electoral collede.,

The strategic location of Asian American population in other major

metropolitan centers of electorally important Stateswill further lend

political prowess to the group. Cohesiveness among Asian Americans will even amplify the political power, given the primary system of

selecting candidates for public office under very low turnouts. The

emergence of Asian American voters as a group will invariably be

noticed b'y candidates; unquestionably, this will be translated into

political power and influence.

Moreover, even though th nstitutional mandate for a decennial

ensus was primarily to ,sis for fair apportionment among

the States of seats in the ouse of Representatives, population is--the

moSt frequently used formula allocation factor. While there is much

controversy surrounding the use of population as a formula alloCation

factor, the use of population as a measure of "political fair share" can

be traced back to the earliest grants which were often allocated on the

basis of congressional representation. (The Morrill Land Grant Act of

1862 granted each State .30,000 acres of land or its equivalent in land

scrip fOr each Senator and Representative for the purpose of

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1 establishing thc land grant colleges). Further, acceptance of population as a "standard of equity" is also reflected in the fact that most

State-by-State distribution of grants are analyzed in per capita terms.

Most Federal programs allocace funds, at kast partially, on the basis

of total population or spme segment of the population. to name a few,

under comprehensive planning grants for law enforcement assistance,

each State is allocated.$250,000 plus a portion of any remaining funds

based on its share of t he total population. Career education incentive

Winch are d signed to fgrants, relate education_ to work and work

values, allocate resources on the basis of the number of 5- to 17-year

olds in each State. For child abfise and neglect, each State is

apportioned $20,000 plus a portion of the remainder based on its share

of the total number of chatiren aged 18 and under. Benefits for the

elderly also are distributed on the basis of population. The available

share of Federal funds under more than .100 Federal programs

depends, at least papally, on the' size of some population groups. To

be more specific, more than $50 billion a year is distributed to State

and local governments, and additional billions of dollars in State funds

also will be distributed.

The programs that are of more immediate interest to Asian

Americans Mclude multipurpose senior citizen centers, bilingual

education, special education, Housing and Community Development

Act of 1974,qpild health and human development, comprehensive

health. services, Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of

1973, and equal employment opportunity. Federal agencies that use

census data on race include the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission, pepartment of Heth, Education, and Welfare, Depart-

( ment of the Treasury, Law En orcement Assistance Administration,

Small Business Administration, and Commissioi on Civil Rights. Tke

census data are used also by State and loCal government officials in

admkniitration and fiscal planning. Besides, private organizations use

census data to allocate their resources to various groups in society.

'Aside from the benefits accruing from accurate count, it is a legal

duty of every American to cooperate with the government in the

census. And the government, in turn, ought to undertake massive

efforts among Asian American groups, first to overcome the cultural

barrier through community leaders and, secondly, to help them

overcome linguistic problems in filling out the forms.

In the absence of genuine efforts through ethnic organizations and

associations, it is unlikely that anything like a complete count can be

approached. Such efforts are worthwhile both for the government and

also fdr the citizens, for both stand to gain from success.

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1 OS
Statement on Census IssuesImpact and

Reaction

bya Jom Kim

I speak here. today as the organizer and director of one of the first

Korean service agencies in this country. I speak from my experiences

in working with a broad range of people throughout- the Korean

American community, ranging from "delinquent" youths wititvessful professionals. What I Have to say today comes not from research

others 'are more qualified than me in that areabut from my experiences with the Korean American /community, other Asian American communities, and the greater society in working to have the

-. Korean American community's needs recognized and met.

I do not intend to speak for the entire Korean American community, but out of my community work I want to say that the Census Bureau . has a critical responsibility to the Korean American community

because of its previous negligence towards this comMunity. Up until the 1970 gensus, Korean Americans were not even included as-4i

category. Next year, 1980, my oldest son, who is a fourth-generation

Korean American, will be 14 years old. This means our family has aited 118 Years into the fourth generation before being counted or

-recognized as Korean Americans in America.

It is clear, that the Korean' American dommunity is j emerging

community that does not yet have either the external visibility or the

developed social support systems of the other minority communities.

As Dr. Bok.Lim C. Kim has pointed Out, probably.less is known about Korean Americans than about any other Asian American group, let alone the other established, long-recognized minority groups, such as

- blacks and Hispanics.

Consequently, the impact of the 1980 census on the Korean

American community both externally and internally within the

community 'will probably be Areater than that for nearly any other community, and for this reason the Census Bureau should direct

particularly well-thought-out, culturally relevant data collection pro- cedures for this cominunity. Some idea of the dimensions of the scicial

service -needs that must be met can be seen in the fact that there has

been a 1,300 percent increase in the Korean American population from

1965 to 1976. Nationally, Korean/American immigrants represent the

third rattesT iñiniigratling grobti and the second largest Asian immi- grating group (see table 1).

. Torn Kim is directIr of the Korean Community Service Center, 3136 Fulton St., San Francisco, Calif. 94118.

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41, 169
TABLE 1

Year *

China/

Hong Kong Japan K01418 PhIllppintps Total ,

1967 26,096 3,946 3,956 10,865 43,863

1968- 16,434 3,613 3,811 16,731 40.589

1 969 20,893 3,957 6,045 20,744 51,639

970 17,956 4,485 9,314 4 31,703 83,468

1971 17,622 4,457 14,297 28,471 64,847

1972 21,730 4,757 18,876 29,376 74.739

1 973 21,656 5,461 22,930 30,799 ,80,846

1974 22.685 4,860 28,028 32,857 88,430

1 975 2344,27 4.274 28,362 31,751 87,814

1976 .r24,589 4258 30,803 37,28k 96,931

Total 21 2,088 44,068 166.422 270.578 693,156

Year ending June 30.

SOurce: U.S., Immigration and Naturalization Service, Ahnuel Repoft 1976. p 89

Korean and other Asian immigrants from China, Japan, the

Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Burma,

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, 'Malaysia, and Sri Lanka have chosen to

come to the United States despite knowing they would have to endure

a prolonged and arduous process before reaching these shores. They

have endured this difficult process because they want to become

American citizens and want to participate fully in American life. The

population of the United States consists of a pluralistic mosaic gist was

created by immigrants from a diversity of -cultures, languages, and

historical backgrounds. With the exception of the Native Americans,

all Americans can trace their roots back to another country.

\The Koreans also come from another country-a country with a

ricli heritage that tan contribute to the pluralistic mosaic that has made

this country so strong ancLan example of how diverse peoples can

blend their-cultural strengtfli to form a flexible, pluralistic society. In

view of the history of our country, it is my hope that the Korean and

other immigrants today will be welcomed 'as contdbutors to our rich

history rather than viewed as second-class citizens until they are

naturalized.

Ninety percent of the Korean population in the San Francisco Bay

Area are essentially monolingual (Korean-speaking) immigrants who

do not comprehend American culture and society. Politically, they are

relatively powerless and tend to fall into the low- and lower-middleincome brackets. A report by the California Advisory Committee to

the United States Commission on civil Rights, released in February

1975, pointed but that, "social services had not provided fot the needs

of Korean American immigrants whose knowledge of and facility in

Englicih was limited."

lb 0

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do"

hi this context of the needs of the Korean American community, I would like to say a few words about its relationship to the other Asian

American communities. While we consider ourselves part of the Asian

American community and work closely with other Asian American

organizations, it is critical to understapd that while there are important

commonalities amongst these grpups, there are also critically signifi- cant differences. These differences in historical background, culture, previous political relationships, language, immigration patterns, and ways in which.each group has responded to the cu ure of this country make each gr(wp a distinct entity with distinctiv -patterns of social service needs.

The very term Asian American was itself, in large part, a response

to American racism which saw all Asians as yellow people to be

subordinated, thereby neceisitating our orgianizing Asian Americans to

meet our common experience of Arliterican i.acisin. However, for the Census Bureau's and other resegircW mut social service organizations' efforts to be successful, the heterogeneity of the Asian American

groups must be recognized. This heterogeneity is such that when you

go into.Asian American communities you do .nOt hear people referring

to themselves as Asian Americans, but as Japanese Americans or Vietnamese Americans or Korean Americans r Chinese Americans.

That is also why I could not successfully speak for another Asian

group and why another Asian group cannot speak for Koreans. The

tendency of some to blur the differences between the long-established\

Chinese and Japanese communities under the term "Asian American"

is a disservice to each of these communities when it results in a failure. to recognize their unique histories and patterns of needs. For the Korean American community and other. emerging 'groups, this

tendency has consequences .at least as seriousfor the Koiean

community is not only a distinct ifictity but also an emerging

community with all that that implies.

For example, a much larger percentage of faAles within the

Chinese American and Japanese American communities date back for'

three or four generations. The existence of several generations within

these communities is reflected in a . relative diversity of social

organizations which, in many instances, function as social support systems for new immigrants. Also, a significant portion of the population of these communities has been somewhat successful in

acculturating so that their members can function as intermediaries

between the white majority and their communities. Consequently, while still in considerable need of more assistance, they have internal support systems as well as partially developed relationships with

support systems outside of their communities, su'esh as municipal, State,

98 lij
and Federal agencies. Due to this situation, a fair amount of research

information has also been gathered regarding these populations.

However, tbr the Korean American community and other emerging

groups very littleNof the above applies. As an emerging community we

are in the process of developing internal support systems. Much of the

so-called Asian American research does not apply to us because much

of our population is composed of recent immigrants about whom little

is known. The fact that 90 percent Of the Korean American population

is composed of recent immigrants has numerous consequences

amongst which are that our community structure is a fluid, rapidly

changing one and that we have relatively few advocates for our

community compared to the otheriksian American coMmunities.Atn,

Obviously, the above- situation has complex ramifications for data

collection. For one, a population composed largely of immigrants is

likely to be considerably more suspicious of government interviewers.

For another, the interviewers and collection procedures must be more

carefully developed to take into consideration the characieristics of a

less acculturated community compared to the mi)re acculturated

communities.

In the last section of my presentation I would like to make a few

'comments about the previous and proposed procedures of the Census

Bureau. The shortcomings of the 1970 census and previous censuses

are well known and can _be better spoken to by others on this panel.

HoWever, from.the community perspective, I want to object to some

of the particularly inappropriate Wilt and procedures proposed by

the Census Bureau.

According tO the Census Bureau's own an'alysis, the 1970 census

undercounted whites by only 2 percent.compared to nearly 8 percent

for blacks. I am certain that the situation for Asian Americans, and

partiffgarly for Korean Americans, is substantially worse. The Census

Bureie has already admitted that there will also be a substantial

uridercount in the 1980 census. Yet, despite the National Academy of

Sciences recommendations, the Census Bureau has stated that it will

not adjust its count according to its estimate of the undercount.

I agree with the National Academy of Sciences recommendation

that the Census. Bureau should adjust its count according to its

estimate of the undercount and that the revised figures should be used

for the distribution of Federal aid. Given that the undercount for the

Korean American population may be more than four times greater

than that fofr the white Pofmlation and that Federal funds will be

distributed in part on _the asis of the census results, I regard this.

refusal of Ale Cerisus Au au as at best irresponsible, as if will most

likely lt.ad to Korean Americans not receiving their fair share of

99
Federal and other funds. Once again, those who are most needy and less "mainstream American" are going to be shortchanged. Secondly, I agree with the ACLU that diem are "problems of prkvacy arid confidentiality in the design for the 1980 Census." We fed that the Census Bureau information should not be matched against records kept by the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, the,Defense Department,:or other government agen- cies. Although the Census Bureau has pledged that its informatiCii is confidential, this reassurance is suspect given the disclosures_of the lack of cpnfidentiality on the part of governmental agencies in the past. We agrei also that after the names have been verified, the personal

identification on census information should be destrOyed rather than kept on computer tapes. We take this strong Iposition on the confidentiality of the census data because in the past governmental agencikt have not honored their pledges of confidentiality, and because of the strong distrust of governmental agencies on the part of many Asian Americans.

The Census Bureau should be able to obtain this essential and detailed data through its outreach methodology and implementation process. To this issue, we make the following recommendations; that ethnic newspapers, TV stations, community-based service agt4-cies, organizations, groups, and churches be given proper notifica- ,_-tion for publicity purposes before the Census Bureau's implementation of its survey;

that the Census Bureau develop close working relationships with the organizations mentioned abovb, for the iurposes clf consultation and information regarding appropriate and) sensitive methods of outreach and implemeniption;

that community-ba4d service agencies be utilized ai "help cen- terf for bilingual assistance in filling out the census questionnaires and puglic information;

that census field offices be based in the target som munitiesthis can be ficilitated ln community-based agencies onnt contract basis;

that multilinguill flyers, to include Korean translations, be prepared to explain, in simple terms,,confidentiality and the need and reasons for

an accurate count in the census (i.e., equitable allocation of public

resources);

that these multilingual flyers be distributed to postal offices, other government and public agencies, hospitals, and health clinics in areas and zones which have a high concentration of Asian residents, in addition to the above-mentioned commUnity organizations; that these multilingual flyers also be utilized and developed for

field visits when person-a are not at home and cannot be reached so that a response can be made. (It must be noted that Asian immigrants,

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especially senior citizens, children, and housewives are highly suspicious, oftentimes reluctant and fearful of strangers who reprAent

government agencies.);

that permanent residents be hired for bilingual enumerator positions; in the recently arrived, emerging comnninities, there is a scarcity ,

of naturalized citizens. For these communities, hiring priorities should

be given to bilingual permanent residents;

that total tabulations on all census printouts be given, regardless of

whether or not the count is _wider 5,006. Previously, Asian counts

under 5,000 were categorizedas "ONW" (Other Non-White);

that community specialists be, increased throughout the Nation,

with comprehensive bilingual materials and bilingual contract service

backup in local areas;

above all, any agency, be it governmenti, profit, or nonprofit, must

contact members ofthe respective ethnic group to be involved before,

durini, and after the issue, if any work is to I* successful and relevant;

that Ike support fully Senate Joint Resolution 23 by Senators

Matsunaga and Inouye, relating to the publication of economic and

social statistics for Americans of V.ast Asian and 'Pacific Island origin

or descent tothe Committee on Governmental*ffairs.

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(th
4,

"." Women's Issues

CHAIRMAN Fl IM INU. WC 110W turn to a discussion of women's

issues. In this partic lar area, I'm isking Commissione Freeman to preside during this pa t of the presentation:

Commissioner Fr an?

COMMISSIONER FR EMAN. I would like to ask all of the panelists on 'the subject topic, won en's issues, to come at this time. I take everybod is properly idelitthed and behind your name? Our first participa t who Will speak on the subject, poverty

peispcctive, is Irene Hirano. Ms. Hirano has been the executive director of THE, To . - elp Everywoman, Clinic m Los Angeles since

1975.

Presentation of I

Everywoma

MS. HIRANO. Than

What I would like t

poverty and women wh

In the long history.

U.S., they have been i

Hirano, Executive Director, To Help Clinic, Los Angeles, California

you very much.

cover briefly are, some of the areas related to

will fall in that category.

f Asian and Pacific American women in the

the unfair and the unfortunate position of bearing a major portion Of the burden of poverty in Our communities. Contrary to the public image of Asian/Pacific' women as being in a

, there h ve been 'substantial nuMbers that

t agains poverty, racism, sexism, and all of

comfortre middle clai

have ha to bear the fig

the accompanying probl

This is not just a p oblem of new immigrant women, but an historical phenomenon ' which has been characteristic of all Asian/Pacific communities. From the first generation of pioneer women who were forced to work in this country as prostitutes and

farm laborers to the recent immigrant workers who are forced to seek jobs in garment factoOes and canneries, a large number of Asian/Pacific women have been 4ubjected to poor working conditions end a poverty status for over 100 years.

Now, a number of those'eame early pioneer women who are elderly, are living in the poverty ghettos of Los Angeles anirSan Francisco and other metropolitamareas. Many elderly Japanese women arc still living in old hotels and t4)artments in Little Tokyo and East Los Angeles. They are living on minimum or no social security and/or public assistance benefits.

The myth that poverty does not affect Asiap/Pacific tommunities and in particular Asian/Pacific women, unfortunately, is, an attitude that permeatis many socialk service and ptiblic ageneies. These inaccurate perceptions coupled with institutional racism and sexism

102
(

often deny eligible Asian/Pacific women of needed assistance and

services.

If we look at poverty data.that has beeii highlighted both in the,1970

census and in a HEW studydone on low-income Asians, we find that a

substantial portion of low-income Asian/Pacific Americans are living

in this country.

I won't cove,r all ofThe areas related to poverty data. In my written

testimony I have elaborated on this arek but I would like to cover a

couple of key points.

One is the, fact that, if we look at the information on the immber of

families and, in partimlar, women who are able to obtain public

assistance, a majority ,bf them are not receiving the same level of

assistance in terms of dollars as the general population. .

If we look at, for etfample, Japanese in Los Angeles, the proportion

of Japanese on public, assistance is in all categories far below that bf

other poverty populations. For example, over one-third 4411 poor

families in Lola Angeles have public assistance, but only 12 pekent of

poor Japanese famihes do.

Over half of all poor female-headed families of all racee receive

public assistance, But only one-third of Japanese pooleromen receive

this type of assistante.

In 1970 the Japanese families that Were receiving public assistance

were, on the average, receiving $200 ess than other families.

One of the other poverty-reIatI issues for a growing number of

immigrant Agian/Pacific women is the need for public assistance

during sptyika jintited periods of time. These groups include women

who are war brides, women married to partners of other ethnic

groups, and an increaiing number of divorced women ,who find

themselves in need of public assistance while obtaining job skills, child

care, or during the employment search.

There is considerable variknce Within malty States and coun es as to

the interpretation of noncitizens receiving public' assistance. I migration regulations require that aliens not become "a public charge"ofthel

State. In Los-Angelet County there is administrative confusion as to

whether public charge includes assistance for SSI, SSP; medical or

welfare assistance.

Potential applicants may be legal residents, but aot citizens. There is

concern- that temporary public hssistalice mighLhinder their artplicif

flop for citizenship at. some future date or affect their ability .tp go

abroad then return to this country. Clear guidelines both on a natipnal

RS. well as a local level need to be made so that agencies can interpret'

them consistently.

AnAther concept is the area of the working poor and the

relationship to child care Osues. Asian/Pacific women 'contribute to

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I.

family incomes in large increasing proportions. A substantial part pf this support must go to the cost of child care. However, the lack of

adequate child care facilities is appalling. An example from the UM

Angeles area again will demonstrate this point. In 1978 there were

10,000 children enrolled in Head Start programs in Los Angeles. Only 4

185 were classified as b.sing of Asisk/Pacific origin. There is no Asian

bilingual-bicultural Head Start Program in Los Angeles.

The HEW national Asian American field study suryey conducted in

1974 showed that a high percentage of households were headed by single women in low-income categories. Tim, the problem of child Care becomes even more an issue for those in poverty who would like to seek work.

Ik4.One program in the Lcs Angeles Chinatown area, Castellar Children's Center, currently has in enrollment of 209 children with a waiting list of 200 to 300. This program now faces the distinct problem

of a substantial reduction of its funding due to California's recent Propositidn 13 \,Three other programs exist but only have the

capability of 20 to 30 children each, and two of the programs are only half day due tp lack of ffinds. According. tc the Cutellar staff, 76

percent of the participating families in this program earn incomes at or below the minimum wage level even though two parents are working. In response to this, a community-based agency, Little Friends Playgroup in the Chinatown area, is' trying to provide child care iervices. However, this proarim currently is.o able to service about

25 children. The main problem being is that th are not able to obtain,, as are other Asian program4load Start mo

The one Head Start program that is in hinatown runs a 20-child

program out of a nearby Olaygrouncl. is half-day and a part-year only gram.' In Chinatown most the families have both parents wprking, as I have noted. ack of available child care forces

parents e child care, leave their chl1dr at home

unsupervised .or su rvised by young, minor children, bring them to

factories or other workplaces, or leave them to Wander by themselves I

in Ole kreets.

In the written dodument I've included a number of recommeirz-'

tions related to ilikkarea.

One of We other issUes of working poor women in the Asian/Pacific committeies is the lack of employment bell due to the type of workpl . n such as garment factories and canneries. . . ,.. If we look at Asians in Sail Francisco Los Angeles, 1Mw tork, the.labor force participation' rates 91 Asian/Picific women is even higher than is shown f r Asians as a whole. And since many of these wome0 as I've mend ed, are unakilled or are in unskilled types of employment, what hap nd is thai they are not granted standard fringe

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ncfits. They do not have Joh rights or Joh.security and there is no

/health insurance or emergency health services that result from on-the-

, job accidents.

Interviews from the DHEW.national Asian field study showed that

a number of women working in _factories were unable to obtain

adegriaie assistance for accidents in the factory, were not able to obtain

child care and other types of social service assistance.

Another related problem of lower incoint Asian/Pacific women is

the lack of accessible, funded health serVices that are available fdr

other low-income women. These include maternal and child health

services.

This iS particularly important due to the number of Asian/Pacific

women within the childbearing years, 15 to 44, which has significantly

increased due to immigration.

In a study done by gir clinic, it was shown that only 10 percent of

the eligible Asian/Pacific women lin Los Angeles County are currently

receiving subsidized family planning service, despits the fact that they

would be eligible due t income. 4.6 One recent exam e can highlight -th !need for health education,

counseling and 'sociil services. At a Angeles area high school, a

young Asian student of a recently immigrant family, informed the

school nurse that she Was pregnant. After the daughter' ipformed her

family as well, her father being unable to cope with tik increasing

economic pressure plus the family pressure brought about by his

daughter's unwanted pregnancy, found that tbe only alternative that

be had was to kill himself. , ci

.4Young Asian women who are and will become pregnant and

I currently have very little opportunity for (helm typei of supportive

services, are not al?le to seek out providers due to language and

cu1ti94 barriers. Women who do pot want to become pregnant alN4 "

have very little alterailives kir finding family planning services

meet t,I4ir needs.

One recommendation would be in the area df collecting data and

reporting this data. One of the difficulties in analyzing proyerty is the

lack of information that is collected on Asian and Pacific Americans,

particularly information by specific ethnic identity. There has been a

vicious cycle of the lack of Opropriate and adequite funding for

Asian/Pacific communities and especiaq women's programs because

of the lack of data. However,' there AS anunwillingness by public

agencies to mandate the adequate data collection pfocedures far

funded programs.

One example of thisois the problem in Los Angeles related to the

Health Systeins AgeliZy, the HSA. A task force of Asian/Pacific

Americans met for months with staff of thispency to address the

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4
needs o f A. ian/Pacific Americans In their countywide health plan with a parti ilar emphasis on health services for women. A large number of dat S011fees were made available to theni.

When the six-volume HSA report was published, there yis not one mention .of the Asian/Pacific community. Most of the da l had been

reported as white/black, with some Hispanic data.

Programs receiving Federal dollars should be specifically Yequired

to provide information on noed, the types ot services rendered, and

evaluations which should include Asian/Pacific Americans. The myth of the lack of poverty affecting our particular communities, and in particular Asian/Pacific women, must be dispelled {Ind the reality of the need for social services, health care, job training, and child care

must be addresied by Federal officials.

Thank you.

1 COMMISSIONFR FRFEMAN. Thank you.

Our next topic is political participation; it will be addressed by Rita Fujiki Elway. Ms. Elway owns a public opinion research firm, Communicatiun Design, in Seattle, Washington, and she was appoint- .ed by President Carter to the National Commission foilthe Observance -of International Women's Year in 1977.

Ms. Elway?

Presentation of Rita Fujiki Elway, Communication Design, Seattle, Washington

MS. EwAY. Thank you very much.

Can you hear me all right? Okay.

What I'll be talking abdut are strategies for political participation for Asian and Pacific women. But, I think that it's necessary to lay the groundwork by talking about the lack of participition by both men and women in the Asian/Pacific comMunity.

Most typically, people speak in terms of language and cultural barriers to participation. And while it's true that these are factors, -there is a problem with that assumption. The assumption is that if you

change Asian/Pacific Islanders that barriers to political participation will be removed, and that is not true. s. Barriers to political participation by Asian and Pacific people in this country are chapters in the history of violations of civil rights in this country. They've existed for as long as Asian and Pacific people have been associated with the U.S. jurisdictions, and I'd like to just briefly

go over tome of those barriers.

The rat jourriers are barriers to citizenship. It was not until July 27, 1952, that Japanese were allowed the right to naturalization in this country through the Walter-McCarran Act. This was almost 90 years after blacks were given the right of U.S. citizenship.

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Chinese were allowed the right of citizenship only 8 years before the

Japanese, because they were' considered allies of the Uniteil States.

Filipinos were considered wards of the State at that time and thus had

permanent visas.

Another barrier to political participation is the legislative barrier to

the ownership of land. Ownership of land in this country was an

original qualification for citizenship. While tItis requirement no loNer

obtains, it's still true that the right to land ownership is one ofthe Wys

to,the full social, economic, and political participation.

In Washington State, the alien land law Was enacted in 1889, which

prohibited noncitizens from owning land. That meant if you were an

Asian, not born in this country, you could never-,pwn land. Other

States followed Washington's example, enacting sinillak 'alien land

laws, and it was not until 1952 that the United States Supre4te Court

declared those laws unconstitutional.

In Washington State's past legislative session, attempts were made to

reintroduce the alien land legislation. Similar efforts have been made in

the U.S. Congress to curbing foreign investment, but the memory of

this insidious legislation is far too recent for most Asian.Americans.

F r Pacific Islanders, the land situation is 'somewhat different in that

they ve been systematically, deprived of the land which once

belond to them. The effects, howeVer, have been similar: political,

economic impotency.

Another barrier to political -participation is in the area of displacement. There is strong evidence that a sense of community strengthens

political efficacy. As long as the Asian/Pacific people have been

associated with the United States, there have been concerted efforts to

violate their communities. Anti-Chinese riots have resulted in the

massacre of entire communities. In some instances, entire populations

of Japanese in cities were shipped in trains Against their will to other

States. Between 1939 and 1945 all persons of Japanese descent on the

west coast were placed in inland concentration camps. This is not to be

confused with the Nazi death camps. Executive Order 9066, which

ordered the evacuation, was not repealed until 1976k,

Urban renewal has hit Asian and Pacific communities, disrupting

their physical and historical identities. Most recently, Asiari and

Pacific civic comniunities which border central business districts have

been targets of very active speculation and development which is

inconipatible with the identities of those communities.

Another barrier to political participation has been immigration

policy in this country. Immigration policy in this country has favored

the importation of cheap labor and discouraged the formation of

family units.

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Once labor was impdrted to this country, stringent _immigration quotas were imposed, limiting the immigration 9f fiancees, wives, sons, and daughters of laboring Asian men.

Because of antimiscegenation laws, laborers had their difficult time finding mates in this country. As a consequence, Asian communities have had large number of single, elderly Asian males. This is particularly true in the Chinese and Filipino communities where the establishment of family units has been severely impeded by immigra- tion policies.

The fifth area of barriers to political participatron is under the broad title of the education system and the mass media. The stereotype of men and women of Agin/Pacific backgrounds has been one of passivity and service to white America. For Asian and Pacific women, the stereotype has been one of exotic femininity, and for Asian ancl,k Pacific men the stereotype has been the docile submission and a preoccupation with the service industries.

None of these stereotypes have encouraged a view of Asians or Pacific Islanders as possessing any kind of political efficacy. This passive stereotype has, in fact, encoldaged thc notion krth within the larger community as well as within the Asian/Pacific communities that Asian and Pacific people are only good for certain kinda of roles in life.

This stereotype'has been reenforced in the educational system, both in terms of occupatiohal counseling and educixtional tracking. Skills necessary to achieve political participation are not encouraged. It's also assumed by the educational system that Pacific Islanders are not much good for anything besides music and labor. These assumptions either consciously or unconsciously become the basis of decisions made about thc nature of educational resources invested in the individual. - What does it take to achieve political efficacy? While forces and events have conspired to discourage the growth of political participa- tion by Asian and Pacific people, there are many people who pointed out that many of these injustices faced by Asian and Pacific people ' would never have happened if we'd twly spoken out against what was happening to them. But I think the evidence shows that barriers to free speech and civil rights went far beyond timidity or complacency in the Asian/Pacific communities.

In recent years, however, participation has increased markedly. Something has been happening in Asian/Pacific cOmmunities. What I'd like to do is point out what some of those things are, because it's really hopeful.

The first thing that's been happening in Asian/Pacific communities is.the development of a greater level of education and awareness about

121
Asian and Pacific history and current issues. The civil rights

movement of the '50s and the ethnic pride of the '60s have had really

profound effects on Asian/Pacific communities. Throughout the '60s

and '708 we haVe found that Asian and Pacific people have developed

a knowledge and awareness oftheir history, both before and after U.S.

contact.' . Self-knowledge has then encouraged a sense of value and mission,

and the mission is to work to ensure the vitality and the future of.

Asian/Pacific communities.

.. , Another major positive event in. Asiam(Pacific commUnities has .- been affirmative action. Although affirmative action needs for Asian

and Pacific people are not even CIOSC to being met, as is the case with

most ethnic groups, there have been many positive outcomes from

affirm,ative action programs. More Asian/Pacific people have access

to employment and education than ever before. They have legal

recourse in the face of racial and sex discrimination. Another outcome

has been that affirmative action programs have been a coalescing issue,

both within our communities and with other ethnic minority communicieiThus, Affirmative action has promoted access to political

perticipation in two major ways.

The women's movement has been another, major event in

Asian/Pacific communities. Although women of color have typically

taken a somewhat token role in the women's moveme9kas a whole, the

efita of tokenism should not be minimized and the presence of

en of color in feminist activity has sensitized others to 'the

cular .. ; -nia and philosophy of Asian/Pacific women.

movyment hakiiven some visibility to the concerns of

Asi om6t, for exainple, working conditions of .garment

work garment workers are not suffering the same occupational di that women and children in tilt> 19th century were

suffering. The cal abuse problems of wives of servicemen are

gaining visibility, as family planning options for Asian and Pacific

women, and so on.

Within the community, women') groups have fRrined across the

country. Aaian and Pacific women have developed support groups,

community education programs, and political interest groups, which

emphuize their coMtnon concerns. Much of this interest in Asian and

Pacific w 's cOncerns stems from the.large mOvement of (4:;mee,.......

through, cotMtry. , .

, . Asainti on is iomething that is also occurrinicin Asian/Pacific

conimunities. Thal' is kind of a two-edged sword. Because; on the one

hand, assimilation'has the effect of provickigg us with political survival

skills; on the ot t er hand, assimilation fig also had the effect of

'ab sorbing Asian and Pacific people into the general population or

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making people within those communities feel as though they're just like white people, which isn't true. Fortunately, because -of the

emphases,en the development of historical ana cultural identity, this trend has alien somewhat altered.

The other major event in the community has been sucess stories, and that is something which, yoli know, as, :we -are _seeing the

de:ielopment of models of people that have been successful in political participation advocating for the community, that's another sort of inspiration for the community.

Thank you.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you. The next topic is that of legal issues which will, be addressed by Diane Yen-Mei Wong. Ms. Wong- nov4s serves as executive director of the Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs. Ms. Wong?

Presentation of Diane Yen-Mel Wong, ExecutiveDirector,

. Washington Stat. Commission on Asian American Affairs, Office of the Governor, Olympia, Washington MS. WONG. Thanlifru very much. Just by way of i oduction, I'd like to define some of' the

parameters within which I shall try to keep my remarks. One echoes a

concern that itita raised: sometimes it's very hard to separate women's

issues from issues that affect the entire Asian/Pacific Americdh , community. Legal issues fails into that category.

The other partmeter that I'm working iinder, is that legal issues do n94 exist in a vacuum. They rise from factbal situations. Therefore, many times when I'm talking, you'll be thinking: Is that really a legal issue? And I just want to let you know now that I'm talking about

these factual issues because I think they're ripelor legal action. A lot or. these 'issues become legal when people in the Asian/Pacific

American communities 'challenge themchallenge practicei or file *suits.

Because of the time limitation I'd like to just focus oil-three Or four major topics. The first has to do with employment. Employment has been talked aboutquite a lot this morning already. When you talk about white men, men of color, white women, or women of colqr, it's

the women of color sYho are at the bottom in terms, of types of jobs antrpay. Thaincludes Asian and Pacific American WOMen.

Times a. stereotype about what Asian/Pacific American women can do. e's'Vereotype, for instance, the( all otl us have succeeded at's not 'ue. There is .a stereotype that all- Asian/Pacific

erican women are passiVe anci so if riu don't promote them or if ou don't give them a pay raise they won't do anything abciut it.

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A professor at the University of Wuhington ofice told me that the

bank that he goes to once promoted all of their tellers except for two

womet one black woman and one Asian Americans woman. The black

women went in and complained and shortly thereafter got her raise.

Several weeks later the Asian women had not yet gone in to complain.

She went to talk to this professor.

The professor told her, "You should complain."5he wentin and the

management was very, very 'surprised. They said, "Well)we can

understand this behavior from the black woman, but not from you."

They resisted very much in giving her the raise.

The types of jobs to which Asian/Pacific American women are

limited have been raised by prior speakers. One clearbr is clerical

work. We find that many firms, many agencies can point to their I J

affirmative action statistics and say that they have a lot of Asian

Americans in our firm.- That, perhaps, is true, but you must look at

where they are located. Vertically, they're down at the bottom. You

look at the type of jobs they have, and it's clerical.

The training that is available to help Asian/Pacific American

women get put of that type of work isn't generally. available. Many

people are, not responsive to the needs that Asian/Pacific American .

women have foi more training and more diverse training. This affects

especially two groups of women: one is the recent immigrant women

and the other is older Asian/Pacific American women.

, Health and 'social service agencies throughout the country do not

have training programs and suppprt service programs that are

available bilingually and biculturilly.

I would like to focus perhaps on one specific employment area that

has been raised before. It is thelarmen; industry. Ite worked with

garment workers in Seattle for a couple of years now. It's very

frustrating working with these women. I have .a particular interest in

this' group because my mofher is a garment worker. She has been

doing this for about 20 years. The women have rkised many, many\

problemll whiish have not yet been Adretsped by National Labor )

Relations Board or by the Department of Labor, but which should be.

One,of the problems has to do with union representation. Unidns . were permitted to represent a particular factory oran industrybecause

they promise that they are gding to represent the interests of all the

workers in that group. It's hard to imagine how they can represent

Asia/Pacific American women when most of those women. who

,Work in, that industry cannot speak English and their' bargaining

alinements are not available in any other language but English.

Further, -many times the factories or unions will not give copies ofstile

bargaining agreement to the Asian/Pacific American members of the

union.

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Meetings are not permitted to be translated into languages other, than in English. Any information about benefits, insurance, medical programs, or any limitations on those types of benefits are also not

translatcd.

When I was working at legal services, I had many clients who lost

out on benefits because they did not understand what the limitations

werethe time dimitations, how many copies you had to submit to a

particular doctor, etc.

Another major complaint that the garment workers have has to do with working conditions. They are very, very poor. The conditions have not changed that much since the early' 1900s, when yotylad many eastern Europeans working in the garment 4ictories. Many of the women are afraid to, assert their rights to better working

conditions. One of the threats that employers hold above them is the fact that well, ktYou're not an American citizen; you cause any trouble, we'll deport you." This happens time and time again. * When we try to work with the women, they just express to us, "We can't do it. Our families need us here. We cannot go back to Hong Kong; we cannot go back to Taiwan." In most cases there is no valid

reason to say that they call be deported, especially for asserting their

rights to organize or for asserting their rights undecr the union.

Another area that affects Asian/Pacific Am4ican wometh and which is ripe for legt-action, has to do with women who are battered

or women who are- oing through dissolutions or divorces. These are

problems that are becoming more and more common among all the generations of Asian/Pacific American women.

This shatters a stereotype that many people and agencies have of how closerknit Asian/Pacific American families are. They don't know

how to handle an Asian/Pacific American woman who comes to them

and says that I'm being battered, I'm being hurt, I'm being'physically

abused by my husband, or I am seeking a divorce.

. Women's Centers and shelters generally do not have bilingual people who can help these women, and -they are not biculturally sensitive.

Many of these centers and shelters are funded by Federal funds and

thus should provide services in an- undisCriminatory manner. Yet, there

is no commitment to bilingual-bicultural needs, even where there are

high concentrations of Asian/Pacific Americans.

The language serves as a barrier and a lack of cultural sensitivity

also serves as a barrier. This is especially true for two grouits, the

wives of U.S. military and immigrant women. For these 'two groups, there's a deep feeling of is9Iiition,, and if they cannot seek bicultural. bilingual help from shelters and

lP centers, there's no place for them to

go.

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Ott The last are. that I'd like to touch on has to do with cou and

police relations. My role and experience as an attoliney has nu two

otheer issues that Sire directly related to the legal iystem. One i that is

many courts there's a lack of bilingual personnel. So when you hatre an

Asian/Pacific person, man or woman, come in, there is no way for

them to express their side of the story, or they cannot understand what

is happening to them in court.

( Many times the courts do not make an effort to provide trrslators

and they should.

The stereotype ascribed to Asian/Pacific women affects the way

that the police and die courts react to them. There are many cases

what Asian/Pacific American women have had unwarranted and

unwanted advances made to them by police because of the prostitute

stereotype given to Asian/Pacific American women.

Another stereotype that affects those kinds of advances has to do

with the stereOtype of Asian/Pacific American women being passive

y and sUbmiasive, thus, even if something happens to them they're not

\ going to do anything about itthey're not going to report it; they're

not goini(to scream about it.

Thir "passive-submissive stereotype also streets how a court perceives how they should behave in a courtroom. When they don't

behave according to plan, the courts don't know how to respond. All

of these factors lead to injustice in the judicial system, and that bothers

me a great deal

In closing, I'd like to emphasize again that Federal agencies have a

responsibility to be responsive to all people, and moat of them have not

been responsivelo the needfr, of Asian/Pacific Americans.

The National,Labor Relations 4oard has not helped in the garment

industry. It has not ,helped in disputes involving the unions' bargaining

agreements. The Departthents of Labor and the similar State agencies

have done very little 1i. providing adequate bilingual-bicultural

training and ,support aervRes for Asian/P*6Hk ,American women

workers. The same problem exists with regards to the Department of

Health; Ellucation, and Welfare.

The Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs had

a hearing just this past weekend. Titne and time again, those women

who testified told as 'that though they had 'filed complaints with

13E0C ot with other State and Federal agencies; they would actively

discouragerethers kr filing complaints because they would not want

to 'subject them to the same type of harassthent and futility that they

had gone through.

That's an indication of the perception of Asian/Pacific American

community about a lot of Federal agencies. Asian/Pacific American

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j women have a lot of needs that ire not being met by Federal agencies

responsible for that area. We need some changei.

personal preference leans towards amic ab, le resolutions to pr( lems. But utile* there's change forthcoming, I th that we're all goi g 0 see more and more Asian/Pacific American4 challenging practices of Federal and State agencies through administrative hearings and tybugh court actions.

Thank you viry much. , ..-- ,.. COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Th nk you. The next topic is military wiv,, emerging roles of Asian immigrant women, which will be addressed by Bok-Lim Kim. Ms. Kim has been a professor and social, worker at the Urbana campus at the Univensity of Illindls since 1975. Ms. Kim?

PresentatioL): Sok-Lim C. Kim, Associate Profmor, School of lel Work,. University of Illinois, Urbana Ms. Ktm. Again, just minor, corrections; since 1970, I've been on leave doing research.

Before I start on my topic, I *ant to make one commgni and a request to the Commission. Looking at the audience attending this consultation I cannot help but make a comparison to the battered

women's consultation and the tremendqus audience we had. Compar- ing that to this, I think it's. a 'Very good indication of negligence; I'm not sure whether it'S even a benign negligence, but lack of interest and awareness on the part of a majority of Americans tO the needs and the problems that confront Asian and Pacific Americans.

For that reason, I think it's incumbent upon the Commission itself , you have a gref responsibility to disseminate all the information that are comini thtibugh this consultation to the wider America, so that they can liar us; so I want to make that comment. Today there areroughly )

estimatednumbIrs of Asian *men who married and have immigrated, moved to thiswho married military men overseai and have immigrated to this countrynumbers rou 00,000. These 3romen are scattered all over the Nation,

1 ely invisible, both from our majority society and from Asian and acific American communities because of their social iibiation.

The immigration of wives of American soldiers began in 1947 when the United States Congress belatedly granted immigration to Japane* wives of U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan. Again, referring to Rita's comment, similar provision was enacted by Congress in 1945, but Asians were excluded and special amendment had to be made so that their.marriage and immigration to this country was possible. This initial wave of Japanese wives were followed by Korean and later by Vietnamese and Thai women. Intermarriage and immigration

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of Filipino wives_ of both U.S. Navy and civilian personnel have

always been sizeable because of a prolonged U.S.-Filipino relationship.

Attitudes toward these unions range from caution to outright

hostility among the relatives and home communities of both Asian

women and their American husbands. The attitude qf U.S. military

establishments towards these marriages can be best characterized

uncharitably as negative.

It's basically very abominable but I won't say that. These attitudes

and behaviors of the respective parties do not usually \improve. over

time. And such negative reactions often contribute fir exacerbate

marital problems and, consequently, we do see spouse idpuse, desertion,

separation, and divorce.

For a more detailed discussion of the studies and programs, a limited

number of progranr dealing with these issues, and as part of my

testimony, I'm appending three articles which I have authored on this

subject.

Without going into many complex and interacting factors adversely

affecting the marital harmony and adjustmenf of these women and

their hVbands, I'll list the problems that require our.attention. Later I

will alsil list programs or measures that we oan talk to ameliorate these

problems. - First, as mentioned earlier by other members, the communication is

a real issue. Communication among they marriages is greatly

handicapped by the Asian wives' lack of proficiency in English and

their own unfamiliarity with lifestyles and values. in American society'.

, How r, this problem is not only one-sided. The situation is two-fold

in that r usbands' own failure to learn the language and cultures

of their also contribute. After all, marriage is a joint venture,

and the onus ing American values or English language should

not fall only on he port of the Asian woman alone.

A Number tw prohlem is the paychosocial isolation and alienation.

Isolation of these Akian wives are the resultagain it's a verk complex

\ factora resullt of social isolation and language barriertwhich is often

exacerbated by insensitive or inaction on the part of their husbands and

jhose around.them ,who have failed to support and guide these women

NinIdealing with their new environment.

'The Asiap wife has left her family, friends, their own familiar

inga, eyerything which is dear and fhmiliar to them When she

iinmigtated to the United States. She was part of a family and

community system in which she had status and ro es ;,`vhicl) provided

her with someher sense of well-being and self-est m,

In the new and unfamiliar surropndings, handIcapjd by her limited

English, and without anyone to glide her, she's helpless; she needts a

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supportive and caring person jp teach, guide, and assist her -in acculturation. _. Unfortunately, among the women and families who have come to

my attention for service, the husband or people immediately around

them have failed in this precise task. 0 n the husband is not aware that such assistance and support are nepded. He expects a speedy and a miraculous ,transformation of his w e to be a competent wife and

homemaker in her newly adopted country.

He becomes impatient and frustrated with r slow pace in learning, he often becomes \terbalky and physicall abusive towards his wife, and I can provide you with some of the statistics that are available

through the military installations scattered around. They are not very

good statistics but nevertheless they are some. The couple's failure to anticipate these adjustment tasks and the temporary role strains generated by a wife's dependency is often the key factor in marital disruption, spouse abuse, and desertion. Psycho- social isolation and alienation, which is the consequences of-the above mentioned failures, acts as a further hindrance to a host of other

psychosocial intimidation hindrance toward the couple and the

children.

I need not repeat the noxious effect of alienation on the psychologi- cal well-being and thei social ftin6tions of individuals in a sociaty. The only difference in the case of Asian wives is that their isolatioà and suffering are hidden and unknown in a majoritT society. Thus, remediation is not possible.

We must have the Asian wives become full participating members of our society as wives, mothers, and useftil citizens.

The third issue that probably will have more relevance tmwu, immediate relevance, is thetheir unfamiliarity with the legal uZa1r- pinning of American.society and, by the way, tfic problemsthat Asi wives face in this respect are very similar to Asiali immigrants as we l. As the common saying goek culture and value system between the East and West are often diametrical! opposed. NoWhere is such a digerence more apparent than lin he sphere of management of cddlicts and disputes in personal, 'al, and commercial transactions

in the two societies.

Contracts and agreements are sealed n legal written documents in ,Ir

, the West, while iimilar agreements are consummated verbally in the t and I recall in Time magazine , that this fact Was noted about our, , new relationship ikith mainland China.

aarmony and compromise based upon the moral anil ethical code enunciated by,the teachings ofConfucius are the ideals to which many Asian so9ieties still aspire. Resorthkg to court for settlement of conflictOis still frowned u n and desp in Asian societies. This

1l6;,
. explains the different mindsets and the difficulties that Asian wives

have who must deal now with a different and highly complex legal

system which regulates and often governs daily life in America. , Even the most intimate marital and parent-child relitionships in this

,.. regard, I will take the case of abeing accused of child abuse. My

mother thought it was within her fitll responsibility and right to

discipline her child and yet she was reported, and ter consternation

and her bewilderment was just unthinkable, so this is one of the

examples.

Ignorance and unfamiliarity with the American legal system

severely handicaps the Asian wife and places her at a great isadvantage \in this country. Asian wives whose husbands, are still with the

Armed Forces are unfamiliar with the rules and regulations that affect

their lives, and, as a rule, do not know the benefits and privilee7

4

accorded to them as dependents of military personnel. l I The consuences of ignorahce result in divorce without her

knowledge, lbss of rights as a legal spouse, loss of child custody and

financial support, in some cases, commitment tO the mental hospital

without \knowledge or conseht. Threat or actual deportation, loss of

permanent residency, and also in majority of cases, a loss of

opportunity to become a natukuidir American citizen.

I can enumerate most of these e and often tragic consequences of

not knowing or not having a bilingual advocate who can ptbtect these

rights, 41

I will now list some of the remedies that I see that need to be

eveloped. First of all, I have said 200,000 whit* is an-esth\na\te. We

have absolutely no data on number or ll locatiod of these women.

And then data can be obtained but it cannot be, and inktead of juit '

goisg through the why's ofthese provisions I'll just simply list them as

they should be offered in English classes on many levels, for these

women, geareçl to the needs as wives, mothers, antl.consumers of

services.

Number two, bilingual resource books ,tlitould be mide available

which list their rights and responsibilities and many of the information

regarding the community where they live.

Alpo, I would like to see a bilingual hotline available which Connects

them.to the msdority community and to get andalso bIlinual

aid should be available when they get into legah p etns.

And then, above ill, coordination of services nitworking among4

The service ageies andi the consumers. I can elaborate mnch more on

this, bui I just 1 more details will be forthcoming in my text.

Comiessto rit AN. Thank yot.y

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Dr. Tin Myaing Thein will discuss health Mlles. She is a senior

researcher with the University Research Corporation in San Diego, and has recently formed an independent research company. Dr. Thein?

Presentation of Dr. Tin Myaing -Mein, Président, Communlcasis, Inc., San Diego, California Da. THEM. Thank you. Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen. I'm

honored to be here today, and I applaud your C4ymmission's4ttention

to the Asian/Pacific communities that have been virtually ignored by Federal agencies. I hope that this isjust the beginning of a trend aimed

at Meeting our needs and acknowledging ourvroblems.

I would also like to make a comment before getting into my topic of Asian/Pacific women's health issues. 1 se ve on the National Advisory

---A Commitiee for Women. Since Asian women's issues cover a wide

range of areas such as health, education, emPloyment, human rights, and political riglhts, the Committee recommended to the President that

he appoint another Asian/Pacific wonien member SQ that my work

i would not be so heavily burdened.

. The President has accepted the recommendation. II would like to

suggest to the Commission that such a similiar recommindation could

come from you to the President, even though I know that it is he and

the Senate that appoints you.

My toPte on Asian/Pacific health. issues deals specifically gwith the health problems of Asian/Pacific women, the problems kf health

service delivery, and the representation of Asian/Pacific women in the

health industry.

My presentation is based on data from published studies that have

included Asian/Pacific women as a subsample of the study population,

unpublished documents, and reports.

Needless to say, there's no nationwide study that has conducted a

meaningful survey regarding- the health problems of Asian/Pacific American women. In trying to prepare for this presentation, tbecame

I painfully aware of how inadequate our knowledge is of AsiadiPacific women's health issues. Very few systemitic empirical studies have been conducted of this population. In some studies the health problems of Asianl'Americans are mentioned only as an afterthought. This just suppOrts the benign neglect theory which others have stated alreidy. The first health problem I encountered in my research was the rising

ineidence of breast cancer among Japanese A 'can women. QUisen- berry and associates repAit that the incidenc of breast Canter among

, i9mese American women residing in Hawaii as doubled between

47-54 and 1960-62.

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/

Based on this information, they analyzed data from the tumor

registry in the San Francisco lay area, and found that there was a

strong opward shift in the inci ence of br st cancer for Japanese

American women in the Bay are . : 4' Another researcher, Buell, examined the rates a concluded that

the incidence of breast cancer in Japanese American wolben probably

rose throughout the United States. And he concludes that the reason

for this is environmental and has tremetdous health education

implications.

The second health

Tokuyuma, and McBride compared this group of Filipino he high rate of cardiovascular-renal disease among Filipino wome p found reported in the literature was

. .

-_ andAapanese males and females. The Filipinos showed the highest

of caldiovascular-renal disease. They offered no explanation for thit.

Another problem is domestic violence and rape, which has already

been discussed by Bok Lim 'and other speakers here. A Aurvey

conduc ed for the Asian Women's Center of Lot Angeles showed that

the fernS of rape and violence was a paramount concern kn._ the sample

of wom n aged 18 to 25, m9tt of whom were Japanese.

The c ter believes that ihe incidence of rape and violence is higher

than anyo e believes because Asian Women will not report such

incidents out of shame.

Another problem is occupational hazards. I think we've already

talked about our participation in the garment industry. In 1970, 58

r

percent of the 'Asian American wdmen whq worked were in clerical - positions or in the garment industry. The lo hours, minimum pay,

working conditions, such as heat f m the machines and poor

ve tilation, have already been document4d. But there are no data to

ow the incidence of illnesses due to the textile chemicals or to

accidents due to fatigue. Many people feel this is because workers will . not report anything since they fear they will lose their jobs. But the

occupational diseases related to this industry are well known, and

t

1 since"such a high proportion of our women wOrk in this occupation, 1 we issumtthat this is one of our health problems, too.

The rest of the health problems that I uncovered in my research lie

in the area of paychopathologies, moat frequently characterized as

depression due to alienation, isolation, aid guilt.

The first subgroup that' I looked at was elderly Asian/Pacific

AmeriOan woinefewho are mostly Japanese, Along with other healtr-N

*

initi financial problems associated With age; isolation also contribut <:-...

to mental health problems. Ms. Midori Inouye of Los Angeles states

that loss of family, loss offriends, loss of income, with few knowing or

using medicaid or medicare, loss of mental stimulation, loss of selfvalue, lack of opportunity to work, less companiMp, all lead to

. I/ 130

0., 119
depression. Many cannot speak the English language, at least not

enough to communicate. Therefore, they do not go to institutionalized hospitals. Instead they live alone. They cannot even communicate with their own grandchildren, since the younger generation raised in

America now speak English and no longer speak Japanese. A study conductH Weaver also shows that the rate of depression is very high among Fi nos due to stress in interracial marriages. We've already talked bout interracial marriage. Bok Lim has

already outlined th..,prot3Vems that Asian wives of U.S. servicemen

have. 1 can only add t at in Seattle 80 percent of our women are married to men outside of our own ethnic group. So the problem

affects a large proportion ofour population.

A 1970 study in Los Angeles (youth showed that the majority of Asian dying from drug sterdose were women, and it has been

hypothesized that thii is id due to alienation and isolation.

I participated in an evaluation of Department of Labor, CETA Title III projects for persons of limited-English-speaking ability which

showed that psychological counseling is very much needed for these people, many of whom are immigrants or reftigees. The counselors in

these projects reported that there's a tremendous amount of depression due to guilt. They feel guilty for leaving their homeland; guilty for being in the United States while friends and families are under

communist rule; guilty for being perceived as traitors to their cultural values and ethics; depression due to isolation and lack of the strong

social network whiCh emitted before; depressipn due to a diminished

self-concept arising from their inability to obtain employment commensurate with their professional status. This is'particularly important because Asian/Pacific American women have a high level of educational attainment, even higher than the national average in the United States. Yet 58 percent of us Work in the garment industry and clerical positions.

The results of discrimination, sex role, and race stereotyping have

really taken a toll on Asian/Pacific American women. In terms of

services delivery, Asian/Pacificwomen's use of public health services and facilities has really not been studied. But communities report that the utilization rates are very low, and Cants Pion stated that Asian

women use health services only in emergencies and not as preventive

measures.

When an Asian women uses tealth services, such as during birthi, service providers have found that few have had any prenatal care, which is necessary for good health and a safe delivery,

Christine Hsu of Lag Angeles hypothesizes that this may be due to a culture' which encourages prevention and good health only among

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133
wit

pregnant mothers, that is, taking care of yourself when you're

pregnant for the good of the baby.

She translates this to mean that Asian women's roles are subordinate

to men's. That is, women play secondary roles.

Maya Iwataki suggests that there are other cultural factors that act

as barriers to health care. One is mody. Another is dealing with

white, male physicians who are perceivt-d as members of the higher

economic class. Institutional racism is another factor. There are

materials and forms that not been translated, personnel that do not

understand the culture or cannot commu cate. These have also been

suggested as barriers. . Another factor is the culture of povety. Since a large proportion of

,. Asians grew up in the culture of poverty, many pra c=. f this

culture still prevail, for example, they will ot see a doct less a

crisis emerges, because they can't afford it. is attitude still exists

\

today.

Finally, I:d like to talk a little bit about the health industry and our

representation in the health industry. Asian/Pacific women are denied

equal pay, equal status, and equal representation in decisionmaking

positions. In 1970 National Review showed that women of all races

constituted only 1 percent of the dentists, 6 percent of the physicians,

12 percent of the pharmacists, but 97 percent of the registered nurses.

Few Asian/Pacific women( are represented in these occupations,

except perhaps as nurses.

What is obviously needed is an accurate assessment of the health

nerds and problems of Asian/Pacific women. We need adequate

health oiducation services and projects, bilingual-bicultural staff in

public health facilities, outreach programs, and the promotion of the

attitude that health is a human right.

I say this because I recently attended the only known Asian/Pacific

women's health day in Los Angeles. I watktvery excited by such an

event, but when I attended it I found that workshops hid been funded

to educate Asian/Pacific women about the fetal alcohol syndrome. No

needs assessment had been conducted to see if alcoholism was high

amongst us. It isn't. The topic chosen demonstrated how out of touch

the Federal dovernment is with Asian American women's health

needs. It also demonstrated that the priority in preventive health care

1 was not women's health, but fetal health.

Thank you.

COMMIthIONER FREEMAN. Thank you.

Vide Chairman Horn?

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Discussion

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN Ms. Wong, I was interested in sonic of your comments about the need -for bilingual services, especially ni spouse abuse cen'ters. And 1 thought 1 might get at one of the proglems by

asking you several questions.

. Do you know offhand how many Asian American/Pacific Island

language groups there are in the Seattle area?

Ms. WONG. I think in the Seattle area there are somewhere

between 17 and 25, it's hard to tell because there are several dialects.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I think what this leads us IO is how can we

best think of organizing access to some of the services that have been

mentioned by you and other panelists? For example, in a spouse or

child abuse center, I'd like to get clarified for the record, your thinking

as to whether you're talking about a list of available iprpreters,

consultants, etc., which could be called upon when an individual who

represented one of those 17 to 25 language groups came to the center, or are you talking about the availability of full-time sttafi

., togrepresent each of the 17 to 25 language groups? a

.MS. WONG. I think that there needs to be an assessment of what

are the language groups that need the help the most, in what particular I areas. I think that one of the groqps that comes to mind most is Korean

women. If there needs to be a priority set, then maybe it should be with Korean women.

And you asked me about

VICE CHAIRMAN ,HORN. Would you set that based on size of

population 'group or incident of particular type of problem? MS. WONG. The incidence of the problem, but I think that that

needs to be assessed, you know. This is just my own reaction. I'm not a

/ researcher and I don't know; Bck-Lim might have more information

on that.

When you're talking about the different approaches to use, I think

that you have to Ilse both. I don't think that agencies and organizations have the funding4right now to commit adequate resources to fund fulltime positions to meet those language needs.

AM1, in the meantime, perhaps what they can use is to develop a

working relationship with groups in the community th do have

bilingual resources, but I think that what I would ultimatel like to see

f

is an internal commitment.by organizations by agencies and by funding groups to get full-time pe9ple on board.

. . VICE CHAIINAN HORN. Well, 1 think the practicality of administer- ing any center, such as the ones we're talking about, would be that if there is a large population orone language group in a community,,and

that population did have the incidence of needs, certainly one would

expect perhaps a fullitme

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11 3 r;
But I believe that it is completely unrealistic to think you would

have full-time employees who cover the spectrum of languageftroups

when most such agencies have a very difficult tiMe even'ke*ing the

doors open with any employees in any city in the United States. I just

feel that before expectations are falsely raised; we ought to get

clarification as to a process that can meet these needs through, as you

suggest, relationship with existing community groups and knowledge

of the availability of such individuals to be helpful when theip skills are

needed in-such a center.

Ms. WONO. I'd like to respond to that and then Bok-Lim has also

indicated that she wants to respond.

There is a group, for instance, in Seattle, that has the facility to do a"

lot of those kinds of jhings, to provide language, people who speak

diffefeeit languages, and they are on call to different centers afid

agerkies.

But as. you\trentioned, you know, they have trouble with funding

also. But I think lit there needs to be a commitment by the funding

sources to buyakin ose types of needs.

BOk Lim?

Ms.. ICINt?Miiy I make a comment? If not, I don't

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. We've Apt about run out of time.

Ms. KIM. I'll respond in principli. I think this argumeittlri7 type

of argument has been used to not find anybody at all or not have

anybody on the staff, and as service providers I would like to make

one comment. While we cannot provide a person for every language

group, having an Asian face in any staff member of any agency

facilitates and opens the door, so that this Asian person certainly will

be sensitive to how to use different local resources& sCi that I think

without a staff, I don't think very much of a service could be done, so I

think it's critical.

't We are not asking for 28 language staff persons to be. on the staff.

Whit we are really talking about, a.person,who has some ability and

empakhy for the Aiian/Pacific populations _and once you have that

type 'of persc)n on staff, many doors open, and many community,

unknown ethnic community resources beCome available, but that is

very critical to have one staff or two persons 'NI the organizations.

And I-cannot you knowI have a very stroh vision abotit thls

VIcis CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, I don't think anyone would disagre0

with`that, provided you have at least foul staff membersin one of these

agencies, because if you are in an urban area, there's obviOusly,going

to be Indian American women, Mexican American 'Women, black

American women, and Asian American women, who would &alike to

have an opportunity to see a sympathetic face who understands their

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136
particular cultural needs, but I don't, think this could be dismissed as

something that is put up to block access. It isn't.

What we're searching for are what are realistic ways to meet the

type. of incidents and needs you're talking about, assuming that staff

resources are not unlimited, Mid I think that's a very practical question

that any community and any Federal funding agency or State or local

agency must face, based on the spreacd of problems we have in this

couutry.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you very much.

The issues that have been brought out here will certainly be

reconsidered as we go through the rest of the day and tomorrow. AKI

11m hopeful and I'm sure you are, that by the end of this consultatM

we will have some better ideas as to implementation.

Thank you very muck

And, Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. The consultation is in recess until 1:00

o'clock. We'll start-we will resume promptly at 1:00.

641

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137

Th
Papers Prio~ted

Poverty and Social Service Perspectives

by Irene Hirano*

In t1e long history of Asian and Pacific American women in the

United States, they have been in the unfair and unfortunate position of

bearing a major portion of the burden of poverty in our commudities.

Controry to the popular image of Asian/Pacific Women as being a

comfortable -middle class, substantial numbers have had to bear the

fight against poverty, racisin, sexism, and all their accompanying

problems.

This is not solely a problem of new 'immigrant women, but a

historical phenomenon which has been characteristic of all

Asian/Pacific communities. From the first-generation pioneer women

who were forced to work in this country as prostitutes and farm

laborers, to recent immigrant workers forced ..to seek jobs in garment

factories and canneries, a large number of Asian/Pacific women have

been subjected to poor ',working conditions and a poverty status for.

over a hundred years. Today, many of these pioneer women ire senior

citizens living in poverty ghettos of Los Angeles, San Francisk, and

other metropolitan areas. Many elderly Japanese women are still living

in old hotels and apartments in Little Tokyo and Eau Los Angeles.

They are living on minimum or no social security and/or public

assistance benefits.

The myth that poverty does not touch Asian/Pacific communities

and, in panicular, Asian/Pacific women, unfortunately, is a view that

permalls many social service and public agenciet. These mispercep-

.tions coupled with institutional- racism land sekism deny eligible

_Asian/Pacific women of needed assistance and services.

A. Poverty Data

In an examination of poverty data for Japanese in Los Angeles,

several statistics highli the problem. The Japanese community hos

been identified as the "model minority" and often has been seen only

through this one perspective,

In Los Angeles County, the proportion of Japanese female heads of

household and elderly heads of household is greater than the general

population in several low-income communities. About one out of

Irene Hirano is executive director. T.H.H. Clink for Women, Inclios Angeles. Calif , and

commissioner, California Commission on the Status of Women

4 138

4.

"It
.,)

every five Japanese families in poverty in low-income neighborhoods

is headed by either a female, elderly person, or in some cases, both. The elderly poor sec,m to be concentrated in low-income areas, but

other parts of the city. e high percentage of fern e-headed families

the female-headed Japanese family that is poor is lore often found in

Th

(27 percent of all Japanese poor families in Los Ailgeles are female

li, er their families.

headed) includes m er war brides as well as other women left with

so reipoivibili

i#

Almost three out of every five Japanese women 16 years old or over

are in the work force, three-fourths of those women are working full

time. By contrast, only a quarter of those women in poverty are in the work force. The percentage of Japanese families at or below Ihe poverty level is misleading. Ail important variable contributing to the

statistic is the ability of women in the family to contribute additional

income. ,The income made by a Japanese male alone i'S often nor enough to keep the family out of poverty, and a significantly higher percentage of Japanese women are in the work force. a! Ten percent of Japanese women in poverty who are in the work' 'force ere 'unemployed. Less than half of those women who are

working are working full time (47 percent).

Thit.attuation is evenavorse for those women who are heads ofs.

families. While three-fouNhs of all Japanese female heads of families who, in" many cases, are the sole earners in their families, are

employed, only 21 percent of the poverty. Japanese female family

'heads are employed. This is a lower rate of employment than among

all 'Japanese women in Los Angeles who are poor. These figures do

not include tbose female family heads who may be elderrk and hence not employed. They reflect only Women who are family heads and who are 25-64 years old. Such a woman would be in greater need of supportive services in order for her to support herself and her dependents.

Of those Japanese women who are married, 64 perc'ent are working.

But the proportion of wives in poor families who are working is half as

much (30 percent). The high percentage of married wopen who/are

working and contributing to the family income should b noted.,This

is a higher rate than for the population as a whole.

In other ethnic communities, particularly

1\ 1 Filipino, Chinese, K ran,

'. Pacific Islanders, and Andochinese refugees, the increasing num of

recent immigrants adds significantly to the incidence of poverty.

' Recent.immigration statistics indicate that women of childbeari

age are the largest percentage of immigrants in the last 10 years. Th

increase in the incidence of poverty is due to high rates of unemploy- ment, an increase in temale-headed households, and financial respon- siblities of imMigrants to extended families in the U.S. and in their own

t

126 .

.139
native countries. The economic situation in the U.S. has made it

difficult for many immigrant families to earn a decent income.

Data from the 1974 DHEW Natioital Asian American field study

further amplifies and documents the sit tion of - income

Asian/Pacific Americans in this country.

Of those families and women able to obtain public issistalice,

/ another disparity is documented. The 1970 census figures reported for

Chinese, Japanese, and Pilipinos indicate that each ethnic group was

'receWing significantly less money for public assistance than the

percentage of all families in poverty. For female-headed households

the disparity was even greater.

Again, using the Japanese in Los Angeles as an example, the

proportion of 'Japanese on public assistance is iri all categories far

below that of othetpoverty populations. For example, over one-thia

of all poor families ih, Los Angeles have public assistance, but only 12

rcent of poor Japanese families dci. Over 'half of all poor femaleaded families of all races receive publiC assistanCe, but only onet1cjjdr of Japan,e . poor female-headed families are recerVing such

assistance. In 1970 Japanese families receiving pnblic assistance were

on the average receiving $200 less per year than other families.

Another poverty-related issue for a growing ntimber of immigrant

Asian/Pacific.women is the need for public assistance during specific

periods of time. These groopi include women who are war brides,

women married to partners of other ethnic 4roüps, and an increasing

number of- dworced women who ,find themselves in need of pilblfc

assistance while obtaining lob skills, chilli care, or during the

employment search. There is considerable variance within many States

and counties as to 'the .interpretation of noncititens receiving public

assistance. Immigration regulati6ns require that aliens not become a

,"public charge" of the State. in Leas An#eles County there is confusion

as ,to Whether ,"publiq charge" includes assistance for SSI, SSP,

nybdicaid, or welfare auistancl. Pptential applicants may be legal

residents but not citizens. There is concern that temporary public

assistance aright hinder their aPplication for citizenship at some future

date'or affect their ability to go akoroad and their return to this country.

Clearer Federal and local guidelines and their interpretations are

tie4xlwith consideration giyen to those short term periods when

assistance becomes necessary. .*

Pubtic Assistance

C. Child bar.

Another concern is in the area of the working poor. Asian Pacifit

women contribute ,to family 'incomes in large and increasing propor4.

4 0

127
tions. of this support comes from labor at below minimum rates

and in subsiimard conditions. The Magnitude of *the phenomenon is

mflected in 197rettifus figures. Since that, time, the number and . *

percentages have increased dramatically. As a result, child cars hits

become a critical issue for Asian/Pacific women.

As previously discusrd, the i@come contrib o the family is

misleading. A substantial part of it must go to the c of Aii ld care and

other vital services. The lack of adequate child care facilities is

appalling. An example from the Los Allgeles area will serve 10

illustrate the point. In 1978 there were 10,000 chil4iin enrolled in

Federal Head Start programs in Los Angetes. Only 185 were classified

as being of "Asian/PacifiC" origin. There is no Asian bilingualbicu !tura! Head Start program. , The HEW National Asitn American fiefid study survey conducted

in 1974 showed a significantly higher percentage of househoWs headed

bi single women in low-income Categories thaw it found in the

population as la whole. ThUs, problemiha child care are greatly

incresied by thy condition of poverty. These figbes are 6orne out in

Ve more recent data from the Castellar Children's Center in LO6

Angeles, the mejor full-dhy program serving the Chinatown area.

The center has an enrollment of 209 children itith a waiting lift of

200 "to 300. The program now faces the distinct possibility of a

irtitcystantial reduction of its function due to the result of Californifk's

ent property tax initiative Proposition 13. According to the

. program stafT, '76 percent of)the participating families earn incotnes at

or below minimum wikge levels with both parents working. , In response to this situation, a community-based agency has also t tried to provide necessary child care serviCes to enable women to

work: 4.

Little Friends Playgroup is a full-day, full-year bilingual-bicultural

progriin (2-5 r olds) in Chinatown. It is the only project of the

Chinatowijbmmittee for Community Services, a nonprofit corporation. Litt! riends was formed in -1973 out of a community-wide,abild

.4 .care concern. It came in direct response kS theloilewaiting list at the

Castellar Children's Centel" (the only other Chinatown fiill-day

program). Federal Head Stift runs a 20-Child program out of the

Alpine Recreltibnal tSenter, half-I:ray, part-year only. This program is

currently Administered by the Training and Research Foundation in

tos Angeles, which primarily serves the black community.

In Chinatown most of the families have both parents working. Due

to historical discrimination and low wages, Chinatown families are'

unable to make ends meet on one salary. Many partfits work in,

restaurants and garment ractóries,'Areceiving below minimum wages

and working long hours. In the last 10 years, the population of

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Chinatown has sv7elkd, especially with the more recent mass influx of

Southeast Asimi immigrant families. It is estimated there are some

1,000 children in Los Angeles Chinatown who needsbut cannot

findchild care. Their parents cannot afford private child care,so the

children are left at home unsupervised of supervised by ytoung minor

children, brought to factories, or left tp wander by themselves in the

streets.

Given these histOrical conditions of discrinlination and the current

urgent need fortiifore low-coat child care, theloa Angeles Chinatown

Committee fqr I.ommunity Services requires that a Head Start grantee

include the. following [Excerpt from Chinatown Committee for

Community Services):

1. Asiwt Pac(fic Delegate Agency and More Funding and More Head

Start Sites for Chinatown

'We feel there should be a specific inclusion in propoaals to HEW of

an Asian Pacific component, preferably the cretion or designation of

an Asian Pacif19. community delegate agency. This woU

purpose of ensuring the government begin meeting the

community. In Chin;low,, there are a number of vacant

d be for the

s of our

ots which

could be erted to He&1 Start sitea thro gh rental of nobile units,

2. . A FulPTear Program

The 11-day,- full-year pr9gram best acrve the needs of working

peop in Chinatown. Expankon monies should be allocated towards

this ype of program in Chinatown. Hoy, GLACAA (Greater Los

Apelès Ares Community Action Agency) ran Head Start in Los

A des (only half-daymart-year programs) is not a good examp/b for

a nw grantee to follow. GLACAA was not only mismanaged and

co pt (at the higher levels), but the Head Start programs it ran did

not meet the Areeds of Okinato ard other low-income working

nt communities.

3. Bilingual-Bicultural Program for chinatown

Most of the people of Chinatown are bilingual, with English as the

second language. We feel strongly that the, child care programs

Chlytown be Adly bilingual-bicultural, with Cantonese as the main

1angiage. This is reflected in our curriculumand we feel this should be

integrated into any C,

4. Sliding Seale

As indicated from

paregia lave total, f

lines butlialPw the

natown Head Start program.

, Castellar Children's ..cente7.1figures, many

incomes above the Federal poverty guideun wage guidelihes. The Children's Center

scale (le schedule is appropriate fo,r communities where most

families hav96oth parents working.

The ChiNown area 1 representatiVe of,many Asian communities

nationwkle, an area in which one would anticipate the best response to

ac, 129
41:41

a specifically Asian social .'service need. It ii not Unreasonable to

i

taa ume hat poor Asian women furthfr away from major centers of

Asian women face the distinct possibility that they will t be

sians f t'less well. Without a substantial and immediate turnaround,

able to afford toaprk.

These recomafidations thipugh speCific to the Chinatown Program

are applicable to other Asian/Pacific communities. Head Start money

must be earmarktd to providg services to eligithe Asiollb/Pacifio.

families.

D. Employment

Cone ef the sirificant statistics of Asian/Pacific women concent

the "working poor." The 1970 census indicated that well over half of

all Asian women 16 years old or over in the U.S. were in the work

force, a much higher rate than for wolpen as a whole. In particular, in

large metropolitan cities with high celicentrations of Asians, e.g., San

Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, the labor force participation rates

are even higher. Many of these women are employed in unskilled or

semiskilled emploympt including garment factories, canneries, and

entry level clerical .or service work. However, the income figures

amongst Asian/Pacific women do not indicate a significantly higher

amount of money earned relative to their proportion within the work

force.

Some of the resulting problems are no standard fringe benefits, no

jobs rights or job security, and no health insurance or emergency

health services resulting from on-The-job accidents. Interviews from

the DHEW National Asian American field study indicated numerous

incidents of women working in factories who wete unable to obtain

adequate assistance fbr accidents, child care, and social service . assistance. Even if limited benefits are available, many of the women

are not informed of these, sometimes not even being told what salary

they are, making.

E. Health

Another related problem of lower income Asian/Pacific women is

the lack of accessible federally and State-subsidized health services for

eligible women including maternal health services find family Planning. This is particuliorly important due to the increased ngobeilof

Asian/Paciftc women within the childbearing years (15-44 years

amongst recent immigrants).

A study by T.H.E. Clinic for Women in Los Angeles documented

the fact that only 10 percent thg eligible Asian/Pacific women in

Los Angeles County are receivini snbsidized family planning services.

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13
ihe need for health education, counseling, and micial services is

immediate and critical. At a recent Los Angeles area high school, a

young Korean student of a recent immigrant family informed the

school nurse she was pregnant. Alter the daughter informed her

family, her father, unable to cope with the problem on top of all otjier

difficulties, committed suicide.

Young Asian women vihok sire or will become pregnant, ur ntly

have ve little access tsi supportive services. Non-English- aking

Asian/Pa ific women w not want to become pregnant find

bilingual and bicultural he Ith services exceedingly scarce.

Many eligible low-inc me Asian/Pacific women do not receive

medicaid due to lack of iulormation about benefits or fear that it might

affect their potential citizenship status. Also the problem of limited

accfptanat of medicaid by numerous private practitioners severely

,limits the access of health services to lower income Asian/Pacific

women.

4 4

F. Data Collection

One final problem I would like to address lies in the area of data

collection and reporting. Part of the difficulty in analyzing poverty

data stems from the lack of infqrmation about Asian/Pacific Americans, particularly by specific44ic group. There has been a vicious

cycle stemMing from the lack of appropriate and adequate data which

has resulted, in turn, in inadequate funding for Asian/Pacific communities, especially( women's programs. _There is a corollary unwillingness on the part of public agencies to mandate adequate data

collectiod ppcedures for federallj funded,prograips.

One recent example of this pro em was the fØmer Health Systems

Agency (HSA) in Los Angeles C unty. A task force of Asian/Pacific

Americans met for several months ith HSA staff to address the needs

of Asian/Pacific Americans in their _.runiyWide plan, with particular

emphasis on' health services for women. Several data sources were

made available to them as well as specific information on health needs

of Asian/Pacific Americans in Los Angeles County. When the si

volume report was published, not one mention of Asian/Pacifia

American comaunities was included. All of the data had been

reported as white/black and sometimes Hispanic. The health systems

agencies through. t the fountry receive Federal dollars for their

operation arid sh mndated by Federal Agencies tO adequate)y

respond to the needs of thnic groups.

Progiiims *mei e dollars shoidd be specifically required

to provide info tion on n -4,'services provided, and ivaluatiOn to

include Asi acific Ameri

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131
The myth of lack ofpoverty affecting Asian/Pacific women must be

dispelled and the mdity of the need for social services, health, job

training, and child care must be adequately addressed by Federal

officials.

In summary, the following recommendations are made to the U.S.

Civil Rights Commission: .011

1. Bilingual-bicultural programs be expanded in social service offices

providing finaiicial and gentral assistance. Public agencies that

distribute Federal dollars must be mandated to provide bilingual

interpreters and translated materials to improve the accessibility of

senaces to elibla Asiaii/Pacific residents and in partikular lowincome Asian/Pacific women. -- 2. Clearer interpretaition dfsFederal guidelines regarding temporary

aid to Aian/Pacific aliens is necessary to avoid discrepancies and

discrimination by local welfare and social service agencies. Consider-

. Anion should be given to provide temporary assistance to low-income

rAsian4,0Cific women, including war brides, women obtaining job

skills, seeking silitable child care, or seeking employment. This aid

should not affect their abilityV seek citizenship at a ffiture date.

3. 'Head Start ffinds should be- earmarked to provide flill-day, fullyear yrograms for eligible Asian/Pacific children. This should include

programs wits bilingual/bicultural staff. \

4. The Department of Labor and other -Federal agAncies should

develop special programs to assist Asian/Pacific women working in

certain types of employment where job rights, job security, nd

4 . employment benefits are not available.,

5. Medical services and health education progiiims must be me

accessible to low-income Asian/PKific womcn. The Department of

Health, Education, and Welfare)and other hegth institutes should be

mandated to provide necessary bilingual-bicultural services, . larly in the area of maternal and child health.

6. Federal agencies should reqaire programs receiving Federal Air

dollars to specifically provide information on need, services received, . and program evaluation to include Asianr(Pacific Americans. All

qatistical data itported to Federal agencies by ethnicity should

include infordfation by Asian/Pacific ethnic group and...sex.

,

'
Strategies for Political PiirtIcIpation .of

Asian/Pacific Women

by Rita Ftifiki away*

There is a widespread dih of political-participation among_ Asian \

and Pacific people. The problem is not limited to Asian and Pacific/'

women. In flict, if the truth be knOwn, Asian and Pacific womeil

retently have had more opportunities to participate than Asian and

Pacific men. Asian° and Peel& woinen have had the women's

movement as a vehicle to gain political skills and visibility;

Asian/Pacific men have not

With some notable exceptions, people in our communities, have

historically not organized or "participated" in the liner society. Many

persons have ointd to cultural and language barriers to<participationit is, aft all, difficult to take decisive action with limited access

. tion. It is difficult to be assertive and individualistic when

cultu rms lalue collective identity o;/er self-aggrandizement.

It should be noted,iowever, that linguistiC and cultuilal norms have

not been the maiof reason for a -lack of political participation: These

barriers have been overcome by Asian sici Pacific people in the twist.

There is certainit no lask of awareness in the community of the need

for increased political participation. Asian and Pacific people have

repeatedly attempted to organize as their communitiel have been

threatened and their rights violated. The dearthbf political participation is through no fault of Asian and Pacific people.

The more invidious barriers to participation have been imposed by

the larger society. Barriers to participation for Asian and Pacific

people have °caved as long as they have been part of U.S.

jurisdictions. These barrierp haVe taken the following forms:

I. Barriers to Minos*

It was not until July 27, 1952, that Japanese were allowed the rtght of .

naturalization to American citizenship with the Walter-McCarran Act.

This was almoat 90 years after blacks were given the right of U.S.

citizenship. Chinese were alloived the right of citizenship only 8 years

before the Japanese, because they were oonsidered aka of the Unit0.

tates. Filipinos were considered wards of the State at that timaiihd

pbrmanent visas.

2. Barden to °womb* of lud

An original ."'qualification" for citizenship in this country was the

ownership Of land. While this requirement no longer obtaids; it II still

Rita, raiiki Elway is the principal partner in Communications Moir', a publk opiniorch

firm in Seattle. Wash.

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4

true that the right to lapd. ow ership is a key to full social, economic

an)4political participition. In Washingtot\ State, an alien land law w'as

enacted M 11489, prohibiting noncitizens from owning land. If you

were- an Asian not born in this countrn-/that meant that you could

never own land. Other States followed Washington's example,

enacting similiar fien land laws. It 'was nOt until 1952 thist.the U.S.

Supreme Court &dared this law unconstitutional. In Washington

Stats pAst legislative pession, attempts were male to reintroduee alien

land legislation. Similar efforts have been made-Pin the U.S. Congress to

curb "foreign" investment The memory of this insidious legislation is

too recent for most Asian Americans.

For Picific Islanders the land situation is someLhat different in that

11\ they have been systematically deprived of land4hich once belonged

to them. The effects, however, have been similar: political *rid

111! economic impotency.

3. Displacement

fhere is strong evidence that a sense, of yommunity strengthens'

political efficacy. For as long as Asian and Pacific people have been1

associated whhlhe United States, there have beemoncerted efforts td

violate tiieir communities. Anti-Chinese riots have resulted in the

massacre of entire communities. In 'tome instances entire populatiods

of Chinese in cities were shipped in trains against their will to other

States. Between, 1939 and 1945 all persons of Japanese descent on the

west cdast were placed in inland concentrption camps (not to be

confided with Nazi, death camps), mid Executive Order 9066 which ,

ordered the evacuation was not totealed '61 1976. . Urban renewal ha, hit many Asian and Plcific cominunitiet, diArupting

their physical historical identities. Most recently, Asian/Pacific

communities wh h bord6r _central business districts have been the

target of active ecul1tion and deve opm nt incompatible with the

identity o.tIt commtinities. 7

4 4. I

Immigr ion poly in this country has favored the importation of

"cheap laeor" d discouraged the formation of family units. Once

li4or was impcirted to this runtry stringent immigration quotis were

. imposed limiting the" immigration of fiancees, wives, sons, and

daughters of laboring Asian men. Because of antimisce enation laws,

laborerrhad difficulty finding mates in this country. As a onsequence,

Asian communities have large ,numbers of single elderly Asian males.

Particularly in the Cinbse and Filipino communiti the establishment of family unkts has been severely impeded 6y immigration

policies.

5. The Education gystem and Mao Media

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Pecry

r 147 /

P
The stereotype ofisoth men and women of Asian/Pacific back unds

has been one of passivity andservice to white America. Fo and

Pacific women, the stereotype has been one of exotic fem ninity. For

Asian- and Pacific men, the stereotype has been one of 'docile

ukbmission and a preoccupation wiIcthe service industries. None of

tWese sterotypes have encouraged a view of Asians as possessing

pofilical efficaor(This passive stereotype has, in fact, encouraged the

notionboth in the larger society and within the Asian/Pacific

communitythat. Asian and Pacific people are only good for certain

kinds ojoles in life. This stereotype has been reinforced in, our

eductfonal system both in terms of occupational counseling and

eduptional tracking. Skills necossary to achieve pslitibal pirticipation

ar/not encouraged. Indeed, it is assumed that Asians may bp good in

nfath and in visual arts, butre not good in verbal skilla. Itifi assumed

tr the educational system unnecessary that Pacific Islanders are not

much good for anything but music and labor. These assumptions,

either conscious or unpnscious, become the basis for decisions made

,bedt the natures (clucitional resources invested in the individual.

Political Efficacy: What It Takos

Forces and events have conspired to discourage the growth of

political participation by Asian anci Pacific people. Although many of

the repressive laws which barred participation are now repealed, the

long term effects of cultuOl and economic repression are felt to this

day.

Tbere are many people who have pointed out that many of the

injustices faced by Mimi' and Pacific people would never have

happened if they had only "spoken out" against what was happening

to them. But the evidence shows that the barriers to free speech and

civil rights went far beyond timidity or complacency in As,6/Pacific

communities.

In recent yean, participation ill the political systth by Asian ind

Pacific people has increased markedly. Something has beat happening

in Asian/Pacific comm\wities. Jt is the purpose of this paper to identify

some facto wh h have encouraged a higher level of political

/arficipation en to speak mote specifically about the special role

of Asian and c women u participants.

1. 'Greater Lev of-Nue/floe ard Awarress About AA" American

History sad Cunat Issues Mit civil rights movement of the '50s and the ethniC pride movements

of the 60s have had profound effects on Asian and Pacific communitie& Througliout 'the '60. and '70a Asian and Pacific people have

de Ithowledge and awaretes of their hitoryboth before and

contact. Ethnic stud' have consiiierably improved the

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133
amou t and quality of ir4orjnalion about the concerns of Asian and

Pacifi people. There has been revival and an increased pride in our

cultur6. There has developed a widespread appreciation of the

diversity of our cultures. There is an increased interest and awareness

of tht inequities currently being perienced by Asian and Pacific

peopl. "Self-knowledge" has ,encduraged a sense of value and of

mission; the mission is to work to ensure the vitality and the figure of

Asian and Pacific communitits.

2." Affirmatin Action

Although Affirmative action needs for Asian and Pacific people are not A

even .tlose to being met (as has been the case with all other ethnic

mlhority iroups), there have been jnany positive outcomes from

affirmativie action programs. More Asian and Pacific people have

access to employment and education than before, and-they have legal

reCourse in the face of racial and sex discrimination.

Another outcome of affirmative action programs is that they have

been a coalesent issueboth within our colAmunities and with bther

ethnic minority_ommunities, AffirmatiN>e action programs have.thus

promoted accea to Rolitical participation in two major ways: a) by

making it easier for-Asian lind Pfeifle people to achieve educational

economic equity, and b) by being a vehicle to develop skills

ry to achieve political efficacy.

. The Women's Movement

Women of color have typically taken a somewhat token role in the

women's movemint as a whole. The benefits f tokenism, however,

should not be minimized. The presence of wo of color in feminist

activity has sensitized others of their particular concerns and philosophy. For Asian/Pacific women, as with other women of color, that

phi)orphy has stressed community concerns above individualistic

concerns. The women's movement has given visibility to

Asian/Pacific concerns which might otherwise not be addressed:

working conditions of garment workers, physical abuse of wives of

U.S. servicemen, family planning options for Asian and Pacific

women, etc. Within the crmunkywqmen's groups have formed

across the countryAsian and Pacific women have developed support

groups, community education programs, political interest groups, and

social service groups which emphasize their common concerns. Muth

of this interest idiAsian and Pacific women's concerns stems from the

larger movement of women in this country.

4../Assimilation

Assimilation has been a two-edged sword with regard to political

efficacy for Asian and Pacific people. On the one hand, assimilation

e has had the effect of providing political survival skills for Asian and

VPacific peopleknowledge 1.tfie political system, social skills which

, 136

1 1 9 s,
( , naVe congruent witikibe dominant majority, language skills which

m ..e-yt easier iv communicate .with large groups outside the

co m unity, etc. On the other hand, assimilation for some Asian and

tt

Pacffic people has meant absorption into the larger tbciety and a loss

of ethnic identity. Fortunately, because of emphaellin the development of historical and cultural identity, this trend has been altered.

, 5. "Success" Stories

Although the participation and rising politic>efficacy of the Asian

and Pacific communities has been slow in coming, inspiratidn has

come from individuals and groups which have demonstrated the

power of leadership and group action. In Hawaii -and on ta west

coast, in particular, the recent years have seen vocal opposition to land

ripoffs and cilil rights violations. More Asian and Pacific people than

ever efore a y e sought and won elective office. Successes have

? inspid renewed efforts and new successes.

The Role of Asian and Pacific Women

The Asian or Pacific woman who participates in the political system

is really in the vanguard. Language barriers, the traditional role of

Asian and Pacific women in their cultures, the lack of knowledge

aboufrights under law, and other &tors mentioned abovetill have

stood in the way of political participation by Asian and Pacific

wOmen.,

The absence of Asian and Pacific women iii political activity was not

because of a lack of concern or because there were no needs or

constituencies to be addressed. Rather, the lack of activity was due to

the absence of a vehicle to organize and articulate their concerns, The

women's movement in this country Nile to provide an impetus for

political movementimong Asian and Pacific women.

The needs have been great: Working conditions and unfair labor

practices are common in the garment industry, in food processing

companies, and other industries which employ Asian and Pacific

women. Because many of these women fear deportatiOn, organization

has been difficult. Other immigrant women face interfamily stress

because of changes in their cultural and social environment. Wives of

U.S. servicemen have particular problems in this regard as they often

face rejection by Asian American communities and physical and

mental abuse by their spouses. If deserted, they have very few surVival

options. For these women "political participation" is often furthest

from their minds.

For American-born Asian/Pacific women the problems are somewhat different. Yet the barriers to their political participation are still

sufficient to have prevented needed organization and the developmen't

of leadership. Existing organizations 4thin the Asian 'and Pacific

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150
communities have been typically domislated by maksthese organizations have not been particularly responsive to the concerns of women

in the community.

For those women who tave persisted within existing community

groups, and who,have paved the way for political participation in the

larger society, the benefits have been phenomenal. Asian and Pacific

women have much to offerto other women in their communities, to

the Asian and Pacific communities as a. whole, to the women's

movement, and to the pursuit Of equity in the United States.

We have found, for example, that the involvement of Asian and

Pacific women in'existing community groups has made those groups

more accountable to a broader range of the community. The effect his

been similar in ofher kinds of political settings. Asian and Pacific

women in elective office have, for the 1110St part, introduced more

community people to the political process; they have responded to a

broader range of concerns both inside and outside of the community; they have been advocates.. for fivil rights on behalf of all ethnic

minorities and women. OuivAsian and Pacific women in elective office

haVe, for the most part, been more progressive than the average

politician. They have been articulate. They have been influential. They

,have been tough. And their numbers are far too few.

What will it take to encourage the growth-of political participation

among Asian and...Pacific women? Some strategies have already been

discussed. in this papef. Efforts musibe made to strengthen awareness

and biucation about the past and present of our cOmmunities. The

struggle for affirmative action ,and civil rights must and will be

continuedin spite of sonic -r6cent setbacks for Asian and. Pacific

people. ,Involvement in political movements such as the' women's

inovement, elective polities, etc. must be encqtfraged both inside the

community and, more importantly, by the movements themselves.

bp, Cultural; political economki, and social snrvival skills must be

4. 'developed without sacrificing our ethnic identity. Role models must ix

identified and understood to provide evidence that...we can "fight-city

hall" and we can achieve Political efficacy.

. . Broad scale political participation by Asian and Paific women is

not yet a reality. Neither is it a reality.for Asian and Pacific men. It is \ ". crucial that this goal of participation be-achieved;

.

. PolitiCel participation is the first steP toward achieving political

efficacy, so thai-Asien and Pacific people-can advocateon their own

behalfthe pressing needs of their communities.,

. .. . poliiical participation is necessary to achieve viiibility whiCh Will

help.to eradicate the' jtereotype of passivity which has plagued Asian

and Pacific people. It Twill provide evidence that Asian and Pacific

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"
hi people.can acttieve political efficacy. It will encourage other Asian

snd Pacific petiple to participate politically.

It can only happen if we make it happen.

.

he439
/Wan/Pacific Amrican Women: Legal Issues

k ti Diane Yen-Mei Wong'

Introduction

In preparing this paper I have attempted to work within two basic

principles. First, 'the problems facing Asian/Pacific American women

are sometimes indistinguishable from issues which affect the entire

Asian/Piciflc American community. Problems .often stem from dis4triminatory attitudes and practices aimed at people of color, regardless

of sex, In many instances, however, thet do manifest themselves in

slightly different ways against women yeti% men.

Second, legal issues do not exist in a vacuum. Rather, they arise out

of factual situations. These situations become legal issues when

. Asqui/Pacific Americans file a lawsuit in search of equitable treat- ment, oi when , they challenge the legality of an administrative

procedure. They' become legal issues when other approaches cannot

elicit a safisfactory response.

With' tftese parameters established, the discussion fosuses on the

following topics: (a) employment, (b) garment wlv (c) dipsolu- o

tions and battered women, and (d) courts and police. ese situations,

while not,eylhaustive, do represent some of the major areas of concern

to Asian/ilicific Amellcen women. They are ripe for legal action.

Employmon

According to most any measure of status in the area of e ployment, such as pay13r rat*, Asian/Pacific ATerican women, other

women 'of color, 'fall behind white mesrmen of color, and white

women. Yet government agencies and private businesses often point to

the Asian/PacificiVrican statistics to show how "sussfully" they

have imp1ement rmative action.programs.

True enough, many sqch statistics\ do reflect the presenoe of quite a'

few Asian/Pacific Americans. Those' statements, hovie0fr, cto a great disservice to all who believe them as the total' tIpth. Cmicluiions such

as those te d to reinforce the #roneous stereotype that all

AslanJBselflTc Aisericans have succeedtd,aand tlat, therefore, compa- nies ndgen cifil not include them in affirhve actio& onother

prograins benefi minorityvommsinities. Su4 seems to be /he

! Diane Iferilollei Wong is execufivkdirector of the Commiukon on si;n American Affairs, Office of the ernor, Olympia. WW1.

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sea
- a attitude of the Small Business Administration and the Ford Foundation.' . A closer &A at affirmative Statistics reveds another story. The

question here is morie of undefemployment than unemployment. That

is, for comrprable levels ?f. education, experience, and tenure,

Asian/Pacific American women and mcn receive less .compensation,

lower job rankings; and fewer promotions.

In reviewing affirmative action plans on ihe Governor's committee

on affirmative action, I learned to review figures from both a

horizontal and a vertical irspc-ctive. The form r entails scrutinizing

whether or not the agency employs particular pr ected groupg. With

the latter, one determines where in- the; company's ranks each

protected group member is, either in terms of pay level or the type of

work (e.g., ckricat, professidthil, clerk typist 1 and 11). ------ Tbe vertical .statiatics fOr Asian/Pacific American women clearly

detm.r;trate the effects Of one of the most pervasive stereotypes of

worlAng Asian/Pacific . American women: we alrmake "fine secretar-

----ics." All WO 'oftep .Xsion/Paciiic American women find themselves

,.r-Olegate44only to clerical jobs despite their other abilities and

characteristics. Promotions or changes-of titles do not change the-basic "--

occupation's responsibilities. ,Asian/Picific American women are

krceived to be, and treated as, clerical material andflerical material

only.

i cliven a certain number of Asian/Pacific Americans within one

. . agency or firm, if- there is a qi,gher-than-average -number of

Asian/Pacific American wonirrOtiT'ffie lower-paying positicrs, then

there is a corresponding lower-than-liven* numbs of Asian/Pacific

. Ametican women at the higher manageMent levers where decisionmaking authority and lligher salaries lie. 1 Asian/Pacific American women also face a other stereotype which

affects their employment possibilities:they are thought to be unaggressive. ) 1

. Employeti use this stereotype to justify excluding Asian/Pacific

American women from occupying positions with more responsibility,

decisionmaking power, and higher salaries.. They argue that

Asian/Pacific Americans do not have the execu ive qualities needed to

lead. Further, the image also leails them to beli ve that if they do not

pay the women equal wages, or do not promote tke n as fast or aii high /

as othera, the wom will Aot cause any trouble anyway.' -

' The Small Business Admi istratiorilLconsidering changes in its regulations regarding the minority

set-aside program which would each!!! Asian/Pacific Americra as a socially disadvantaged group.

The Ford Foundation recently awarded a grant to Seattle University to recruit minorities to a

particular academic program. The definition of minorities excluded Asian/Pacific Americans.

' Thesypr lems affect the status of all Asian/Pacific American workers. regardless of sex

1 5 4
/ Agencies and companies which qview affirmative action compli-

. ance tob# often look only at the liorizontal picture; they do not take the

next step jo determine if Asian/Pacific American women receive pay and classifications commensurate with their levels of education, experience, and tenure.

-

I A college professor at theypiversity of Washington once told his class of an incident which hippened.to an Asian American woman at a local bank. She and several other wonien had been working together for a long time. The white tellers all received raises; only two tellers d notshe-and a black wc,n64. Neither had received any dissatisfactory comments abbat the quality of their work so they did nOt understand why this had happened. The black spoke withihe manager and eventually aftel received a raise. For a long time, the Asian American woman did not dcr anythilig. Much later, after receiving

encolvagement from friends, she finafty also went to see the manager. He told her that he was very surprised that she would cause trouble such as this and that he had expected it of the black wow& but not of her.

He had not prepared himself to pay the Asian American woman an

quid salary. Raffier, he had thought he could act illegally and not be

caught because she would not complain about it.

This attitude contributed much to the treatment of Asian/Pacific

American women in industries which can boast a heavy concentration of Asian/Pacific American women among their employees, -including

canneries, garment factories, and restaurants.

Garment Workers ' This topic is of special interest to me. My mother, and the mothers of many of my Asian/Pacific American friends, all work in garment factories in tfie Seattle area.

The garment industry is labor oriented, thal is, it relies more on the

-presence of labor than on highly technical instruments or certai "noes

of natural resources. It locates itself in areas where there are

peopletwilling to sew all day at minimum wage rate. Because of its dependence on workers, however, the industry acems

to picker workers from groups traditionally with few rights which were or could be asserted. Thus, most .of the workers are Women, a

very high proportion of whom are womtn of color.

Throughout the United States the garment industry has come to be viewed as an antiworker busiiiess. The plight of women in the i.P. Stevens and Farah Companies is well documented. The situation of

Asian/facific American women in the industry, however, has not

'veil much attention in the past.

1142

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As fat-as Asian/Pacific American women are concerned4it is clearly

an employer's market. Employers believe that if they lay off or

Aoherwise lose one As Um/Pacific American woman, they can easily

flnd another who is available and willing to replace her. 14n- the

following reasons, they are probably correct in aSsuming this.

Sewing is often the only traditionally marketable skill that the

women bring With them from their original home countries. They ship

cannot speak English well. In this respect, the job becomes even more

ittractive to them; in thNactories,, the women can speak with each

Mitt in their primary language, and only occasionally do they have to

interact with the English-speaking owners, supervisors, or general

public. Training programs, incluirng job-related E4lish classes,

which would teach them new skills and enable them to take on other

work, are very scarce. A

Thus, for the both recent immigrants and those who have been in

the United States for a longer time but who have not had an

Opportunity logo to school, the garment industry set-Nes as one of the

major emproyers.

Through exploitation of this employer's market situation, the,

garment factories have allowed the development and maintenance of

very questionable practice procedures. At a garment worker conference held in October 197'7 in Seattle, about 40 women delineated many

of these. Some of the major objectionable aspects ineludr the

following:

a. Supervisors.and owners harassed and insUlted the workers. , b. Supervisors constantly shifted workers from floor to.floor and

machines to machines in order to reduce the level of prOduction in

piecework factories.'

c. Factories had inadeqifate lighting-and ventilation.

d. . Supervisors terminated, hirelor rehired persoiis in a racially

discriminatory manner. e. Even though they may have worked for many -years, they still

earn only minimum wages... . -..Pespite these working Conditions, however; for many of the

members of this group of Asian/Pacific American women, the

alternative to not working at the garment factorlvis not, working

anywhere at all. Because' of the,.16w.wages earned by their husbands,

both spouses must work for -the \filmily to suivive financially.

Therefore, the latter situation is untenable for mostitbksian/Pacific

American women.

' In piecework factories, women arc paid a set price per mit completedmFor each hour worICed, they

receive either the mi ee imum wage .or the piece ratev whichever is higher Shilling the workers,

however, prevents them from increasing their speed and efficiency on any one piece or machine.

This, in turn, meant they could only rarely earn more than the mi e imum wage.

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Many factors dictate against changes in practices by the employers. First, the relevant unions 'have not played an assertive role in

advocating on behalf of, or even jUst representing the interests of, Asian/Peak American women. Union meetings are routinely con- ducted solely in English and requests for triti4illations ignored. This is true even in onestance when jti a bilingual 'on member offered to translate. One major union could not provide a dopy 4,the bargaining

agreeme,nt in Chinese to a worker, and then eventually would not even give her a copy in English. All forms, rules, and regulations regarding

health and insurance benefits and grievance procedures are in English only. Only one union local has made even a token at empt to ensure that the non-English-speaking workers understand t e provisions of any of the documents: one year it provided a small SUM to translate the

bargaining agreement.

, . The women pay dues regularly to the union, but feel that they have not received any benefits in return. Realistically, they do not expect

imions to support their grievances.Itegardless of the accuracy of the feeling, the fact that they perceive it to be so says little about the

performance thus far. . Second, employers often intimate to discontentid workers-Tthat is,

those who "cause trouble" by asking questions or making demands will be deported. Employers hint at this consequence regardless of the woman's immigration status or her length of stay in the United States. Most Asian/Pacific American women do not know the rights under

the immigration la*s and thus tolerate otherwise intolerable working

conditions rather than risk possible separation from their families

through deportation. ,. Third, State and Federal agencies have not demonstrated a

commitment to investigating violations of or enforcing compliance

with relevant labor laws: Women who have risked their job security to file complaints have met only with frustration at the long waiting periods for any action or .at the response that nothing can be done

because they had not followed the proper procedures (a description of which is available only in English1,4Agency brajhures annsocumente

are not available in Asian/Pacific Atherican .lang(lage, nor is any effort made to ensure that such information reaches! the Asian/Pacific

American women in the industries.

ftalancing the possible positive outcomes agains0 the* possible negative results of raising issues and making demands, the latter has

been and will continue to be more persuasive.

Balloted Women and Dissolutions

Contrary to the belief that all Asian/Pacific American f ilies are stable and close-knit, dissolutions among all generati s of

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, Asian/Paciftc American women have become increasingly common.

The consequences of this change in status have caused several

problems. For many of the women, the problems include "only" lack

of skills by which to support themselves and their children, feelings of

isolation and nonsupport.

For the growing number of !Altered Asian/Pacific American

women, however, the situation is 'more complex. Often there exists

physical and mental abuse which necessitates an emergency termination of the relationship. In these instances, the Asian/Pacific American

womenand their childrenmust seek out emergency medical

services and emergency shelter. . In both situations, the problems of the Asian/Ilacific American

women appear at first glance to resemble those of their white

counterpartsthe displaced homemakep and abused women. However, a second look reveals differences that service providers are not

adequately addressing. Most shelters and women's centers aim their

services at the general white populace, and hope for the best for any

nonwhite consumers, They do not employ bilingual-bicultural staff.

Most are reluctant even to establish working relationships with

Asian/Pacific Amerjcan community agencies which can provide some

culturally sensitive services. This is often the case even in areas in

which there is a high incidence of Asian/Pacific American battered

and displaced women, such astowns adjacent to military bases.

Asian/Pacific American women, t ir language and cultural yalues

color the problems they face in these i&itions. The pressures of the

Asian/Pacific American family and community to remain married

despite the circumstances can be immense. This is especially acute for

immigrant women and wives of U.S. military men. For them, the

isolation and feelings of nonsupport are even greater.

To the immigrant woman who does not speak English, her entire

community of significant others is often comprised only of other

Aaiin/Pacific Americans. They all shire similar values regarding

dissolutions and the role of women in mairiages. Any deviation

requires much emotional support from Other sources,

The wives bf U.S. military Men frequently find that their dissolution

also means termination of their access to the myriad of services

available on -the base. They are pushed out from the relatively

protective' miii4ry base.environment to an outside world with which

., they are unfamiiiir. ;Awing come to live,in the U.S., they now find

themselves cut oft from their families. Thus, very few support systems

exist for them.

Unless a shelter or center is sensitive and responsive to these values

and circumstances, any services available are impractical at best, and

inaccessible at worst. Though many of these centers finance their

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operation through Federal funding, the government has thus far made no attempt to make availability of funds contingent upon implementation of changes which would produce better services. Hence, the lack

of culturally sensitive services continues.

Courts and Police

My role and experience as an attorney raise two issues under this

topic. The first affects both AsianNacific American men and women. As far is Asian/pacific Americans who do not speak English very well are concerned, interactions with the police and courts only very rarely approach even an appearuncv of justice and. fairness. For

instance, several clienti reported receiving citations for accidents in whi& they were not at fault because they were unable to explain what had happened adequately in English. The other parties did not receive

citations. Court normally did not provide interpreters for any but ,the major felony cases, not did most have bilingual-bicultural staff. A second issue affects Asian/Pacific Amerilan twomen: It stems from the ill too common stereotypy of Asian/Pacific Averican women: we* are' exotic prostitutes, And/or we are 'passive and

submissive. The former has resulted in unranted and unwarranfed

harassment of Asian/Pacific American women by theopolice. The hitter, in a manner similar to practices in the employment field, convinces police that -the women will not report any advances or

mistreatment and also tends to increase their tenliency to continue this

type of behavior.

Both such perceptions., of Asian/Pacific Arican women affect

how an Asian/Pacific American woMan "shduld" act when she is,a witness or a defendAnt. In a California lower court case, a Chinese

American woman reported diat a police officer made sexual 'advances

towards her after stopping her Vehicle for an alleged traffic violation The,police did not feel she would report the incident. When shçd1, neither the police department nor the courts believed her. The

prostitute stereotype interfered With anyl real resoltition of the

prObler.- . ' \

A In a recent. New York case, tile cburt showed its bias throughout the

trial.' One of the defendants, an Asian American woman, had a license

to carry firearms; her codefendant, a male, did not. The judge refused

to believe that the firearm seized in an alleged conspiracy belonged to

her. It did not fit in with' his preconception of what a passiVe, submissive Asian American VV0111&11 should or could be doing. Her cos)efendant was charged with illegal possession of a firearm; she with

conspiracy.

Both the lack of adequately sensitive staff and the biases of the

courts and police lead to a perception by Asian/Pacific Americans that

146

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the entire system breeds ogly iniustice for Asian/Pacific Ameelcans.

Whether or not the perception is ue i1f naught. What is important is

that Asian/Pacifit Americans do not perceive that justice is moon for

them. ,

Recommendations

Much information will be presented in all the papers and oral

presentations. What is of most interest, however, and rightly so, is

what steps the Commission on Civil 119gIlts will take if it receives this

information. - The following paragrapps focus on Wipe recommendations for

action based on the topics discussed above. Some are general; others

are directed at specific agencies or groups.

(1) Federal agencies and departments'Aild subcontractors should

translate more of their informational brochures and make such

translations available to>communities. They should make an internal,

institutional commitment to do this, including allocation of funds to

complete the tasks. Agencies which come immediately to mind include

the National Labor Relations Board, gepartment of Labor, Immigration and Naturalization Service, andepartment of Health, Education, and Welfare.

(2) Federal Aaencies should hire competent bilingual-bicultural staff

in areas whial involve contact with a sizeable number of

Asian/Pacific Americans. They, should make continued funding of

projects and service providers contingent on providing this type of

balanced personnel.

When it is impractieal to hire Such staff t9 meet all the cultural and

language needs, agencies and their, subcoptractars should at kast

contract out the translation services tO geoups which can meet those

needs.

With either approach, a with number 1, there must' be an internal

commihien4 of reaCources eid the attainment of this objective.

(3) The Naiiimal Labor Relations Board should review the'practices

and procedures , of the unions covering the garmeir incluat94to

determine if they are actually representing all their members. If there

are sizeable numbers of non-English-speaking women in the unions,

the NLRB should take steps to ensure that the unions provide all

necessary information, such as meetings, brochures, rules, in appropriate languages.

(4) The Departments of Labor and Health, Education, and Welfare

should restructure their training programs and educational and

employment services to be more responsive to the ireds of

Asian/Pacific American women. For instance, unless immigrant

women receive training in skills other than sewing, they will not be

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able to assert their rights as workers and union members without

incurring the very real consequence of losing their duly access to gainful employment. Itestructuring should include language skills acquisition and emPloyment training by bilingual staff. (5) The Department of Labor should , investigate the garment Indusly to determine the extent of violations of any labor laws, ially those dealing with minimum wage rates and occupational safety. Based on its findings the Department of Labor should

aggressively enforce compliance. , (6) The Immigration and Naturalization Service should work in conjunction with these Federal and local agencies involved in employment to ensure that they are cognizant of the effect of immigration laws on employment and to compel them to review practices of employers who are allegedly threatening Asian/Pacific American women with *deportation when there are no grounds for such an action.

Conclusion

Federal agencies have a responsibility to be responsive to people in a nondiscriminatory manner. Most, however, have failed to achieve this objective vis-a-vis the Asian/Pacific American community in general, and the Asian/Pacific American women in particular.. Unless they

change their practices, Asian/Pacific Americans will.continue to view

them as inaccessible and uncaring.

Ae Washington State Commission on Asian American Affairs in early May' 1979 held a hearing on discrimination in eastern Washing- ton. Time and time again, those who testified indicated that though they had filed complaints with various government agencies, such as equal employment opportunities commission or the human rights commission, they would actively discourage other Asian/Pacific Americans from following suit. They did not want others to be subjected to the same treatment and lack of results.

Federal(agencies muse chane their policies to reflect a ,mbre sensitive ttitude towards the needs of Asian)Pacific American women. However, changes which benefit women at the expense of the Asian/Pacific American community as a whole are unacceptable. I personally prefer amicable resolution on issues. However, I am also amenable to using other approaches and working with groups which use other approaches, if I determine .that beneficial change is not otherwise forthcoMing. With factual situations which have

eerettlated to intolerable levels more and more Atti*Pacific Amerioano will initiate leial tion at administrative hearings and in .'cOurts Oullenging the, alidity and equity of agency practices end

. 148

1 el.
Military Wives/EMerging Roles of Asian

immigrant Women

by Bok-Um C. Kim*

Today there are an estimated 20,000 Asian women who hive

immigrated to the United States as wives of U.S. sgrvicemen. These

women are scattered all over the Nation and are largely invisible, both

from our majority society and from Asian and Pacific American

communities, because of their social isolation.

The immigration ofAsian wives of American soldiers began in 1947

when the United States Congress granted immigration rights to

Japanese wives of U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan. This initial

wave of Japanese wives was followed by Korean wives, and later by

Vietnamese and Thai women. Intermarriage and immigration of

Filipino wives of both U.S. Navy and civilian personnel have always

been sizable because of the prolonged U.S. presence ip the Philippines.

Attitudes towards these unions range from cation to outright

hostilitV among the relatives and home communities of Asian women

and their American husbands. The attitude of the U.S. military

establishment towards these marriages can be characterized as "negative." These attitudes and behaviors of the respective parties do not

usually improve over a period of time and such negative reactions

often contribute to or exacerbate marital problems such as spouse

abuse, desertion, separation, and divorce. For a more detailed

discussion of the studies and programs dealing with these issues, and as

Part of my testimony, I am appending three articles that I have

authored.

Without going into the many complex and interacting factors which

adversely affect theltuarital harmony and adjustment of these women

and their husbands, 1 will list the problems that require odr attention.

Later 1 will also list programs and measures that we can undertake to

ameliorate these problems.

1. Communication

CommUnication within these marriages is greatly handicapped bx,.

the Asian wives' lack ,of proficiency in English and their unfamiliarity

with lifestyles and values in American society. The situation isffirther

aggravated by their husbands' ignorance of and failure to learn about

the language and culture of their wives.

Bolt-Lim C. Kim is usociate prolitssor. School of Social Work, University of Illinois, Urbana.

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2. Psychosoclal isolation and Alienation

The psychosocial isolation and alienation of the Asian wives arc the resu of social isolation and a language barrier which is often exaceltted by insensitivity or inaction on the part of their husbands and th around them who have failed to support and guide Asian wives in dealing with their new environment. The Asian wife has left her family, friends, culture, everything with which she is familiar, when she immigrated to the United States. She was part oil, family and community system in which she had status and roles which provided her with self-esteem. In new and unfamiliar surroundings, handicapped by her limited Englisla.and without anyone to guide her, she is helpless. She needs a supportive and caring person to teach, guide, and assist her in acculturation. Unfortunately, among the women and families who have been referred to me for services, jhe husbands have failed in this task. Often the husband is not,even aware that such assistance and support are needed. He expects a speedy and miraculous transformation of his wife into a competent wife and homemaker inher newly adopted land. He becomes impatient and frustrated with her helplessness and dependency, and with what appears to him to be her slowness in learning. He often becomes verbally and physically abusive toward his wife.

The couple's failure to anticipate these adjustment tasks and the temporary "role strains" generated by a wife's dependency are often .key factors in marital disruption, spouse abuse, and desertion. Psychosocial isolation and alienation, which are the consequences of the failures mentioned above, also act as further hindrances to a host of other psychosocial adjustments for the couple for their children. I need not repeat the deleterious effect of alienation on the psychologi- cal well-being and on the social functioning of individuals and society. The only difference, in the case of Asian wives, is that their isolation and suffering are hidden and unknown to the majority society. Thus, remediatiola is not possible. The Asian wives must become full, participating members of our society as wives, mothers, and useful citizens.

3. Unfwillarity with the Legal Underpinnings of Ameri&n-Society

As the common saying goes: Eastern and Western cultures and value systems are often diametrically opposed. Nowhere is such a difference more apparent than in the area of the management or conflicts and disputes in persoi41, social, and commercial transactions in the two societies.. Contracts and agyeements are sealed in legal written documents in the West, while similar agreements are consum150

1 63
mated verbally in the East. Harmony and compromise (based upon the

moral and ethical code in the teachings of Confucius) are the ideals to

which many Asian societies still aspire; resorting to court for

settlement of conflicts is still frowyed upon and despised in Asian

culture. This explains thAilThrent mindset of Asian wives who must

'now deal with a different and highly complex legal system which

regulates and Often governs daily life in America, affecting even the

nu st intimate marital and parent-child relationships.

, norance and lacieof familiariiy with the American legal system

severely handicap the Asian wife and place her at a great disadvantage

, in this country*Asian wives whose husbands are still with the Arined

,... Forces are'unfamiliar with the, rules and regulations that affect their

lives-, and; as a rule, do not know the benefits and privileges accodled

to them as dependents of military personnel. The coniequences of such

ignorance include divorce without _Ike woman's knowledge; loss of.

rights as a legal spone; loss of cytta custody and financial support; in

some cases, comtnitment to a ,thental hospital Without knowledge or

r consent; threat of or actual deportation; loss of i4 rmanent residencY;

and loss of the opportunity to become a naturalizeà American citizen.

I could even enumetate more of these dire and often tragic conse- , quences of not knowirtg or not having a bilingual advocate who can

protect these rights.

\,......

4. Solutions

I have several suggestions to make for services which could

substantially ease the transition of Asian wives to life in the U.S.

I. As a minimum, there should be offered English classes on many

levels, geared- to the needs of these women and wives, mothers, and

consumers of services.

2. Systematic data related to the location and demographic characteristics of intermarrieti couples composed of Asian women awl

American servicemen must be collected and made available to both

Asian American and other, largef community social service agencies

so that they can develop serVice programs for them. At present, the'

lack of., thiS vital information prevents the development of any

nationwide service program.

3. A comprehensive, multilingual resource book should be develoie'd

and distributed to every intermarried couple upon marriage and at

-"ports of entry in the United States. The U.S. Immigration and

Naturalization Service might participate in ifs distribution. This

resource book should include'information concerning legal hts and

responsibilities as a spouse and parent, and as an immigrant OF citizen,

as well as fUnctioning as a consumer practice guide, with' information

on how to use community resources in health, education, and social

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services, and organizations to call in emergencies. One section.should address matters related to the inress or conflict which comthonly arise in family -life, te.1 the role expectations of husband and wife, relationships with 1n4iWs,how problems might "be resolved, and where to seek and howto use professional help. e. 4. Bilingual-bieultuffil training and orientation classes should, be made available to both:- husband, and wife prior and subsequent -to settlement in the United Stites. To achieve 'the- effective communica- tion skills essential to a successfkil marriage, thit reeponsibility should be shared mtitually by 'both palners. Orientation ,classes and group meetings in a community where pit couple iettles,would facilitate the wife's transition from one cultnresto another 'and provide the couple with support in establishing their new home. - 5. A nationwit hotline system is sorely n+d to provide crisis

interVention, referral, and followup,services to widely scattered and frequently isolated Asian xxives. *mikes of .Asian women 'and'

community agencies would Rewisebenotit from such a service. ?lie

hotline would be staffed by a multilinguldrulticultural staff of social

workers or allied professionals end volunteers. An additional outcome of the program would be the development of a reiource book and

'training manualforruse by local community organization professionals

, in their work with this population.

6: Support must be given to the Nitional Comnitttile Concerned with Asian Wives of U.S. Servicenien in their task to kicate resourges and . develop programs for those whose needs have not been met through

-familial and community groups.

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I

Health Issues Affecting AsianiPaolfic

American Women

by Tin Myeing Thein, Ph.D.`

this paper dials with the health problems of Asian/Pacific

American women, the problems they encounter in relation to health

service delivery, and the representation of Mian/Pacific American

women in the health industry. The information pres(nted tiere is baseil

primarily on data from published itudies that have included Asiv

American or Asian/Pacific American weMent as a subsample of tile

study. populations. Some of the study data eeferred to are unpublished.

The results of a search of the literature reveal that.:-.1) (ew studies

have been conducted on the health status of this population group, .2)

certain .illnesses and diseases are prominent among this 'population,

althouglks,Ois fact is not commonly recorized, and 3) the problems of

t health -servie delivery and shortagei of, Asian/Pacific Amerian

_women among health industry workers are related..

The literature search conducted in order -to prepare this paper,

revealed that there has /beer been a nationwide study which has . included a meaningful survey regarding the health problems of

Aslan/Pacifid American women. Very few, systematic empirical

studies have been zonducted ofihis population group. In some studies,

the health problem? ofAsian/Pacific Americans are mentioned only as.

an'afterthought.

. BeCause of the lack of knowledge about their health status, Weaver'

-states, "No gronp in the Amezican population is treated ith a 'greater

lack_ of understanding or is victimifed by more ster" than the

various peoples who-are lumped under the label 'Asi cans'."

Asian/Pacific Americans, are not a momilithiclgro as e term

implies. They include Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Clese, In nesian,

Vietnamese, and Burmese people to name a few,groi&

In addition, the attempt to search and analyze data Pacific

American women is made more difficult because9 eveii'iewer tudies

-deal with this subgroup or breakdown their data by sex. Furthe ore,

faWors such as cohort differences, age differences, r ionarlaw"'N,

-differences, socioctonothic differences id addition to distinctly separated qthnic groups, make generalizations extremely difficult. This fact

must ,be kept in mind since many of the discussions in this paper are

Tin Mysing Thein ia president of Communion* Inc, in San Etiaito, Calif. . .fas t Many- writtrs use the term Asian American to refer to populations that include people of Pacific

!staid heritage. lo this papei, the term Asiari/Pacilk American is used.

i Jerry L. Weaver, Natkmal Health Policy era the Undeserved: Ethnic 14orilles. Women, and the_ Eklerk (C.V. Mosby Company, 1976), _ 166

.153
based on data from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Filipino groups only.

I. Illnesses end Diseases of Asian/Pacific Ameri- can Women

The research reveals that certain illnesses and diseases arc prominent among Asian/Pacific American women. Breast cancer AS one example. Breast cancer rag- been noted to be a nukjor problem for Japanese American women. Quisenberry and associates' conducted a study

comparing t4t)ncidence of lireaktcancer among various ethnic groups in Hawaii. They',reporeed that the incidence of breast cancer among Japanese women doubled between 1947-54 and 1960-62, a rate of increase higher than that for Caucasian women and women in other ethnic groups. Based cm this information, they analyted data from' the tumor registry in the San Francisco Bay Area and found that there was a strong upward shift in the incidence ot breast cancer for Japanese American women in the Bay area.

Anothei researcher, Buell,' examiritd the rates and concluded that the incidence of breast cancer in Japanese American women had

lor

probably risen and was continuing to rise throughout the United States. Dunn' also supports the finding that the rates of breast cancelt have been increasing for the Japanese Americas) wolpeii. Weaver', who examined the health problems of Asian/Pacific_Atianicans in.

1976, stated that these findings have tremendous health education implications. Yet, today, there are no known health education

programs dealing with the problem of breast cancer fer the Japanese 'kmerican women, some-Of whom do not speak adequate English to understand the information presented in public health educatign.- programs.

Another health problem reported in the literature Was the i h rate of cardiovascular-renal disease among Filipino wome nnett,

ed this group to Filipino men and

ipino wdinen had the highest rate of

arch needs to be conducted to

Tokooma, ands,McBride' cotn

Japanese men and women. The F

cardiovasc4r-renal disease. More

expfefte,the reasons behind this finding so that health programs can use this information in their service delivery. 4

William B. Quiseaierry Others, "Ethnic Differences in Cancehn Hawaii," Progress in Clinical -Cancer% 4, 191S

' Phillip Bu4,- "Changing !acid

Cancer Institute JournaL i Breas: Cancer in Japanese-American Women," National 51 November 1973.

' John E. Dunn, Jr., "Cancer

Hawaii and California a - iology in Populations of the Uit- na-States With EmPhasis on pan," Ca Research 35, November 1975, 3240-42. 1, Weaver.

1 Amerinin Journal of

Charles Bennett, G.H. Tokoyama and T. McBride, "Cardiovascular Renal Mortality-in Hawaii." Heahh 32, Septem r 1962, pp. 1418-31.

16 7 .,

I)

1\
boniestic violence and rape aie other health concerns of

_ Asian/Pacific American women. A. survey conducted for the Asian

Women's Center of Los Angeles' showed that the fear of rape and

violence was a paramount concern in the sample of women aged 15 to ,

25, wost of whom were Japanese. The center believes that the

incidence of rape and violence is higher than anyone believes because,

out shame, Asian/Pacific American women will not report such

..., incldeiTts. . Presently, no data exist on the extent of wife abuse or rape among'

\Asian/Pacific American women. Sun Bin Yim' a Ko ean counselor .00

from the Korean Aiierican Mental Health Service Ce ter, theorizes Z,

that in the Korean community, wife abuse is the reilt of stress,

cultural chock, and economic conditions liked by immigrant families;---,

it il also rooted in traditional values. Ttaditibnal Korean society,

according to Yim, tolerates wife a 114eas a means of coping-with

, marital conflict. The notio \Korean wife" and of women as

subservien .. , -weak, and obedient prevails in the Korean

American community.

Diamond et al. studied the characteristics of patients lieekinve

abortion in Hawaii. The majority of the population seeking abortions

were Hawaiians, part-Hawaiians, Filipinos, and Chinese. Among all

the ethnic groups, the Filipinos were more likely than others to seek

abortion to limit family size.

i .

Another health prOVein stems froM occupationll hazards faced by

women, particularly in blue-collar emplgyment. In 1970, 58 percent of --fr

AK/Pacific American women ,who worked were in clerical posi- /

tions or in pie galOment induatry." The long hours, minimal pay, poor

,

.working 06nditions (such as heat from the machines, poor ventilaticm,

breathing dust, and the like) have already heen documented in the,.

garment industry. But there aiiic no data to show the inciataince of

illnesses due to the textile chemiCWTst fatigue. Many people be ve

I.

that this ii because workers will not re th:e existelice of hazards

.. since they fear they will lose their jobs if t o. But the occupational

diseases related to the garment industry mil known and, since

such a high proportioifiirAsian/Pacific American women work in this

cupation, it can be med that this is One of tlie major health

blems" of Asian/Pa fic American women. No studies have been,

con u-Ced to help plan for services or to understand this problem.

......9

'*Asian Women's Center of Los Angel unpublished remt), AGAPE fellowship Inc. (1978).

SIM Bin Ylm, presentation a4 A lc Women's HMth Day. April 1978.

t Mitten Diamon4 era, "Abortio Iawaii,' in Famlly Planning Perspectives, vol. 5, no. I. Winter

1973. pp144-6il .. '° ,leati Qisan, "International Workl# Women's Day: Holding Up Half of the Sky,"Ilice Poper. vol.

3,40. 4 March 1979.

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The rest of the health problems discmsed m the literature are in the area of psychopathologies, most frequently characteriied as depression due to alienation, isolation, and guilt.

Depression is a major problem among the elderly Asian/Pacific American women, most of whom are Japanese. Along.With the. other health and financial problems associated with age, isolation also

contributes to mental health problems. Midori Gouyel% of Loss Angeles states that loss of family, loss of friends, loss of income, with fey/ knowing of or using medicare or other insunince, loss of mental

stimulation, loss of self-value, lack of opportunity to work, lack of companionship all lead to depression. Man; Asian/Pacific American women cannot speak the English language.' They canipot even, communicate with their own grandchildren, since the younger generation raised in the United States now speaks English and no longer speatks Japanese. Since the older women's knowledge of English is not adequate to corinnunicate, they do not seek institutional

care. Instead, they live alone.

True"'has analyzed data that show the trend of interracial marriage to be rising. A very high proportion of such marriages involve

Japanese women. Eighty percent of Asian/Pacific American women in the Seattle area are reported to be married to mcn outside of their

own ethnic group. The stress df interracial marriage affects a large proportion of this population. A study conducted by Weavcr" also shows that the rate of depression is very high among Filipinos because of itress in interracial marriages. Ailakn, few studies have focused on foo. this population to study the .effects of interracial marriage. Some predictions have been made 'on the outcome of such marriages. However, True_ _cautions that these predictions are not, based on

findings from methogologically souiid research. Neveitheless, they ) give an impression of the stress placed on thc Asian/Pacific Amen woman w.ho marries interracially. True reports that Fe!Igan a Fujitake" and Jacobs and Landau" have found that Asir/ *American woman who have married interracially are treated as

" Midori Inouye, presentation at Asian/Pacific omen's Health Day, April 1978. Reiko Homma-True, Ph.D., "Mental Health Issues Among Asian American Women" (paper presebted.at the Asian and Pacific Women's Conference, 'sponsored by the National Institute of Education, San Francisco, Calif., August 1976).

'" Weaver Ibid. .t

. . " Joe Feagin and N. Fujitaki"On ...---... I! Assimilation of Japanese-Americans," Anterasla Journk vol. I. no. 4, February 1912, pp. 3-.30.401

," Paul Jacotxs and Saul Ldau, 7" erw the Devil. Vol. 11: Colonials and Sofinarners to New York (Vintage Rook's, 1971):

156

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persona non grata by the Asian/Pacific American communities. BokLirn Kim" and Si!" report that the outcome of war bride Marriages

are "peashuiltic," with multiple sources of strain. Gordon" supports

this prediction and adds that successful adjustment of the offspring of

these marriage, appears to be equally negative. Disapproval of

interracial Marriages is very evident.

An evaluation of the Department of Labor's CETA, Title III,

projects for persons of limited-English-speaking ability" showed that

pexchological counseling is ver), much needed by Asian/Pacific

.-"nericans, many of whom are immigrants or refugees. The counselors

in these projects reported that there is a tremendous amount of

depression resulting from guilt. Asian/Pacific Americans feel guilty

for leaving tlieir h.wlands, guilty for being in the United States 14ile

faVies and frienW live under c9mmunist rule, guilty for being

perceived as traitors to th i ir cultural values and ethics, and depresSed

due to isolation and lac of the strong social networks that existed

before. They also experi nce depression because of a diminished selfconccpt sing from tkeir inability to obtain eniployment commens_w

zi

rate wit their prbfessional status. This is particularly important

S4 because Asian/Pacific Abierican mfilien have a liigh level of educetionalattainment, even higher than the national average for the United

States Yet, 58 percent of them work in the garment industry and in

clerical positions. In fact, Sue" hialyeported that the discrepancies

between irlucational levals and incomes are greater among

AsianiPacific American women than among any other minority group

, Or among all Americans as aVhble.

a

,A4 1970 study in Los Angeles" showed that the majority of Asian

yonth dying from drug overdose were women. It ha.s bcen hypothesized that this is due to alienation and isolation. The Asian2Women's

Center hags had 2 years' ejtperience in providing serviCes for the

women with drug abuse problems in the Asian/P,acific .American

communities. The major goals of the_prograin are: 1) pro(bn br

reduction of drug use througltinblic education, 2) rehabilitation

through fibunseling, 3) provision of ejnotional support through

community-based programs, and 4) development_ofe sisterhood

concept.

" Bok-Lim Om, "Casework with Japanese and Korean Wives of Americans," Social Casework vol.

53. 1972. PP, 273-79, . " Sil Kim (ed.) FindMss of National Inquiries on'Asian Women of U.S. Servicemen: Past-Consultation

Report (Tacoma, Wash., DPAA Press, April 1975).

I/4 Albert Gordon, Intermarriage: Interfaith. Interrocia4 IntrreMnk (hollow Beak Press. 1964).

" Tin Myaing Thein and lack Reynolds, Case Study No 7. Bilingual Vocational Curricula PLESA

Program fir Fermin WU/rated Bnglish-speaking Ability. U.S. Departmem of Labor, 1978. * " Stanley Sue, "Psychological Theory ind Implications for Asian Americans," The Prrsonnel and

Guidance Journa4 March 1977.

" 1970 Los Angeles County Coroner's Offlte Report

157

170 j
AS a result of the 2 years' experience, it has b('come clear that drug

( abuse is defined as a symptom or ranillication of greater problems faced by the Asian/Pacific American women. 'They face the unre- solved stresses of: I) being part- of an ethnic minority within a white majority society, 2) trying to find a positiy4 identity as a woman, given the limitations and restrictions imposed upon them both by the Asian

culture and by the American culture, and 8) trying to cope with the changing realities of both racism and sexism in the general society. Stie2i pointed out that Asian/Pacific Americans as a group suffer from "learned helplessness," and this may have .some impact on their mental health, as reported also by Seligman." Various writers have commented on die "learned helplessness of Asian/Pacific Americans." Man!, Asian/Pacific Americans_ lack feelings of control over life situatitThs and outcomes and exhibit passivity or apparent apathy or poor motivation because they believe they cannot control events. Belief in an external locus of control is common.

Sue kstates that Asian/Pacific Americans 410 not appear to have higher rates of mental illness than other groups, althouglr their mental health may be affected 'by learned helplessness. Other reSearchers (Kitano," Sue and McKinney," Sue and Sue)" also have found the rates of mental illness among Asian/Pacific Americans to lit no higher than rates for whites or other groups. Chen" shows that Chinese Americans also tend to be more "tolerant" toward pc rsons with moderately disturbed symptoms and to turn to parents and relatives as major sources of assistance. "this contributes to the erroneous

assumption that the Asian/Pacific American is a "model" minority and that if a few psychologically dysfunctional persons do wquire

intervention and therapy, it can be provided by their own community

support system. If Jahoda's definition of mental health is used, then Asian/Pacific Americans may have poorer mental health than whites and other groups. Jahoda's" definition of mental health, which has

been'the touchstone of the mental health mov7hent in ths,P1., is "to have positive self esteem, self actualization, autonomy, and environ- mental mastery." . Mental health problems are not limited to specific illness and

identified psychiatric disorders. They also include problems that result

" Sue_ Ibid.

" M. Sdigman, Helplessness: On Depression, Demiopment and Death (San Francisco: Freeman, 1975). " Harry Kitano, "Mental Illness in Four Cultures," Journal of Social Psychology, 60, 1970, pp. 121-34. " Stanley Sue and H. McKinney, "Asian Americans in the Community Mental Health Care SysteM," American Journal of Orthopsychiarry 45(1) 1975, pp. 111-18. " Stanley Sue apd.D.W. Sue, "Chinese-American Personality and Mental Health," in Asian- Americans Psychological Perspecows eds. S. Sue and N. Wagner (Palo Alto: Science and Behavior Books, 1971)

" P. Chen, "Cultural Conflict and Mental Illness: A Case Study of a Mentally 111 Chinese- American Patient (Fresno, California State UmVersity. June 1968). " M. Jahoda. Current Concepts of Positive Mental Health (New York: Basic Boctks, 1958).

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_,
from societal ills such as the experience of affenation or fear and the

depression and anger associated with ixwerty. They also include the

sense of lx)werlessness and frustration thai results from institutionalized discrimination and racism, as well as the psychological and

emotional stress resulting from physical, emotional, and sotial disability. In addition, problems which are a result of lifestyle, value system,

language, and thought processes can produce a negative effect on the

mental state of the person. Problem-causing factors identified by

Asian/Pacific American mental health professionals are: 1) racism, 2)

underemployment and unemployment, 3) maladjustment and stress

physical and cultural, and 6) psychological isolation and alienation.

The results df discrimination, sex roles, and race stereotyping have

taken a toll on Asian/Pacific American women. Stereotyping of these

women is one of the major factors affecting the well-being of

Asian/Pacific Americans. Mass media has portrayed Asian/Pacific

Americans, especially women, in negative rolessubmissive, passive,

docile, and devoted.

II. Service Delivery

In terms of service delivery, similar kinds of statements can be made

as were made about health status. Few studies have been conducted on

Asian/Pacific American women's use of public health servces. But,

among Asian communities, utilization rates are very low, according to

the reports that are available.

Dr. Kong Mook Lee" of the Korean American Het lth

Service Center in Los Angeles, conducted a study among Pacific

American professionals. Ninety-eight professionals were interviewed.

--t- The study showed that 42 percent of the Pacific Americans sought

help from other Pacific Americans regarding their mental health

needs. Over half .of the professidbals felt that existing services wve

inappropriate for their clients because of thei,abrnce of bilingual

and/or bicultural personnel. Over three-fourths felt -that their clients'

lack of proficiency in English was, for many, an obstacle to their

seeking mental health services.

In terms of hospitalization, Asian/Pacific 4.mericans tend to be

hospitalized longer and more disturbed during hospitalization Nut

Caucasian patients. Campbell and Chang" believe that there are many

problems for the kospitalized Chinese, including lack of ethnic food,

interpreters, and numerdus cultural taboos against hospitals. Even so,

there are indications that the population in need of health dare or

' California Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. A Dream Unfulfilled:

Korean and Filipino Ikalth Pmfessionals in Cal(fornia (14ay 1975).

" Teresa Campbell and Retty Chang, "Health Care of the Chinese in America," Nursing Outlook.

May 3,1973, pp. 245-49. No 4 17e) 159
hospitalization is large. Admission rates of Chine sc to hospitals in California were higher than the rate for the general po ulation. True" states that the utilization rate of most outpatient agencies by Asian/Pacific American women is higher than the rate for men, with the degree.of difference statistically significant. The rate for inpatient service indicates the reversal of this pattern, with Asian/Pacific American men using services at a much higher rate. True compared

these rates to the rates for American women in general and found a similarity in the outpatient rate; the inpatient rate among American women as a whole has been found also to be higher than the rate for men (Chesler" and Govet el al "). True feels that the explanation lies in the area of stress that women face. She cites the critical factors as they appear in the data of two agencies: immigrant status, poverty level, economic status, married women between the ages of 19-45 with

children, limited-English-speaking ability, and burdens of family problems.

When Asian/Pacific American women use health services for child

delivery, service providers have found that few of them have had any prenatal care, a necessity for goodpealth and a safe delivery. Christine Hsu" of Los Angeles hypothesizes that this may be due to cultural

factors which encourage the pregnant woman to take care of herself during pregnancy. Less value is placed on women's health status than on inen's because of the subordinate role played by the women. Therefore, the women tend to seqk careiluring delivery for the sake of the child, but look after themse es during pregnancy., Canta Pian"

emergenci and not as a preventive measure. Miya lwatak. suggests

states that Asian/Pacific American wOmen use health only in

es

that other cultural factors act as harriers to seeking and, obtaining, health care. One of these is.modesty. Another is having to ideal with

white, male physicians who are perceived is members of the higher economic class; culturally, this causes women to avoid seeing male

lphysicians. InstitUtionrism is another factor, For example, many

libalth education and iniiiTmation materials exist, but they have not

been translated, and health providers do not understand the culture or

cannot communicate with Asian/Pacific Americans.

Another factor which serves as a barrier to obtaining health care is the culture of poverty. Sin9e a large proportion of Asian/Pacific prerican women grew up in the culture of poverty, many practices of

" True, Ibid. " yllisChesler, Woman or Madness (Niw 'York, Avon BoOks, 1912). alter Oove and Jeanette Tudor, "Adult Sok Roles and Mental Meats" in Joan Huber (ed.) ChJtging Women in a Chaqing Society (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973). " C ristine Hsu, verbal report at Asian/Pacific Women's Health Day, April 1978. " CiIita Plan, "Asian Pacific American Women's Health Concerns" (preseniA to Women and Health Roundtable. September 1978).

" Miya lwataki, presentation at Asian Pacific Women*); Health Day, April 1978.

160

1;

A.J
A'

this culture still prevail; for example, they will not see a doctor unless a

crisis emerges because they cannot afford it. This attitude still exists

today.

California Stitte Senator James Mills" addressing the Human Care

Services Conference held in San Diego in 1978, cited a study

commissioned by the Lieutenant Governorpf Cipifornia. h indicated

that 35 percent of the present State population is nonwhite, and this

population will increase to More than 50 percent of the State's

population by the 1990 census, it is logical to predict that the new,

nonwhite majority Will expect services like those obtained by whites

today. Mills agreed that there is a need for mulfilingual services for the

more recent immigrants to California, e.g., Chinese, Cambodians, and

others. A United Pacific Asian Committee report" on service delivery

stated that human care services were designed according to Western

values and lifestyles, and that dietary differences and site locations for

service delivery were factors leading to underutilization of health

services by the Pan Asian communiz:

k

,

lib Asian/Pacific American Women as Health Ser.

vice Providers ......;"

The htalih service delivery system is affected by thelype of people

working within the system. Professional boards havt served as barriers

in keeping the foreign-educated professionals from rtrapating in ME"

pr fessional communities. Chin" found that Korn and .Filipino

dctors, dentists, pharmacists, ana nurses are barred from licensing

through a variety of means.

The problems caused by this barrier created by th licensing board§

affects not only the foreigikeducated rofessio als but also the

communities that they could be serving. Without the thnic makeup or

f they sex makeup o health professionals neede to relate to

Asian/Pacific Americ patients, the health care and nedical services

within minority communities will continue to be hnde3iti1ized because

of thie' underemployment of these Asian/Pacific-trained professionals

within the health community,

The argument that medical boards have iong .used to keep Ve

foreign born from practicing their professions in the United States is

that Finality of service will be lowered because of the varying

standards used abroad to measure foreign graduates, with the danger

that Ipensing fort* graduates here will lead to a lower guilty of

, ,.. health Cara overall. This argument does not take into account t e fact ,

" The Ant Asian Bulktin (UPAC. ly 1978).

Ib141%

6* Laura Chin, A Dream UnfnUllled. Korean and FilOino Health Professionals in Calyornia (May

1975). California Advisory Committnkto U.k. Commissir od Civil Rights.

1)

161
that these foreign-educated peofessionals have much to offer in ternis

of experience and can relate well to people in minority communities. It

does not take into account that the U.S. is currently experiencing a

shortage of medically trained personnel. With the rising cost of medical educaiion and the years of training and experience required in

all countries, the foreign-educated professionals represent unused skills and an unaccountable dollar investment in education, training, and

experience. The irony for Asian/Pacific Americans is that,this group

is, in general, not seeking care from majority-group physicians. It

appears that foreign-educated health professionals are viewed as

coMpetitors by the health professions. There is a growing belief among

Asian/PaCific -Arnerican women that many of the arguments used to keep them out are, in fact, used to protect the vested interest of

- Caucasian male health professionals.

Recoil iendations that were made by the California Advisory Committ to the United States Commission on Civil Rights"

included:

The Advisory Conimittee recommends that Stale licensure

boards review Their stndards to see that qualified praessionals are

not screened out.

The Advisory Committee also recommends that the licensure

boards endorse and actively siipport training programs for foreigneducated 'doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and others in the

kinedically vltd professions. - , The Ad isolly Committee recommends that medical health

schyls which have indicated a willingness to assist in seeking

solutions to the issues of education, and quality piedical service design programs in conjunction with foreign-educated professional

associations and apply for training funds such as are now authorized

under the specia,1 projects program of the Comprehensive Health Manpower Training Act. . The Advisory Committee recommends that the State legislatures, licensing boards, and professional bodies work together to

develop medical job classificatiOns and estiblish guidelines and

procedures which would enable foreign graduates to practice their

professions on a limited basis while preparing for examinations.

The Adyisory Committee recommends that the board of

pharMacy refissqs its policy toward foreign-educiated pharmacists.

The Advisory Committee further recommends that the State

legislarure amend the Business and Professional Code ir that the

implementation oT Section 4089.5 is not left to the discretion of the

board of pharmacy.

46 California Advisory Committee to the U.S.'tominission oriCivil Right*. Asain American and Pacific Pe01,1, A care of Mistaken Identity (Fehrttary 1975).

162

7 5

.10

-"
Asian/Pacific American wown are denied equal pay, equal status,

and equal representation in decisionmaking positions in health and

health-related fields, even though many have been adequately trained

to hold these pations. In 1970 the(National Review " showed that

women of all races constituted only f percent of the dcatigi,Apercent

of the physicians, 12 percent ofit; pharmacists, but '97,rrcent of

registered nurses. Few Asian/Pacific American women are'lepresented in these occupations except perhaps as nursesTNese problems and

others have been discussed at the,Conference on Pacific and Asian

American Families and HEW-related issues held in April 1978 in

Virginia. At the conference, the health task group" found three

critical areas of concern for Asian/Pacific American families: 1) the

need to develop additional health resources to serve the presently

underserved, 2) the necessity to expand the health education prpgrams

to alert the communities to the risks of hypertension and ,stibstance

abuse and to provide information on ways of gaining access to the

established health care delivery system, and 3) the need for research on

psychological and emotional problems and possible remedies on

ethnocultund diseases of wecific communities or cohorts (such as

hyperuremia among Filipinos and increased rates of breast cancer

among all Asian/PaCific American wopen) and on ways of disaggregating health statistics so that a clearer picture is available of cun-ent

morbidity and mortality.

The report of the President's Commission on Mental Health made

similar recommendations in its-subcommittee on special populations

which are contained in volume III," These were: 1) s

health programs for. Indochinese refugees, 2) suppoçClor a bill

sponsored by Senaior Daniel Inouye to create a division of minority

mental/health programs in NIMH, 3) support for Asian/Pacific

Amenko miilfiditsciplinary regional mental health training centers, 4)

bilingual-bicultural mental health paraprofessionals and professionals

in pervice settings, 5) support for innovative and culturally relevant

treatment technOues and commupity support systems to help peoPle in

need, 6) speci#1 attention to gibups such as the developmentally

disabled wives of American servicemen and other immigrants, 7)

immediate followup on recommendations of the workshop, and 8)

appointment of appippriate Asian/Pacific Americans to the board of

directors of the Public Committee for Mental Health, Inc.; a privately

" Maryland Y. Penibi and Joliephine E. Renshaw, "Distribution of Women Physicians, 1970."

borstal qf the Amçrkan Medical WomeaS Association. 27 April 1972.

41 Div American, Affairs and National Institute of Education, HEW Summary and

Rvcvmnjndatjoi,, Conference on Pacilk and Asian American Families and HRW-Related lissies (May

1978).

eltepoet of the Presidents Commission on Mrtal Health: Sukomrnittee on Special Fttpulation vol.

-111,1978.

. 163

a
endowed public committee focusing on promoting th1l monitorial;

implementation of the report's recommendations.

What is obviously needed is an accurate assessment of the health

needs and problems of Asian/Pacific American women. They need

adequate health care and education services and projects, bilingual and

bicultural staff in health facilities and outreach programs, along with

the promotion of the attitude that health care is a human right.

Afternoon Session, May 1979

Immigration Issaes

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. I'll ask the consultation to Conte IO Order.

Thp beginning of the afternoon session we're going to take a look at

immigration issues. And I'm asking the Vice Chairman of the

Commission, Commissioner Horn, to preside during this part of our discussion.

Commissioner Horn.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank iou.

The first speaker will discuss refugee policy and impact, and it's Mr. Pho Ba Long, who is the senior research associate of the National

Indochinpe Refugee Clearinghouse Center for Applied Statistics, in Arlington, Virginia.

Mr. Long?

Presentation of Pho Ba Long, Senior Research Associate,

National IndoChinese Refugee Clearinghouse, Center for Applied Linguittics, Arlington, Virginia

MR. LONG. Thank you, sir.

I would like to pke just a small correction, I belong to the Center

for Applied Ling stics.

Thank you, Mr Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to speak out here, since I am refugee myself, to talk about refugee policy and

impact.

I would like to very -quickly outline the policies and the pronouncements of various members oFCongress and the government so that we have a background of horrefugee policy has impacted on our reftigee population. 4 '

Now, in his proclamation of the Asian American- Heritage Week

released March 2, 1979, President Carter mentioned his poli9y to,' I quote, "Welcome the newest Asian American to oqr shores, refugees

from Indochina displaced by political and social upheavals."

I t /77
a

Also, as early as October, 1977, when he signed the House

Resolution 7769 into law, extending the Indochinese refugee assistance

program, the President said:

I4oubt if any other group of refUgees in my lifetime have been so

devastated by war than those from Vietnam and Laos, Cambodia.

This bill from the house, number 7769, acknowledges our

gratitude and also our debt, also our commitment to a better life

for the refugees.

This has been printed in the Federal Register, October 28, '77 page

1,672. And recently in a memorandum dated : 28 February '79,

addressed to the 12 Federal agencies involved in refugee affairts, Mr.

Carter announced the nomination of Senator Dick Clark of Iowa as

Amerioan Ambassador-at-Large and U.S. coordinator for refugee

affairs and the establishment of a ncw Interaiency Committee on

Refugee Affairs.

In this memorand4m Mr. Carter stressed:

This administration attaches great importance to an effective

refugee policies and program; I want to reaffirm my intetest Jn

having domestic and internatibnal,reftlgee immigration policies

and programs fully coordinated, so that the U.S. and other

members of the international community provide prompt, equitable and effective humanitarian refugee assistance.

Such was the position of the administradon.

In Congress, the introduction of the Reftigee .Act of 1979 is being

hailed as the most compiehensive and progressive piece of iegislation

in this country of immigrants and.arefugees. Yet ke his opening

statement at the Senate Judiciary hearing on the samelegislation on

March 14, Senator Kennedy had this to say:

fc

For too long our policy toward refugee amistance had been ad

hoc, with reftigees beings admitted in fits and starts, and after long

delays and iireat human suffering because our existina immigration law is inadequate, discrimiirtory and 'totally out of touch

with today's needs.

Adding to this, coming back to the proclatation . of the Asian

Ameriman Ikritage, Week, the Pretident said in his proclamation:

"Until recently our immigration and naturalization'jp discriminated

against them," meaning the Asian Americans, `'iey's were also

subjected to discrimination in housing, education and enAployment."

While the other members of ourpanel here will 0rtiiiiisiddress the

issues of civil rights on immigration status, education and health care,

housing and employment, I wish to address the burning issue of family

redifffication for ourindo.chinese refligees.

165
44

It is now established that one of the reasons for the so-called "boat

people" to risk their lives is perhaps the dAre to be reunited with their

families. Husbands with wives, children with parents, those who have

begn separated due to the precipitous American withdrawal and the

_acute flights in April 1975.

According to i report frOm Dr. Liu of the Asian American Mental

Health Research Center in Chicagoh 85 percent of the 130,000

Indochinese refugees adMitted into this country in 1975 had no more

than 2 ho'urs to 2 days to leave their home and coUntry at that time.`e

Then, on the other band, the separated family members who are now

more or less resettles:kin this country begin to realize the suffering and

hardship of those left behind; many are Working.at three jo)ba in order

to be able to send- money home, either to support their faMilies or to

buy their way out.

The re4ilt is an unsettled state of mind characterized by strains and

stres, guilt and fear affecting their mental and physical well-being,

seriously diyupting thipir (raining and -employment activities. Regarding this state opmind, I wguld like to refer to a recent communication

from the Philadelpyi-Child Guidan''ce- Center which says that this is particularly true of the Indochinese whose culture is strongly family

_oriented.

While it is true that current immigration policy allows high priority ~for refugees is Southeast Asia camps to be reunited to their close,. relatives in the little-or nothing is being done by this administration,. to protect the civil rights and even the human rights of our

residents by having 'their families reunited through official channels.

Reacting to a statement by Mr. Dale de Haan, United Natious:High

Commissioner for Refugees, that Vietnam has,Aireed..to allow the

Vietnamese' tb imaigrate to join their family' mabers,whO alrea4-

have fled to this country,.the State Department issuedieuptide-utint ; all persons interested in family reunification with Indochinese lel*

tiiVes, I quote, "to keep-in mind that under wirmaFcircurtances, U.S. e 1(4 permits wily certain kindspof -4 relatives, to immigraa to the U.S." - It went on the state that, again I quote, ,"If you are in the U5. on

refugee or parole status, you may not file a petit,ion for your relatives.

You may, howevert apply for adjustment of status when you 'have

been in the U.S. for 2 years and for citizenship' after 5 years.:'

This notices instead of assisting the refugees to seeV regular' ^ chiinnels, had the optiosite effect of pointing to them the bar is oethe

law and indirectly inviting them to advise their relatives' that tbe anly

way left for them was tb take the boats into the open seas. kid,yet, this great country had not been withont the experienee df.

greatness aqd generosity in the application of human rights and civil righti'for the refugees'toits shore. .. 166

1 71

h

41
4 -

On September 28, 1965, Fidel Castro unexpectedly announced that

e effective immediately Cuban citizens who desired to join their families

in the United Stales or others who wished to live in the United Statec'

would be permitted to leave Cuba.

President Lyndon Johnson, taking the challenge VII speech

delivered at the Statue of Liberty on October 3, 1965, declared that the

people of Cuba who seek refuge here will find if. The following day,

negotiations were begun, through the Swiss EmbaS:5y, which represents the United States Government in Cuba, with the Cuban

t. authorities for an orderly exodus of the refugees to the United States.

. . Conseqdently, a memorandmin of understanding was signed between

the two governments4 Cuba and the Unite4rStates, through the Swiss

Emblissy, even thoush, normalization of relations had not taken 'place.

I would quickly end by stressing that,It is our belief that the U.S. hag

.partictilar role of leadership in finding international solutions to the

ndOchinest refugee firkiblems, and it is also our hope that the

j. ,.,istration will, accept this responsibility by carrying Out forcibly

* t ed policrof the Presidenvand of the CongresS, tO protect the

II rights of its residents and the civil rights of its dtizens, to deal

'directly with the governments coadEned instead of leaving it entirely

le' in the hands of the' United,Nations High Commissioneefor Refugees!

Thank you.

VICE CHAIRMAN How* Thank you very intkh.

Our second spbakef will be EnriClue Delacruz, the OrtWect director

of the Indo-chineie reftgee, prop-in the Pacific Asian aisortium in

Employment. 't Nr' ..

' Mr. Delacruz? .

,

,,.,

..

.,

,. , k * -Amt

Prisentatioq" -of Dr. knrIque DeJ$2uz, Aitistant "Dliector, Pa-

" cific Allan Consortium in Employment, Los AnOles,

P. California

DR DELACRUZ. Thank you:

. Perhaps I should mentioil befole I proceed, that the concerns that I

am going to express today- do_not only represent the concerna of

myself and the agency"! work for, the Pacific Akian-Ckisortium in

il-.4st Employment, but also represent the concerns_ of the, Asian'communi-

. ties in te _Los tArigeles areas, specifically the Asian/Pacific Planninf

Councirof Los Angeles.

The west coast States, particularly_ California, have demonstrated a

particula attraction for refugees displaced as a result of the turmoil in

Indochint The access Ki familiar foods, the high percentage of ethnic

. Chinese ong the refugee population, and the large concentration of

existini Asian communities ip the area, in .addition' perhaps to the . °,

.167

t..
milder weather of the region arc am-ong the chief reasahs why west

coast cities ndw have the largest concentration of refugees,

'Perhaps it is also fbr these reasons that tkie initial plan of the State

Department to resettle refugees all over the country, 'evenly, so to

speak, has kiuietly failed. Individuals and whole families of refugees, as

they begin ti5 get- their bearings, are taking it upon themselves to

resettle withiniand around geographic areas with large concentrations

of Asian and Pacific Islinders.

As one may well imagine, the problems confrontkig such a

population still suffering under the trauma of a 20-year 'war, now

uprooted from their historical, social, and iscrITRYttlical roots and

virkua4 transferred wholesale intb a country-"With radically difference

\socioeconomic systems and values, are enormous and complex.

Rather high among the list of concerns of the Asian/Pacific

communities is the lack bf a well-coordinated policy on refugees. wetome the news that there is now in the process an attempt to

sub. it beforetgress and other policymaking bodies more comprehensive proposals. - However, we are vibsy concersed for while it is now 4 years since

the initial massive influx of Inlochinese into American soil, the

Federal Government still appears to be floundering about without a

conskstent and well-coordinated national policy for refugee resettlement.

This, today, is rather blatariiy illustrated by the fact that curre*

special projects for refugees, prêently. coordinated by the Department

of Health, Education, and Welfa e, are on a phasedown schedule. The

allocation for special projects this ytar is 25 percent last year's allocation.

Yet seemingly oblivious to this, PresidAt Carter has authorized for

this year, the admission of an additional 50,000 refugees from camps in

Southeast Asia, bringing up the total number of Asian refugees in

American soil to sorhething like 2 mow . I also understand /hat the administration is considering the admission of 120,000 more for the year 1980. We cerainly Support this

commitment, thiS humanitarian gesture. ,We fully endorse this action by the Pres nt. 'But we would Hie to see some substance .c

behind it.

The seriogsness of The' ttuatiog and the need for immatte action is

exemplifed by the fact that, although we're already ne g the end of 4:the fiscal year, there uapkars to be no decision yet op the part of Congress ol the administration on whether to continue fuRding these

special projects beyond-this fiscal year.

1.° 'The vitiolesale resettlement of 4 people in a couptry

socioeconomic systems dtr radically from their origih is long,

168
.,)

L difficult, and protracted process. In pur highif technological society,

overnight we can transfer a forest frail Oregon to southern California,

but we cannot force these trees to grow roots overnight.. The Same

applies for the refugeea."Needed aye both short term programs and

assistence that address the immediate survival needs, and then longer

term and medium term programs that will monitor and provide

assistance to the reftigees in their struggle for economic self-sufficiency.

A comprehensive reception/settlement syatem and policy needs to

be determined and refined now. The need is for an integrated and

highlyv coordjnated. process for receiving, reorienting, resettl4g,

training and j4b plecing this highly vulnerable population.

appoihtment of Ambassador Clark, again I should say, is a step

in RN direction, but a person alone cannot do it, and a system has to be

putrin place right behind it.

Currently, refugee subjects and affairs are administered from

different governmental agencies. The Department of State oversees

the initial reception and orientation of reftirees, while the Department

of HEW oversees social service delivery and special programs. It is

often the case when we have two distinct administration bodies that

the left hand, so to speak, does not know what the right hand is doing.

So there is dupliciicion, lack of coordination, and waste.

Another concern stems from the question of how can we best assist

the refugemattain economic self-sufficiency? We feel that helpingthe

reftigees achieve economic self-suffidiency is the "lynchVn" to

successffil resettlement in American soil.

In the re_ftigee communities, we already have, a wealth of human

resourcesat need to be retrained and redirect4d in order to be

adapted to America society. Among the Indochinese we have

doctors, nurses, engineers, architects, technicians, service workers,

etc., whbee background and 'experience is largely unused and wasted.

Part of the problem here stems from restrktive licenser* regulations

and revalidsition procedures that often do not recognized foreign

'training and.background.

In some fields, for example, foreign-trained and experienced professionals are required to take a series of qualifying examinations whielk,,

are often discriininatory in effect, before they can even be allowea Ter

take thfUl1 blown licensing examination. .

, In C1lfornia this is true of the medical prpfessiorials; thicis UNE of

architects artd Other professions. Whie we certainly recognize the

responeibility of the varioui professional licensing boards-to allow only

thow who are (pm tent to practice 'the professions, these practices

and Procedures to be reexamined and evaluated so that they do

not become excl onary and Viscriminatory in effect and function:

1 8 9Aso

169
The extent of this problem is not limited to licensed occupations and

professions. Certain areas of the industry suffer from exclusionary

regulations, too, as part of standard policies. In Los Angeles, for

example, a large employer is the aerospace industry. Put practically

tithe whole refugee population is excludedfrom jobs within this

industry for the very simple reason that much of this industry are also

defense subcontractors and they are expressly forbidden from hiring

anybody other than a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.

I believe the refugees are qualified and there is noW in process

where they may change this status from parolee to immigrant or

permanent resident, but that process is long and protracted.

What we need is a *icy statement from the Defense Department

or otherwise which will allpw refugees to apply and compete for those

jobs in the aerospace industiry that they're qualified for._

(fiver& ll, for the Indochinese, there is a need to aevelop, retraining

programs, expand training and job placement programs that enable the.

experienced, the skilled, and the professional among them to eventualpractice and contribute via their chosen professioA and skills. All

this is imperative when one considers the magnitude of the socioeconomic needs that now exist amongst the Indochinese.

The capital investment in human terms that these communities have

alrea4 made, which the/ have brought with them from Indochina,

shoula not be wasted. RAher we should consider this now as part of

the -human resource that exist in our society. Let us not waste them.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much, Mr. Delacruz.

Our next participant will be Janice Wong, director of the Indochinese Health and FAucation Project in San Diego, California.

Mr. Wong? 1

Presentation of Janiee Wong, Director, Indochinese Community Health and Education Project, San Diego, California

'MR. WONG. Thank you.

I'd like to thank the Commission and the COmmission ,staff for

inviting mGhere today. ro

First of all, I'd like'to say that im not tndochinese and I'm not a

refugee, and I feel that if we' had a successful reseltlemen(program,

there would .be more Indochinese here speaking to you right no*.

There are, as Enrique said, 200,000 or so Indochinese refugees in this

country. One-tliijI of them are in California, and there's another

250,000' in ca in Southeast Asia, all of them are awaiting

resettlement. And I think the figure jsK. about 7,000 per month are

coming in to the Upited States and being rt-settled throughoUr the

country.

170

.r

ort.
The Indochinese are not one group and they don't speak a language

called Indochinese; there's five distinct, separate ethnic groups or

more; Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, M'hong, and Chinese Vietnamese, each rith their own language and their own culture.

I'm going to be concentrating mainly on mental health, and just

touch upon health issues. The definition of mental health I'm going to

bc usin4ra nonchnical one; it's a-social systems definition, and again,

as Yen- 'ffei Wong says, you have to have a brief historical understanding of the situation before you can come to grips with the realization

now.

During 35 or more year war in Southeast Asia the Indochinese

people were involved in a great migration starting in 1934, from North

Vietam to South Vietnam; over 1 million people moved to South

Vietnam. And there was a great migration ffom the rural areas which

were free fire zones to the cities. And finally, in 1975, and even up to

this day, there is still a great migration of Indochinese baasellzAfrom

Southeast Asia to Western countries.

Asians love their homeland and Indochinese do especiallyand

their families. How can they come hdte, 4onie people haye asked; why

do they come here, some people have.asked? Well, rd like to say that

people don't really\understand the defini on between immigrant and

refugee. Immigrants come here prepared come, they're psychologi-'

cally.prepared, but refugiFs come, here dim the spur of the moment, as

Pho Ba Long said,.some hltd onlyl houri to come here, so you have a

difference of preparation which results in unresolved guilt about

leaving your family, unfinished termination of ithportant family

relationships, and tkat, you know, results in a lack of confidence and

coping skills when they get here, because they have to leave in'siich a

hurry thcy couldn't understand why they couldn't prep4 beforehand,

befOre they left.

Concep s in mental health and healtht There is no mach thing as ,"

mental h th Or Osychology in Asia toaay. Psychology is a Western

concept, based on the Western man's focus on himself and on the

individual. Indochinese have a system approach where they believe

they're part of the universe of the nature, they're part of a whole.

This subtle distinction lends iilself to, health and mental health issues

in this country. For the Indochinese, there were no doctors who

. focused on the individual, to try to get the individual Fit) become more

self-aware, to be verbal, ..to empfess their feelings and their problems.

This concept of menth health is very Western; some people say it's

Austrian, Jewish Austrian, ,stemming from Sigmund Freud. For the

Indochinese there's eitheryou're either normal o. Y uK absolutely

crazy. So there's no such thing as mental health; the_ ,:. o distinctions

in the middle. . 171

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So, in terms of health systems delivery, we have the tradititinal

problems which I'm sure all of you have4~d so much you could

recite them to me: language, lack of bilingual workers, and services

which are inappropriate or alien to the Indochinese, therefore making

them reluctant to use these services.

"They are the newest group of they are the refugees, not

immigrants, and they have a great amount of need, yet they aren't

being really served.

Existing minority gr just begiiMing to get their services and

their rights. In C ornia, w ere there's a great deal of Spanishspeaking people, ou're begii mg to see bilingual--Spanish-English

signs in hospitals nd in votin polls, etc., etc.

In Chinatown San Francisco, you see outreach preventivp mental

health programs with bilingual workers. So someof the minorities are

getting their services. But the Indochinese, since they're NON here,

.they haven't gotten any really, so to speak. For example, there's a

hospital in San Diego, University Hospital, and they have a caseload,

of around 200 Indochinese. They've bern servi4 Indochinese for 3

years now; they have yet to hire one Indochinese health worker,

health prOfessinal, and don't say there aren't any because as Pho Ba

Long and Enrique said, there are a lot otqualified refugees who came

from Vietnam. Another example, the public health example, is that TB

is a very common disease in ledochina, and people' accepted: it, and

sometimes it went untreated. Yet when they come here the public

health service is extremely worried about the problem of communicable disease. So we didn't really have a program to followup on the TB

cases in the United Statq: in San Diego until recently, when an

Indochinese social service program decided to cooperate with the

public health service.

Before then, the public health service said, "Well, if they don't come

to use, there's nothing we can do about it."

Current services and problems. The Federal Government provides

for the basic survival needs, the very blisics: food, hous*, employment, and training. There arerno health, social resettlement or cultural

programs for the Indochinfte. Just recotly, this year they've had

sonic mental health projects. 'these projects are 1 yeiy based, and

they're just taimpact the local systems. They have had no-secondary

level type programs at all; some refugees have been here for 3 or 4

years and they'rsotill depending on government aid and services.

That's totally opfiosed to the resettlement concept which is

supposed to Make them independent after a few years. There are lower

levels of education for the incoming new refugees, many of them conie

from rural Areas and they have low levels of education; some are

illiterate in their own language.

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Money for current programs is very minimal, and as Enrique said,

it's being diminished year after year. And the programs really have

somereally marginal effects. The mental health projects, which I'm

involved with, are supposed to impact a local system into being able 4.

serve refugees.

Now, I ask you, how can Mild be done in I year? Now, you have a

mental health system that doesn't even serve Minorities, let alone

refugees; .how can you do that in one year? This is what the Federal

Government 'expects.

There's an attitude which I'd like to really address, that I think a lot

of Americans have, especially those in Federal Government, and

Ambassador Diek Clark, whom I think is very knowledgeable, he's

only been on the job 3 months, expressed this attitude yesterday at the

St 41e Department.

I asked him the question of the current refugee program having a 2-

year limitation on services frost date.of entrY, which mei& a refugee

iIt no longer be eligible for federally. funded or subsidized services

after 2 years. I said, "How can you do that?" You have a refugee.

family of 10 or tl or 12 from the mbuntains of Laos, 'and the head of

household is illiterate; you have a lOt of children in the family. How

can you expect them to be resettled in 2 years? It will pr bably take

them 2 years just to get adjusted and it will take them 10 yel s to learn

English.

AmbasSador Clark's responSe, which I'm sure all of you hav heard

before, was, "It'S budgetary."

The second issue was there'e no mention of mental health in

refugee bill. Ambassador Clark's response to that was, we expect loc

systems to take care of refugees, knd you and I as well as everyon

here know that mental health systems, local systems have

taking care of minorities ever since I tan remember.

I asked him a question, about dispersal of refugees an over the

country in places like Idaho, Wyoming, _Arizona, New Mexico. He

said we have no control over that. We send them where the sponsors

are. - The issue with dispersal is not so much it's bad to send them all over

the State/in facteit sort of,. you know:makes it easier for some States

because Ihierb aren t so mdny th the State, but they get unfair ,

'treatment, -unequal treatmeni'in the other States, then that's what I

consider a violation of their civil rights..

FOr instance, in Albuquerque, Nevi Mexico, there are approximately

.1,000 refugees; they do not have one federally funded program except

for the mental health program which just cametinto being, and that's a

_distinct difference when you take a place like California, like Sall

1 173

. _,-

4.4.

,41
k.

As('

Diego, winch has about eight fedel ally subsidized progr ams, so that

definitely is unequal trea\iment.

Again, my suggestioni are at least a 10-year resettlemept program

and federallyGoveniment encoaraging affirmative action in hiring bilingual workers. And to answer your question about how you're

going to get so many different language people, I think that all public

systems and private, nonprofit agencies should consider hiring Asians,

not just government agencies.

And to finish, I'd like to ask you all to close your eyes and to

imagine, if rur country were at- war, and you lost your homeland,

imagine running away from shelling, boarding ships and helicopters to

safety, a safety that wai thousands of miles away and imagine being

resettled in the momPains of Laos among the krhong refugees. Can

you imagide the jess, the anguish and guilt about leavinA your home,

the great task of res itlement in a jungle, and , what would you do 'if

,.. you ad no counselors, nb social workers, no psychologistS, and ydu r

don' even have an extended family to help yoU as thr natives do.

Could you resettle? How long would it take you? i

Thank you. '- VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much.

Our next speaker is a winner, I note with interest, of the Arthur

Flemming Award for Public Service. She came to prominence as

director of the Presidenes,.interagency task force on Indochinese

'refugees, and is now a consulta ce affairs to the Department

of State.lvis. Julia Taft is pro ct directo f the Indochinese Refugee

Resettlement Project for the New T anscentury Foundation in

Washington, D.C. Ms. Taft?

Presentation of Julia Vadaia Taft, Project Director, Refugee Resettlement Study, New TransCentury Foundation, Washington, D.C.

MS.._ TAM'. Thank you very much.

I'm going to modify some of my prepared remarks, so we can relate

to some of the very helpful discussion that has gone before. What I

want to spend a few minutes on initially is the concept of the parole

status which I think is one of the basic problems that refugees have in

trying to effectively resettle in this country.

Refugees, as you may know, are admitted under two provisions of

law, either as conditional entrants or as parolees. The conditional

entrants' are provide4 for under the seventh preference of the

Immigration and NatUralization Act, and a limited in number to

abbut 17,400 annually.

Specifically, the law states that they must be refugees who have a

well-founded fear of persecution based on political, racial, or religious

,174

1 s
beliefs, who are outside their country of natiomility, and are unable to

return' to their county of origin because of that fear of persecution.

Additiónally, they must be from a communist or a communistdominated country pr from a country in the Middle East. Of the total

number of CE's, asi they are calp, 7,200 may come from the Western

Hemisphere.

'There is another mechanism that is used to admit refugees which, in

the case of the Indochinese, is the method that was used. The

mechanism is through the parole authority which is vested in the

Attorney General.

The Attorney General is allowed to admit any alien temporarily, for

emergent reasons or for reasons being strictly in the public interest.

There are no numerical limitations on that parole authority.

Although the intent of thro provision of law was basically for

ha,ndling individual cases, since 195,6 it has been the princip chicle

through which the Federal Government has been able to re dtto

large scale movements on it humanitarian basis. Specifically, it started

with the Hungarians; the Cubans came in under group parole; the

ligoviet refugees Iio are still coming; the Ugandans and the Indochinese, all have been dmitted primarily through the pargle authority.

Nefther the con itional entry gor the parole status confers any

permanent residence for the refugee, in fact, technically, the parolee,

since he is admitted temporarily, is in somewhat of a legal limbo,

because he is not, formally admitted to the country and, thus,

technically.could be deported at any time.

c In practice, however, virtually no parolee in the history of JB_S_has

ever been subject to the..0pujsion process. However, it still creates a

mental health problem for miiay refugees who thing that they have

come here and they are being acc ted here, yet they're not really part

of the new society in this parole st

t

us.

Typically, refugees Must wait n'rears before applying for permanent

residency and must come under the INS numerical limitations bf their

country ofi rigin. But Air the Indochinese, fortunately, a special bill

was passe4which was mentioned earlier, which allows "for the

adjustment of status without regard to -numerical) limitations after the

reftwees have been in this country for 2 years. . There is mull evidence to show thlit the parole status has many

negative effects on the refugee who is' seeking to resettle in this

country. There is confusion between the parole status of a refugee and

what so many of us are more &year with, the term parolee 4vhich

relates to a former criminat. Many peopledon't understand that INS

terminology, and I think it has a negative lfhpact in the perception

some uninformed people Tight have in telating to refugees. . 1 ii. , 14 175

7.

4
Also, employers are very hesitant to hire a person withoutii green

card which is issued to people who are admitted permanently,

although, 85 you know, refugees are entitled and encouraged IN work.

ln ,ad tion, several States refuse to grant i?,-State tuition statils for

refuge residing in their State who want to attend institutions of

higher ducittioa, because they contend that these are not permanent ,

resi Is, therell re, theY are not residents of the State.

As Pho Ba ong has pointed out, there are limitations in the

petitions of fa reunification for° people who are in a parole status.

Additionally, as Wasvointed 44 earlier, certain States restrict refugees

from becoming licensed in in professions.

I am going to go thronsh these because I think you will be struck by

the large number ef significant categories of professions that really arc

accessible in this country only to citizens on permanent resident aliens.

They include accountants, architects, attorneys, barbers, chiropractors, cosmetologists, dentists, dental hygienists, embalmers, engineers,

manicutists, midwives, nurses, opticians, optometrists, pharmacists,

physical therapists, physicians, practical nurses, podiatrists, psychologists, teachers, and veterinarians. .... . Now let me stress that not all, States ha.ye laws prevettting all

nonresidents and n icitizens froi4 joining those occupations: However, there are)enou States that do deny those occupations that is a

'4gnificant i1irIpedneM in terms of economic self-sufficiency of

Nefugees.WHo may be otherwise eligible to pursue these pfiofessions.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Do you have a table that hats those?

# Ms. TAFF. Yes, sir.

. VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Is that part of your prep red testimony?

Ms. TAFT'. I will include it in the document. The so ce is fram the

. American Civil Liberties Union study. by David Carline , in which he

includes State-by-State charts indicating which States ha e wha s.

-VicF. CHAIRMAN HORN. Very. good; we will include those.- with

your lnarks.

Ms. TAFF. Fine. Actually, about the ACLU, they have, challenged

that 'these liws are probably unconstitutional, but they continue to be

enforced unless they are individually challenged, case by case.

Irodically, the Federal Government and most States deny governmental employment to refugees.and 9iltns. I fifthly believe that since it

a is a result of wwernmental actiod ;tat brings the refugees to this

country and welcomes them, that they, above All, should set an

,example for anowing the refugees the:opportunity I° compete within

the civil service structure of ourcouidry.

. I think it's not only a disaster t the refugees to deny them access to

, . government jobs, but it al denies the .American people from

176
benefiting from the kinds of services that could be provided by

qualified refugees in those jobs.

I would strongly support the introduction of _legislation which

would remove the current restrictions placed op refugeesserving tn

the Federal Government in civilian and military capacities. It was

particularly difficult back in 1975 when there were so many ablg,

military persons who came out of Southeast Asia, and, we were unable

to find any positions for them in the us,: military.

I wOuld,also strongly lycate the whole termination of the parole

mechanism. It just doesin make sense. The benefits to the government

are so marginal, that there is no point in having it. All the refugee;

who are being brought to this country are being brought by

governmental acts because these people have no place else to go..The

refugees want to come here, and we are admitting them as a

humanitarian gesture. In fact, we plan to keep them, so why we don't

enter them as permanent resident aliens is totally begond, me.

Now, fortunately, the draft legislation that has been submitted by

the administration plvides immediate permanent resident status for

the normal flow oT.riAgees. However, for the emergency numbers

, which would be Over add above 50,000, the bill 4currently provides for

their admission as conditional entrants. I don't think that will solve our

problem.

- However, with e exception of these real and perceived problems

of ihe parole stat I think it really is important to underscore that

''refUgges are entitl to almost all the other protections and privileges

:under the law.

"There are some distinbtions, obviously, between aliens and reftigees

from citizens, such as the right to votattind to hold elected public office

and public service employment. But in spite of these% I think it is

.9 important for,uslto realize that, on the same basis as other citizens and

other persOns. in' this country in need, refugees are....AligibIe for

numerous categorical and programs such -as supplemental security

incoMe, publi6 assitstance, medicaid, family planning, maternal child

health, food assistance, workers, compensation for those whto are

covered by workers comp. programs, student loans aid educational

3 PrPgraths, Federal housing prpgrams.

Now, that's not an ei austive list, it's only illustratiye. I think one of

the dilemmas that We t into, and we won't have time right now to

talk about; is that the principle has been that we do not do more for the

refugees generally than we do for our own citizentir Since our country

is, made up of 50, States, all of which operate differentlymkare are

differing standards for refugees depending on what State they come

into.

3,

4. 177

190
But one of the underlying principles-is that if, in t'act, you do a great

deal more for refugees than you are able to do for t lit very needy in

our nwn country, you will create -a significant.backlash which would 1

be really unhealthy for the permanent resettlement. So it's no only a

budgetary Problelm in more services but it's also an equity program--

prablem as well.

VICF CHAIRMAN HORN Thank you very much for your helpful

comments.

Now turning to the area of undocumented aliens will be David

North, the ihrector of the Center for Labor and Migration Studies of

the New TiinsCentury Foundation in Washington,-D.C.

Presentation of David North, Director, Center for Labor and

Migration Studies, New TransCentury FoUndation, Washibik_

ton, D.C.

MR NORTH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

As one who has watched the activities of the.Civil Rights

Cotnmission over the last 18 years or.so, it's an h9nor to testifying

before you. And it's an honor, and a wild coincidence, to be side by

side with Julia Taft, who is also with me at the New Transcentury

Foundation.

There is a substantial but unknown number of Asian and Pacific

Americans whose status is not rec nized by the immigration law. For

convenience; we're going to calf thni illegal immigrants. Today we

will describe how they acquired that status, what little is.known about

ftheir.,characteristics,. what their rights are, and finally, what is to

beco e of them.

. Uijlikc most of the groups of concern to the Conmtission and

particularly tl e group that we've been talking about ithin the last

few minutes e refugeesand unlike most groups that Commission focuses on, such as blacks and Native Americans an ispanics,

no one is born an jlegal immigrant. All illegal immi . ts are

volunteers.

.../ In a world where all nations have borders, for better or for w rse,

all nations utilize their power to decide; whO may cross those bor4E.rs.

Many nations, including this one, recognize the right to leave a ;la

but none recognize the right of outsiders to enter their own natiok.

This may or ma; not be appropriate but it's cl rly the case and it is

-....- part of reality that we have to live withi

,

, The immigration law recognizes three,classes of aliens ie., persons

born outside the United States to non-L1.S.. citizen parents; these classes

are immigrantspermanent residenr aliens; nokimn)igrantspersons

admitted tolhe nation for a finite period andlor a finite purpose such

as to be a student or to be a.diplomat; and finally, the illegal migrants.

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The third class includes people who Conn' in without any documenta

tion at all, and those who enter as immigi ants or nommimgi ants and

who subsequently di op out of legal status.

People from the Pacific and Asia in the third category are the

subject today. Most of them, unlike the genuinely undocumented

Mexican migrants we hear so much about, came to the coyntry with

documents, usually a nonimmigrant visa. Subsequetly, they either

stayed beyond the date that that docitirt expired Or they winked

when they're not supposed to. This grouf of illegal munigt ants are

generally called visa abusers and there are-A

VICE CHAIRMAN HoRN. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you, visa what?

MR. NoRTH. Visa abusers. Who are the visa abusers from Asia and

the Pacific? How many are there? We don't know very Much about

, those questions, we don't know very much about the characteristics of / the illegal immigrant population generally.

We do know that there is a small segment of mrticularly unlucky . . Asia/Pacific persons, those who have been apprehended by the

Immigration and Naturalization ServiceINS hereafter.

It should be borne in mind that the number of persons enforcing the

immigrat On law within the boundaries of the Nation itself is very

small le. titian a 1,000 agenis, a smaller police force than the one that

guards the buildings up. on Capitol nil. And that force is getting

smaller.

The total, number of such 'illegal immigrants from the Asia/Pacific

nations that INS has apprehendcflas varied over the last decade from

about 9,500 to 1.6,000. And those 'numbers which I've Cited for you

have been falliiig in recent years as have all interior apprehensions.

Let's talk a bit about this particurar subpepulation. The population is

small, 10,000 to 16,000 ammally, but the individuals involved, when

they become apprehended, face a setback which can range from a

nuisance to a M1 fledged trag . We kilow that many of thosc hp' have been apprehended first came

here as studentsr-about 30 per-C" t. We do not have very good nation

of origin Satisfies on them, though sizeable percentage seem to have

been identikd as Chinese by INS and anZiliker sizeable group came:

from the Philippines. 4,

, The people aPprehended have been here for a Aktiile, most of them

have 1ieen Wre for a year or 16nger. Overalf, of coui'ske, we know that

they had to have a visa and an airplane ticket and a.passport tdget

here. They thus liave gotten over several obstacles on the way tcrthis

country, and they're quite different iii tern's of their chaiacteristics

from the illegal entrants from Mexico, most of whom arrive on fogt.

Marion Houstoun and I did a study for the LabovDepartment a

cov.ple of years ago in which we interviewed 793 apprehended illegal

. ., le

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No.
I

ininiigi anis, Seyentv-fi ye %vete ft mu the Eastern llemisphef e and most

of them wet e fiom Asia Uhl% group genetallv had a highef level Of

education than thc other illegal immigrants, they had an avefage

educational attainment of 12 years, which is the American librm, and

they made more money than the other illegal immigrants in ourstudy.

We would assume that that's a little tip of the iceberg, that there's a much larger population out there of never-apprehended Asia/Pacific

illegal migf ants, including ninny students and many women.

What are the rights of this group of people? Oven the time flame I

will talk about three clusters of the rights: rights to due procesw in

immigration proceedings, rights in the labor market-, which is my

particular field, and sights to social services.

Frankly, there are probably more rights for this group of people

particular)), in the labor market than one might think at firsthand. I'm

not going to get into the complex question of the rights in immigration

proivedings.

There's 'some people-in this town, such as Maurice Roberts and

David C..CarlMer that Julia mentioned and Sam Bernsen, the former

General Counsel of INS, who can talk about it much more adequately

than I.

It should be borne in mind that ,in this country, unlike Canada,

anybody who is apprehended does have a right to a hearing before

they are forced to leave the country, oftentimes these hearings are

successful for the alien. INS always catches mdre people than they

.actually expell in the course of a year; oftentimcs.the delays that come

along with this hearing process allow the individual to acquire

permanent status in tins country.

More specifically, let's talk about the labor market. the rights that

the undocumented or illegal immigrants have in the labor market do

not flow out of their status as an undocumented person; they flow out

of their status as workers. And the government assures these rights or

seeks to assura these rights not because the government is interested in

that particular population, but because the governmEnt ha& laid certain

obligations on employers.

For instance, all work in this country, with the possible exception of

some elements of medicine and in the U.S. Government, is covered by

the 'social security system. An illegal, immigrant who has secured

enough quarters of coverage, elicit thoti)3h his entire presence here was

illegal, ean subsequently file for social security benefits, and some of

them do.

Pniployers are required to pay the minimum wage to all Workers

whether they're here legally or not; employers are required to provide

workers compensation to all workers whether they're here legally or,

not. And there Are otkher rules that are laid down so the employers

180
have to treat everybody in the work force equally and all of that is

helpful to the illegal imiligrivit.

Now, the practical value of these coverages is more important for an

alien _that has nothing to lose by coming forward. And in many cases

the alien is in a position Where it makA sense for him not to complain

that he's not paid the minimum wage, a-what is legally prOVided for

hini is not aNvays Issured to him. 4. A

In the income -kanskr programs and social services, if the caseworker is aware that he or she is dealing with an illegal immigrant, the, alien

may not receive the benefits that he seeks. Some programs deliberaftly

do not ask question& some programs are very careful to ask questions.

There's an enormous range in practice.

Currently, in the arca of education, as presumably the Commisaion's

General Counsel's office knows, there are a number of interesting

court Cases moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court, which though

they relate directly to the children of Mexican illegal immigrants, will

offer precedents for Asia/Pacific illegal youngster's as well.

State coqrts in Texas have ruled that it's okay for a board of

education to require out-of-district-tuition payments by., parents of

illegal immigrants. A Federal court judge; John Justice, has ruled the

other way. These cases will eventually get to the Supreme Court and

we'll see what happens.

What will become of the illegal immigrants iii our country? There

are a variety of possible' fates, some of them more attractive than

others. They can leave the country voluntarily and either stay away or

seek to come back legally or illegally.( - VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. You have about minute, Mr. North.

MR. NORTH. They can be deported; they can 'stay here in illegal

status for the rest of their life, which often happens; they can go to

court and in/some cases they can secure legal status. Some can secure

adjustment to immigrant status from INS, particularly if the proposal

that the administiation his suggested comes to -pass, whicg is an

amnesty proghini. Amnesty is legalization of persons wito were here in'

illegal immigrant status.

Thank you.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you vety much.

Commissioner Saltzman?

k Discussion

COMM1S,510/4162 SALTZMAN. Ms. Taft, I wonder whether you could

clarify for me the employment status of the refugee. Now, you said

they don't get a green card, it sounds like a Catch-22.

MS. TAFF. When refugees are admitted, they are given an 1-94 and

there is a stamp on it that says that they may work.

194

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1811
COMMISSIONER SAI:rmAN. They can show that to the

Ms. TArt. That's right, that's what they show. Now, there's a

problem with that because gow a bill has heti) passed that refugees

who have been in the United States for more than 2 years can go to

INS and get their adjustment of stattss. But they have to surrender

their 1-94 card and must wait for the permanent resident alien-card.

Unless they keep a Xerox c6py of something else, then they = , are

without identification during that time. SoMedmes, Mr. Long was

telling me, it is 6 nionthp to a year, so it's not a failsafe lituation.

However, they are entitled to work when they come in, and, in fact,

are encouraged to do so,

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you. 1r It'

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Chairman Flemming?'

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Ms. Taft, I gather from listening to your

testimony that you feel that if we could eliminate this pamle status

and, in effect, give the refugees status as legal aliens, that some of the

prolllems that other members the Panel shave identified would be

cleared al/ as a 'Ault of taking that kind of an action. Is that correct?

Ms. ITAFr. Yes, lir.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Not all of them - Ms. TAFT. No, definitely not all of them.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. But some of them?

MS. TAFT. Yes, sir. . CHA/RMAN FLEMMING. I mean that grow out of that. Now, I wasn't

clear as to the legislative proposal that has been subMitted to the

Congress by the administration. Just what does that provaie?.

Ms. TAFT. The legislation that has Wen submitted provides fot

nyrmal flow figure of 50,000 refugees annually, which, for historical

purposes is the average amlual admission figure since World War

Those 50,000 would be brought in as permanent resident aliens. In

addition tO those 50,000 annually, the President could allow additional

refugees to come in under the norinal flow figure also, who would be

given permanent resident status.

NOw, the problem comes

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Any number on that?

Mi. TAFr. No, sir, no. That has to come froM the President who

would submit annually- his planning figure for the 'Normal flow which

is set in the bill at 50,000 but it could lie adjusted upward.

Now, if during the course-of the year, there is 'an unanticipated

disaster and the-President decides he wants to bring more people in, they would be brought in on an emergency basis, and they would

come in as conditional entrants.

The theory behind it is that if you bring people in quickly, You don't

-know exactly who's gotten swept up in the evacuation or in the

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refugee group, and you might have inadequate timi to do security

clearances and all the preprocessing. Based on the experience of '75,

it's very clear that security ckarances can be done on a postaudit basis,

and jf you find somebody really shouldn't- have been admitted asa

permanent resident alien, you can change that person's status.

. But the incidence is so small in which anybody, who has ever been

identified as a concern (o national security, that it just shouldp't be

justified, plus there is .a big bureaucratic problem in actually going

through and changing the status of every refugge from parolee to

permanxin resident alien. It costs a lot of money.and staff time.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. So yob don't believe that_ that particular

part of the proposal-is necessary, really, drawing on your experience?

Ms. TArr. No, that's right.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Thank you.

Vicu CHAIRMAN'HORN. Any further questions?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. No.

VicE CHAIRMAN HORN. Any further comments? mr. Nunez?

STAFF ISIRECTOR NUNEZ, if,(1D.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. If not, thank yob very much, each of you.

We es.pecially appreciate those Who have traveled a long way to come

here andshare the experiencççb us.

[Applause.]

If the next panel would Please come forward, the phnel on policy ... impact and strategies.

Our first panelist is Dorothy Cordova, the director of the Demonstratipn Project for Asian AmeriCans in Seattle, Washington.

Ms. Cordova"?

Presentation of Dorothy Cordova, Director, Demonstration

Project for Asian Americans, Seattle, Washington

Ms. CORDOVA. Today the United States is in the midst of the

rapidly dhanging scene, people of different races and cultures are

coming to our count0 in an unprecedented nutnber, rnriching this

pluralistic society we call America.

In the past 10 years an estimated 10 million newcomers have arrived

in our country, most of them from nations that once had little

representation on these shores because Congress has removed immigration quotas that one* used to discriminite against Third World

countries.

"Newcomers are flocking here from inoverished regions Of Asia,

Latin America' and the Caribbean," that isn't my quote, that was taken

' from the US, News and WorldReport.

This is mine, and this is everybody else's in here. Asian/Pacific

people constitute the fastest growing population in the United States

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today. Allowed only token numbers of immigrants a mere 15 years,

ago, since 1965 Asian countries are annually surpassing in numbers the

European nations that once sent hundreds of thousands or millions of

their citizens to the United States.

.Immigration hari always been the lifeblood of the United States-,

except for the Native Americans; every one of us in this siom is either

a recent immigrant or the descendant of a person who came to start a

new life here.

The many changes immigration has impacted this conntry and has

effeVted many changes, especially the socioecOnomic levels of all the

Asiin Americana. These changes occurring within the past decade

make it imperative for the U.S. to assess exisling generil and specific

infonnation abetit Asian/Pacific data of people, beCause the research

data gathered in previudi collections are now outdated due .to the

rapid increase of immigration and the subsequent surfacing. of brand

new problems.

According to the U.S. -Cominission on Civil Rights, which I

presume is you, the' racial and ethnic data are essential tools with*

which to combat discriMination and ,to plan and monitor affitinative

action whi9h would remedy past racial wrongs.

'Old Federal, State, and local goVer_nments used to.categorize ethnic

minorities rather strangely, either as white, black, and others. So for

many, many.years I was an "other."

Then Orley changerd categories .to include other -*groups, Spanish

surnamed, Oriental. Native Amerfcins, 'and others; once again I was an

"other," because, as a Filipino I have Spanish surnaMe but I'm not

really in that category and neither am I Orientallrecause Filipinos

are not Oriental.

So, subsequently, a number of us who Were ot in any of these

categories started-to raise a big cry, and we denande a that we be

classified as separate entities.

NOW the classifications inthicle white, black, Asian, Slianish speaking, Native American, Pacific Islanders, and others. Again there is

another category, others.

Theeksian' group encompasses Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Kgrean,

Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thais,,and East Indian.

Although some Asians have a tendency to exclude the latter which

are the East Indians, as a rule I generally include them, which is a

. matter of justice and personal preferende. For most of us in this roqm

today the A18ian group also includes the Pacific Island people,

Samoans, Guatnaniins, Hawaiiansand Tongans.

thertis a logic for plating us all together; together.we constitute a

larger group of people. And while this marriage may hot be

completely satisfactory to all of us, nonetheless it's the best possible

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union at this present time. It is imperative, however, to identify cacti

Asiin/Pacific group separately, and to recognize that each one of us

have unique problems not only a different language and a cultoe. And

that the magnitude of our problems will,.be different in various parts of

the country. 1

,

- For example, two separate reports ad studies on ethnic minori ties

in California and the State of Wahhington during the '60s danonstrated

'that the socioeconomic levels for Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos in

the two States at that time, Were Mk way: the Japanese and Chinese

often rank above the whites in educational attainment anti _were second

and third in income, while the Filipinos were usually at the bottom or

near the bottom in both categories..

More recent studies indicate that, although these Asian groups have

experienced great demographic_ changes because of recent immigration, the disparity- among the Asian grOups has basically remained the

same in most of the socioeconomic categories.

The,Japanese right now are the largest Asian 'American group, but

they haye the lowest immigration rate among the Asians. The Chinese

in 1970 were the second largest group, and since that time over

180,000 immigrants haye come from Taiwan and Hong Kong. During

the past census count the Filipinos were third numerically. A study by

Canta Pian on the socioeconomic characteristics of Asian Ainericans

stated that, if the immigration figures for the '70s for Japanese,

Chinese, and Filipinos continued at the same existing rate, by the 19808

. Filipinos would become the most populous Asian group in the United'

States.

Since 1970 over 260,000 Filipinos have immigrated to the United

States. -And I !bust add here that if,_ according to many of the school

districts the Filipinos are one of the most prolific, icnot the most

prolift% group. Well, maybe there's sbme others who will differ with

me. The Koreans are fourth in number right now, tiut they are the

fas&st growing of the Asian groupe, and they are the most overlooked

ethnic minority in this country. Theii increase since 1970 is 300

percent over and above what it wit* in 1970.

During the Past 12 years, 145,000 plus people came frot h India;

approximately 45 percent Of the adults were professional4eChnical,/or

kindred workers. Guamanian* and Samoans constituteMi6ther demographic problem because since they are basically part of the United

Stat4 and can come and go, it's hard to ciltegoAze them or keep track

of their numbers. But they're here-7:many, many thousands of them,

and they range from 100,000 down, depending on whO you're talking

to.

The Indpchinese have come here and made the most dramatic and

triumatic , entry into our country. There are well ov* 250,000 and

z. I.

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from what we hear, many, many thousands more will be coming every

year.

Willa the past 10 years the number of immigrants and/or.nationals

from Asian/Pacific countries has increased. And since these people are

younger people, many of them, their numbers will naturally increase

even more through the births that will occur._

Prior to. 1965, the laws were resthctive hut after October 3, 1965,

which wa4 the time that the laws were changed, up to 20,(XX)

immigrants a year were allowed from Eastern Hemisphew countries.

Since that time, there has been an increase of 532 percent from Asia

compared to 39 percent from Latin America, 53 percent frop the

south 4nd eastern Europe, and a 73 percent- decrease from western

Europe and Canada.

During the first half of the century, Asians made up only 4 percent

of the U.S. total immigration; during 1978 they constituted .one-third

of the total number entering as permanent residents. The importance

of this immigration is realized when One considers that at a time when

thF U.St birth rate is declining, _there is a tremendous increase in

immigration, especially from Asia, and thrse are people.of childbearing age who do not have zero population as their goal.

According to the US. News and World Rtyort, one new American in

five isr.now an immigrant and one out of three of these is an Asian.

Laws have been introduced an Congress and there has-been a Supreme

Court decision, the Law v. _Nichols case; there has been a judgment by

the Office for Civail Rights against certain school districts, all because

of the rights of immigrant children.

The upsurge of immigration from Asian countries has caused

population increase, but it Aso has altered ihe socioeconomic circumstancei of Asians in the country. One of the most dramatic ones has

been the increase of Asian Women to men in all the Asian groups. This.

is caused by the predomiriance of Asian females entering the United

States as permanent residentsover 60 percent.

These are not only professional women. They also include war

brides ogthe new wives of men who had been here for 40 or 50 years

and who had presently, within the past 10 years, gone back .to the old

country to bring back young wives. What I'm saying to you right now

is %vie have the phenomena, especially in the Filipino community,

where you have men in their sixties, possibly seventies, who have

wives who are maybe 20, 30, 40, 50 years younger than them, and, I

don't have to explain to you, they produce children, and when

they'vewe are going to have problems from this. We're having/

problems right now.

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Where they're living is another change, too. The great Majority of

the immigrantr are still settling on the west coast but we're seeing now

another pattern--they're going all oyei, especially the Koreans. We

Were tracking the Koreans down through the imMigration figures, and

we found out that they're everywhere. There isn't a State they're not

in.

In fact, in some States there are more Koreans than ahy other Asian

group and I think people have to start paying attention to them.

Most of the recent immigrants settling on the east coast are usually

educated people. In' New York and Boston, you have large concentrations of hinese immigrants, because you already had an established

Chinese community. Profesfionarinake Up a large percentage of all peOple coming. from

Asian countries, especially Indian and the Philippines. And why do

they come here? Many of the people came here to give their children

the opportunities 'they never had, such as free education, open job

opportunities, and the democratic way of life. Some others came so

flee political unrest in their own country.. Atl left behind family,

friends, and familiar ways of life.

Okay, just on education just skim through this. Right now there

are more foreign-born than American-born Chinese' males who have

had 15 years or more of education. But on the other hand, U.S.-born

Chiner females had more education than the Chinese immigrant

women.

Among Filipinost the Filipino women with 4 or more years of

college is twice that of the Filipino male but this is due to tie fact that

a large portion of the male, the Filipino male population is still partoof

the old group that came 50, 60 years ago.

Interestingly enough, in areas with few recent immigrant women,

Filipino immigrant women, the educational' of the Filipinos is

much lower.

What I'd like sto do is talk atout the children since nobody's talked

glibout kids before and I'm jusi going to go through this. Thechildren

are the ones who halie suffered basically. They've been uprooted and

there are many of then who are.led to believe that they are secondclass citizens, but this has always been our case. ,

. A recommendation I'd like to make right now is that I realize what

you were saying about hiring people, becaUse you said that it'i

impossible. This will be mYtecommendation.

I would like to suggest sensitivity training for non-Asian e4.isting

staff everywhere. I think this is mandatory. If you cannot .hire hew

Asian workers, then I think.that people should; be made aware of the

culture, thehistory, and the cdltural differencesof Astons..

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Very good. Thank you very mdch.

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Our next panelist is Than Nguyen, the associate director of program

evaluation for the District V Mental Health Center in San Francisco.

He has directed that project since 1976, and he was a former chairman

of the Indochinese Mental Health Project in San Francisco.

Presentation of Dr. Tuan Nguyen, Associate Director of Proipram Evaluation, Markt V Mental gealth Center, San Fran-

. cisco, California

DR. NGUYEN. Thank you, and I really appreciate the opportunity

to come tiere, however short a time it is, and express some, of my

views. , There is a debate within myself between being redundant and not being redundant and it's very difficult to strike a balance, so I'm going

to be both redundant and innovative.

I basically will start with a review of the current status of

immigrants as a consequence or after their act of entering the United

States. I'll then read some recommendations and then go back toisome of those and gde the rationale for some of them.

The history of Asian Americans in this country is- fraught with

blatant, often official discrimination, 'prejudices and injustices. Asian Ameritans, no less than other minority groups in this country, have

suffered from injustices that leave wounds in their psyches and impair

their soCial and economic progreises. My writien testimony will give

some examples, and Ms. 131way's testimony. this morning addressed

them fairly to the point. 1 The latest and most disturbing example of official discrimination is

the excluiion of gsian Americans from among the groups defined as

socially and economically tlisadvantaged. This exclusion was built into

the iiiiklementaticin of P.L. 95-507 by the Small Business Administration this very year. , When one examines the social and economic statu; of Asian

Americans, it is blatantly obvious that de .factd. they have fared no

better than second or third class citizens. Despite their.industriousness,

they lag far behind others in reaping thy benefits of their labor.

In San Francisco, for example, It is estimated that the une loyment

, rate is about 4.5 percent for persons of Chinese descent, Tl4is rate ia

much lower than -the natiottal, California, or even Sin Francisco rates

of unemployment. Yet 24 percent 'of the Chinese population have

incomes below the poverty levej.

In 1970 the U.S. Census Bureau prtjted that.14.8 percent of all Filipino firnilies and 9.2 percent of all apanese families in. San

Francisco. have incomes under thy poverr level. 'If you look at

incomes of unrelated Asian Americansrthepercentage is even greater:

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27 percent of the Japanese, 26.5 percent of the Chinese, and 32 percent

of Filipinos will have incomes below the poverty level.

Let's look at the latest Asian group entering this country, the

Vietnamese who came in 1975. By 1977, 66.5 percent of them arc in

the labor force anct 94.5 percent of those in the labor force are

employed. By contrast, the labor force participation of all Americans

is 62.2 percent, by 4 percentage points lower, and the unemployment

rate for the generat- American work force is 93.1 percent it that time.

But does the industriousness of the refugees-fay off7 Apparently not.

Since only slightly half of the refugee famiO4, 'that is, 51.4 percent;

earn incomes of $800 or more per mdnth for 'an average family size of

6.5. This was documented by the HEW refugees task force.

Furthermore, 60 percent of the refugees who had been white-collar

workers in Vietnam, because of different exclusion regulations that

have been mentioned in the earlier panel, are now in blue-collar jobs,

indicating that the rate of underemployment is high. And this type of

underemployment is generalizable to practically all other immigrant

5 groups. _ The immigrants not only suffer from those kinds of conditions, they

also suffer from other social, health, and 'psychological problems that

arise because of language barriers, cultural barriers, and the process of

migration and relocation itself. There is a vast literature supporting the

statement I just made.

Let me go now into the recommendations. The first recommendation is that a central immigrant referral center, possibly national, with a

toll-free number, be set up *for all immigrants -to call for help in any

matter. This center shOuld be staffed by competent bilingual persons

who could screen the nature of the problems or need for help and

make appropriate referrals to certain agencies in the city where the

immigrant resides.

This toll-free number, under arrangement with the INS, is to be

provided to all incoming immigrants at the port of entry. A sh6rt

pamphlet accompanying the number printed in their nativt language

or the immigraiit should explain the purpose of the toll-free-number.

In this manner, at least, there is a place for refugees and immigrants

to turn to when the first crisis .comes and for them to get the

appropriate referral.

Second recommendation: that special service centers in areas of

legal aid, housing, employment, vocational traiping,;heakh, ments0

health, family services, and education be set up .in major ports or

entries. These centers are to be staffed by Competent bicultural arid

bilingual staff to the extent possible within budgetary constraints, and

maybe even stretching those constraints a little bit in order to provide

sensthve, appropriate, and accessible services to immigrants. These

189
services should be coordinated with the cent nil referring center. that I suggested in recoMmendation one.

Recom endation three: that mandates andJunds for special Asian immigra t and refugees services be designed and implemented on a long range basis rather than the customary crisis managenient basis. I call this type of management the knee jerk operation or the squeaky wheel operation. The cost of knee jerk opliption is very high. Most of the refugees prognims, as an example, spend only 6 nninths out of the 1 year operating normally. The other 6 months are spent in either gearing down'the progmtm, pacifying the anxieties of recipients and staff or fighting the bureaMracy,

Recommendation number four, and this is within the province, I think, of the U.S. Conimission on Civil Rights: that the Commission establish a watchdog committee to screen, review, and monitor catrrent and proposed legislation affecting Asian Americans, immi- grants and refugees, as well as the implementation of these legislations, and also to communicate findings and elicit input and reactions from the people affected.

The reason for. this recommendation is that past legislati6ns have openly discriminated against Asian Americans, against the Chinese in 1886, agaitist the Japanese, and so on and so forth. Wifirut a

watchdog committee, with the depression cOming up, we are going to be likely to be the whipping boy again for the bad economic condition. Let me go on with a recommendation concerning the Indochluese refugees which will have effect also on other Asian immigrants: Chat special legislation be enacted to grant the Indochinese rgugees their citizenship after- the lawful1/4 residence requirements, and that special programs be implemented hi expedite the process of naturalization of the Indochinese permanent residents.

, Now, Pm asking this not just because I'm a Vietnamese and I'm speaking for Indochinese alone. This is also -for the sake of other Asians.

PL 95-145 allowed these refugees to adjust their status to that of

Aermanent resident and recognized, for purposes of computing the 5

years residence requirement for citizenship, that the time a refugee has already spent in States on or after March .31, 1975, be counted. To da eie are already 130,000 refugees who are adjusted. That means that next year, and in 1981, they Will be all eligible to petition for citizenship status.

) Now, there have been projections that in order to process those petitions, it's going to take until the turn of the century. The way the , process goes on right now, at INS is eyery case is reviewed by an officer and then all the cases are lumped together and presented in front of the circuit judge for swearing in.

190

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What it will mean is thnt the Indochinese will be denied their due

rights to participatory-democracy even though they have fulfilled the

residence requirement. Furthermore, the large majority of Indochinese

has now settled or will settle Ian the western seaboard, where -thte

majority of Asian iffimigrants also live. Any slowdown in immigrat

and naturalization processing at the INS in that parttpf the country

will mean the further denial pf Asian immigrants their rights to

participatory democracy. You can see that very clearly.

Other recommendations are in my writsen testimony, if you allow

me I will

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN: That will beincluded in the hearing.

D. NGUYEN. And my other recommendation is really already put

forward very forcefully and cogently by 144s. Julia Taft, and I fnlly

second that.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, thank you. You've made some

excellent and very helpfpl recommendations. I'm particularly intfigued by ydur toll-free number proposal. I thougki of that-Myself as I

listened to a lot of witnesses this morning, and I'm delighted you have

laid it out so well on the record.

DR. NGUYEN. That was tried out with the refugees task force in

collaboration with the American Bar Association, and it worked out

very, very well. They were able to help a lot of refugees, but it was

only in legal matters. What I'm proPosing is a general phone number

*10 thlitqlbe refugee doesn't have to sort out in his head and knowiyhat

'category of concern he's talking about.'

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. That's right, excellent idea. - DR. NGUYEN. Because he's not, you know, familiar with- the

categorical service system in this country.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Now speaking on the policy issues, we're

delighted to have With us again as our guest, a,gentleMan who.has had

experience in Asia, spent 3 years with the Peace Corps in the

Philippines, and now the Commissioner of the United States Immigration and Naturalizatjon Service, the Honorable Leonel Castillo.

Presentation ?f the Honorable,Leonel Castillo, Commissioner, U.S.. Immigration and Naturalization Service

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. Thank you, sir.

' I would like to submit for the retord, a set of stlitiStics that I will

leave here ancl then

VICE. CHAIRMAN HORN. It wilebe included at this point in the

record.

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, There are only a few points I'd like to

make. First, that the pattern of immigration to the United States has

changed dramatically. Secondly, that .there have been some changes

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made within .1NS to ineet-thohe changing patterns And then thirdly.

that there are some policy issues that must he faced_

Fir,st about the patterns that have chanvd. In recent years, many pe4ple have noted that the Statue of Liberty could be possibly facing

the wrong direction,. that, in fact, the inumgrants -now are Asilm and

'Latin, ahd not European In 1978 Japanese toUri,:ts outnumbered (hose

from Great Britain, and are most likely to do so again m 1979.

Currently, the largest group of immigrants are coining bum Mexico,

the Philippines, and Korea in that..order. But outside of that norMal

Bow, if you lgok at the refugee patterns, you will find that larger numtbers of Indochinese entered the United States legally than Mexicans. This is poinr of loin9, contention within the M'exican

American ci!mmunity.

We tilw note that we're now beginning to see a dramatic increase in

the number of C.hinose coming, not only as immigrants but also ati

noMmmigeants. My point rs simply that there has been a dramatic

change, both in direction and also in terms of numbers.

We are experiencing something that has not gccurred'in 50 years. Last year we had more.immigrants to the United States than we had . had in any year since '1924. We arc witnessing one of the largest

influxes of immigrants to this country in our history. Unfortunately, os ,most. of the present interest in immigration centers around the

undocumenteds.

Now, what has INS done? Admittedly, as is true in many

governmental institiitions, first 41IP an event occurs and then there is action

or reaction to it. When -1 first came in office, we had aq Hispanic

advisory .committee that I helped set up and was a member of. We

Intlie since expanded this to a ,Federal advisory committee to include

other ethnic groups. Our current chairperson is Mr. Norman Lau Kee.

Because of the large increase M immigration from the Asian nations,,

the INS now has offices in Hong Kong; Bangkok, Thailand; Seoul, - Kore'a. Man a, lihilippinoi; and Tokyo, Japan. I have visited many of

thes e

We ave a dy had some very, liery preliminary discussions about

the possibility owning an office in Peking [Beijing] at some future

data since it is expected that the number of immigrants from China or

from persons who speak Chinese languages, to be more precise, will - probably double the number of person's coming legally *from Meiico as

immigrads by either 1979 or 1480 unleSs the law is changed.

In terms of addressing and developing poliCy iswes, not only are we getting a new group of immigrants from other parts of the world, but'

they are no longer settling in. the Northenst or the.so-called "Frost

Belt." Because many of these new immigrants tend to go to the Sun Belt, there. are relatiVely large Asian communities adjoining minority

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p!)pulations in this Inca, and, as a result, creating a very difkrent

geographic pattern., . This year, for thc first tune in the history of the immigyation service,

the number of atiployees in our southwestern offices exceeded he

number of employees in the northeastern part of the United St tes.

The -western region and the southern region are now larger ihan the

,wrtheastern region. although historically that had illways been

reversed `_ f .. We need to do a lot more to move services tri the Suit lit or to

these *rem wherc peoiile arc setrlipg. This may be very difficult

because thire are maiiy political factors `that must be taken into

_

,.. consideration. . Wc still have vety strong political support for the continuation and

even expansion of offices in the 'northeast. Unfor-tunately, the immigrants and the peoplc in the southwest do not have neatly the political

power as do the more settled immigrant groups.

Wc have ,some backlogs that have been building and building for

periods in excess of 5 years before families can be reunited. The

backlog in the PhilippinIs is, for example, of 250,000 cases. At 20,000 a

year it will be a very long time before those people can come,

practically speaking.

We're looking at very large backlog4 in Hong Kong and at a

backlog that will clearly develop out of Peking [Beijing] or the

People's Republic of China. In these cases, new legislation will be

necessary.

We arc also, finding that these new immigrants have somewhat

better education, many of them are already professionals. One of their

major problems has been with receiving accreditation in U.S. institutions. It has gotten to the point where a number of our medicair

institutiOns, just to name one particular profession, depend very much

upon the availability of non-U.S. citizens or foreign medical graduates.

We constantly get calls frehn depressed areas of the United States,

both urban and rural, where hospital administrators want very much

to keep the foreign national; they do not have U.S. citizen doctors or

medical personnel.

In some institutions as many as 25 percent of the medical personnel

are foreign born or foreign medical graduAtes. There are more foreign

medical graduates in the U.S. than there are black medical graduates.

I fear that. if Ave don't deal with this we're going.to end up with'a

large group of undocumented persons in limbo in our medical

institutions and in other professional areas.

I also wanted to point, as a matter of policy concern, to the area

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Excuse me, on those foreign medical

graduates, just to clarify the record, that .would exclude those

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Americans who.are at institutions such a's Guadalajara from that last statement you ma(Ie or would that include Guadalajals iraduates who

are Arneric.an citizens coming back to the United States?

COMMISSIONER CAsTILLO, It's graduates of fortign medical institutions--

ViCE CHAIRMAN HORN. So that would include Americans who go

to Mexico for training? . COmMIssioNER CASTI1 1.0. It should, I beheys, because -they have

the same Iva of training.

There are some hospitals in ghettos that probably would not operate

if it were not for the foreign medical graduates available, and certainly

in places like Appalachia and rural parts of Texas..

Let me come io another 1oli4y.issyt--I have only one more that I warded to bring to your attention),La'nd that is the same one that just

'9'brought up in the area of naturalization.

Historically, the two groups that haVe naturalized the slowest have

been the Mexicans,and Chinese. Both groups have averaged more plan

3Q years residence in the U.S. before the became U.S. citizens. This is

changing, but it's changing slowly due t a number of reasons. rm sure

there are a lot of people here who are %ore expert that I who An

speak about that. However, it is exPected t at this will not be true with

Indochinese.

There is one simple change that will give us a tremendous capacity

and be Cost effective. We would recommend your support-as well as

the support of other persons in eliminating the requirement that there

be witnesses to attest to someone's gOod character when they apply for citizenship. Under the current law, you must bring t o witnesses to

attest to your good character. Well, I believe in th t 50 'ears

maybe two people have brought people who came and id that this

individual was of bad character.

VrcE CHAIRMAN HORN. Good judgment is what thaproved, I

suspect.

...COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. We have found tkiat the test or the

interview is useless. It just shows that someone has two friends. We

recommend that the ',requirement for two character witnesses be

eliminated. It has been suggested that regular police checks would be

sufficient. That, in itself, would increase our capacity to naturalize by 30 percInt without hiring any people and without Spending any

additio14 money. _ We are trying to get through to the Congress those three points

dealing with backlogs, legislatidn for the professionals who'are sodght and ar&ming in, and changes in the naturalization law. These would

provide tPINS with a great forward impetus.

20';
I also support, not a$ a matter of policy, but as a matter of practice,

the idea of (he toll-free ndmber and would be hafipy to cooperate with

HEW and any other agencies in jointly staffing and funding such a

system.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Those are very helpful comments.

Commissioner; I wonder, can you stay until ,the next two panelists

conclude? It would take 20 minutes and then could you respond io

questions?

COMMISSIONEk tASTILk.O.,Sure.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN'. Very well.

Our next panelist is Dr. Shirley Hune, an insistent professor of

sociology/anthropology, Uniyersity of the District of Columbia, here

hi Washington, DC. We are delighted to have you with us.

Presentation of Dr. Shirley Hune, Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of the District of Columbia, Washington,

D.C.

DR. HINE. Thank you. . In the limited time alloted and in recognition of the contribution that

other speakers are making at this meeting on contemporary concerns,

I've narrowed my presentation to discussion of two factors that I

believe are influential in the formulation of United States immigration

policy as it has affected Asian Americans, and I will be merdy

discussing them here in historjcal framework..

The factors I'll address are: on& racism in U.S. immigration policy,

and secondly, foreign policy as aspect of U.S. immigration policy.

Now, these factors are too often neglected or ignored in any

discussion of the development of American immigration policy. Yet

they have had a great impact ons the lives of Atm Americans, and a

consideration of these two factors are essential f an understanding of

the present status of Asian/Pacific Americans today.

And while some of what I have prepared has alieady been

commented on in earlier discussions, I think it's still important to

highlight them Once more.

It's interesting that the subtopic of this meeting is myths and

realities. Oscar Handlin wrote in the introduction of his Pulitzer Prize

winning work, The Uprooted, the following: "Once I thought to write

a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the

immigrants were American history." And while this is unquestionably

true, much of what been written to date about the immigrant

-experience in Amérlc4 remains more mythology than history and the

same can be said a U.S. mmigration policy. i

i Id spite of the current debate over undocumented workers, eehool

textbooks, newspaper editorials, and popular literature still continue to

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iko
extoll the myth of an men door, where America threw its golden door

to the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses of the world yoarning to

_breathe free.

In.reality, there have been guardians at the door and the guardians have always been selective. Immigration has betki preferential on the basis of family stock, race, labbr skill, and/or educational backgrpund.

At best the attitude of Americans towards immigration hast been one of amhtvalence; at worst it has been racist and exclusionary and, unfortunately, Asian Antricans have been the victills of the worst (spects or U.S. immigration policy.

I'm just going to highlight some of the key aspects of this just for

illustration to remind us of the past history of the Americanimmigration policy towards Asians. ThrHirst victims of immigration Agiscrimination were the Chinese, who were also the first major group of Asians to migrate to the United States.

There has been an iCistoric policy of Chinese exclusion in America, begun first with the famous Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, a bill that

was originally to limit the number of Chinese labOrers to the United States for 10 years. However, most of us do not remember that this

particular legislation was renewed time and 'time againand not fully lifted until the Immigration Act of 1%5. There were, however, some modification in 1943, when a quota of 105 were given to the Chinese. At the same time, legislation was also broadened to apply this particular. legislation to categories of even the wives of Chinese

laborers. This policy of Chinese exclusion, in-particulars is viewed by Asian.Americans. as not only a policy of racism and discrimination in

the entry of Chinese to the United Stites, but a policy of genocide. For the Policy prevented Chinese wives from joining their husbands

in. America, and in conjunction with State regulations against the

intermarriage bf Chinese with Caucasians, denied to Chinese males in

Anierican such human rights,as the right to fprm families in America.. Thus, the 'glowing .retriarks--Aericali often make m about the tradition gi the Chinese familyare very painful for Chincse Ameri- cans and tspeciidli the thousands of Chinese males whO grew up in

this country neve!' knowing children or grandchildren that could have been, and for the Chinese women and children who were left alone in

Asia.

The opposition to the Chinese was extended to other groups and I'll just briefly highlight because Most of you aie prObably familiar with

the Gentlemen's Agreement in 1908, which was negotiated with the U.S. Government and the Japanese Government to limit the number

of Japanese to the United States. In 1917 the policy of Asian restriction

was extended even further with the introduction 'of the barred zone, a geographical triangle., in the Pacific region extending from India,

196

.2
Southeast Asia, Indonesia; Thailand, through to Afghanistan. Mkt

1917 Asians in this region wt.re barred front adMission to the United

States. Japanese \vete excluded in 1924 while Ffiipino Americans were

given a quota in 1934, at the time of independence, a quota of 50.

This period'of Asian exclusion or restriction to a small quota of 150

was carried t in the same 'period, in whioh we have about 35 to 40

millnen Euro ans. entering the Utlitcd 'States and when quotas were

introduced i the 1920.s European annual quotas were in the thousands.

Sck the U.S. policy of immigration restriction and exclusion was limited

in this very early period primarily to Asians.

Furthermore, in addition to limiting the number of Asian migrants,

.4101011he U.S. immigration policy was very discriminatory on the basis of

right to citizervihip. It is not known to many people that the Chinese

were not granted the right to citizenship through naturalization until

1943, the Filipinos in 1946, and, in general, this bias and barrier was

eliminated in 1952 for all groups.

The immigration act of 1965 has eliminated quotas based on race and

national origin has finally ended Asian restriction. It has facilitated

family rennification. As a ponsequence of this we find new trends in

the migration-of Asians to the United States today. However, the act

does not eliminate opposition to Asian immigration as we can well

remeMber the mixed response to the arrival of Indochinese refugees

from Vietnam today, and especial!), in 1975 with the baby lift. The

reluctance of Federal and safety pfficials to receive them and the

popular statements alluding to the hordes of Asians coming in, are

reminders of the response to Asians coming in the 19th century.

The second fact I wish to to touch upon ft the interrelation of U.S.

foreign policy and immigration Roli4:y. Most of us think of immigration

policy as a domestic policy, i.e., a reflection of internal political, social,

economic needs and interests. But, in reality, like- all other domestic

policies, immigration is also influenced by intprnational relations, and

interests.

The hisitoy .of the UniNd States has been intertwined with Asians

since the first American trading ship, the Empress of Chipai sailed .for

Canton in 1784. And while Americans have looked pbross to the

Atlantic to Europe for their cultural roots, they have also looked

westward across the Pacific where they feel their manifest destiny,

their historic mission and Npure as_a major power has

The fact is that Ainerican foreign policy in,Asia as had an impact

on their treatment of Asians in America..More often titey have been

victims of state to state regulations rather tban beneficiaries, and I

thiti* just a couple of examples to illustrate are needed.

The most obvious one, .of course, is the recent situation of the

refugees from Indochina. Their presente here it largely because of the

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A 4

direct result of America's war in Indochina, the war's violent

disruption, of their homeland, the promise( matte to them for their

cooperation, but there are other.examples Which I v,40tet go into for shortage of time.

'Hut _there are examples of earh r periods of neg1ktiations, of treaiies

between. the United States and china, which also had a detrimental

impact on the treatment of Asian , Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos in

the United States. One, perhaps, amipteresting illustration, is that scholars have noted that the/ lifting of the, Chinese exclusion act

moderately in 1943 was largely not because ofa consideration of the

Chinese condition in the United States; it was because it was necessary

to seek the support of Chiang Kai-shek during The Second World War. So, in fact, international relations' had aftect impact on the treatment

of the Chinese in the United S ates. Thus, power politics between

states affects not only Asians bu4 Other groups. For example, see also

the current debate between 1texico and the United States on

undocumented Mexican Americ workers. Power politics between

states has an impact on domestic

America.

In summary, why have I spent some time on this historic

understanding? I'm trying to point out that any understanding of the

contemporary situation of Asian in America would be limited without

s6me attention to the policy of ü4migatin towards Asians ih the past. There is a continual reference to the small number f Asians in the

United States as coinpared toj other minority gr ups. This small number is used to justify the 1 ck of government attention to issues

concerning Asian/Pacific Amelicans, or to explain autay the lack of. Federal programs to such Asiaii/Pacific Athericans; this is thoroughly unjustified.

The population is smaller; it is small atsthis present time, although

we know with continuing Immigration it will increase much faster. But

it is smaller historically thah 'any other groups because of the decades

in which the.numbers Were deliberately kept smill through policies of

immigration exclusion and restriction and policies of genocide which

prevented the increase of the population througt natural birth.

There are falsb .suggestions that Asian Americans are not interested

in participating in the system. This is also -unjustified without an

understanding of the Asian Americait experience. Allusions are made

to Asian Americsnis' being non-Christian, uncomfortable with the, demiSCratic proOess, that they mind their own business and take care of

their oys, or that they just aren't interested in' politics. It mitst be noted

thJksin Americans have been delibe'rately kept out cif the political

or decades, and relegated to second-class citizenship through%

!icy and the treatment of Asians in

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//

the denial of the right to citivenNhip through naturahiation i in this - i democridic society. i .

. Without the vote there is little political clout, as oir 'Mack

Americans have demonstrated and have tried so hard to gain. But . without- citizenship there is no a&ess to the vote. So cc nmunity

'leaders, State leaderk, national leaders even in areal of large )ncentrations of Asian 'populations historically were able to ign re Asign

Ameri .ans becauseAsian Americans had no vote to deliver..

..,

. . ever, this has begun to change as politiT7 in I awaii and

califania attest and a greater number of Asian American oters make . their appearance.

, We can expect that officials can no longer cpntinue & ) ignore the

Asian American presence, however, it still remains for he syltem to.

he responsive to the concerns of Asian/Pacific Ame ican4 .but its

blacks, Hispanics, and .women have learned, this is Still yet4o be

achieved. ,... Nor can we, fully understand the Asian/Pacific American status

today without recognizing this role that U.S. -foreign policy and

international iterests have played on their poWirtowards Asians and

Pacific Islan

i

rs withili the United States, becipse many Americans do

not separate Asian Americans from Asians in Asia.

By our physical appearance our loyalty is question. The same is

'not asked of Irish Americans, Norwegian Anericims, or German

Amqcans. And, unfortunately, for most Americans iheir knowledge

and cih4ot with , 'a and Asians has been throu h war, the Korean

War, World War ll, the Cold War against Chit , Vietnam War, and

the first war in the Philippines.

, The most blatant, of course, is the tory of the concentration

camps of Americans, over'110,000 Americans who hapnenejd to be of

.japanesE descent who were the victims of power politics, and the

consequences of that, of course, was the internment policy.

The only thing I wanted to point out is strategies for thepresent and

the future are, of course, to adaress all policies of' racism and

discrimination. Support for affirmative action is a beginning towards

redressing past discrimination. There's also a need to recognize that,

while we will continue to5 see the interrelalionship of foreign policy

and doMestic policy, there is a need to recognize that th e should not

be a detrimental effect on the lives of Americans who h

Z

p8n to be of

Asian and Pacific Island descent .in terms of,.statei to ti,tate relations:

VICE erniRMAN HORN. Thank you very mita for your statement.

Our last panelist before the Cbmmissioners begin their questioning is .

Mr. Bill Hing.

Welcome.

43,

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199
e . Presentation of Bill Ong Hing, immigration Attorney, San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Services MR. IIING. Thank you for the invitation.

The Commission has heard testimony several times today susipmariz- ing the shameful history of the United States discriminatory immigra- tion laws and policies directed at Asians. The exclusionary laws, the_

prison-like screening of tens of thousands of Chinese and Koreans on

4 Angel Island between 4910 and 1940, the internment of Japanese

. ekmericans during World War II, the prohibition against natilralization for Chinese, Filipinos, and Japanese, and the additional exclusion of

.. Asian women are not only painful for our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to recall, but -

leaves one with a feeling of bitterness at the thought of the senkless tormtnt and agony borne upon them. However, the basis for bittekess does not terminate where historical

considerations end. Today I have submitted to the Commission an overview of current discriminatory immigration policies of the

Immigration and Naturalization Service, t e Justice Department, and

the Congress which continue to prey sole!. upon Asians who seek to

immigrate or who have immigrated. Permit me to briefly summarize a

few of these policies.

A situation Which has developed only recently serves as an eicellent

example of present INS policy which disc,iminates solely against Asians and Pacific persons as a matter f discretion.

Late last summer, inu4igration spectors in Honolulu began a

systematic interrogation of elderly sians who were lawful permanent' residents of the United Statels, cpinmonly referred to as "green card" holders. They were returning rom visits abroad which generally did

'hot exceed more than 30 IS. The interrogation in Honohilu went far the ust questioning asito purpose and length of stay but ra on whether or nqt such Asians were or had been recipients of Supplemental Secity Income. SSI, a subsistence

program for elderly and disabled poor, .is made available both to

citizens and lawful permanent residents.

If SSI had been previously received by elderly Asians, immigration

inspectors took possession of the alien's green card and passport, and

instructed the person to report for further inspection and interrogation in their district of residence, such as Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, or San Francisco. --: N.

Alter subsequent Inspection, these elderly FilipinOs, Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese; have been informed that they were excludable from

1 the United States because they were puKlic charges, and they were gi4en three alternatives at their deferred inspection, either one, io

,back to their native country; tWo, request an exclusion hearing, or

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21,3
. direr, terminate SSI benefits which they had a right to and post a

public charge bond of several thousand dollars.

Note that the INS is dealing here with returning lawful permanent

residents, no\ with first-time immigrants and not.with undocumented

aliens. The supposed authority for INS to reimpose these public

charge grounds for exclusion each and every time and alien reenters

the United States steins from a concept termed the reentry doctrine.

However, the reentry doctrine. has traditionally been tiled to

exclude returning imnals, subversives, and Other undesirables, and

has not been used tinder modern inunigration laws, until recently, !o

exclude returning .lawful resident aliens who have been _receiving

public assistance. It's merely a Matter of policy on the part of INS,

instituted recently, whichhas brought about this result.

In the more than 100 cases reported, there has been no quevtipp that

the person had a right to apply for SS1 benefits, and there ha'Ve been

no allegations of fraud. It's equally clear7 and this is verYilnteresting,

that if these rsons had not proceeded abroad, they could not have

been deport d under present iMmigration laws. But because they left

the country, and incidentally, under SS1 regulations they are permitted

to leave for 30 days, they have unknowing,k walked intd this trapiof

the reentry dottrine, a trap which 'lever previously was set for lawhil

permanent residents receiving public assistance.

As noted above, this procedure marks a sharp change from previous

immigrationpolicY .throughout the country. This simply has not ever

been done before, and everi..today, is not happening in other parts of

the country. Because most lawful permanent resident Asian travelers

return through Honolulu, the impact of the new policy has fallen

squarely on elderly Asians and Pacific persons only.

The action has caused great alarm in Asian communities throughout

the United States. And the, action is outrageous when Vwed as

another, extension of the infamous exclusion laws of the past directed.at

... Asians. , The racial lines have been clearly and sharply defined by the port at

which this po)icy is being effected. This blatant attack on elderly

Asians and Pacific persons must be terminated immediately.

Turning to another area, there has alwtysbFen a general lack-of

sensitivity among INS employees towards the cultures, social, and

religious traditions of Asians and Pacific persons. In recent years

Filipino. immigrants and nonimmigrants' have 'been the most poorly

treated group of persons at the local San Francisco office of

immigration"

. The general demeaning attitude of immigration investigators,

examiners, and clerical staff exhibited towards Filipinos and Filipinas

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has keen the most troubling aspect of practice for most practitioners in the fi d of immigration law.

Thde is a clear lack of sensitivity towards persons from the Philippines in the minds qf most investigators and examiners. As a group, natives of the Philippines are distrusted and interrogated more intensively by immigration inspectors at the airport; in visa cases involving marriages where one party is from the Philippines, the parties arc subjected to exhaustive questioning by examiners far beyond the ludicrous standards of-examinations conducted in moss marriage cases. Often as a matter of discretion, in the visa and citizenship cases, further investigation is requested of the United States consul in Manila, a move whichikdependently creates an additional 6- month delay in processing time. As a general rule, the validity of Filipino documents are questioned, and even further, in deportation proceedings, further independent corroborative evidence is often required where none would have keen had a native of a different

colinfry been involved in the case.

The baseless intensity with whicii particular individual investigators pursue Filipinos has blinded most of them. One investigator in San Francisco, who thrives on getting Filipinos, has been nicknamed "Mr. Filipino" by his cohorts.

Chinese Americans are continuing to face bureaueratit hurdles in their attempts to be reunified with family members abroad. Due to an historical lack of birth and marital records in marnland China, Chinese in the United States today who seek to be reunited with family members -iiperieve considerable.difficulties in petitions for relatives. For most non-Chinese the process is simple. If the relative abroad is one who falls into a preference category, a* petition is filed at the Immigration Service with eyidence of the relationship, for example, birth certifi ates, marriage certificates, or family registers. The processing time varies from district to district, however, an interview is iequired in only the most unus0 cases for non-Chinese

casSin\cokItrast, when a Chinese person fles such a petition a long list of secon ary evidence of the relationship must be submitted to INS to support th petition or else the petition will be returned. Additiona y, the requirements of interviews for Chinese cases is a rule, and all Chinese cases are delayed, therefore, for anywhere from 6 to 18 monthsi

At this time I'd like to make some recommendations and I pointed out others in my paper. My first recommendation is with respect to biring of bilingual examiners and investigators by the Immigration Service. It' appalling that in a cosmopolitan district such as San Francisco, r example, there are no examiners or investigators who speak Jap ese, Tagalog; Ilocano, Vietnamese, &moan, or Tongan,

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21 5
and there is only one investigator who speaks any dialect of Chinese,

and it's limited Cantonese.

The present procedure at INS for interviewing non-Englishspeaking Asian or Pacific person is to have a clerical or outside

interpreter brought in for purposes of translation. This means that INS

is paying two persons, the examiner or investigator and the interpreter

for conducting a single interiiew:

It's amazing that by this time in our history that neither through

attrition nor affirmative action have there been any fluent bilingual

persons promoted or appointed to these positions. Instead, the system

appears to have perpetuated a discrimination in immigration against

Asians and Pacific persons, as evidenced by the fact that' persons of

sdch extraction employed by INS have not reached any levels of

examiners or investigators.

Secondly, the Immigration Service must extend itself and open itself

to the public to actually provide a service, as its name expresses.

Although the Central Office of the Immigration Service has attempted

to get involved in community affairs, the local people fail to get

involved in community affairs. If its problems is with enthusiasm of

local personnel, my suggestion is to remove them.

And finally, again, I would reiterate what the Commissioner was

saying with respect to expansion of numerical limitations. Although on

its face it looks like Asians are on equal par with respect to numeOcal

limitations, we must redress the past discriminations against Asians by

expanding the present numerical limitati ns that are so heavily

strangling Chinese and Filipinos.

Thank you very much.

Discussion

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you.

Commissioner, I think it's only fair that you have an opportunity to

respond, particularly to the SSI situation in Honolulu and any other

comments you'd like to make in terms of steng in the San Francisco

office,,,so forth.

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. WO, let me begin with the SSI problem.

Under the immigration law a person may not be admitted to the

United States for permanent residence if it appears that that person

will become a public charge. What happens when someone who is

already a public charge leaves? Is their return a new entry or is it a

reentry? That's the nub ofthe question.

The one case that has gone for resolution thus far was decided In a

fashion that held that the alien was excludable, and that the cast is noyi

working its way up through the appeal process.

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216.

V.
Meanwhile, what we have attemptad is to find some humane way to

interpret these regulations. The only answer that my General Coun- sel's office has beri able to conic eip with as recently as a few days ago, May 4 to be precise, was that the regulation under which we implemeig the SSI question could be viewed in the way Social Security looks at it; my General Counsel informed me a few days ago

that in their dpinion, a trip abroad or a trip away of 30 days or less is not considered a meaningful interruption of your time in the States. A direciive of that sort would resolve most of the cases but not all of them.

It would resolve, I believe, although we are not sure of the neiGibers, about 90 percent of the cases if we used *the 30-day social security regulation. My legal staff is presently working on an appropriate

directive.

The problem has primarily surfaced and occurred in Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and a week or so ago.we had one in Ohio.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I think just for the clarification of the record we should include, at this point the relevant portion of the

statutes plus the appropriate'regulations, plus any memoranda from the

General Counsel that might be issued before this hearing or consultation is published, then we would round out the picture if you don't mind.

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. Y.'S.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Would you like to comment on the staffing

situation in the San Francisco office?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. Yes. Well, I am not intimately familiar with the details of the staffing at San Francisco. Although we have

some Asian American employees, there are obviously some weak- nesses in specific areas of that office in terms of having adequate

representation in our work force. - The first step that I've taken has been to change the requirement

that everyone at our training program learn Spanish: In one incident

we had a woman who was going t9.be flunked out of her course at our

Federal training center because she 'was not doing very well in

Spanish. She was, however, fluent in Japanese and was going to work . in either Htonolulu or Guam where many persons she would meet

would speak Japanese.

We changed that directive so that Spanish is no longer required for

lhose types of jobs in certain geographic areas. We then commissioned a study which has as its aim the creation of criteria for jobs in our -*offices in the United States and abroad. with .specific language

requirements. For example, if you are going to be in the San Francisco office, to name one specific office, there should be a certain number of

positions available that would be filled by individuals who are

204 ?-4
competent in the most used languages or needed languages in that

office. - We are also moving towards selective criteria, and have had to do

that very cautiously because of concerns within our union that their

members would be locked out of jobs, and other employees who feel

that they have some equity. We have been moving along and

anticipate thit the study will be completed and implemented shortly.

Clearly, that's been a problem.

As to the problems with Filipiiiim-atid investigations, there, one of

the very major and real question is why we have an inordinate amount

of fraud in Filipino cases. Wc do have a large number of false

docurrnts or fraudulent claims in comparison to other groups. It's not

an ethnic or national thing, it's just a reality; we have a large number

oflarger number of fraudulentaclaims from that group .than from

other groups.

VICE CHMRMAN HORN. Is that perhaps e to the quota% invplved

and the intense pressure?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLo. Because of the endous demand in

the Philippines, the people line up early in the morning in front of the

embassy. There are even people who make a living by agreeing to

stand in line for otheryedpk for the sum clfZppeesos a night.

VICE CHAIRMAN H. ORN What type of ration have we gotten

from the Philippine Government in terms of arresting those that are

encouraging the fraud and manufacturing the false documents within

the philippyles? Hap we got relations established with the government to liste a joint effort to do something about that?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. We have had numerous meetings with

their government officials, and to some extent they view it in the way

the Mexicans view the question of persons coming from Mexico. It's

not a problem with Ahem how someone comes into the United States,

but rather how they leave the Philippines. While they cooperate on

major smuggling cases or misrepresentatigen cases, the issue of what

happens once they get here, is a violation of our laws and not their

laws.

'Also, there is a safett valve factor that is implicit in that society.

,NVICE CHAIRMAN HORN. CORIRAMiOner Freeinan?

COMMaRIONER FREHMARL Commisitio,nec, earlier in the a rnoon

there was a -statement that part of the problem with respect to the

immigrant was the requirement to surrender the card, I believe it's

called card number 94, and that unless the individual took steps on

or her behalf to get tge cara Xeroxed, they were without qualifying

Papers,

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I would like to ask you if you will comment on that, and it' this is

true, ifindicate the extent to which your Seivice'could give some

assistance when the card is asked; requested, or surrendered.

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. We have a very serious . erpblem with . this documentlidir- And as to us taking away a Nrrd und depriving

someone of tidy documentation whatsoever, I hope that is a rare uase.

But in those instances where it does happen, we do have regulations

-that enable persons to have temporary documentation or temPorary

certification. In the specific instances where it happens we can deal with it there. , I don't beheye it is that widespread.

COMMLSSIONER FREEMAN._ In ttie case'where it does occur, are you

stating that the employee who takes such atakes a card under those

circumstances, has violated the rules of the servicC?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. No. -In some instances,- where we can show that an individual is not properly here or thdt there is sonie other defect, it is legal for an employee of the Service to void a card., This is a constant problem on the sbuthern border.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. And are you saying...that it :has not

happened with dipect to the Asian/Pacific Americans?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. No, I'm not saying that; I'm sure it has

happened, but what I'm not certain of is how frequently and how

serious the question is. ' COMMISSIONER FREEMAN.

.. Are there regulations, a manual, .pro'ce- dures that are disseMinated to all employees of the Service regularly to

: inform them of their responsibilities irt this i.egard?

414 COMMISSIONER .CAStILLO. Oh, yes, WI have a complete set of

regulations on replacing, voiding, and issning cards.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN.' Well, I got the impression whenearlier

that it was a verythat it is a very serious problem;meaning that it has happened more than once or t4ice. And is there any way that you

canyour office can pursue this?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. What I'd like to qv is to obtain the

testimony or the coaments of whoeverit is that presented it and then

investigate

, COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Mr. Chairtna#, I would like to ask that

the,Commissioner be-9that a copyof the transcript on thiS point be

, made *railable to the Commissioner, and that his response be inserted

in the record at this point.

,--- V ICE %._,HAIRMAN HORN. Without objection; that will be done.

COMMIAONtR FREEMAN. I have no further 4uestiOns.

v ICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Chairman Flemming?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING, Commissioner Castillo, earlier testimon'y

also brought out the fact that some of the problen0 that the refugees

206

219
confront grow 'out of the fact that they have the parole status. I'm

.wondering what your feeling is relative tO,that issue?

COMMISSIONER CASI'll I 0. It is true; a parolee is not technically Ali

immigrant in the same way that someone coming for the first tune and

going through our system is. As a result, a parolee doesn't ,get all the

benefits of a permanent resident alien. Some of the problems arises

from the very use of ttie term parolee. We have had some questkins

from some employers who argue that they're not sure that this person

isn't "wanted" or isn't somehow a criminal because the term patolee to

them means someone on parolefrom a criminal system. Under

immigration law it simply means scueone who cane through a special

provision of the immigration act, not bound by the20,000 per y9ar per

country limitation.

This misanderstanding was also a very serious problem with the

very first large group of Indochinese.

It is a problem of lesSer magnitude but mtill an important one. The

Indochineseto the best we know, are nearly all working. They have

convinced their employers that they arc legitimately here and most of

them'are now adjusting their status and have green cards. The group

that will continue to come here wit) be an ongoing question as to just

what their status is for a while.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. This earlier testimony also indicated that

the administration had submitted or was about to submit legislation to

tite Congress designed to change -that picture to some degree, not

, - co,mpletely bUt to some degree.

COMMISSIONER.CASTILLO. A new refugec.,bill has been introduced

and is being discussed and debated in the Senate and House. We are

very hopeful that it will pass And that there will be only minor

differences between the administration and members of the Judiciary

Committee on this. - So I think there will be new legislation ttat will increase the Timber

of perys that can come as poliiical refugees, and it will changeithe

definition of political refugee.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING.'All right. Thank you very much.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Commissioner Saltzman?

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Commissioner Castillo, I wonder

whether you could tell us about the functions of the advisory

comMittees. I guess they are composed of various cthnic groups,

geographic areas. How many advisory committees clo you have? How

do they report to you?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. Yes. Wll, as I indicated, wc began with

onc Hispanic advisory committee and then partly because of representation of some of the people you have heard firn, and also because it

was a good idea, wc changed that from the Hispanic to the Federal

220

207 .
advisory conimittee. Although this national advirry board meets ..formally several times a year, some members are in the office much more regularly than others who_are farther away or who have other major responsibilities.

COMMISsIONER SAUEZMAN. Are you with them?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. Oh, yes. They provide me hundreds of

recommendations.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. How many people?

CommISSIoNER CAsru to. Twenty-three. Since we qin go up to 25, there are two vacancies now. Although the majority of the representa- tion on the advisory group is still Latin, there are also Italian, Greek, Korean, Chinese, and Filipino. And all of thetn have dash American as well. One of the recoinmendations that the group made was that while their recommendations were helpful on a national level, something should Ile done on a local .level, such as Mr. Hing has suggested. As a

result, we have begun a process of creating community advisory groups on local district offices. Six of these arc now in operation with varying degrees of success. They meet on a monthly basis with the district director and include, again, ethnic representation from labor, business, and other groups that are interested. They provide recom- mendations to the district director.

The program has been only partially successful because we've learned that ityorder for advisory groups to be succeisful they need a

little staffing, is well as a lot of nurturing.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. We've found that LOO.

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. When I was a member of the U.S. Commission Advisory Committee in Texas, we had the samc problem, even our local community. Since it has been ideally successful, very helpful, we want to expand it further.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Does the INS have a statement of policy with-respect to th; status of Samoans and duamanians?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. We do have a number of interpretations relating to both groups.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Their status was raised earlier. I wonder whether we could enter intb the record the official policy

statements relative to then' status, if you have those?

COMMISSIONER CASTILLO. Sure. I don't have those with me. But

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN.,Without objection they will be inserted in the record at this point.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN: Thank you.

VICE CHAIRMANTRN. Mr. Nunez?

MR. NUNEZ. G Commissioner.

There have been allegations by members of the Asian American .kommunity of the United States that even the 1965 act that considera208 ,

2 21
bly liberaliied immigration status still discriminate against' Asian '

Americans. Would you agree with that, and would you get behind

Y steps to change that legislation? I'm aware that your regulations and

policies are governed by the legislation passed by the Congress.

COMMISSIONER CASTILW. As I indicated earlier, and as the

professor said more directly, th* new immigrant gr ups do not have

political power. As a result, Asian Americans clear do not have this

.- political power. . iImmigration laws reflect the poli ical Opinion of the Congress, the

White House:And the society at larg . . At ilne time we had a large backlog for Italians as we now have with

Filipinos and people in Hong Kong. I expect the answer will be seen in.'

the political arena. The fact that thislirst group waiapable to develop

and gain substantial political power resulted in legislation being

maneuvered through Congress. Since those elements involved in

ithmigration historically have conie from the east coast, the chairmanIhip and the positions on the Immigration Subcommittee in the Houssi

& Representatives,have been historically from the east coast. Furthd,

the concerns and interest of this constituency has been well supported,

nurtured, and protected.

There has only recently been some membership on the Immigration

Subcotnmittee of persons from the west. coast and the southwest. I

suppose I'm saying is, yes, that the laws do reflect the political

orientation of the country, and the orientation was towards Europe.

VICLCHAIRMAI HORN. Thank you very much, we appreciate each

of you coming here to share your views and your very helpful

recommenOations with us. And Commissioner, we thank you for

joining with us again.

[Applause.]
z

J

Papors Presertod

The issue of Family Reunification Facing

Indochinese Refugees in the U.S.

A Pho Ba Long*

. . At this time in the brief history of the Indochinese in Amerka, there

is no more pressing issue than the problem of reunification. The Utiited States has already admitted nearly 200,000 Indochinese. 'The,,next

logical step is to help locate and free their close relatives who remain

in IndoclUna under the new regimes, many languishing in so-called

"reeducation camps." I wish to argue that there are moral and legal principles to support such a step.

Firstly, let me pojnt out that the Immigration and Naturalization

Act of 1965 forcefully reversed a longstanding policy of Asian

exclusion. That policy can be traced back 40 1882 when Congress passed i bill to discourage Chinese immigration to the U.S. It Was

extended to include the Japaner in 1908 (the Gentlemen's Agreement) and all Southeast Asians in 1917 (the "barred zone act"). Thus, we can view the act as a pivotal point in the history of America's relationship with the Orient. And the fact that today 3J percent of immigrants to

this country are Asians shows that the act was passed to be enfor Moreover, the public pronouncements of our highest (Act suggest) that this commitment to equility in immigration is actue y

gaining( momentum. When President Carter in 1977 signed a 1011

concerning Indochinese refugees (H.R. 7769), he remarke*

I doubt if any other group of refugees in my lifetime have,been so tdevastated by war than those from Vietnam, Lads, Cambo- ' dia. . . . This bill. . .acknowledges our gratitude and also our, debt, also our commitment to a better life for the refugees. . . ."

-v Sixteen months later, President Carter again acted in a way that was

consistent with hi* awareness of past American discrimination against

Asians and his intention to e9rrect that , situation. This past*February he announced the nomination of Senator Dick Clark of Iowa as

Ambassador-at-Large and U.S. Coordinator for Refugee, Affairs. Forcefully repeating his position on immigration equality, the Wesi- dent said:

Dr. Pho Ha Long is senior research associate for the National Indochinese Clearinghouse.Center for Applied Linguistics, 1611 North Kent St., Arhngton, Va.

' 210

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4.
This administration attaches great importance to effective rclngcc

policies and programs. I want to reaffirm my interest in h viiiiitg

domestic and international refugee migration resettlemp

policies and prokrams fully coordinated so that the U.S. Aid liittear.

members of the international community provide prompt, e

ble and effective humanitarian refugee assistance

Cong ess, too, is responding. In March Senator Kennedy opened the

Senate Jjiday Hearings on the 1979 Refugee Act by saying: "For \

too long our pd1icy toward refugee assistance haci been ad /we, with

refugees being 'a mitted in fits and starts, and ptten long delay arid

great human uffering, because our existine immigration law is

inadequate, iscriminatory and totally out of touch with to4/15's

needs.'

The proposcl legislation is designed to rectify this oituation and has

been hailed as the most comprehensive and progressive piece of

legislation in this country of immigrants ond jefugees. Let -us hope that

this advance billing is aocurate andinore importantly, that the

gislation is enact. ed

Thus, there is public support for eqvality in immisration and

c nCern for refugees. But .can we truly expect the Onited States

Government to be able to recognize the deepett needs of the

refugee/immigrants and then act in Weir best interests?

I have in mind the specific problerh of family reunification. The

Philadelphia Child Care Guidance Center describes the difficulties:

T process of making the transition from one's native country is

ttling, unpredictable and stresses the individual and family's

ab Cope with everyday experiences. Over twenty years of

ch and clinical efforts in the field of family therapy have

sh0 n thit stress factors become exacerbated when indiNiduals

are latecl and cut off from the-support of family members and

Tir need to retain existing interpersonal ties is critical for

refugees making the transition to a new and alien environment.

This is partioularlY true of the Indochinese whose 'culture i

strongly family oriented.

Family ties are fundamental to the cultural values of all the

Indochinese refugees here. Their exodus, however, was at best illtanned and, as its worst, random and unpredictable: 8rpercent of the

4 0,000 reillgees who came here in 1975 had etween 2 hours to 2 days

to prepare to leave ("Transit to Nowhtre," r. Liu, Asian American,

Mental Health Research Center, Chicag . 'In the panic, hasty

decisions,were made or imposed, with husband separated from wife,

child from parent, and brother from sister. Now many fatuities are

divided by the Illusive barriers of ocean and politics.

. 211'

224

AP,
z

What arc the results? t7ii the one hand, perhaps as many as 2(X),(XX)

of those who were left behind have challedged fate by taking to the sea

in boatsa brutal experience. Boat refugee Doan Vinh Dang of

Suit land, Maryland, f example, recently told his story 'to the

Washington Post. He one/only 4 survivors out a family of 14.

During his grim journe Oby was born to his sister, only to die 7

days later. On the 21st day, the next youngest son died and was buried,

like the ohers, at sea. Only the compulsion to remain united with one's

fam4 calf\explan this flagrant risk of life. On the other hand, those

who have been fbrtunate enough to make it to this country are daily

tortured by the memory of those left behind. Which of us cold', easily

endure the thought that someone we loved might be imprisoned might

be in danger of execution, might starve for want of food, might be

desperate enough to risk life and limb on the sea route to freedom?

Driven by such tho hts, many of the refugees who have successfully

resettled here work Mseveral jobs in order to be able to send money homemoney for sus enance, money for escape. The result: an

unsettledmind, stress and strain, guilt which saps mental and physical

well-being. So serious are these effects that trainidg and employment

activities suffer gravely.

Perhaps mire revealing than such generalizations is. a recent call for

help I received from a Red Cross refugee caseworket.\ I quote from

her letter:

I am writing to you now to ask your advice in a situation that has

come up. A Vietnamese man around 40 years of age has contacted both our National Headquarters and our chapter requesting

assistance in reuniting his family. He escaped from Vietnam one

year Ago and will not be able to apply ibr permanent resident alien

statusYor another year. When he left Vietnam, he left ohInd his

wife and three daughters, assumillgithat once here he uld bring

them to this country with relative ease.

When he first contacted us he insisted that [the) Red Cross could

help his wife leave Vietnam because his wife had telegrammed

him that this was so. As you' kn6w, this is not so. The refugee has a very difficult time accepting this even after it was explained to

him many times the role of Red Cross and the problems with (the] Vietnamese government.

The next time he contacted our office he had immigration forms 1-130 and 1-134 completed along 'with supporting do(cuments

inciuding translations oT bath and marriage certificates. Thia time

we had to tell him that he is not eligible to file these forms until he

acquires permanent resident alien statut. Again, this was a blow to

"the refugee.

It is not unu ual that wc et cases like this where we must tell

perfile that t ere is nothi to be done but wait. The reason I

1712

4.

_et 2 26

0
bring this particular case to your attention is that he man in

question seems so deeply depressed, alone and de4erate. He is

obviously trying eyerything possible to have his wi e join him as

soon as possible but he is getting no positive support.

Again, i would like to reiterate, the V.S. Oovernment does seem to

be doing all in its power to help such peopleat least ntil recently.

So, for example, the Department okState opens its irectivts on

"Family Reunification" with the following statement:

All of us at the State Department with responsibilities in the area

of family reunification are keenly aware of the sufferings of those

whose families have been separated, and we are deeply concerned

about the question of family reunification. We have raised this . issue with the Vietnamese authorities on a number of occasions,

but the results so far have been limited. We are heartened,

however, by several recent actions in which the Vietnamese have

permitted some American citizen children, or people coming to

join American citizens or permanent resident relatives, to be

reunited in the United States. We are also encouraged by what

appears to be greater flexibility in the issuance of exit permits by

the Vietnathese government.

This statement has, however, become open to question since Dale de

Haan, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, announced Hanoi's

willingness to allow Vietnamese to join fainly members who have

already fled the country. What will be the response of President

Carter, the Congress, and the Department of State?

In one instance we already know! In the same notice mentioned

above, the Department of State urged all pers6ns interested in family

reunification with Indochiotse relatiNies "to keep in mind that utukr

normal circumstances, U.S. law permits only certain typet of relatives

to immigrate to the U.S." It went Qn to state that: "If you are in the

U.S. on reffigee or parole status you may not file a petition for your

relatives. You may, however, apply fo, readjustment of status when

you.have been in the U.S. for two yearseand for citizenship after five

years."

.This notice did nothing to encourage reffigees wanting o work

through regular chqnnels. Instead, it reminded them of le1l Ltarriers,

and indirectly invited them to advise titeir relatives that only way

left open was t1 o flee by bor. Such a pplicy appears take little,

account of the human and civil rights of the U.S. retire population.

Nor iit consistent with U.S. actions inaimilar past situations.

I have a specific precedent in mindthe Cuban exodits of l965.4 In

uba, as1 in Vietnam today, a Communist government severed

iplomvic relations with the U.S., and tens of thouptds of nationals'

th rtatives in the U.S. wanted to emigrate. %Opportunities for

2

213
emigration were either haphazard or handled by international intermediaries. UnexpectedlY,, *Premier Fidel -Castro announced that

Cuban nafiQnals who wished ta join their relatives in the U.S. were

free to leave the country. Within a week, President Lyn B.

Johnson respondedspeaking, appropriately enough, at the St e of

Liberty. He announced that those Cubans who wished to. find reflige

in the U.S. were welcome (Reference, The Cuban Refugee, Immigration and Naturalization Reporter, OiAober 1976).

Reftigees began immediately to come to.this country in sMall boats. Within 2 months, 'the U.S.-organized airliftthe freedom flights

began to bring out the first of the 74,000 reftwees who would arrive

here by mid-1967. Importapt to note is the fact that first priority was

reserved "for persons livingin C4ba who were immediate relatives of

persons living in the United Stattis" (Reference, Article 2, Memorandum of Understanding of November 6,.1965).

Fourteen years later we have a similar situation different only in that

1 the persons affected are Asian rather than Latin Americans. A

Conununist country, Vietnamhard pressed by international sanction

and perhaps by the ,,need for U.S. recognitionhas elpressed its willingness to allow the emigratiOn of its nationals. The

Ooverriment has, in the recent past, expressed its willingness to accept as a first priority the relatives of Vietnamese Americans (above.) We hok that President Carter will respond as quickly and as vigorously in

this situation as did President Johnson in the 1965 Cuban exodus.

At stake is the American commitment to equality in immigration, to

the human and civil rights of the Vietnamese living in America. Will

the U.S. response to the problems of Asian immigrants be equivalent to

the response to a similar problem 14 years ago? Will the U.S. follow

through on its commitment to Vietnamese refugees and quickly make

provisions to bring their imme5liate relatives to this countryespecially those who have been la uishing for the lase 4 years in so-called

reeducation camps becaus they have fought alongsidAmericans for.

freedom?

We can only wait to see if the U.S. Government is as good as its Ard.

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2 2,7
Issues and Concerns on Indochina Refubee Resettlement

by Enrique Delecruz*

Introduction

The west coast States, particularly California, have deMonstrated a

particular attraction for refugees displaced as a result of the turmoil in

-Indochina. The. access to familiar foods, the high percentake of ethnic

Chinese among the refugee population, the large cocoa-MI-On of

existing Asian communities in the area, in addition lo .the milder

weather of the region, are among the chief reasons why west coast

cities now have the largest concentration of reftigees.

Perhaps it is also for these reasons that the initial plan of the

Department of State to have refugees settle all over the country so as

to evenly distribute the responsibilities of resettleinent has quietly

failed. Individuals and whole families of reftkees, as they begin to get

their bearings, are now taking it upon themselves to resettle within and

around geographic areas with large Concentrations of Asian and.

Pacific islanders. Today, it is estimated that well over one-third of the

total refugee population have established residence in California.

As one may well imagine, the problems confronting a population

still suffering under thq trauma of a 20-year war, now uprooted from

their historical, social, and economic roots, and virtually transferred

wholesale into a country with radically different socioeconomic

systems and values are enormous and complex.

Refuge* Policy Ian Rather high among the list of concerns of the Asian and Pacific

communitjet is the lack of a well-coordinated policy on refugees. I

welcome the news that there is now in the process an attempt to

46 submit before Congress and other policrnaking bodies more comprehensiVe proposals.

However, we are very concerned about any further delays. It is now

4 years since the initial maqsive influx of Indochinese into American

soil; ,the Federpl Government still appears to be floundering about

without a consistent and well-coordinated national policy for reffigee

settlement. This, today; is rather blatantly illustrated by the fact

current. special projects for reftweespresently coordinated by the

Department of Health, Education, and Welfareare on a phasedown

tinriqueDelacruz is assistant director of Pacific Asian_Colyer.stinm in Employment (14eE) in Loa

Angeles, Calif.

215
schedule. The allocations for special projects this year is 25 percent

below last year's allocation. Yet seemingly oblivious to this, President

Carter has authorized for this year, the admission of an additional

50,000 refugees from camps in Southeast Asia, bringing up the total to

sombfng like 210,000.

I also understand that the administration is considering the admison of 120,000 more for the year 1980. We certainly support this

commitment, this grand humanitarian gesture. We fully endorse this

action by Os President but we would like to see some substance

behind it. Thi seriousness of the situation and the need for immediate

action is exemplified by the fact that although we are already j,earing

the end of the fiscal year, there appears to be no decision yef on the

part of Congress or the administration on whether to continue funding.

these special projects beyond this fiscal year.

The wholesale resettlement of a people in a country whose

socioeconomic systems differ radically from their origin. is a long,

difficult, and protracted process. In our highly technological society,

overnight we can transfer a forest from Oregon to southern California,

but we cannot force these trees to grow roots overnight. The same

applies for the refugees. Needed are bOt sh rt term programs and

assistance that address the immediate survi s, and then longer

term and medium term progranis that will monitor and provide

assistance to the refugees in their struggle for economic self-sufficiency.

A comprehensive reception settlement system and policy needs to

be determined and refined now. The need is for an integrated and

highly coordinated Process for receiving, reorienting, resettling,

training, and job placing this highly vulnerable population. The

appointment of Ambassador Clark, again I should say, is a step in this

direction but a person alone cannot do it and a system has to be put in

place right behind it.

Currently, refugee projects and affairs are administered from

different governmental agencies. The Department of State oversees

the initial reception and orientation of refugees; while the Department

of Health, Education, and Welfare oversees social service delivery and

special programs. It is often the case when we have two distinct

administrative bodies that, the left hand, so 6 speak, does not know

what the right hand is doing. So there is duplication, lack of

coordination, and waste.

Economic Self-Sufficiency

Among the complex problems and numerous needs that now exist

within' Indochinese communities, thtneed fOr economic self-sufficiency is the most critical. The alleviation o his need is also the

216

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"lynchpin" to their success 1 resettlement in American soil. In

considering what can be done in this area, I believe it would be most

useful to view the problem in economic development terms. Needed,

therefore, is an appraisal of the existing resources among the

Indochinese that can be tapped and harnessed. Hand-in-hand with this,

one should also determine what nonexistent economic resources need

to be developed, for these comprimities which will then set them firmly

on ihe road to economic self-sfifficiency.

Let me illustrate what I mean here by focusing on the area of

manpower development. The refugee communities have a wealth of

human resources that need to be retrained and redirected in order to

be adapted to American society. Among the Indochinese we have

doctors, nurses, engineers, architects, technicians, and service workers

whose background and experience is largely unused and wasted. Part

of the problem here stems from restrictive licensing regulations and

revalidation procedures that often do not recognize their foreign

training and background. In some professional fields, for example,

foreign-trained and experienced professionals are required to take a

series of quallfting examinations: (which are often discriminatory)

rad before they can even be allowed to take the actual licensing

examitkation. In California this is true of the medical and other

professions. While we certainly recognize the responsibi1ii7 of the

various professional lioensing boards to allow only those who are

competent to practice their profession, these practices and procedures

lir need to be reexamined and evaluated so that they do not become

exclusionary and aiscriminatory in function.

In addition to a look at the processes involved in the licensing of

professionals and paraprofessionals vis-a-vis those with foreign training and experience, there is a need to develop, fund, and implement

programs for the retraining and relicensing of Indochinese who have

brought with them into this country extensive training and work

experience in the various professional and technical fields.

The capital investment in humau terms thatIndochinese Americans

have already made, and which Ihey have brought with them from

Indochina, are now a part of and should be counted as a part of the

human resources that now exist in American society. Let us not waste

them.

As a footnote to this point, I should mention that the issue of

seemingly exclusionary and descriminatory procedures in the relicensing of foreign-trained and experienced professionals has been a

festering concern among Asian American communities. On a per

capita basis Asian Americans have a higher level of education and a

higher level of work experience background than most other minorities; yet the rate of unemployment and underemployment among them

217

23 0

4 7.
is just as high. I would say that part of the reason for this is the

inability of a good number of ncw Asian Americans to practice in their

chosen field du0 to restrictive and discriminatory licensing requirements vis-a-vis the foreign trained and educated among them.

For Indochinese Americans the problem of relicensing is further

aggravated by the fact that a majority of them still only hold a

"parolee" status legally, this means that they dd not have the status of

"perManent alien residents." This simple legal techniclility generally

excludes them out right from applying for any of the licensing

examinations. These examinations ire only open to U.S. citizens or

permanent alien residents. Indochinese Americans on "parolee" status

are, therefore, automatically.excluded from applying for these examinations. Thus, a Whole spectrum of professions are closed to Indochinesefrom accountants (CPAs), engineers, architects, pharmacists,

nurses, 'doctors, veterinarians, etc.

The "parolee" status of the Indochinese sAmetimes even excludes

them from evefi entry level jobs. In Los Angeleis( ar example, we have

a large number of aerospace fitms, _among them are TRWuDouglas

Aircraft, Rockwell, etc. Since these firms are also defense contractors

t they are expresslY limited in their hiring to just U.S. citizens or

----))ervianent residents. !This policy has so far effectively excluded

Indochinese from obtaining employment, which they are qualified for,

in the aerospace industry.

ve wmples illustrate how the existing human resource

among Indochinese Americans are being wasted or underilized. In

the area of resource development, the problems are Somewhat more

complex. Consider the subitea of manpower/employment development. Because Indochinese Americans come from a broad cross

section of respective societies in Indochina, no one single approach to

the problem of manpower and- employment development would be

adequate. There are a number of distinct needs and barriers that need

to be oyercome:

1)Foremost is the almost universal need for upgrading of language

_skills. ( 2)There is the need for training for those without any economically

relevant skills. - 3)For those in the profession, with eeonomically relevant skills and

backgrounds, there is often the need for relicensure or retraining.

4)For those-without economically relevant skills, there is the need

for vocational training.

5)For those with economically relevant skills, and for many more

who are unskilled but who need and wish to work anyway, there is,

the neeoil for employment development and employMent advocacy*.

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A
., 6)For those who have managed to lind employment but are severely

;underemployed, there is the need for employment upgrading.

7)Finally, there is the need fbr vocational orientation, counseling,

and career planning assistance.

Despite the recognized existence of such needs and barriers to

einployment, however, special programs for the Indochinese are sMly3

lacking in flexibility and are also severely underfunded, and sometiges

seem to have been designed from' a .lack of understanding of the

complexity of the problem. With special prograMs administered by the

Department 6f Health, Education, and Welfare, for example, provision

is made for ESL (English as a second language) and vocational

training programs. But program monies cannot be spent on participant

allowances. Thus, the typical Indochinese head of household is

expected to study English, learn a trade, and at the same time support

an average family of four. Clearly, the onlY recourse for someone who

.wishes to take advantage of these programs but who still needs to

4pport his family, is to apply for public cash assistancewith all its

atte ant Catch-22s. If there is a logic to this, I must admit that I fail to(

yefee Ve it at this time. -_1 figental Health Needs

The trauma of resettleprent has long terni implions. The multiple

role and status chang stemming from thenetugee's move from

Indochina to American soil has created a chronic basis for concern for

the mental well-beingi of this population. The change in status vis a ',is

wealth, productivity, employability, family, friends, social relations,

etc., is a severe change resulting in a long term, high anxiety condition

for the whole population. Treatment oriented and preventative mental

health interventions are needed on an expanded basis. Both preventative and clinical treatment efforts need to be established to intervene in

this problem.

The Second Wave of ',Notes

Out of the current administration's compitment to play an active

role in the relocation and resettlement of Inaochinese nolk languishing

in refugee camps throughout Southeast Asia, the second wave of

refugees have now begun to arrive in American soil. This second wave

may weli be significantly varied from the first wave that arrived i9

19/5. The first wave presented a population thatexcept for the

trauma of the time itselfhad a greater degree of skills and qualities

that lead to an easier sponsorship and transition. Current indications

are that this second waverepresented in large part by the boat

peopletend to be a more dependent and more vulnerable population.

There will be more elderly, More single-parent families, more

23

219
unattached minors, more non-English-speaking people, and more

Intoned workers. The vulnerability of this population calls for an

increase of transitional support services.

In this connection, I should mention that the Asian American social

service organizations are deeply concerned that their efforts to plan

and . meet the manpower and sOcial service needs of their new

constituency has so far been frustrated by a lack of well-defined

commitment and resettlement policy from otif government...

, Our efforts have also been undermined by unstable and inadequate

funding. For example, on December 30, 1977, after a year of operation,

PACE's refugee employment project had to shut down for 8 months

and lay off experienced staff all because of delays by Congress in

passing the needed' reauthorization and allocation measui. When

'funds became available, we had to hire and retrain new personnel. We

face a similar prospect again after only 12 months of operation. Should

special services for the Indochinese pow available throup Asian

American social service agencies experience drastic curtailgents, the

needy from this population .will have to turn to general public

assistance programs for survival. We feel that dependence on general

public assistance programs with their attendant "Catch-22s" it not the'

solution to the problems of refugee resettlement. Higher priority 'must

be placed on programs providing employment as well as job training

and retraining. icE4land-in-hand should also be. the expansion of the

necessary social nd transitional services-supportive of these manpowIn- programs.' In determining the design and regulations that govern

such programs, an openness should be maintained to.allow innovative

and novel program concepts to be funded'.

Asian American Community Role

As mentioned. earlier, Asian American. *comMunities in California,

especiallytor the southern region, hold a particular attraction for the

Indochinge. By the same -token, Asian American social service

igencies have particular identificatn and attractiol for the needy

individuals of this population. Asian American service delivery

agencies have dmonstrated the advanoges of a shared experience and

tradition in performing and delivering sensitive and effective orientation and training services. By virtue of having experienced similar

transitional hardships, Asian American agenCies and their constituent

gommunities-hiive a particular expertise and viewpoint that could

contribute significantly to the process of defining and refining national

policy 8,nd program op refugee resettlement. . I believe that1

is. knpwledge and expertise has been largely

untapped. This is not tO say that thOe agencies have pot mad effort

to provide input through their political lead

*

ers but this effor s been

220

4 233
largely fragmented and .sporadic. These agencies da not have the

resources and means lo develop a mechanism that would assuie

coordinated and continued input into "the formulation and refining of

refugee policy and programs. We feel, however, that the onus for

develbping such!' mechanism lies with the Federal Government. Our

thinking is that the Asian American community ought to be intimately

involved in this process. The collective experience of many Asiap

groups in working with resettlement should be harnessed to improve

the government's grasp of the issues involved.

Today's consultation- hearings on civil rights issues is a significant

stecpin the right direction. Similar hearings and consultations need to

be' undertaken by the vad'o'lls government agencies and offices

responsible for the development of policy and specific programs on

Indochinese resettlement.

1

234 I.

0,

221
Indochinese Refugees: The Mental Health

Perspective

by Janie's Wonk

While.* issue of mental health, reffigees, and retettlement tvgan at

th4line of evacuation in 1975 (NIMH Report, Guan), it is only just

recen y that an attempt has been made by the government to address

these concerns with programs throughout the country. There were 6

demonstintion mental health projects in 1977-78 followed by the

current 37 piojects throughout the country. This paper wilrbe divided

into three parts: 1) The mental health assessment of the reffigees,

how current and planned policy has addressed the mental health issues

paised, and 3) what should and can be done at local, State, and Federal

levels in this area.

In assessing the mental heallPof the refugee', an oempt will .be

made to involve a social systems perspective rather than a clinical

petspective. The mkjor circumstances involving mental health are: 1)

the war, 2) evacuation, 3) refugee camps, and 4) resettlement in this

''nountry-,-past, prent, and future. To understand the current mental

behlth status of the refugees, it is necessary to view all these elements

as collective, inseparable, and interrelated which affect the refugees'

ability to resettle and adjust in this country.

All of the refugees in this country were affected by the 30-year war

in Indochina. According to the "Study Mission RepOrt" (Committee

on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, 93d Congress, 2d sasion, January 1974)

over half of South Vietmim's population had been forced to move

since 1965; civilian war casualties totaled approximately 85,000 during

the first year of the ceasefire; 65 percent of South Vietnam's

population was urbanized; and a massive sosial welfare crisis existed

with 440,000 orphans or half orphans, 650,W\war widows, and sotne

181,000 disabled amputees, paraplegics, blind, anthleaf.

In 1954 approximately 1 million refugees movEd from the North to

the Smith. All the refligees or people that theylnew had known the

experience of moving, of, sydden change in their sociej from rural to

urban, of a daily war that brought such attitudes as "li Jug for today"

and "survival .of the individual" as opposed to the old hian tr

of mutual familial dependence. When faced with war and t app .ch

of the enemy, the-Indochinese in Indochina were very ftiliar with

migration, sudden evacuation, and the feeling of fleeing. for those

near the from lines,--they were very prepared to pack up and leave if it

Joirke Wong is director of the Indochinese Community Health and Education Project. Saii Diego.

Calif., .r

222

I.

.2 3

4:
- LW

)became necessary. This was a great change from the centuries-old way

Of being tied to their ancestral village, their family plot. The change

from rural to urban wroufht great disruptions in the traditional family

structure. Cities were crowded and moving quialy towards Westernization.

Indochinese in wartime could not\fihn for the ftiture, if for all that

they might know, they may be kind! tomorrow. Witb this day-to-day

attitude, Indochinese could not consider long term plans, but rather

how to survive. And even when it came to how to survive, they could

not even think of their families during crises; they learned to think of

themselves firsthow to make it through without being killed or hurt.

This ftmdamental change in a society that prized the family, role

relationships between people, and the sacredness of tradition very

qutckly became infused with an individualistic self-preservation atti-

,tude. People learned to suppress and tepress all emotions in order to

cope with the task of hying in a war-torn country. Deatetragedy, and

disastd\were all endured with inappropriate laughter, and what we

would find to be unnatural behavior, such as drinking or having fun

when things became terrible. Throughout evacuation and resettl

these basic attitudes Come up again and again.

Evaguation. came suddenly after the northern provinces fell and

shelling of- Saigon Ivgan. "In just two days, A pril 29 and 30, 75

percent of the refugees left" (Liu, Fall 1977). The motivation for

fleeing was either fear for life because of previous activities or to

escape the shellingl(Liu,,Fall 1977). This was in line with the wartime

men al attitudes and changes tha4the Indochinese went through. Used

ing from war zones and the development of a' stfong survival

instinct, it came spite naturally that the refugees would suddenly fThe

againthis time in terms of evacuation. But leaving one's country is

different than moving from one region to another.

How could Indochinese, who loved their countries so much, leave?

According to E.F. Kunz, (in "The Refugees In Flight: Kinetic Models

and Forms of Displacemerit," International Migration Review 7:125-

146, 1973), refugees!suffered both ,"acute" and "anticipatory" types of

movement. Those who left in a panicwith little or no planning

were "acute." ThOse who left with some orderly and well-prepared

fashion were "antickndory." The Indochinese refugees for the most

part were "aCute," They hadiittle in their minds except to flee. What

way they took to flee depended on outside forces rather than careful

plans that they micle themselves. Kunz feels that those who were

"acute," might have mental health problems which may affect their

ackjustment in th.e countries that they finally end up in. Of the refufees,

about one-third canie as single refugees (Liu, Fall .10977). These

refugees thought -of themselves first, not consciously forgetting their

2 3 6

?

23

r
families, but thinking only of how to get away and survive. They are

'the ones who will suffer midor mental health:type crises.

The refugee canips, "midway to nowhere," as Kunz described Ihem,

were (temporary ones such as Pendletgn) and are (semipermaftent ones

as in Thailand and Malaysia) the stopping off points. The' refligees

could flee no more in and they ' have to flee anymore.

. There the ultimate reahza ions came fort was first noticed in the

change in attitude of the refugees from one oi being thankful And

.---...._ docile to that of being angry and dillusioned and having ccoplaints.

-...'N The latter conditions surfaced'in c(Miplaints about food, confinement, \lack of informatioh, unfamiliar tasks or were followed

y displays and expressions of anxiety, depression, unhappiness,

. lence, and crying. .

. The "Kunz' effcctforgetting rerything except escapewas no

longer in effect in the camps. What followed among some of the

i refugees was the resurgence of previous neurlic paAerns of behivior .., and thq development of psYchotiurKeactive tymptoms as well as other

-psychological distresses (Tung,19Th. Suisisle attempts were reported.

What aimed the refilgees to fleethe stress of war, the breakdown of

traditional family systems, was no longer preient in the camps.

Traditional Indochinese ways returned in the safe, protected environ-5

ment of the camp. Old and new family systems found themselves in the

camps. The refugees' traditional ways of dealing with meld health

problems such as internalizing and suffering in private happe ed in the

camps .(Tung, 1975), For those who ran and came hers individually,

there was 'the "tortous guilt" (Tung, 1975). The camp experience

turned out tCNbe one of the precursors of what the refugees would

experience upon moving out from the camps in the area of mental

health: St, ,ti

T most serious complaints that are to be lodged against the rttlement effort in camps are: I. the mental health needs of the efugees were not taken seriously, and, 2. it was assumed that assimilation would be problem-free wilhout taking*ato account

the different cultural values or theraugees. (Liu, Bridge, 1978, p.

49.) 0

f

Resvilemelit efforts by Ahe 'refugees were first challenged by the

stress &tuning frOm the loss of family, homeland, traditional ways, and

< ,a the lack of preparation in leaying. The situation was further exacerbated by language barriers, the cultural claphes, Americanized chile, dren, dispersal of refligees over a wide area of the U.S.,.role changes,

and the lack of accurate information/communication.

Efforts were made by sponsors to orient the refugoses quickly into

the American mainstream._Find them jobs and teach them English was

,.

224

ry 21
L '

)

the focts of the effort. The fact that..they were from a war-torn

country, that they had suffered some terrible lows, and they were not

your average mainstream American, but from a different time and

different culture, were somehow overlooked in the jush to resettle.

Resettlement meant isolafion and loneliness Mr those disperwd to

remote areas. Resettlement meant being thrust into the welfare system

for others. Resettlement meant 'disillusionment for some and the hope

of a new lffe for many others..

The lack of an adequate mental health program from the very

begin)fing has become evident-even up to now. Refugees who were

crying and suffering in silence 3 years ago, are still crying and

suffering in silence. There have been many more suicide attempts since

then. Marital problems have resulted in many casts of separation,

divorce, and runaway& Severe depression is common. All of this,

combined with anger and frustration, have clouded the future here for

some reftigees. Their resettlement efforts will take muCh time and

energy/ 7 ow and then one or two will be struck down by a psy6hotic

episode a nervous breakdown. Those reftigs, who entered the

mental health system where they lived, face the risk of being,

nderstood & misdiagnosed because hemeuka1 health people did

I no understand their cultural differes. The refugees find themselves

in a cultural and, psychological .nd. Their children are being

Americanized in thA schools much to their dismaY. The jobs and ESL

- training they receive is at the lowtst level or entty level. They cansot

reach their familie s. back home. Current events plague them like

o A nightmares. .

. .,

. Mainstream Americans display ,ambivalence towards them, or ip -..,

some caseis, outright resentTent and hostility. Feelings of guilt,

insecurity, lack con'54Eno e, frustration, and anger were not and

have not been dealt with. ny refugees lack even the simple tools to

survive with here compared to other immigrants and refuees who

were prepared to come. There was a lack of an established cmmunity

that could receiNie them. Their experierice of fleeing unprepa1d and in

a panic bas caused many to question their ability to adapt an adjust

it here. Their familiar systems of extended family, herb doctors, zonks,

spiritual leaders, and role relationships have been wiped out and

replaced WW1 new' forms, or in some cases, with nothing. Newly

arriving reftigees have been found to have li;v-it'education, less skills,

and more tatining problems than the first wrwe of reftigees. The first # . -4/4ye of rdftees still are faced with the psycSological stress resulting

fro the failure to terminate important relationships. The implications ofFof this is to question the prognosis for successful resetdement. To

ad ress this issue, we must carefully examine past and existing

resettlement programs.

- .., 225

1
The first signifi6int program for rflugee mental health across %the

couhtry came in 1978. Opidelines. froM Department of Health,

Education, and Welfare stipulated that refugee mental health programs consist of:

1) inliwting the local m tal health systems, am training local

mental-1461th profeoionals to work with Indochine4;

2) training IndocMnese to be mental health workers and Oacing

them Mille mental health field; and

3) creating community comprehensive support syst is.

There were two major' weaknesses right at the vcly beginning/ with

the legislation. First, the vrograms were slated only for I year. second,

the mental health money was available for programs thrifughout thew

countrw based on proportion of the refugee population, The weakness

of 1-year programs is quite evident when given the scope and

ccyinprehensiveness of such a program design as the one outlined

e. The prOgram proposals that came into DHEW from across the

country ranged from one in Spokane, Washington, that received

$6,856 to oue.tin Pennsylvania that received $202,254. Obviously, the

quality and de.gn of the proposed programs was primarily limited by

the amount of funds available to each region of the country. While

refugees in Pennsylvania might hove an excellent program, refugees in

Spokane are getting the barest minimum of a program.

To .accomodate the funding restrictions for each region in the

country based on size of the refugee population, proposals could ti

contain one or more of the three objectives outlined earliel-. While thek-- 4

size of the refugee populition may vary according to each region, the,

needs of refugees in one place or another are very nearly the same as

far as mental health is concerned. Yet becauseof the need for faiiness

as far as the amount of money and the number of refugees in one

particular area are concerned, the difference in mental health ptogramming is vast.

The theory behind the first objective of the mental health pro;

gramsthe -cultural awareness training of mental health service

providers and impacting the local mental health systemis to make

these systems accessible to Indochinese, and in some cases the idea is a

sound one. Mental health professionals who get the training certainly

will gain some insight into working with Indochinese, And to bring

the concerns of Indochinese mental health needs to the local mental

health systems will certainly raise the issue in theirinindis. However,/

there are serious concerns as to whether, the overall effectiveness- of

the programs to impact local mental healtlpfitems is adequate enough.

to access these systems to the Indochineie population. Dr. Tran Minh

Tung, the pioneerifis.Aietnamese psychiatrist in the Camp Pemtleton

studies, felt thiit "Viefrianiese.tradition views medicine AS the domain

2244

2 3
Of somatic disease and places non-phyical problems outside the

jurisdiction of a doctor," and "Vietnamese see sorrow and grief* as

natural processes which do not permit the 'sick role"' (Tung, 1975, p.

4). Because of these traditional cultural beliefs, it is unlikely that

Indochinese would kise the localtinental health systei s even if they

were impacted by seminars and Adtural aware! ss t ming. In many

counties, the 1 mental health systems- use a\njdical dodel that

emphasizes v r alness, initiative, and values tha 'would fit a white

middk-class 4Ii11. Unless these local mental health systems develop

new programs there remains the limited or nonexistent access to their

programs for çhe Indochinese.

In analyzing the second objective, to train Indochinese men4i1

health paraprofessionals, there are two flictors to consider: 1) the lafk

&Van appropriate model to train with, and 2) the lack of job

opportunities for them when they finish'their training. The task of

training Indochinese in msntal health is imliense. It is only recently

that we hic43 learned that Asians have meligl health problems. Before

they, as well as other minorities, were ignored and forgotten. With

information that we Ave learned from such studies as- "Asian

American Psychblogical Theory" (Sue, 1977), "Asian Americans and

Therapy," (Yamamoto, 1978), and "The Family.and Management of

Mental Health Probl ms in Vietnam," (Tung, 1972) we can .begin to

build a culturally oil need mental health model that will atIkess the

Mental health needs of,Indochinese. This model, combined with'some

traditional mental, health concepts, VIII take from 1-2 years to train

Indocifiinese. Currently, projects ar wellnly 1-year long with some hope

jot* funding for a second year. T are compounded with

jihe task of training Indochinese %silo c me from a system that doesnot

have psychological concepts as we here in the West, who have to

learn English as a second language, and who are refugees themselves

with similar mental health/adjustment problems. The whole idea of

training Indochinese to be mental health workers is even more under

question if the trained Indochinese cannot find jobs afterwards. To

secure the support of local systems to hire Indochinese during a time

when there are funding crises for many mental health systems is .not

easy tosay the least. And to train Indochinese to compete in the local

job market requires more than 1 year's worth of trainines

The last objective, to build a comprehensive community support

system, some i ing that many minority communities in the U.S. have l

been tltjodo for years. Mass community education, referral

systems, comiiIhiity mental health prevention are all techniques that

have. ted in the past with some measure of succe&s and

failur 'the weakest link of the mental health program

fo at. The purse is --to educate, encourage, and influence a

240

227
community to utilize the mental health system and the mental health

worker. TheAndochinese community is known for internalization of

feelings, stoicism, somatizttion, and suffering in private silence. The

Indochinese, and Asians in general, come from a different culture

altogether than non-Asians and non-Asian refugees such as the Soviet

Jews, the cubans, and -the Hungarians. If the Indochinese community

is predisposed to handling their mental health problems in ways that

do not fit the currenimedical model that most mental health agencies

and systems use; then is the answer to change the Indochinese to fit themodel? Or its the answer rather to develop new and appropriate models

and systems to aid)he mental health of Indochinese

What rcan be donc at a local, State, and Federal Ikel to ad ess the

issues and problems raised in this paper? At the local level, we see a

need for locaNnentarhealth systems to be responsive to the partitular,

mcntal health needs of the refugees. Mental health systems need tf

develop culturally appropriate mental health programs for Indochinese. A major portion of these programs should be outreach programs

and prevention programs. Bilingual Indochinese mental health wotkers should be outstationed at local access point for Indochinese such as

churches, pagodas, schools, health clinics, community, and cultural

associations. Preventative programs should be digned for communi-

, ty meetings and events, for schools, and for the media. Ical

govertiments should have more flexible child care licensing reqjements as refugee families often need to have bibth parents wofking.

Local mass transit should be developed for all residents. Local

Indochinese programs should have stipulations that ea h program

have a mental health worker to screen for potential An ntal health

cases, to provide mental health work in ihe context of te services

provided, to provide mental health consultation in the prog am, and to

develop additional mental tealth suppc\rt as needed. Local health care

facilities and other sodal service programs should have a mental

health worker, part or full time, to provide the mental health input in

their programs as well'as work directly with their Indochinese client

population. Education, employment, and training programs would

need to have some mental health personnel. Instead of the curr nt

clustering of all mental health worktrs in aiclinic or center, for the

Indochinese as well as other Asian minorities, the workers need to be

out in-the community with the people they ars to serve. It would be

necessary to ask a cies and systems to create new'mental health

positions in their pr rams and to hire bilingual workers. This would

require the educati n and encouragement ,of such agencits to (loos°.

For that, it is not sarty to look at the funding sourcessuch as the

State and Feder levels. . 228

24,1
.

At the State level, funding foi- various i&ntal health programs iti

Meel arem need to have some strings attached to ensure that

Indochinese are being served. The States need to ensure that their

local programs serve Indochinese either through existing sources of

revenue or ask for FedersLaid. This becomes a political issue because

some States pride themselves on refusing Federal aid rut Federaf

programs. TherflUtitude is one.of self-reliance and indepen ence! But

the worldis far more complex than that, and the peoples wb come to

live in such a State have different cultures, different piblens, 4nd

different needs than tht residents who have,lived there longer. It n ey , be that iiiich Statei that reflise to develop adeq*te refugee mental'' '

; health and other programs would not receive other Federal funding.

The State government has an important role because it understands

local conditions' that are far removed from the Federal level. It can 1 provide comprehensive long range planning and direction, feigrally

su idized and unsubsidized funding, and adeguate evaluation and

m noring of programs. For example, in California, the Short-Doyle

'Act provides for community mental health centers and services \ thrdighout the State. This assures all residents of California access and

provision y mental health services. The State department of mental

health provides guidelines and direction to local mental health

programs. The State also prOvides approximately 90 percent of the

funding (subsidized by the Federal Government) fOr local mental

health progrims. If the State of California were to develop a refugee

mental health program, it could influence local mental health systems - to develop outreach and preventative models based on culturally

relevant and appropriate concepts. Additionally, the State, which

monitors and administers the Title XX Social Services programs,

could also ask that mental health workers be included in- the program

des* for each project and each locality. Finally, the State has control

of employment programs, including State CETA. Efforts should be

made to develop such employment programs that servF the needs of 4 / bilingual peoples and non-English monolingual peoples'. The point is

not that these peoples get special treatment or ipoie than what the . other residents get, but receive the training and services that will allow

them to be useful productive citizens.

The Federal level is a critical one. Ultimately, the federal level

must be respongble for the resettlement of refugewin the entire

t

country. The Federal level must provide a comprehensive planning

and funding schedule that will allow for the most optimum resettlement in the shortest time. Refugee policy should not only come from

the one DHEW department that handles the tidochinese Refugee

Assistance Program (IRAP), but also be integrated in the other 1

departments of the Federal Government. While IRAPIries to set up

21

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229
special projecci and programs for the Indochinese, other governmental

con! institute to aid the resett ment efforts. For instance, Federal

ihily not be aware of 1 AP efforts as well as policies that thily

efforts in housing, affirmative ion, CETA programs, and education

should have some policy regarding retligees to aid-their resettlement.

In areawf high concentrations of reftigees, Fede(ral efforts should be

made tolissure housing without displacing other residents who have

lived there -longert. affirmative action poliCies inoluding refugees *, should be enforced especially in the areas of health cart, mental health

services, educatipn, etc., add multilevel English as a secpnd language

programs should be developed and avaijable. Again, the purpose is not

fr to give one group special treatment, tfut to Provide an effectiv . speedy route to resettlement and eventually valuable and bent 11; contributions to the American sodety by the Indochinese...

In summary, 'the Indochinese have 'throughout the 30-year wailltin

Ind5china, thravacuation and the resettlement here been subjected to

tremendous stresses on their mental health. Our goals are'to.akl them

in their resettlement here, particulirly in mental health, which we

definmas a social system concept. This vial system concepts includes

mekal health services, socitl services, education, employment and

training, family reunification/immigration policy.

Suggestions .for Action

The' refugees have been conditioned to "live for today" as outlined

early in this paper. The refugees must learn how to plan for the future.

The golvernment must Xediize thp t. a long term refugee prOlgram is

necesry for a people viho havp6een conditioned to "live for today."

Federal APevd At the Federal level a long range comprehensWe

reftig rogram Must be developed. The current draft refugee act

suggests a 2-yedr limitation on refugee.aid from the date of entry. It

would betybr to make this 2-yetr limitation flefible anb applicable

to single refugees considering each case individually. For largeRuh-size refugee families, it takes much longer to become selfsufficiep(. To apply the 2-year limitation to these families would tie to

dIscrintinate against them' on a cultural basis because for Indochinese

1

hi in this country that encourage small families. Resettlefamilies ltirsfaitiilies are the norm and desired as opposed to thecultural va

menttshould take anywhere from 2 to 10 years it is necessary to allow

some families, especially those with lower ed9cation levels, to have

enoughetime to resettle.

Guidelineifor all federally ftmded projects ould include a reft,gee

mental health component. States should be encouraged by the Federal

Government to provide fair and equal, servicernd ptograms to' all

refugees regardless of where they are resettled.

230

2 . .
T1* Federal Government should convene a national copference to

discuss refugee planning, policy, and implementation with substantial

input from the refugees themselves.

Local Level LtIcal4overnment and wmmunities should encourage

deve19pment of adequafe refugee programs with subsidized funding

from the State and Federal le:/els. Every effort shoukt be made to

moire access by refugeet to all available programs.

State Level States should provide equal programs and services with

or without Federal subsidy. States should develop detailed and

location-specific resettlementylans for the refugees.

The refugees have long treasured and valued the extended family

and the community approach to life told their social systems. During

the war and afterwards this was disr4ted and replaced by survival of

the individual tmd the need to "run away." 14 refugee policy should

address itself to these issues in the following ways:

The Immigration and State Department policy -regarding family

reunification should be adjusted to allow the refugees to bring their

familiorto the U.S. sooner and with less red tape. current po)licy

stipffittes that refugees must attain permanent resident status (the

refugee must,vemain in the U.S. for 2 years before attaining permanetitr

resident st us) before being allowed :to apply for spouse and

unmarried kns and daughters of any age. Coraidering the mental

health needs of the refugees and the. great stress plac n them

because of separation from their families, it would seem that ieuniting

them sooner' would be a form of nIntal health prevention and thus, in

the long run, saving both the refuiee from entering the mental health

system and Sae cost involved in treating ikmentally ill. The emphasis

in U.S. immigration policy is on immediate family members (considered to be the most important family members). This is a cultural bias

against people of Asian background because :#sians place importance

on a wider group of family memberseach being of equal importance.

A real effort slipuld be made by the Federal Government in the

area of affirmative action in hiring more bilingual Indochinese

workersThe resettlement effort cannot proceed quickly and effectively without the aid of bilingual bicultural -workers who can expedite

m tal health and social services that the refugees must rely upon

en first entering the U.S. Without bilingual workers, the refugees

are; in fact, being denied access to services they have a right to and, 0

therefore, have been assigned second-class citizens status.

The last issue that ould 1* addressed is one that may mot be

influenced so easily aM directly, by Federal, State, and local

governments. That issue s one of racism and prejudice. With

increasing frequently refugees are being harassed by local residents,

Episodes of trashing, window / breaking, and . name calling have

231

2 1 4
A

oM:urred. 1tfugers in some cases hove been shot and stabbed by

resentful an ostile Americans. The amount of misunderstanding

from some elements in the Avierican society ranges from misconceptions that the refugees receive higher and better benefits and services

than other Americans, to the idea that refugees arc displacing other

Americans (who have been here longer) in the areas of hawing and

employment. It behooves everyone, from the media to the government, to make substantial efforts to educate the general public'tm the

circumstances behind the resettlement efforts and the actual acts of

the kind and amount of services and bentts the refugees ace getting in

the resettlement program.

in the Los Angeles metropolitan area there 'are 40,000 Iesettled

Hungarian refugees. It is haid to believe that there are so many

Hungarian refugees in Los Angeles because they have blended in. One

cannot tell them from one American to another. Yet in the Linda Vista

area of San Diego, grocery clerks are rude to refugees, American

youths ridicule refugees, and Indouhinese youths are attacked and

ganged up on by other youths. America has always been an open door

natiyn toffefugees from all over the world, but recent events seem to

indicate that that dbor id closing. We can reverse that trend by

providing a comprehensive long range refugee program that addresses

the serious mental health issues of the refugees in all facets of their

resettlement herein America.

6 REFERtNES

FedalR(egister, July 13, 1978, Sectiot V. Eligible Projects, VIII,

Application Content, IX, Criteria for Evaluating Applications.

U.S., Department of State, "Family Retmification of Residents of

Vietnam."

Liu, William and Alice K. Murata, "Life In ,The Refugee Camps,"

Bridge, New York 1978, vol. 6, nos. 1 and 2.

Lourie, Dr. Norman and Dr. Julius Segal, "The Mental Health of the

Vietnam Reftigees," Memorandum to Rear Admiral S.G. MorrisOn,

Guam 1975.

RelierriVd Rehabilitation of the War Victittts in Indochina, Qne, Year

After the Cedseflr. A study mission report prepared for the use of

the subcommittee to investigate problems connected with the

refugees of the Committee on.the Judiciary, U.S. Senate 93d Cong.,

.1" 2d sess., Jan. 27, 1974.

Rahe, Richard H., John G. Looney, Harold Ward, Tran Minh Tiing, and William T. Liu, "Psychiatric Consultation in a Vietnamese

Refugee Camp," American Journal of Psycliiatry 135(2): 185 to 190,

February 1978.

232 '240'7
Kunz, E.F., Reftigees In Flight: Kinetic Models and Forms of

Disphvment," International Migration Review, 7:125-146,1973.

Sue, Stanley, "Asian American Psychology" Journal of Personnel

Guidance, March 1977.

Yamamoto, .16e, "Therapy For Asian AnAans, " presentation to the

82d annual convention of the National Medical Association, Los

Angeles, Calif., 7/31-8/77 Printed4n National Medical Anociation,

vol. 70, no.1f1978.

2 i3

233
Parole Status of Refugees: An Impediment to Effective Resettlement

by Julia Vadala Taft*

Since World War II more than 1.8 million refugees have been

adthitted to the United States. While the average annual admission has

been approximately 50,000, there have been certain periods in our

history-where that number hai been quite large. The latest large scale

moVement was in 1975 when more than 1-31,000 Indochinese refugees were welcomed on our soil.

Refugeel3 are admitted under two provisions of law: as conditional

enticants and as parolees. The conditional entrants are provided for

trnder the seventh preference category of the continuing provisions of

the Immigration and Nationality Act and are limited to_ 17,400

annually. Specifically, they are refugees who have a well-founded fear

of persecution based cfh political, racial, or religious beliefs, who are

outside .their country of nationality, and are unable to return to their

country of origin for fear of persecution; Additionally, they must be

from a Communist or Communist-dominated country or from a

country in the Middle- East Of the total number of conditional

entrants, 7,200 may come from the Western Hemisphere.

Thrither mechanism used to admit refugees is through the parole

authority vested in the Attorney General to admit any alien temporarily,"for emergent reasons or for reasons deemed strictly in the public

interest." There are ng(numerical limits on the parole authority. While

the Inient of this pr6Gision of law was specifically for individual cases,

Ace 1956 it has .15een the vehicle through which the United States

could trspond to emergency humanitarian situations involving large nuAbers of refugees.

The Hungarians0 1956, the Cubans during the 1960s, apdtthe Kurd,-

Ugandan, Soviet, and Indochinese refugees during this decade, mostly.. have been admitted.by group, rather than individual parole.

Neither the conditional ehtry nor the parole status"confers permanent residence on the refugees. .In fact, pie parolee is admitted

temporarily which results in a virtual- "limbo" as the refugee is not

formally: admitted to the country and, thus, technically could be

deplOrted at any tinie. Such ambiguity places greatstrain on the mental

well-being of refugees since all of them come to the.country seeking,

safe asylum and security from the threat of persecution and ,rejection."

In practice, however, virtually no parolee in recent iiiitory has ever r. Julia vadala Tafl is project director, Refugee Resettlement Study. New TransCentury Foundation,

Washington, D.C.,

A 234

, 2
been subjected to an expulsion process. Because the United States

Government is a Signatory to the United Nations Ptotocol on the

Status of Refugees which forbids deportation of refugees to Olen

country of origin, no caugee has ever been forcibly sent back to his or

her country of origin. . Typically, refugees must wait 3 years before applying for.permanon

residency. Fror Indochinese, however, a special bill passed by Congress

allows adjustment of status for all Indochinese refugees who have been

in the country for 2 years. . There is much evidence to show that the parole status has many

negative effects on the refugee wliNs seeking to resettle in this

country. There is confusion between the Inirole:' status of the refugee

and the criminal ."parole" by persons who do not understand

Immigration and Naturalization Service terminology. Often eMployers It

are hesitant to hire persons without a "green,card" although all

refugees are entitled and encouraged to work.

Another negative aspect of the parole status is that several States

refuse to grant in-State tuition status for refugees residing in their State

who wish to attend institutions of higher education. Another impedi.' *

ment posed by the status is a source of Continuing anguish: There are

strict limitations on petitioning for faniily reunification by noncitizens

- -- and nonpermanent resident alien's.

Additionally, there are restrictions which are imposed by certain

States limiting the accessibility of certain pwiessions to citizens or

permanent resident aliens. These occupations include acCountanti,

'architects, attorneys, barbers, chiropractors, cosmetologists, dentists,

dental hYgienists, embalmers, engineers, manicurists, midwives, nurses,

.. opticians,- optometrists, pharmacists, physical therapists, physicians,

practical nurses, podiatrists, psychologists, teachers, and veterinari-

, ans.' It should be stressed that all States vary in the occupations Which

require citizenship or permanent resident status. It is thought. by the

. American Citil Liberties Union thai these laws are unconstitutional;

however, they continue to be enforced unless they are challenged

individually.' . Ironically,) the Federal Government and most States deny governMental emWo ent to refugees and other aliens. I firmly believe sidce

it is a resu governmental action that refugees are admitted to the . United States, that the government, itself, should set a proper exam*,

for other employers by allowing refugees to participate in thecompetitive civil. Service. Not only is it a disservice to qualified

refugees to deny them access to governmental jobs, bul also it denies

' Carliner, David, Tite\Rights of Aliensne Basic ACtU Guide to An Alien's Rights (Avon Books,

New York. 1977), pp. 127,28. * 235

------2 1
N.

, 1

the American people from benefiting from the talents and services of

.0.

, many eittremelTwell-quaVed newcomers.

The role of,. the U.S. ConimMion on "Civil Rights would be

particularly helpful if the Commissia would endorse the removal of

current restrictions placed op refugees to seçve the Federal Government in civilian or military capacifies. Two lavenues in which- to

express this concern would be either through supwrting legislation

which would remove those current restrictions or through urging the

President to rescind Executive Order 11935 which prohibits Federal

employment of permanent resident aliens.

- While there are several remedies which can be taken to reduce the

negative impact of the parole status, it should be realized that the btisic

status, itselr, provides little belief to the immigration prqcedur6; of

our government. In fact, it re s in great cost and burdensome

procedures to adjust the status of refugees after they have completed

residency requirements.

I advocate the total termination of the "parole" mechanism, fbr

refugee admissions in favor of granting refugees immediate permaneht

resident alien status. Such an initiative is, fortunately, included in Ale

piroposed legislation submitted byrthe administration recently in the

.frktional refugee act of 1979. Under the provisivs of that bill, there

would be a normal flow of refugees who wit he admitted to the

country of 50,000 annually who would conAipas permanent resident

aliens.

Ny i 1 h the excption of the real and perceived aspects of parole status

outlined abovi, it is important to understand that refugees are entitled

to almos all-the protections and, privileges offered to others in Aur

society. ome distinctions reinain between aliens, including refug

from citi ens, such as the right to vote, to hold elected, public office,

e,S

and holdinig employment in the competitive Federielevil service. In t spite of this, refugees can becowej)eneficiaries of numerotm Federal

programs if they meet the eligibility criteria established which are the

-...., same for U. . citizens.

4 Examp of such programs include thf income assistance programs

funded tnroughl the U.S. Department .of Health, Education, and

Welfare such as public assistance-and suppleditintal security income.

The HEW-funded program in ConjunetiOn with Stats for medical aid

to the poor, niedicaid, has no tesidenci 1time limit, although medicare

has a 5-year residency reqtdrement. The Department of Labor

prograisiinemployment compensat 11Nand disa*ility and.workersi

,compen n aie also available to Tefug on the same basis as,theyt

ir available 'for U.S. citizens. Student 1 ns and education programs,

as well as food astistance,are additional xamples of benefits to which

refugees may avail themselves if they ned theni. _....... 236

2 4

''1,
In spite of thc plethora of assistance progeams available to silfugees,

their struggle for self-sufficiency with a maximum degree of pride in

t emselves wld their heritage is a most-difficult task. As policymalters,

a d as a conscience of civil libertarians, it is important for the

ominission to recOnize and try to obviate thoie impediments,

articularly thc artificial ones such as parole status, which become

arricrs to effective integration into our society. It is with that goal in

mind that thc recommendations in this paper are offered for your

consideration.

J

2 5 (1

237
\ 2

., Asia-Pacific Meg& Aliens: A Discussion of

Their Status, Limitations, and Rights Under

the Law

by David S. North*

This is a substantial but unknown number of Asian and Pacific

Americans whose sraiis is not recqgnized under the immigration law

(and therefore not by the Immigration and Naturalization Sevice

(INS)). For conyenience we are terming them itlegal aliens. Today we

will desetibe how they acquired that status, what little is known about

the characteristics of this population, their rights in that status, and

finally what is to become orthem.

I. Acquiring Illegal Immigrant Status

Unlike most of the groups of concern to the U.S. Commission on

Civil Righttisuch as blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics--no

one is born an illegal alien; it is a status that is rarely thrust qn one. All

illegal immigrants (except the very youngest) volunteer for that status.

In a world where all nations have borders, and all nations utilize their

power to decide who may and who may not cross them, no nation

recognizes any universal right to migrate across boundaries. Many

nations, including this one, recognize the right to leave a nation, but

none recognizes the right of outsiders to enter their own nation. This

may or may not be appropriate, but it is clearly the case, and it is useful

to opelk any conversation about illegal aliens with that understanding.

-U.S. immigration law recognizes three classes of aliens (persons

born outside this Nation to non-U.S. citizen parents). These classes are:

immigrants: persons who mayll spend the rest of their lives here,

who may move about the Nation and,the labot misket freely, and

who may apply for citizenship.'

nonimmigmnw persons admittedlio the Nation for a finite period

of time and for a finite purpose, soh as to be a diplomat, a tourist, or

a student.

illegal migmatr persons w ho have either entered the country

without inspectkm (i.e., by avoiding the ports of entry) or who

entered legally, as an imnilgrant or aJonimmigrant, and who have

subsequently acted in such a manner atgdrop out of legal status.

David North is director of the Center for Labor and Migration tudies, New Triplitentury

Foundation, Washington, D.C.

' A subgroup, and ku privileged clam, among the immigrants are conditional entrants and parolees,

two roughly parallel claws among the refugees, which Julia Taft has jusrdiscussed.

238

251.
People from the Pacific and Asia in .the third category are the

subject today. Most of them --unlike the Undocumented Mexican

migrants we hear so nnich about came to this country with documents, usually a nonimmigrant visa. Subsequently, tyy have either

stayed beyond the date that they were supposed to leave, or they have

violated the terms of their visas, usually by working when they are not

supposed to do so. The Immigration Seivice calls such veisons visa

abusers.

A small subgrokup of the illegal aliens from Asia did not arrive with

visas; they, to us? the INS term, entered without inspection (hence

EWI). While some members of this group crossed the border from

'Canada or Mexico, most.opem are deserters brom merchant ships or

Chinese shipjumpers.

II. The Illegal Allen Population

Who are the illegal aliens from Asia and the Pacific? How many are

there?0Ne do not know very much about the illegal alien population

generally, And oul- knowledge of this subgroup is not substantial. This

is partially the case because it is hard to secure useful data on any

underground population; and it is partially so -'because what little

energy has been spent on subgroups atnong the illegal aliens has been

devoted to larger subgroups, particularly these from Mexico. , Let us turn to one small segment among the Asia-Pacific illegal

aliensthose who have been apprehended by INS. It should be borne

in mind that the number of persons enforcing the law, within the

boundaries of the Nation is yery small, less thaii a thousand agents, asmaller police force than the one that guards those 'buildings on

Capitol Hill. And the force is getting smaller. Most illegal aliens are

caught as they cross the U.S.-Mexico bordera"., so it is a very unlucky

Asia-Pacific illegal alien vey,ittrialls into the hands of INS, as table I

shows.

The total number, of such illegal aliens apprehended by INS has

varied in this decade from abou(9,500 to about 16,000, and ihose

numbers, along with interior apprehensions, generally have fallen in

recent years. It should also be noted that, because of the rapid rise in

apprehensions (that is, arrests) along the U.S.-Mexico border, the

percentage of illegals from the iVia-Pacirfic area has dropped from 2.8

to 1.0 percent in 1978 when, overall, there were about 1 million

apprehensions of illegal aliens.

So the Asia-Pacific illegal population knoln to INS is relatively

smallgut the individual being apprehended faces a setback which

can range from a nuisance to a tragedy.

What do we know about the characteristics of this unlucky group of

10,000? First, a very high percentage (for illegal aliens) have been U.S.

239

2 5 ,z
1 TABLE 1

INS Date on APprehenelons et Deportable As le-PecIfic Aliens

STATUS AT ENTRY LENGTH OF TIME ILLEGALLY IN U.S.*"

Fiscal

yesr

Total ell

countries*

Total

Asia Visitors Students Other

At

entry

Lys

than

72 hrs.

4-30

days

1-6

mos.

7 MOO.-

1 yr.

Over

1 yr. 1978

1977 1,047,687

1,033,427,

10,149

14,118

5a09

7,191

2,969 2,752 152 770 1,448 2,534 1,272 4,553

1976 865,534 15,905 6,821

3,904 3,023 .92 898 2,041-. 3,412 2,014 5,661

1975 755,740 13,608 5,264

5,018 4,066 106 1,386 1,787 3,579 2203 , 6,990

1974 780,021 11,508

4,211 4,133 .. 48 1,439 1,964 3,895 1,848 4,605 1973 646,530 11,294 4,626

4,602 3,575 3,331 52 668 1,315 3,773 2,126 3,661

1972 491,403 10,429 4,695 3,059 3,609 68 705 1,337 3,861 1,879 3,611

1971 411,403 12,740 4,806

2,596 3,138 49 723 1,426 3,907 1,727 2,712

1970 333,396 9,439

4,337 3,597 53 1,275 1,861 5,502 1,955 2,217 4,072 2,664 2,703 52 , 730 1,159 4,505 1,281 1,868

Excludes nonwillful violators (D-1 & 0-2 crewmen). but Includes " Data include nonwiliful violators which could not be sorted out all other apprehendees from all other countries. because of unknown distribution; Asia" column. therefore, row totals will not ehual "Total

I.

25a
'T

- students, about 30 i).ercent year after year first entered the Nation with

st'udent visas. Secondly, about a fifth of them are identified as Chinese

by INS, and about a fifth from the Philippines. (In the INS reporting

system, an arcane subject which wewill not explore here, only these

two nations in the Pacific-Asia arca are listed among the sources of

illegal aliens.) Thirdly, tbey have been here-for some time before they

were caught, particularly in recent years, In FY 1970, for example,

17_2 percent had been in the U.s. for more than a year; by FY 1978,

42.4 percent had been here a year or longer.

Overall, of course, we know that they had to have a visa and an

airplane ticket (or a job on a ship) to get here. They thus had leapt

over a couple of obstacles on their way to this country, and they are

thusobstantially different from the illegal aliens from Mexico, most of

whom arrive as a pedestrian, without a visa, without an airline ticket.

In a study of apprehended illegal aliens and their role in the labor

market, which Marion Houstoun and I did for the U.S. Labor

Department a few years ago, we interviewed 793 apprehended illegals;

75 were from the Eastern Hemisphere, and of those 39 were from

Asia.' A'separate analysis was not done for the Asians among the

Eastern Hemisphere (EH) respondents, but, as a group, the EH illegals

tended to be the most advantaged, the most urbanized (in. their

countries of origin), the st educated (with 12 years of education,

,. very much like the U.S. erage), and made more-Ittioney than the

other illegal aliens in ou sample. Moreover, at least in our study

group, their motivation for coming to the U.S. was more intellectual

than economic, with 45.9 percent reporting their primad reason for

coming to the U.S. was "to study," compared to 23 percent who said

"to work."

Given the apparent relative rareness of apprehensions'among this

group, we assume that there niust be a much larger population than the

ever-apprehenled Asia-Pacific illegal alien population, and that is the

never-apprehended population. We can assume that the latter population is made up largely of visa abusers, including many ex-students,

and probably contains a larger percentage of women than men among

the apprehendeds (because INS investigators hate to arrest wornen).

We also knsw that many of them work extremely hard, often under

most unatgactive conditions, in ethnic ghettos3; though the work is

hard and their rights are few, many of them feel that they are better off

now than they were in their homeland.

David S. North and Marion F. Housloun, The Characteristks and Role of Illegal Miens ifs the U.S.

Labor Marker An Exploratory Study (Washington: U.S. Department of Labor, Mareh 1976).

' -The Sweatshop: A Penny for your Collar," New York Magazine, Jan. 29, 1979, p. 40. d

2 5

241
4

M. The Rights of These ll legal ImMigraflta Given the tight time frame today, it is necessary to touch only

briefly on three clusters of rights:

rights to due process in immigration proceedings;

rights in the labor market; and

rights to social services.

Generally, an illegal aliein who speaks up for himself (ahd that is not

automatic) can secure a formal hearing prior to being deported; in

ninny cases an alien agrees with the INS suggestion that he accept something called a "voluntary departure," which means that he leaves

the Nation but can reenter without prejudice.

The hearing- process, particularly if the alien's lawyer wants it extended, can last for months or even years. During these delays some illegal aliens secure eithCi a job or a relative, and thereby an inunigrant visa, so the delays are not simply postponements; they allow the

individual to become legal in the prooess. I should add in passing that tIrre is no such hearing process in Cinad4--if an immigration officer

ruleAthit an alien must leave,qhere is no appeals procure. This is a complex subject, much better known to a number of

Washingtonians such as klaurice I Roberts, editor of Interpreter Releases, 4 the indispensable eriodical of the inMigration bar; David Carliner, author of the ver useful ACLU handbook, The Rights of

Aliens, 5 and Sam pernsen, rmer Geurral Counsel of INS. It is also a

subject covered .in a publ cation of ya,(ur New York State Advisory

Committee, The Forgotten Minority: AsiAAmericans in New York City`

I csan, however, make a knowledgeable contribution aboUt my field of particular interest, the labor market. While it is quite true that ille

Asia-Pacific aliens are often explOited in 'the labor market, o by. their own countrymen, and while it is often true tlfat,ftcf are too le

worried about being apprehended to seek their labOr market rights, it

is also true that illegal alivis have a ,(to some) surprising array of rightS

in idle .labor market. 1 Nsten to add ,tha.t this is not because the government has sudly becdme concerntd about them as a subpopulation, but because there are certain obligations which employers have vis-ft-vis all their employees, whoever they are. I will cover a few

specifics:

Social Security. All work, and all workers (with very few

exceptions), are covered by this program. The employer.must make

An information service on immigration, naturalization and rdated matters published in Washing- ton. D.C. by the American Council for Nationalities Service

New York: Avon Books, 1977

November 1977, pp. 16.- iS, mid subsequent footnotes. (A useful summary of the rights of all slid& legal and illegal, can be found in "Staff Repoli of the Interagency Task Force on Immigration Policy" (Washington: Departments offustice, Labor, and State, forthcoming, Chapter X.),

242,

253
:?

a contribution (a tax)* and withhold the same amdunt from the

worker's check., An Wegataien who is old enough, or who is

disahltki enough, can collect social security, despite illegal status.

This is not generally known, ilid many illegal aliens probably do not

file when they are eligible to ao so.

, Minimum Wage. A covered employer is required to pay minimum

wage, currently $2.90 an hour, and overtime (usually) to Jill

workers, regal-cc:Hess-of their status. 4

Workers' Compensation. Similarly, workers' compensation is

required of all employer's, and I know of no State law which would

relieve an emplqyer of this obligation if the workers were illegal.

On Ahe other hand, while an employer '''is required to make

unemPoyment insurance tax payments for all workers, legal and illegal,

the unemployed illegal alien, ifAnown as such, is- not eligible for

unemployment insurance benefits on the grounds that he is -not able

and available (ftally) for work.

Clearly, the practical value of these coverages is more important for

an alien who \has nothing to lose by coming forward; thus, the illegal

alien who is either seeking t2k change his status, or is already in the

throes of deportation, is morf likely to assert his rights than one who

remains underground.'

Makiug to the social services arena, we find that the rights of illegal

aliens are much more limited than in the labor market because they, as

individuals; are seeking funds or services from the State.

In income transfer programs otheyhan-sOcial security, such as aid

to families .with dependent children, supplemental security inc6mA,

food.stamps, and WIC, one generally must be in the Nat-ion "under

.color of iaw," i.e., either a'cititen,', a permanent resident alien (legal

immigrant), or, ti refugee to be able to receive these benefits. The same

is true for medicaid and public housing. But in all of these instances,

the aqual ability pf an illegal alien to secure these benefits depends on

thd reactkm 'of the-intake workers; some ,are much more'alert than

others. Some programs, such as some of those for migrant find seas6nal

farmworkers, deliberately do not ask legal ilatuq. questIons which

t

might cause the worker to lose his rights.

In the field of education, we have number of interesting court

cases moving toward the U.S. Supre e Court, which, though they

relate directly to Mexican illegal immigr nts, will offer precedents for

Asia-Pacific illegal youngsters as well. The Texas State courts have

ruled that illegal alien children must pay nonresident tuitions, while

the U.S. district court judge in East Texas, hearing a comparable case,

1 has ruled in the opposite direction.

' For more on this, see David S. North and Allen Lad, Manpower and Immigrunon iiblkies in the

United States(Washington! U.S. Commission on Employment Polley, February 1978), pp. 144-46.

243
4

IV. Whet WM Become of Them?

Being an illegal alien, as we suggested ai the outset, is a volunteer

activity, but it is often a transitory one. There are a variety of pos.lible

fates for today's illegal aliens:

They can leave the country voluntarily and either stay away or fr seek to return (kgally or illegally).

They can be deported (or otherwise expelled).

They can stay here in illegal status for the rest of their lives

(worrying about deportation, to be sure).

They can go to court against INS, hoping to reverse an

unfavorable ruling or secure delay until they can legalize their status.

They can secure legal.. nonimmigrant status as a student, an employeetf an international organization, or a foreign journalist, for example,

They can secure an adjustment to iMmigrant status, and, until recently, a few of the younger ones could become citizcns by

enlisting in the Armed Forces. This is nck longer the case.

The Carter administration has proposed a two-level legalization

program for illegal immigrants; briefly, it recommended to Congress

that aliens in the country since,January l 1970, should be given a

permanent resident alien status, and those who came to the Nation

since 1970 but before January 1, 1977, should be given "temporary

resident alien status," which would allow the individuals to work in

the U.S. and to cross the borders legally, but not to use the status to bring in their families, nor to take advantage of tax-supported

programs (not further defined). Interestingly, there was an exception within the temporary resident alien status, one that was not remarked

upon at the timc. This was the exclusion of formcr foreign students

front the latter status. This provision would be differeutially disadvantageous to.Asia-Padific illegal immigrants, since mafiy of them arrived

as students.
Immigration IssuesPolicy, Impact, And

Strategies

by Dorothy L. Cordova*

Introduction

Today the United States is in the midst of a rapidly changing scene.

People of different races and cultures are coming to our country in

unprecedented numbersenriching this pluralistic society we call-,

AMERICA.

In the past 10 years, an estimated 10 million newcomerthave

arrived in this country, most of them from nations that once had

little representation on these shores. Because Congress has

removed immigration quotas that used to discriminate against

Third World countries, newcomers are flocking here from

impoverished regions of Asia, Latin American and the Caribbean.' 7

Asiah/Pacific people constitute the fastest growing population in

the United States today. Allowed only token numbers of immigrants a

mere 15 years ago, since 1965 Asian countries are annually surpassing

in numbers the European nations which once sent hundreds of

thousands or millions of their citizens to America (table 1). Immigration has been the lifeblood of the United States. Except for Native

Americans, every one of us in this country is either a recent immigrant

or the descendent of a person who came to start a new life here.

Since the 16th century people from Europe and other parts of the

world came to the colonies in search Of personal, religious, and

political freedom; adventure; jobs; or a better life for themselves and

their families. After the Revolutionary War, European immigration to

the newly formed United States began as a trickle and soon swelled

tremendously, especially during the latter part of the 19th century and

the first part of the 20th. Immigration rates then rose and fell over the

next 30 yearspartly because of restrictions by Congress, two world.

wars, several "police actions," and political upheavals in other

countries (table 2).

One must ask why people leave family and friends,..a homeland,

familiar foods, customs, and a way of life. What Ingshes"away citizens

from the mother country and whatiTh the receiving country 'yyulls"

people from all over the world towards it? Is the magical, magnetic

pull of the United States and the hope it held and still holds out to

11 Dorothy Cordova is director of the Demonstration Praiect for Asian Americans in Seattle, Wash.

' News amd W &poet Feb. 20, 1978, p.28.

243 .
TABLE 1

Countris Sending the Most immigrants to tha-United States

1965 1976

1. Canada 38,327 1. Mexico 2 Mexico 57,863 37,969 2. Philippines United Kingdom 37,281 27,358 3. Korea 4. Germany 30,803

5. Cuba 24,045 4. Cuba , 29,233 19,760 5. China/TaiwanL/ don

6. Colombia Hong Kong 24,559 10,885 6. India 7. Italy 17,487 10,821 7. Dominican Republic 12,526

9. Poland 8. Dominican Republic 9,504 8. United Kingdom 11,392 8,460 9. Portugal 10. Argentina 10,511 6,124 10. Jamaica 11. Ireland 9,026 5,463 11. Greece 12. Ecuador 8,417 4,392 12. Italy 13. China (Taiwan) 8,380 4,057 ..13. Canada 14. France 1,638 4.039 14. Thailand 15. Haiti 6,923 3,609 15. Colombia 5,742

Source: LISO. Immigratir and Naturalization Service. Animal Reports, 1965 and 1 976.

literally inillions of people over the 200 years a real thing for everyone or only a reality for a chosen few?

This paper will consider briefly immigration of Asians to the United States aiid will examine more closely what is presently happening to them. This paper will attempt to show how recent immigration has impacted the country and is now changing the socioeconomic levels of Asian Americans. Furthermore, it is necessary to identify and to describe the target population of this consultation and to point out specific obstacleS"which prevent Asian/Pacific people from full participatidh in our society.

The changes occurring within the past decade make it imperative for the United States Government to reassess existing general and

specific information about Asian/Pacific people becluvse iesearch data gathered in previous collections are now outdated.o ing to the rapid

increase of immigration and the subsequent surfacing of new problems. ase.studies from several research projects on Asian/Pacific peoples and interviews with some individuals will be given as a basis of

comparison between what is needed and what is act_pdlly being offered by government agencies, private organizationi, and eduehtional institutions.

Lastly, I will offer a number ip f recommendations, suggested by individuals and community-based Asian/Pacific agencies or organiza.

246

2 5
TABLE R.

immigrants Admitted by daintry or Region of Birth,

Years Ending June 30, 1820 78

1820-50 1851=00 1901-30 1931-76 Total

Europe

Hun Ty

3,164,661

486.517

473,373

1 23,757

57,474 4,313,578

Beig unt. 5,124 57,037 91,227 47,888 201,276

Denmark 1,791 190,977 139,698 30,892 363,358

France 131,725 265,784 184,886 162,557 745,032

fliermany 594,809 4,415,739 897,645 1,0p4,869 6,962,762

rlgland 55,540 1,768,464 795.381 531,562 3,150,997

Scotland 9.559 358,671 238,258 91337 818,224

Wales 1,618 40,460 43,583 9,195 94,854

Greece 85 18.600 402,804 218,611 640,100

Ireland 1,042,438 2,830,666 705,837 1 41,71 3 4,721,054

Italy p 4.5 1,035,917 3,610,716 628,a2e 6,280,017

Netherlands 10 0 116,891 118,923 1 10,811 357,49p

Norway ,3/6,129. Sweden

438,565.

771,631

325,431-

441,857

55,587

53,257

85VM2

1,270,705

Poland 495 164,741 \ 249,57 3 91,895 506,670

Portugal 1,559

Roman% , 62,281

19,098

188.875

133,965

172,1 45

14,683

424,860

, 167,757

Spain 6.950 34,411 125,504 58,703 24;243

Switzerland 12,722 189.757 87,689 ,263 347,431

USSR 917 760,825 2,580,244' 2'1'03 3,363,1 a4

Ofher Europe 122 1.818 31,759 21,1 59 54,858

Asia . China -14 - 305,409 71,790 123,534 500,759

India 84 612 4 8,681 118,3 27 127,704

Japan 84 28,489 247,096 121,750" 397.393

Turkey 87 34,825 325.259 23,371 384.542

Other Asian - 15 5,808 30,002 1,014,029 1 ,049,924

America

Canada &

Newfoundfand 57,833 993,442 .1,845,926 1,156,1 58 4,063,359

Mexico 14,688 13,261 727,933 1,230,434 1,986,400

West Indies 29,827 95,771 305,871 1,057,646 1 ,489,125

Central America\ '.519 , 1,654 41,120 232,1 97 275.490

South America 4,977 7,128 101,394 523,774 637,273

Africa , 1 26 2,087 22,097 117,801 112,111

Australia 19,659 36,622 60,998 113,299

Pacific Islands 9,846 2,555 13,874 24,275

Sourge: U.S., Immigration and Naturalization Service, Annual Report 1 76,

table 13.

'247

2 6 0
tions, wiich are intended to alleviate existing socioeconomic problems of Asian/Pacific inimigrants.

4

'

Reason re Ichtntify Cotrectly Much of the previous data on Asian Americans and Pacific Island peoples hacrbeen,imassed haphazardly by data gathered with little background or,,1 sensitivity about these racial minorities. %In 1970 a

report investigating ,the civil rights enforcement -efforts of Federal , agencies was released by the United , Statei Commission on ..Civil Rights. This report showq quite graphically that insufficient Wormation on rai:ial and ethnic minorities had been caialogued by Federal agenciei Consequently, very lath* data mere available to assess whether or not Federal .prrigrams were benefiting minority grouPs, and if so, to what extent.

AccoMing to the report, racial an6thnic ditta are essential tools with which to combat discrimination arid to plan and monitor affirmative action 'Mich wsuld remedy past' racial wiong;." The report further points out that'gathering and analyzing theec important bits of information jire the "most effective and accurate means of measuring federal piogram impaci Ott minority beneficiaries and for assuring that equal opportunity policies are wbrking effectively." At this point, it is essential_to define what constitutes a minority group. It is comMonly acknowledird that minorities constitute.- a "group or persons distinguished'by-racis or ettinic origin, who share common anceitry, physical characteristics, cultural bickground and " experience and who, because of overt discrimination and institutional barriers, are denied equal access to social; economic, and political opportudities, and/or who continue to suffer 'the dffects of past discrimination." The reackr must bear this definition in Mind because it will help to explain 'why the present eMPloyment of many immigrantsboth male and, femaleis not equivalent td -theleeduca- tional attainment. Many Asians., have been excluded from or not

; considered 1oi Federal programs ,designed to uplift minoiiiies

tionally and financially. This exclusion often vonies about because of a dearth of accurate and viable information atiout Asian/Pacific prob- lems. Consequently, planners and designers of programs are able to Aad that no existing data proves no dire.need. Therefori> in their opinion, therf is no reason to includeAsiarifor Pac(ic Islandr ^people,in future or aiming" heljprograms. -

s wrikr has had some experience with the compilatioli of fresh and important information on problems facing ,specifc Asian/Pacific

U.S., eipmmissibn on Chtii Ahts To Knowor Notto KnolOT1973). Ibid.

Op. cit.

248

1/4 2'64

-t

41

,
1.` groupswhich the Federal Government proceeded to disregard as

inconsequential because tA numbers of peoPle affected were miniscule

whets, compared to the U.S. population .at large. This cationale has

been a souree of frustration for many -Asian/Pacific coMmunity

workets who daily see a variety of deep-rooted, unresolved probleins.

( Definitions of Asian/Pacific People

Within the past few years there have been positive ciuinge in the

methods of categorizing the peoples r)f the United States acco ding to

ethnic and ratial background. Old Fedhal, State, and lotal overnment records, listing, etc., show outdated Subdivisions categorized

simply as white, black, and others.

In response to well-foundect- protestations, classifications were

gradually . adjusted to include other groups-the Spanish surnamed, ,)

"Orientals," Native Americans, 'and others.8 The reclassification was'

an improvement, yet otiter specific and rapidly growing minorities

,Aftrho did not fit technically itto the first three categories were still

excluded, This was especially-4rue of Filipinos, who by virtue of their

htst names.-would often be thrust into the "Spanish surname"14,amp or

who because of the geographical location of the Philippines, were

Considered "Oilkitital" but were not really that in origin- or heritage.

In either 6se, this meihbd proved to be a great disadvantage to

Filipinos who Would be counted 4 -either grpup, but 'who wo-uld

rarely, -if ever, become toeneficiaries of any' prognims specifically

designed to benefit "Spanish surname" oi:'Oriental" peoplet.,Further.

inore, you will find that some of the'other less known and Often left

out minorities began to assert themselves and to demand 'that the

government createfferlditional classifications b wttich their own ethnic

identity conld be recogniziecl.

Consequently, you will find today ethod by which

different ethMc and racial groupsrare d lissifications now

include: white, black, Asian, Spanish ative- Americalb

Pacific Islanders, ahd others.' The Asian oup en stupasses Japanese,

Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Ca bodi s, Laotians, Thais,

and East Indians. Although some Asian pur hay, the tendency to

exclude the latter, in' this parer I will include info mat'on o

" Indians, whenever possible, os a rriatter of jus e, an

preference.

The Asian group Akio includes other.. people whose existence has

.3 often been oVerlooked. These are Pacific Island peoplesSamoans,

Guamanians, Hawaiians, and Tongans. Thus, one can see the logic of

U.S. &Oaf Employment Opportunity Commission, 1972.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Counting the Forgotie

' U.S., Equal mpldyment Opportunity Commission, 1974. '

pra 1974) p. 73. 249

,
pulling together. Asian/Pae* people into a single all

.,. encompassing category, foi while this "marriage" may not be completely satisfactory

to all those conZAirned, it ,i, nonethdess, the best possible imion --at least for t,hetresent, because thekcombined totals of all die aforementioned ethnic groups are now rather substantial. -- It ts imperative, however, to identify each Asian group separately

and to recognize that each has unique problems and that the magnitudel of th,eir problems will he different in various pariofthe Nation. Two separate reports and studies on ethnic minorities in California' and i Washington State' during the 1960s demonstrated graphically there re different socioeconomic levels for the Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos In the two .tites during that period. 'For example, although the Japanese Find thinese often ranked above the whites in eduebtional attainment and were second and third inl income California and Washington, the Filipinos were usually at or near the bottom in both categories. More recent studies indicate that, although these Asian groups experienced great demographic changes because of

recent immigration, the disparity among the Asian groups has basically

remained the Wile in most of the socioeconomic categories.

Demographic Information

Although Japanese are the largest Asian Amerj9inifoup, they have 1

one f.lotvest rates of immigration today. The 1970 United States censu " placed their population at 591,290, and when the . subseqnent immigration figura" are added their number,is increased to 620,495 (table 3).

In 1970 Chinese were the second largest group with 431;ftrSince then their numbers gave greatly increased by an additional 179,503

immigrants from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

During the past census count, Filipinos .were third numerifaallfI'.

343,060. A study by Canta Pian on-the socioeconomic characteristics of Van Americans, stated that if immigration figures in the '70s. for

,.../\,japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos coltinued at the same existing rate, by

State of California, Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Fair Employment Practices, Caltjornians of J nese, Chinese and Mlipino

June 19651P Ancestty7ktrulation/EmploymenOitcome/Educadon

(*yin F. Schmkl, Nobbe, 'Arlene Mitchell Non-White Witabington State Planning RacesState of Washington and Community Affairs Agency. 1968. . (Both reports demonstrated that-Filipinos. in the '60s ranked -werY below' Japanese and ChineaC' in education, in orjobs.)

' U.S., Bump( of the Cens MO Census of Population Subject

, Alipitras in the United Reportv Japanese. Chinese and States. I )- 10. " U.S., Inimigratifm and Natural tion Service, Annual Reports (l970-45).

250AN.

411,
pot

TABLE 3

Asian,PopuititiOn and Immigration, 1970-78

1970 T U.S. CENSUS 1970

Nationwide \

Chinese 431,583

Filipino 343,060

Japanese 591,290

Koreans j 70,000

Vietnamese

Washington

State

Chinese

Filipino 1

Japanese ,

Korean

Vietrrnese

9,376

12,462

-20,355

1,738

Seattle

Chinese 6,261

Filipinos 5

Japanese _Korean-- 475

Vietnamese

King County

. Chinese

Filipino

Japanese

Korean

Vietnamese

7,703

7,117

13,429

1,738

Number of Immigrants admitted

Total

Refugees popu1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976** 1975 1976 978 latIon

14,093 14,417 21,730 21,656 22,685 23,427 31,116

31,203 28,471 29,376 30,799 32,851 31,751 47,019

4,457 4,757 5.461 4,860 4,274 5,396

9,314 14,297 18,876 22,930 28,028- Z8t7,690

1,450 2,038 3,412 4,569 3,117- 3, 4,230 128,705

^

299 251

877 7504,

228 327

158

340

72

150

473

327

1 230 150

540 520

. . 128 170

No numbersintfttated for these years.

5 quarters-Jafy 1, 1975 through September 1976. Total number lacks figures for years indicated by (1.

360

662

339

214''"-

410

.121

.

. 275

500

a156

dl

38Y".

759

5.88,

)

198

502

152

, 238 -.. . 595

a210

7

-17 1 210

444

60

220

274

566

75

313

407

820

771

-252

464

. .-- 204

....8)

612

-

. 374

788

1,270

4 ,1 90,

369

686

294

1,161 5

534

4,283

1,44 8

go.

(;11

(

122,000

,611,086

599,662

620,495

257,525

272,635 - 18,338

20,466*** - .5,788

1,250 6,000

7,812

9,149

19,046***

1,865

(2,000) 2,000

9,342

11,602

13,504

3,623

3,500
the 1980s Filipinos.will become the most populous Asian group in the United States:" 256,602 Filipinos have immigrated to this country

since 1970.

Koreans, fourth in number, are now the fastest growing and one of the most overlooked ethnic minorities in this country..Their popula- db / tiOn figures of 257,525 reflect an increase of over 300 percent above, the 1970 census numbers and this is dim; primarily to the recent heavy

immigration from Korea.

Cambodians and Thais were not listGd as separate groupS in 1970, however, the Immigration and Naturalizatkm Service annual reports enumerate their numbers each year. Although the total number ivhe past 10 years seems low, it must tie remembered people froirl each country were living here prior to 1965.

Within the past 12 years, immigration figures how that 145,000 from India had applied for permanent residency, in this country. Aproximatdy 45 percent of these were classified as "professional, technical or kindrea workers."

Guamanians and Samoans constituyet another dqpiographic

problem. It is possible to use current ceitis counts as a basis for the

Guamanians, however, there is a difficulty in determining the exact numbers of American SaMoans presently in Hawaii and the continental United States. Their numbers become hazy and fluctuate according to different sources. It is estimated that 35,000 to 45,000 live in California. The figure given for Samoans by the same source estimates their

number between 45,000 and 50,000 on the west coast." It is-generally

acknowkdged that these numbers may be too low.

Indochinese refugees ma* a most traumatic and dramatic entrfinto

the U.S. during the spring of 1975. Within a span of 1 month of that year more than 120,000 Vietnamese and Cambodian refuges were

processedas "refugee parolees" ihto the United States." Prior to diis, approximiate44118,000 were already here as perminent residents since 1971. A more recent DHEW/Task Force released figure g en for the

Indochinese refugees (Cambodians, A Laotians, and Vietnam ) is over

W thin the past 10 years the numbers of immigratils and r nationals

frio Asia and Pacific Islanpiations has increased greatly. Since these

ar usually younger peop,1K their nuMbers will naturally increase even

rc through inevitable births. Thus, this growth will affect the

" Canta Plan, Study f Selected Socio-Economic'CharacterWics of Ethnic Minorhiei Based on the 1970 GenSus/Volume II: Asian Americans. a study conducted for thc Office of Special Concerns (MEW). Jury 1974, p. XII.

'' California Advisory Co llll uttee to the U.S. Conunission on Civil Righhs ritiUri' Americans and Pacific People: A Case of Mistaken Identity. (Februari 1975), pp. 31. 53. " US. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Annual Report, 1975, "- Paul Nguyen, Indochinese Resettlement Program, Seattle, Wash. ea. 252

26 9

Ik

:rpm.

-
TABLE 4

Aplan American Popplation by State, 1970 and 1975

CHINESE FILIPINO JAPANESE KOREAN INDIAN

1970 Tot& 1970 Total 1970 ImmIg.

State census 1975 -census 1975 census 1989 75 1989 75

Arizona 3,739

California 170,049

Colorado 1,609

Washington.

D C. 2,767

...--*

---....-- Florida 3,040

-N Georgia 1,327

Hawaii 52,583

Illinois 14.077

Maryland 6.981

Mrosac Its 14,018

Mich 6.611

Mimes° a 1,992

New Jersey v.155

New York 81,903

011io 5,263

Oregon 4,774

Pennsylvania - 7.097

Virginia 2.407

if Washington 9,376

Wes.I.Virginia 266

r,

4,501 1,253 1.847 2.530 878 271

195,373 13503 192.067 213,277 27,301 9,549

2,082 1.207 1.643 7,861 1134 434

. . q.872 1,508 2,354 716 931 1,284

4,503 4,748 7,022 31 968' 1,975 1.212

1,884 1,186 1,827 1.334 2,001 660

54,876 96,680 112,608 217,175 6,244 108

18.098 12.364 26,160 17,645 8,365 9,852

7,926 4,833 6.849 3,637 7,994 2,908

16,464 1,855 2,977 4,715 k 1.812 2,630

8,2§2 3,449 6.625 5,464 3,802 3,979

2374 1%300 2,233 2,693 2,895 889

12.008 5,323 10.167 6.344 5,190 7.598

100,865 14,045 25.735 10,794 13.579 21,517

7,) 67 3.732 6,520 5,890 3,795 4,542

5,632 1.466 2,272 6,213 1,264 231

9,248 4,731 7,553 5,417 _5,517 5,209

3.865 7,218 10,380 3,396 1,486

11,074 11,488 15,162 20.188

..4-18'74

3,010 676 2r 704 4 ,874 2.949 1,166 815 a

overall picture-in these i ited States, for many of the new mmigrants

*are not only settling Id the traditional bailiwic of Asians, i.e.,

California, Hawaii, Washington, New York, and IllihQi s, but we also

now see large cohcentratiqn's of Asians in Massachusett , Michigan,

Pennsylvania, and New Jersey itable 4). This growth and the spread

throughoht the United States makes it imperati*e for authorities to

become aware of what is occurring and to begin to meet the etherging

needs of the Asian/Pacific immigrants.

Immigration impact

Prior to 1965 40..l t

'Ma States immigration laws wee restrictive ...at

fp and instrument ih preventing Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans

from entering this country-in significant numbers. Southern and

Eastern European countries were also-affOtted smaller quotas than the

nations of Northern Europe. However, on October' 3, 1965" laws

4' regulating the flOw of people to the U.S. were altered to allow up to

20,000 each year from Eastern Hemisphere countries" to become

permanent residents. The effect his been *ler startling (tables 5 and

2) especiaHy when one considers that since 1965 there has been an

increase oj 532 percentfmm Asia, compdted to a 39 pe*ment upsurge from

.- " U.S., Immigration endpeturaliration Service Annual Reports.

" Africa, Asia, and Europe comprise the Eastern Hemisphere countries.

2s)6

2 5.3
Latin Arnerwa, a 53 perrent increase from Southern iind Eastern Europe, and a 73 percent decreasi, from W,.stern Eurcipe and (anada "

In an article.published in 1975, the Asian immigraton since 1965 was referred to as a phenonienon in this country. During the first half- of the century Asians made up less than" percent of the total U.S. immigration," During 1978 they constituted one-third of the total number entering

as permanent residents . The importance of this immigration increase is realized when one . considers that at a time when the U.S. birthrate has declined there ha.* been a tremendous increase in immigration, espeically from Asia. According to the U.S. News and World Report "one new American in

five is new an inunigrant"" and one out of three of these is an Asian.

Other major impacts_have been felt because of the immigration

increases, and .ttiese have been manifested dditional laws ilitroduced in Congress which direNy affect re ill immigrants.2' A 1973 Supreme Court de sic)! Lau v. Nichols." and a k relatively recent judgmau) by

certain school districts through°

rights of immigrant children.

The upsurge-Af iinm1ft ion

caused popidatioii increases bu has als

circumstiinces of Asians in this country.

analyzes recent immigration information

earlier, a number of changes Will be note

(l flier for Civil Rights against

the uted States," concerned the

A ian countries has not only

alter d /the scitciocconomic

When one compares and

ith ita collected much

. Oy major development

has been the dramatic ni&ease of AS1an woAlea,to men in all the Asian

groups. This is caused by the predominance of Asian females 'entering

the United States as permanent residents (table 6). Ond while the

majority of Asian immigrants still settle in the Far West, increasing numbers have made their homes in other parts of this country. Moreover, recent immigration figures:show remit arrivals continue in

large urban areas, especially Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Detroit, San Die;d, and Seattletable 4)

When checking out economic an&occupational levels for different ethnic groups, it is important to note that individuals with certain skills

arc drawn to certain parts of the country. For example, the majority of _Filipino immigrants settling in the East arc young and highly educated

" U.S. News and World Report. Oct 13, 1975, p. 71 "

" Op. cit.

2' The Rixlino hill is designed to penalize employers for hiring illegal aliens. Many community people worry plat the bill could also &rive to restrict immigration from thc Western Hemisphere (i.e. (.atin Amerit*)

" Lau v Nichols ease, Supieme Court 1973 ruling on behalf of 1,500 Cfimese Anwricans in San hancisco found that "those who do not understand English are certain to find their Classroom

experience wholly incomprehensible ami in no way meaningful " S . Department of Health. Education, and Welfare, Office of Education, 1975 (noncompliance

to provide equal educational opp)rtunity to national origin minority group smdents)

254 27 ,
TABLE 5

Immigrants Admitted From' Asia to the United States

(Years ending June 30, 1965, through 1976)

1905 19043 1967 19011 1909 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975

s

1976" - Total

China &

Taiwan 4,057 13,736 19,741 12,738 15,440 14,093 14,417 17,339 17,297 18,056 18,536 23,857 189,307

Hong Kong 712 3,872 5,355 3,696 5,453 3,205 4,391 4,359 4,629 4,629 4,891 7,259 51,429

India 582 2,458 4,642 4,682 5,983 10,114 14,310 16,926 13,124 12,779 15,773 22,056 123,409

Japan 3,180 3,394 3,946 3,69 3,957 4,485 4,457 4,757. 5,481 4,860 4,274 5,396 51,780

Korea 2,165 2,492 3,956 3,811 6,045 9,314 14,297 18,876 22,930 28,028 28,362 37,690 177,968

Philippines 3,130 6,093 10,865 16,731 20,744 31,203 28,471 29,376 30,799 32,857 31,751 47,019 289,039

Vietnam 226 275 490 590 983 1,450 2,038 3,412 4,569 3,192 43,039 4,230 24,494

Other- 6,631 9,112 12,451 13,121 17,074 20,361 22,266 25,981 22,621 26,261 - 25,841 9,518 211,249

Total Asia 20,638 41,432 61,446 58,989 75,659 94,883 103,461 121,058 121,160 130,662 132,469 155,025 1,118,673

Does not include Vietnamese refugees entering the U.S. during 1976:,

Other countries include Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Ryukyu Islands, Syria, Thailand, and other Asia,

"e For five quarters, July 1, 1975, through Sept. 30, 1978.

Source: These figures are derived from table 14 In the Immigration and Naturalization Service Annual Reports, 1965 through 1976.

269

4,4

(."
TABLE 6

Immigration of Asian Females, 20 to 50 years of age, 1965-75

China &

Taiwan

1976

12,469

1975

6,300

1974

6,149

1973

6,017

1972

6,416

1971 1970

5,561 5,247

1969

5,280

1966

4,177

1967

5,902

1966

3,796

1965

1,242

Total

56,077 Hong Kong 3,719 860 765 - 716 610 501 466 481 499 563 245 154 5,850 India 10,585 5,700 4,686 5.007 5,754 4,203 2,976 1,827 1,491 ' 1,337 635 166 33,782

Korea

Japan 3,443 2,200. 2,813 3,235 2,828 2,839 2,775 2,507 2,203 2,389 2,204 2,378 28,461

Philippines 23,218 8,600 9,805 8,127 7,415 ,315 4,439 3,000 1,913 1,980 1,358 1,259 54,211

Vietnam**

28,249 ,200 11,371 11,466 11,774 12,609 11,905 8,092 6,725 4,313 2,452 1,504 93,411 2,543 1,250 1,545 2,468 2,088 1,449 843 539 327 266 130 10,096 Total 84,226 36.,110 37,134 37,036 36,885 33,4528,651 21,726 17,425 16,750 10,820 6,703 261,888

Five quarters, July 1, 1975-Se0t. 30, 1976. This figure does not include Vietnamese refugees entering the U.S. during 1975. Source: Information taken from table 9 of the annual reports of the U.S.,lmmigrOon and Naturalization Service for the years 1965 through 1975.

a

"It
41'

professionals, e.g., medical doctors, registered nurses, acibuntants,

engineers, etc. Towns and cities close to military bases have an

immigrant population directly concerned with or related to people in

the Army or Navy, e.g., San Diego, 'Pittsburgh (California), and

Tacoma, Washington. However, although some of the recent Filipino

arrivals In Hawaii are also highly educated, many others have no more

than a high school education and are usually doing a laborer or Service

worker's job."

4 When scrutinizing im igration figures for the past 10 years, one ° betomes aware of the (.1. fferent types of major occupations listed for

incoming immigrants from Asia (table 7). Professionals makeup a high

percentage of all people coming from Asian countries, especially India

4

id the Philippines. More professionals come from the Philippines

an from any other single country in the world."

The majority of recent Asian immigrants entered the U.S. as

nmediate relatives. of American citizens" or as permanent resident

4 aliens. They came frop all walks of life and fo'r a variety of reasons,

.. some "in order to gidlk their cthldren opportunities they never had in

China, such as free education, open job opportunities and a democratic

way of life."" Still others who have been highly trained, came to

.N American to take advantage of146r1C opportunities not oftred in their

own countries and thus improve their economic condition. Many

immigrants have fled from political unrest-..whi othas..were seeking

the economic stability that eluded them in their own country. All left

behind family, friends, and a way of life to g4ftble for-a better liee in

these United States. Kung Hong Park, the Korean Outreach worker

. for the Dsmonstratia Project for Asi n Americans (DPAA), works

- with recent immigrants to this country He says that they came "Jo live

in the land of diaams and abundant o portunity, to start a new life fors

.their own and future generations."

Impli,

Changes In Educational Levels

According to the 1970 censusl Japanese females havte more education than most American females. Mokover, the gap between collegeeducated Jarianese and other males is double. The etnsus of that year

also showed an 8 percent difference between Chinhe males and

" Artio Baxa, A Report on Filipino Immigration and Social Changes ft Maui County, Project on the

county f Maui with cooperation of Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.'nind the State of HawairLaw

Enforcement and Juvenik Delinquency Planning Agency, Mar. 15, 1973.

" U.S., Immigration, NaturalizationService Annual Reports

" Immediate pillatives are unntarried minor children, spouses of U.S. citizens, mid parents of adult

U.S. citizens.

" Pei-Ngor Chen, "The Chinese Community of Los Angeles," Social Case Work magazine,

December 197N93.. . . 2 70

S.

457
t)

00 TABLE 7

Occupational Distribution of Asian immigrants, 1965-75

Country of

birth

China &

Taiwan

Hong Kdng

India

Japan Korea ,

hilippinee

tnam ,

L. In

165,450

44,426

101,363

46,384

140,276

242,020

20,264

30,287

2,585

45,968

4,918-

20,285

66,549

861

7,814 6,483 3,805 2,340 14,629 85,895

534 1,982 245 207 667 32,024 1,176 2,293 992 274 803 47,599 1904 1,582 572 432 2,071 34,421 3,747 2,661 4,695 1,018 2,279 98,985 3,699 7,780 3,455 6,501 3,877 137,517 121 399 43 52 152 16,672

Source: Com011ed Imam table 8 of the USanImmigration and Naturalization listed: saleaworker Service Annual Reports, 1965 eratIvee and kindred workerajatm laborers, and laborers.

/

through 1975. Occupational groups not

.27/
-

'1)

females in the attan,iment of 4 or more years of college. Interestingly

enough, between the ages of 25 to 44 years, more foreignyborn than

American-born Chinese males had 15 or more years of schooling while

U.S.-born Chinese femaies had more education than Chinese n4unigrant women,

r Among Filipinos to the United States, a greatir percentage of

momen have completed high school (I le-49 percent and female-65

percent). Furth'ermore, the percentage ( f Filipina women with 4 or

more years of collegeis twice that for the Filipino male. This is an

indication of the high educational attainment of re(!!ently arrived

immigrant women while the elderly Filipino maleswho still constitute a great proportion of the total Filipino male, populationlacked

the opportunities to achieve even a high school e ucation when ji they

came 40 or 50 years ago. Interestingly enough, h wever, in areas with

few new immigrant womenHawaii and rural areas of California --

the educational level for Filipinas" is much lower. Only about half

have completed high school and approximately one-third of the

women have only an eighth grade education."

'The, above figures reflect the national picture, but one must be

aware that the educational attainment for the different immigrant

groups will vary from city to city and from, State to State. For

example, in the fastest growing- area for. ChineseNeW York's

Chinatownthe median for schooling completed is 8.0 years for males

and for females, only 6.8 years." It is important to not, that among .

Chinese womenbecause of immigrationtli ge of the women

wiio have finished college is higher nationally in cities with the

greatest population concentration ofrChinese females, namely, New

-York and San Francisco.

A published article cites that "many of the Chinese citizen's in San

Francisco still cannot speak, the English language. . .of 62,820 male

Chinese intervieweit in the last census (1970), 9,430 completed no

-sahool and 7,825 go through high school. Of 27,795 females interviewed, 3,980 had completed no school and 6,480 had gone through

high school."' On the whole, "Korean war brides are less educated

than the Japanese war brides. One-third of the Korean war brides had

a high school education or less; whereas, tWo7thirds of the Japanese

hid a high school education or less. However, -one-third of .the

" Filipino women.

" CIO& Plan, A Study of Selected Socio-Economic Characterktics of Ethnic Minorities Based on the

1970 Census: Asian American& pp. 66-77.

IbId

" Author Unknown, Chinatown. USA. The Unassimilated Peopk/50.000 in a Ghetto

2 72

259
population of either group pursued training of an knid m I he 'United

Stales, i.e, rnglish, technical/vocational, adult educa ion or college."'"

The Imnngration and Naturalization Service annual reports indicate

a definite influx of college-educated Asians into t his country. What the

recent reports do not show is that a large - proportion of earlier

immigrantswho came as students or workers on special visas during

the '50s and '60s and then remained in this country-- were them: -Ives

college graduates. Herein 'lies the mblem. Although many s

tiave advanced degrees and are professionals with years of exLerience behind them, many of them have not been fibl&, to lee& jobs

commensurate to their education, skills, and experience'. For these

people their quest for economic and professional fulfillMent in this country has been riddled with frustrations and hampered y obstacles.

Problems

Employment

There are many roadblocks preventing immigrants from obtaining

suitable employment. Sonie of these roadblocks include lack of

English communication skills, the inability to secure professional

licensing and certification,33lack of aggressiveness and self-confidence, and discrimination in hiring practices which leads to underemployment and/or underutilization of skills.

Despite the elevated hope and ambition theyThave when they came to this Country, most immigrants soon find themselves

confronting the frustrating situation of job hunting. Except for a

few exceptionally talen'ted and skilled persons, all immigrants find that their educational background and previous professional experiences are useless in this country. Whatever their profession- al achievements fn the past, a chance for the continuation of their

-career in this country is practically nil. And they end up working as manual laborers."

Lack of English Communication Skills

Although many Asian immigrants have degrees, they may lack some

English communication skill(s). Often they suffer because of precon- ceived notions that English spoken with a lion-European immigrant

accent precluded full understandipg of the language and the ability of

the Asian to be understoad by the average American. Oftentimes, experienced Asian teachers with good English verbal, ceading, and

" Sul Dong Kim. Jong (he Kim. and Wyk y Hashimoto. Ka)ran and Japanese War irides. Demonstration Project for AMall Alneticans, ig75

" Medical 'doctors from ihe Philippines who look part in the DPAA study .un 'health professionals experienced great difficulty in securing resulpicy aml internships in Washington State. hut Were accepted in the Dakotas_

" Kun Hong Park. DPA A Korean outreach worker

273

11 490

1
418

4".

wrning skills arc denied positions because school personnel staff deems

that to hire a person with an accent however slight-- would be

detrimental to the students'aeducation. This insensitivity and shortsightedness by school administrators shows an indifference to the needs of

the growing number of. imthigrant students from Asia who would

benefit from thepresence of bilingual-bicultural immigrant teacheks.

Cla.Vies for immigrants taught by teachers Who arc familiar with their

language and cniture are necessary, but some Asian comnnmities do

not have accesf to them, and some im7grants are not aware of

existing progranks.

Highly trained Asian professionals 'are often denied jobs equivalent

to those held in their native countries because they lack English

communication skills. A Chicago study on Koreans cited that "English

improvement classes were desired more by persons in professional

work than in any other occupational groups. This raised the possibility

that the role atzlithe position, expectations or requirement within their

professiow demlnded better communication skills from them."

Many other AOati/Pacific people are handicapped not only by the

need for basic eiglish but also by limited education,

L.N

They hope to find employment soon after their arrival, but

there are few jobs that do not require English as a means of

p communicktion. Handicapped by their inability_to speak and to'

write Englah, they are imable to find employmdft. . .and their

wives, who usually have never worked outside their homes and

who are not trained in any skill, must also work. .the vicious

circle continues because they don't have the time to atikpd school

and to learn a new language to advance themselves."

."\

Some who have reasons to complain are hampered by this inability to

speak English:

' As a result, they are not to penetrate into real life in this society.

Their role as an individual citizen becomes semi-functional at best.

They cannot satisfactorily express to their employer when they

have grievances of a serious nature. When they confront police on

the streets or when they stand in court to defend themselves

against a charge placed againtt them, they feel depriled of a

chanceto make as good as a case as the other party."

Many of the older recent arrivals*m Stmoa find it difficult to

communicate in English. For thiS reason,' they prefer to seek jobs

where English is at a minimum. Two Seattle-based Samoan counselors

admitted that, although Samoin women prefer "people oriented" jobs,

Bok-Lim Kim, Service Needs of Asian Immigrants As Seel by thed'Erhnic Churrhei. Korean Example.

Pei-Ngor Cheit, The Chinese Communay in Las Angeles.

" Kun Hong Palc.

2 74

261
being deficient in Fnghsh, they will seek nonverbal jobs, such as piecework in sewing factories "

. Licensing and CertIfIcatipn

¶- The inability to seeure professional licensing and certfication is a

majin problem facing Asian professionals. Since 1965 they have been

admitted to this country on a third'or sixth preference" but many have

foupd that State licensure procedures often impede their abil0 to

practice their professions in many of the mainland States. This is

especially true" of Asian health professionals whose numbers exceed

those coming from other parts of the world. It has been pointed mitt by

the Medical World News that "about one-third of the graduates from

the two cou'ntires now supplying us with the most FMGsIndia and

the ,Philippinespassed the ECFMG [Educational Council for For- . . eign Medical Graduatesl examination in 1974."

-The California Advisory Committee to' the U.S. Commission on

-Civil Arts in 1975 prepared -an excellent report on problems. of

Korean,: bd Philippine-educatcd health professionals seeking licensure

in California. This reportstates:

: In many cases their certifications are not recognized, their

experience not accepted, or their educational credentials inade- quaie for State licensure. For one group, foreign-educated

pharinacistS, the situation iS more severe since they are dtined

entry into the licensink exaMinations. Lack of -proficiency in the

English langdage and 'inadequate Public and private financial assistance' for taking revieW and refresher courses are added

difficulttes."

r . It is ironic that literally thousands upoicousaiids +of Asian.

,grantshapipered by English limitationsWill tipt, seek health !car

- .

, from non-Asian doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmaciSts, etc., exp.ept 'in

emergencies, yet are denied theservices of, - :bilingyalbicultural . 'health

professionals frOM their native Countries because Vrtstrictive licensing procedures imposed tiy professional orfanizations. , . . ali Many foreignTtrained nurse'do receive licensing but are often

exploiied and discriminated against. Recently in San Francisco, California, a Philippine-trained nurse, Norma Rupisan Watson R.N.,

filed a discrimination suit .againgt the American Nilr2L, s AssOciation

(ANA), the natiZmal organization representing the st dittjority of nurses in the United States. In an earlier suit She chargocAffiliated

l 3. Based on interviews with Samoan counselorx. Paul Patu (Seattle Ptiblie. Schl Tv)io s) and Sams Fitialn (Employment Opportunity Center/Seattle)* .. -.. Third preference: rpenfbers of professions or persons %yid] exceptional ability in sciences rind arts. Sixth preference. needed skilled or unskilled workers.

" Calarnia -Advisory Committee. to fhe U.S. Conimksion on Civil Rights, A Dream Unfulfilkd: Korea4 and Pilipmo Health Professamak M'C'alifornM (May 1975), p. '13.

262

-Tit 275-
4,

Hospitals Wahlotinia) with "dicrimination against her on the ba.sis of

her race, color, and national origin by denying her tenure credit for

0-her experience as a nurse in the Philippmes.". The San Fruncisco Equal

EmploYment Opportunities Commission is presently conducting an

investigation. ttif

A number of the charges by Mis. Watson are ramiliar to thousands

of other immigrant nurses:

Even thoughl rd other foreign-horn and-trained nurses have

previous experience and It-inning, this is not credited when we are

employed akd we are therefore hired at substandard wages, are

not put into liositions commensurate with our backgrounds, arc

'forcer.% to work on undesireable shifts, do not receive appropriate promolions, are not Ole and are not permitted to work in

sRpervisory positions, are denied entry to the U.S.A., do not receive appropriate transfer credit from our universities to

upgrade ourselves in American universities, if on H-1 visA when

hospital sponsorship expires, are forced to become illegal alieps

even though licensed, cannot claim Social Security benefits ev'En

though we pay them and cannot collect unemployment insuracCe,"41

Mrs,, Watson says that-rgeign nurses pay dues to the ANA whtch

"Makes illegal use of our union dvfs to support the Cotninission

Graduates of Foreign Nursing schools (CGFNS) whose' primary

function is to dehy entryin the IIS.A:of focrn nurses." She further

.claims'a conspiracy 1,tb,.the INS, tbe Depart nt of Labor, DHEW,

the ANA, "all 'Witlikir due prodess of law and illegal use of taxpayers

money." Voreign nurses..were recruited in their home countries to

immigrate to the U.S. under n H-I visa (preferred worker) to makeup

for the shortage of registered nurses in American hospitals.

U7der.mployment a or Underutillzation o Skills " / A .major prpblem for immigrants with protessional education is

. underemployment or:the underutilization of skills they have developed

through years of experience'. Because they usually have limited funds

and because they have to support themselves and their fanuliet in the

U.S, and/or in their native country, the only a ernative.iiiany.of them

have is to accept any type of job offered-or to Ytce .unemployment or

welfare:. r

There are ar,out 25010 300 Korean workers In major shipyards in

the Seattle area. Among them about 30 perceyt are college

graduates. Many, of ih5m have impressive.professronal records

company. presidents and managers, army generals and officers,

' Norma Rupisan Watson. Philippinc-trained nurse fikd her suit against the Affilied Hospitals of

San Francisco in March 1979 and ptioher agcinst the American Nurses Association in April 1979.

She was able to do this bee Ilse the EEOC:in Shn Pi ancisco named hek a true "class agent."

6

Z76

.

,

263

ab'

act

N

4 e,
6

LI

1,

.. university pi-ofessors or school teachers, etc., back in their old

couihry. Now they are working. as wdders, pipefitters and machinists, etc. A job is a necessity for livelihood and survival.

This is the main reason that they cling to thek "undersireable"

jobs. They have little hope for moving up through the employ- ment structure or of getting a desiteable job fit to their career

gpals. Pethaps, the only way to get out of this situation would be to

get thtarnselves free from being employed by oihers. That is why many Korean immigrand are lookink to some sorts of se(remployment

business. Hard as it may be to start, self-employment would at least

guarantee independence, freedom and dignity." 4' 2 , ..-----...-\ It is not nconunon to*find doctors wtrking as medical assistants,

registered nurses'. 'as aides, pharmacists 'and dentists as tech icians,

certified accountants as financial clerks, teachers as aides, engin as , draftsmen, lawyers as Clerks, or any of these and other professiona , as

ctistodians or farm laborers.- The tragedy is-,-many of these people are

resigned rot-herrfate. . At-a-hefting on discrimination against Asians, Ovas-nOted that."in

the dental school ltere Is a Filipino dentist with 1 i years of practice (a

graduate) from the Universitnof the Philippines. She's an orthodontist

and has been there [at the University of Washington] for 2 years making only $432: Her job title is dental assistant but she's actually milting the plates."' '

In the previously mentió\cd Korean Chidago study and one done at _ the University of Washin on On Filipino staff employees similar . observations Were made. Most 9f the unskilled and white-collar

--woikers and others classified as such, were, in reality, college graduates." Therefore, one can onii conclude that the skills and

education of many recent .immigran7s are either grossly muted or

exploited. A sample of 44 employees in the University of Washingtoh

study (133 Filipino employees) demonstrated that "although the

average education acquited was 15.6 Years, the average salary was only $7,040 with an average employment length of 4.5 years. Of

these-44 employees had a college education and 10 others had t1

master's degree or better.""

A Chinese woman with several degrees was palmed over for promotion in the budget depgkrtment of McClellan Aorce Base near

Sacramento althpuglf she has been considered Ai!, capable. The

reason given by her superviior was that she spoke with , . - an accent.

.. " Kun Hcrng Park:DO-AA Korean outreach worker.

" Testimony given by Micliael Castillano, (past) supervisor of the University of Washington, Asian divitionAn the office of minority Strain (presently assistant vice president in the office of mikority

4ffiirs) trefore the Governor's Asian American A.dvisory Council, State of4Vatthingt Malch

Bok-Lim Kim. Service Needs a f Asian Immigrants as Seen by Ethnic C4atiihef.. Kore Exampk "' Michael Castillanb testimony. a

264

II

2 77

11
oy I

L. -)

i

e

According to her lawyer, however she spo'ke -English plecisely and

her grammar was impeccAble."

Foreign-.medical graduates and nurses staff hospitals in east coast

States and California which would be in danger of closing or without

adequate staff ihniFFMOs and ENGs would leave. The presence of

the foreign-educated health professionals makes it possible for American-educated professionals, especially doctors, to have the opportu v

to take on more lucrative private practices.47

Lack of Skills and Education

Not all Asians are highly educated. Many of the Asian wives of

lor inerican servicemen had "formal education only thrikh elementary,. school. The lack of job, education and English communications skills, # usually meant a lifetime of menial and poorly paid jobs.""

The Demonstration Project for Asian Americans study of 137 Asian

wives showed the average years of education was 7.6. However,

approximately 29 percent had only 4 to 6 years of saool. Most of the

women in this study were employed in unskilled jobs, sonic worked in

the entertainment scrvice hield.(e.g., go-go dancers) while others were

(1oMg manual labor. Self-employed women owned sauna parlors. All

t these lobs did not require "fluency of English nor education."" 1 t has

. been 71-toted that because many (C)nnese) wives had worked outside

their homes and were not trained in ,any skill; when aced I with tbe

reality that-they had to work to contribute. to The fami y coffers, they

often found their way' into Chinese-owned sewing factories and

laundromats where they are underpaid." .6.

Thus, we see Asian/Pacific people, regardless of education, sufferAN--.mg some hardship When'they are seeking jobs not only to sustain -them,

but also to satisfy them professionally. Although many are frustrated,

Af/4 unfairly used, and often exploited by employers, they rarely complain

and sadly accePt such treatment as part of their lives ih America. A

Filipino immigrant co mented: ki

. -s. It is coniwon foil middle-class Filipinos to work at two and even

three joKs becaule of the high cosf of living in our country. I have

paid as much as $7.5a per pound for chicken (in the Philiiipines)

because fOod is not in abundance as it is here. In the tiited States,

ard work is rewarded. In the Philippines, it is parrIT the struggle

survive:""

" Chin& in San Francisco, testimony before Abe Califoraia Fair limploy 'ructices Commission.

'" Dorothy Cordova, Ick Whan Lee, A Study of Proble}ns of Asian Health ssionols 1.11)1NA study,

July 1975

" Art C. ng,.An Analysis of Problems of Asdn Wises of U.S. Servicemen. DPAA (1975)

" Spl Doi Kim, "An Analysts of Problems of Asian Wives of DS Servi4emen," DPAA ptess, July

1975.

" Pei- or Chen, The Chine Community in Los Angeles.

'' U.S. News World Report. Feb. 20, 1978. t

e 278
Other Problems

Darker skins and exotic non-European languages make it harder

for some to melt into the predominantly white english-speakiiig

population. In many cases, they (the immigrant) have encouhtered

open hostility from Americans who contend that the newcomers are taking away already scarce jobs.".

Youth

Many young immigrants have suffered the trauma of being uprooted, , from familiar sutiroundings and ,then suddenly thrust into an insensitive

and unresponding school situation. Teachers tell of shy children,

41 sitting. silently in classrooms, barely able to express themselves in

English. Existing Iiilingual education classes cannot accommodate

, every student who needs assistance, and overworked teachers arf

frustrated because p esent programs cannot meet the growing de-

. 4. mands. Despite their la nage difficulties, however, many immigrant

youths score high in math nd art tests:" 1 . ( Other inimigrant children are not accepted bgcause of how they

look. A Filipino father whose family has settled in Daly City, gat California, says 'his three childran ages, 11, 10 and 6 have been

taunted so much," that he has threatened lawsuits unless teachers do

',more to protect VII. In some communities, friction of this kind has

' encouraged the formation of violent gangs among Filipino youth."54

Youth gangs also exist withjn the Chinese communities: Shootings,

extortion, robberies, and even 'murder have been committed by

alienated Asian youths venting their frustrations and anger through

acts of violende and la lessneSs. Other yOung immigrants commit

crimes and/or belong to angs because "their parents no longer have

control over as they did in thebld country."" Communities

which rarely h delinquent children not too long ago are suddenly

faced with the problem of lawlessness and criminal acts perpetrated by,

their youth. Other parents are bewildered by the rejection of honored

traditions by their children who are trying to become "more , American." , The.school curriddlurn are usually yoid of anything that could give

the immigrant and Americanlborn Asian student some sense of pridein

/--- their history and/or culture. Many students begin to think pf

themselves as "second-class citizens" and are ashamed of their

immigrant parents. Professionally unfulfilled parents encourage their ;

children polinish college, because they believe a degree from an

\ " Ibid.

" US News dt Wtsrld Report. Feb. 20, 1978.

" Ibid.

" Alvin Hulgado, FiApino community worker, Office of HumiM Rights,Seattle, Wash.

266

11 7 9

oir
American college will give the young people the 00mi-es they have

been denied.

"Mk

(State of the Art v More than I million Asian immigrants have come to the U.S. since

Jr° the immigration laws were revised in 1965. They came in search of a

-better life, jobs, education for themsetves and their children, to join

relatives already here, or to flee from an oppressive government

and/or lifestyle in their native land. What they have found in these

United States may not be what they expectei. A study recently

, conducted by the Demonstration Project for sian American in

Washington State posed Neveral question --tri-in erviewed immigrants

about their life here. Most of the edu ated ones felt some sense of

frustration and unfulfillment, while those.whose expectations were less

to begin with, felt their life in our country was "very good." Mokt of

the :745 people inter'Vielovecil felt, however, they would remain in this.

country. -

, ..-

. Their presence is felt in-mlny places. Because of continued pressures

fropi \American-born Asian t ommunity workers and immigrant activ-

,ists, new programs have skung up and State and local governments.

are beginnih to respond to the 'demand for needed services. One can

i see niore bilingual-bicultural Asians working not only in employment

agencies,,but also the schools, departmeht stores, banks, hospitals, etc.

However, underemployed Asian imMigrants see. little hope,to retrain t

for .an alternative career. Existing proirams often stipulate that

partidpants be at poverty or lower family itcome levels. But there has

been community clamoring for programs to meet the existing needs

despite the income of the trainee. ' ..

. Although, attentiOn has been given to the training of bilingualbicultUral teachers, instructors, and administrators to meet the need of

an increasing impigrant population, most programs are stilt in the

fledgling stage an many are shaky because Asian/Pacific people are

low prioritYvhen4funds" ire allocated for bilingual education.

The family structure, may have luffered. Parents who fled a bad

situation in theicgative land have found another troubling situation.

tigrewhen their childrell get in trouble with the law or reject many

of the values of -the parents. Many families are §till separated by the

Pacific Ocean-Lbecause .parents, t .and then send for their

children when money becomes avai . This has caused *any

problems min has lessened the parental hold on,childien. ' -

. /

267
Recommendations

lirr many nerds and problAmr-lif&ing thr recent immigrants

HoWever, we make the following suggestions as a way th begin to

alleviate existing needs orAsian/Pacitic peopk.

I. Let incoming immigrantsespecially the professionals -know

what the reality is in securing jobs commensurate with their ed ication

and experience.

2. Look to existing laws that (..it(1 to keep families separat d tOr

'extended nunthe

3. lnterced ith profe sional organizations on behalf of immig>Ants,

with profes onal trainin

4. Recrui train, and hire Asian/Pacific staff to work within the

Immigratio and Naturalization Service, especially in cities with large

Asian populations. 6 5. Provide existing staff with sensitivity training aboidAsian/Pacitic

people.

6. Make hospitals, nursing homes, etc., which recruit, exploit; then

abandon registered nurses from Asia become accountable for their

practices..

7. Maintain the existing immigrati0 quotas for Asian/Pacific Øople.

Bibliography

Asian Americans and Pacific Peoples: A Case of Astakets Identity.

California Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil

Rights, February 1975. . Author Unknown, Chinatown U.S.A., Me Unassimilated People/50,000

in a Ghetto.-

Artemio Baxa, A Report on Filipino Immigration and Social Challenges

in Maui County, Project of County of Maui, Mar. 15, 1973.

?ei-Ngor Chen,. **The Chinese Community of Los Angeles," Social

Case Work, December 1970.

Californians of Japanese, .Chinese and Filipino 4ficestry, State of

California Division of Fair Employment Practices, June:1965.

Chinese in San Francisco, EmploWient Problems of the Community,

presented in testimony before the California Fair Employme

Practices Commission. . Dorothy L. Cordova, Ick-Whan Ike, A study of Problems of Asian

'Health rt,,Kofessional§, DPAA study, July 1975.

A Dream UnItilfilled: Korean and Pilipino Health Professionals in

California, California Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission

on Civil Rights, May 1975.

Discrimination Against Asians, Gqvernor's.Asian-American Advisory

,Council/State of Washington, June 1973.

268

281
Bok- K mi, Service Needs ().1 Asian lmmignints A.v Seen by Ethnic

Churches: Korean Example. August 1972.

Bok-Lim Kim, A Study of Asian Americans M. Chicago: Their SocioEconomic Charucterivics, Problems and Service Needs, N641-1, Oct.

15, 1975.

Sil Dong Kim, Jong tiie Kim, Becky Hashimoto, Korean and Japanese

War Brides, DPAA, 1975.

David Lee, Korean American CommunitY in 1.os Angeles. DPAA study,

1972.

Canta Pian, A Study of Selected Socio-Economic Characteristics qf Ethnic

Minorities Rased on the 1 970 Census. Volume II: Asian Americans,

DHEW, 1974. - Valvin Schmid, Charles Nobbe, Arlene Mitchell, Non-White Races for

the State of Washington. Washington State Planning and Community

Affairs Agency, 1968.

To Know or Not to Know, A Report of the i.S. Covimission on Civil

Rights, Feb. 1973.

U.S. Commision on Civil Rights,. Counting the Forgotten, pril 1974.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1972.

U.S. Equal Employment Oppmtunity Commission, 1974.

U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Annual Reports (1965

to 1975).

U.S. News a.,mi World Kepi/a Oct. 13, 1975.

Arthur Wang, Bask Problenis in the Asian American Community,

Tacoma Community House Study, July 1973.

Washington State AdVisory Council on Vocational Education, Public

Hearing Report on Vocational Education, Feb. 11, 1976.

Seattle Public Schools, RIcial Distribution oiStudents and Staff, 1975.

interviews With

'Romeotbino, Counselor, Employment Security, State of Washington.

Gil Young Kwan, Counselor, Employment Security, State of Washington.

Vicki Asakura, Counselor, Employment Security, State of Washington.

Paul Patu, Counselor, Seattle Public Schools.

Ingardo Santos, Affirmative Action Oflicerk Health Sciences,,University of 'Washington.

Sapina Titalii, Counselor, Employment Opprtnmiity Center, Seattle,

Wash.

Roy Minas, Immigrant Specialist, Filipino Youth Activities, Seattle,

Wash.

Anthony Baretto Ogilvie, Asian Am Superintqudvnt

of Public Instruction, State of Was ington. 114P' 4182-

269
Larry Flores, Supervisor, Asian Division, Office of Minority Affairs,

University o\t. Washington.

Rachel Hidaka, Project Director, Asian' ESL CETA Project, Seattle

'Central Community Calege.

Kun Hong Park, Researcher-Outreach Worker, Demonstration

Project for Asian Americans, Seattle.

Paul Nguyen, Indochinese Resettlement Program, Seattle.

Ernesto Umah, Filipino Youth Activities, Immigrant Specialist,

Seattle.

Alvin Hulgadi), Community Worker, Seattle Department of Hu

Rights.

S lid-information

Norma RupisaniWatson, San Franc isco:".Calif.

270

CP93 ,

`PP
44o.

Asian Immigrants: Civil Rights issues, Ser-

' -vice Needs, and Some Suggested So lutions

by Than D. Nguyen, Ph.D.*

Historical Background of Asian Immigration

The first significant group of Asian immigrants to this countft was

the Chinese in the late 1846s. The Chinese immigratiOir movement

lasted until the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Akt of 1882. This wfts_.4

the period of the building of the transcontinental railroad, and a

tremendous amount of cheap labor was needed to complete the job.

Chinese workers comiwised approximately 80 jcent of the la )1-

force in this project. (Coolidge, 1909) - Upon complotion of the railroad in 1869, the Chinesewere release

into the cities in search of jobs, in direct competition with whit

laborers. The failing economic system at the time could not suppert all

these new ,yvorkers, and the Chinese soon became the object of hatred

and abuse by the white laboring class. Their "strange" customis,

language, clothing, and their industriousness and frugality ipifuriated

white 'Americans who saW the Chinese as a serious econoMic threat.

(Daniels, 1962) Compounding the problem was tfie rapid rise in

Chinese impigration which had grown from 3 in 1830 to 100,500 in

1870. (Coolidge, 1909)

The econon)ic_collapse of 1876 was the straw thurbreke camel's

back. When -b'usine.ses failed and banks ond mines were closed, the

Chinese became a re y scapegoat for the country's disaster. Chinese

were attacked in the streets, their businesses were burned, an a

movement to oust th4m grew to frightening proportions. Anothe

aspect of the problem is that Chinese immigration )vas thought to be a

,second wave of slavery into the United States, Since the exploitation of

giinese was blatant in very many instances. On altruistic grounds

eaen, many legislaiors felt that there should be laws enacted td prevent

this kind of class from being formal once again. These legislators

eventdally unite4 forceS with those who wanted to exclude Asians on

ecottomic grouniis. (Daniels, 1962)

The Chinese ExClusion Act of 1882 was the culmination of State-and

local laws which discriminateli against tilt Chinese. Not only did the

act prohibit the entralik of Chinese laborers into die country, it also

prevented those' already .here from attaining citizenship. This act was

Dr. Tuan D. Nguyen is the associrkle director of program evaluation service, Dktrict V Mental

Health Center. San Francisco, Calif.

4

244

271

a
not repealed until 1943. l:_ven after that date, Chinese were not

allowed to come to the United States in any great ni-Aers because of

certain provisions of the Japanese exclusion act

By the turn of the century; Japanese immigrants filled the gap left by

tect14,44usion of the Chinese. Officially, immigration from Japan wai )1ot sahctioned until 1886, but between then and 1910 there were about

72,()00 Japanese who had made their way to this country. (Ichihatilit

1932).

The early Japanese intiMgrants were primarily employed on fano,

/ railroads, in mines, or canneries. They first came to Hawaii and then . . worked their way to the mainland. Later immigrants were students,

domestics, and merchants who often came to the continental United

States itirectly from Japan. The Japanese became successful economically and.were soon to follow the Chinese in receiving the wrath of

resentful American citizens. (Kitano, 1967) :

Not surprisingly, opposition to the Japanese took the form of the

earlier movement against the Chinese. Although a 'national law A

/excluding the Japanese was not passed until after World War I, local

and State laws often severely restricted the rights of the Japanese

Aalericans. For example, California prohibited Japan-born iniiiiigrants

from mune farmland ()iv-from leasing farmland for lohger than 3

years;

c PiliOno ..}1 migration to the United States began soon lifter the

PhiliPpine-Am rican Wars in 1906. As the Japanese moved from the

plantations, of Hawaii 'to the farms on the mainlapd, Pilipinos were

brought in to replace them. (Morales, 1974),..These early immigrants

were in a rather4euliar position: As American "nationals"---neither

citizens nor aliensthe status they were accdrded after the Philippines

lost the 1906 war, Ptlipinos were not subject t the leddation against

entry into ihe United States. However, as th the japanese and

Cbinese, resentment against Pilipinos grew. he solut1on to the

problem was' the Tydings7McDuirie Act of 1934, which.provided for

0 evelitual independence of the enlippines, making it possible to then

restrict Pilipino immigration to an annual quota of 50.

The first Korean immigrants arrived in 1903 as cOntract workers for

/Hawaiian plantations. A few more trickled into the country tior the

' subsequent 7 years. But in 1910, Japan seized -control of Korea and

essentially prevented immination to, the United States. The few

Koreans .who managed to fetigrate between.1910 and 1935 carried

Japanese passports. It wasn't until after-the Korean War that Koreans

started to come to the UnitedStates in large numbers, including war

brideS; Korean orphans, andr6hi1dren fathered by U.S. servicetnen. It

is estimated that there are 32,000 Korean children adopted by

American families.

I.

272 - 295
4

The newest Asian ininngi ant group is the Indochinese i Olives This

wave of immigration was the result of the United States involvement

in the Indochina WaL of the 1960s and early 1970s. The bulk of this

immigration occurred in 1975, as 150,000 reftigeotrwere resettled in the

Unit ltd States. Prior to that date, the number of Indochinese immiArants was rather negligible, except for'wax brides, some Vietnamese

orphans, and a' small number of iVietnamew students and workers on

temporary perm.ts to teach Vietnamese to servicemen.

, Finally, on . nnot complrte the picture of Asilm and Palikc 9

Islander immi ration without)mentioning the iIiflux of Samoans anti

other Pacif anders. These groups, while not immigrants in the

strict lettef of the law, are much like the earlier wave of Pilipinos who

came to ihe United States as "'nationals." The civil, rights of this

P migrant community are even less well-defined by the law, and their

social, health, and human services needs are grossly ignored. Current

estimateS place the number of Samoansaround 9.0,(X10 in California,

with greatest co,ncentrationl in San Diego County, the greater Los

Angeles Area, and. the San Francisco Bay area.

i

Current Trends In Immigration.

With the passage of the Walter-McCarran Act of 1956, immigration

was fin y opened to all Asian groups. Although there was a strict

quota s em on new arrivals-85sJapanese immigrants annuallythe

act _alio Asians already in the country to seek citizenship. The door

was firm opened in 1965 with the passage of the U.S. Nationality

Act which eliminated the quota system for Asian countries.

Patterns of Asian immigration have since changed dramatically. In

general, while the earlier janmigrants were workers and latiorers, the

new immigrants are professionalsdoctors, lawyers, dentists, nurses,

teachrs, etc. In other words, the "brawnt drain" has become the

"brain drain." . Statistically, with the exception of the tnasSientry of Indochinese

refnees t in 1975, the two largest recent immigrant.' groups are

currently Pilipinos and Koreans. During the period from 1967 to 1976,

over 20%000 Pilipinos immigrated to the linked States. The Pilipino

populati6n is alsa one of the fastest growing groups. The Bureau of the

Census proj Act' li 55 percent to 56 pereent increase over the 1970

census data or 1978, based on permamiht immigration, birth, and

de,ath rates, Thus, in San Francisco, for example, the nunAer of

Pilipinos increased by 110 percent, from 25,566 in 1970 to 53,944 in

1978. More dramatic still are the Korean immigration figures.

, Aecordink to the Immigration and NaturaliAtiO Service (INS).

\ figures, there were 2,165 KoPean immigrants in 065 and -30,803 in

1976, an increase of 1,322.8 percent. This rate Itblds for the two majoi 4. 286,

273

#

)e.
cities, I . os Angeles and San Francisco, where the majority of KoremIs

conic!. Overall, 75 percent of the Korean poliulation this counify

came here within the past 6 to 8 years.

Increases in the Chinese and Japanese population , while not as

dramatic, are also significant. For example, while San Francisco

experienced a 3 percent decrease in total population betwe6n the 1960

and 1970 census'es, the number of Chinese increased by 61 percent,

from 36,445 to 58,6%, and the number of Japanese increased by 6

percent, from 9,464 to 11,705. San Francisco, it should be noted, is the

leat4ng city of Asian immigration next only to Los Angeles.

Finally, the Indochinese refugeq movement, while not as dramatic

as it was in 1975, continues. Recent arrivals are composed of the "boat

cases" from Vietnamwhich include many Chinese VLiethamese , Cambodians, Laotians, and H'muong, as well as other ladochinve

who, subsequent to their settlement in other countries, come here to be

united with their families.

Asian immigrants: Their Current Status

The history of Asian Americans in this country, is fraught 'with

I blatantoften officialdiscrimination, prejudices, and injustices.

Asian Americans, no lesser than other minority groups in this coiliwy,

have suffered from injustices that leave wounds in their psyclies`.'arot

A

impair their social and. cnomic progresses. The examplor of 4

discrimination and 'social injutices encountered by Asian Americans-,..,

and Asian immigrants ,could be endlessly enumerated, but doing so

would serve no purpose unless received by those who tlin appreciate

or are sensitive to the Asian American,experience. The latest example

of official discrimination is the exclusion of Asian Americans from

amonwhe groups Zlefined as socially and econo cally disadvantaged

when Ale Smalr Business Administration planned implementation

of Public Law 95-507..(Federal Register, 1979, vol. io. 11 (January

16)) if$0

When one examines lihe social and economic stat Of Asian

Americans, it is blatantly obvious that de _Mao they have fared no

better than second- or ithircf-class citizens. Despite, SiliFir industriousness, they lagged far behind Others in reaping the beniTt s of their

labor. In San Francisco, for example, it is estimated Nthat the

unemployment rate is about 4.5 per nt for persons of Chinese

descent, a rate that is much lower jths. the national, California, or San

Francisco rates. Yet 24 percent of the Chinese population have

ncombs below the poverty level. In 1970 the U.S. Census Bureau

proketed that 14.8 percent ot all Chinik fa9rfilies, 10.1 percent of all

Pilipino families, and 9.2 percent Of ail ,apanese families in San

Francisco have incomes under the poverty level. It ii further projected

274

Z87
ts

that among the unrelated Asian American individuals (wer 14 years of

age, 27.2 percent of the Japanese, 36.5 pei cent of the Chinese, and 32.2

percent of the Pilipinos have incomes below the poverty level_

Recently, a sampling of 2(.)0 Korean families living in 'San Francisco

who received services at the Korean Community Service Center frinn

January 1977 through June 1978 indicated thac 68 percent of these

families were below poverty level accqrding to the guidelines for

Talent Search. A conservitte estniutie for th e general Korean

population based on this findink would be that 34 yercent of Korean

families are below povtrty level.

Turnitig to die Samoan community,' in a study of 410 Samoan

households in the Los Angeles area, it was found that fewer than half

of the respondents had completed grade school. (Shu, 1977) The

consequences of limited education and low-English skills are that!,

Samoans can secure only low-paying, menial jobs. Low nwome, in!

turn, limits the choice of housing, makes it difficult to maintain -a

family and care for dependents, while poor language ability deters

Samoans from seeking and receiving adequate health and other

services. .A study conducted by the department bf planning and

economic development. in Hawaii in 1973 reported that while Samoans

constituted 2 percent of the population, they made up 5 percent of

welfare recipients.

Looking at the Vietnamese refugees who came in 1975, one found

that, by the enthof 1977, 66.5 percent of refugees over age 16 were in

the labor force and 410.1 percent of them were employed. By contrast,

the labor force participation rate of till Ameilkans Tis 62.2 percent and

: their employment rate is 93.1 percent. But does such industriousness

pay off? Apparently nOt, slime only slightly half of the .refugee

families-51.4 percent--earned incomes of $.$00 or more per month for

an average family size of 6.5. (HEW Refugee Task 'Force: 1977)

Purthermore, 60.6' rcent of the rekisces wbo,had been white-collar

workemin Vietnam54e.ow in blue-collar jobs, indicating that the rate

of underemploymeri is 'high. This type of underemployment is

generalizable to practically all other Asian immigrant groups.

Pne must notb here also that tka-tndochinese refugees have received

Apecial help in:relocating themselves It this cOuntry, such as language

'training, vocational. training, :employdlent placement, and hausing.

This knowledge leaVes one to WOnder about the fide of other Asiiii

immigrants, *rants, and refugees who do tot receive much concert-

.. ed or organized help in essential survival skills fpr their settlement in

this society.

In addition to economic survival psoblems, immigrants face a host of

other social, health, and psychological proWems. Because of language

barriers, mpst immigrants cannotvail themselves of the existing

275

gss
health, and human services 'Elie pux-ess of migiation itself

creates stresses on the individuals, families, and gioups 1 tiec stiesses

can become acute wheti help is not readily available_ Research has

-tround that the incidence of mental illness is significantly higher 'among

inigrants and immigrants than among nonmovers (Struening, Rabkin,

and Peck, 1964) and that "migration per se is apparently a major

determinant of admissions to mental hospitals." (Lazarus, Locke, and

Thomas, I 961:4 1 ) The stresses experienced during the ptocess of

cultural, social, and economic adaptation ()ken lead to family disruption, alcoholism, depressiou, and antisocial behaviors, particularly in

children. Lack of knowledge about and inaccessibility to health

services often aggravates health problems that are caused by substandard and inadequate housing and living Conditions.

In order not to belabor-the points that will he raised in the latter

sessions of this conference, I will now piv forward some suggestions

for programs and efforts that may alleviate the problems experienced

by Asian imMigrants.

Remedial Actions to Ensure the Civil Rights of

Asian Immigrants

Recommendation 1 That a central immigrant referral cehter with a tollfree number be set up for immigrants to call for help in any matter.

This center should be staffed by competent bilingual persons who

could screen the hature of the problem or need for help and make

approviate referrals to service agencies in the city where the

immigrant resides. This toll-free number, under arrangement with the

Immigration and Naturalization Service, is to be provided to all

incoming iminigrants at their port of entry. A short pamphlet

accompanying the number, printed in the native language of the

immigrant, shQuld explain,the purpose of the toll-free number.

The rationale underlying this recommendation is that immigrants,

not only because of language barriers, but also because of cultural and

social backgrounds are not familiar with the multitude of categorical

service programs that is now the fabric of help provision in 4his

society. Lacking this knowledge, they are likely to'-niake contaot with

inappropriate service agencies and theg are turned down. Such an

experience leads to reticence and unwillingness tb kry again, since the

immigrant and refugee will generalize that services are not accessible

or give up hope of finding sensitive and appropriate service agenCies.

Yet, it Wcommon knowledge that the first few years of cultural and

economic settlement arc fraught with crises that, when gone unnoticed

or unremedied, can result in serious, debilitating states of affairs. Thus,

there is an urgency to establish a central referral center, which serves

276

289
the problem detection and referral purposes and helps the immigrants

to cope effectively with crisis situations before these situations iaecome

unwieldly aggravated.

Rieommendatkm iThat special service centers in the areas oflegal-aid,

housing, employment, vocational training, health, mental health,

fainily services, and education be set up in majOr ports of entry. These

centers are to be staffed by competent, bicultural, and bilingual VT in

order to prov_..at i sensitive, appropriate, and acc,essibk services to

. , immigrants. These services should be coordinated with the central

referral center. . The rationale fiu;this recommendation is that, currently, special

services for immigTants, and particularly for Asian immigrants, are

disjointed and spOradic in terms of organization, stability, and

Windings. The general assumption has been that social and health and

human services are the responsibilities of States and local governments. However, history has shown that State and local governments

are often the first to discriminate against Asian immigrants and

perceive the immigration and immegrant 'problems as a Federal

problem. They are, of course, wrong in the first matter. Newever, in

the second !hatter, it is appropriate to argue that the immigrant issues

are issues of broad national concern:Thus, the Federal Government

should take the lead in coordinating the immigrant services that

already exist and supplementing them with additional services that are

necessary to ensure equal opportunities to immigrants entering this

Natibn.

Additional services that are sorely needed are in.the areas of health,

mental health, and family counseling. Because \of the survival and

cultural and social adaptation stresses, many: immigrant familie*

undergo "dramatic crises that threaten the surLival of the family,as a

Unit. If help is forthcoming immediatel when. such crises occur, the

long-lasting, deleterious effects can be aveided and healthier American

family un.ita will result from these intervention efforts. Furthermore,

because of inadequate housing or living arrangements, health problems

are also common among immigrants. Without timely intervention,

crippling effects can remit and they will require more costly courses of

treatment., Currently,. Federal regulations and.problems in the area of

heidth and mental health are designed for the .broad range of the

general population, but are not geared to specific needs of immigrants.

That is, they are not specifically designed -to be sensitive and accessible

to the problems encountered by immigrants. Under the current

arrangements, efforts in this direction run into direct competition with

the concerns and demands of local, citizens and, thus have little chance

'of Success. Therefore, special regulations and.programi with firm and

long term ffinding bases must be originated in order to address more

1 290

277
directly and fay the health, education, mental health, and employment needs of refugees and immigrants ' Recommendation 3 -That . mandates and funds for special Asian

immigrant services be designed and implemented on a lom-range basis.;

, rather than the customary year-by-year strategies.

The process of legislatinp, funding, and implementing federally

funded services is a long, drawn-out proce.ss that consumes extensive

amounts of effort and lime. When such a proceSs is done on a year-toyear basis, il becomes almost impossible for Asian Americim minorities

to fully participate year-ni and year-out, given their limited res6urces

in terms, of competent persons who could feasibly and maximally

understand the prouess and its implications Thus, the year-RI-year

basis of planning creates insurmountable barriers to full participation

by Asian American citizens and immigrants. Furthermore, because

Federal funding is often channeled through State and local governments, the discrepancies in fiscal time periods and planning cycles

make it impossible for commm q agencies to elicit anti solicit full

community participation to car out the best service plans and

implementation. The rush and short deadlines result in hasty plans and

t

, hasty implementations that lead to less than optimal service programs\

,-This situation is .welhillustrated when one examines the Indochinese

Refugee Assistance' Program (IRAP) processes since 1975. Funding

for IRA P programs and services has always beenlegislated on a yearto-year basis with the result that programs that are set uppnly hove a

semblance of stability for at most 6 months out of thq year. The other 6

.., months lire equally speht either in gearing up for a new fiscal.year, or

c .preparing for the eventuality of closing down the, programs or busily

rushing throngh the bureaucratic redtape in order to obtain promised,

butnot necessarily firm, funds. About this time of the year, the staff

and refugee recipients of IRAP services are in limbo in terms of the

, continuance of services that refugees need in order to prepare

'themselves for social and economic survival in this country. Currently,

the vocational Coining and employment counseling land placement,

services for refugees face a shutdown in June. Once these programs

shut down, it will be a costly undertaking to restart them in October.

-, Recommendation 4-That the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights establish

a watchdog commi e to(a) screen, review, and mlitor cdrrent and

proposed legislation ecting Asian Americans, Immigrants, and

refugees, as well as the implementation bf these legislations and, (b) to , communicate findings and elicit input and reactiong from the people

, . affected. '\

Sucli a watchdog committee is utterly necessary in light of pait laws

that openly,discriminated against Asian Americans and, immigrants.

Even currently the implementation of policies aimed at rectifying the

278 , 1/4
injustices suffered by minorities contains elements of discriniMation

against Asian Americans aiid immigrants. Such is the case with the

implementation of Public Law 95-507 by the Small Business Administration. Another instance of de facto discrissiination is the exclusion of

permanent residents, by Executive. order, from employment by the

Federal Government. Ypt, it must be recognized that the Federal

Government has in the past two decades been the reading employer of

minority persons, The Executive order barring Federal employment

from permanent residents denies recent emerging Asian communities

such as the Kbrean and Indochinese from the benefits intendcd for

socially and economically disadvantaged groups: Such a practice also

set up de facto barriers for immigrants who,need the services offered

by the Federal Government by failing,to actively remove language

and cultural barriers. Another practice that perpetuates the disadvantage status of new Asian Aniericans is the restriction of Federal

scholarships and fellowships to citizens only. Thus, immigrants are

denied% the equal opportunity for competing for pseigrams that ,will

advancetheir economic and social well-being. J

In addition to such de a to -.1 discriminatory'practices, investigations

and monitoring must be ade to ensure that funds and programs

specially earmarked for Asian Americans, immigrants, and refugees

are properly administered and used to the benefit of these groups.

Misuse and abuse arise partially because of the aboye-mentioned crisismanagement style_ predicated on a short termyear-by-year---basis.

Another reason for misuse and abuse id the lack of proper monitoring

and evaluation la contracting agencies. This deficiency results in

granting awards to established agencies onjthe premise that "big is

better" without regard to whether the intended beneficiaries truly

receive-tlekenefits intended for-them and whether emerging community agencies can accomplish the intended mandates more efficiently

andeffectively. A third reason for misuse and abuse is the lack of clear

delineation of purposes and boundaries for spending the funds once

they are-released frqm the Federal Governmertt. Thus; for example,

the San Francisco School District has received a large amount of

IRAt' funds$500,000 in 1977-78 and almost $100,000 in 1979-80-L

for the development of bilingual material for Indochinese refugees.

Yet, to this date,,-such material is almost nonexistent, . and the 900.

Vietnamese high school students do not even have the benefit of al

bilingual.and bicultural counselor. .. , Recommendstion 5That mechanisms b established to ensure that

educational, employment, and service screening devices avd practces.

are culturally apprOpriate to Asian Americans, immigrants, and

refugees.

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279
The misuse of so-called "standardized" tests is a frequent occurrence

and is well known. For example, the quota system established in the

immigration act of 1924 warFedicated on testimony of the eugenicists

and on, the basis of improperly interpreted IQ test results collected

from the Army. Currently, many tests and screening devices are

- culturally loaded. The correct responses to many cif these tests depend

on prior learning rather than on innate ability, or on the predominant

value biases operating in the society. ret, it is a fact that Asian

immigrants and refugees not only have a drastically different language

system, but also 'come from cultures with widely different values.

Thus, tests and screening devices that are not culturaliy sensitive

ensure the failures",on the part of these new citizens and, therA)re,

constitute, in the words of Walter Lippmann, "an "gine of crueltya

method of stamping a permanent sense of inferiority upon the soul of a

child."

One method for remedying this potentially cruel situation is to

create a research -group of Asian Americans in order to examine the

culturttl appropriateness of tests and screening devices for the various

Asian American immigrant and refugee subgroups.

Recommendation 6-5Ehat efforts be devoted to the dissemination of

material about the Asian and Pacific Island cultures and societies in the

schools and throughout the mass media.

The need here is to reach young people who are not of Asian origin

at a time when they are forming, attitudes and values regarding other

ethnic groups. The need is also to counterbalance the Hollywood

stereotypes of Asians of different origins and to overcome the

ethnocentricism that in time of national stress can so easily be

exploited to become hatred and abus8, as were the cases with the

Chinese in 1882 and the Japanev during World War II. Programs that

increase the exchange of cultdral knowledge and the study of the

multiethnic.' nattive

4 of one's own nation, especially at an early

impressionable age, builds an atmosphere of mutual respect and

f consideration for all Americans.

Recommendation 7-With specific referemte to the Indochinese refugees

who are awSiting admission.to the United States, that they be admitted

'to the United States as permanent residents without the 2-year parolee

status.

Currently, the admission of Indochinese refugees is based on caseby-case evaluation of their applications. These reffigees, however, are

part of a mass exodus rather than separate individual .instances of

political recrimination.' The refugees, as.a group, are politically at risk

for their lives because of their open rebellion against a totalitarian

Commimist regime. For them, there is doseturn to the homeland, and

the 2-year parolee status is a bureacratic ritual that adds unnecessary

80
and inhumane anxiety to thc inultitudes of hardships that they already

undergo in order to escape. The removal of the 2-year parolee status

requirement is not only an act that ensures their civil rights to the

enjoyment of a life fr'ee of unnecessary hardship. This act will also be

consistent with the resPect for human rights which have been so

Proudly proclaimed and consistently insisted upon by this Nation.

Recommendation 8-That special legislation fbe enacted to grant the

Inddchinese refugees their citizenship after the lawful residence

requirements and ihat special progfams be implemented to expedite

the process of naturalization of the Indochinese permanent residents.

The rationale for this recommendation is based on the civil rights

nqt only of Indochinese permanent retidents, but,, also those of other

Asian immigrants. Public Law 95-145 allowed these refugees to adjust

their status to th-at of ifermanent resident and recognizes, for purposes

of computing the 5 years' residence required for citizenship, the time a

refugee has already spent in the Units(' States on or after March 31,

1975. Approximately 130,000 refugees have made such adjustment',

and most of them will seek- citizenship in 1980 anil 1981. It has been

estimated that, if the current practice of considering citizenship on an

individual petition basis continues, given the current resources of the

Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Justice Department, it

,will take until theturn of the ccntury to process all refugee petitions.

The iiiiplications of this fact is that the Indoainese will be denied their

due rights to participatOry democracy even though they have fulfilled

.the residence requirenignt. Furthermore, the large majority of Indochinese has now settled on the western seaboard where the majority of

Asian immigrants also live.. Any slowdown in immigration and

naturalization processing at the INS in that part of the country will

mean. the further denial to Asian immigrants of their- rights to

partiéipatory democracy. Because of this situation which impinges

directly 6n the exercise of their civil rights by Asian immigrants and

refugees, it is urged that special legislation be enacted to allow the

expeditious granting of citizenships to Indochochinese immigrants and

the allotment of resources to the INS for this purpose.

REFERENCES

CoolidgeM. Chinese Immigration. NewArork: Henry Holt;1909.

Daniels, R. The Politics of Prriudice.,, Berkeley: University of California

Press, 1962.

Federal Register. YOE 44, no. 11, Tuesday, Jan. 16,_ 1979, pp. 3338-39.

U.S., DepartMent of Health, Education, and Welfare, Refugee Task

Force. Report to the Congress.. U.S.. Department of Health, Educa.:

tion, and WelfA, Social Security Administration, Office of Family

Assistance, Dec. 31,1977.

281
Ichihashi, Y

sit y Press,

Kitano,

Lazarus, J.,

. Japanese in the United States. Stanford: Stanford Univer-

,

1932.

The Japanese American. New York: Prentice Hall, 1967.

Locke, B. Z., and Thomas, D.S. "Migration Differentials

in Mental Disease," Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 41 (1963):

25-42. . Morales, R. F. Makibaka: Me Pilipino American Stru

Mountainview Publishers, 1974.

'Streuning, E. L., Rabkin, J. G., and Peck, H. 13. "Migration and Ethnic

Meinbership in Relation to Social Problems." American. Behavioml

Sciirtrisr, 1 (1969): 57-87.1969.

Los Angeles:

282

295, 41, ;..

+.
5

U.S. Immigration Policy and Asian Americans: Aspects and Consequences

by Shirley Hune, Ph.D.*

In the limited time allotted and in recognition Tribe contribution

that other speakers at this consultation are making on the contempo-

.. rary period, I hive limited my presentation to a discussion of two

factors which have historically influenced the formulation of U.S.

policy towards Asian immigration. The factors which I will be

addressing here are: -1 . 1. Racism ii U.S.immigration policy

2. Fareign policy as an aspect of U.S. immigration policy.

These factors are too often neglected or ignored in any discussion of

the development ofAmerican immigration policy. Yet they have had a

great impact on the lives of Asian Americans. A consideration of these

two factors are essential for an understanding ot the present- status of

Asian Americans and the American immigrant experience in general.

Let me first preface my remarks by reminding es that the Pacific

migration, that is, the inOvement of peoples from the couRtries and

islanits .of the Pacific rim tO the Western HemisPhere, preced the

Atlantic migration to the "New World" and the founding of the

United States ofAnierica.

The first settlers of -the Western Hemisphere crossed the Bering

Strait from the Eastern Hemisphere 40,000 years ago. Their descendants were "discovered" much later for Europe by Christopher

Columbus end called "Indians." Other settlers crossed by sea to inhabit

the islands of the Picific (our present day Pacific Islanders) eventually

to be "discovered" by Captaif Cot* in the 18th tentury. In addition,

centuries before the arrival of -European explorers, archeological

evidence such as pottery, coins, and monument carvings, as well as

written recOrds, reveal contact brpersons from Japan, China, and

South Asia with the native American population along the west coast

of the Americas in what is now iklaska, British Columbia, Washington

State, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peril.' However, what I will be

commenting on here concfrns only the modern migration of Asians to

Dr. Stiirley Hunels usistant professor of sociology and anthropology at the University .of the

District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.

.

' See, for eumple, Henriette Mertz, Gods Front the Far East: flow the Chinese Discovered Ahterica

(New York: Ballantine Books, 1953); Betty f. Meggers and Cliff rd evans, "A Transpacific Contact

in 3000 B.C.," Sckntilk American 214 (January 1966): 28-35; Ch n Lal, "Did Hindu Sailors Get

There Brfose Columbus?" Asia Magazine (Mar. I I, 1962); 9-11; Do glas S. Watson, "Did the Chinese

Discover America?' CalOrnia flittorkal Soekty Quarterly 14 (March 1935): 47-501

)to 283

9 6
the United States and the evolution of America's policy towards Asian

immigrants.

The subtopic of this consultation on civil rights issues of Asian and

Pacific Americans is "Myths and Realities." Oscar Hand lin, the noted

immigration historian, wrote in the introduction of his Pulitzer Prize

*winning work, The Uprooted, that:

Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. /L.Then I discovered that the immigrants were American history.'

While this .is unquestionably true, much of what has been writtento

dateabout the immigrant experience in America remains more

mythology than hist2ry. The same can * said about U.S. immigraiion policy. In spite of the current debate over undocumented workers, school textbooks, newspaper editorials, the popular media continue to

extol the myth of Anierica as an open society which has consistently

thrown wide its golden door 'to the "tired," the "poor," and the

"huddled masses" of the world "yearning to breath free." In reality,

there have been guardians at the door and the guardians have always been selective. Immigration has always been preferential based on

family stOck, race, and labor skill or high educational background. The

preferred family stock has been of Anglo-Saxon heritage, the race, N,white, an.d the labor/educational background that Which meets the

immediate economic and social needs of the country. At best, the

'attitude of Americans towards immigration has been one of ambiv4-

lence; at worst, it has been racist and exclusionary.' Asian Americans hive been the victims Of the worst aspects of U.S. immigration policy.

There -are many examples of anti-Asian immigration legislation which

can be used to illustrate this tioint.

1. The first victims of immigration discrimination, as a group, were

the Chinese who were also the first Asians to migrate to the U.S. in

significant numbers. There has been an historic policy of Chinese

exclusion in America.. The first bill to lim4 Chinese immigrants to the U.S. was passed in 1882 restricting the entry of Chinese laborers for a period of 10 years. It is the only American immigration bill to

specifically restrict the migration of foreign peoples by race. It also

°scar Handan, The Uprooted (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1951), p. 3

' For discussion of ambivalence in American attitudes towards immigration, see Maidwyn Allen Jdnes American Immlgration (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1960). Racism towards European immigrants in U.S. immigration policy is discussed in Oscar Handlin, Race and Nathmality in American Life (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1957) and John Higham, Strcingen,,In the Land (New York: Atheneum, 1970). Racism towards Mexican Americans is discussed by Carey McWilliams in Nonh P)om Mexico (New York: Greenwood Press, 1968). The literature of Asian American studies is replete with work on racism and exclusion in U.S. immigration policy. See, for example, Stanford Lyman, Chinese Arnericatu (New York: Randni House, 1974) and Victor 0. and Brett de Bary Nee, LongtiMe Californ'(New York: Pantheon Books, 1972) on the Chinese; Roger Daniels, The Politics of Prefudke (Berkeley: University of California Press, 11)62) on the Japanese; and H. Brett Melendy, , Asians in America (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1977) on Pihpinos, Koreans, and East Indians.

284
-

denied the Chinese in America the right to UA. citizenship through

the process A,)f naturalization. Over a period of time additional

legislation was passed extending Chinese restriction for 80 years and

broadening the application of restriction to include other,categories of

, Chinese such as Chinese laborers' wives. Chinese restriction was not

fully repe" aled until the Immigration and Naturalization Act#of 1965;

there had beef a modest lift in the exclusion policy in 1943 when an

annual quota o 105 chinese was introduced.

This policy of Chinese exclusion in particular is viewed by Asian

Americans, as not only a policy of racism and discrimination, but a

policy of genocide. A _pOlicy which prevented Chinese women from

joining their husbands ccr fiances in AmeriCa in con-unction .with State

regulations against intermarriage. of Chinese a denied

Chinese males the human right to form families in America. Such 4

policy could only be designed to eliminate the Chinese poinilation in

Anirica. Thui,--the glTving-lemarks that Americans make about the'

tradition of the Chinese family are crude and horrible jokes. The

Chinese family in America did not exist excikpt for a few in the late 19th

and early/Oth centuries. These mmarks arevinet with not joy but pain,

with the knowledge ef those thousands of Chinese men Who spent

their lives away front fasnily members in China and died alone in

America never knowing their children and grandchildren and of the

. thousands' of parents,.women, and-children who were never permitted

to share their lives with their menfolk. .. 2. The Chinese were not -the only Asian group to face hostility.

Opposition to Japanese., Korean, "Hindu': (East Indian), and Pilipino

immigrants also appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Thus, in 1908, in the face of anti-Japanese opinion and violence, the

U.S. Government negotiated a Gentlemen's Agreement .with the

Government of. Japan ' whereby Japan was to limit the number of,

Japanese immigrants to America.

3. In 1917 the policy ofAsian-restriction was further extended with

the introduction of the barred zone act. Asians in the geographic

triangle in the Asia/Pacific region defined by degrees of latitude and

-, longitude 'to include India, Southeast Asia, the Indonesian Islands,

) New Guinea, and parts of Arabia, Afghanistan, and Siberia were

barred from admission to the U.S. by this act. Only Japau was

exempted7

it. Then in 022, the U.S. Supreme Court declared "Orientals," kti

general, ineitgible for citizenship. Based on this decision; an act was

passed in 1924, declaring all aliens ineligible for citiienship. In thismanner, a policy ofjapanese exclusion was finally introduced. This act

was part of a series of restrictive immigration legislation in die 19208

V2.9,8

285
that eStahlished the national origins quota system rind limited the entry

of Southern and Eastern Europeans to America.

5. Pilipino Americans, who had escaped earlier attempts at restriction because of their colOnial relationship with the U.S. and their status

as U.S. nationals, were also affected by this general policy of

immigtlation restriction. Part of the drive to achieve independence for

the Philippines was coupled with attempts by opix-ments of Asians to

restrict the entry of PilipMos to America. With thil acquisition of

political independence in 1934, an annual quota of 50 was given to the

Philippiyes.

This policy of Asian exclusio4or restriction to an annual quota of

-100 or 5Q was carried out in the same period that approximately 35

million Eurgrans were permitted to 'enter the U.S. and in which

European countries (after 1920) were given annual quotas for their

immigrants numbering in the thouslinds. Thus, the policy of restriction

.and exclusion was aimed primarily at limiting the entry of Asians; a

policy that was based upon race and, therefore, ,part of the system of

institutionalized racism in America.

In addition to limiting the numbers of Alsian immigrant§, U:S.

immigration policy has been discriminatory on the basis of the 'right to - citizenship. Asians were declared ineligible for citizenship through

naturalization on the basis of their race. It was argued that "Orientals"

were inferior. and incapable of understanding American institutions.

This policy was not changed for the Chinese until 1943 and for the

Pilipinos not, until 1946 when they were granted the right to

citizenship through naturalization. The immigration law was finally

repealed in 1952, thus permitting all other Ashin groups access to

citizenship, 'But nor those firit-generation immigrants, many of whom

lived in the U.S. for several decades, life in America meant institutionalizellsecond-class citizenship.

The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965eliminating

quotas based on race and national orginhas finally ended Asian

restriction. The act facilitated family reunification;'howeyer, it is still

selective on the basis of the socioeconomic background of the

immigrant. As a conse nce, the total nifrnber of Asians entering the

U.S. has incre catly in the past decade and Asian

immigration no constitutes almost one-third of the total annual

quota. In addition, the new Asian immigrants come from a broad

socioeconomic background and many are part of the so-called "third

world brain drain." They are highly skilled and eduCated, such as

doctors; others are relatively unskilled and do not.speak English,'

For more f.detstlt see, Monica Hoyd. lite Changing Nature of Central and Southeast Avan

Jrnniigration to the'Vnited States: 1961-1972," International Migration Review S (Winter 1974); 507 -

286

2949 4
However, the 1965 act does not eliminate opposition to Asian

immigration. Hostility and racism still persist as the mixed response to

the arrival of Indochinese efugees and the famous "baby lift" out of

Vietnam in 1975 attests. ie reluctance of Federal and State officials

to receive the Indochine , statements in the popular media alluding to

the "yellow hordes," socially conuhunicable diseases, .and tIce untrust--

worthiness of the most recent Asian immigiant group to America is a

repetition of the reception giveu to other Asian immigrant groups of

an earlier period and recalls for us the long history of the Asian

immigrant experience in the United States.°

A second factor in the development of U.S. immigration policy

relating to Asians is the effect of American foreign policy in Asia on

U.S. immigration policy. This interrelationship of foreign policy and .

immigration policy has had a serious impact on the lives of Asian

Americans. The formulation of a U.S.policy towards immigration is

complex and involves not only Federal legislation but also court cases,

administratil decisions add even the personal intervention of Congressmen. -Immigration is generally viewed as a domestic matter and

immigration policy as a reflection of internal political, social, and

economic needs and interests. But, in reality, like all other domestic

policies, immigration policy is also influenced by American international relations and interests. It is, therefore, not kolely a domestic

policy. The kstory of the U.S. has been intertwined with Asia since the

Americlff trading ship, the Empress of China, first set sail for Canton

2 in 1784. Furthermore, while Americans looked across the Atlantic to

Europe for their cultural roots, they also looked westward across the

Pacific where they believed their."Manifest Destfiry," their historic

mission, their future lay as a major world power. American economic,

political, strategic, and to a lesser extent humanitarian concerns have

long guided its foreign policy in Asia. This foreign policy has'led the

U.S. to send missionaries, to expand trade and commerce, to acquire

colonial territories, to send armed forces, and to experiment with atom

bombs and biochemical warfare in Asia:

U.S. foreign policy in Asia has also had serious consequences for

its immigration policy towards Asians,-Asians in America have, at

times, benefited from but more often, been the victims of state to state

relations and international power_politics, The most Tecent exaniple is

the sittiation of the refugees from-Vietnam, ,Cambodia, and Laos. The

Indochinese,--over 150,000 ofthem who have arrived in the U.S. since

19: Charks II Keely, "Immigration Composition and Population Policy." Science 185 (Augu,st 1974):

587-93; Roy S. Bryce-Laporte, "Visibility of the New Immigrants." Sswiery 14 (September/October

1977): 18-22.

Bon eiample. see articles in the WashingtonPail and New York Times. May 1-6.1975.

30 0

4117
1975 --have come under very different circumstances than earlier

groups of Asians. They have come not as immigrants in the traditional

sense but aS political refugees. Their . presence w Anierica today is a directS result of America's war in Indochina, the war's violent

dio-uption of their homeland and homehfe, and .of the promises made

to them for their cooperation with the U.S. Government.

But this experience is not a recent phenomenon. There are many

other incidents in which U.S. foreign policy in Asia has affected

immigration policy towards Asian's ivran earlier period. For example:

I.. The desire of the U.S. to expand its commercial interests in China

at first supported -Chinese immigration to the. U.S. In the famous

\ Burlingame Treaty of 1868, the LtiS. ,agreed to protect Chinese

immigrants enlering the country for reciprocal treatment of American

traders and missionaries entering China. However, when opposition to

Chinese immigration in California incriased it was recognized that

China was too weak militarily and politically to retaliate. T

negotiated another treaty in 1880 that permitted the enact= 6rihe -

first Chinese exclusion bill while still protecting the rights of merican

traders- and other personnel in China. Treaties between t tJ.S. and

China were no fonger reciprocal. Thus, the policy of Chinese

exclusion was introduced.

It was not until events 'in the world. and China h d changed

I sufficiently enough and altered America's relationship with hina thar

the U.S. modified its Chinese exclusidn policy. Thus, 60 yea after the

-first Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the U.S.----seeking a gre er role in

Asia after World War II and needing Chiang Kai-shek's sup ,rt in the.

Pacific region in the war against Japandecided to uplift hina's

morale by lifting its immigration exclusion poliCy against the Cfirlitst--

and introducing an annual quota of 105 immigrants. In this particular

1,14.lticase, Chinese immigration benefited froin international power politics

and American interests in the Far East.'

2. Japanese immigration to the U.S. was also affected by relations

between the.governments of Japan and the U.S. In this instance, the

political and military stiength of Japan -in the world in the latter 19th

and early 20th centuries were recognized by -the U.S. Anwerican

presidents were hesitant about' introducing a Japan exclusion policy

that might cause the Japanese Government to tak aetion against the.

U.S. Thus, a policy of Japanese exclusicin was delayed as Americans

sought other means to discourage Japanese from migrating to the U.S.

international power politics, in this instance, delayed the introduction

of a Japanese exclusion policy but did not prevent it. With the

For a detailed discussion on this.topic, see Shirley Hune, "The Issue of Chinese Immigration in th

Federal Goveinment 1875-1882" (Ph.D.'disserration, Cleiarge Washington University, 1979).

288

. 301

p.
,continuing opposition to Asians in America, such a bill was finally

introduced in 1924.7

In summary, one 'cannot begin to comprehend the contemporary

status of Asians in America without an historical analysis of U.S.

immigration plalicy toviards Asians.

I. There is a continued reference to the small number of Asians in the

, U.S. as compared with other minority groups. This small number is

often used to justify the lack of government attention to issues

concerning Asian/Pacific Americans or to explain away the lack of

Federal programs to assist A/lbw/Pacific Ameticans. This is thoroughly. unjustified. The Asian/Pacific American population is smaller than

other groups because fog' &Cada it was deliiierateli kept small

through policies of immigration exclusion that reduced the numberi of

new arrivals and through policieA of genociderWhich prevented family

formation in America and the increase of the population through

,natural birth. No other gropp of immigrants was treated with such

harshness. . 2. Nor are the suggestions that Asian Americans are not interested in

participating fully in' American society justified without Sn understanding of America's racist immigration policy. Allusions are made to

Asian/Pacific Americans being culturally uncomfortable with the

democratic process or that they ate clannish and prefer to mind their

own business and take care of their own rather than to assimilate.

Again, it must be noted that historically Asian/Pacific Ainericans have

been deliberately kept out of the political system and relegated to

second-class citizenship through the denial of their right to citizenship

through naturalization, hi this democratic political society, there is

little. political power without the voteas Afro American citizens

have demonstrated in their heroic struggle fo, civil rights. But without

citizenship, there is also no access to the vote. In the past, commaity,

State, and national leaders, even in areas of large concentrations of

Asian populations, were able to ignore Asian'Amerieans because they

had no votes to deliver. However, this has begun to change as the

politics of Hattaii and California attest. As greater and greMer

numbers of Asian American voters make their appearance, we can

expect that offiCials will not be able to ignore the Asian/Pacific

American presence. However, it still remains for the system to be

responsive to the needs and concerns of Asian/Pacific Americans. But

as blacks,. Hispanics, and women have learned, this has yet to- be

achieved.

3. Nor can we fully understand the 'present condition of

Asian/Pacific Americans without recognizing the role that U.S.

; Thomas A. Bailey, Theodore Roosevelt and the Japanese-Amerkan Crises (Palo tAlto: Stanford

University Press, 1934).

I

302

289
ii

. , fOreign policV lind us !mein:mom') interests m Asia have played not only on nmingration policy buI also on domestic policy in general Once more institutionalized racism shows its fa 2.e. Many Americans do not separate Asian Americans from Asians in Asia. By our physical appearance, we do not. heloug,-in Airrica; our loyalty is questioned, 4 we camlot be trusted, we are diffeient. This is why Asian Americans

are conimually being asked: "Where were ybu born?" or "Where are you from?" -l'he fact that many of us answer Cincinnati 01 Fresno, or that we revond that we are fourth- or fifth-generation Americans and that our ancestors helped build America still remains incomprehensible to niany Americans. Sonic of us have been here longer than others who are more readily acceptable as being 'Americans. For some

Americans, once JapanFse always Japimese, Or Thai, or Indian, etc. The same is not asked of Irish Americans. Norwegian Americans, or G(rman Americans,

Furtheiniore, it is unfOrtunate that most American knowledge and

contact with Asia and Asians have been through war. Most of the major wars of this country have been fought in Asia. The first Anierican war in Asia was in the Phi1i pines in the 1890s; the war

against Japan during World War )1, t e Korean War, until very

recently, The Cold War with the People's epublic of China, and the Vietnani War. For Many Americtik, Asians ar' all "gooks." These wars left victims in Asia and victims in the United States. There were

over 110,000 American victims of international power relations duhng World War U. These were the loyal and innocent -AmericaiCeitizens of

;- Japanese descent, many of whom were children, who were interned in

isolated camps within the borders of the U.S. in violation of civil and

constitutional rights. German Americans and Italian Americansalso

American enemies during World War IIwere not treated in this

manner in America. The great personal, professional, 8nd financial

losses of Japanese Americans as a consequence of this action are still

not recognized by Americans. . Similarly, the Chinese American community has suffered a a

coaequence of America's Cold War with China. They werc treated

with suspicion, often surveyed by the FBI, and have even had their

mail opened without their knowledge. These incidents which%make up part of the Asian Americar experience are not aberrations in U.S.

history or mistakes. They must be understood as part of a history of

racism, discrimination, and victimization for the purpose of carrying

forward specific domestic and foreign policies.

Racism and international politics have influenced the development of America's immigration polidy for Asians. They have% also had

J serious effegiben Asian American communities. In this consultation.kin

.,--1 the civil rights concerns and issues of Asian/Pacific Americans, \I is

',- 290

3 OS
necessary to consider strategies for the present and future A tilaioxconsidctation is to end racism and discrimination in all domestic

policies iRcluding immigratiOn.. The first is to recognize that

Asian/Pacific Americans haye historically been and Continue to be a

disadvantaged racial minority group in America. Support for affirmative action programs represents a beginning towards redressing past

discrimination and achieving sonic measure of equality of opportunity.

There is also a need to recognize that while we will continue to set the

interrelationship of foreign policy and domestic policy, that state to

state relations and global power pdlitics should not have a detrimental

effect on the lives of Americans who happen to be of Asian or Pacific

Island descent.
tt

An Overview of Federal immigration

Policies and Their Effects on Asian and

Pacific Americans - by Bill Ong Hing*

* 1 As an Asian dealing in day-to-day immigration affairs, I often

marvel at the ingenious schemes my ancestors devised co thwart the

imkiigration policymaker ghosts. It seems that those in awhority were

always set on excjuding the "yellow-skinned," "strange-tongued,"

"slanted-eyed" "Yellow Peril." The blatantly discriminatorY14ws of

the past explicitly prohibited new Asianirtrom entering the United

Slates, yet many Asians still managed to' overcome those offensive

obstacles. The "paper son," the birth certificate destroyed in the Great

San Francisco earthqualte,the.generatilAs spent in Latin Americaall

were examples of tremendously,Nrcaitive ways (A these

"Golden Hills." est

. . Upon rther reflection, however, this adulation of creativity turns

to a ,so

t4

ing reWization that, desiiite the anecdotal successes of many

in exading the innumerable immigration discriminations, tremendOus , hardships were unnecessarily borne by my ancestors. It is difficult to

decide whether an, 'ethnic group that is forced to lie and to ,cheat

becaluse of the oppresive raal Aliases 4.6thers is a group to

comnuserate with or to apPlaud. Whatever bonclusionis reached, it is,

painful to recall the Vtorical prejudicp codified against my uncles

and grandfathers, and 'Nrticularly agairfst my aunties and grandmothers. Questions related to immigration directed to them do not rekindle

fond memories, .but rather are often greeted Sith sadness and- silence.

Tie lalit distinct veitiges of the Asian exclusion laws were, not

removed from the immigration statutes untiN65, when the natioual

origins qictta system4 of immigration kailitrepealed. Yet, serious

questions ofintentional discrimination against Asians in the implementation of immigratioil laws arise even today. .

. The concept of "discretionary authority".is the name of the game in

the practice of immigration Jaw: Any lay person who has come into

contact with.the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) soon

comes 161elliZe that thingi get done When someone is moved to get

something done. The immense authority that immigration officials

have over the lives of citizens dird aliens is derived from the intricate

immigration statUtory scheme in which Congress delegates implemen1111I Hing is director, Immigration Law Unit,itan. Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance

Foundation, and II of July I. 1979, auistant professor of law, ()olden Gate University Scliool of

Law, San Francisco, Calif.

200

305
4

tation to the Attorney General, who, in turn, parcels out decisionmaking re.sponsibilities throughout the INS structure. The aiscretion to

act, to not act, where.to act, how to act, and when to act leaves the

public at the mercy of these bureaucrats; and the exercise of this

administrative discretion continues to fall heavily and disproportionately upon Asian and Pacific persons. This_paper attempts to highlight

a few of the immigration policies that affect Asians and Pacific persons

today. In certain sitpations a review of historical policies is necessary

to place present-day situations in proper perspective.

ExclUsion of SSI AliensAn Example of Discretion

A situation that has developed only recently serves as an excellent

example of present INS policy that discriminates solely against Asian

and Pacific persons as a matter of disyretion.

Late last summer immigration inspectors in Honolulu began a

systematic interrogatio`n of elderly Asians who were lawful permanent

resident aliens of the United States (commonly referred p? as "green

car"d" holders). They were returning from visits abroad that were

generally no more than 30 days. The interrogation in Honolulu went

beyond the customary questioning as to purpose and length of stay but,

rather, focused on whether or not such Asians were or had been

recipients of supplemental securiity income (SSI) puf)lic assiatance

benefits. SS1 is a subsistence program for elderly and disabled poor

made available to citizens and lawful residents alivis. If SSI had\ been

previously received, immigtation inspectors took possession of the

person's alien,card and passport and instructed the person to report for

further inspection and ihterrogation in the district of residence, e.g.,

tos Angeles;1San Diego) Seattle, San Francisco:' At the subsequent

iNspection, tifese elaerly Filipins, Chinese,, Koreans, -lind Japanese 4

have been informed that they are excludable from the Unitea States

under section 212(a)(15\` of the Immigiation and Nationality Act

(INA), 8 U.S.C. §1181,2(aX15), as public charges. They ekte.given three

alternatives: go back to their native country, requesie an eXclusion

hearing, or terminate SS1 benefits ai4 post a public charge bond a

several thousand dollars..

Note that the INS is deviling here with returning !maul permanen N_

resident aliens, ,notNvith first=time iiiiinigrintft or undocumentedidiens.;

The supposed authority for INS 63 reimpose the* public charge

grounds for exclusion each and every time an alien reenters the United

Stittes stems from a concept termed the "reentry doctrine." However,

the reentry doctrine has traditionally been used to exclude returning

criminals, subversives, and other undesirable% and has not been used

306

t .

I

S. 293
under modern immigration laws to exclude returning residents aliens who have sought public assistance. It is merely a matter of policy on

the part of INS instituted recently that has brought atiout this result. In the more than 100 cases reported, there has`been no question that the person had a right to apply for and to receive SSI under Social

Security Administration regulations. There have been no allegations of ; fraud. It is equally clear that if these persons had not proceeded

abroad, they could not have been deported under the immigration

laws. Under SS1 regulations, they Were permitted to leave the country

for periods to 30 ays without affecting their SSI eligibility, and, indeed, in many cases tçy were informed by SSI representatives prior

to departure that there w nothing to worry about. However, these people were unwittingly walking into the trap of the reentry

doctrinea trap never previously set for lawful permanent residents

receivingpublic assistance.

As noted at pove, this procedure marks a sharp change from previous

INS policy throughout the country. This simply has never been done

before and even todaY is not happening_in other parts of the country. Because most lawful permanent resident Asian travelers return

through Honolulu, the impact of the new policy has fallen squarely on

elderly Asian and Pacific persops only. The action has caused great alarm in Asian communities throughont the United States, and the

actioti is outrageous when viewed as another\extension of the infamous

exclusion laws of' the past directed at Asians. The raciali lines hav9,

been sharply defined by the port at which this policy is being effected. This blatant attack on only,elderly Asian and Pacific persons must be

terminated immediately.

Filipinos and Filipinas

The Philippine Independence Act of 1946 brought with.it the loss of status as United States nationals for natives '91 the Philippines. Although many had been recruited to work the sugar plantations in Hawaii and the farmlands of the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys in California, if they were not/naturalized prior to July 4, 1946, those Filipinos and Filipinas lost their status as nationals on that date. The

annual immigrationouota for the Philippines after independence was 100, making immigration to the United States quite difficult. - Girmoral Considerations

In recent years Filipino immigrants and nonimmigrants have been

the most poorly treated group of persons at the local San 'Francisco

district office. The general demeaning attitude of immigration investigators, examiners, and clerical staff exhibited towards Filipinos and Filipinas has been the most troubling aspect of practice for many

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N1111/d 4
practitioners in the field of immigration law. There is a clear lack of

\. sensitivity towards persons from the Philippines in the minds of most

investigators and examiners. As a group, natives of the Philippines are

distrusted and interrogafed..more intensively by immigration inspectors

at the airport. In visa4caseS involving marriages where one party is

from the Philippines,"The patties are subjected to exhaustive questioning by examiners. fir beyond the already ludicrous standards of

exaininatiohs conducted in most marriage cases. Often as a platter tiff

discretion in visa and citizenship caSes, further--9ivestigation is 4'

requested of the United States consul in Manilaa move that

independently creates an additional 6 t2 12-mOnths delay. As a general

rule the validity.of Philippine documents is, questioned, and even in

many deportation, hearings, further independent corroborative evidence is required where none wpuld have baen had a natile of a.

different country been involved. The baseless intensity with which

particular iiridividual investigators pursue Filipinos has blinded most of

the 'investigators. One investigator who thrives on "getting" Filipinos

has beei nicknamed "Mr. Filipino" by his cohorts.'

441Pre

Filipino War Veterans

During World War Il thousands of individuals who were natives of

the Philippines;cEngland, Iceland, Nord) Africa, and the islands of the

Pacific fought in the Armed t'orces of the United States. In 1942

Congrss amended the Nationality Act of 1940 to exnd the benefits

of UMWStates citizenship to those individuals./ Naturalization

examiners were Thereby appointed to confer those benefits' on

noncitizens outside the jurisdiction of naturalization courts. Between

1943 and 1946 these officers traveled froM post to post, through

England, Iceland, North America, and the islands of the yPacific,

naturalizing thousands of foreign nationals pursuant to thl mandate of

COngre&

The story in the Philippines ,was different. After the Japanese

occuiiation of the Philippines ended, an American vice consul was

authorized to commence naturalization proceedings in 1945. Almost

i mmediately thereafter the Philippine Government .expressed its

concern that Filipino men would be leaving the territory after.being

granted United Stiktes citizaiship.In response to these concern% the

INS recommended to the Attorney General that authority fchatural-

, ize be fiVoked in the Philippines. The Attorney General approved that

recommendation on September 26, 1945, and the authority of the vice

consul to naturalize alien servicemen immediately stopped. Because of

this action therp was no authOrized naturalization representative in the

Philippines. With no means available- to become naturalized, most

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Filipino servicemen were discharged-from the Armed Forces later,

thereby 16sing their rights to claim citizenship.

In 1973 the United States Supreme Court dealt a devastating bltpw to

these Philippine Scouts who had served so valiantly for the United States. In INS v. MN, 414 U.S. 5 (1973), the Court denied the

naturalization petition of such a veteran because he had not filed by December 31, 1946, when the relevant law expired. Even though the United States had failed to inform him of his right to citizenship and hid failed to place a naturalization officer in the Philippines during a

long crucial pefiod, the Court determined that there had been no

"affirmative misconduct" on the part of the Govemment.

However, armed with new legal theories and additional evidence of "affirmative misconduct," a group of Filipino war veterans sought

naturalization benefits ip 1975. In Matter of Naturalization of 68 Fyipino War Veterans, 406 F.Supp. 931 (N.D. Cal. 1975), a_ Federal diatrict

court judge found that eight of the petitioners_had demonstrated clear

evidence of affirmative misconduct; viz, eyidence that they had indeed

attempted tO apply for naturalization prioi to December 31, 1946, and

either no action was taken on their ipplications, or they were told that

no action would be taken on their applications. The district court

found that although 53 of the peitioners had not taken timely steps to

be naturalized before December 31, 1 , they had been-denied due process of the law by the Governmen failure to have stationed in the

Philippines a representative of th INS authorized to naturalize

members of the American Armed F rces, as it provided in oth7 parts of the world.

Although there was initial !cation that the INS Would accept the

ision of the disfric ourt, the INS subsequently yielded to

onil pressure and appealed the portion of- the

_decision dealing with the 53 petitioners who had 'been deprived of

their due process rights. Today, pending its appeal, the INS continues

to oppoie petitions for naturalization of honorably discharged Filipino war veterans if they had taken no steps to become naturalized prior to December 31, 1946. This is despite the fact that they were not

informed of their rights and thite had been no naturalization officer

stationed in the Philippines as mandated by Congress.

Such a position serves as sad commentary to the abandonment of

Filipinos 4/116 mine to the aid of the United States iktime of.voiar and

whorin many cases, liSught side by side with Americans. '-

ficapango Visitors from th* Philippkos

One of the most Ahocking examples,of exploitation of Filipino and Filipino nonimmigranta .came to a head 2 years ago when evidence

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surfaced that exchange visitors from the Philippines were being

greatly mistreated by sponsoring American farmers. The program,

which was sponsored by the National 4-H Club Foundation, Imd the

...- blessings of both the State Department and,the INS and was billed tis

an agricultural education program for hundreds of top students from

theXhilippines. In fact, what the program amounted to for .most students was

I experience Ls cheap farm laborers. Poor working conditions and

substandard housing were the rule, not the exception. One trainee was

forced to live .in a converted chicken coop with only a bucket for a

toilet and a pan of heated water for his bath. Another took turns

sleeping with the pigs two or three times a week to cafe for farrowing

sows.A.3 if these conditions were not enough, there was a serious

queslion over the money for services rendered. Under the program

participating farmers were instructed to pay most of the promised

salary for each trainee directly to the 4-H Foundation. The participants understood that the money would be disbursed to them at the

end of the 2-y )ia r program, leLs expenses. The resillts should appear

ypredictable. or example, one group of 72 trainees whose program

ended in June 1977 eagerly awaited the disbursement of the $410,000

they had earned -after working 10 to 16 hours per pay for 2 year?.

Their expenses; according to 4-H, cattle to $360,000. One young

Filipino received a final check of $135.80. The biggest check anyone

received was $886. , There were other serious complaints of lack of organization to the

program, retention of passports by the 4-H, unfixed working hours,

inaccessability of the --Tarticipants to financial records; and the

termination of pefsons from'the program for voicing criticism. It was .

difficult to belieye that both the State Department and INS allowed

such a situation to continue for more than 4-yeast:The situation was

not even partially resolved until trainees 4vere bold.enough to come

forward, and pommunity agencies rallied- their cause before the 4-H,

the State DeeParttpent, and INS. The situation, however, should not

have even developed iTeven minimal scrutiny by Government officials.

had been dope at the inception of such a program.

Fltipina Nursos

... Even today, Filipina nurses who have received labor certifications

from the Departmek of Labor and immigrant visas .from the State

Department and INS are suffering from a stamp of inferiority by

employer hospitals. Although these nurses have had specialized

training in both the Philippines and the United States, there, is

overwhelminAvidence of disccimination in hiring by Federal military

hospitals and discrimination in salary scales in private and County

31 o

297
hospit s. The Equal Employment Opportunity Comniission is presently inv *gating a class action complaint against not only hospitals. but also the nions involved. Both the Department of Labor and INS

should take further steps in scrutinizing applications by employers for Filipina nurses to en'sure that only prevailing wages are paid, but that qualifications are adequately compensated for. But rather than taking

such action, there is now indication that the various agencies involved

are taliing steps to deny further entry to such nurses into the United

States.

Apparently with questionable autthorization, the Commission n

Graduates of Foreign Nursing (COPNS, now under the umbrell lof

the American Nursing Association), is administering world fzle

screening examinations for foreign nurses who want to practiCe )f the United States. Only those nurses wh9 pass the exam will be eligi le for

occupational preferences from INS \pnd labor certifications from the

Departmbkit of Labor. The move -is ominous for Filipina nurses

because the American Nursing Association is the parent nurses tinion

that is being investigated by EEOC as one of the coconspirators in the

discrimination class action brought by Filipina mirses.

Chinese

The "Island"

4 Europeans had tkeir Ellis Island, but for Chinese immigrants INS

used Angel Island for "screening." To the Chineie -community, it is simply "the Island," because for them, it was no place for angels. Between 1910 andp 1940 the Island, located in the middle of San

Francisco Bay, was used as an immigration station where approximately 50,000 Chinese were confined while the United States made up its mind whether it wanted them or not. Many were rejectedland some

committed suicide there or on ships bound baCk to China.

The Island was the first impression that the Chinese people received of America. There were about 100,000 Japanek who went through Angel Island, but none was detained. For most Chinese it was an

agonizing 1 to 6 months of prisonlike isolation and grueling interrogation, not knowing whether they would be admitted or turned back.

Life was regimented, with lights out at 10 p.m. The food was

unpalatable, and the Chinese were kept in cramped luarters, forced to

sleep in beds tiered three high.'The women and children were gii/en

-almoskunlimited time to be outside, but the men, housed in another

'building and separated by a high fence, were allowed out io exercise

014 about an hour a day. They were tinder constant observation by

immigration authorities and were kept from talking to employees. The

emotional scars from such an experience are deep.

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Reunification of Families

Owing to an histoakal lack of birth and marital records in mainland

China, Chinese in the pitted, tntes today 4eeking to be reunited with

family members abroad xpe ence c_onsiderable difficulties in petitioning for their relatives. For most non-Chinese the process is simple. If

the relative abroad is one who falls under an immediate relative or

preference category, a petition is Tod at INS with evidence of the

relationship, i.e., birth certificates, marriage certificates,`firmily registries. The-processing time varies from district toNdistrict; however, an

iaterview is required in only the most unusual cases. In contrast, when

a Chinese person files such a petition, a long list of "secondary"

evidence of the relationship must be submitted to INS in support of the

petiAion, or else the petition wilt be returned. Additionally, the

'requirement of an interview is the rule In Chinese petition cases. The

result is an additional delay in fil-ocessing time of from 6 to 18 months,

or even more. If secondary evidence is not available, the Chinese

petition& is usually out of luck and effectively is barred from

reunification with the relative abroad..

The secondary eVidence usually takes the form of photographs, old

correspondences school records, money receipts, old Hong Kong

documents if Hong Kong was ever a place of residence, affidavits of

others, and, in some ant's, blood tests. _The burden to produce this

evidence 'has always fallen on the shoulders of the petitioner who, by

the nature of the 'requirements, is expected to exhibit packrat

characteristics. More often than nott;t111* petitioner is advised to

1 correspond with the relative abroad and to request that the relative

obtain documents in China. The request is extremely unreasonable

given the tact that most of the relatives abroad remain in small

villages, are not particularly mobile, and are unfamiliar with formal

documents.

Niarmalization with Mainland 'China has not, for the most part,

helped to alleviate the problems. The large numbers of emigrants

recently from China are generally persons who have been beneficiaries

of approved petitions for 5 to 10 years. Fitr other persons seeking to

leave China today to join relatives in the United States, the problems

of proof of relationship remain the same. In fact, after normalization

occurred, certain documents of the local commune authorities that had

theretofore been unquestioned were suddenly being questioned, and it

was required that they be authenticated by United States officials in

China even though those officials had not yet been stationed.

Similarly, there are reports that the local communeofficials would not

provide the documents requested unless approval has been granted by

United States immigration officiis. However, as mentioned above,

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INS often conditions its approval on the receipt of the requested

chinese doclunentl

The situation is fraught with inconsistencies in thc requirements of secondary evidence. Often INS examiners do not realize that a document produced by one petitioner is not easily ttainable or was never possessed by another petitioner. INS examiners themselves

cannot give a definitive list of what will be required of given petitions. As of the date of this report, the local INS Chinese section in San

Francisco, which handles the most. Chinese petitions in the country, could not state for sure what their policy with respect to document

requirements would _be next week. The effect is a mess, because,abt only petitioners themselves but the community agencies that assist petitioners and private attorneys are left in a constant state of

confusion over what will or will not be acceptable and sufficient secondary evidence. The only thing for certain is that a Chinese petition will take more time to process than any other.

Chinese Cuban Refugees

.Another obvious inconsistency in immigration policy that has resulted in clear discrimination against Chinese is revealed in an examination of the Cuban refugee program.

Immediately prior to and subsequent to t e Communist takeovei of mainland China in 1949, thousands of Chin nationals immigrated to Cuba. Commencing in 1959, the Cuban Government, under Fidel Castro, turned that cpuntry into a Communist-dominated area as well and enacted laws confiscating private property and other legislation affecting the rights of its people..As a result, Cuban nationals began to

seek and were granted asylum in thc United States. In early 1961

President Kennedy directed the establishment of the Cuban refugee program, and in June 1962 Congress authoriied the President to

render further assistance to qualified refugees in the need of assistance

for essentials of life and assistance to the State or local public agencies

for other services. The program was assignr to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Thcir plight, being what it was, necessitated the acceptance of

financial assistance y substantial numbers of these Cubans refugees

assistance provided tder the Cuban reffigee program. In the Act of l4vember 2, 1966, Congress provided for the adjustment of status of Cuban refugees to that of lawful permanent residence in the discretion of the Attorney Generalk However, when Cuban refligees who had been receiving financial assIstance made

application for permanent residence, their applicationi were initially denied\ under INA section 212(aX15), 8 U.S.C. §1182(aX15), on the grounds that they were likely to become public charges. However, in

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Matter of Mesa, 12 l& N 432 (Dep. Assoc. Comm. 1%7), the losition of

INS was administratively reversed. The basis of the new pitioIi was

a realistic reading of the intent behind the Cuban refugee program and

the graukag of asylum to Cuban refugees. Indeed, President Johnson

had directed a waiver of permanent residence application fees on

humanitarian grounds, because most Cuban reftwees were unable to

accumulate very many resources-in a 2-year period.

The new INS position on this issue %vas applied consistently to all

Cubans refugees until approximately 2 years ago when INS 'began

distinguishing between refugees who were natives of Cuba and

refugees who mire natives of other countries. e.g., China, even though

all of these applicantA had fled Cuba/ and were paroled into the United

Stales as Cuban refugees. Today, if the applicant for adjustment of

status has received financial assistance under the Cuban refugee

program (even though after Jantutry 1975 the monies were not labeled

as such), but is not a native of Cuba, the applicaiion will be-denied on

the grounds that the person is likely to'become it public charge. This is

in spite of the fact that the berson was paroled into the United States jas

a Cubanretugee. The effe0 of this revised position of INS falls most

heavily on Chinese, who make up the largest number of non-Cuban

national refugees from Cuba. Such a harsh position wit. s certainly not

intended by Congress, particularly in light of recent legislation

waiving the public charge grounds for exclusion for Southeast Asian

refugees applying for permanentresidence. Yet INS continues to deny

applications tor permanent residence for Cuban refugees who are

Chinese if they have receivedpubliCassistance. - Semoani

Samoans in the United States are composed of two major groups

American Samoans . and Western Samoans. American Samoa is

comprised of six islands and is a United States possession in the Pacific.

American Samoans are classsified as United States nationals and enjoy

diplomatic protection and right of free entry to tht United S141,eA but

have virtually no political rights. Western.. Samoa, which consists of

nine islands, is a self-governing nation, and Western Samoans are

considered aliens for purposes of United States immigration taws.

However, travel restrictions between the two Samoas doonot exist.

Immigration problems arise very frequently for lioth Samoa groups in

the United States because they are de facto one peoplehiiTltaliy,

linguistically, and culturally: Therefore, the line that separates these

two technically distinct sovereignties does little to seitarate ancestral

roots or familial reiatictpships. Many American Samoans are married to

Western Samoans, and-many siblingi were born on different sides of

the border.

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31 4
Al

The problems arise when an American Samoan seeks to petition for his or her Western Samoan relative abroad, or for a visiting relative who seeks to remain permanently in the United -tates, Ikre again

public charge factors play a large role in the denials of many Samoan

immigration casr7Often the American Satnyan or his or her Unired

States citizen minor children have found it necessary to apply for and

to teMporarily receive sonie form of public assistance, e.g.,aid to

fathilies with dependent children, supplemental security income, or some form of medical benefits. Their right to such benefits is not

questioned. However, the final visa or adjustment of statui approval for the relative who seeks permanent residence is usually -conditioned

upon the posting of a large pnblic charge bond. This is generally the case even if the American Samoan petitioner is now working and no

longer is receiving benefits, and employment for the new immigrant has been assured.

The requirement of public charge bonds in such cases is particularly

uncalled for because usually the income involved far exceeds poverty guidelines established by the tommunity Services Administration. But

merely because. tlik American Samoan at one time found it necessary

to receive publicWssistance benefits; that person and his, oi her

prospective immigrant relatives are forever branded by INS as likely

to become public charges.

The usual amount required in public charge bond cases is $5,000, but they have teen known to range as high as $15,000 for a single alien..

The requirement of a.bond itself is incongruous with the result sought. It is puzzling to comprehend how the requirements of the posting of a. 14$5,000 or $toma ptiblic charge bond will Make a person less likely to become apublic charge.,

It can be readily seen that such a requirement, itself creates financial

, problems for a new immigrant .from the inceptiOn of his or her

residence in the United States, making that person a more likely

candidate for public assistance if adversity -strikes. The entire publie charge bond scheme niust be reevaluated for all( immigrants, but

particularly for.Samoans who seem to have been cursed with a poor

. rating by INS officers in terms of public charge-issues.

Samoans have only recently organized themselves more effectively

in the United States. Difficulty in obtaining data on $amoans in the

United States stems in part from the Census Burau, which classifies

theiwunder the "all other races" category. But it cannot be forgotten

that many Samoans enlisted in the United Statts Armed Forces in

World Wai4I, and in the same. tradition American Samoans today

continue to send sons and dalighters to serve in the various military.

branches Of the United States. SensitivitY to all facets of Samoan life

and tradition is.nonexistent in the INS, and there alvears to be no

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serious desire on the part of district offices to step up ties with the

*Samoan community.

Other Considerations

English Literacy Requirement for Naturalization

The English literacy requirement for naturalization continues to

serve as an effective deterrent to citizenship for most elderly Asians

and Pacific immigrants. It is considered by most to be a continuation of

the hilitorical prohibition to naturalization of Japanese and Chinese.

Without the benefits of naturalization, these parsons are prohibited

from entering the Mainstream of American life. For example,./all

'Federal ciVil service jobs and certain State police positions and local

teaching posts are limited to citizens. Of course, the right to vote is

only extended to citizens.

'Congress' preservation of the English literacy requirement for

naturalization is irrational. There is no constitutional requirement to

condition citizenship on English literacy nOr is there any histOrical

evidence that the framers of the Constitution intended our society 'to

be uniform in language or tradition: To the contrary, history reveals

that the thrust of independence for the Colonies was diversity and

sovereignty and a guarantee of rights for all people. The United States

Ims allegedly held its arms open to all peoples and has promoted its

"inciting pot' image all the rorld.

Although there is a waiver of di English literacy requirement for

natutalization for 'petitioners over. age 50, there is an additional

requirement that such a petitioner imusthave btin a lawful permanent

resident in the United States for over 20 years. The requitement is 41

applicable, therefore, to the elderly who have not resided in the Unit&

States for 20 years, nOr to persons such as, elderly Cinnese who have

lived here for 40 or more years, but who 4vent through conression

progranip in the 19608 and onlfthen* established lawful pennan

residence. The English literacy reqUirement is considered as a three

the perservktion of the old traditions and customs by the elderly. -It

alio ignores the fact that most of these penrns can survive, totally in

their communities without English. and, through the excellent nqnEnglish media available, remain abreast of current events and

government happeningspresumably one of the reasons behind the

English literacy requirement.

Purthermdre, the English literacy requirement for naturalization is

completely inconsistent with the position of Congress on the right to

vote. In the 1975 Amendments to the Voting Rights Act, Congress

strongly indicated its Itiong opposition to English literacy require-

.. ments for the franchise in its mandate to State and local governments

303
to provide bilingual ballots and voter materials. The amendments came

In lecognition of tho fact that non-English-speakers pare as wellinformed as the English- leaking electorate. The next logical step for Congress to. take has nd arrived, natively, thc elimination of the

English-literacy requirement for maturalization so that these people

can meet Vie citizenship.requirement to register to vote.

However, given the English literacy requirement, INS itself could

do a great deal to alleviate the trauma to most people involved in the

naturalization process. Greater sensitivity and patience exhibited to the ek*rly petitioners by naturalization and examiners would be a good

start. Additionally, history and government questions that ire custom- . arily administered in Fnglish could be given in the petitioner's native

language. This procedure would be consistent- with the statuto6

layout of the English-literacy and history-government requirements, which fall under two separate subsections of INA section 312, 8 U.S.C. §1423. Naturalization rights will then become more readily available to our elderly Asian aunts, uncles, and grandparents who have, in fact, historically been sonie of the most loyal residents of the United States.

Cultural and Social Considerations

Greater sensitivity 6n-the part of INS is .orely needed in the area of \\,

family law-related issues, not only with Iespect to, the statutes of

various Asianrand Pacific countries, but also with respect to the

religious and social cultures involved. Even where the foreign law

permits the action involVed, INS often will oppose the situation if it is uncommon to United States tradition. Such opposition initially qiisted

to single-parent adoptions common among Chinese women. Today,

many culturally accepted Chinese adoptive relationships are not being

recognized by INS due to lack of fornial documents, even though the children involved have lived with the adoptive parents for years. Without foimal documents, most of the technical requirements for

adoptions found in INA section 101(bX1XE), 8 U.S.C. §1101(bX1XE), cannot be met. . Issues involving' concubines and their offspring have produced

volumes of litigation Clue.to The lack of cultural sensitivity to such

relationships on the part of INS. Even now an adult son of the first

Chinese wife cannot petition for the concubine if the first wife is still

aliVe. This is so even though that son has resided with the concubine in

a parent-child relationship.

Problems with respect to so-called . . "illegitimate" children who wish

to immigrate arise quOefrequently among people from the Philippines. Strict compliance with the language of INA 'section 101(bXIXC), 8

U.S.C. §1101(bX1XC), has effectively foreclosed immigration for the, Rarties to such natural parent-child relationships. This strict applica304
tion of the inimigration laws operates in blind disregard of the strolig

religious and legal prohibitions against divorce in the Philippines

prohibitions that do not exist in most other countries ttnd that would,

therefore, not have prevented the immigration of the parties involved.

The victim of the strict interpretations is the guiltless party, i.e., the

child.

Lack of sensitivity of among INS examiners andiltivestigators to the

Japanese experience in the United 'States plays a large parts in the

hesitancy of many elderly Japanese to apply for ninurafization benefits.

For_ Jears Japanese and other Asians were held to be ineligible to

become naturalized citizens because they were not "free white

persons," Ozawa v. United States, 260 U.S. 178 (1922). And any

insensitive interrogation by an 1Ng examiner marbe reminiscent of

what 110,000 Japanese Americans were subjected to during World

War Il in the infamous internment camps.

Young Japanese students in the United States have not escaped the

grip of the INS. As recently as 3 months ago, carefully planned raids

of Japanese restaurants by INS investigators during bu,iiness hours

netted several folreign students with allegedly no employment authorizations. In the process 'VS investigators also inadvertently arrested a

United States citizen who is presently contemplating a civil action

against the INS. There was no reason for using raids as a first resort in

thes situations. Apparently the INS. had been provided names of

students by informants and presumably could have used a call-in letter

approach for thoSe students. INS had no past negative experience with

suchttudents inaterms of absconding; but still opted for a method that

terrorized a large portio of the Japanese community.

Som 'Recommends Ions

The Immigralion and lJaturalization Service has always been a

nemesis to Asin and Pacific ptrsotk; The historically explicit

discriminations against them in the immigration, employment, business, and educational laws of the United States have prompted a great

distrust and fear of the.INS. Reports of harrowing experiences with

the INS are as rampant as ever. Rumors of amnesty, of procedural

changes, new hope, of lost hope Continue to abound. The time has

perhaps o erripened for changes in INS attitudes and treatment of

citizens hd aliens of Asian and Pacific descent. However, much can

be accojipished to inject some degree of trust and faith in the INS on

the part of these peopletrust and faith that heretofore was either

nonexistent or, at best, fleeting.

INS must open itself to the 'public and actually provide a service as

its name The INS could be demystified to a large exteiit,by

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3 1 8
J

constant involvement of INS personnel in community affairs and

rentations on immigration rights. Although, the central Office of

S has attempted such endeavors, it has failek to get local INS Mcials involvea in the communities that they serl.k.Non a contintiing

asis. If the problem is lack of enthusiasm or interest on the part of

local official% then they should be removed.

Bilingual Vxaminers and investigators must be hired by the INS. It is appalling that in a cosmopo 'tan district such as San Friticiscft, for example, there are no exam ers who _speak Chinese (any dialect),

Japanese, Tagalog, Ilocano, ietnamese, Samoan, or Tongan. There is, only one investigator who speaks limited Cantonese. The present procedure at INS for interviewing a non-English-speaking Asian or Pacific person is to have clerical or outside interpreters brought in for

purposes of translation. This means that INS is paying two persons, the examiner (or investigator) and the interpreter, for conducting a 4ngle

interview. It is amazing tht by this time in our history that neither

through attrition nor affirMative actiOn have there been any fluent bilingual persons promoted or- appointed to those positions. Instead, the system appears to have perpetuated the dii,crifninations in

immigration against Asian and Pacific persons as &Odenced by the fact that those persons of such extraction employeeby INS have not

'reached levels .4 examiners or inveitigators. It it quite clear that the

thought of an Asian or Pacific person in an adminstrative position

higher than an examiner or investigator in San Francisco cannot have

ever .-seriously been raised. The need for bilingual examiners and

investlgatos is obvious. Also, with the additional input of bilingual \.. personnel i such positions, the chances of increased sensitivity to

cultural, r2g social differences in Asian and Pacific p9sons are better . Numerical limitations otkthe number of immigrant visas a lable to

foreign Asian and Pacific countries must I) reevaluated. ntly,

'key catffgories of the preference system are backlogged for Inany

y ,--preventing reunification of family members from China, the /

hilippines, and Hong Kong. The 20,000 immigrant visas available to China and the Philippines are not sufficient for lite present demand.

The present demand for visas from thaw tountries is attributable to

many factors, not the 'least of which are the effects of past exqiusion acts directed at Asians and the national origins quota systFm. of

immigration in effect up until 1965. Under that system 98 percent of

the total annual quota for immigration was distributed to Europevi

countries, while only 1.35 percent was allocated to the so-called Asiah

Pacific triangle area. Therefore, the 20,000 vidas granted annually to \ China- and the Philippines under INA section 202(a), 8 U.S.C. §1152(a), while on its face appear to be on par with the rest of the

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world, fall far short of alleviating the effects of the past discrimi story

immigration laws. The numerical limitations for China a d the

Philippines should be expanded to accommodate the present inderstandable demand.

As for.natives of Hong Kong, their plight is even worse. They are

limited to only 600 visas per year under INA section 202(c), 8 U.S.C.

§1152(c). However, they, too, are placed in the same predicament

because of the historical immigration discriminatory laws. For Hong

Kong, however, .a simpler solution would be 1? allow Hong Kong

natives to use visas remaining each year from the 20,000 numerical

limitation granted to Great Britain.

Through these amendments to the numerical limitations, a Ajor

idvance will have been made in correcting the pait wrongs directed at

Asian and Pacific persons.

Closing - Years ago when first-generation Chihese Americans sought to see

)the barracks at Angel Island where their fathers and mothers had been

tield, their requests were not only rejecte4bei officials (toiled that the

, land was ever used for the immigration purposes that have now been

confirmed. Present immigratkm pol!cy in many respects also attempts

to cover up and ignore the past discriminatory immigration actions

taken against Asian and Pacific persolis. Congress and. the INS shall

not, however, be permitted to forget the past, for only then can

present and future immigration policy be set in a manner that is at last

the prejudices that our people have consistently faced.

lways admired America as a land of promise.

ediately I raised money and set out on myjourney.

I endurarough winds and waves for more than a rthonth;

Niw I am trapped in this prison plaee.

/look out and see Oakland so close, yet I cannot go there.

f wish I could go home and be a farmer again.

(My heart is filled with sorrow aid I .canno sleep.

I write these words to express my sadness.

Translation of a Chinese calligraphy found on the walls of

the barracks at Angel Island. Author unknown, e 1910-40.

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320.
Pacific AThericans' Concerns

CHAIRMAN FI FMMIN. Next major item on the agenda deals with

the question of Pacific 'Americans concerns. And CommissitTer

Freeman will preside on the first pahel while it makes its presentation.

COMMISSIONER FREF.MAN. Wi1 the panelists come fofward and take

your seats: please? Dr. Faye iNunoz, Ruth Van Cleve, Ms. Paige

Ka welo Barber.

Thank yoit for coming. Our first panelist will give the give an

overview of PaciticlAmericans' problems. Dr. Faye Untalan Munoz is

the present director of the Racial Minority Mental Health Training

Program at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

in Colorado.

Dr. Munoz?

Presentation of Dr. Faye Untaian Munoz, Director, Racial

Minority Mental Health Training Program. Westerii interstate

Commission for Higher Education, Boulder, Colorado

DR. MUNOZ. Thank you. Hafa dai. I am very happy to be here to

address this distinguished panel of Commissioners and interested

audience. I am sorry, however, that we have such little time to deal

with problems tf centuries of what I call exploitation; *gradation,

and neglect.

I am supposed to provide you with an overview of Pacific Islanders.

That is one of the most difficult tasks. Therefore, I would like to say

that my presentation will be more of the-case for Pacific Islanders in

America. And our Asian brothers and sisters, our involvement in

relationships with the United States are both historically and politically different. \

Pacific Islanders include a conglomerate of peoples of Pnesia,

Malaysia, and Micronesia scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean. Our

toncerns today are clearly thqse islands under U.S. jurisdictions, the

, protectorates, the trustees or territories, and these will include

American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of North Marianas, and

the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific.

I have lived and worked closely with many of the Islanders but my

knowledge and skills are more about Guam, my native horeg.

Therefore, the bias of my presentation will he reflected.

The U.S. Trust Territory plu4kGuam and the Northern Marianas

make up the Micronesia group which consists of about 3,400 islands,

islets and atolls; Micronesia spans approximately the area of the U.S.4

Thus, one can broadly imagine the Marshall Islands in Florida,

Pfnape in Missouri 'Yap in Ool ado, the Marianas in Washington

State, andtmerican amoa some ere in the Caribbean.

-et

0
The Marianas Islands are Guam, Saipan, Tinir, and Roth. Since

Saipan, Tinian, and Rota now constitute the Commonwealth of

Northern Marianas, Guank may be appropriately called. the Southern

) Marianas. The people of the Marianas are of the same culture, race,

and the native inhabitants rde Chamorros, thus Chamorro describes

the people, the culture, and the language of the Marianas Islands.

Very little data concerning Pacific Isheders are available beyond

this stereotypical description of the islanSers 4r

exotic and romantic

peoples. Data which could provide/ compble analysis of the

different island groups in political, social, economic, and religious

experiences are lacking.

The islands have been inundated during the past 300 years with

numerous explorations, colonizations, Christianization efforts. The

consequences, sometimes beneficial and sometimes dettructive at the

same time, are immeasurable.

As Western civilization comes to the island people, so are their

tracjitional ways irrelocably changed. In recent years growing

nuthbers of people from the South Pacific Islands have been coming

into the U.S. Many are brought by tourism and entertainment. The

military draft, hoN4kver, has played a paramount role in influencing

migration while the quest for better education and economic opportunities became a secondary m9tivation and appears to be the continuing

trend.

Today, American Samoans, Chamorros; Native Hawaiians, and

.other Trust Territory islanders all share something in common, their

islands are part of 'the U.S. territory, paking the Islanders US.

subjects or cititens unlike sothe of your other neigh4ors.

As U.S. territorial citizens Sanioans and ghiimorros do not have fulk

voting rights or representation' ii the U.S. Government. They have--

thus they have no effective voice in U.S. policY or decisions but are

subject to Federal legislation like the milttary draft had beeh.

The Organic Act of Guam in 1950 ended .50 years of naval

administration of Guam and established a civilian government.

However, it was not until 1970, after 20'years .6f U.S. Presidentappointed governors that Guam elected its first native governor.

A U.S. bill enacted in 1972 gives Guam one elected member. the

U.S. Senate of RepresentativesU.S. House of Representa0 , I'm

sorry--however, he may only vote in committee but noi on tfloor

of the House.

The geographical distance of the' islands from the U.S. and their

unfamiliarty to the people in the United States, espivially to

.decisi nmakinf leaders, and their role and use as defenie bases for the

UnitI. Stat make the Islanders a particularly vulnerable and

I negl ted pjple .

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309
A

The fact that thc administration is placed under the Department of

Interior leaves question as to their importance of priority for this

country as a group of people, and not merely a defense resource for

the United States in the far Pacific.

The introduction of the money exchange system and working for

wages caused a major shift in the lifestyle and living conditions of the

Islanders. Family relocation following particularly World War II also

caused family separation, breakdown of the bonds which provide

strong social, economic, and psychological support of the members.

These changes have drastically altered traditional lifettyles and

eliminated those skills which have allowed them to survive over the

centuries.

One of the most significant changes on the island has been the

tremendous increase in population. in 1901, the early census taken of

Guam, the population was only 9,676. In 1970 it had reached 84,996; a

figure which excludes military personnel stationed on the island.

RaPid growth has not been exclusive to Guam. However, as I look

at the popplation of American Samoa, the Trust Territories, the

Commonwealth of Northern Marianas, and so on, according to the

1950 census American Samoa had a population of 19,000. The Trust

Territory had a population of 57,000, and in 1970 the population of

AMerican Samoa.had doubled, reaching 27,159. The Trust Territories

also went up to 99,940.

Bakid on the census estimates, the population increase has continued

into the '70s with an estimated. population of 28,000 in '1973 on

American Samoa, 108,000 for the Trust Territory islands, and 100,000

on Gdam.

In other words, the population of the entire area almost doubled

exactly over a period of 25 years, and of the three island groups, Guam

has the oldest median age which is 20.4 years compared to 16.9 for the

Trust Territories, and 14,1 years for American Samoa. The number is,

of course, much less on the mainland, ahd my rough estimate will be

that approximately 100,000 of the Samoans, Chamorre1/4 and other

Micronesians are in the maihland; a larger number is estimated for

Samoans and Native Hawaiians.

You will note by these figures that we are talking about a very small

number of people, )ut of a total race, an endangered speqes, it is

estimated only 300,W0 Native Hawaiians exist today.

With migration and the influx of othV cultures into the islands

increasing, the natiyf population find 111 selves losing not only much

control of their islind, but also havink difficulties adjusting tO the

.7 **many changes.

310 324, )
Numerous newcomers from advani:cd cultures are more equipped

with technological professional skills', thus this, in a sense, is pushing

out the indigenous population from the labor market.

With this extremely sketchy background, I would like to emphasize

some issues with regard to Chamorros and other Pacific people that

may serve those of us here today/ as background as we hasten to

review their concerns. 1 One point, the islands did not wage war against the United States

but are victiths of colonial and territorial expansion, like the American

Indians which, as a result, forced these islands to be dependent on the

U.S. Thus stripped of their indigenous native control over their

resources--largely the sea and the landand over their own social,

economic, political systems, they have had and continue to strugsle to

survive maintaining, on the one hand, their traditional cAtural

integrity, and, on the other, to coPe and adapt to a system alien to their

own and, in many instances, sources of conflict and detriment to their

cultural values, beliefs, lifestyle§ and tradition, which have been the

substance for their survival as a distinguishable people.

And like the blacks in their truggle for frebdoni from slavery and

continuing with their civil rights and fights against social and political

injustices, Islanders are faced virith the dilemma for the same rights and

their rights for self-determination on their island as every American

aspires. / Another. issue is that olf ethnic identity. Chamorros are the

indigenous people of Gwyn Island. For political expediency, Guamanian was, created to separatet)ie racial and cultural ties of the Marianas.

Whatis a Guamanian otheOhan a resident of Guam, while Chamorrosa instills pride of culture, Itinguage, lifestyle, and roots to the island of

the Marianas. And despite the numerous-separation and political

alienation of the people qt the Marianas, families from these Marianas

Islands share common ies arid maintain thpir familial relationships. ,

This new sense of ide tity plaCed upon Chamorros creates problems

of sovereignty to the is ds as others migrate and settle and take iway

certain erights of the hamorros people which they, di indigenous

people of a now occtjied and owned land by the United States, may

have entitlements to/the Native American Act as Native Hawaiians

and Indians are enticled.

A third point I *mild reel to is the U.S. census. The U.S. *emus

has notoand continues to ignore the counting and documentation of

people from Guam, American Samoa, Native Hawaiians, the people

from the Commonwealth of the Trust Territory of Northern Marianas,

and the trust territory people now living in the U.S. Note the reasons

for referring to Hawaiian§ as Native Hawaiians; now this is precisely

the kind of problem that we're concerned-with-on Guam.

I

32 4

311
There are neither native Californians or native South Dakotans used

for ethnic/racial status; however, we now refer to Native Ilawaiians in

order to keep track of the people who were there originally. I.ikewise,

with the Marianas, if we continue on the design to rename people and

recategorize them, sooner or later Chamorros will be a race of people

that will be cdmpletely lost from the history of this world.

Lacking such data on needs for employiment, socioeconomic

conditions, bilingual education, etc., have deprived Islanders of all

benefits under very many Federal programs, and thus reasons for

neglect.

In light of the size, the atstribation; and the charactetistics of

Chamorros, Samoans, and other Islanders from the U.S. territories, it

is imperative that a special study be done on the Islanders to determine

th needs, to *dentify their problems, to develop policies and

progra h will, assist in bringing equity to the injustice that they

have so Ion endured, and to find out why the people of Guam and

-American Samoa are flocking to the U.S. mainland, when so many

people here would say, "Why don't you want to live in that lush

island?"

The census itself serves as a method for numerical annihilation for)(

Pacific Islandersdid you say I have a few seconds?let me go ori.

The policy to open Guam to foreign immigration to the U.S. tyithont

subsidy is a detrimental and costly aspect for the Islanders. I believe/

it's a policy not based on an enlightened interest for the people, and

though' we do obtain have some benefits from our sisters and brothers

from the Philippinei and Asia, this kind,of a policy ignores what the

impact of this might be to the native people of Guam.

I'd like to quote this, that i%c:er the United Nations Charter, the

U.S. is required to recognize t e principle that the interest of the

inhabitanits are paramount and it is the sacred trust, the obligation to

promote those.

It has been difficult not to see that the U.S. has abused that trust.

.Little has been done except in the interest of the U.S. and it's My hope

that the issues and problems we raise today may guide our conscience

and our efforts to establish policies and programs which promote and

enhance the welfare of our Pacific Islanders in the United States.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you.

Ms. Ruth Van Cleve, Director of the Office of Territorial Affairs,

Department 'of Interior, will speak on Federal policy.

Presentation of Ruth Van Cleve, Director, Office' of Territoril Affairs, U.S. Department of the interior

MS. VAN CtEvE. Thank you very much, Madame Chairman.

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325

-40"-
mderstand that 1 stave roirghly 10 minutes. I respdnded to the

invitation to join you today, which invited me to speak to yon on the

subject of current Federal policy concerning Pacific Amencans in the

U.S. by noting that that is not within my jurisdiction. I can speak only

about Federal policy in the Pacific territories for which the U.S. has

responsibility. The orchestrators of the conference believed that that

would be appropriate, and with your blessing. I will proceed along

those lines.

I was also told that it might be helpful if I gave you a kind of quick

gazetteer/ of. the territories, but that has so ably been done by my

predecsot that 1 wiJI not go through that process in any detail. 1 thin will- repeat one or two points so that you clearly have an

ov rview of the area'about which I'd like to express some points bf

vi w.

You will realize, perhaps, that as the Director of the Office of

Territorial Affairs in Interior, I may sound somewhat self-serving,

particularly in light of the fact that I have been involved in the

business since roughly 1950. Accordingly, I could be said to have

something of a vested interest in the attitude that the United States has

brought to bear upon these areas.

Now, first, the areas with which I would like to concern myself are

those that have been named: the Territory of Guam, the Terrisory of

American Samoa, the incipient Commonwealth of the Northern

Marianas, and then that vast orea in the Pacific lying between

Honolulu and Guam, known alternatively as Micronesia or the Trust

Territory of the Pacific Islands.

My office has jurisdiction also with respect to the Virgin Islands, but

I realize that's the wrong ocean for purposes-of this consultation.

We also have responsibilities for bits and pieces in the Pacific that

bare not now relevant because they have no native populations. I refer

to such places as Wake, Howland, Baker, Jarvis, Canton, Enderbury

interesting "places, but not currently relevant. So those are the four

areas of greatest concern.

It was suggested to me that youpight find interesting the pro.cess

that we are currently going throuih to bring Micronesia into a new

status in relation to the United States and I'll devote a moment to that.

The Trust Territory of the Pacific, as I'm sure you know, is that area

wrested from the Japanese as a result of very sanguinary conflicts

during World War II, an area that was ma

League, and before that it was held by the

The United States has been responsible f

. trusteeship system sitice 1947, the Interior

obligations under the charter and under th

to encourage the economic and political a

dated to Japan under the

rman Empire.

r the area under the U.N.

epartment since 1951. Our

trusteeship agreement are

social development of the

313
Trust Territory, and we have tried to do all of those things. We've

done them with mixed results.

We have done, I 4hink most observers would say, quite a goo(1 job

on political development. Americans are quite good as exporting their

democratic system. We have done ler well in connection with

economic development, iH some meaSitre as a consequence of the

intractable problems of that area, limited resources, difficult geography, and so on.

We have had some success in the area of social development, which

is to say that we have, through very extensive Federal expenditures,

particularly in the last 20 years, brought an education system to the

Trust Territory which is at least vastly better than what it knew

before, and which seems to be very welcomed by the people of

Micronesia.

The population staiistics which you heard and whi,6 I believe to be

accurate, for they're roughly the ones we use, attest to the vigor and

success of our health system.

In any event, the time has come when tne stfras of the Trust

Territory, as a U.N. trust, should be. brought to an end. The President

has announced that he hopes that this can occur by 1981.

_Accordingly, there are going on these very days intensive negotiations between the President's ambassador and representatives of the

Micronesians, looking toward a new statu4 which, if current signs are

accurate, should result in the creation of three units of government in

the portion of the Trust Territory that expludes the NortlArn

Mkrianas. These would be unique in the world history. They would be

called freely associated states; they would rely upon the U.S. for a

considerable amount of financial assistance for 15 years. The result,

thereafter, would not be addressed at this moment in history.

The entities would not be territories of the U.S. because they would

not be that closely affiliated. They would not be wholly independent

governments because they would continue to maintain close ties with

the U.S.-this is the direction in which the Trust Territory is moving.

One piece of the Trust Territory has already moved, that is the

;li:orthern Marianas, which has chosen, through complex political

evices, to become a commonwealth of the U.S.: a term which is

somewhat similar to "territory of the U.S." for U.S. constitutional

purposes.

In short, the Northern Marianas is on its way to being part of the

American political family in the same way thM the other territories

that I've mentions' have done.

I would at this point like to touch very briefly on a few subjects in

relation to the territories that I presume, from what I haveheard in the

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327
course of the last hour or so, will be of specPd interest to you. And 1

hope I will be guessing right.

First, may I say that in the almost 30 years during which I've beer'

associated with the business of territorial administration, the principal

Federal policy with respect to the Pacific Wands, and indeed the

territories in general, has been a combination of encouraging selfgovernment and of deferring to the time-honored principle of selfdetermination.

I think the record shows that these'have beep our guiding principles,

and that we have openly complied with these priiiciples.

For example, the people of Alaska and Hawaii wanted statehood

and they got.it. It took a long time, longer than some of us would have

wished, but that was the route they chose to follow. Puerto Rico, as

you know, did choose a different route in 1952, one that has been

discussed ever since, and will continue to be so, I suppose, for a long

time to come, but Puerto Rico chose sometfiing called commonwealth,

,i1lich is different from anything we had then known before. There has

*in at ltast one occasion in U.S. history wIlere a territory, the

Phi 11 ines, achieved sovereign independence. .

, hly int is simply that 'there has been an effort, and I think a .rsucc ful one on the part of the Federal establishment, to move in the

cjirection that the affected territory chooses.

'The second point, b e c a y s e I heard a question ear r with respect to

citizenship status from Cbmmissioner Saltzman, . t e status of some of

the people of the territories. I'd like to speak very briefly to. that point.

The people of the Virgin Islands since 1927 and the people of Guam

since 1950, have been full-scale American citizens. They were

collectively naturalized during those years. . The people of Samoa have resisted that move. I have suggested to

those with whom I've spoken over the years that they've probably

chosen to do that for the wrong reasons. They see citizenship as

constituting some kind of threat ter Samoan culture. My oWn belief is

that it would not do that, but this is unchartered.legal ground, so it is

understandable that the Samoa% who arc a cautious people, would

want to approach this matter with caution. . In any event, they are not citizens, except for individuals who have

achieved it through particular personal circumstances, in most cases

.service with the U.S. Armed forces.

The Samoans are national/a, and that means, of course, hat they're,

enthled to fill proteaion from the U.S. when travelingj road. The

practical effect of their 11ing nationals but not cit*ris is that some

statutes are limitel to citiz ns, and every once in a while we have to go

to the Codgress and ask th t a particular statute be amended to include

nationals. One, a little w ile ago, for example, had to do with .the

4. 315
,

authyity of the FCC to license radio operators on boats. We got that

fixe up. It would be somewhat tidier if we just converted the

Samoans, in general, to citizenship, but it is not our habit to move

_faster than the people of a territory want to move. And to this

moment, the Samoans have not suggested .that they chose to become

- citizens. - The people of Northern Marianat will ..become citizens upon the

termination of the truSteeship agreepient which, as I've stated, may be

1981. In the meantime, they're being accorded de facto citizenship

status for purposes of entry into the U.S.

I will make the flurther point, and I know I'm drawing to the

conclusion of my 10 minutes, that each of the territories to which I

have adverted has got full protection from a bill of rightserived

ftom different sources in different territories, but a bill of rights that is

virtually a restatement of the first eight amendments of the Federal

Constitution.

I should suppose that would be relevant -to the concerns of the Civil

Riihts Commission, and I wanted to make &he point.

In the case of some of the territories, particularly the Virgin Islands

and Guam, the bill of rights derives from an act of Congress; in the

case of Samoa, it derives from a constitution of the Samoans' dWn

choosing. The same is true with the Northern Marianas. In the case of

the Trust Territory or Micronesia, it is contained in the Trust

Territory bill of rights.

\These are meanhigful documents; they are enforced by the courts of

the territories, and to some extent they areenfbrced by the Federal

courts because some Federal courts have -juriSdiction in some of the

territories.

We try to be enlightened about bills of rights, and other such things,

and with that nag waving sentence I will conclude My remarks.

Thank Avery much.

COMMISS NISIt FltEEMAN. Think y9u.

Our next subject is census and Immigration, ant that will be

discusted by Ms. Paige Kawelo I Barber, who is active -in Native

Hawaiian and other Pacific Islands concerns and has been active since

,1%71/, is a member of the census, advisory committee on the Asian and

Pacific Americans for the 1980 census:

resentation Of Paige Komi° Barber, Field Administrator,

ALU Uk, Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii , ms. NARDER. Prior to sharing some of my thoughts with you,

would like tolbomment on Abe sesistance of Sarrioalis or other Pwacific

Islanders in being identified as Americans in the United StalkThe

caution that Pacific Islanders expressin using Pacific AmericWerms

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'3124
is because not all PacifiC Islanders appreciate being called Americans,

and that, indeed, the quest for self-detrmination and self-sufficiency

by Pacific Islanders throughout the world has not resulted in

economic and social self-sufficiency as we would have liked because of

the problems that we have encountered with the Federal divisions of

the United States.Government.

I have struggled with the way in which 1 might approach the census

question in terms of the Pacific Islanders, and mentioned to one of the

Commission staff persons that my particular exgerience has been

primarily with the Native American group, and, as a result, 1 feel

much more comfortable in sharing that particular experience, primarily because it's almique one. And I need to mention that it is a unique

one tiecause of cultural variances. That variance caused us to organize

workshops throughout the State of- Hawaii in order to develop

sufficient argument to influence a change in the race question in the

1980 questionnaire:

Up until 1970, Native Hawaiians were counted as Hawaiian or part

Hawaiian because that is the way they identified themselves. After the

1970 census we lost over a third Of the population count because of the

difficulty people had when part IlaWAfian was dropped from the race

question.

Over the last 3' years we have consiMently argued .with the' Census

Bureau to no avail. About a year and 3 months ago we decided to take

that question to the community for input through a series of

.workshops throughout thealands.

I

. . We also convened a group of people to discuss that issue as well as

others, and that partiFular group hod a delegation of 25 Native

Hawaiians and asked us to make input on their behalf to the Census

Bureau; as of today we have seen no change.

. As a result of that experience, we will have to go statewide this

cbming year, prior to the 1980 census, to inform Hawaiians that w?(

will not again have a part-Hawaiian category.

There have been some pros and sbme cons. This has enabled us to

get closer to our Native Hawaiian community but at the same time

there have been several questions raised regarding the lack of

sensitivity of the 'Census Bureau. and other divisions of the Federal

-Government reillding a vital point--accurate population counts.

I consider the ative Hawaiian community to be rather fortunate

when compared to other Pacific Islanders in the country. Primarily

because of their new status as native, Americans, we now have

available to us some moniesmonies to assist uS in hiring staff, to

establish offices throughout the Statc, to generate data on Native

Hawaiians in the State of Hawaii, and to share that informatiOn with

other Native Hawaiian groups throughout the country. This is not Kr

,

1 3t10

41), 317
'a

for other Pacific Islanders, other Polynesians, Micronesians, Malaysians. I don't think they'll fare as well as we probably will because they

don't have that kind of support network. I would hope that within the

next year or so"that the conditions might t somewhat improved but I

have my reservations.

In terms of immigration and Pacific Islandrs in the State of Hawaii,

I do know that Some of the feelings of the native peoples towards

imknigraAlrand this includes Asians and other Pacific Island peoples,

is Ne-of tension, that there have not been sufficient efforts to assist

people in living together. The limited resources of our small islands are

fast being depleted. The immigrants come to our shores with limited

housing and lack of emPloyment, and although there havelbeen some

recommendations made by Native Hawaiians, we have not seen any

real movement or changes in reallocating or more fairly distributing

immigrants throughout the entire Nation.

While I don't suppose Native Hawaiians or any other ethnic groups

in the State arc expected to close their doors to immigryits coming, I

would hope that there would be some plans genefated Nrithin the near

five so relief in so-called gateway cities might occur.

1 meiitioned to Faye Munoz earlier, and this is a closing remark, that

ny hesitancy to speak on the behalf of other Pacific Islanders would

h'bjefully general/ more of an effort on the part of others to Involve

Pacific Islanders in greater discussion and dialogue across the country,

and I'm pleased to share this panel discussion with Faye.

. I was disappointed and continue tO be disappointed over the lack of

Tongan representation in some of. these sessions that we've been

invite to on the national level.

Tank you.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman?

Discussion

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. MS. Van Cleve, you ray be in a position to

respond to this or perhaps Dr. Munoz. What is the movement back

and forth between the Pacific Islands and the mainland?

DR. MUNOZ. Are you referring to between Guazqand the U.S.

mainland oi between Guitin and the other islands?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Wellerin thinking of the Pac c Islands as a

group, although I'd be glad to hear you discuss it either w . \y. Da. MuNozkterms of the movement, the movemen ong the

islanders has been largely between the Saipan, Tinian, ota, and

Guam. The Micronesian Islands are clusters of so-called, almost 'a

cultural social entity. Among the Marianas there are families, coUsins,

aunts, and..uncles who may be living in Saipan and nieces and nerihews

318

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dlw

living on Guam; there is that kind of constant moving back and forth

for visits or for.whatever reason they need to get together.

Now, in terms of corfUng to the mainland, there have been

increasingly rapid and great numtrrs of people from Guam that have

come to the mainland; one need cm y to look at the cities of Long

Beach, San Diego, San Jose, all up and down the west coast. In

Bremerton, Washington, for instance.; after the Navy had closed down

a substantial part of its operation in Guam, large inpUbers of these

Islanders have been transferred to cities like Bremerton and other

ports down through San Diego. . COMMISSIONER FLEMMING. Ms. Vjm Cleve, do you care to add to

that? -

. MS. VAN CLEVE. I could say nothing in terms of statistics, but I

thia the chief' character of the kind of movement that is being

discussed is absolute freedom among the U.S. territories 90 from the

territories to the U.S. Just as citizens resident in Guam arc(free to come

Ilawli or the mainland, so are U.S. nationals resident in Samorofto

equally free to-travel among the Pacific Islands.

The one exception to all a this has to do with Micronesia, whew, we

.''have pretty actively discouraged longterm residence by other tbs.)

Micronesians on the ground that we.are obliged by the trusteeship

agreement to preserve the Trust Territory for the .people of Microne- /

sia.

Accordingly there's been relatively little influx on a long term basis

of non-Micronesia citizens there.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Dr. born? /

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. .Ms. Van CleVe, as you knowi one of the

great difficulties in'American assfhtance to developing nations of tii.e.

world has been, what trade off or what considerations must be taken

into account as you balance population growth with economic

development. What h ihe American government's policy in this

regard with :reference to the Pacific Island territories and other

entities? . . . . . MS. VAN CLEVE.: An,awfully big question and I don't know that I

can give xou as coherent an answer as I would wish. One problem is

that this kind of thing. is not very often articulated. I may say tbat we

are struggling with it these very days because there is an interagency

group under the auspiees of the White House right now working on an

articulation of American objectives in the territories, and so far" as I -

know, that kind of articulation has never happened before.

put cullinipfrom a lot of years op this subject, I think I woulcl say

the following: That we have probably forfeited the kind of econonlic

development that wcaild be thought by most of us to Ile attractive

because .it has not been possible to achieve that kind of economic

332

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development consisteit with the level of social services and education-

. al devdopment that we have sought to bring.

VICT CHAIRMAN HORN. Could you clarify that?

Ms. VAN CI FvE. Yes, I'll try. What I mean to be saying is that :as

sooit as we began introducing into Micronesia, for example;aind I'll

use Mioronesia as the example since it's the me ramatic, though the

same is probably true of M. the territori different extentas ."

soon as we began introducing an educational ..stern into Micronesia,

which we did vigorously in 1961jhalfheartedly in the 10 years before

that, but the proems really began in t4 early '60sas soon as did

that, we raised the level of expectations of the mirk of Micronesia

who began to be exposed to Western culture in a way that they never

were before.

Thcy were inee'rested in the same kind orperquisites of modern

living that they learned about througli this device of education. They

were unwilling to continue a subsistence, barter-like economy because

c

they recognized that there was thing 9hAvhere that brought

greater revards.

-4 101 The educational system has resulted in an enormous number of

Micronesian younkpeopleand now they're working their way into

early middle agewho have, because they are educated, got aspira- e

,tions that can't reasonably be met in Micronesia.

There are no places for them to go to earn money at the level that r\ they would like and that, indeed, we would all like, becausA there

aren't the resources to permit it.

There is a constaniliichotomy: Do we bring some of these good

things of 20th century Western living--an educational system open to

all, health system of a fairly sophisticated sortdo we struggle to

bring these'impartant things topihe people, to these undeveloped ari,

knowing that we do so we vAh.jeopardize their ability to live i an

-onomic ay in accordance with their traditions of the Oacificl My

wn vie is that we do.

I tljjifk education, for example, is such an important good that it is

our duty to educate the young people of Miciovesia. I think die United

States should not be associated withlan area which does not have an

effective public -scho. system. At the 'same time, that makes

vulnerablesthe fgrmer mode of life.

VicE ei1AIRI4AN HORN. Well, let me get back now to the cross

between economic deelopment and population. In visits to Nepal,

Bangladesh, Pakistan, and indilit is obvious the pro,blem that those

nations face is the rapid increase in population because of the

improvement in the status of public health. There's been an attempt to

invest in a basic economic intrastructure, yet in terms of the traililional

values of those societies whiCh are primarily rural and#agricultural,

320

33+47

r;.1,4
.

families mill feel that there needs to be A' number of childra beluse

they know from their past experience that many of these children did

not live past 5 years of age. Therefore, they still have large families,

thus using up any surplus generated in the economic growth of the

country. As a result, these countries find it difficult io invest in -the

type of life that would support the expectations and the aspirations of

the young, people that youie talking about, who are also being

educated.

Now, somewhere, sometinie it seems to me that thc American

Govei)ninent has to face up to_ this problem in its Trust Territories.

exacIly as it lectures other nations in the world, otherwise we have

what has been referred to at least a couple of times in testimony--the

Commissioner used it in reference to the Philippines and to Mexico,

and we know it's true in many other countriesthat immigration

becomes simply a safety value to dump the problems of Mexico on the

United States or the problems of the filipinos on the United States,

because they can't handle them themselVes or they're unwilling to

make theolitical decisions because of the coh&rovcrsal areas that

might be inxiblved, to solve their own problems. . , w, I'm not sure,. given 40 to 60 percnt minority youth

ployment in urban Aiinericii\ that we're doing well enough

eco mically to solve the problems o4additional people uneducated or

poor in poverty thatinight come. .. So, again I fish for: What is the 4inerican policy in this area, and are

people facing tip-to ire. . Ms. VAN gLENT. I regret that ,Ii4id not grasp the thrust pf your

question the first time; I engaged in.a lot bf undue'Palaver as a result.

There have been ad hoc efforts over the Years to encourage family

plannipg enterpr in- articillarly the Trust Territory. I think I

cannot speak of an in the ase of-Samoa and Guam. They have not

been particular! y successful.

There is a pronounced theological problem in the weste Pacific

that forecloses Very much of an interest in advancing the ause of

family plonning there. I recently heard, however, what seemed 0 me a t rather encouraging development, apparently under th4 auspices f the

Trust ferritory government, that is, the level of government. that just

one layer belv that of the Interior Department. The Trust Territory

goverpment sbme months ago sponsored Irltiottien's confeEence in

Ponape, which is within the Trust Territory, and apparently the

st Azten of itlticronesia who attended, who are - developing a level of

con s iousnesa not before known in the Pacific, themselves expressed a

cone n on this particular subject. They seem to have been developing

very recently an anxiety about not having too many children for

persdttal reasons.'

cr. 321
And that struck in,C as being perhaps as encouraging as any singlv

.1 ngI've heard on this subject. But t4ive you a direct answer to

yt Ise question, we do not have ii definitive program at this moment on

this subject. Hut I recognize its idesirability.

VICE IvAIRMAN HORN. Is Ithere any otherare the any other

portions 5he A wren Goveinment wheie the apptop, late executives reognize the desitability or are you the lone voice?

Ms. V" Cu EvE. I'm afraid I can't speak for anyipther part of the

United States Government. . vph: CHAIRMAN. HORN. I just wonder, in almoi 30 yçars rof

distinguished service., if you ,ever ran into anybody in the corridlm

that also had siMilar feelings? , e ms. yAN CLEVE. I've heard sympathetic mutterings butitave not

seen very definite bureaucratic behavior.

VicE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Commissioner Saltzman?

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. No questions.

CHAIRMAN .FLEMMING. We appreciate very, very much, members

of the panel being with us, and presenting this testimony. It's been very

helpful. Thank you. ' I'll ask my colleague, Commissioner Saltinian, to preside for the

remainder of the afternoon, We continue with the Pacific Islanders.

COMMISSIONER SAUTZMAN. I'll ask the panelists to come forward

and take their places?

The Honorable Antonio Won Pat, we understand, is in session on

Capitol Hill and his staff attorney, Ms. Aurora Jose will read the

,.). presentation.

Presentation of Aurora Jose, Staff Attorney, Office of the

Honorable Antonio Won Pat

Ms. JosE., Members of the. Commission, ladies and gentlemen,

committee matters requiring the congressman's personal attention

prevent him, at the last minute, from being here today. However, he

did not want to forego the opportunity to convey some of his thoughts

on the matters being addressed by the conference today, and he asked

Me to deliver his presentation.

As a cosponsor of the legislation that made Asian/Pacific,Heritage

Week possible, Congressman Won Pat is happy and proud+) be able

to participate in this conference. For too long the-fieeds of Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders. in the iJ ted States have been

ignored.

The silent minQrityk ,yes,1 oppressed, no, is commonly appliect%to

justify the exclusion 4-4sian Americans and Pacific Islanders in .

322 ( 33 5 4

41,

4

AO
voluntary affirmative action programs and Ain many other Federal

programs.

Hopefully, this conference will help bring into focus some of the

real needs iit Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for an administration that seems to think that the only minorities in existence are blacks,

Hisiianics, and Native Americans. \

Congressman ofi Pat has asked to speak a u employment

concerns of Paci c islinders in the mainland. Any rlous discussion

& employment ohecrns of Pacific Islanders in the mainland must

begin with an anèlysis of some of their socioeconomic characteristics.

However, any s -h analysis is difficult to conduct, largely because

there's so little da a with which to work. . The political relationship between the United States and the Pacific

Islanders referred to in the panel previous to this, is such that Islanders

can travel freely to the United States; ihey are not subject to

immigration laws and quotas that otherwise apply to nationals of

---,China, Japan, lIke Philippines, ind other AsianOuntries.

Consequentij, the Immigration and NaturaliPetion Service does not

monitor the migration of islaIelers to the mithliend. Moreover, the U.S.

Bureau of the Census does .uot provide a classification for Pacific

Islanders rmsiding in the United States to identify their race or place of

origin.

Although we have-tie:In informed that the census questionn*e for

the- 1980 census will alOw identification of place of origin to 'aN,e.ry

limited degree, there is la present nolifficial way of knowing how

many Islanders are INing in the.mainlan

The ohly sources of information ailable are individual, private

observations made by civil organi tion such as the Federation of

Guimanian Associations of America, So and Daughters of Guam in

San Diego, the Hafa Adai Club qf Fair ld, California, Guam Club of

Long Beach, California, Concerned Asian American and Pacific

Peoples in Los Angeles, and the Guam Territorial Society in

Washington, D.C.

And a few independent surveys have been conducted by doctoral

candidate:1 at the different graduate schools. These sources estimate

that ..in Capfornia alone there 'are approximately 50,000 Guamanians,

70,000 Satnoans, and 30,000 other Islanders from the Trust Territories

and the Northern Marianas.

If their I tires a

of Pacific.k

ascertain these

their needs

The

thC

correct, what they indicate is a massive migration

to the mainland. We must accurately and officially

bers in order to be able to study and determine

comprehensive basis.

entioned above also estimate that 75 percent 'of

active or retired military personnel, their

sourcts

manians ar

33 6

p.

323 e°'.;
dependents and relatives. A much, much smaller percent consists of

Guamanians why attended college here and remained after graduation.

Strides have f)een made in minority employment since 1964 with the

passage of the Civil Rights Act, Title VII of which bars employment

discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and

sex. Like other minorities with whom they are grouped, that is, the

Chinese, the Japanese, and the Filipinos, Pacific Islanders have made

sonic progress into professions and into the corporate management

structure. However, ot*ervers agree that, although there is some

upward mobility, barely ajuindful of Pacific Islanders get past middle

management positions.

A canvrsipg of ,the membership of the civil pimp§ mewl

above indicates the overwhelming majority of Paciat Islande are

employed in nontechnical, nonskilled, nOnprofessional jobs. That is not

surprising in light of the estimation that less than 1 percent of "all

Paeific Islanders in the nunnland have college degrees.

Many Pacific Islanders complain that they get lower salaries than

their white counterparts, who have equal or even less education and

.who are performing the same job. This charge is consistent with the

often-cited theory that most employers think they can get away with

paying .lower wages if they hire Asians and Orientals who are often

characterized as law abiding, submissive, nonassertive, and less likely

to make a fuss.or challenge their superiors.

As With other races .in the Asian American category, Paci

Islanders remain, for the most part, ineligible for hiclusion in specia

affirmative recruitment programs.

And today, the legality of the voluntary affirmative action rograms

to help minoiity groups overcorne the effects of past discrim ation is

being questioned in the case cif Weber v. Kaiser Aluminum, fresently

pending decision before the Supreme Colin. An adverse action in that

case would set back what Progress has been made.

Pacific Islanders, for the most part, also remain ineligible !for

participation in many Federal programs. A case in point is Public Law

95-507, formerly the Addabbo bill. The legislation intended that alp

minority groups be afforded, "the maximum practical opportunity

participate in performance of contracts let by any Federal agency."

However, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy and the Small

Business, Administration have issued proposed implementation language that limits tit, groups to be designated as socially and

economically disadv#ntaged to blacks, Hispanic Americans, and

Native Americans.

The exclusion of ksian Americans and Picific Islanders from tlit

"socially and econOm cally disadvantaged" category places the burden

324

33 7
1 of prod of eligibility on the individnal minorit* member to dogiment

his status as disadvantaged.

This condition is difficult to.prove in light of the lack of centius and

socioe0nomic data on Pacific Islanders that I mentioned'earlier. And

what if the reviewing officer never even heard of Guam, Saipan, Rota,

Samoa, Northern Marianas?

Employment oencerns of Pacific Islanders in the mainlana are part

of their overall, as one writer put it, "struggle agiiinst anonym4." The

wrier said, "In American aociety, the principal means by/which

group gains public and government response to its needs'is politica

pressure, vitich is Artly a ftmction of numbers. Pa4fic Islanders are

particularly unequimied to use-this method. Their nmbers are small,

and having lived through a long period of colonization, they are

limited in their ability to confront an insensitive system. They have not

even begun as Other minorities have to present their case, despit9r1he

fact that their educational 'level and job opportunijies- may be the

low t among the United States minorities." <\\

In t4e 8 years that Congressman Antonio p. Won Pat has served as a

-deleg te and congressman from Guam, he has seen a developing

wareness o the part of Congress of the Pacific Islands as political

entities and niat just as c,lonies or military bases.

This awarenesit is reflected in the negotiation of commonwealth

status with the Northern Marianas and the creation of an office for a

delegate fromAmerican Samoa among other things. Congressman

Won Pat has also just recently detected a growing awareness on the

part of Congress of the concerns and peeds of Pacific Islanders as a

legislation introduced in Congress that his office monitors and

minority group in the United States. This awareness is reflected i

he either sponsors, cosponsors, or otherwise supports.

Much of this legislation is designed to amend existiiig Federal

programs to expressly include Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

or to support existing programs that already include Asian Americans

and Pacific Islanders.

The time has come for Pacific Islanders on the mainland to assert

themselves. This particular conference and the Celebration of this

week as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week should be the first giant step in

this direction.

s VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. If I might, Commissioner, TOnst like to

ask you to convey my best wishes to the Congressman; e and I were

very good friends on Capitol Hill in the late '50s and early '608 when I,

was legislative assistant.to Senator Kinkle. Few people have spent the'

time he has spend of several decades on fighting fox Ethe interests of the

people of Guam, and I must say coming from Long Beach, Califprnia,

where a very valued member of our staff, Mr. Cruz, imident of the

1 338 f

325 #
m/

Guamanian Club, I a particularly cognizant of the wide number of

very ble peoplb that have come from Guam to the United States,,

often y the rotue, as you su est, of the American Navy and

reirerI1ient.

Ms. JosE. Thank you very much; I will convey your regards.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. We. turn now to ,,health and social

services allthe Pacific Americans, and presenting that aspect will be

Mr. Juan Rosario. Mr, Rosario is the Rresideni of the Federation of

v Guamanian Associations of Kmerica.

)

Presentation oluan Rosario, Presidnt, Federatimi of Gus6... manian Associations of Ame San Jose, California

MR. ROSARIO. Thank you, Mr. Cha an, Commissioners, ladt4\

and gentlemen. Before I begin my forhi presentation, I would like to

take this opportunity to convey from the Guamanians and ihe Pacifii

Islanders in general, their sincere appreciation for affording us the

opportunity to make this presentation and to voice our. concerns

regarding the many health programs 'hat we should be getthig from

the Fediral Government. 1 Today, the topic that I am to present afrequested, is on health and

social service* Citizens and subjects of the United States Pacific Island

Territories are among- the most neglected populations in thecotintry.

The remoteness of the island and lack of awareness by government and

other officials of the cultural shock encountered by Islanders coming

to the mainland serves to increase the problems these people meet in

- seeking healtti care. " _ The problems are cohlifoundediby the relatiVely small number of

people invplved. Pacific Islander( make up less than 1 percent of the

total popyltion of California. That has been expounded by many of

the panelts alre

Let me ualy that statement further by stating that even though

71ry since this morning.

that . re tag is insignificant to sane people, it cbuld constitute 80

till:" pf thietotal population of Pacific Islanders, and I have to agree

the fpimer panelist, Dr. Faye Monoz, that it seems like we art

ndeed a9 endangered species. `

1 Despjte Ole small numbers, Pacific Islanders suffer from a number of

unique:physic,' anti mental pblems out of proportion to their

numbeNa. In itldition, many are often unable or unwilling to seek

proper kreatment. ... In the (first part of this report, we will discu the current health

situation and the second part the problems reg ding health care for

these people.

Samoans dr Guamanians suffer from a numbeF.of diseases which

, either occur strictly on Guam or are more dommon there than

326 339
/

anywhere else in the world. "Bodeg," h ghly volatile, inflammation of

the loos that often results from poor 1 utrition and "chetnut maipe"

, ailment of the heat, a disease unique to Guamanians, amyotrophic

lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease Fe 50 times /Ohre conunon on

Guam than among the general populatit n of the Onited States. Both

diseases are more prevalent on Quam tha anyWhere else in the world.

In the Samoan community, although ac urate figures ate notreadily

avairgble, hypertension, cardiovascular di , arthritis, and diabetes

occur in significant higher than normal num rs.

Adding to this problem is the introductio of disease to American

Samoa by other Pacific Islanders because the overnment does not

prescreen or immunize migrants. A markedly higher incidence of

alcoholism exists Among young Paqifk Is lan ers and those Just

arriving in the continental United States than the tatistical norm.

Preventive hkealth is not a factor in the 'Pacific Islander's life.

Medical examinations, immunization, etc., are not recognized as

necessary by Pacific Islander people unless some sign of disease is

sholiving: jo American Samoa health facilities are never used except in

caseaaKemergency, accident, sudden illness, or when someoneAs

criticilly ill. . These attitudes have been brought to the continental United States

by migrating Samgans. Nutrition for expectant mothers is a problem

among Pacific Islandeis population. Tongans, for example, exist on a

, diet consisting mainly of shellfish and green bananas, staples in the

islands.

,

a

Their eating habits continue here in the United States with even

expectant mohers maintaining the same dietary habits through their

pregnancies. "When the baby is .born, however, it is usually fed

commercially prepared baby foods and Tongan infants develop

allergies and rashes out of proportion to their numbers.

Some Tongan mothers belietre this is a resulyof a radical ()Stange in

the baby's diet. Immunization is an enormoi6 problem even among

normal stateside populations of Pacific filanders and the problem is

compouniled among Pacific Island communities witii language barriers. Lack bf tradition and lack of understanding contribute to fewer

mmfizations and, as a consequence, a higher incidence of disease

Pacific Island youth. . Mental health among the elderly is also 4 problem, aggravated by '3

being in' the continental linited States. Iq most Pacific Island

communities, the elders are tieated with careand respect, taken care

of by the families, and traditionally live at home until they pass away.

In modern American society, the .elderly are shunned, thought

useless, and put away in old age homes where they waste away.the

if - remainder of their e ittence.,The' conflict beiween the two lifestyles ,--

,-, / r> ,

/ \

--t

3 1 0

327
cauts mental anguish among elderly Pacific Islanders who refuse to

Ficipate in any senior cktizen programs in fear that they, too, will be

allone.

Acculturation problems' can- arise easily, especially among the

young, because Picific Islanders' customs concerning dating are often

ts:luite different from the stateside norm. Many students are ridiculed by

.tichoolmotes, often leading to fights and other problems.

Part-two of this report deals with inadequate access to healthxcare

services. Pride, prestige, and cultural problems are the important

factors in the communication difficultitil between the Pacific Islariders

and health service practitioners. The most obvious problem *el) by

.3he two groups are those relating to language. Many Pacific Islanders

do nOt speak English very well, .so trust, essential in the doctor-patient

relationship, is difficult to establish.

Other problems including inability of a patient to properly describe

.\ his symptoms, error on the patienes part in taking medication because

) of misunderstanding, the doctor's or pharmacist's orders, and several

'( physical problems and bodily ftinctiolis which Islanders just do not

like to disyss these aq things that are tabu to the Pacific. Islanders.

Often heMth assistanO. is got sought until a crisis point has been

reached or after treatinent 'it home can no longer be accomplished.

In conjunction with the reluctance of Pacific Islanders to practice

preventive medicine, an additional burden has been placed on the

17 health practitioners.

A great nOmber of he-0th services are provided at the county level,

but most-islanders are unaware of them. Even when they do utilize

them they feel they are not giving tlilk health care they deserve

primarily they arebecause of the language barrier.

Islanders afflicted with the unique tropical diseases mentioned

earlier will more than likely have difficulty,finding a doctor familiar

I \with the ailment, and the cost of returning to the island for treatment

or locating a doctor with knowledge of proper $re...pment practice can

be staggering. Knowing which doctor to go to for proper treatment

can sometima be a problem in itself, especially if they have been

referred and the retelling docitsir is nofspecific. ' In conclusion, it is our feeling that some fort of health task force

should be established as a communication link between the- Pacific

Islanders and the public health services to promote bilingual-bicultural

awarenesa, so that those solutions of major problems that these people

face.in the mainland can be addressed.

I offer this on behalf of the Federation of Guamanian Associations

of America which are spread throughout the State of CalifOrnia. We

are now in the process of -going nationwide. The Washington

Territorial Society will hopefully become a member of this organiza328

, 41
re. tion. We will 'offer these services of bilingual-bicultural awareness if

Aiven the opportunity and if we are funded by the-government.

Ai Again, lid like to emphasize that most every minority, blacks.

Asians, Hispanics. that everyOne has mentioned this morniqg do have

organizations that they turn to. We have thug far begun to be viable

now and we are starting to become concern& because of our people

who have been laCking these services.

I urge theCivil Rights Commission to look into these problems,

address these pkoblems so that these itople that are in the United

States are not negleceed or shunted aside.

Thank you.

COMmISsIONER SALTZMAN. Thank yon, Mr. Rosario.

Our next speaker will direct his attention to education; Elam

Hertz!'" is working for the Commissioner of Education as ombudsman

for Sta.* education agencies.

Mr. Hertzler?

Presentation of Elam Hertzier, OMbudsman for State EduceHon Agencies, Office of Education, U.S. Department of /

Health, Education, and Welfare k

MR. HERTZLER. Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here and if I may,

for just a Minute, an aside. It's a rekl honor for me todippear before

your Chairman, whom_I consider as a personal friend, a man that I've

admired for manSi years for his very outstanding public service and a

man with whom I've had the privilege of counseling, going to him for

counsel, that is, on a number of occasions. I'm particularly pleased to

be here.

I would not presume to speak for the people of the Pacific Islands,

but would rather try to give "%rine of my perspectives concerning

the situationnly expertise is more in the area of the state of the art of

education in the islands rather than the situation faced by the people as

they come stateside for their education. But I think that I can tie in the

things that you're int7sted in as we loAk at the educational situatam

for those people thatcome stateside.

It's very difficult to generalize when you're talking about So many

cultures. I will attempt to generalize where I can and I think in the

conclusions I can do that. However, as an old math teacher, when

talking about generalizations, I wind up talking about any whatsoever

particular example.to clarify the discussion and so I like to, lapses back

into a few examples here and there.

Generally, I think we can say that education in the territories is on

the upgrade. We have had a situation not too many years back where,

for instance, in the Trust Territories of the Pacific, there was only one

-qualification in order to be an elementary school teacher, and I was

329

34 2

t
v.

shocked when I learned that during my first trip to Micronesia in 1974,

and that one question is, "Have you, yourself, graduated from

elementary school?" That is, if you have completed elementary school,

You wo-uld be eligible to be a teacher in the elementary schools.

Compare the people who have thiku been offered permanency of

4,eaching certification under those conditions, to the current situation

where there are now manypeople who are qualified to teach, and you

can see a tremendous inservice problem that the territories have been

facing in trying to upgrade the teachers that are already in their

system. And this upgrading is occurring

COMMISSIONER SALTZ,MAN..Can I just ask you a question to clarify

what another speaker had said.before? Is there input from the residents

or is it tofally the other way? Do you know what I mean? M. HERTZLER. In terms of

t_OMMiSSIONER SALTZMAN. The educational system

Ma. HERTZLER. the educational system

COMMISSIONER SALTVAN.. Can you describe that?

Ma.. HERTZLER. Yes. Right now, other than Guam, the highest

educational attainment available on the islands would be cummunity

college level work, and that's only of recent vintage.,Guam now has

its own University.

Most training has been stateside, including Hawaii, of course.

Howeia the stateside training of teachers and others lacks some of

the cultural understanding that our institutions of higher education here have 6- have if they're going to be able to qualify people to,

indeed, go back to be good indigenous kinds of support people for the

educational system.

There's been It'lremendous barrier, for example, in the teaching of

. . English, as you can imagine, because there are many teachers who

have not been stateside and so have very limited English-speaking

Icnowledge. This barrier then becomes apparent as the people of the.

Pacific attempt to come here for education.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Who Makes up the curriculum? Guairanians, _Samoans, or AmericansI mean the-government?. , MR.-HERTZLER. WS varied.. There's been a lot of technical

assistance from the Americans, and there Inn been an attenipt to

impose soine things, but there have cettiinly been indigenous kinds of I

rfforts 'as well. It's been a mixed bag and I ,couldn't begin to

characterize it completely. . I think dila we can clearly establish that in the Pacific there has been . ,an educatioltal disadvantage. The situiltion is improMing; there's a

catchup sorkof phase and there's tremendoni effort going into it.

If we moVe to the cultural side, that-you asked about, I think we can

say that there's,really a two7w.ay understanding needed as islanders . A 330'

3 4,3
come stateside. There's a tremendous cultural shock, -posi;ibly less for

the Guamanians because they've certainly been much more westernized, but there's tremendous cultural shock for all and I'd like to

. illustrate with an examiile of the Samoan situation. . Samoans cotning stateside go from where they've been a majority to

being a minorjty, and where they go from a strong family emphasis to

--t" an individual emphasis. By this I mean the Samoan culture is such that

the emphasis is on the family and even more on the extended family

where the rights and the piivileges of the individual pre swullowed up,

in a sense, by the needs of the total fan . As a good examplo of this, of 200 eig'h&i graders writing compositions last year, there was only 1 composition that could be considered

original; 50 percent 6f these were about legends of Samoan'history and

the other 49 percent were on stories of the family and the family

, situation, which I think -tends to let you see the cultural orienstation

that comes up in the situation.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. l'in sorry, I didn't quite understand the

statement. I heard you say that out of 200 eighth graders writing -

,0 compositions.only 1 was considered to be original?

MR. HERTZLER. Yes. . , VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. What's' the difference between being,

"original," and talking about lernds of their culture?.

MR. HERTZLER. The original' aspect of it..issthat these are stories

that they have heard many times and 'are regurgitating perhaps with a

little bit of creative flair, but something that has been picked-up in th*

home and in the culture rather than being creative, original thinking

,.. having to do With a variety of topics that might be discussed other

than legends of origin or stories of one's own family. . There is also a climatic shock, so that people from the Pacific tend

to want to stay in the Sun Belt. Some have gone into Michigan to

school, for extmple, only to turn areund and go home immediately

because of the shock of the clinuite.,

- The. shock of different food, the change in languagesefind the

.campus,lifesofle present a .very different kind ofsituation. A two-way

situation 'ex: n the campuses where stateside college itudents do

not unders hat the Pacific Islanders want to do and the Pacific

Islanders do not understand the American culture and the kinds

activities that take place here.

Students go front a situation in Samoa, for example, where

everybody knows everybody else, to a situation where I know

nobody, and nolycldy knows me and nobody knows anything about me

or my culture. In some of the larger stateside Samdan communities

they havo transferred some of this family concern so that there are

331

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'1 some chiefs, for example, who attempt to keep track of the extended

, It' family, particutarly of the west coast.

What I'm trying to say, and the thing l'in leading up to is that the

cultural situation in the islands does not lead to any understanding of

.. civil rights issues. And if civil rights issues atc not understood, they're

not necessarily really desired. There has to be\L period of orientation

here before the issues are even ones that becouip a part of the

vocabulary, let alone a part of the expectation.

Perhaps_we have some obligation here as w$! look at these things.-

I think I would say that our colleges and universities really have to

look at what equal opportunity means when talking about educational- - ly disadvantaged people coming here with language and cultural 15inds

of 'barriers. It is my impressionAhat our colleges in terms of tight

budgets, cut some of the very proams that are needed.

In summarizing, I'd like to say that there's a teal need for civil rights #

orientation, and there's a real need for equal opportunity; but having

said all that, and I checked this out with a number of people, it's illy

opinion'that perhaps Pacific Island people have no more problems

with civil rights than other minorities once they get stateside. , /Thank you. f

'/ ^COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you.

Rounding out our panel is Ms. Pat Luk, it ho is currently the

president of the Office of Samoan Affairs anrims had a long record of

pub ic service in education in the State of California and American

Sa oa. ( Ms. Luce? . I

7 \

, Presentation of Pat Luce, President: Office je Samoan

Affairs, San Francisco, Califolint

Ms. LUCE. Thank you. (

Our earlier panelists dealt heavily in the of the territories, I

would likeith focus on the people of the Pacific who have migrated-to

the mainlrib and are residents now of Mb mainland. - We have premiously heard the types.o£ areas of deficiencies or areas

where we feel need improvement or need Zirienpition before our

people migtate to the mainland in ordrehrto be able to adapt properly to

the system which we dwell irijit this tim

e topic f my presentatidn tbday _the identity crisis of Pacific

d its implications on edUcaital oppohuntties. The ter4

Pacific ders or Pudic Americans s been seen and heard b)I,

whiny; but, unfortunately, it has a rembt4innotation.

For exanfple, ih efforts to prombte sian/Pacific Amerjan Heti- (-111 (age Week in California, the Office ol Samoan Affairs received an P.

332

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inquiry from the State, from a State asseniblyman who needed

assistance in identifying the Pacific Amencan groups.

The vagueness in knowledge and tecognition of the Pacifit

Americans has presented various implications of inadequate representation rind services in soverrunent programs for Pacific Americans.

For the purpose of hiy presentation, I shall focus on the program

area in education. Our people who have migrated to the mainland feel

and find ourselves and sec ourselves as the most neglected populations

of this country. Very little data concerning Pacific Americans are

available beyond the stereotypical descriptions of them as exotic and

romantic people. Click of statistics has's-vent bearing on service

programs and response to their needs As one bureaucrat phrased it:

No statistics, no 'problems. . 4P

I'm pleased .to be here today and to be a representative lot the

Pacifie Americans, a minority among minorities. In California, a State

which has' the`highest concentration of Pacific Americans, and though

(our numbers exceed those found in one homelands, for example,

Samoaq Amesicaus in California number, in the 90,000, a population

ich represents three times the number in America Samoa7source is

the 975 censtls of American Samoa. ..rin comparison to ethnic people of color, we are seen as an

insignificant number, yet we are still native Americans, Pacific

Islanders who are being ignored. Owing to an sAisting process used by , government agencies arid various institutions in identifying popula-

,. (ions, the Pacific Americans are placed in a category without an

identity, the cal categow.)thiplications of such a process, whether it

be on local, State;jor-F.-i'ral,kevels;isignifies a consistent exclusion of

Pacific American§ in receiving reprrentationsind services.

The Pacific Americans from the,territ ries who arc U.S. subjects or

citizens and have migrated to the tiniteq States, find themselves to be

the neglecjed Americans and ones with no identity. It is i)eyond 'the

scope of tis presentation to illustrate or describe the various migrant

Pacific A erican communities. Therefore, only the migtant Sitmoan

., American community will be used as a model to describe the plight of

the Pacific An4ricans.

There seems to be three major reasons w y Sarnoans migrated

the United States. First, the U.S. Navy comic g verned the islands sincp

1900, closed its base in 1951, and transferied *urisdiction of islands(to

the Department of Interior. As a resuk, a good number of the Sanioan

workers moNikd with.the Navy and eventually settled around the naval

bases in the vstern olture States and Hawaii.

Another factor thit accounts for the migration of the Samoans is

their desire to take advantage of the opportunities that are supposed to

jbe available in the United States. Like most migrants, they came to i

3 4 6

333 - iS ,
I 1k seek better job opportunities (and quality education for themselves or ,4

their children. However: whereas the Navy first brought the Samoans

here, and available Opportunities continue to attract a steady stream of

newcomers from both Western and American Samoa, in time a kind of

snowball effect developed.

It is estimated, as I .,t_yirlier statcd, that there arc 90,()00'Samoans in

California. They're-Concenteted.in.the San Diego County, the greater

I.,os Angeles area, and the SaufFrancisco Bay arca.

One of the fastest growing ethnic communities in the State, Samoans

arc also one of tharhost neglected, deprived, and underserved

populations because of economic, linguistic, and culture discrimination

against Samoanstfie larger society. Samoans face critical problems

of povert)ff-unemployment, family breakdown, alienation, and cultural

disintegration. / As a consequence, Samoans, for well over a quarter of a century,

have silently sUffered the plight of an indigent and isolated people. For

any migrant community, economic survival is a ,paramount concern.

For Samoans the problem of economic survival is compounded by

fact that we are poorly equipped to compete in the labor market of a

highly i6ustrialized urban society.

Most Samoans have little education and limited English kmguage

skills. 'In a study of 4-10 Samoan households in the Los Angeles area, it

was reported that fewer than half of the resixmdents had completed

grade school.

The consequence of limited education and pOor language skills is

that most Samoans can 'secure only low paying, menial jobs. Low

income, in turn, makes difficult the maintenance of a family and the

caring for dependents.

Low ikome also severely limits the choice of housing for Samoans,

whose average family size is seven or more persons.

Pdtir language skills deter Sainglins from seeking and receiving

adequate health and neglect .of healtfi often leads to disruption or loss

of employment and income. Low income,or loss of ingpme coupled

with a large .family, frequently necessit4ites dependence upon welfare

assistance.

A study conducted by the departnient of planning and economic

development in Hawaii in 1973, reported that while Samoans constitute 2 percent of the ,population, they make up 5 percent of welfare

recipients. The traditional and social and cultural institutions of

Samoan society no longer provide support and stability to life in the

new difficult environMent.

In Samoan societyit is organized into larger, extended fathily

groups each headed by a chief. For Samoans, the structure of extended

families provides security and protection for the adversities of life. The

334

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)t.

family is a vehicle for all members to shAre their-resources and to

provide mutual aid and comfort. This breakdown is part of the current

change in culture conflict. The once unique and powerful hereditary

role for the chief was a central figure to. turn to in tintics of trouble.

When the Samoan extended family Migrates to the mainland, the

chief cannot solve his people's problems because now he's not aware

of the services end resources in the new community nor able4o utilize

thein because of the language barrier. The chief is suddenly deprived

of his traditional ltilping, guiding role. Ile loses stature and respect

amongst his people, particularly among the youth. The result is that

many Samoans, overwhelmsd by the feelings of hopelessness and

shame abouut their situatioi- cease to look foi. assistance. Samoan

parents act out their frustration in their relationship to their children

and the incidence of child abuse, violence, and perma&ent welfare

dependency is increasing. -0 Implications, therefore, in reference to educational opportunities for

our people reflects that the forefront of Samoan and Pacific American

problem is a-lack cif identity and recognition for this group of native

Americans. . A language barrier is also a major problem which exists. This has a

-.- great impact on the degree of relevancy for existing educational

programs. Adequate educational programs which respond to lingUistic

and cultural conditions are essentially unavailable. However, the social

condition and the rapid changes that are occurring clearly point to the

need which is rapidly increasing. . . In the State of California, only one bilingual program for Samoans

i4xists in Harbor City. Multiculture education for Pacific Ameticans is

onexistent. Bilingual curriculum for Pacific American speakers qr for

i

usage in multicultural programs are unknown.

Bilinguial curriculum centert and school districts which have been

federally and State funded to develop such 'programs have not

responded to the needs of Pacific American students. There is a high

-degree of exclusion and ,form of discrimination experienced by the

Pacific Island students and the communities at large.

It is not uncommon to find it in practically all Samoan.households

would be to find at least one dropout. Few, if any, attain a higher level

of education; strong feelings of alienation are rampa among Samoans

in AmericaPacific Americans,sspecially the you

Hostility is high and intergroup violence i a serious potential

problem. Already incidents are occuiring between local high school

students and nonlocal studfnts. - A culture race is creating many value conflicts, personal conflicts

which are stressful and sometimeS without resolution. A sense of ennui

prevails in all levels of government in reference to education of 7cific

335

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4.
American students. How long must we experience the discrimination

through the exclusIon of adequate educational programs? SometlUng

'has to he done and must br.done soon.

VO recommend strongly that a special task force be established to

looki closely at these problems of Samoan Pacific Americans as

societiqi in transition and to examine ways and means for interventive

measures which will achievip educational opportunities for these

, people in their own social and cultural milieu.P..

I have additional recommendations which I will submit with ipy

papers.

Discussion

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. We'd appreciate that. In fact, anyone

who would like to submit additional materials we'd appreciate it.

Dr. Ilorn, do you

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Ms. Luce, could you perhaps explain for

the record, so the Commissioners understand your office, what is the

Office of Samoan Affairs; tell us a little bit about it and how you're

funded?

MS. LUCE. The Office of Samoan Affairs [OSAI, the applicalit

organization, is a voluntary, nonprofit organization incorporated in the

State of California in 1976, with headquarterkin San Francisco. We are

a statewide agency with area offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles,-

and San Viego. Our board of directors consists of 15 elected members,

5 from each of the 3 areas. We are funded by vohintary contributions,

foundation grants, and research/consultation contracts.

The OSA was established in respqilierto the expressed needs of

economically disadvantaged Samoan communities throughout California. Their titled leaders [chiefs] and organization leaders were seeking

more effective relationships with local governments, service agencies,

and with each .other ill efforts to secure public services for their

communities. These groups required information, research assistance,

and other help of a techhical nature but did not know how to proceed.

OSA was founded to mea these needs'.

At present, OSA, through its 'Statewide communications network,

perfortnS the following functions: (1) disseqinates information about . Federal, State, and local issues and devtlopments which affect

Samoans; (2) provides regular leadership training workshiPs; (3) gives

technical assiseance to local communities in relation to neighborhood

goals, community development, and social issues; and (4) facilitates

and strengthens linkages and collaboration among Samoan organizations, particularly those organizations concealed about Samoan

community betterment.

336 r 31'9

-3
Wc also provide direct services in each of our area offices.

Currently, the emphasis is upon employment services, senior citizens

services, youth services, Pacific Basin Peoples arts, information and

referral services, and translation sent:ices. In addition, we are a

subcontract agency in relation to: (1) Region IX, DHEW, for a study

on "Evaluation of the Efftiveness of HEW Program Delivery to

American Samoans in Califbrnia, Hawaii, and American Samoa," (2)

the government of American Samoa for a study of "American Samoan

Families in Transition," and (3) ASIAN, Inc., for a study of the

socialization of Samoan children.

OSA enjoys a close working relationship with a variety of Federal,

State, and local agencies throughout the State. We also collaborate

with a variety of voluntary agencies throughout California in regard to

concerna related to Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Our

president, Pat H. Luce, has been actively involved as a consultant with

various agencies in relation to Samoan affairs. Among her recent

affiliations are: Human Rights Commission, State of California, Lt.

Governor's Inter-Relations Commission; Regional Advisory Council

on Samoan Affairs, HEW; Department of Labor Task Force on

Employnient, of Samoans.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Any State or city in California going to

help yqu on some of these problems? I'm thinking of State funding?

Ms. LUCE. The contracts which have provided us with the kinds

of work we do, one of them 4 out of the regional HEW, which has

conducted the study and ev ation of their problems, both in the

States of Hawaii, California, ani American Samoa.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Very good. You mentioned a study of 410

households in the Los Angeles area where half of the respondents

surveyed had not completed grade school. I want you to elaborate on

that. Did they only survey one person in each household and was that

the head df the family?

MS. LUCE. No, it was conducted with the whole household.

VICE CHAIRMA4 HORN. That'i what I was afraid of. What worries

me when you make a statement such as that is that if children re

included and they're still in elementary school, and there's two or

three children, obviously more than half would not have completed

elementary school and I wanted to sort that out.

MS. IrUCE. Tjiis study was done by Ramsey'Shu and Adele Satele

in 1977, and Ifitm not too sure, then, as to the question that you're

asking.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Could you get us a copy of the study?

MS. LUCE. Yes, I would.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I'd enjoy the opportunity to read it.

Ms. LUCE. Okay.

4

3 5 0
VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much. . COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Dr. Flemming?

CHAIRMAN. Fl EMMING. Mr. Hertiller, your overall responsibilities

arc summed up as an ombudsman for State education agencies, and I

assume that you include the islands within your purview of your

operation?

MR. HERTZLER. Yes. _ CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. What are we doing Ls a Federal Government in the way of providing support for the education institutions on

the islands?"

MR. H.ERTZLER. We don't have any specific programs other than

within the general education. We have, Dr. Flemming, funded

projects where the islands are aware of and qualify, for the programs. For example, we have teacher corps programs in all of the territories,

or at least have had them at one time or another. The community

colleges have come in for some special programs and some adult

education money. ') , / We don't have, within HEW a separate pdt of monT, for working It with the territories; however, in most of our legislation, there are setasides that make some money available for the territories in categorical

s areas. I However, there is a new omnibus bill for the territories and Title V

of that bill provides for a single State plan. The territories don't

necessarily have to use the categorical mipney in the categorical ways

that are required stateside.

Such a State plan will be a tremendouelp to the islands as they

plan to: t eet theirlteeds and don't haveko deal with categorical kinds

of needs t were specifically tailored to stateside concerns.

Hopefully-, this will help to take care of some of the problems. I

spite of all.this, we're clearly not doing as much'at we mioht.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. What has been your Oservalio to the

number of persons from the islands who have cbme to this country and

who have particiPated, in ,qflticational programs and then have gone

back and'Orticipated in. the educational programs on the islands?

° MR. HERTZLER. The nuMbetthe nullifier is gradually increasing,

but there's a problem there again,in terms of the culture. For example, , in Samoa, up until the past year or so, there was a distinction made

between Meal hires and contract hires, and people Ikho came here for

training had to go back at local pay rates. After having beenatateside,

if they're professional people, the wages are much more attractive

"\' stateside.

However, with the coming of the new Governor, things have

changed and they're beginning to pay contract wageein order to .

entice Samoans to return. Other territories are dealing with this, but

)

338' 'I 35 1
I'm not sure what the situation is. The attraction of lligher wages

stateside has been a real prlIblet...

les beer difficult to realTy get a lot of the people to guroback to work

in these areas, in vile of the facrhat there are many people who are

now qualified.

CHAIRMAN .FLEMMING. Would you like to comment on that, Ms.

Luce? What's been your experience as far as Samoa is concerned, the

people who havt come here, received some education on the

mainland, and then Wive gone back? Is thereis there a trend? Do you

notice a trend in that direction in feints of the people that you counsel

and work with?

MS. LUCE. One of the areas that I have worked with is higher

education in reference to participation and accessibility of support for

Samoan students. Those who havcome from the islands, from the

territories to seek higher education, are more in number than those of

us here who have sought higher education. We see that what our

educational representative here has stated is very true. We had just

held a meeting with Governor Coleman of American Samoa about 2

months ago, 4nd many of thethose who have graduated have

become troubled in reference 16 the differences of pay and wages that

they would be offered in returning to the islands.

But one of the thiligs that I wanted to state was that in looking at the

educat>al problems faced by our students here, the opportunities in

reference to special recruitments and financial aid is unbeknown to our

communities, and also those who are within the institutions, they don't

know that we even exist, and we feel dial once this gap 4 bridged, ive

(will probably shave more representation from our communities here

seeking higher education

CHAIIMAN FLEMMING. Would you like to comment on that froni

the standpoint ofGuam, either Nti Jose or either one of you?

Ms. JOSE. Well, we have a similar problem on Guam with respect

to sttidefits Who coMeto the United States to receive higher educiition;

many dO go back, but they don't have the kind of oPporttrity to be

employed in jobs that they mere trained for, tly$ they itrceed theik.

educations for, and they end up coming back to the United States.

With respect to the hire of attorneys on the island, there is a

difference between off-island and on-island hire, and that difference is

about $2,000 in salary. There is alsothere was at one point a.

difference in salaries because most of the teachers on Guam were offisland hire, however, they changed that a few years ago.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I'm sorry, I don't understand you;could

you explain that a little more? The diffdrence of $2,000 between onisland and off-island hire, you mean the mainland versus Guam or

Guam versus the islands around it?

352

339
4

MS. JosE. Mainland versus Guam. In Irtiler words, Guamanian

attorneys who returned to Guam who seek /employment with the

public defender's office, or with the AG's office or the U.S. attorney's

office, there is a difference between local hire. They are considered

local hire, even though they arc coming back to Guam from the

United,States, and their pay scale is different.

Two years ago it was a $2,000 difference in pay scale.

CHAIRMAN PTEMMING, MS. Rosario, would you like to comment on

that issue?

MR. RosAalo. Very much so. Thethere is an absence of any

statistical data regarding the -Guamanians that have migrated to the

United States in reference to their education, and the different trades

that they may have acquired, either through the Navy or the Army.

We have found through our various organizations spread out

through Califeonia that there is quite a difference in pay scales

between a trade person doing work here than in Guam.

And so, therefore, the tendency is to stay and work because of the

higher pay scale.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. What about cost of living? Is there any

difference between the mainland and Guam and also SamOa in terms of

cost of living?

MR. ROSARIO. Definitely so. I haven't been back since 1972, but I

guess like everything else prices are so inflated there that it's affecting

Guam more so than it is here.

However, there are ways that the Islanders circumvent the high cost

of living in Guam. By going out and doing some fishing, the Islanders

do supplement their income. The cost of living is definitely much

higher in Guam than it is in the mainland because of imported

- products.

VICE gHAIRMAN HORN. Can I pursue this $2,000 differential so I

make sure I understand it? Is that differential set by U.S. Government

policy?

(

The reason I ask that is I'm familiar with American embassies

broad where they einploy a large number of native personnel, and

' there's the rate they pay the locals in the American Embassy, eveni

though they might be doing exactly the same work as the rates they

pay American personnel who serve abroad, and I just wondered if this

grew up under naval administration of Guam or how the differential

wage structure arose.

MS. JOSE. I'm not clear. I would hate to say that it's a policy

instituted by the Federal Government, but it seems to be a de facto

policy øl1owed by the government agencies. \

Vkc CHAIRMAN HORN. Is it jist.goyerntnent or it also private

enterprIse on Guam?

340
Ms. JOSE. I don't know about private enterprise on Guam. That

differs with the different private corporations and their Own business

policies; I cannot speak on that.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. What I would like, Mr. Chairman, is to ask

the director of the Office of Territories for a little explanation for the

Commission as to the,oltain of and how this wage differential system

works, and the degree to which the American Government is

responsible for setting the policy, and why it would apply to

Guamanians who come to the United States, secure their education, in

essence becoming professionals, and then go back to Guam. I'd just

like to know what are the policy considerations.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Well, you're interested both on Guam,

Samoa and so forth, as to whether we're talking about a going rate or

whether we're talking about a rate that somebody has set arbitrily?

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I'M just interested in the historical

argument.

MR. ROSARIO. Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Yes.

MR. ROSARIO. You asked a questionliegarding the differential in

pay scale and the question: Is where or how did that come about. And

I'd like to just briefly state out of experience that when I wasin Guam,

a lot of the differential in pay scales are due to importation of foreign

laborers, which are coming out of the Philippines and now in some

cases also from Korea and Japan.

Now, the other differential pay stems from the old naval government administration whereby they paid their personnel coming to

Guam the 25 percent differential whereas local people doing the same

job would be excluded from that. And those, I believe, are still in

existence, and I think that they're still trying 'to alleviate that problem.

I think the government of Guam is doing something in that direction, I

believe, with the Department of Labor, ii correcting that deficiency.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, that's what I suspected as one origin

of the policy. It would be fascinating to know what the legal

ramifications are in terms of American constitutional provisthns, the

Equal Pay Act, etc. They might also get that out of the Office of

Territories.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. We'll ask staff to take note of this dialogue

and to address a communication to the Office of Terdlories .and

request this information. Commissioner Saltzman, I think we probablywe're a little bit

over our time as far as this panel is concerned. In fairness to the next

panel I guess we should say thank you. very much. We appreciate your

being with us.

[Applause.]

341
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Papr's Prosonted

rt Pacific Islanders: An Overview

Faye Untalan Munoz, D.S.W., M.P.H.

r

I am very happy to be here to address this distinguish?1 panel of

Commissioners and interested audience. I am sorry theme have such

little time to. discuss adequately our Problems and concerns which

could lead to some positive developments. I am to provide you with an

overview of Pacific Islanders. That is a difficult task to do, therefore,

my presentation will be/to highlight those issues which affect Pacific

Islanders in America. The fact that I am a native of Guam will tend to

bias this presentation. It is most difficult to generalize out of one

experience and perspective. Therefore, I trust my fellaw panelists will

provide in those areas where I have none or inadequate information.

Pacific Islanders include a conglomerate of peoples of Polynesia,

Melanesia, Ink- Micronesia scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean.

Our concerns today are clearly those islands under U.S. jurisdiction, the protectorates, trustees, or territories. These include American

Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and the

U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific.

Geographic Location

The U.S. l'rust Territory plus Guam and the Northern Marianas

make up the Micronesia group, which consists of about 3,400 islands,

islets, and atolls. Micronesia spans approximately the area of the U.S.;

thus, one can roughly imagine the Marshall Islands in Florida, Ponape

in Missouri, Yap in Colorado, the Marianas in Washington State, and

American Samoa somewhere in the Caribbean.

The Mariana Islands are Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Since

Saipan, Tinian, Rota are now the Commonwealth of the Northern

Marianas, Guam -may aptly be Called the Southern Marianas. The

people of the Marianas Islands ate of the same cultur and race, and

the native inhabitants are Chamorros. Thus, Chamorr describes the

people,sulture, and language of the Marianas Islands..

Cultural Historical Background

Very little data concerning Pacific Islanders are available beyond

the stereotypical descriptions of the Islanders as exotic and romantic

peoples. Data which could provide comparable analysis of the

Faye Untalan Munoz is program director of ere Western Interstate Comm' on on Higher Education in Boulder. Colo..

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4

different island groups in political, social, economic, and religious

experiences are lacking.

The islands have been Mundatt,t1, during the past 300 years With

numerous explorations, colonizittions, and Christianization efforts. The

consequencesswetimes beneficial and destructive at the same

timeare immeasurable. As Western civilization comes to the island

people,, so are their traditional waYs irrevocably altered.

In recent years growing nuMbers of people from the South Pacific

Islands have keen arriving in the U.S. Many are brought by tourism

ilid the enterlainment industries, as is the case with Polynesians. The

military draft has plaml a paramount role in influencing migration, ,. while 'the quest ,for better educational and economic' opportunities

beCame a secondary motivation for migration to the U.S. and is the

continuing trend. . Today American Samoans,e.Chamorros, Native Hawaiians, and_

other Trust Territory lslan0efs all share soinething in common. Their

islands are part of the gs. Territory, making these Islanders

sUbjects or citizens, tmlike some of their neighbors. As U.S.iterritorial

citizens, Samoans or Chamorros do notNave full voting 'rights and

representation in the U.S. Government. They have no effective voice

in U.S. policy or decisions, but they are subject to Federal legislaticip

like the military draft had been.

The Organic Act of Guam in 1950 ended 50 years 4414.S. naval ._ administration of Guam and established a ivilian government.

However, it was not until 1970, after 20 y s of U.S. presidentappointed governors, that Guam elected its first native governor. A

U.S. law, enacted in 1972, gives Guamanians one elected member of

the. U.S. House of RepresentativeS; however, he may vote only in

committeenot on the floor of the House.

The geographical distance of the islands from the U.S. and their

unfamiliarity to people in the U.S., especially to the decisionmaking

leaders, and their role and use as defense bases for the U.S. make the N.

Islanders a particularly neglected group ofpeople. The fact that their

administration is placed under the Department of Interior leaves

questions as to their importance and priority to this country as people

And not merely military defense resources for the U.S.

'the introduction of the.money exchange system and working for

wages caused a major shift in the lifestyles and living conditions of the

Islanders. An agrarian lifestyle supplemented by fishing and hinting

was replkced by employment for wages._Family relocation foll wing

World War H caused family separation and breakdown of the ponds

which provided strong social, economic, and psychtlogical support

for members. The family's role in socializing the younger members

was replaced by outside forces as the family unit began to deteriorate.

, 3 5 6

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4.'04E60 as .the primary determinant of childrearing, discipline; and training . practices at41 functions. These changes have drastically altered

traditional lifestyles and eliminated skills which had allowed them to

survive over ihe centuries, maintaining order and harmony among

theMselves onlbeir islands.

One of the most' significant changes on the islands has been the

tiemendous. incrtas in the population._ In 1901, the earlieSt census

taken of the island of Guam, the population was 9,676. In 1970 it had

reached 84,996, a figure which

, excludes 'military personnel stationed

on the island.

Rapid growth hat .not (een exclusive to Guam, however, as a look

at the population growth of Atnerican Samoa, the Trust Territories, , and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas indicates. According to the 1950 census, American 9arn4 had a copulation of 19,000 and the Trust Territories had

, a popuMion of 57,000. In 1970 the population on- American Samoa'had almost doubled, reaching 7,159. The Trust Territoriesrpopulati had'reached 99,940. Based on census

estimates, the population indreades continued into the '70a with an

estimated population of 28,000 in 1973 tap American Sanwa; 108,000 in 1975 in the Trust Territories,.and of 100,000 in,1975 on Guatn) In other

words, the populations of the entire area almoit doubled eiactly Over a period of 25 years. Of the three islands', Guam has the oldest median

age: 20.4 years compared to 16.9 for the Trust Territoriel; and 16.1for

Amerielm Samoa. You will 'note by this" %urea that v.4e are talking

4not only 'about a very small number of people but dlso of a total race

and, as such, they serve as an argument as endangered Species. It ii

." estimated only 300,000 native Hawaiians exiat ttiday. This number is, of course, much less on the mainland, and my rongb -estimates will be that about 100,000 are Chaniorros and oiher Migfonesians; a larger number is estimated for Samoans and Hawaiians.

. 'With migration and the influx of other 6ultures into 'the islands

increasing..the -native populations find themselves losing milch contral,_ over their Island. -Their developing knowledge of Western and

industrial systenis has Yet to catch up with 'the rest of the country. . Despite emerging local leaderships, the mass is still largely unfamiliar and 'prone to yesort to colonial status and acc(ept the' paiernalisfiC

system of the V.S. GoVernment; This is not viorking well fir the ,, *- Island . Newiltotiters from more advanced cultures, more equipped wit hnological and professional skills are pushing out the indigenous pulation not only from tho labor market, and but also from all '. . social, p,l1tioaE and economic systems if current policieswhich : ,

.

.. ., ignorerthe impact .on 'the lives of the Indersare continued. To 0 illuarate this poink in November ,1978 while- ,I was, in Guam, I .

.. observed that of three major shopPing centers in <!hiam, ihere wap ,) --

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only one business ownethand operated by a Chirmorrol Purther, the ' shopping center developments were NI Owned by Chamqrros.

Mth this sketchy background, I would like to emphasize some

cónceens with mord to Chamorros and other Pacific Islanders that

may serve as beckground in. _reviewing 'civil rights issues to be

presented in more detail by, my fellow panelists:

1. - The islands did not wage war against the U.S. but are vi tims of

colonial and territorial expansion (much like the American pains)

which, as a result, forced these islands Jo be dependent on t ie U.S.

Stripped thus of indigenous native controtover their resoufces the sea , and the land) and over their own socioeconomical-political systems,

the islanders have had and continue to struggle to survive to maintain, - on the one hand, their tradidonal social-cultural integrity, and, on the . other, to cope and adapt to a system glen to the1r own and which, in7

many instances, are sources of conflict detrimental to their cultural

values, beliefs, lifestyles, ançi traditionsthe substance for their

Anvival as a distinct group Qf eople. And like blacks in their struggle .- for freedom from slavery aI)d continuing with their civil rights and

rights against social/political injustices; Islanders are faced Tith the '` dilemma for thwamerights and their rights for self-determination on

their islands ils every. American aspires.

2. . Ethnic Idetitity: Chamorros are The indigenous people of the

Marianas Islands. For political expediency, Guamanian. was created to

separite the racial and cultural tietv of the people of the Marianasa

guamaniun is 'ii resident of Guam; while'.Chamorro instills-pride or

culture, language, lifestyles, and roots to the island of the Marianas.

This creation of a new identity placed u n Chamorros creates

I. 1 problems of sovereignty to the island as othe .. migrate and settle and

take away those rights of hie ChaMorro peo e; borigine people of

a new V.S.-oCcupied land, Chamorrosima ha ntitlement to the

Native Americah Act as Native Hhwaiia and A ricart Indians do...

American Samoans, Chamorros, and Hwaiians re a small groupf.- , Thq represent the few who survived eaer r ts of colonization;

etc.: they are a proud peopleproud of th cult their heritage.

The survival of their language, culture; values and liefs over the

. centuries of difficulties and tribulations are testim to _ 14.

.tance to change. Their sociocultural values played an important Me

iurviving in their type of environment and' society. As they observe

change around them, there is great concern about their children and

'their future generation. Intermarriage, early deathdue to poor health

,care, uncontrolletl migration, and outside influencts are rapidly

eroding the cultural fabric and ethnic integrity of the Islanders.

Hawaiian§ and Chamorros of Guam are Particular examples of bids

problem a.§ many of the young hew no longer speak the native

,

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language, the traditional form by which oral history, bends, traditions,

etc., are pissed on tk) the yoipg. As language becomes lost, the essence

of concepts, beliefs, attitudth, andkpractices lose much of its cultural

significance'.

3. Education: Pdncational policy for the islands viirs- not planned

around the needti, problems, and potentials of the ish-ind people; it was

a processAmericanization and fl'Ir indoctrination of American ideals,

beliefs, and-attitudes. While this process and rolicy may -have its

merits, the type and quality of education to enable the Islanders to

adapt tlik their changing lifestyles, to develop new skills, to meet new

technoloigical .dpielopments and demands on their islands were

ignored. Tin's, forced to adapt and compete with an unfamiliar,

culturally insensitive, and sometimes conflicting-educational process, it

is not difficult to understand the dilemma of the Islanders 41 the U.S.!' 1) education system.

As a result, we find among Pacific Islanders a dearth of persons

'trained in medi law, economics, and other human services

professions plan, de adminNter, and manage the social,

economi health,. and welfare n s of the island. On the other hand,

the Isla ers are often criticized, for ack of leadership nd manage- . ment s Is in operating and implementing U.S2Federal progtams.

The inadequate education Provided Islanders and the lack of

employment and skill training programs aimed fowar the Islanders'

potentials and opportunities for work on the isthIid or on the U.S.

mainland aye e,-/idenced by few Islanders in professional and technical

fields. Instead, 6151-1slanders hold jobs largely in niintechnical,

semiskilled, and4ficskilled fields. Further evidence include the large

numbers of naval enlisted personnel from Guam who -were used as.,

cooks by the Navy. While these military policiet have been s7rmewhat

changed, the impact of such policy and -practice Continues to affect

negatively the Islanders, for.example, readjustment to-eKil life, limited

income from military retirement, and lacking skills for decent joiefor

aging retired military personnel are cau4ing severe economic strains

amon Pacific Islanders' families. These economic strains are further

''''''\exacerbated by cultural-family tiesA which drain family members in

helping other thembers... (The typical 'Islander resorts to family

membeirs fo help rather than outside agenciesthis practice tends to

boVreferred as social agencies are insensitive to their needs d

conditions.)

4. Immigr Islanders to the U.uses Many.'problems o

adjustmen and acc ibility io political, economic, and other benefits

afforded all ,U.S. citi s. Thus, Islanders in the U.S. dainland are

largely left on their own mited personal ana ftullily resources. Their
,)

-seatterod few numbers limit their visibility foi political access and

response.

Immigration into Guam is yet another major stress on the island

people, disturbing social, economic, and political development. Immigrants have wished out the Chamorros from economic control and

- also rapidly from political control. Guam is a developing country, and

Ait; people are also in a developmental phase. Maturity will come in

time with appropriate- developme"nt and assistance. Rapid outs.de

influx can be detrimental as we witness other islands, e.g., Illawaii. i

addition, immigration, uncontrolled, will exhaust the limited re:pairc

of the islandin all services. While it may be poi ed out the advantag

people from the Philippines and Asia bring Guamone canno

ignore its effect on the people of Guam The policy to opek am f

foreign immigration into the U.S.. without thoughtful analysis (f the

implications (social, economicdokpolitical) is detrimentalto the pt1ople

of Guam Furthermore out Vederal sitilsidy to absorb the cost of

meeting the o new nigrants into Guam, which has become a

entry into the U.S., there is an economic drain on the resources

of the island which is struggling to keep up with its qwn locasr l needs.

This policy clearly demonstrates the lack of an enlightened -concern

for the needs of these developing territories.

5. U.S. census has not counted and continues to ignore the counting

and documentation of people Rom Guam, American Samoa, Native

Hawaiians, aasLcommonwalth and TINIst Territory Islands now

living in the U.S. (Native Hawaiian 'and Native Alaskan imply there

are other kinds of Hawaiians and Alaskans..It is interesting that no

k-/- other State in the U.S..has racial or ethnic identification by its Stitte's

nape.) flicking such data on needsemployment, socioeconomic,

bifingual educationhas deprived Islanders of all benefits undkr these

/programs .and, therefore, reasons for neglect. In light of the size,

distribution, and characteristics of Chamorros, Sam is, and other

(slanderS frolitli:S.oter)itories, it is imperative that a specil study be

dOne on the Islandelitio dete 'ne their needs to identify theii

protolems and to &Atop polio d programs that will assist in .-4

bringing equity to injustices so loh e ured. The census under its

current policteg'ierves as a method for numerical annihilation for

Pacific Islanders A genuine atifi just concern for U.S. territorial

citizens in the S. will seek to properly document their economic and

. -

living status in he U.S. as well as on the Island. Until these need

. .. documentations-tire made, Islanders will remain neglected and ignored

. in policies for MI ericans. 1.

% 4 Under the'U d Nations Charter, the U.S. isrecquire'd to "recogI.Nnize the princip that the interests of the inhabiOnts (of the Trust

I. }' Territory Island of the Pacific) are paramount, and accept as a sacred

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347
trust the obligation to promote (o the utmost. . .the well-being of the

inhabitants." It is difficult (o escape (he conclusions that the U.S. has

abused that trust. Little has been done on the islands except in the U.S.

self-interest, and for those who left the islands either through military

draft or other means, no program has been prop9sed or Cstablished to

help them. The US. has provided assistance to other groups of foreign

origins while it continues to ignore the reOple,of its territories. kis my hope that the issues and problems we raise today may gut& our conscience and our efforts to establish ix)licies and programs which

promote and enhance the welfare of our Pacific Island Peoples of the.

United States.

348.

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a.

Health Problems and the Inadequate

Access to Health Care Services for Pacific

Islapders In California

1IP by Juan Bosarto*

Citizens and subjects of the United States Pacific Island territories

are among the most neglected populations -in the country. The

remoteness of the islands and lack of awareness by government and

. )'

other officials of the cultural shock encountered by Islanders commsv

to the mir serves to increase d

n

ie problems these peoVle meet i_

seekhig hea care. . t- nu The problems e compounded' by the relatively small mber of

people involved: acific Islanders make up less than I percent of the

total population of the State of California.

Pespite their,small numbers, Pacific Islanders suffer from,ii number

di' unique -physical and problems out of proportion to their

numbers. In addition, ma y are often unable or unwilling to seek

---...... 'proper treatment. ., In the first part of this report, we will discuss the current health -

situation, and in the second-11ton, the problems regarding health care

forithese people.

s..

,: , Health Problems

Chamorros, -Guarnanians, suffer from a number of diseases w h ich

either occur strictly on Guam Or are more common there t an

anywhere else in ths world: "bodrg," 'highly volatile inflammations of

the legs that often results from poor nutrition, and '!chefnut inaipe" or

"ailment of the heat," are diseases unique to Ouamanlich-i. Amyotropic

lateral sclerosis or litige-etcdParkinion's disease are 50 times more,

.... coehmon on Guam .than 'among the gentral population of the United

States. Both diseases are more prevalent on Guam than anywhere else

in.the world.

In the Samoan community, although accurate figures Are not readily

..is available, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and diabetes

occur in significantly higher than nqrmal humbers. Adding to this

rN problem is the introduction of disease io Amcan Samoa by other

Pacific Islanders because the government does not prescreen or

immunize migrants. A markedly higher incidence of alcoholism exists

Juan D. Rosario is president of the Federation of Guamanian Associations of America.

362 349
among young Pacific Islanders and those Just at I tying in (he continental I limed States than is (he statistical not

Preventive health care Is not a factor in a Pacific Islander's life.

Medical examinations, immunization, etc., are not recognized as

necessary by Pacific, Island peoplei unless some sign of disease is

showing. In American Samoa, health facilities are never used except in cases of emergency, accident, suddqn illness, or When someone is critically ill. These attitudes have been brought to the continental Umted States by imgrating Samoans. Nutrition for expectant mothers

4111 is a problem among Pacific Islanders populations. Thngans, for example, exist on a diet consisting mainly of shellfish and green bananasstaples in the islands. Their -eating habits continue here in the,----- Utii sd States, with even expectant mothers maintaining the .sauie -âiIiry habits throughout Pieir pregnancies. When the baby i byrn, however, it is usually fescr cOmmercially prepared baby fooA, ard Tongan infants develop allergies and rashes out of proportion to their

numbers. Some Tongan mothers believe this is a result of a radical

change in the baby's diet.

Immunization is an enormous problem, even among Aocal stateside populations, and the problem is compounded among Pacific Island

communities when language barriers, lack of tradition and understanding contribute to fewer immunizations, and, as a consequence, higher

incidence of disease among Pacific Island youth.

Mental health among the elderly is also a problem aggravated by being in the continental United States. In most .Pacific Islan

communities, the elders are treated with care and respec:t, taken care of by the families and traditionally live at home until (11 pass away. In modern American society, the elderly are shunned, thought useless, and put away in old age homes where they waste away the remainder of their existence. The conflict between the two lifestyles causes in6ltal anguish among elderly Pacific Islanders who refuse tO

participate in any senior citizen progrys in the feiv,-that they, too, will be left alone.

Acctilturation problems can arise easily, especiallSI among the young, because Pacific Islanders' customs concerning dating are often

quite different from the stateside norm. Many students are ridiculed by

schoolmates, often leading to fights or other problems.

lnade4Ciate Access to Health Care Services

Pride, prestige, and cultural problems are important factors in the

communication difficulties between racific Islanders and health

service practitioners. The most obvious)roblems faced by the two

groups are those relating to language. Many Pacific Islanders do not speak English very well, so trustessential in the doctor-patient

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363

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relationship is difficult to establish. Ogler problems include the

inability of a patient to describe his symptoms properly, error on the

patient's part in taking medication because of misunderstanding the 4

doctor's or pharmacist's orders, and several physical .probkms and

bodily functkms that lslitndersjust do not like to discuss.

Often, health assistance is not sought until a crisis point has been

reached or after treatment at home can no longer be accomplished. In

conjunction with reluctance on the part of Pacific Islanders to practice

preventive medicine, an additional burden of urgency has been placed

on the health practitioner's shoulders. A great number of healt

services are provided at the county level, but most Islanders are

unaware of them. Even when they do utilize them, they feel they are

not given the help they deserve primarily because of the language

barrier.

Islanders afflicted with the unique tropical distaseS mentioned

earlier will more than likely have difficulty finding a doctor familiar

with their ailments, and the cost of returning to their island for

treatment or locating a doctor with knowledge of the proper treatment

can be staggering. Knowing which doctor to go to for proper (

treatment can sometimes be a problem, especially if they have been

referred and the referring doctor is not specific.

In conclusion, it is our feeling that some sort of health task force

should be'established as a compunicator link between PIK:talc Islanders

and public health services topromote bilingua -bicultural awareness,

awl solutions to the major health problems thseeopIe face /Isere in

the mainland, especially in California.

Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Chicanos, American Indians all have

-groups they can turn to, organizations that will help them with their

health care problems. Pacific Islanders dO not. Until the health of all

the people in the United Statis.Lis a concern of health care groups, and

until nukjor efThrts are made tprovide everyone with -the servids and

treatmenj necessary for sound physical and !rental health, Pacific

V Islanders will confilthe to be amongthe most neglected ethnic group in

the United States.

We appreciate-this opportunity to voice our problems and what we

feel can be done to solve them. We hope thai you are now more aware

of our needs and that help for all people will be fathcoming. .0h

behalf of out Pacific Island people, "Donkulu na si yuss maase."

Thank you Itc.Fnuich.

Sources Consulted

Report compiled by: Robert, Franco, Pacific Specialist for South

Pacific studies, University off California, Jan. 13, 14, 1979, Pacific

Island Health and Health Care Confetence.

351
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Oflice of Samoan Affairs, Inc., Pat Luce, preOdent.

Ablitiact report by Alona Ten, Tongan comn+mt y.

Federation of Guamanian Associations of AMerica, Juan B Rosario,

.President.

In consultation with Dr. Faye Muitta, Ph.D., WICHE, and Dr.

Katherine U. Aguon, Ph.D., vice-speaker, 15th Guam Legislature.

<_

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411

,
Civil Rights and Constitiitional Confine;

with Samoan Culture: A General Overview

by Failantusi Avegalio"

Introduction

Social passivity best dtcribes the Samoan attitude. Samoans in

general do not perceive themselves as individuals in the Western sense.

From childhood the Samoan is inculcated with values of dedicated

and devoted service to the "aiga" (family) and "matai" (family chief).

Samoans are taught that the individual is of little consequence; that the

alga and, above all, the niatai are central to his existence. Also, that

satisfaction of personal needs and desires are subordinate to the needs

and desires of the aiga lid of the ratai. The exprssion of individualism in a Samoan social-ctItural setting is nearly nonexistent. This sense

of obligation to family is primarily reflected in the schools.

Compositions submitted by 2thLaighth graders last year (1978)

Ncontained only I essay considered original. rifty percent of the essays

involved Samoan legends in which half of those retold six popiilar

, -.._ Samoan stories. Forty-nine percent of the essays were shnftexpository

paragraphs describing_the aiga, thereby demonstrating the .students

psychological orientations. , Within the contexkof a sociocultural environment that incessantly

deemphasizel individualism and extolls. t 4 virtues of unWersal sharing

and communalism;-a Western legal fram work superimposed on such a

system raises grave questions of U.S. COnstitutional intent and civil

rights. r

Civil rig\its in American Samoa raises ii very fundamental issue of

which resolution would require lengthy eliberation and inevitable

commitment. e issue evolves around the applicability of the

American Const ution in the American territories,-specifially American Samoa, . A very brief de iption of the geographical and cultural setting will

be followed by three paramount constitutional issues whieh, if applied

literal)* would destroy the Samoan culture as we know it today. The

subject/of nondiscrimination and sex-equity in Amirican Samoa will

conclude this report.

This paper wu prepared by Failautusi Avejalio, Department of Education, American Samoa, for

presentation by Elam II. Herteler, Ombudsman, U.S. Office of Education, Department of Health,

Education, and Welik7, Wore the U.S.Corimiskion on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C_

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American Samoa

The islands of American Samoa are located approximately 2,300

miles southwest of Honolulu -and 1,600 miles northeast of New

Zealand, making the territory the only United States possession south

of the EqUator. American Samoa is Comprised of seven small tropical

islands of which Tutuila, the largest of the islands (75 square miles); is

the center of government and commerce. The total land area of the

American Samoan group is 76.2 square miles, of which 96 percent of

this land arca is communally owned. The present population is

approximately 30,000, most of whom are native Samoan.

American Samoa is only a small part of the larger Samoa

archipelago. Western Samoa with a combined land area in excess of

1,100 square miles is an independent nation. The Samoan.islands were

partitioned between Germany and the United States in 1899, with the

pre nt five islands of the American Samoa group going to the United

Stat 'he following year President McKinley extended the responsibilit f achninistering the islands to the Department of the Navy,

which in 19(51.1adniinistrative tesponsVlityj was 'transferred to the

'Department of Pitterior. Though the five islands-were ceded by the

Samoan chiefs tetween 1900 and 1904, it was not until 1929 that the

treaties were acted upon and ratified by the U.S. Congress.

Alga \ Rathet24an the nuclear tIlmily that is known in the United Skas,

the Sam ans Utilize an extended family system, "aiga," wherein one

nyember of the aiga is elected to-preside over the extended family. This

individual is know as the "matai," or genetally tFanslated, chief. This

extended aiga may consist of hundreds to eyen thousands of members

located throughout tfie several islands of American and Western

Samoa. Samoans are very cognizant of their antecedents and fake

meticulous care in inculcating fiimily members, with complicated

genealogical histories, thus making Samoans very much aware of who

, and where their kin are.

Natal

Directing the affairs of the itiga art the matai. The matai maintains a

centrally (vital position, within the aiga. "qis individual directs

domestic marteia, allocates labor, representi the alga in village

councils, and acts as judge and jury in administering lamoan law. The

matai also are the repositories of knowledge of Faa RamoaSamoan

history, t &toms, traditions, proverbs, mythology, and to a more

reftned extent--genealogy. The exact origin of the .matai is probably

loot, in antiquity. However; holders of, such tides, who are usually

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proven leaders, receive spe)al honor and respect. There is even a

"respect language" res&ved for the matai and others of position, es.,

public officials, ministers. The matai systen is one of tlk .twin

cornerstones of Samoan life; the system of communal land tentl

being the other.

Communal Land

Inextricably bound to the matai systeir is the communal land

ownership system. All communal land is o ned by the aiga. The

beneficial interest in the lands and fruits of th land belong to the aiga

and not to ttie matai as an individual. The matai holds the family lands

as a sort of trustee for the benefit of the family. The Samoan custom is

for a member of the family to plant his plantation on the communal

land of his alga either at the direction of or the con'ent of his matai.

Under such custom it is the duty of such person(s) tofrender service to

the matai and, if called upon by the matai, for furnish some fruits of the

land that are desired. In situations whereby an occupant of communal

land is deceased, such land automatically reverts back to the aiga

under the stewardship of the matai, who would then assign the

communal land'which was occupied by the deceased memberto

another member of the family.

Trial by Jury - The legal concept of trial by jury is fundamental to the American

scheme of justice. Until recently, there wari no provision in American

Samoan law for jury trials. The-highest court in titihaiiod States has

held that trial.by jury is fundamental to American justice. And since

the high court of American Samoa isimost respectsan "American" court, it has been recently ruledt by a Federal circuit court in

,Waihington, D.C., that the 14th amendment guarantee of a right of

jury trial in all criminal casessixth amendment applies if tried in a

Federal courtdoes, in effect, extend to American Samoa.

This( decision was rendered despite the obvious cultural and

traditional differences ih legal perception. In the case of American

Samoa, it would almost be impossible for the court to empanel a truly

impartial jupy. With the Samoan extended family organization, or aiga,

it would klse a futile task to find jurors either unrelated to or

unacquainted with the defendant. A single individual may be related to

and aware of several hundreds, sometimes thousandsof potential

jurors. Convictions would be rare, considering the very strong family'

ties and often fanatical loyalties of aigas.

t The Samoan Pacific Law Journal, vol. 4 (August 1977).

355
Also, ihe Samoan sense of Justice is based ot4 the principles of

restitution rather t him retribution or rehabilitanoi Thus, shoidd a

member of one aiga commit an ofknse to a member another, the

matais of the two aiga will work out a settlement, with the offender

paying an agreed upon amount of pigs, finely woven mats, money, or

other goods. In a ceremony of offering, "ifoga," the aiga of the

offending individual will publicly approach the family of the offended

amidst moving demonstrations of contrition and formally offe

valuables to the matai of the offended individual. If the oft

accepts the apology, no more mention is made of the offense. il4,1, if the

ifoga is not accepted, the offender could be punished in wily way the alga thinks fit, which could be- among othersrestitution, banish- ment from the village or from the island, andat one timedeath.

pue Process and Equal Protection / The profound possibility that the notions of fundamental rights

might take on a different meaning in the context of a non-Anglo-Saxon

scheme of justice is perennially present with the constant attempt to

reconcile such rights and Samoan customs. Fundamental to the

American scheme of justice arc constitutional prohibitions on govern- . mental action violating the due process and equal protection clauses of

the 14th and 5th amendments. No court in America today would

presume to uphold the constitutionality of a statute denying an

individual the right to own property becau e of his race. Yet the

United States Government has permi t e legal institutionalism of

racial discrimination in American Samoa. . e American Samoa Cnode

forbids=-..i{ith a few exceptionsthe alienation of "any lands to any

person who has less than one-half native blood. 127 A.S.C. 204(b)

1973). The statute, hpwever, is designed to keep American Samoa

from. becoming "another Hawaii," where very few Native Hawaiians

claim titlq to the islands' limited land, and where "foreign" commercialization and exploitation have destroyed most of the .traditional

Polynesian culture.

The Samoan chiefs who signed the deeds of cession stipulated that

the Samoan way of life was to be preserved as much as possible, for

they realized that the entire cultural foundatioh of Faa Samoa rests on

the matai system whose maintenance and survival is inextricably

boundgo the communal land system.

The fact that the Department of the Interiot ratifiect the Constitution

of American Samoa demonstrates United States recognition of the'

Samoan .people's desire to preserve and maintain the islands cultuFel

institutions. However, regardless of the obvious objettive of selfpreservation, the question is: Candi and compelltng state need be ti

356
reconciIrd with the standard interpretation of the th and 14th

amendments?

, a Titles of Nobility

Nos-, Apother provision of the United States Constitution which, if

applied to the United States territory of American Samoa would have

A a devastating affect on Samoan culture, is Art. I, SS 9, 10., which stiles

that ". . .no titles of nobility shall be granted hy the United

States. . . ." The laws of AMerican Samoa not.,Only recognize but

I. reinforce and prom\)te the mat,ai system. Included among the conetitutional qualifications for the legislature,"for example, is the stipulation

that:

A senator shall. . .be the registered Matai of a Samoan family

who fulfills his obligation as required by Samoan custom in the

county from which he is elected. (Revised Constitution of

American Samoa, Art. III, S 3(d).

If the bestowiil ofp-incicnt title, which makes a man a matai is indeed

the granting of ititle, of nobility, serious constitutional puestions can

- be raised.

The fact that Samoan Custom has survived 74 years of American

rule speaks tO its primary importance to the Samoan people, and there

is eneral agreenvnt among the otherwise splintered vilitical groups

on the island that Nth Samoa should not be sacrificed at any price. The

extended families still provide the social basis of Samoan culture and

the political and economic power of the controlling matakremain

strong.

Title IX 1 The Samoan women has traditionally held a position of honor and

respect. in traditional Samoan culture. Actual role definition is

culturally flexible and accommodating. The virtue of hard work and

service to the aiga transcends the issne of sex. poi-example, it is not

unusual to observe a Samoan women planting taros or carrying

heavily ladened baskets pn her slioulder; both tasks commonly

performed by men. Likewise, men raising children and cooking for the

0 aiga is ilb more, unusual than women fjshing and harvesting bananas.

In matters of leadership, women ar4ot excluded from- hplding

matai titles or any other traditional position of social significance. In

fact, the first royal monarch of_ the Samoan islands was a woman

Queen Salamasina. Mile matais, however, predominate. It is also

universally recognized that the wise dounsel of a traditional Samoan

wife exceeds in value the collective wisdom of a village council.

3 70

357
4

Within the village social hiearchy, for every male organization there

is a female counterpart. Salient of such village organizations are the

aumaga (male organization) and the aualuma (female organization).

Though their specific -functions vary as to the occasion, $hey both

funct iOn equall y.

Conclusion ,,,.

. ft is extremely difficult in American Samoa to raise the issue of civil

rights in the context of Samoan culture. Central to this issus is

determining to what extent do Ainerican sprinciples, of equality - embodied in the United 'States ConstitutiOnappqr to American

Samoa. Notably, Samoa wants to avoid the fate of tourist hotels and

foreign ownership that has removed any trace of native culture in

, Guam and, et) a substantial degree, Hawaii. In particular, there is a fear

that thA application of the equal protection clause of the 14th

amendm0 would clestroy Faa Sanwa by destroying the land

communal ownership system. `The matai system, in turn,, would

collapse-without the communal land system to provide the priniary

stipport for its existence.

Issues Of freedom of speech are significantly curtailed when Ole

individual is taught fhat such indiyidual manifestations are contrary. to

-Fan Samoa, and disrespectful to ,the matai. The dilemma is furiber

exacerketed with conflicting sociocultural philosophies. Civil rights in.

the American ciontext embraces"the individual through the provision

of safeguards 'to his or her individual civil liberties, -rigbts front the

arbitrary rule of yegal fiat, and the caprice of:0e group.

. \

.SaMoan cullure, on the contrary, emphasiRs,the,grobp bufniat*thq

individual. Such a fundaffiental difference call§.1* a 'more flexible

standard of due process and -covstitutional applicatfon 4,0 be develOped

for the territories.-Such an effort may very Well c a for a conaitit,ion- /

al amendmentas it would be a pity that in. t

a

e Thng process of

)

eventually becoming Americans,,American Samoans must -tiffer up in

sacrifice,. Century -old traditions, cuitoms, and its culture .upon.the altar

of American democritcy:

REFERENCE& . . I. J

F. Faufano Autele and Hindi Greenbelt, "Correction's

finement," The Samoan Pacific Law Journal, vol.

(February and June 1975). 0%

2 4.P. Lutali and William J. Stewart, "Legal Aspects

and Land TemreSystem in the Tei-ritory of AmeriCan

Pacific Law Journal, vol. 2ner. 24May 1974).

. 4,

, 358

371 04

Eqiials Con-,

lbw 1 and 24;

.40

of the isiatai

Samoa,7 The

6
-4

3. Maurice 11-I. Mc Bride, "Il'he Application of the American

Constitution to American Samoa," The Samoan Pacific Law Journal,

vol. 4,.nos. 2 and 3 (August 1977).

4. Rod Schwarty, "The Status of American Stroa: A Brief Overview," The Samoan Pacific Lbw Jdurnal. vol. 2,-no. 1. (February

1974).

5. American Sairuin Code, Revised Constitution of American Samoa,

vol. I. at 22, 0473):

6, Governor of American Samoa, Annual Report to the Secretary of

.the Interior for Fiscal Year 1972, at 4 (1973).

7. AinericTSamoa Code, .yollat76 (103).

.5

s.

,

IS

.,

I. 4

'37,2

359

I
/JO\

The 1 ideniity Crisis of Pacific Americans

and its Implications for Educational Opportunities

4. by Pat H. Luce'

4. The term Pacific Islanders or Pacific Americans has been seen and

heard by many, but, unfortunately, it has a remote connotation. For

example, in efforts to promote Asian/PacifyritTnetican Heritage Week'

in california, the Office of Sainoan Affaits received an inquiry from a

State assemblyman who needed assistance. in identifying the Pacific

American groups. The vagueness in knowledge and recognition ociiihe

Pacific Americans has presented various implications of inade ate

representaiton_ and services in government programs for Pacific

., Arnericani. Fot the purpose of m.y presentation, I shall focus on the

proesnreta in education. . .

, Pacific islanders: Background

i Pacific Islanders are referred to by anthropologists as "Peoples of

r- the Pacific." Within, the large Pacific Ocean span are found three

major gioupings -known Polynesia; Melanesia, and Micronesia.

Hawaii and Samoa are atn ng the Polynesian group; Solomon Islands

and Fiji are in the Mel ian group; Guam and the U.S. Trust

Territories are in the Micronesian, group. Though there are, popula-

,titons of all these groups in the United States, the largest representations are from the islands that hay% ti4 to the United States, i.e.,

American Samoa, Guam, the Commdnwealth of the Northern Marianas, and the U.S. Trust Territories. With the exception of American

Samoa and Guam, these other islands became a part of the United

States only since World -War II, or about 30 years; American Samoa

and Guam for oVer 79 years. ., , We, native Americans, citizens and subjects of the United States

.;

Pacific Islands territories, are one of the most neglected populations of(

this country. Very iittle data concerning ., Pacific Americans are

romantic peoples. Lack or statistics has great

available beyond tbe stereotypical descriptions as optic and

'ng on service

., programs in respiMse to their-needs. As one bureaucrat phrased it, "No

; statistics, noroblems." V 4

I aiii pleased to be here today and to be a representatilie foi Pacific

go c. Amepicans, a minority- among minorities. California has the highest

-

, : ,s ,

,

. Pai Luce is president, Offke of Samoan Affairs:

360 373

9

vet .
concentration of Pacific Americanyr Tven thot gh Out numbeis exceed

those found 11/ our homehlials (e.g., Samoan Americans in California

nuinber in the 90,000a population which iepresents three tunes the

number in AMerican Samoa (source: 1975 census of American

. Samoa)), in comparison to the ethnic people of color, we arc seen as an

insignificant number, yet we are still native Americah Pacific Islanders

who are being ignored.

Owing to an existing process used by government agencies

various institutions in identifying populations, the Pacific Amera ins

are placed in a category without an identitythe "other" category.

Implications of such a process, whether it be on local, State, or Federal

gr levels, signifies a consistent exclusion of Pacific Amergns in- receivging repre. -ntation and services. The Pacific AmerictMs from the- . territorie ho are U.S. subjects or citizens and have migrated to ttle

Um States find themselves to he neglected Americans with no

identity.

Samoan Americans as a Model

lt is beyond the s.cope of this paper to illustrate or describe the

various migrant Pacific American communities. Therefore, only the

Inigrank Samoan American community will be used as a model to

describe the plight of the Pacific Americans.

BeCkground

There seems to be three Major reasons why the Samoans migrated

to the United States. First, the U.S. Navy, which glikerned the islands

ince 1900, dosed its base in 1951 and transferred jurisdiction of islands

to the Department of the Interior. As a result, a good number rd.

Samoan Aorkers (military men and civil servants) moved with 'the

Navy aod eventually settled around naval bases in western coastal

States and Hawaii. Another factor that accounts for the migration of

the Samoans is their desire to take advantageof the opportunities that

-)% are supposed to-be available in the United States. Like most migrants,

they sought Iretter job opportunities% and quality education for

themselves or their children. However, whereas the Navy first

brousht the Sainoans here, and available opportunaes dentinue to

attract a steady stream of newcomers from both "Irgtern and

American Samoa, in time a kind of snbwbalt effect-develontd. 0

Problem

It is estimiea that there are sbine 90,000 Samoans in CaliFornla.

. -11 They ar ebncentrated in Saii Diego,County, the Greater Los Angeles

area tu the San Francisco Bay Area (addendum I). One of the fastest

grown ethnic cothMunities in the State, Sanrais are also one of the

361
r

là

^"1

. most neglected, deprived, and underserved of populations Because of

economic, linguistic, and cultural discrimination against Samoans by

larger society, Samoans face critical problems of poverty, unemployment, family breakdown, alienation, and cultural disintegration. As -Jr

consequence, Samoans for well overNa quarter of a century liave

silently suffered the plight and squalor of an indigent and isolated

people.

Fór any migrant community, economic survival is of paramount

concern. For Samoans the pfOblem of economic survival is compounded by the fact thht we are poorly equipped to compete in the labor

market of a highly industrialized urban society. Most Samoans have

little education and limited English language skills. In a study of 410

Samoan households ,in the Los Angeles area, it was reported that

fewer than half of tl4e. respondents had completed grade. schobl (Shu,

1977),

si-he consequence of limited education and poor language skills is

that most Samoans can secure only low paying, menial jobs. Low

income in _turn makes difficult the maintenand of a family and the

caring for dependents. Low income also severely limits the choice of

housing for Samoans, whose average family size is seven or more

persons (Choi, et al., 1976). Poor language skills deter Samoans from

seeking and receiving adequale health, and neglect of health often

fends to disruption loss of employment and income. Low income or

loss of income, coupled with a Jarge family, frequently necessitates

dependence upon welfare assistance. A study conducted by the

Department of Planning and Economic Development in Havaii in

1973 reported that, while Samoans constitute 2 percent of the

population, they make,up Uvrcent of welfare recipients.

The traditional social la cultural instqutions of Samoan society no

longer .provide support and steility to life in the new difficult

environment. In Samoa, society is organized into layge extended family

groups, each headed by a chief. For Samoans the structure of the

extended family provides securitTaa protection from the adversities

of life. The family is the vehicle for all Members :to share their

resouKces and to proxide mutual aid and cOmfort. This breakdown is

part of the current cliange and cultural,conffict. The once unique and

powerful hereditary role'of the chief was the Central figure to turn to

in times of trouble. When the 'amoan eitended family migratea to the

mainland, the chief cannot solve his people's problems because.nove he

is not aware of the services and resources in the new community, nor'

able to u4 them because of the language barrier. The chief is

suddenly àeprived of his traditional 'helping, guiding Tole. He lose

stature and respect among hia people, particularly among tile yoUth.

The...result is that many Samoans, overMielmea' by feelings of

362

'

got
hopelessness and shame about their situation, cease tri look for

assistance. Samoan parents act out their ft ustrations in their relationship to theirchildren and the incidence of child abuse, violence; and

permanent welfare dependency is increasing:

Yor the indjvidual Samoan male who is relegated to a menial, low

paying job because he lacks skills and language, the frustration is

especially acute. He feels he cannot get ahead because there is no

prospect of a better pdying job. He still feels compelled to assist

members of the extended family who depend upon him. In return, he

feels he gets little reward or fulfillment. In this situation of prolonged

and mounting dissatisfaction, the Samoan male, deprived of recourse

to culturally sanctioned dutlets for his emotions, such as native sports,

, games, and dances, increasingly gives vent to his suppressed frustration and anger in acts of vicilence and aggression. Thus, kve find that

Samoan males in increasing numbers are being brought t<ore ,The

courts for offenses involving acts of physical aggression. The study of

the Hawaiian Departmeut of Planning and Economic Ovelopment

noted that, while Samoans are 2 percent of the population, tirs'ey

account for 25 percent Cf irll homicides.j)iher related forms of

behavioral response to theip.situation muy be seen in the increasing

incidense olalcoholism and di g abuse.

Contact with the research Livision of the Community-College of

San Francisct in regtird to Samoan participation in adult education

posed the mai "minority" Problem. Samoans do not even have an

identity in the U.S. although they represent a population proportion in

this ,city larger than the. American Indiail or the Japanese (15,000).

Because of" this, they are classified as. Asian and Pacific' Islanders, z which-represents 3 percent of the reported adult edncirtion population

(Octobe'r 1978, 548 people). In Los Angeles tile number of participants

is a little greater, but the population is considerably greater (45,000).

San Diego, Seattle, Honolulut the.gateway cities, all make the sante

[statement. They do not knoW to what degree Samoans are participating, and if they-are, it is a very small proportion in relation to the

population's need. . In summary, the Samoan community is confronted by a whole range

of problems rclated tb their stilt& as recent migrants to the mainland. ;

They face a difficult transition to their new environment because of

the enormous cultural gap between Samoan and mainland societies.

The traditional Saiwasin wri of life and the ctiltural and institutional

supports they west accust8mcd, to are being rapidly eroded by the

unrelenting pressuies of their new urban technological environment.

TheS, no' longer- feel the security, stabihtyliwd sense of direction they

formerly experienced within the extent, family and under *e

'guidance of a benevpl ew. but authoritatiVe'chief..Under thesexotidi0 363

f
nous, the extended flinuly IS disintegiating. Increasing numbers of

families arc being brought to court4oL,..child abuse. ,k,amoan

consigned to menial, low paying jobs, give vent to their iCr-ustration in

increasing alcoholism, drug abuse, and acts of violence and aggresslon.

Youth, strnggling with their marginal status between two 9onflicting

cultures, 'act out their confusion in acts of delinquency and rime. Yet,

with all of these problems, Samoans are not utilinng ttke exisang

services- (Chen, 1973). They either do not (now whet- to seek

assistance, or are 'unit to utilize existing services ecause of

cultural and lin istic ha ier, or do not return because of 4)sensittve

service provi rs or irrele ant services.

implicatis for Educational Opportunillei

. ; The forefront of Samoan aud Pacific Americhn problems is the lack

of identity and recognition for this group of native Americaiis. A

language barrier is also a major problrrn w , iich exists. This has a, great

impact on the degree of relevancy.for exis ng educational. proghims.

Adequate educational programs which resi)ond to linguistic --itsrd

culturpl conditions are essentially unavailable, however, the small

conditions and the rapid changeS Mat are occurring clearly point to..

. . the need.which is rapidly increasing. , In the State of California, only one bilinguarprogrkn for Samoans

exists in Harbor City. Multicultural education for Pacific Anfericaus is

., nonexistent. Bilingual cutriculum for Pacific American speakers or for

use in multicultural programs are unknown. Bilingual curriculum

centers and school districts which have been federalIy and Statefunded to develop sucir programs have not responded to the needs of

Pacific American students.

There is a high degree of exclusion and a -form of discrimination,

experienced by the Pacifn Island students and the communities-at-.

large. It is not uncommon to find at least one dropout in practically all

Samoan households. Few, if any, attain higher leAels of education.

Strong feelings of alienation are ,rampant among SAioans.and Pacific

'Americans, especially the young. Hostility is high and intergroup

violence is a serious potential problem. Already incidents are occur-.,

'ring between local high_ school students and nonlocal studen

Acculturation is creating many value conflicts; personal conflicts, e

Which are Aressful and-sometimes without resolution.

Insensitivify Orevaa in all levels of government in reference to. the

education of Pacific Ameritan students. How long must we experience

the discrimination through the exclusion of adequate educational'

progrqms?

Something' has to be &lie, and m doh soon!

364

7-i
We recommend strongly that a special task force 1}e established to

look closely at these 'problems of the Samonn/Pacific Americans as

societies in transition and to examine ways and means for mterventive

measures which will achieve optimal educational opportunitts for

these people in their own social and .cultural milieux; to assist the

Samoan/Pacific Americans in the development 'or their own resources

and to organize those rAources around meeting new and emerging

problems of cultural change and transition; and to restore those

cuhural values and practices which support and maintain a harmonious existence of these people within their own physical, social, and

cultural environments. ,. Following are additional recommendations:

, law: Government agencies utili7e statistics to plan program priorities

and needs. % Recommendations:

I. Recognize the shortcomings of the present census process and take

steps needed to update uurrent statistical datil on Samoan/Pacific

Americans.

2. The current definition of Pacific Ameritcans used for data

, collection and planning should be more clearly defined.'

Rationale: Demographic -data is used by current administration to

document needed services:

Issue: The underservice to Samoan/Pacific Americans.

Recommendations! 0 .- 1. Formal outreacH program must be established to deal with areas'

with substantial concentration of Samoan/Pacific Amp-jeans.

2. Outreach programs nust have the following components: i

a. Bilingual-bicultur l Samoan/Pacific American counselors -and

f professionals who can serve the Samoan/Pacific American population. . b. Mustbe in the Samoam'Pacific American community.

c. Samolan/Pacific Americap counselors who can act as consultants and cultural 'awareness trainers to nonbifingual or bicultural

programs.

d. Designatipn of a Samoan/Pacific American bilingual-bicultural

counselor or professional to their respective ethnic group. They

'must act as direCt liaison between the Feder l, State, community,

and consumergroup. 470 3. Develop new and expand new bilingual fao ties and bicultural

delivery agencies and/or groups , in substantially Samoan/Pacific

American populated areas (i.e., San.Francisco).

Rytionale: The current Californ& State admini rator (department of

education) is not adequately serving the numnijer Of Samoan/Pacific

, American individuals. 4t e

365

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Issue: Insufficient bilingual-bicultural Samoan/Pacific American Staff

Recommendati(Pr:

I. Hire bilingual-bicultural Samoan/Pacific American staff at addministrative management, planning and supervisory levelsall levels of

government; national, HEW Regain IX, State, and local.

2. Hire bilingual-biculturid Samoan/Pacific American Case managers

in proportion to the number of Samoan/Pacific American needs.

3. Give high priority to the hiring of Samoan/Pacific American

individuals in areas of dense population.

4. Recruit Satnoan/PaMic Americans from the full range of education llrgllutions (coum unity colleges, universities; graduate and

professionalschools).

5' Solicit advice and assistance from Samoan/Pacific Americai

commtinitkon recruitment efforts.

Rationak: The preSent .California State administration does pot have a

Samoan/Pacific Atherican bilingual-bicultural staff.

Issue: Inadequate administrative, financial, and communicativel sys=

tents.

Recommendations:

I. Administrative actions must be taken in compliance with the Civil

Rights Act to Wsolve the discrepancies between percentage of

Samoan/Pacific American individuals on program caseloads and their

percentage in the gem/fa! Sairtoan/Pacific American population. Great

'assistance can be designated by HEW, Region IX, to implement this

process.

2. Change current administrative standards to encourage innovative

educational delivery approaches. , 3. Change current administrative standards to encourage effective

outreach to Santoan/Pacific American communities.

4. Amend the curreat process for 'determining priorities for the

awarding of facility grants. Directkm given by HEW, Regiot

5. Provide financial and administrative support to develop more

bilingual-bicultural educational resources to Samoan/Pacific Ameri- )

can population.

6. Agencies that serve the Samoan/Pacific American population

must have specific percentage of consumers (parents or clients) on the

board of directors.

Rationale: The current .California State ,administration and HEW

Region IX have not provided the administrMive, financial, or

communicative systems to meet the needs of Ihe Samoan/Pacific

American population effectively.

4366

379

Aft
fr

_.e

Education issues

'11.10E CHAIRMAN HORN. Our WA panel of the afternoon will

concern matters of education, and we have with us two panelistsothe

first will discuss the report of the Asian and Pacific American'

education conference, which was held in San Francisco, on April 23

27, 1979, and this panelist is Mr. Stephen Thom, director of the Asian

and Pacific American Concerns Staff, Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Presentation of Stephen Thom, Director, Asipn and Pacific

American Concerns Staffv Office of Education, U.S. Depart- il

ment of Health, EdUcation, and Welfare

MR. Thom. Thailk yqi. 1 also want to recognize Dr. Flemmin

We've worked together before and it's always been illitleasure.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. More than once.

MR. THOM. More than once,

1 appreciate this opportiiiiity to express some of the Asian and

Pacific American concerns in education, but unlike my father's father

who testified in Congress in 1920 against the Chinese Exclusion.Act,I

hope the educational congerns will be heard and acted upon positively.t

My presentation today is a summary of the educational concerns as , identified by the National Asian/Pacific American Educational Alliance coniksting of sonic nine national organizations and nine local , teacher organizations. These concerns have and will be suhn1itt to

you.

We are callink-this report a national Asian and Pacific merican

agenda. It was developSd as an outcome ofthe first national Asian and

Pacific education conf relice held in San Francisco as previously

Mentioned. . I think it's important to note that this wits a firstand looking at the

date, April 25, 1979, finally Asian Pacific Amerilcans are getting

t6igher and beginning to work toWards this kind of national

d' tion.

I think that gives us insights into theo kind of support that has been

needed by Federal Government and by other agencies and gives us

insig14 into the laik cif soplittification and collective workings on the

part Of Asian/Pacific Americans.

By now you should have a fairly good understanding of the brOad

diversity of the Asithwand Pacific American people. We are a

multifaceted people whir diverse languages and cultures, with patterns

that after generations continue Itrhave their effect on how we see

ourselves and hrw others perceive us.

4

3S0

*

367
Z----

In education we vary from the high in educational attainment to the

low, for. example, 90 percent of the Aniorican SamoanDtthildren ii the

12th grade are at ibast five grades below grade leN in re ding

achievement, as indicated in a report just recently submitted. . lin education, Asian and Pacific Americans range from ti highly

inivated immigrants who have graduate degrees to t illiterate

oilman' people from Laos, Ironi the ghetto born nd raised*

Americans with a history of racism, discrimination, tr.I ivolvernent

in drugs, to successful lawyers.

WeriAire not all alike, and there's no model minorit in educatio;

.. either. Asian and Pacific Americans are different aino themselves as

well as from the rest of society.

In looking at the resolutions in the national agenda, there are no real

new surprises. Vsian/Pacific Americans have been and continue to ask

for equal educational opportunities in the for& of input into FederalState policy and legislation, bilingual educatiOn, mullicultural education, Federal' funding, nonracial and sex role stereotyping by counselOrs, more support services, administrative training, and research and

data collection. . Ket me emphasize on reseitth and data collection. We ust cannot j

... give you a..Lo of numbers, figures, and,statistics to proke a greatcleal

of what \we k ow to be of ccincern to our communities. We just cannot

and hay6 not en able to get studies accomplished that will give us

that kind of data.

I think that's been our message over and over again! . My key concernsand I mentioned this to Ling-chi earlierare

(:Th those six areas that i've mentioned to you. They have been the.same

problems that Asian and Pacific Americans ha e faced in education,

since as early as 1972 at an Asian American NEA Conference in

Portland, Oregon, later at a women's education confer's, in 1976,

and in 1978, M an OE-sponsored Asian/Pacific merican education . -.ttniniconference; yet .very little has been done that has really demonN... Ktrated any progress.

We've identified the problems over and over again,. We've proposed

solutions over and over again. And yet there's something very lacking

About the implementation Of these recommendations.

I cannot understand, absolutely cannot understand, if there iS to be

parity and equality in thls s *In, whf some of these problems have

not beerr amply addr -at this. time. Why do Asian/Pacific , Americans' continue to find themselves -excluded in. determining

-.,- policy;Tegulations, and legisIgion? . I.. . Asian/Pacific Americans, by any fair selection process, should be

represented at all levels II government. In the Office of Education, in

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,
60 percent of the lb advisory counclls, there are no Asian and Pacific

American members.

Ironically, there are no Asian and. Pacific Americans employed by

the equal educational opportunity program-in our key identified areas

of need: vocational education and adult education. Alk recently Ernest

L.. Boyer, the Commissioner of the U.S. Office of Education, has

, enforced the broad representation of minorities and wonren and

handicapped on all reading panel's, so thati gach panel will have

, divetsity in race, se J

Earlier this wee t ere was a conference on employment where wPf

looked at minority t and won4n employment. We talked about

netwojks and buddy systems as barriers. We talked about attitudes that

are conveyed_in terms of the kinds of buddy systems and networks that

exist.

And of, the two proposed resolutions, one was again broad

representation on any selection panel, and second, a need to attitudinally prepaff children and adults for broader understanding of racial

and cultural'diverkity in a positilie, different and yet equal way.

This is the type ordiversity that should exist in eVery kormal body. I

know, that you have a position for a Conimissioner ()lithe Civil Rights

Commission, and, I would strongly propose that an Asian American be

considered for that Commission slot.

[Applaus4 . VICE CH MAN.HORN, I thinkl Isshoula ,say again for the reeord

whit perha on know, that this Commission has no choice in who

. serves,lhat is a decision Of the President of the United States.

MR. THOM, We'll talk to him, too.,

Asian/Pacifie Americans continue to -demand appropriate bilingual

instruction, and look upon Onguage tretainment as, a benefit, not a

handicap, as it is often treated. We do`not .smany Other form than

bilingual4education as adequate for monolingul Asian and Pacific

American students. English as ii second language,,yach is commonly

proposed as an alternative in teaching English, has The focus of

teachiOg English alone. But ESL or English as a second language

hinders themonolingual child in his meaningful education and conveys

a lack of accep cr of the child's language and culture, if only that

'approach is use4 ,,

. We know t. t the Lau remedits are being reViewed, and that

Asian/Pacific A ericans are extremely condgrned about any change

in. the remediiiI that would have a weakening effect on bilingtmil

education.

The other key concern that was brought forth byjlie alliance at this

conference was multicultural education. Asian Am'I15van edncation

leaders identified multicultural education as'the third highest priority.

. -

I.

3 8 2

369

'r
It is aportant to provide each child with a sense of identity as a

contributing ethnic American to provide equal educational opi)ort

,--- ties. that recognize the positive cultural differences in American

society, and to utilize cultural influence S in the approl iate learning

styles of the child.

There are several other resolutions, 13 in total, that came out of this

Conference. I've submitted them to you which hopefully you will read

and support. If there is any need for clarification, I'm here in

Washington and will bt glad to work with you on that.

V4.71.: CHAIRMAN HORN. Those resolutions will be included at this

partSo the record.

Thank you very much.

We have with us again to discuss the edbcational needs of Asian

Americans, Dr. Ling-chi Wang, assistant professor of Asiat.American

studies, University of California at Berkeley, who will commein' on the

impact-of policy programs and enforcement .Q1.1.the educational.needs

of Asian Americans.

Professor Wang?

E Presentation of L. Ling-chl Wang, Assistant Professor, Asian

American Studies, University of California, Berkeley

- DR, WANG. Thank you /cry much, Commissioners.

I'm sure the three of you art very tired now. I was just telling Steve

Thom before we came up4re that I felt what I vAll have to saf is

beginning to sound like a. bro'ken record. Some of those conferences,

including the first one that you Cited, I was present* them and we were

_., talking about those same issues we are still talking , about today. / Because oT the time and probably you're tirtd already, I tin ught I

/ would talk about something a little bit different.

VICI _CHAIRMAN HORN. I can assure you this mmission d : not

get tiret we cad go to-midnight.

DR. WANG. This is more like a test of enduran Yoti've been

sitting here sidet 8:30. I'm ..very appreciative of your tience and

. endurance in sitting here land listening to a lot of these co cerns that

\have been brought before you.

Just before I start I would like to suggest, sine you,alauesponded

to my comment earlier this morning about the appointment-at an Asian

American, to the Commission, 1 agree with yciu that the appl-iintment

power rests with the President, bin I thi if the Commission sees-fit to

N.

, send-a letter to the President suggeti4 that it may be i good idea for

him to look for an Asian, as partof the concerns of the Commission

. -

. end also part of the President's own concern aJout the Asian heritage

and thontributions to the builciing ofIthi cou try. I think jt may be a

good idea to do such a thing.

31/0

r! 3 83

4
(A pplausc.]

VHT CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, may I say that while I might be

personally sympathetic to that, given the fact that one vacancy exists,

we would have in line immediately, as we already have had, American

Indian, white women,. etc., all other groups one can think of, to say

why are you choosing and picking among various groups that deserve.

attention?

So we leave the pkasure of that cboice to the President of the

United States.

DR. WANG. Okay. But I hope the people in the audience will start

writing to the President about it. You know, pursuing the major points

I. made thismorning relative to the need of the developing new-and

refined- criteria for assessing the.civil rights status of Asian and Pacific

Americans, I would like to discuss the impact of Federal policy,

programs, and enforcement on the Asian American educational issues.

Specifically this morning I mentioned Imre points: (1) the need for an

historical perspective On a current civil rights problems of Asian.

Americans, (2) the nonliomogeneity among Asian Americans, (3) the

development of additional criteria for reviewing Asian Americans, the

compliance status for Asian Americans, (4) negligence on the part of

re ponsible Federal agencies, in their enforcement of civil rights law,

ai (5) on the relationship between the types of personnel in the

kral Government imd the distributive mechanism of Federal

resources and services.

- In its Supreme court brief on the Bakke case, the Justice Depart-

. ment pointedly questiout the incluSion bf Asian Americans in the

special admissions program for minorities in professional schools such

as the University of California at Davis. Specifically, the Justice

Department's brief cited folir reasons: One, the thedian school years

completed by Asian Americans is higher thap whites. Two, Asian

Americans as a group appear to score as well or better than whites in

the achieyemen'ts t and in grade-gpoint.. avfrages. Three, Asian

Americans...have lowe employment .rate than whites. And. four,

Asian Americans are ropbrtionately represented in the professkinal, managerial, and administrativepositions in the labor market. . Now, these data'and conclusions'?resumed to be based on tbe 1970

census are indeed disturbing to those c',. cerned with the civil rights

issues facing Asian Americans. They shoiW not be dismissed lightly

neither should they be 'accepted blihdly as `tbe final gospel of trUth.

In fact, the Asian American community VVIRI,S0 concerned abbut this

set of conclusions that prior to the formai oral -arguments before the

United States Supreme Court, a meeting was held with both the

Justice Department staff and the White House to discuss the sources

and validity of the Justice Department14 claims

' 3 8

371
Representatives of the Asian American communities presented data

and conclusions .quite contrary to those arrived at by the Justice

Department, compikd from the pme 1970 census, and successfully

persuaded the Solicitor Qeneral to modify the conclusions hi his oral

presentation before the United States Supreme Court.

In terms' of these conclusions, urifortunatdy, the perspective and

position of the Justice Departmeni arc widely represented in the

Federal bureaucracy. As the pariel on the census reported this

morning, the problem rests preci;ily on a faulty data collection

methods and on the nonapplicability of certain nationally defined

indicators on the Asian American population.

If we were to look at the historical participation of Asian

Americansand flits I'm referring to primarily the Chinese and

Japanese Americansthe participation of Asian Americans in the

labor market and in schooling, we find certain patterns emerge that are

extremely useful for our understanding here.

To begin with, the second-generation Chinese and Japanese Ancericans emerged before the Second World War in a community that was

politically disenfranchised, economically discriminated against, and

socially ostracized from the mainstream of American society.

Convinced that the only Way to break out of those socioeconomic

status and ghettoized existence was to cast aside their cultural heritage

called by the white as "nonassimilable" and to become well educated

and thoroughly "Americanized," most Asian parents at great family

sacrifice and expenie, sent their children to segregated schools and

pegged their future in the United States solely on their children's

education.

Motivated partly by pressure from their parents and influenced

partly by the rising demand for educated and technically competent

personnel in industries and corporations, most second-generation

Chjnese Americans arid Japanese Americans chose, not necessarily by

their own free will, to disassociate themselves culturally, and linguistically from their parents and community in order to become assimilated

or accepted by the white society.

Their hope was to get a good education and to seek employment

opportunities outside o( the menial occupations of their parents,

meaning the rising white-collar sectot of the labor market.

.40oli many received high sehool diplomas while others succeeded in

geving academic and professional degrees from colleges and universities in this country. In spite of their educational achievement, they

discovered, to their great surprise, that upon graduation they were

unable to break into the highly segmented and discriminatory labor

market.

372 . 3 5
The choice they had was to either take up the low-paying and lowprestige jobs like their parents, or to "go back to the old t ountry,"

meaning China or JaPan, where they "really belonged," so to speak, or

, - where their skills and training couldbe put into good use.

Having ithpeccable qualifications and being thoroughly Americanized or assimilated were obviously not enough to be accepted in the

American soc4ety. They were counseled by their elders to eacrifice

themselves, to \lower their expectations, and to endure hardship and

injustice.

The duty and responsibility of the second generation. accoring to

an editorial in the Japanese American Courier in Seattle, was, and I'm

quoting from the editorial, "to be fitted into a sacrificial position as

pioneers to blaze a trail into American life to effect the proper

recognition of themselves as genuine American ,citizens, to help the /

proper and easier amalgamation of the third generation in American'

life." In fact, the Nikkei Shima , another newspaper, stated, "We ar

frankly pessimistic as to the real good vocational4portunities which

are open now for Japanese high school and college graduates. It is not

enough even to be equal with whites, we must surpass them by

developing our powers to the point of genius if necessary, We believe

that a complaint against racial prejudice in a matter of vocational

opportunities are not justified. They only show that something is

lacking in the initiative or ability of the one who complains."

Members of the Commission, and ladies and gentlemen, this prewar

mentality that I just quoted is still being perpeltuated by segments of

our Asian American population and, of course, vigorously pursued by

employers through their practice and ,tolerated by the Federal

endorsement agencies to this date.

I'm certain the panel on employment issues will ftirther elaborate

this point in their presentation tomorrow. HOVVe\r, 100 want to make

a point about what happened during and after the Second World War.

The.Wond World War created an unprecedented demand for skilled

and teamical personnel in the war-related industries. Suddenly the

highly trained Asian Americans found themselves in great demand.

Indeed, they were plugged from the ghettos immediately into the

newly created technical and clericaLoccupations.

The recruitment into ihe war jndustry was so sudden and dramatic

that the Chinese American community in particular concluded early

that racial barriers against them had been removed and Chinese

Americans were finally accepted or assimilated. In retrospect, this was

not the case.

386 373
The war and the Cold War created the now famous and economically indispensible military-industrial complex, a term coined by President Eisenhower on the eve of his departure. from the White House.-

This complex demands large numbers of highly trained and

technically competent people. Th. e ogmposition of our labor force also

shifted significantly from the agricultural lo the technological dominance to reflect this military emphasis since the Second World War. It

is, therefore, by necessity that AsianS were drafted into a particular

area of technical education and have become quite successful in it that

they were drafted into these war-related industries, clearly 4not due 10

such politically charged notions of "success" and "assimilation."

In other words, Asian Americans were recruited into the new and

expanding sector of the labor force, the war-related industries, in very

much the same manner as their ancestors or parents when they. were

first brought over to the United States in a rapidly developing

economy of the West. These highly educated Asian Americans,

.inidentally, have been largo* confined to and very much discriminated in this very sector that I just meationed since then.

Let me comment briefly, now, on the other points I made this

morning with regard to education. On the question of the nonhomogeneity of the Asian and Pacific Americans, there are two distinct

types of needs among the Asian children: those born and raised in the

United States and those children of immigrant families. Since the need

for bilingual-bicultural education programs among the ,immigrant

children demonstrated most forcefully by the San Fhnciseo experience in the case of Lau v. Nichols, this need cannot be overly

exaggerated.

Unfortunately, the Federal GovernmenCespedally through HkyV,

has done very little in providing effective leadeahip and support for

the development of bilingual-bicultural educational programs for the

various Asian groups throughout the United States.

The Office for Civil Rights, as usual, haS been timid and reluctant in

conducting a vigorous enforcement of the Lau decision, In fact, I'm

fearful that HEW, through OCR under pressure fromtremendous

pressure from racist backlash and financial consideration, is rapidly

'retreating from its earlier commitment to the enforcement of the Lau

decision..

f I think it is important for this Commission to immediately conduct.a

thoroUgh review of what OCR has been doing or has not been doing

since the Lau decision was handed down in 1974.

As for the Arnerican-born children, I'M most concerned about what

education has done to Our children. It is now connton knowledge that

Asian American students have serious handicaps in speaking, reading:

374

387
and writing. In our studies among the students, Asian American

students at the University of California at Berkeley wqre I come

from, we find this deficiency fo be related to their education. Ability to

express one's self effectively seems to be related to one's own self

image,

Textbooks, curriculum materials, and mass media continueto ignore

the Asian American experience or to depict Asians in racist and

derogatory manners. These certainly have inflicted serious anti lasting

psychological damage to Asian self image and self respect. We also

find Asians tO be conspicuously absent from social sciences and

humanities areas. Instead they tend to conCentrate on the hard

sciences; this is probably related to the external factors such as their

profession, of the labor market potentials in terms of the type of

education, and certainly internal factors such as family pressures and

of inadequacies in creative arts and social sciences.

It would be an understatement to say that we desperately need to

integrate materials on Asian American experieneb in our school

cu'rricolum as the first step toward erasing the feelings of bting

second-class citizens, as the newspaper editorials.that .1 quoted earlier,

and as someI quoted earlier, and as some, I think Steve Thom

mentioned earlier, the need for multiculture education is like a broken

record. Everywhere, every meeting I attend, people talk about it, and

I cannot really overemphasize that point here.

It strikes me as very unusual that during the height of the civil rights

movement in the '60s, stiddenly we saw a large volume of articles and

literature that came out about the successful Chinese American and

successffil Japanese American. In fact, they were oftentimes linked pzi

the demand of the hlacks, Chicanos, and the Puerto Ricans. The line oc

thinking behind these articles and studies, and many of these studieso

by the way, were supported by the Federal Government, is to show

that thehow these so-called discriminated or oppressed groups such

as Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans *ere able to get

themselves out of oppressive conditions by their own .power and by

their own determination. r

And then on the opposite side to show how the blacks and the other

'minorities were unable to do so. And I think this is an extvemely

political type of study that had come out in The 1960s. I think ithat it

has done is, on the one hand, to show supposedly the success of Asiask

Americans, and on the other hand, to question the demands made by

:the other minority groups. This type of study, unfortunately, is still

very current today. It's very racist and certainly very much politically

motivated and has caused trem dous racial tension.

And I think, you know, m ny of the stUdies people have made now

recently, especially those d ne by Asian Americans, have shown that

375
there's no basis for us to continue to hold onto the idea that Asians are

assimilated, and I'm sorry to also say that even in President Carter's

own proclamation, as much as I support the idea of an Asian Heritage

Week.and the impoltance of it, I think in his own statement he give

the American Public the impression that discrimination against the

Asian was a thing of the past; Asians now no longer have any

problems in our society. I think what he said was a reflection of what

we're getting in the media and certainly from the universities in this

country. There have been many studies supported by HEW and by the

Department of Labor putting forward the. same kind of theses that-

.Asians had made it, when, in fact, Asian is the exception in 4.

American society.

I hope that this consultation on the part of the Commission will

begin to document the prAlems of Asian Americans and begin to

change people's thinking along those lines.

VWE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much.

Chairman Flemming?

Discussion

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Mt.

bo

Thom

i Mr. Wang, I am impressed withyour statement aut the numberil conferences that have been held

dealing with the problems that nfront the community in the field of

education. You indicate that all of the conferences arrive essentially at

the same point, but you both feel, I gather, that there's been very little

in the way of progress in terms of implementing the kind of

recommendations that were again repeated in the last conference.

You may not want to respond to this off the cuff, you may want to

think about it and then respond for the record. But I think you said

there were 13 resolufons, api I correct?

MR. THOM. Th34 COI' °Ct.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMLNq Okay, 'of those 13 resolutions, which one

would you rate number bne in impOrtance in te of eeling that it s was imperative to get the action on?

MR. THOM. The top priority wak the.one that was presented first,

in fact, and that's input. It's almost like taxation without representation; you've kind of heard that before.

My feeling is that I've looked at the mechanisms that the Federal

Government has used to outreach into our communities for qualified

candidates on different advisory councils. I've looked at the way that

we communicate in terms of notifying people about grants. We've

studied and tried to make some kind of amenities for that, but it's still

stands trifelhat if we look at the employment in thel Office of

Education, if we look:if the makeup of the advisory councils, if we

look at the number of grants Asian/Pacific American arc notified, if

376

389

1
we look at the number of people receiving grant information on time

and not on the the last day the grant is due, it's a common series of

errors that don't need to take place.

My role in the Office of Education is to obtain input from the

Asian/Pacitic American constituent and to be a guide for the purpose

of monitoring. But there are just so many areas, we just have to make

it imperative that Asian/Pacific Americans have an opportunity to

participate and to give you the kind of input to work around the errors

and weaknesses that I think non-Asian/Pacific American employees

tend to assume is a correct approach.

A simple example is the atrocious mail situations to the outlying

territories. We say, "Well, we'll put an air mail stamp on all postage to

thy Trust Territories" and they don't receive the grant until a month

later.

There's just a lot of these little things that must be told by the people

themselves, tAat they know just don't work.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. You think that that is the most important

point to emphasize in terms of the end result, namely opening up

adequate educational opportunities for the membrs of the community?

MR. THOM. I think once we have that input, then these other

things can be monitored by working together, having a fuller

knowledge of the racial and cultural differences and having a fuller

knowledge of the understanding of Asian/Pacific American program

concerns. You have to have this input through the presence of the

person or persons who has the experienoe to convey that perspective.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. There isn'tthere isn't a specific thrust as,

far as the field of education is concerned that you feel should be kind

of spotlighted on which a great deal of emphasis should be placed. Sec

what - what I'm getting at is, as far as my own thinking is concerned is

this, I'm always coliceraed about examples of how the sys m is 't

working, and the kind of statement that you made is the in of

statement that I appreciate in terms of its significance in terms of the

impact that it has on people's feelings relative to the ability of the

system to come to grips with thetsituation and, really do something

about it in such a way that it will have an impact on the lives of people.

So that's what I wat reaching for, I mean in terms of our weighing

of ttke evidence and our considering the kind of recommendations that

we'll make as a result of this experience and Other experiences that

we'll have in the area, just reaching out and asking for your best

judgment as to the type of r&ommendation that could be the most

significant in terms of getting results for the members of your

community.

390 / 377
Mit. Thom. As yoti know, in the Office of Fducation, we do.have

an Hispanic, a black, an Asian/Pacific American, and a handicapped

concerns office as well as a womeli's educational program, and I think

we have worked together with the- Commissioner's new eduNtional

affirmativ,e action plan where we have implemented this concept of

equity on all advisoryall reader panels, etc. I don't- think this would

have takeit place if we, as a collective unit inside of a Federal agency,

failed to ask, "Why are educational services continuing to bypass the

same people?"

We have poin t d out to the Commissioner instance After instance

when We review a ist of grantees,ihat time after time the same groups

of people arc the recipients of funds from every program. People that

have the key arc in the grant/fund cycle; people that don't have the

key stay out. Sonie breakthrough reawires that someone bring this issue

befbre the Commissioner and say, here is a bypassed group that is

continuing to be bypassed?" The Commissioner has responded by his

educational affirmative action thrust to try to amend some of these

barriers.

So my recommendation 'is that input is key. And having in each

agency some kind of advocacy unit and not a unit for strictly policy

review can serve this purpose.

We do need to be in the policy review end to be in a better position

to anticipate problems that will arise in my community. I share this

with you, a kind of relationship that I think could spare the agencies in

Federal dovernment from being embarrassed from the different ethnic

groups. Specifically in the field of education, I believe the organizations which participated in the alliance stated clearly that multicultural

education should be spatlighted in the schools of our communities.

Multicultural education, as mentioned earlier, provides a foundation

for a positive self identity. Asian/Pacific American children in today's

schools are taught subject content with models, a language, customs,

and in a environment that are not reality to all Asian/Pacific American

children. The history of America always starts from the East arid

moves West, but little to nothing is mentioned regarding the

contributions of Asians in the West. We need to prelvide education for

all the people in a way that is appropriate and relevant so that every

mind is captured and nourished. Multicultural education, in addition,

provides each student with an understanding of (iktqr ethnic and racial , cultures. These understandings are the basic skills towards recognizing

differences and yet acknowledging this diversity as.a positive strength

of this Nation. Racial and sex stereotyping, discrimination, and hatred

are all learned behaviors. Asian/Pacific Americans urge- that educators

and the system seriously provide the resources to carry out a national

commitment to nuilticultural education. , , 378

391
CHAIRMAN Ii Fromm;. Both of you came back to the 1Am decision

and just one question nn that: Are you working with other nimority

groups in connection with what you perceive to be somewhat of a

threat tO the implementation of the Lau decision?

DR. WANG. Yes, we arc. We work very closely with MALDEF,

the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and with

thc Chinese, the Filipino groups, with Puerto Rican groups. I do want

to say that I am in agreement with Mr. Thom in terms of the priority

from the Federal Oovernment standpoint. But in terms of education, if

there is one single issue, I would say that both American-born and the

immigrant children need.pilingual-bicultural education. The reason I

say that is that we should not be instilling into our children's minds a

self-hatred, you know, a shame of being Asian Americait We're told

to become totally Americanized, forget about our own language and

culture; we are told that because we are inferior we have ig be better

than the whites in order to be equal.

This is a kind of brainwashing that is going on even in today's schriol

system, and I think bilingual-bicultural educatioh or bihngual-multicultural education will do a lot in terms of improving children's own selfimage, improving their relationship at home.

Our children, by the time when they reach junior high, will forget

about their language and culture. They're afraid even to recognize

their' parents in the streets of Chinatown because their parents look

different and don't speak English. It's this kind of thing that is causing

a lot of problems among our children and that's why I feel very

strongly that bilingual-multicultural education is one educational

/ program that I think would do a lot for Asian American community.

Thank you.

[Applause.]

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. CrlIniSsioner SaltZmin?

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Nothing.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Dr. Witpg, where is the most successful

example you have seen of an Asian American bilingual-multicultural

program?

DR. WANG. I think that the Japanese American bilingual education program in San Francisco is the best one that I have seen. And, in

factand it's kind of an ideal program. But it is also very much

attacked by a lot of people. It's made up of one-third white and black

children, one-third Ameriean-born Japanese, and one-third foreignborn Japanese. And they were very successful in integrating, achieving real integration and at the same time accomplishing a lot in terms-.

of student 'performance. You know, there are reports about how

379

392.
they're two, three grade levels ahead of their peers, as a result of

getting involved in this program.

And I'm very excited by the way:One of the reasons why it's ma

successful, I think, is becauie the parcnts are very actively involved in

it, and they are promoting the kind of cultural and linguistic heritage

that is very necessary. Ns kind of inte sting to find that there are a lot

9f white and black parents actually pounding at the door and trying to

*et into that program.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. In what school is it located?

DR. WANG. It's originally located in a school by the name of

William Cobb, but as a mult of a desegregation the program is now

4' dispersed into twothree schools: Sherman Elementary School, Anza

Elementary Schooland Clarendon Elementary Schpol.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. All within the city of San Francisco?

DR. WANG. Yes. And I would say that the Chinese bilingual

program, which is the oldest Title VII program in the city, also, I

think, is quite Seccessful, although I think not as successful as the

Japanese bilingrial program.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Does that move to the secondary level, the

Japanese American?

(' DR. WANG. It has not reached the secondary level yet, although

the Chinese has. Speaking of this, just last week, I received words

from the school system and also from the State office of education,

that four San Francisco high schools had been ruled ineligible for State

fungs to support bilingual education because their AFDC count

among the Asian children is not high enough for that purpose, even

though there is a need for it.

This is one of the persistent problems that the Asian community

face: funding of a lot of the Federal programs and policies is based on

the AFDC count. Now, you go into the Chinese

VICE CHAIRMAN HOIN. What is the criterion; what is the cutoff

point? _. DR. WANG. I don't know what the current criteria are. But in the

past, wellI'm sorry, I really cannot say for sure for you. But this has

affected us in terms of child care, in terms of State educational support.

I think it's fairly well known that, for instance, Asian Americans haVe

"not been utilizing the welfare system, even though the combined

incomeof !Oh parents may be lower than khe poverty level; they're

ineligible for welfare, and, in fact, 'I think our welfare policy sort of

encourages people to break up their family. If both hushand and wife

are working, you're penalized in terms of educational services, welfare

rights, and other services.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, that's an interesting example, I think

we ought to pursue and without objection, this dialogue and the

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incident involved will be transmitted by the Staff Director to the State

superinteddent of public instruction and to the superintendent of

schools of the San Francisco Unified School District so that we can

find out the rationale for cutting off that program, and try to see what

Federal policies are involved.

DR. WANG. That would be very good.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Let's transmit it to the Commissioner of

Education, too.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. All right. Without objection that will be

done.

Now, I was interested in the exchange, Mr. Thom, that you had

with Chairman Flemming because I was going to pursue a somewhat

similar exchange.

I did read your 13 resolutions and in your first one the resolved

clause states that appropriate Federal-State-local educational agencies

are to take positive action in achieving broad representation and input.

That's the point you made and I agree, some things might follow froM

that.

The next one I was rather interested to see what's happended,

though. It says the Office of Education, DHEW, would conduct an

assessinent of the educational services to Asian/Pacific Americans, to

identify areas of blatant underservices and establish .set-asides for

APAs of at least 10 percent or more in these areas. Has that been done?

MR. THOM. No, that has not. Their are

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. All right, this gets down to the basic

question, which is, where is the implementation lacking here, is.this an

executive decision, is this just simply because you're one of many

competing groups and there aren't enough funds to go around, is it

executive will that's failing or what?

MR. THOM. Well

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Who can decide to do that in other words?

MR. THOM. You have to remember these are resolutions from a

group of organizations that are very pro-Asian/Pacific American, and

these were things that were written, that were goals that hopefully

could be implemented.

Set-asides are going to be a very difficult approach to implement,

knowing the reality in Federal Government. I think there are some

alternatiires though. We have done somewhat of an assessment; We klad

the Assistant Secretary send out tt memo requesting the service

delivery level of-educational programs to Asian/Pacific Americans.

The program people were so confused they didn't know who were

Asian/Pacific Americans. We received information mainly on the

Pacific Islanders. There was no clear concept of what an

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Asian/Pacific American is -Japanese, Filiptno, Korean, etc: They need to take a multicultural/education class.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. That's why your office is there. MR.. THOM. This is one of the roles that we attempt to play. Now

that we've been alerted to that

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I can understand the set-aside concern hut

what I can't understand is why an assessment of edgeational servdes

cannot be conducted? Seems to me that's something that a university

or an association of various -goups, school districts, etc., could submit a proposal to do something on. a4todel basis in one or more communities, and we'd at least know what it is we're dealing with for future

resource allocations.

Has anybody submitted proposals to carry that out? MR. Thom. No, not tgat I know of, and I don't know of any

research opportunity where they have looked at the kinds of services

delivered to any particular ethnic group.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, when I return homc our Asian

American studies department will be given that as a task. Now, bilingual education

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Before you say that, so far as set-asides arc

concerned, of course, particularly on research, it is possible for you and the other minority groups to get together and put up to the

Commissioner in that particular education, the possibility of some set- asides for minority research. 1 assume that could be done -within tfie

existing law, couldn't it?

MR. THOM. Well, it'sI'd say I will pursue that. I'm not going to

make any commitments at this point. It's difficult to say what the

tenure is right now with the way money situations are.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Then resolution two, of course, calls for

increased funding that's understandable.

Are the funds appropriated by Congress for bilingual education

categorized- by minority group or is that one lump sum, to your

knowledge?

MR. THOM. One lump sum.

VICE .CHA1RMAN N. So the decision is really within the Office

of Education as e allocations go? MR. THOM. at's correct.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. And that's aone generally on a project basis?

MR. Timm. On a competitive basis.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Competitive basis and multicultural education; you're for it, I think that's self explanatory, and no problem with

resolution three.

Then on resolution Tour382

39 _r- e.)

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MR. Thom. The key problem with resolution three is that the

ethnic heritage studies program, which has never been folly funded,

has always lingered around. I think ,1.5 inillitn, in fact, had been

possibly excluded from the administration's appropriations budget, so

it's a very much in doubt program.

That is really the only multicultural education program, and it's

intended to focus on this concern, and it's a concern that I've heard

over and over again, hut it's something that the administration and

Congress has not deemed to be something that should be fully funded.

There's still a great need in that area and I think a great deal to learn

about other ethnic groups throughout the United States.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, I agree with yolk. Resolution four

says Federal policies should be flexible, diverse for parents, community, so forth, I think that's Clear.

Resolution five advocates the establishment of a Department of

Educationthat's moviiw through the House, it's passed the -Senate.

Equal accet is in resolution six; you want again full Asian and Pacific

Arnerican representatiod on advisory councils, task forces, grant

reading panels, you tell me that's going along fairly successfully, I

believe, from the nature of your earlier testimony, is that correct?

MR. THOM. I'd say we're working on that, but 1 don't necessarily

feel that we're making the kind of headway that should be made. Here

again I feel--well, the Commissioner, is taking a very hard stand on

readiiipanel not necessarily in the other areas.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. The reading panel, you say?

MR. THOM:Yes.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Which is the grant reading panel, the key if

you're going-to get an allocation of resources

R. Mom. That's correct.

CHAIRMAN HORN. As 1 underSiood it, you had 16 advisory

committees within the Office ofEducation and then 1 remetilber your

testimony, you said there were 40 percent representation of Asian and

Pacific Americans on it

MR. THOM. No, *what I meant to say is that Asian/Pacific

Americans are represented on only 40 percent -sortie 16 advipry

councils or roughly 6 out'of 16.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I assume w en terms are coming up on the

others that very serious consideration.will be given to-fuller representation on perhaps all of the panels, is that correct assissment?

MR. THOM. That ia our hope.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. All right, and I take it you feel the

leadership of the Office of Education is committed to that?

MR. THOM. Let's say we work hard at it, but

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I understand that ambiguous answer.

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MR. Thom. There's alot of politics all the way up.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. All_ right, and I don't want to put you on

the spot and what rm going to_do at the end of this we'll put sonie

other people on the spot.

But the resolution says that the Office of FAucation nwnitors

required development of curricula resource material that reflects

cultural diversity, actively portrays the history, contribution of these

groups, eliminates race find sex role stereotyping which still adversely

affects Asian and Pacific Americans.

Has *the Ofice of Education funded various curricula development

as well as. textbbbk examination in terms of stereotyping for. other

, racial groups?

MR. THOM. In different projt7cts the Office of Education has

funded curriculum development for this type of thing, but not an

actual textbook to my knowledge. Also; OE has entered into the

EDGAR regulations [ediicational division grant regulations adminis-

, tration] to look particularly ht OE grant products to eliminate possible

stereotyping languages.

We have a clause in there that says that literature, bookS,_ etc. that is

produced by the Office of Education will not have any of this kind of

race or sex stereotyping language.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. As I recall Senator Hayakawa expressed his unhappiness with'the Commisiion on Civil Rights when we did a

study on stereotyping and discrimination in,textbooks.

Multicultural special education, You want the national advisory

counsel for special needs to include an Asian and Pacific American

with knowledge of this problem, has that been done yet?

MR. THOM. Nothing has been done that I know of. And I think it's

fait' to alert the community that we're looking at the dual problem of

special education and a monolingual Asian and Pacific American that

is in need of bilingual educationso it's-kind of a double problem.

VicE CHAIRMAN HORN. Resoultiownine, you're talking aboutthe

Higher Education Act of '65 provides sufficient funding for programs

to meet the needs of Asian and Pacific Americans in higher

educational institutions. I take it again the allocation of resources is

dependent upon the initiative of various potential grantees to suggest

proposals to Education which can then be accepted or does Education

initiate particular areas of inquiry and have they done it in this area?

MR. THOM. Okay, the one thing I think that's of key concern here

is the small amount of monies to provide' sufficient coverage in ternis

of the diverse needs of minorities in general.

Also, the model minority and the stereotype of Asians as having no

problems. I think the Bakke decision has had a very detrimental effect

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on Asians. I think we are looking at schools, changing their policies,

'and I think the question raised by the Justices' brief is having its effect.

I think there's a tendency to say, well, let's write off Asians;

Asian/Pacific Americans think that's an incorrect assumption based on

stereotypes.

.1 think Ling-chi pointed out some of the differences, while.I tried to

point oul the diversity of Asian/.Pacific Americans .in education

atcainment and background. I don't think we can lump them 1 think we

have our ghettos, we have our problems. I .think Asian/Pacific

Americans have been heed outsomebody mentioned earlier the

Small Business AdmingsVation's decision ._on the exclusion of

Asian/Pacific Americansanckthat pattern May continue.

I've looked at the heariitg data for the Higher Education Act and in

no place do I see anything -that would support any program to Asian

and Pacific Americans and I've seen testimony by Congress, testimony

by a lot of the interest groups in this area, that will all allude to

Hispanics, Native Americans, and blacks to the exclusion of Asian

Americans:

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Well, the point Commissioner Horn was

making on that particular recommendation, it is possible tofor the

Office of Education to solicit proposals. That doesn't have to sit

around and wait for a proposal, does it?

MR. THOM. No one at this point to my knowledge has taken the

steps to solicit a proposal specifically 'for Asian/Pacific. Americans in

the area of counseling, etc.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. But it can be done, right?

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. How about your officeMR. THOM. I don't know

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. is the advocacy office taking that

positiou? Seems to me that's a logical thing for your office to be doing

is to be producing every day the program people to say, "Look, here's

an area where the,Federal Government has funds to study, investigate,

whatever, and why aren't you pursuing a line of inquiry?" And then

iry to get the program people to issue a request for proposalwhich

would encourage the institutions throughout the United States, if they

have the resources intellectually, to come back with some response

and some creative ideas.

MR. THOM. I have not taken that stance at this time; I've tended to

notify Asian/Pacific Americans about proposals and urged that APAs

serve as panelists to reader proposal. Inclusion of Asian/Pacific

Americans provides someone who understands the problems and who

can late". give technical assistance to help others develop writing skills

to be competitive. Until APAs can write competitive grants, we will

tend to be bypassed in the normal grant solicitation process.

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4

VICV CHAIRMAN HORN. Okay, resolution numher one is resolved

that counselors are trained and held dccountable for aperopriate

stereotyping guidance to Asian/Pacific Americans. Any proposals, to

your knowledge, coming into OE on that?

MR. THOM. No.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. There's another area seems to me whereon

request for a proposal ought to be issued by OE. Administrative

leadership, number one. It's therefore resolved that division of

education through affirmative action efforts work with APA communities tow.edivite their employees, administrators, and boards of education as well as to actively encourage APA women for administrative positions.

. I assume that pertains, well, TM not clear what it means. Does it

pertain to Federal employment or to public school employment MN. THOM. Public school

Vicu CHAIRMAN HORN. Funding to that in accordance with the

Federal Government?

MR. THOM. There's a tendency for Asian/Pacific 4tmerican men

and women not to be elevated into the ,dministrative type of position, and there is a need to sensitize andedu te the administrators, board of

directors, decisionmaking bodies that etermine who is hired into

adMinistrative positions, and that there snould be a move to actively

encourage women to take those leadership stands. There no. specific RFP for training counselors or administrators for ethnic underranding.

. ---- VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Okay, resolution 12 urges the U.S. Office

of Education to create a new research and development center whose

sole. purpose will be to focus its activities on APA cOncerns and issues.

We might also wonder if the National InStitute of Education shOuld

have a similar resolution put in its direction.

Do you have any feeling as to what's happened on thitissue? l

MR. THOM. That's exactly where that one will go.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. To NIE,

MR. THOM. Yes, to N1E. There is some research as a minipart of existing centers, but it's so watered down; it has'such a low priority,

they don't have any staffing that we think reflects N1E's research and

development efforts on Asian and Pacific Americans.

VICE C AIRMAN. HORN. Now, resolution 13; the last resolution

urges the lational Asian and Pacific Education Alliance or rather

Asian and Ijacific Education Alliance urge either Federal legislation

prohibiting the establishment of such voucher plans. While I agree with you thak the voucher plan would be a disaster, and we're probably going to be faced with it in California due to one

of your colleagues, I believe, at the University of California, Berkeley,

386

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1
I think this is a political question. I doubt if Congreis is going to

intrude, despite resolutions, in what a State does, but I take it the tie-in

there was to say, "Okay, folks, if you go for the voucher plan, you cut

off Federabassistance as such."

MR. THOM. Well, the concern there on the part of the alliance was

to at least make a statement that they are for public education and they

support it, and anything such as a voucher program which would have

a detrimental effect on that, we stand against it. T VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, I agree with you. I thankx my

colleagues for their indulgence and you for pursuing it.

What I would like to suggest is that these 13 resolutions be

submitted to the Assistant Secretary of HEW' for Education, Mary

Berry, and that the Commission request a response to the resolve

clauses just as to status of what action, if any, has occurred in these

various areas, so that we might include it at this point in the record.

[Applausel

. CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Without objection that will be done. Okay?

DR. WANG. Commissioner, could I ask a question of the Commission or not?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Sure, you can ask a question.

DR. WANG. You know, I do not knoW how the Commission

normally functions, but I couldn't help but wonder what is going to

happen beyond these two days of consultation? Can you maybe

enlighten us on that? - CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. What will happen is that the Commission

will evaluate the testimony that lreceives,identify the issues, and then

decide how tolollow through oti those ilts

We sometimes we do Pit by issuing a onograph of some kind or a

monograph including 'Wings and recommodatipns; sometimes we

may decide to go into a public hearing somiplace, mean wherea

formal Oublic hearing where we subpeha vatneasss anc) put people

under oath and so on. There are various methods that we might pursue

in order to followup on it.

We have made no decision as to what method will follow on this

particular instance. And we woni make that decision until after we've

gone through this experience.

DR. WANG. I see. Because I certainly hope that there will be

findings and recommendations. And that the report, if it is to come

out, it will become the first report to be issued by the Commission on a

nationwide Asian American problem, and I certainly hope such a

repot( will be submittd to the Congress and appropriate Government

agencilm.

GHAIRMAN FLE MING. Well, I'll give you ar11 illustrate. We

didsome persons who were here this morning anyhow participated

387

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in the consultation we had on battered women, and

going forward on a monograph oil that which will

and recommendations.

. . That's an illustration of how we folloWup at times.

recesi until 8:30 tomoirow morning.

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40t,

4,

the work is now

contain findings

Okay, We are in
May 9, 1979

, Pr Inge

, CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. I'll ask the tonsultation to come to order.

We're going to discuss this morning -thefirst of all, employment

issues. I'll ask my .colleague, Commissionor Freeman, to preside during

this discussion and introduce the discusser?. ,

Employment Issues

COMMTSSIONER l'REEMAN. Good Morning. I see that the panel is all

in place. The first panelist who will speak on myths and realities is

Aniado Cabezas. Dr, Cabezas is the director of human services

research at t ian American Service Institute for Assistance to

Neighbortgods in San Francisco.

Dr. bezas.

-;r11,\

el Prisontation of Dr. Amado Cabana, Dfratitor, Human Sar-

.. vices Rmarck A8IA9 Inc69 Sanctrandeco, California

DR. CABEZAS. Thank you. - Good morning.. The American Heritaie Dictionniy defines a myth

as, "One of the fictions or attitudes forming pah 4-the ideology of a

society," for example, "the myth Of Anglo Saxon superiority."

This morning I will focus on three myths about the socioeconomic

success of Asian/Pacific Americans and will cite some of the scarce

research that exists in this area.

I will then conclude *kith recommendations about affirmative action

and minority programs oa behalf of these Americans.,

MyThiiumberoneZ4sian/Pwrflc are nol discriminated

against in employment; they hold good jobs and they Are found "inall

sectois of industry."

In a study funded by -the United States Eqiial Emplokment

Opportunity Commissioffl ASIAN, ,Inccurtated, found discriminato-

"Iry patterns in Overall levglvf employment kit well atin occupiitiona/

distribution in industries in die private sector in the live-coubty, San,

lbincisco-Oaklancl metroPohtan area. The data base used was 1975 as

il as 1970 EEO data as reported to the 8E0C by employers

themselves. The disparities were found to bp statistically significant

389
and therefore not likely due to random chance. The patterns, showing

very little change over the 5-year period, are prima facie evidence of

discrimination, based on present case law. Therefore, the evidence Is sufficient to ohift the burden of proof to the employers.

lobe ASIAN, Inc. study found Asian employment to be less than

one-half of parity in 12 of the 17 major manufacturing industries in the area, such as food products, lumber, furniture, paper, printing, petroleum, rubber, and others.' In the transportation, communication, and public utility indukries, an in finance, insurance, and real estsre, Asian/Pacific Americans predom'hantly are clerical workers; and in

the ser/ice industries, Asian empl ment is high in hotels, restaurants, and health services, however, they are mostly food and cleaning service workers. In hospitals they are mostly nurses rather than

physicians, and even in the ranks of nurses, discrimination apparently exists. Mrs. Norma Watson, a Filipino American nurse, denied

employment after applying in eight private hospitals in San Francisco, recently filed an employment discrimination charge against the American Nurses Associationher union--and the San Francisco

Affiliated Hospitals. The EEOC is now investigating the charge as a

class action on behalf of others similarly affecied.

Charges of discrimination have also been filed in the last 5 years Asian/Pacific against such employers as United Airlines, Pacific Telephone, cific Gas and Ejectrid, and the San Francisco

Police Department, -. among Others.

Five metropolitan areas in the United States account for more than one-half of the Asian/Pacific population. These are the areas of

Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. The low occupational status of Asian/Pacific Amerians in these areas can readily be seen from their large percentages among the low status,

low-income occupations consisting of laborers, service workers,

domestic workers, and farmworkers; and in these ranks, the percent- ages of the Asian workers is tzto to three times that of white workers,

depending on the area.

In another .study ia so sponsored by the EhOC, disparities in employment were foti in the large ranks of nriers in locah State, and Federal Governme t agencies in the same San Francisco Bay area. The data base *as EE0-4 reports submitted by local ant,: State

governments. Some of the patterns uncovered that pffect large chtsses of workers were: (a) low to fair level of employment as professionals but with statisticalbt significant lower salaries compared with. their white Counterparts; (b) fair to high level of employment as clerical workers/but again with lower salaries relativeto their white counter- parts; (c) very low level of employment as police officers 11 the cities, sheriffs in the counties, and patrol officers in the State; (d) low level of

390

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employment RS fire fighters in the city fire departments, and (e) low

level of employment in service and maintenance workers in the city

public works departments.

In the Federal agencies, the study found, using data from the U.S.

Civil Service Commission, that among the main ranks of professionals,

there were very few Asians, these ranks being attorneys, investigators,

Mspectois, biologists, and economists. Exceptions are in the IRS agent

ranks, the claims assistants in the Social Security Administration, atid

GSA. 7

Here in Washington, -D.C., one perceives that there may well be

large numbers. of Asian Americans in the Federal Government;

however, thtre is not one of these Americans in the policymaking,

administrative, and directorship positions in any of the civil rights

agencies such as the EEOC, the Office of Federal Contract pompliance, or the Commission itself. There is not an Asiani/Pacific

American in such a position in any of the minority programs of the

Department of Labor, the Office of Minority Business Enterprises, the

Small Business Administration, Department of Housing and Urban

+Development, nor the Office of Education, whilgtiis in charge of our

Nation's operations in bilingual education. erentials/ethnicity

distribution 9

Myth number two: "Asian/Pacific Americans cio. well because they go

to colleg and because of this their income exceeds even that of whites."

The 1 70 census data itself show this myth to bejust that, and not

reality. r seecial tabulations for the five metropolitan areas where

again Asians are concentrated reveal poor returns of income, even

with increasing educational attainment. The income of Japanese,

Chinese, and Filipino males with 4 or more years of college on the

average was only 83- percent, 74 percent, mid 52 percent, respectively,

that of white males. For the Asian females, their iniomp on the

average -was only about 44 to 54 percent that of whit/ males. And

these disparities also exist for those with 1oWer educational attainment

level. a. Studies which try to take into account the earnings differentials as a

result of education, labor market experience, United States citizenship,

number of years in the United States, vocational training and so on,

cannot account for these disparities. These stkidies have been conducted at the University of Floilda anl by Harold Wong at U.C. Berkeley.

Therefore, years of school, family income, and labor force participa-

.tion rate when used independently of others are not valid socioeconomic iqicators for these'populations. Most Asian Americans are in

the labor -force and in most families there are nearly two workers,

cbmpared to 1.6 workers for vkiltite families. Their problems have more

to do with hAv occupational slatus, discriminatory employment, and

391

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low per person income. Detailed occupationalstatus rather than broad

occupational status could be percent personal income and always given by specific metropolitan area would be much more relevant

indicators.

And finally, the third myth: "Asian/Pacjfic Americans aredAusiness

for themselves and in this they are very successful."

Probably the only data base that would permit an examination of

this myth is the 1972 nationwide survey of minority-owned businesses

conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The data reveals that

Asian firms are mostly in .retail trade and selective services, and that

among these firms, more than one-half are without paid employees.

Retail trade (or Asians is mostly grocery stores and restaurants while

selected services mostly are services such as laundries and bookkeeping services. Gross receipts per year were about $11,000 per annum for

Chinese firms in selected services; $8,000 to $14,000 for Filipino

American firms in retail trade; $9,000 to $12,00 for Japanese firms; and

$6,000 to $12,000 for Korean firms in selected services. These are all

annual receipts. The low level of gross receipts for these firms that

account for most of Asian/Pacific American enterprises in this country

cannot in any way represent business success. - -

Therefore, in view of the-realities opposing these myths about the

socioeconomic success of Asian/Pacific Americans, I propose the

following: one, that the civil rights of Asian/Pacific American

populations which include many w are socioeconomically disadvantaged, be protected; two, that thØ continue to be included in 'equal

employment opportunity and ffirmat1ve action programs in bqth private and public sector ployment; three, that Asian/Pacific

Americans continue to cluded in Federal programs that provide

contract p e urem d technical assiskance to minority enterprises.

, ederal regulations implementing the Addabbo bill

should be amended to correct the exclusion ot Asian and Pacific

Americans from these Federal programs; four, that_class action

remedies be pursued by the Federal civil rights agencies such as the

EEOC, the OFCCP, OCR of HEW, and the Commiasion itself on

behalf of Asian/Pacific Americans, victimized by discriminatory

patterns of employment. Such efforts should focus in the metropolitan

areas of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and

Hoiiolulu where the impact would be the greatest; five, that Federal

civil rights agencies and minority programs in the Xarious departments

of the excel:dive l.k.branch reach out to place Asian and Pacific

Americans in administrative, policyinaking, and decisionmaking positions so as to help.assure equitable participation of Asian and Pacific

,American populations in these programs; and finally, six, that the

Asian and Picific American populatiOns be assured of their fair share

392
in the budget allpeations and distributions of resources of Federal

agencies serving in the areas of employment, commerce, education,

health, housing, and welfare.

Thank Ybu very much.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you.

..Our next panelist on myths and realities is Mr. Manoranjan Dutta.

M. Dutta, a professor of economics at Rutgers University, has

published widely on a broad range of economic issues including Asian

American employment problems. .Mr. Dutta is also a member of the

1980 census advisory committee for.the Asian American population.

Mr. Dutta?

presentation of Manoranjan Dutta, Professor of Economics,

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey

, I DR. Dim& Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, members or the, Commission. My distinguished

colleague referred to some kind of class action Suit, and the first one 1

wish to submi , at the cost of losing I minute of my 10 minutes, on

behalf of ea frand every member of the Asian/Pacific America,'

cogimunity, my first civil rights violation suit presented to you is

against the distinguished member of Congress from Maiyland wfr

celebrated the Asian/Pacific AmericaOleritage Week by the heroic

un-American statement when he said, referring to the Vietnamese

refugees, "They don't belong here, they are not of our kind."

And he referred 'to the refugees from Soviet Russia, we want them,

they're of our kind. I wish 'you would investigate it and assure the

people of America that this Congressman has made an error of

judgment.

[Applause.] 0

1I The fir'st, most basic need is for the reit of America to perceive thatoe

Asian/Pacific American population is not insignificant in size. This

becomes evident, if you look at the chart. I beg your pardon to have to

take you through the jungle land of dolls and tables which I have

compiled. - First, who are they? Asian/Pacific Americans. That has not been

fully appreciated by Washington. It include§ people who immigrated

here from any country from Afghanistan to..the Pacific; where they

dreky the line in the 1917 Asian exclusion act of the Congresswhy

the Congress did that I do not know.

We accepted the five-fold classification OMB made recehtly: One,

Natives of North America; two, immigrants from Europewhite;

three, immigrants from Africablack; four, immigrants from Central, , South AmeridHispanic; and five, immigrants from Asia and Pacific

IglandsAsian/Pacific Americans.

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'his population is significantly large enough. If you h)ok at the 1970 cenS s, it projects that thei were 2 million Asian and Pacific people li

out o 4he 1970 cedius of Ar i 'Ilion, roughly 1 percent.

I submit the myth persists that, this is an insignificant population we need not worry about. The 1970 census figures require five-point adjustments and I discuss them in my written statement. Add to these- adjusted numbers, the recent immigration from the Asian countries. The next chart will show the pattgrn of how they are getting to be naturalized citizens of the country. So let every Congressman, including the one from Maryland, take note of this fact. They ai2

going to vote in 1980, 1985.

The next chart shows the labor force participation -rate of

Asian/Pacific Americans in the American labor force. It also shows

that there is 63.8 percent of the Japanese, Chinese, Filipino Americans

participated in the labor force in 1970 tabulation. Indeed, there is a

very high level labor force participation for this group. If you iive me permisskut to adjust for the serious undercount of

this poptilation, I say that the population base is somewhere around 3

million; the Asian/Pacific labor force is of 1.9 million.

The general consensus is that the 'Asian/Pacific American labor

force constitutes somewhere between 1 million to 1.5 million..lf the

information on the 'Asian Americans has been as sketc14 as that, the problem is much more acute with respett to the.Pacific Islands. Next,

one of the great myths in this country is that the,Asian Americans have had no histoly of disadvantage. Blacks have a historythe grim

history of slavry and lynching. The natives of North America lost the

war and their existence becomes threatened. Hispanic Americans have a history of being exploited by low paid Jobs, a history of being

haunted as undocumented aliens.

The Asian Americans are perceived to have come toiAmerica the

easy way. This is far from true. The truth is the 1917 Asian exclusjon

act and the closing of the gates to the immigrets from Afghanistan tO Korea. They are the "forbidden" Americans.

We need not indulge in analyzing the relative igtensities of disadvantages and discrimination due to slave labor, undocumented

labor, defeated labor, and forbidden labor.

This myth must go.

: There is a liberal myth, the brain draik it is at best a slogan to Ayreestablish the Ricardian theory of free mobility of goods but not of

actors of production. The world asa whole would have been a poorer place to live if successive rounds of emigrations from Europe did never take place.'

I submit immigration from Asia will be to the advantage to the

world as a whole, including Asian countries.

394 , 407
Third myth, Asian Americans have it made. This chart will show

that the median fantly incomes of three groups of Asian AmericansChinese, Japanese, Fihpinos, compare favorably with the national

family income median. This is a very quick way (fusing statistics. No

wonder one warnod against little liars, big liars, and statisticians.

Many researches have pointed out the discrepancy between the

lower personal income of Asian (Americans and the,Aigher family

median income. Bobby Mariano has stated that Filipino and Chinese

men are no better off than black men, with regard to median income,

in SMSAs such as Los Angeles,'San Francisco, New York, Chicago,

Honolulu. I wish I had more time to elaborate this point.

I submit to the distinguished-members that the fallacy of gomposition has been known very well to all of us, and if we fail to correct for

the fallacy we'll not get the true result.'

If we correct for school years of the immigrants, one study shows:

(a) foreign scientists, this is the data National Science Foundation

collected; immigrants from Asian countries make lower average

earnings and (b) enjoy less rapid rate of career advancement.

That Asian Aniericans have suffered no disadvantage and that the

1970 census tabulations show their high family median income

continue to lend strong support to the myth of Asian American

success. I argue that on both counts the rest of America has erred.

Statistics have been presented that in 1969,. 6.4 percent of Japanese

American families were in poverty level compared to 8.6 percent of

the white families. Does this 'ride-. us tfie Japanese Americans'

economic profile?

One wonders if that could ' be considered again a misuse of

statisticsso argueS Namoru lshikawa.

Underemployment is another ground of discrimination or disadvantage for' the Asian/Paific Americans.

Yuan-li Wu, in a study, submits tfiat as far back as the 1940 census,

21.3 percent of the Chinese AMericans were managers and proprietors

as opposed to 9.6 of all population. What does that mean? It means that

many Chinese were small storekeepers and laundry owners; the real

situation is one of failure and resignati% and not one of mythical

success.

What is the reality? The reality is t\hat there exists a different and

differentiated segment of the American, labor market. It is not only

language; indeed, immigrants.from the Indian subcontinent countries

are generally English speaking:.They, too, apr -distinguishable from the

rest.

It is a mix of many issues, a mix of language, ethnicity, religion,

racial origin. The myth persists based on the lack of the part of the

Asian/Pacific Americans of shared experience of Greco-Rothan

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408
culture and Judeo-Christian religion. I want the distinguished members and distinguished audience to look at the two charts giyen us by the U.S. Bureau of the Census this fall. What is it telling us? Look at the large percentage of the error in their estimate of unemployment and poverty data for Asian/Pacific Americans. For the total population, error is as small as 1.1; for blacks, 2.2; far Hispanic people, 4.3; for the Asian/Pacific, the error is too large. Indeed, there is no information;

the Census Bureau can give us no refiable information.

Now, if you look at the level of error. The information the Bureau can present to the best of their efforts demonstrates the level of disadvantage and discrimination under which Asian/Pacific American labor force is now working. As of November 9, the Census Bureau says that it is juit beginning to implement research and make plans for a major redesign of the current population survey. It is anticipated that the redesign will be fully operational in early 1984. I submit that there is no way for Washington to give us any Tehable information about the

Asian/Pacific employment profile and the Bureau of the Census will have no information until late:80s.

For the recently arrived Asian American immigrants, they have an

entry problem. They have no way of getting into the crowd; they have

no access, and many end up by accepting odd jobs. Given that fact, we find that there is a cost. Their basic abilities, even when they're getting a job, is underutilized.

I will conclude by saying that discrimination c mes three ways: (a) there is a general perception that the Asian/Pacific Americans constitute an insignificatit group who have no histbry of disadvantage, and that myth must go; (b) they've jobs; their unemployment .doesn't need to be taken into consideration; the jobs, they have are odd jobs which is an euphemism for underemployment;'and (c) finally, there is no information whatsoeyer on which- we can base scientific conclusions. Even if there is no disadvantage I will submit that that has to be

established. What has been established so far is the confession that we have no information for this group which is growling in size and whose labor forbe participation is 2 percent of the tabor force of the Nation.

Thank you.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you, Mr. Dutta. Your entire paper will be included in the record, in the proceedings of this consultation.

Dr. SetSuko Matsunaga Nishi is a professor in the department of sociology at the Graduate Center at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, and where she has worked since 1965. Dr. Nishi?

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Presentation of Setsuko Matsunaga Nishi, Professor, Department of Sociology, Brooklyn College, and Graduate Center,

City University of New York . DR. 14.1pHI. Thank you verl much.

I should 'like to note also that I am co-chair of t e Asian American

affairs subcomthittee of the New York State Adv. ory Committee to

the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, because I shall be drawing some

of the resources that were developed in 3 days of infOrmal hearings

conducted in 1974, and, last year, in an all-day conference concerning

the development of an Asian American action agenda.

I shall be drawing information and testimony from these two

resources in addition to several pieces of research that have been

conducted under my supervision by graduate students at the City

University of New York and a study which we conducted under

contract with the New York State Divi;iion of Human Rights

concerning the underutilization of the complairt services of that

agenèy

They Avill be more fully included in my paper, but I'd like to refer to

them.

It is rather startling that I, too, had intended to state as a basic myth

the matter of the insignificance of Asian/Pacific American peoples, as

has Dr. Dutia. However, I should like to note in particular how it

refers to Nelv York, as a national city. In 1970 the population'of Asian

Americans was 1.3 percent; the New York City Planning Commission

gated in 1975 that it was about.2.9 percent. Our very best calculation is

that by nyiat year, there will be between 4 percent and 5 percent...

It is not so much the numbers themselves, but the remarkable rate at

which they are becoming good citizens in the sense that they are

becoming_ ilaturalized and, furthermore, that they are becoming

quickly politicized to function as a part of the New York citizenry. I

Perhaps the myth that is most strategic ;to correct -is what I

sometimes label the Hitler myth: Pacific/Asian Americimeare taking

away job opportunities from blacks and Hispanics.

I think that there could be a long ideological discussion about this,

but I think that we must firmly refuse to fall prey to "blaming the

victim" myth and, furthermore, that we .resist the co siderable

tendency in a complex multicultural society such as ours te divided

and thus-conquered.

One recommendation that I would like to put forth strongly is that

the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights take a leading role to allay the

propensity on the part of minorities to blame each other for their

disadvantages, that is, to declare clearly that such beliefs are not

founded in fact.

11 0

397

A
Another kind of tendency for myth is overgenerah7e the success Of

Pacific/Asian Americans as consequence of their high visibility in the

professional, technical, and managerial occtrpations. The striking fact is that almost two-thirds of the Asian imungrant workers bring to _this country a very high level( of 'occupatiopal

experience as professionals, technicians, managers, 'and administiators. With such qualification% do they enter the economy at a commensu- rately higher rung than the earlier historic waves of unskilled

European and Asian immigrants and Climb on tip the merit ladder? The answer is complex, of course, but it's mainly negative. There is

the common assumption that in professional, technical, and managerial levels of .employment, that merit criteria function without the

contamination of bias. I think this is something that needs Jo be

carefully examined, for discrimination on this level is highly institu- *tionalized.

Another kind of difficulty with regard to their involvement in the

professional, technical occupations is that there is httle systematic understanding and very few'measures that have beet) developed and publicized regardkg the discriminatory effects of underemployment.

Furthermore, ifflthe professional, technical, and managerialoccupations in complex bureaucratic systems of employment, there is modern

racismthe subtle, sophisticated, systemic patterns and practices which may have tro -404ication, of maleviolent intent, nonetheless,

function to effect and to obscure the discriminatory outcomes. Thus, a second recommendation I would make is that the Equal

Employment Opportunity eommissiOn be 'urged to make studies of *systemic disCrimination in those occupational realms in which Asian

Americans are highly concentrated, for example,, in the health

industry.

Another kinclof consideration is a myth, unfortumitely; which many Asian Americans themselves maintain. On the basis of their own

perceptions and interpretations of their own experience, many Will deny that they have confronted discrimination persodally. In the study that we did for the New York State Division of Human

Rights, we interviewed 100 "infltientials and asked -whether they

themselves personally had confronted employment discriminAtion and whether they knew of others who had. The startling finding was that

the majoljty denied that they themselves had cdnfronted diserimina- tiop

No doubCAJre 'are certain social pSychological factors jnvolved in the tenden to deny tieing discriminated against, because it is

damaging to one's ego. And i is very-difficult not to take discrimination personally. And thus there is something of,a psychological

398
tendency to deny experiencing discrimination or to reinterpret events

as if they were not discrinUnatory.

However, we have some extreniely persuasive evidence to indicate

that some of the most crucial discrimination for Asian Americans

occurs invisibly to them. In what may be called the foot-in-the-door

stage of career, we have som recent research evidence of this process.

In a very imaginatively design d experiment, Lirio Covey, a graduate

student in psychology at the City University of New York, sent pairs

or constructed resumes, which were tested for equivalence, to

potential efnployers. One of the pair was identified as being of Filipino

background and the other identified as white.

We have statistically significant results to indicate that Filipinos

suffer serious -discrimination. Whites received invitations for interviews five titnei more. often than Filipinos. They are x ded in this

crucial phase at a rate that favors whites by 80 percent! Th research

design, I think, is foolproof in terms of the resumes' equival nce; and

the evidence, though the sample is not large,is statistically significant

and nolds up very well.

The difficulty of studying and documenting modern racism presents

an extremely challenging situation. And I should like to point out that

on the higher levels of employment, and in more sophisticated

bpreaucratic settings for employment, blatant racism is now virtually

gone. Commissions on ciVil rights now must develop the capabilities to

identify, to document, and to deal with systemic, highly patterned

discrimination, which may or may not be with iEtent.

Frequently, language is said do bt a disability with regard to

employment. The performance relevance of the levd of language ski

required is something that should be tested:That's another recommen-

. dation I have.

. Anogier suggestion is that the- stereotyped images that undarlie

personnel decisions and, attitudes of those who perceive PaAtic

American peoples as competitorsshould be thoroughly examined and

'dealt with.

Thank you very much.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you.

Mr. Joseph Chung has been a professor of economicii at Illinois

Institute of Technology since 1973. He's our.finarpaneliSt on myths

and realities,

'Mr. Chung?

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? '

I Presentation of Joseph Chung, Professor of Economics, MI- nois Ins itute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois

Da. Citt JNG.. lie-general topic concerning,the multi-employment problems of Asia, /Pacific Americans is well known and. has been

discussed by all tlir - previous speakers in this panel.

I'd like to dw-ell du one small area in which underemployment of

Asian/Pacific AmericAns is wideSpread. It exists in small business.

Now, there is a myth/ concerning the success of Asian Americans in

business. This was b iefly touched upon by Anuido Cabeias, too. I'd

like to dwell on that i sue solely.

I was disturbed to yead in the mass media a year or two ago about

the success stories of Korean business, particularly in the Los Angeles area. This was featur0 in-such ational magazines as Newsweek and Business Week . I alsdsliw some programs on television extolling the

ied conclusion was that here is a

success,of Korean business and sh wing il pictures of storefronts on

Olympic Boulevard in L.A. The im

$ group of new inunigrants who have achieved success in business and

that there is something here for other new immigrants to learn, particularly the Vietnamese refugees. Here's the model of success they

should follow.

I would like to point out that the so-called success of Korean or

Asian/Pacific Americin business enterpr s is only a myth founded

on misunderstanding. I'd like to submit that instead of being a symbol of success byfiew immigrants, the preponderance of Asian businesses,

on the contrary, represents symptoms of the underlying problems they

face such as disguised unemployment or underemployment and a form

of cheap labor.

I think that any remedies for the employment problems of Asian Americans must start from changing the imagery concerning the

"success" of Asian/Pacific people in this country.

If we lopk at, first of all, the kind Ofbackground that Asian/Pacific

Ameticans have, particularly people who go into business, we see that they are a very highly educated group. The 1970 census figures shows

this and subsequent surveys confirmed it. For instance, a survey of

Korean retail businessmen in 1975, involving Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco i3aY area showed that about 72 percent of

them had a college education from Korea. Now, this is an astoundingly high rate if you compare it to the rate of college education for the

general public in the U.S.

Also, if you study their backgrbundtheir preimmigration back- . grgundyou will see ; %Try high percentage; upward of 60 percent or even 70 percent iyi some surveys had fP-professional/managerial

background, before, they. immigrated to the U.S. It is important to

reiterate that the very high proportion of Asians enter small business

----N,

400

413

)s
received college education relative to the general population in thc

U.S. and that most of them held professional/managerial positions

before they came here.

Yet they'are engaged in small businesses in the U.S.

Among the Asian/Pacific Americans, the rate of small business is

very high. 'According to the recent Lee Wagatsuma study of Los

Angeles in 1978, about 45 per4nt of Koreans in the labor force were

self-employcd.

Now, this is an astonndingly high atio ofself-eniployment which 1

submit points to systems of fundame problems that they (lice. Also,

within the bUsiness, the scale of which is very small, and I don't want

to bether you or bore you with all the statistics, there is an

overrepresentation of retail business. In Ivan Light's study of Koreannamed storefronts in Los Angeles, overrepresentatto of retail trade

among Korean business is something like nearly 200 percent.

What that means is this: If the ratio is 100 percent, that means the

percentage of Korean business in retail is equal to the general

population in*L.A. So the fact is that Koreans have developed twice

rne retail stores in proportion to their number as have other Los

Angeles residents., - What I have established so far is that there is a Yery high rate of selfemployment among Asians and, that their businesses are very small and

mostly confined to retail business.

Fro)ri this I am inferring that small business among Asian Americans

is a source of underemployment and a. source of cheap labor. Why?

Why do they go into small business as compared to all other

employment opp4irtunities, particularly if one considers thcir high

educational background and high professional qualifications? I can list

many fagtors here but they mainly center around the difficulties faked

by Asian Americans in getting jobs commensurate with their qualifications due to, perIpps, the language barrier, job ,discrimination which

has ..been mentioned already, and' refusal by local accreditation

agencies to recognize their indigenous edUcational background and

professional training.

Perhaps it makes economic sense that they go into family business.

Immigrant families, have very low opportunity cost of their labor

because thew can't get any otherjobs. Many have big families and, as a

rqsult, they can take adyantage ot unpaid workers among the family

m'embers. And for sabe it' is a way to avoid factory and other

undesirable work.

Thus, people go into small business because other opportunities are

blocked for them and this results in a form of cheap labor for the

economy as a whole.

41 4
J

M you know, people who are engaged in small business work long

hours, from 6:00 to midnight and muiet poor working conditions. (

Often their profit margin is very low, their family members frequently work for nothing or at very low wages. , . Since I don't have much time, I'd like to conchlde by emphasizing

that we somehow have to cope with the myth concerbing Asian

business luccess and get the real story out that thrso-called success in

business simply repreaent symptoms of the deepseat5Letiiployment

problems that Asian Ameri ans face in the U.S.

,cOMMISSIONER FREEM . Thank you very much.

Commissioner Horn? . ytcE CHAIRMAN HORN. No questions. T. Discussion

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Mr. SaltZTan?

COMMISSIONER SALT4MAN. Mr. Cabezas, could you evlain

whether there is an explanation, if there isthat is, what do you think

lead to or accounts for the myth of Asian American success?

DR. 9,46f2As. There are several reasons for this. Qne is that from

a political point of view I think there is the,Phenomenon in which

certain minority groups are placed at a certain position and compared- '

with others in order Vo show quit certain groups can make it and

.therefore why can't the others?

From a research point of view, the problem has to do. with

methodology and in terms of how data are aggregated. For example, if

one we to take nationwide aggregations of data and comparl Or

income f Asian Pacific Americans with whites, one would come u

with e eous conclusions about higher income levels for Asian; iiit

if one aggregates the data by metropolitan area and compares th

income and occupational attainment of these populations .ea by area,

then one would not conclude that their socioeconomic sl4itus is high.

Also, there are faulty socioeconomic indicators. Family income is a

,,,...moVane because, is I mentioned, many Asian families have about two ,

workers as compared With 1.6 for white-families; per person or per,

capita income thus would bp a much better indication.

The use of years of schooling as a social indicator is a poor one

because it connotes success whereas data show the returns of

education for Asian/Pacific Americans to be quite low. lb

And 'as pointed out by Professor Dente, usually no information is

available, or where information is available, it's very difficult to gain

access to the data bases which would allow clear and unbased

analyses of these kinds of problems. \ It's very difficult, for example, to get special tabulations of census

tapes from the Bureau of the Census.

., .. 402
0.1 SIP

I COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you. ..1 Dr. Nishi, why do minorities 'tend to blame one another for their

relative plight with regard to economic situations?

, DR. NISHI. The tendency for occupational segreguo by

race/eihnicity, I think, is a phenomenon which is well documen ed in

the United States.

In the case of Asian/Pacific peoples, this is reinforced, because such

a very large proportion has come since 1965 under an immigration law

which has provided preference for those fulfilling only certain

occupational qualifications where there are shortages as 'certified by

the Department of Labor. This has encourag0 concentration at a

level of educational and occupational preparedness which, inciden4lly

is- not a consequence primarily of their educational advantage iifthe

United Statel, but because of their background preparation. They

enter into the system at a level which is higher than that of the large

waves of historic immigration to the United States. They come in later

to the system, but they enter in a higher Posijion.

Thus, if you look at a large hospital di New 'York City, those who

V

icupy the custodial and service positions are likely to be black and

spanic. The technicians, doctors, And *irks are highly-visible, in

large proportion, of Asian background. The administrators are quite

generally white. There are, acourse, a sprinkling ofblacks who are in

those higher positions.

So, it is largely a matter of historic 6ircumstances, of time of entry,

and the circumstances of why the 1965 immigration law was designed

the way it was. Thus, though they confront considerable discriminathose professional levels, it's a kind of discrimination that's

t to document. But from the point of view of the Hispanic and

the bl certainly looks as if they, being on a next higher level, are

obstruc ng the movement, the upward mobility, of those wttc are in .

lower s egories of employment. 4. So we havr that tendency for minbrities to blame each other. After

all, dificriminatory patterris are highly complex. Thi person who is

\-. victimized by such a system is not able.to deal with The complexity o

the system. Consequently, the visible appearance of competitors reall

invites scapegoating. , I knOw thft the classic stadies of scapegoatini in the United States

have teen done by the Jewish defense agencies, with which I have

4one some, work. And the same' kind of prinpiples underlie scapegoating, be it in Hitler's Germany or American historical racism or post- .., 1965 attitudeytowards new groups. 1.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. No.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you very much. ( ,

*IP

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z

The problem we have *that this is such interesting and valuable

material that we all have to receive it withwhe time.

DR. NISHI. 1 with to transmit some material.pertaining to a class

action suit regarding Filipino nurses, and I'd like to present this to you.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Al lpf thAt material will be welcome and

will be received now and anyttlocuments which you have, the staff

will take them and they will betincluded in the report.

DR. Nisin. Thank you. This is a document prepared by the Asian

Americans fpr Fair Media.

COMMISSLèNFI& FREEMAN. Thank you very much.

We will ask tbe members of the next panel to come forward, please,

take your seats.

This subject will be enoloyment issues strategies.

Our first panelist, fienry Der, executive direaor, Chinese for

Affirmative Action. Mr. Der?

Presentation of Henry Der, ExeCUtive Directoi, Chinese for

Affirmative Action, San Francisco, California

MR. DER. Good morning, Commissioners.

Pounded in 1969, Chinese for Affirmative Action is a San Franciscobased, nonprofit, voluntqry membership organization dedicated to

defend the civil rights of and to promote equal employtnent opportunities for Chinese Americans. N

, Over 1,300 ducs paying members support the civil rights activities of

Chinese for Affirmative Action. Annually, Chinese for Affirmative

Action assists over 125.individuals of Chinese ancestry who feel that they have been a victim of racially discriminatory employment

practices or victims of police harassment.

Our clienh range from blue-collar workers such as custodia hotel

maids, telephone installers, to professiamtls, civil servants, igineers,

economists. Let me pite a specific example, of how Chinese for ,. 'Affirmative Action assists.

Mr. Eddy Chan, an assembler, was terminated by Morrison Imports.

Mr. Chan was paid for less work iind was given less days ofT than nonChinese workers. When Mr. Chan first filed for unemployment

benefits his claim was denied by the local unemployment office of the

State department employment development department. cif'

On appeal to the State unemployment appeals board in Sacremento,

Chinese for AffirMative Action ikrgued. that Mr. Chan was a victim of

racially discriminatory treatment. The State unemployment appeals

board affirmed Mr. Chan's claim of racial discrimination and granted

him tulemployment benefits.

'Concurrently, C hese for Afr mative Action helped Mr.rhan to

file comyapt with he State fair employment pr tices cpo mission.

4.

IL.''

0
The FEPC commissioner confirmed that Mr. Chan was indeed paid

less for equal work and was given less days off. The investigatOr

convincingly persuaded the respondent Morrison Company to settle

with a cash award for Mr. Chan instead of hiring an attorney to fight

the complaint.

For every successful case like Mr. Chan's, there are many more

complaints that arc not adequately resolve at the employer or FEPC

or EFOC level.

While certain persons may argue that some of our clients may not

have good Title VII employment discrimination cases, the outcome of

complaints filed by Chinese and Asian Americans is largely dependent

on how aggressively FEPC or the EEOC wants to pursue these

complaints. Chinese Americans are victims of neglect by Federal

agencies empowered to enforce this country's civil .rights laws and

affirmative action regulations.

Thc Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, is a good Federal law.

The Voting Rights Ad. of 1965, as amended, in 1975, with a bilingual

elktion provision, is a good Federal law. The civil Fights needs of

Chinese Americans arc basic. We need and deserve better and more

vigorous enforcement of,these and other Federal laws.

A very curiory review of the work force of the San Francisco

district office of EEOC and the regional office of HEW's Office for

Civil Rights, indicates that these two agencies arc barely meeting

affirmative action goals of employing Asian Americans. Consequently,

to the best of my knowledge, neither of these two offices has ever

taken any substantiVe initiative to remedy systemic discriminatory

employment practices afflicting members of tke Asian American

--- community:

During a recent hiring inhicitive vlith HEW/OCR, Chinese f4

Affirmative Action literally, had to convene a meeting R.with the

director of HEW/OCR, the principal officer of Region IX, HEW, and

a personnel officer of HEW to track and monitor the status of Asian

American applicants for the position of e4tal opPortunity specialist.

One Chinese attorney, for example, whe had O'revious experience

with a Bay arca legal aid firm, was initially rejected entry on this EOS

r

list. He then took it upon himself to enter HEW as a lowly paid lerksecretary so that he could get his foot into the door.

Eventually, on a second application, he was deemed qUalifi4 llor the

EOS list and then got promoted to,an EOS, GS-7.

There is absolutely no reason for this kind of treatment of Chinese

America* by a Federal agency that has a Mandate to enforce the civil

right laws oflour country.

e...firml believe that those who get served are by and large

det in y those who do the serving. Chinese f9r Affirmative

405

418
r.

Action is convinced that the protection of the civil rights of Chinese

Americans is dependent on several ingredients. One, vigcilkuus and

vigilant enforcement of civil rights and affirmative action laws by

appropriate Federal agencies. Two, substantial community interest and

support for civil rights activities. Three, coalition efforts with other

ethnic minority and women's groups. Four, persistency by civil rights

groups to implement and monitor, wherever possible, court decisions,

consent decrees, other judgments and agreements affecting employment opportunities for minorities.

Let me very briefly cite five examples of certain cases and actions

undertaken by Chinese for Affirmative Action to defend the civil

rights of Chinese Americans.

Example number one, Chinese for Affirmative Action versus the

San Francisco Police Department. In 1975 Chinese for Affirmcitive

Action filed a Title VI complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice

and the Law Enforcement Assistance .Administration against the San

Francisco Police Department alleging that the lack of bilingual police

services constitutes racial discrilnination against Chinese Americans,

particularly those who do not speak English.

LEAA investigatoas conducted an onsite investigation and interviewed both the San Francisco Civil Service Commission and the San

Prancisco Police Department. LEAA never issued its findings.

In March 1977, 2 years later:CAA refiled its Title VI complaint

with LEAA under the newly elected presidential administration.

A LEAA investigator came out again to Skft Francisco to examine

thv problem. Per our-allegation, his investigation revealed that during

anytime of the day on any given day of the week, no police officer

assigned to Chinatown or the Richmond district could communicate

effectively with the non-English-speaking Chinese population.

Further, Chinese speaking residents experienced sometimes delays of several hours before receiving appropriate help from the police

department. The San Francisco department and LEAA eventually

signed a resolution agreement on- December 21, 1977, wherein the

police department agreed, to take specific steps to 'Improve police

services to the Chinese-speaking cothmunity.

LEAA hailed this resolution agreement for setting a national

j;recedent in meeting the needs ofa language minority

Example number two. As a coplaintiff in Officers for Justice versus

Ale San Francisco Civil Service Comm' sion, Chinese for Affirmative

Action joined with Officers for Just* e, Leagueof the United Latin ' ". American CitizeA, San Francisco N W, NAACP, and 36-individual

police officers to file a Title VII Federal lawsuit against the San

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1
Francisco Civil Service Commission and the police department for

discriminatory hiring and promotional practices.

When this suit was first filed in 1973, no more than five Chinese

police officers were members of the 1,900-strong police force,

accounting for less than 1 percent of all patrol officers. Based on

prdiminary arguments presented to him, the"Tederal judge struck

down the 5 feet, 8 inches requirement which had an adverse impact

llgainst Asians, Hispanics, and women. The city was also ordered to

administer a job-related entrance examination and to hire 60 female

officers immediately.

After 6 years ot -litigation, earlier this year all parties concerned

agreed to a consent decree which, among several major provisions,

calls for a 50 percent hiring goal of minorities at the entry level and a

total of 29 Chinese bilingual officers to be hired by 1984 in addition to

those who are presently on the force.

Example number three. Chinese for Affirmative Action versus

LV.Kaiser Hospital. In 1975 Chinese for Affirmatiye Action filed a Title

I complaint against Kaiser Hospital, a prephid health plan, with

egion IX HEW's Office for Civil Rights for lack of adequate

bilingual help personnel. HEW/OCR sat on this complaint for a

couple of years without knowing what to do with it. Then

HEW/OCR forwarded this complaint to its headquarters here in

Washington, D.C., for further agency review. It took a total of 4 years

for HEW/OCR to develop an appropriate investigatory plan. Investigation is currently underway.

The other two examples I was going to mentionthe fourth

example was Chinese for Affirmative Action versus KCBS and the

FCC wherein we filed a petition to deny the license renewal

application of KCBS-AM, the largest allinews radio station in

northern California. The case went all the way to the Washington,

D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals.

a

And the fifth case I would like to mention is in the area of voting

rights. Last year, based on complaints filed with the United States

Attorney's Office in San Francisco, the U.S. Government filed a

lawsuit against thy,- San Francisco Registrar of Voters for noncompliance witifthe 1975 amendments to the Voting Rights Act.

Pursuant to that particular lawsuit, the Federal judge issued an

order. There was a Federal examiner that was assigned to San

Francisco to monitor the November 1978 general election. A total of

120 Chinese and Spanish precincts were monitored during . the

November 1978 generaltlection.

a

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Thank you.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank you, Mr. Der.

Our next panelist is Abraham T. Shen, director, Chinatown

Planning Council, Asian American Employment Center.

Mr. Shen.

Presentation of Abrahsm T. Shen, Director, Chinatown Planning Council, New Tort City

MR. SHEN:7(100d morning, Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen.

It is indeed a great honor and pleasure to be invited to this

consultation as Asian and Pacific Americans all across the land are

now celebrating our first heritage week, a long overdue recognition of

our contributions to this country. It is most fitting that the U.S.

Commission on civil Rights should sponsor this hearing to examine

carefully some of the major civil rights issues of the Asian/Pacific

Americans, thus giving a greater meaning to this historical occasion.

As the title of this consultation clearly implies, American society

still hold, many serious misconceptions with regards to Asian an

Pacific Americans. These myths, if riot exposed and grad

destroyed, can have detrimental effects upon the ftiture growth

development of our community.

From the panelists during the last 2 days of hearings, the myths Unit

characterize Asian Americans as being a "model minority" seems to be

a most dangeroul one confronting us today. Undoubtedly, Asian

Americans have made significant cont;ibutions in America's industry,

arts, commeree, and science. Some Asian Americans have become

leaders in many of these fields. However, the success story, Asian

American sstyle, is not applicable to the great 'majority of Asians in this

country.°

Even during periods of general economic prosperity, when work

and employmenl...opportunities are plentiful, newly arrived Asian

immigrapts, be-Cause of cultural differences, language barriers, the socalled lack of local experience, and the existence of systemic

restrictions and institutional racism, still find it hard to secure

meaningffil Jobs.

They are often forced by circumstances to accept employment in

some of the declining industries, such as foOd-related and garment

industries within the confules Of their own ethnic neighborhood.

Others may choose to go into small businesses, often against enormous

financial risk, by opening up a grocery or souvenir stores. These jobs

generally do not match up to the level of training and capability of the

new immigrants. They almost always fall faeshort of their aspirations

and hopes;

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Moreover, these jobs tend tt make the newly arrived immigrants

work for unusually long hours with very low pay and often under

extremely poor conditions. In times of economic recession, when the

national unemployment rate rises above 6 percent or 7 percent, with

the rate in cities much higher, newly arrived Asian immigrants face

even greater hardship and frustration in their seardh for employment

opport unities.

For the native-born Asian Americans, underemployment as well as

heavy concentration in a limited number of fields and occupations are

continuing problems that have already been raised by quite a number

of panelists in the last 2 days of consultation here. Further analysis or

elaboration of these problems will probably not shed any new light

upon what is already evident to us.

The continbing influx of Asian immigrants into this country,

especially the anticipated admission of a large number of Indochinese

refugees, within the next 2 years, will definitely generate an enormous

demand for employment-related services.

Community organizations must plan now to institute innovative

programs in order to meet the new challenge. This means more

English language classes for the foreign born, job referral programs to

get Asian Americans into notraditional occupations, job training

programs to prepare those witT outmoded skills to go into otter lines

of work, and career workshops for professionals and skilled technicians.

At this juncturev allow me to share with you briefly what the

Chinatown Planni4 Council, a community-based, nonprofit, multisocial services, educational, and planning organization in New York

City, has done over the years in trying to meet some of employment

needs of the Chinese and other Asian American people in New York

ICity. This, I hope, will demonstrate to some extent as to how

employment strategies can find concrete expression in social services

delivery system.

Deeply concerned with the treniendous underutilization of human

resources as well as the problems ap difficulties newly arrived Asian

immigrants must face in their daily struggle for an honest living,

Chinatown Planning Council, from its inception some 14 years ago has

regarded manpower placement service an integral part of its multisocial services program.

During our first 10 years of operation, an employment specialist was

assigned permanently to tile council's multisocial service division to

inierview, Counsel, and refer prospective job applicants for employment, both within and without the community.

In the early '70s the council was also able to obtain some

government fundings to establish an English as a second language

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409
program. Over a 2-year period, several hundred newly arrived

immigrants were benefited by the English language training.

Despite its exeeltent design and effectiveness, the ESL program was

folded because of a drastic budget cut in the government funding

source. The people in the community still talk about that wonderful

program, and frequently ask us when they could have the program

back again.

In 1975, when the employment rate in New York City reached its

peak to almost 12 percent, Chinatown Planning Council was able to

establish its first manpower training program with CETA funds.

The program trains 120 typists each year and has been successful in

consistently placing approximately 85 percent of its graduates in office

personnel positions.

The council's first manpower training program Itas proven to be

such a success that by 1978 it was expanded into 4veral other areas.

First, an Asian American Employment Center was established with a

multilingual and multicultural staff speaking fonr Asian languages:

Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

The center is committed to serve the employment needs of at Asian

American communities in the greater New York metropolitan areas. In

1978 vocational training programs were also established for youth between the agel'of 16 and 21 from economically disadvantaged

families.

Moreover, manpower training were also founded in food service

management and the patternmakers and designers fields.

What I haVe presented thus far must not be construed as an attempt

to impress you of what Chinatown Planning Council has accomplished

in the area of manpower and employment services. On the contrary,

despite our efforts, we are far from meeting the enormous needs 9f the

coritmunit y.

We feel strongly that the government should build upon the

capacity of the existing community organizations, and make available

to them niore resources so as to enable them to continuously provide

the most vital services to the Asian/Pacific American People.

It is incumbent 'upon the governmpit _to expand some of the

successful programs to help meet the iTowing demand for employment services which are certain to be Aren more critical with tile

anticipated influx of new Asian immigrants.

Just one last comment. While' focusing on the service delivery

aspect of overcoining the employment problem, I do not mean to

minimize in any way theimportance of alternative strategies, such as

advocacy, litigatitm). economic development, reSearch, and even

protest action. All these approaches.are necessary if Asian Americans

are going to sake real progress in the years ahead.

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There are many battles on many fronts, at many different levels, and

at many locales. VictorM any one area will contribute to our overall

advances. So we must, as Asian Americans, always try to keep abreast

of what our fellow Asians arc doing, learning front one another, and

sharing our experiences. Only when advocacy and services are joined

together 'will Asian Americans be able to move forward in their

strugges for greater freedom and equality.

Thank you.

ComMUNIONFII FREEMAN. Thank you.

L Dr. Arvhopy Kahng, associate professor of industrial relations,

New Jersey Institute of Technology, is our next panelist.

PresentatiOn of Dr. Anthony Kahng, Associate Professor of

Industrial Relations, New Jersey institute of Technology,

Newark, New Jersey

D. KAHNG. Thank you.

like to address my reconiniendation tO th,e Commission. First, I'd

like i ) make two specific recommendations to the Commission in

ternis t eniployment discrimination. professionals/questionable contri-ct te is

there are many nursing home practices in the New JerseyNew York area. This has not been publicized yet quietly many

Filipino nurses have beetAmported at the cheigoweindentured slaves

system. They are afraid of publicity and I strongly urge you to hold a

public hearing on this issue: nursing home practices in the Greater

New York area,1 and I will be very happy to substantiate with

statements and a copy of a contract in terms of what is going on, and in

Illinois I understand this is also going onin Illinois.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Illinois and New Jersey are the States

that yon mentioned?

DR. KAHNO. Yes. I have more evidence, letters and contract, and I

shall submit these to you.

CommissioNER FREEMAN. They will be received.

DR. KAHNO. Yes. And also lviII volunteer to be an intermediary

and conduct research and collection of information on behalf of the

Commission for free. I'm offering free service.

Alibther point I wish strongly, before I forget, to recommend is that

rilipino nurses have been discriminatled. The question is a licensure

problem. Nine out of 10 Filipino nurses who take licensure exams are

failing. And thivcall it a monumental evidence of institutiönal racism

or institutional discrimination. Something is wrong.

Either Filipino nurses are as a wholeI mean they're entirely

disqualified, or something is wrong with the examination process. This

I also ask the Commission to investigate; conduct an open hearing as

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411
you did conduct a study on Korean and Filipino graduates of school of

pharmacy in Los Angeles area several years ago.

These are two of my recommendations to you.

Now I'd like to turn internally to Asian American communities. In a

capitalistic society like America, what you do is what you are. In this

type of society, if you are denied employment, that is a capital

punishment; you are dead at the doorstep.

The suffering is enormous. And I am specifically interested in

outlining some of the cases I have been, handling. For example,

employment discrimination is also prevalent among Asian American

professionals. Let me give you a few examples. A Korean American

professor received a termination notice on the ground that he has a

strong accent, but the chairman doesn't mind a European acwat. Yes,

he welcomes, European accent but he objects to an Asian accat.

Now this is discrimination on the basis of national origin. And also a

Filipino M.D., who works for a pharmaceutical corporation. in New

Jersey, was also abruptly terminated but--his employment recOrdhe

ha a brilliant employment record. Why? Suddenly his supervisor, his

boss has been changed, a new boss came with racial prejudice; from'

time to time in a friendly remarks he was referring to Asians -as

"gooks." Obviously, the boss was referring.to the other Asians butmot

to this doctor. Even in a highly professional circje, some professionals

are still carrying on such racist attitudes.

And also another Chinese women psychiatrist, who was a director

cif a psychiatric institute, was abruptly dismissed without a due process

Qaring, in spite of a brilliant employment record. And also another

Chinese veterinarian was dismissed from a.pharmaceutical corporation

because of his nonassertiveness. This is the reason why, in terms of

pursuing oar civil rights, I'd like to suggest a model, which was

developed by Asitin Law Caucus in Oakland, California.

In this 4e, I'm suggesting a model for Asian Americans, United

. . Filipinos for Equal Employment versus California Blif Shield. Now a

Filipino American sister, Puriiima Salazar, brought a Title VII action

against California Blue Shield. In this successful class action, the result

first was that the Blue Shield will pay to thethe sum of $9,886 and

also attorney's fee, $15,000. Also, Blue Shield will establish a fund of

.150,000 for back pay for Asian employees who make claims for back

pay. Blue. Shield., will modify .the corporate management human

relations trainihg to include special material on Asian Americans and

. other minority employees.

. Blue Shield will establish an English or delivery _training program

for minority emplOyees..Blue Shield will establish goals and ti bles

for the representation of Asian Americans at all levels of man ent;

412 :

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1
Blue Shield will initiate a presupervisory development program in

order to deyelop a pool of trainees in managerial potential.

With your investigation and open hearing, we can litigate and use

your documentation as an evidence to substantiate what is going on.

It's very valuable, we're not just documenting for the sake of

. documenting, we can use it and submit to the court, .and I'm strongly

suggesting that the only effective way as a minority of minority to

pursue equal opportunity is to litigate.

But there is a very profound cultural and psychological tradition of

nonlitigation attitude among Asians. Many comMentators already

referred to this point by saying that a cultural linguistic difference

became the major psychological stumbling block. These Asians

brought a culture that honorable and matnre people don't take their

disputes to the court; only immature bastards take the case to the

court.

This is a very strong part of Asian legal culture.

For this reason Asians must litigate by suing CBS, NBC. At the

Japanese American Citizens League cOnvention I made a strong point.

Then from the audience, a Japanese American stood up and strongly

objected by saying that we don't_sue) we don't go to Court. So I said,

"If you don't go, you don't get anything." I am saying that we have to

because we haveno choice.

The national sports next to baseball and football in Africa is suing;

everybody's suing everybody. And in order to get somewhere, we

have to stand up and go to court.

Thank you.

.. [Applause.)

COMMISSIONER FRAMAN. Thank you. Mr. William Leong is

executive director of the Cbinese Economic Development Council.

Mr. Leong.

Presentation of William Leong, Exec6tive Director, Chines*

Economic Development Council, Boston, Massachusetts

MR. LEONG. Thank you very much.

The Chinese Economic Development Council was founded in 1974

as a technical assistinCe organization to assist the business develop-

. ment activitOjk the Chinese community. It was originally funded by

the Economic Development Administration. Today "we.'have -the

distinction of being the first Asian community Clevelopment corporation in the country, funded by the Cdmmunity Services Administration, the Office of Economic Development.

The reason I mention the funding source is because as A CDC we

have some unique attributes. We tiave' a significant amgunt j of

administrative monies to hire a staff whose salary levels the funding

4 4 26 f

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413
source believes should be comparable to that in the business world.

They also give us a consulting budget and, most importantly, they give us venture capital.

The venture, capital they provide to C 7 C we do not have to pay

back. It is the only government program hich gives us free equity

venture capital. In addition to the nature oflihe free venture capital, in

the legislation it is provided that this venture capital is to be

consideje private capital when used to leverage other .Federal f dknies. Thilt means we can go to EDA, UDAG, or HUD and use

these venture capital dollars as a match.

This is the first Asian program, of which there are 37 others that are

either Chicano, black, or white, and we have the opprtunity to

experiment here. Thesovernment hasseen fit to try Boston out where

it has the influence of the universities and a Chinese community large enough to have the problems that are exhibited in New York an4 San

Francisco, yet small enough tO be understood.

The strategies for the uses of these funds is tp increase employinent

and address the underemployment needs in thei-Asianommunity in

Boston.

- We have a board of directors that is a community board; but this

community board is uniquely set up where ourtarget group is Chinese

Ikinericans. Hovver, we have a special impact area which is a

i3ographic boundary within the Chinatown area of Boston.

We have a board of directors which is made up of flve categories.

The first two categories are six organizations which elect their own

-representative. We have another category which represents the affairs

committees or the social concerhs of the community in areas as health,

education, Social services, community affairs, etc.

We have another category of the labor and employment sector of

the board where people ,who want to join, can just walk in off the

streets. But the interesting part of this board is the final category, our

development committee chairmen, where the koard ofdirectors on the

recommendation of the executive director selea some of the mist

talented people in the Boston area in their fields -of business and

housing development.

It is these people that the board bf directors alt gets some expertise

on the board. So the strptegy on the board level is L combine the

urban and the suburban, the restaurant worker and thj professional, the northerners, the southerners, and to put together icies whi h

will guide an investment strategy and the implementation rogr s.

ciur programgaTenter around three particular areas, c munity

development, business development, and housing and land evelopment. In the community development area, we also have amither

experimental national demonstration project, in which the approach to

414
the social problems has taken the form of social ventures. So we have

been given funds for a language laboratory, a newcomers center.

youth programs, and manpo*er programs.

but the reason we got those funds was because we were going to

tackle those social programs from a usiness point of view. So vre

received 3 years of funtling, ri nd this 3ustit's a new program so

we

,re testing' it an out to see if We can look at creating better .,employment though the commun4 development prOgram. This

business development program takes the strategy we do not discriminate against anyone in terms of the recipients of venture capital. If they

can prove to the staff and to the board of directors that they can make

a profit and benefit the residents of'the special impact area, then we

can apply to the Federal Government for the venture capital.

We take the approach of looking to tile universities and to the

professionals for some of the high technology .ventures, .thid we also

look towWrds creating social ventures such as an electronics company

with high labor employment, . We have, to date, initiated a small electronic

company employing 60 people with a startup cost of $90,000,

percent 'were previously unemployed, 80 percent do not speak

English.

In the area of housing and land development, we are also creating

pm. ployment in the construction area, and we have 300 units of section

8 housing to work with. and we ye working to create employment

through the construction,,bondingrind sub6ontracting areas.

So the CDC program in Boston As an experiment, and we recogniza

in our community that' we are at the fOrefront of the CDC's of the

Asian community. We also recognize that given the fact that there is

only a budget of $44.8 hiinion recommended by the President, I would

Urge the Commissism qn Civil Rights to consider legislative adrilend-

, ments which would Provide, other Asian communities throughout the

United States the; oPportunity. to have a CDC and to increase' the

allocations.of the program budgets for SCA-OED.

Thank you.

COMMISSIONER FREIMAN. Thank youifery much.

. Commissioner Horn?

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN, No questions.

CommissioNER FREENIAN. Commissioner Salthnall?

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. No qu'estions.

CdMMISSIONER FR;EMAN. Mr. Chairman?

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7\-)

Discumilon

CHAIRMAN Fl EMMING. First of all, I'd like to say that I appreciate

very much listening to the case history that has been presented by Mr.

Kahng; this is an indication of how some results can he achieved,

J'd like to ask Mr. Der and possibly this otherother merbers of

the peel could also respond to this1 whethe he could supply for our

records of this consultatidn1one illustration the private sector and

one illustration from the public sector of an rniative action plaryhat

included Asian Americans and that produced results.

In other words, that did open tit; employment opportudities for

Asian Americans, one in the private sector and4ken two in the public

sector. -1/4 Is this possible? I mean s.lan any of you think of a specific situation

where an affirmative- action plan by a private employer and another

one by a public employer included/Asian Americans and was really

implemented arid implemented in such a way that,. it did open up ... opportunities for Asian Ameribans? li that perible?

MR. i bER. CommissiOner Fletring, An. We can provide an

example ,pf privatelitigation agaiiist a Otrate firm that resulted in

increased employment opportunities for Asian Americans and that will

be forwarded for the record. Secondly---:-

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. That was litigation, I was going to come to

' that, but that was litigation against a private firm. What I'm thinking of

is a situation where a private firm developed an affirmati* action

program and where it included in that affirmative action program

provision for goals-1'nd timetables for the employment of Asian

Americans, awl where they got results.

I'm thinking bf it both in terms of a private employer and in terms of

a public employer.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAIN,And particularty government coiltractors should have such plans.

1-- CHAp4AN FLEMMING. Ye% that would be--I gather some of the

rest you also feel that you could furnish that, and if you .can, I

appciate it. Time doesn't permit us to get into one now mit discuss it,

although I definitely would like td do that, but then I was going to

follow by asking for we instance or one illustration froth the private

sector, one frotn' the Fiblic sector, where litigation was initiated and

resulteepih an &der to a pritate employer and to a public employer to

put an 'aiffirmative action plan into operation whiob included timetables, or included goals and timetables. And I gather that is possible.

I,make that request ry to all of the members oftthe panel, if you,

drawing out of your exMence, and I gather Mr. Kahng has said he's

goesome experiences along this line, if you can do this, this would be a

great help toms in evalulitingithis situation.

4 t 6

429

oli
The Oeinmission, as a Commission, has taken a strong staria in avor

of affirmative action plans but this brings It down to a specific area, the

area of the Asian American, and if we've got case histories which

show that affirmative action plans were put into effect, get results, and

then I think we ought to get that into the record, we ontht to publicize

it. Then if you've also got instances where you have litigatea, and as a

result of the litigation here (bred a public employer and a private

employer to develop an affirmative action plan, I think we ought to

know othout that also. , Ma) DER. Mr. Collimissr. I would just like to sad, while the

majdritymost of my tesiimony focused in on complaints and

litigation that Chinese Affirmative Action has been intimately involved with, we do, on a daily basis, meet with employers and try to

work with than on a good faith beide to develop workable affirmative

. action plans in niany different kinds of industry, be it the airport, quasi:

public utility firms, bakeries in the Sankrancisco Bay -area, in addition

to litigation that we are involved in. , CHAlte.;:: FLEMMING. Fine. t

1 COMM! NER FREEMAN. SO that your submiss n, then, could also

i polde a review of the techniques that you have u dertaken? , R.. DER. Absolutely. I' tbink\it's alsoeverything should be

(underlined with the fact that Fedeefl enforcement agencies play a

crucial, vital role in 'whether any of Mir activitfes on a good faith basis

or whether it's in court, whether it just works, because they areyou

-....

. know, bEOC big the p.s. Department of Justice play a pivotal role in

determining eV influencing the fate of many actions that people may

take in affirmative aotion; .. COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Think'you very much.

Thia_has been vry

M

I. Atd we willour next panel will be on

Fede and State Micy. k you.

I would like to invite the elists on Federal and State pplicy to

come forward and take your seats, please?

For thoee of you who were present. and heard the panel4sts who

appeared, before you, I'm sure you can -understand the ve great

t reliance that the participants have on hearing from yote

Our first panelist is Dr. Amando.M. Rodriguei,-CommissioiIer of

the Equal BfitTloyment Opportunity Commission. Dr. Rodriguez?

N, Presaentation of Dr. Armando Rodriguez, Commissioner, U.S.

Employment Opportunity. Commission

RODRIGUEZ.' Thank you.

M CArman, Commissioners, fellow panelists. I am _especially

pleesedio have this opportunity to participate as a panel metnber with

this`distinguished group of this consultation hearing sponsored by the

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417
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights regarding tht myths and realities uf

.

. 4situland Pacific Americans.

an Hispanic% I am very in&-11 aware of the myths and stereotypes

that we as minorities have r neountered throughout q lives, no

matter hw we constantly atteknpt to dispel them. As a i atter of fact,

the sterMpes of Aiian and Pacific Ameficans and spanics are

almost parallel. ( , How often have you hqard someone say duo we ati a passive group

of people, that we eat strange but good food, that we re physically

shortq Or the classicone, that we all look alike? I was rn in Mex co

and I'm number 13 'of a family. of 14. And every time I read about he

pill I get very nervous, Commissioners, because it could havlieen me. -

r These tereotypes art negative. However, there are stereotypes that

can be construed as positive. For example, it is often said that Asian

and Pacific Americans are really outstanding business people. They.

are acadeinically successful. Sometimes they say that we have strong

family ties. This is positive. What binds the Asian and Pacific

Americans and Hispanics is o'nr strong cultural background and our

refusal and insistance that we not give it up. What we hope to

accomplish through the various panel discussions, I hope, is to dispel

these myths.and stereotypes and deal with the realities.

It will not be easy, it never was, to erase what has been going on for

centuries. But every time we have an opportunity to discuss this

problem; we can be assured that we are sensitizing as well as educating

someone who will begin to see us in a new and hopefully more positive

perspec tive.

They key word, 1 believel is sensitize. I consi er myself somewhat

of an optimist. As an optimistic', person I do 4ot believe that moNt

people intentionally discriminate against us. It is jtist that they have not

been sensitized,to our unique cultural backgrounds, our languages, or

the problems which arise as a result Of our cultural differences, and

how positive these differences are, and therefore, they do not, and are

,

, qot always certain how to deal with us.

As a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, I . have made it a part of my everyday responsibility to sensitize my

colleagues and covforkers of the unique problems of the Hispanic as . I

well as the Asian and Pacifid American.

This is my responsibility. And I believe that thrOUgh thii process of

continued sensitization, you and I will see sot= very posit4e action /

coming out of the Commission, andwill acknowledgeThe sincerity of.

their efforts to ensure that everyone 'is given the opportunity of equal

employment. 0/ . The Commission tockay islgoing throughhas gone througharid will continue to gOThr6trigh-.--a significant reorganization, etor the first

, 418 (

431 4
.1

time in years there is a full Commissionlivonunissioners meeting

to discuss policy action, working towards assuring equal employment

opportTities for everyone.

In the reorganization there have been established 22 district offices

and 37 area offices, for a total of 59 Offices scattered strategically

, throughout the country, ready and Aling and able t p pro ide services

in terms of assuraycyf equal employment opportun

And for the fibt tutie ever, the agency, EEOC, :, full authority,

fill responsibilit , Ik,r Titles VII and assurance of equal employment

opportunity both 'n the private and the public sector.

EEOC also ha. sole authority for development and dissemination of

information relative to Title VII, equal employment opportunities. It

also has the full coordination responsibility for policies and procedures 4

for equal employment due to equal pay and ikge.

The agency has also the full authority for equal employment and

affirmative action programs for all Federal agencies. Recently the

Commission 'sped the affirfhative action clines which arc an

interpretationlahd opinion of thc Commission s lling out principles to

follow in designing a lawfdil affirmative action program. The guidelines provide a clarification of issues related to affirmative action and

barriers to. equal employment opportunity. It encouraged voluntary

action and compliance t the statute.

EEOC is now edi1t% king on an intensive program of sKstemic _ discrimination eliminationthe more common class action apinbach.

This strategy, when fully in gear, shoukkenable -us to reach the roots of

much eMployment 'discrimination. C9rItern of Asian and Pacific

Americahs is and will become a iprtfor effort of our agency. But I

believe that in order for people to uelize this new efficient and

eactive process, they must become awa of it.

I recently met with a group 4 Hisp nic leaders who had concerns

'very similar to thre expressed by the Asian and Pacific Americans.

Those concerns iticluded the need' for more bilingual infOrmationtil

mattrial on EEOC, hiring of bilingual staff according to the population being served, the need for a more concerted, positive, public

relations effort within their community, a sensitization of the staff at all

levels of .the. agency of the unique characteristics 'of the minority

fiopulatio'n being served, and the important need to initiate systemic

investigations for the underrepresented minority classes,

Althou I hav

that they

length, it is now

,:.whercver

p am s

tic

e that is

nel discus.

been aware of many of these concerns myself, now

brought to my specific attention and discussed at

y responsibility to improve anic-hange the system

gr I can.

isxues of concern will be brought to light during

s, and I, and my colleagues in the Commission

4 32

419
stanJ ready to address and hopefully resolve them for the betterment

of all people hygur country.

Thank you.

CommassioNvi FREEmAN. Thank you.

Our next panelist is Mr. Dale Minami, a practicing attorney in

employment and civil rights law.

Mr. MinaMi helped found the Asian Law Caucus, is a member of the

Asian American Bar Association, and teaches Asian American studies

at the University of California at Berkeley.

Mr. Minami7

/

ProsmirtatIon of Dale MInaml, Attontoy, Oaklikl, Callfirn;4' .., )

. MINAMI. Thank you. Madame Commissioner, fellow Comissioners, fellbw panel members and members of the audience,' it's

kiiid of a lonely panel and you took away my first paragraph of my

talk but I'll just continue on from there.

I have been practicing law in the San Francisco Bay area for the

. past 8 years. Our office in a private firm does a lot of civil rights work,

including class and individual employment discrimination suits based

on race and sex.

We've done suits against the State attorney general, the San

Francisco Police Department; we're currently inVolved in tit::

involv1ng Title VI litigationfailure to provide Asian Amer.,

studies program while other programs were proVided. But before you

*brand me as another sue-happy, troublemaking attorney, I'd like you

to considfr some remarks which I have directed primanly t9 the Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office fot qvll Rights.

I would also ask to reservey minute of my time, as I wow prefer. to

cut my talk down to 9 minutes, and I'd like to present a petition, which

is signed by 40 participaptz -here at thT very end and I would like a

minute at the end, if possible.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. That will be at the end of 8 1/2 Miglitee.

MR. MINAMI. Finetin 1973 we brought a class action employment

discrimination suit on behalf of Asia!) Americans against Califon*

Blue Shield; it was the suit that Professor Khang was referring to, Mid

I didn't hear all of his talk but I wanted to quote some statistics

involvingihe case. 1 The- statistics showed that 23 percent of the employees of Blue

Shield wire Asian Aierican. Of that total, 96 Orcent or 96 percent of

Asian Americans oup1ed clerical or technical positions. No Asian

American was in th# top 19 decisionmakers, and while l'out of every 6

white persons was manager or superviiKr, only 1 out of every39

Asian AmeriCAuts ias a manager or supervisorz White employees

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4 r-.

.

outnumbered Asian Americans 2 toi, but in the\officer and managerial ,..

rank outnumbered them 15 to I.

As young, scared attorneys, we went to the EEOC for assistance.

Wc asked them to intervene on the case as we thought that there were

a number of factors making-this case important. It was the first cl&ss

action brought on behalf of Asian Americans in employment dikrimination; a suit and-a-victory would probably encourage mtit more

reticent Asian Americans to continue fighting for their civil ghts. I

think the publicity would have dispelled stereotypes tlItit Asiani

Americans have no pmblems and also deter the company from further /

The EEOC turned us dow-n summarily. They had some brief

conferences, said the case wasn't serious enough, and told us that the

case was too politiCal. Insiders in the EEOC told us later that they just

felt that Asian problems were not that serious, and this watt

important ircase enough to take. , e \ Fiv years later, with a -different governmental agency, we ran into

the sa1ie kind of insensitivity. We filed anlatiministrative complaint

with tle Office for Civil Rights, Region X, against Washington State

niversity folldiscrimination in failing to proVide and establish Asian

American stakes, counsOing and recruitment programs, while other

minorities had such program& --'

The documents that we Obtained from the university lhowed that

blacks had applied for a program in 1968; they got their program 6

months after they submitted a proposal. Chicanos received their ,. program I month after they submittpd a proposal, and Native

Americans got their program several years before they submitted a

proposal.

Asian Americans, on the other hand, submitted a proposal in 1973,

they were repeatedly turned down, and to this date they do not have a

cOmmitment for a permanent program at Washington State University.

Over $1.4 million was spent up to 1978 on the other pr?grams and

not a cent on Asian American studies or counseling or recruitment.

Asian Americans were thc largest or second largest minority on the

campus for each of the years from 1973 to 1977. And despite

recommendations by a special consultant hired by the university and a

blue ribbon committee again we still have no commitment for a

permanent program

The Offi

e

ce for Civil Rights failed to conduct virtualltny

.

investigation and ultimately made a finding of "no discrimination."

They simply felt that Aiiian American concerns were not significant

enough to warrant a detailed investigatioh and aep legal analysis.

I think those two simple examples point out two problems which I 1

see in the EEOC and the OCR, which are in partortirkceable to

practices. 4

\

4 3

421
/ employment Earectices of the Federal Government in these particular

, e first problem basically ok that these institutions are political O

1

insti utions. Growing up as a neiGe kid from Gardena, which is a small

suburb of Los Angeles, these things I didn't learn about until later, and

I found at no, they don't decide cases on the melits; they decide it on

how mdtili pressure you can put and how much damage you can inflict

on them at one point in time. . The lesson for Asian and Pacific Americans is obvious. The way to

go about it is to organize, organize locally and nationtilly, and put

together enough power and strengt r4 to fobby these institutions

because they will act primarily on polit al groUnds.

.,The second problem I think is jugt go systemicit involves the4\

of sensitivity and responsiveness on the part of these governmental

inxitutions. I appreciate what Mr. Rodriguez says and I hope whatlhe

sayis, in fact, truethat efforts will be made to place Asian and

Pacific Americans in higher positions within the agencies. . Statistics that I have fohnd point t6 the contrary. What I see in those

institutions and in those particular cassi is a tremendous ainount of

inthisitivity a feeling that Asian Americans don't have problems, their i cases aren't worth merit, and lack of a real commitment p mobilize

organizational resourbes behind problems and complaints by Asian

Americans. . I wasn't able to get updated statistics, although I filed a Freedom of

Information Act [FOIA] request some time ilgo and I haven't received

anythini yet. So I'm tisi8rstatistis I obtained through other them's. I

will add the new statisties in an Wpendix when I receive them.

As of ptember 30, 1978, the Office for Civil Rights employed 24

Asian 1I Pacifiy Americans out of 1,030 for a 2.3 percent. Only 1 out

of 141 vas at agrade 13 or higher. And .I understand now that that has

chang , theyt are more Asian Apericans at that grade.`But I don't

w exact!' how much.

. ( A neAhe 18 members of the senior stiff, which is the most

powerful part of the Office for Civil Rights, including the dirwtort the

plincipal department directors, etc., there are no Asian Americans,

and mnomg the 44) members of the executive staff, which includes

senior staff,'?egional director* which number 10, division directors

which number. 14, and others, of course there ate no Asian Americans.

The, EEOC is similarly Asian-less at top lev Is and again I'm using

old statistics of August of 1977, so please bear t t in mind.

, Asian aniPacific Americans number 36 o of 2,274 employees, at

1.6 percent; There were no listed Asian or Pacific Americans at grades

GS-18, 17, 16, 15, or 14. There were 7, at GS-rand 6 at the GS-12

level.

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, In the Los Angeles area where there's the highest concentration of

Asian americans on the mainland, the highest ranking Asia'n Amirican was a 0S-9, and she is at an investigator level.

Employees of the EEOC have told me that they linow of only one

in the entire country, one. Asian and Pacific American who is at a

supervistary level. . It seems clear that without Asian Americans and Pacific Americans

at the policymaking level, the decisionmaking level, situations such as

the Blue Shield case, the Washington State University case, are bound

to recur.

I'm not so naive that I belies4 that just an Asian face or an Asian

name will ensure sensitivity, but I think it Tpuld go a lot further as far

as the record of thesb agencies to this date.

Before a strategy to combat institutional ractph against Asian and

Pacific AmericAs can be formulated, I think further intbrmation is

necessary. I don't know too much about the U.S. Commission on Civil

Rights; I was a third round draft pick for this particular speaking

position. --I'm just giving you what I know as far as I know.

But-40db understand that you have a capacity and a fine capacity 6

do research and make studies and I have read a number of them. And I

think this is the strength of your area 'and the thing that I would

suggest that you do. I would suggest that you obtain employment

.figures from the EE043, the Office for Civil Rights, Office of Federal

Contract Compiiance, and the government agencies that deal with

employment, raid out how many Asiaitand Pacific Americans are in

what positions, what authority do they have, are whether they are

supervisors oritot supervisors.

Study and compare these statistics to other racial minority groups

and other groups. I think it will be good to talk to Asian and Pacific

American workers, probably anonymously, and find out their feelings.

Secondly, I would suggest that you analyze jhe treatment of Asian

and Pacific American complaints, obtain ptatistics on the number of

Asian and Pacific Aderican complaints, the types of .complaints, the

number withdrawn, the number resolved in favor, the namber

resolved against the complainants.

You/ might try to discover how many of them are adequately

i ated. For example, in the Washington State case, the Office for

Civil !Rights eventually made a finding against us, and they did so

witholat the benefit of an investigation, they didn't interview complainant, they didn't interview any of the teachers or faculty at the

University, and they basically settled on political expedience.

Their attitude was really nonchalant about dealing with Asian

Americans, so I wok suggest that.this study would be apropos and it

would help us formul te strategies f,r the future.

. I.

. \

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.. Itay also be tuited over to another 'sue-happy, troublemaKing

7torney who mikifit 'casider filing a suit against the Federal

fovetnment, afteir conciliation, of course.

But based on this kind of stud;, I think it will present alternatives to

.ps in the future and give_us an idea of what is really happening to our

employees inside these particular agencies.

, i 1 \ Thank you very much.

COMMISSIONER FRERMAN. Mr. Minami, did you want to use ydur 1

nunute at the end of the panel? t

. i

4° MR. -MINAMI. May I use it at the end, Madame Commissioner?

CdMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Yes.

-, MR. MINAMI. Thank you. r- C9MMISSIONER FREEMAN. Our next panelist is Ms. Betty Lim

Guimares, .who now serve's as commissioner of the California Fair

Employment Practices Commission and also is program manager for

CETA employment, affirmative action, and cultural programs for San

Francisco. ..3

Presentation of Betty Lipi Guimares, Commissioner, California Fair EMployment Practices CoMmission

Ms. GuitkiaLs. Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, Commissioners. Public policy at all levels of

government tis aimed at the use of public resources to obtain full

employmv1t/for those who are willing and able to work. When this

policy translates, for example, into a prSt am such as the federally

funded CETA program, there is very littlFimpact on the employment

problems for the Asian/Pacific communities.

However, I would like to describe what does happen, where the

c Asians are emerging as a voice in the community, and I'm speaking

about San Francisco. All those Asians have been a vital part of San

Francisco for over 125 years; only within the' Ink 3 years, thanks

largely to the organizational skills of the various Asian grOups, and not

in small part to the policies of one man, our be,loved late Mayor'

George ,,Moscone, Asians are-liginning to participate in the governmental process.

In last November's election, an Asian American was electe4 to the

community zollege board and she received the highest number of

votes citywide.

Another Asian Amehcan in the field of 96 candidates citywide for

16 seats on the charter revisiop committee also received the highest

number of votes citywide. And, of course, the results of both these

elections led to the election of these two people as the presidents of

their boards.

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f

There's an Mian elected to the board of supervisors and another to

he school boara; Another dozcin Asians have been appointed to city

commissioils. While what I say sounds very impressive. I want to make

it clear that we are just beginning. It follows, then, that of the 32

members of th employment and training wired ih San Francisco,

which sets the policy and devises the plan aiToversces the operation

of the CET6 programs, 7 of us are Asians, and this follows with

Dale's point about organizing and making the Asian and Pacific voices

heard.

Then, again, it follows that the CETA program in San Francisco

will come up with a plan thai addresses thc needs IA the Asian

communities, althoue the Federal legislation and regulations certainly do NV specify those needs:

In SW Francisco CETA provides funding for a variety of programs

to assist Asians in obtaining jobs or in training. The Chinese for

Affirmative Action, the American Cooks Program, the Asian Neighborhood Design, the Chinatown Resources Development Center, the

Community Education Center, West Bay Multi-Service Corporation,/

Glide Foundation, Vietnamese Youth Development Center, the SelfHelp for the Elderly, Multiservices Center for Koreans, Samoans for

Samoans, and add to this a list of some 30 more Al!an, nonprofit

community agencies who receive CETA workers to assist in the work

in the agency and, in turn, are assisted in finding jobs after their CETA

experience, and it is clear that a Federal program such as CETA 'Can

have impact on the Asian communities.

However, as we are all aware, Congressboth houses of

Congressthrough the budget committees, just recently voted to

reduce the CETA fundinetOstantially. So the Proposition 13

situation in talfornia is being heard in other States and I think the

Federal Government is also heeding this advic for less government

spending.

Let me talk a little bit about the California .Fair Employment

Practices Commission. I'd like to offer a brief description of the

experience'of the FEPC in terms of .the. filing of complaints. I should

point out 'that for the purpok of this statement, Asians include

Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Southeast Asians, and Filipinos.

To obtain the most relevant body of information, the data compiled

cover the period of July 1, 1977, to March 31, 19790 months short of

a 2-year period.

But providing the most up-to-date statistics our computer could

furnish for this 21-month period, we received from Asians a total of

398 complaints, all but 20 of them in qmplrment, the others being in

"housing and public accomodations.

4 38

425
This was out of a total of 5,326 complaints. docketed. For the

purposes of comparison, 4,500 complaints were filed by black clients,

and 1,200 by Hispanic origin individuals.

Whije the total number of Asian complaints continues to rise, the

percentage of such complaints of all those we receive remains fairly

constairt over the years, approximatek 7 or 8 percent. The bulk of the

-complaints were received from Asians involved in upgrading or

promotions.

American-born Chinese or Japanese, for example, may find it

relatively i'asy to get jot;.s, but are blocked off from promotional

opportupities. Our investigators find that the kinds of reasons employers give for not promoting, and in some cases not hiring forientry level

jobs, fall,into certain patterns.

One employer, for example, claimed, that his failure to promote an

Asian worker was because he was a good researcher, but like most

Asians, he was not action minded and probably couldn't make the

decisions required of a manager. This tics in-with the stereoty-pe that

Asians are too studiotts or too clannish, and that Asians are not

aggressive enough.

Another major problem already mentioned relates to educational

accreditation. Although the individual might have been highly

qualified educationally in his or her native land, those credentials are

often tot accepted unless they come from an 'approved list of

unIversities.,

1\' This has led to frequent complaints of employment discrimination.

'YEven when Asians speak fluent English, they are often ,described as

lackins communicati4 skills. The Fair Employment Practices Commission recently hearda case of an Asian who worked 6 years in one

of the counties in .ealifornia. After a distinguished career documented

by good evaluation reports and two promotions, by the way, a new

sujiervisor decided that this same person had communication skills

problems; and recommended in his written evaluation report that the'

complainant should stop speaking his native language at home.

He was eventually terminated from- his positiont' and the Fair

Employment Practices Commislion eventually found that he suffered

unlawful discrimination, and haaordered reinstatement and babk pay.

We know, of course, that the majot block of discrimination won't be

. eradicated or, indeed, significantly ameliorated by filing of individual

complaints alone, especiafly when there is a reluctance of Asians, to.file

complainis.

One project that the commission did engage in very. reoently is a

hearing to find out why there Was underutilization 6f the Asian Work

force in the bakery industry. This was requested by the the Chinese for

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Affirmative Action, and when the commission spoke to the industry,

they were very reluctant to participate in such a hearing.

After several meetings there was an agreement between tbe

communities and, the bateries that we would have a tbrum, and that

forum was held very recently. The reprisentativç of the bakery

industry did announce an agreement to work with the cominunity

agencies to pfovide liaison and to jointly recruit Asians for jobs that

become open.

In June the commission will receive a report as to bow this is

working, and perhaps consult with the communities about other

industries that we could work out a sinii rogram for.

In the last 30 seconds, I would like to ma e a few recommendations,

not very difficult to implement, and not very lofty.

First of all, Federal agencies must give the Asian and 'Pacific

communities the recognition that they deserve so that when we see a

mention or Asian or Pacific communities in the Federal publichtion,

we don't consider it a major miracle.

The other is that recommendations from the Asian and Pacific

communities must be taken very seriously ans1 a vehicle must be

provided for ongoing dialogue, planning, and implementation of those

recommendations. . Thank you.

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. Thank yon.

Discussion

Mr. Minami, you may take your I minute.

MR. MINAMI. Thank you very much, Madame Commissioner.

This is-a petition to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, it's signed

by 40 participants, and we will probably get more and we'll turn them

in at the end.

We, the undersigned Participants the U.S. Commission on Civil

Rights Consultation on Asian and j'acific Americans request that the

folloviing recommendations be implemented:

0'nethat t4 Commission submit specific findings and recommendations to th' gress and to the President.

Two, that propriate Federal agencies named in the consultation

be called before the Commission to respond to the issues and diaN

presented during the consultation.

Three, that more indepth studies on priorities, issues, and problems

be pursued byis Commission.

Four, that tfie .President appoint art Asian -or Pacific American

commissioner to this Commission.

440 427
, \ 1.

Five, that this petition be submitti into the records of the

proceedings of this consultation, and printed as part of the report of

this consultaton.

Thank you very much.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Thank you. It wil be received and included

in the proceedings.

1 . Vice Chairman Horn?

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I was very interested iiiyour commentg,

Ms. Guimares, about CETA. I share your concern that Congress hascut back on the level of appropriations since n4 own experience with

this program is that it is an immensely worthwhile transition program

to provide skills for individuals who aie moving froth an undecemployed or unemployed status beneficial occupations. 1

But there's another aspect of t program that deeply concerns me,

and that is not simply the cutback in the level of funding but also the

reduction in the amount of monthly wage that can be paid to a CETA

employee. In essence,this new policy is freezing out people who turve

some soObisticated competency, but are not employed, from an

oppoqunity to source adequate employment experience, which wquld

trip in a transition to-either the private or the public sectorg.

,' Would yotr comment about that and perhapsdinform this Commission whether the California FEPC hasprotet00) the Department of

Labor and the Congress about this regulatioAi.

A I recall, they'Ne cut the monthly stipend to something like $860 a

mo h, and t4at doesn't even cover our lowest &liking job in the

university, wikther it be custodian or clerical.

Ms. LIIMARES. Yes. In the average annual wage, the legislat(on

requires nationwide that the`CETA program fticid jobi at no m4te

than $7, 00 a year. And then, of course, that's indexed according to

the consumer p5ice index of each area and in San Frafigsco it's $8,935.

And your comment about Ns kind of provision efittinating many

jobs, including those that wduld provide many of the social services,

for examplc; ia correct. In San Francisco we aite; howgver, allowed to

supp1eme0 with city funds or other fueds, a certain amount, I think

it's $1,20d. It's still not very much money.,

And many of tithe private nonprofit agencir cannot afford that

supplementation, so.. they haVe to stick with tI4 $8,935. In San

Francisco, the average CETA. wage j about, right now is running

about $10,000, so it willit wIt) hurt. . The otWactor that is that they will iivallow y4u te create a parti time jobd get arond the average ge that way. If you hird

vmebody foirS6,000 for half Ame, they, mpute it as k $12,000 job, so

they whole 2ea isqtally to turn the CE A services back to those who

are most needy in terms of economic sttus and the critettaTiit course,

428 N-ib

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a

have.changed; everyone who serves must be from the low-income

bracket and then must be 12 to 15 weeks unemployed depending on

the title. - , The FEPC had not, to my knowledge, provided any written

comments on the law whAi it was being proposed.

VICE tHIAIRMAN HoitN. Well, I hope the California FEPC does

provide such comments because here's a good example of a program

Where people with presumably worthy goals go about fouling it up.

Apparently, there is a feeling that there have\been abuses in the public

sector perhaps because some in city hall have put their cousin on as an

assistant to a councilfnan br something. Tbe congressional response

seems to be, "Then let's get them out of the public sector and transition

.CETA.`employees into the private sectoV."

I am aware that you c.inri use CETA employees in the private sector

because other than meeting the minimum wage there arn't -Wage

soales (hat are devised by legislative bodies to prevent the unfair'.

1xploitation of workers so you'can pay thenba low wage.

The probieni .in ,the puhlic Sector is that the lower cost jobs have

Q $ somewhat :adequate base. I won't *say it's adequate because I

don't believe it is for clericals or custodians and right n$,F. , under these regulations in a Califórnia with its cost structure, CZ

employees are frozen out of the opportunity to be part of at 1

State employment force to any extent, which flans, again, rtunities for getting themselves prepared for a long term job are being

", washed down the drain by counterproductive Federal policies made

here in this city, no do *th good intent, but with complete

impracticality. '4% ___, Ms. OutmARES. I think all the 1?cal juris*tions are really feeling

the impact of this policy. rp CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. ConimisSIOner altzman?

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Dr. Rod guez, an earlier psnelisti Dr.

Nishi, inkikated that the pretence of the Asian/Pacific peoples

predoMinkttly in the urban centers along with other minority

commtinities in the urban centers, are all in competition for employment. The possibility of confrontation between minority groups is

especiallysince there is only so Much to the ie. . Will everyone have a -lesser shire of the_ piet Do you view the effort/

of EEOC to now move forward on bkha of Asian and Pacirif

American people as possibly diluting the pbtential for 4obs of/the

black, Spania speaklhg, or women's groups? .. . COMMISSJdJER RODRIGUEZ. No. That has been the case. I remember arriving at HEAkinder the Johnson administration as opening the

first office for the Spanish speaking, ind when I approached the bag of

inoney that exists for all people, I saw that there v>as less than 20 I

429

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1)erc4set-asidefor minoritites, and the question was: What happened

to that 80 percent? -That's the money I %%Punted to get into because there

was no sense in fighting the then-established minority who Was

receiving it, but that's not the way it worked.

The truth in the pudding is that because of our new authority to

monitor the affirmative action programs, we have a better opportunity

at this point to assurelhat there is and there will be Asian and Pacific

Americans in all sectors, ath in the private and in the public, and we

intend to do that.

But we do not 101511 at it in terms of competition with the other

minorities, but rather in coinktition with everyone.

Which means that you Anglos are going .to have to give up

sonic! hilt,

COMMISSIONER SAUIZMAir. You're saying the resources for the

ET.00 to move ahead in t is area will not be taken from the black

community, or the Spanish American community. Right? Where then

will those resources come from for LEOC?

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. I have a staff Member in my office

whO's 1_9i Anglo. He's been with me for years because he always

reminds me .that you Anglos have all the land, the money, and the

votes. So that's where we're going to get it from.

VICE CHAIRMAN. HORN. Well, could I just say on that that there's a

difference of philosophy in terms of how One puts all people who want

to work in a society into productive employment) And what you're

falling into the trap of, in my humble opinion, is the old saw of the

depression, that the American economy will never expand,and provide

growth and it is only a question of how you cut up the 'pie. And in

order t(i cut up an existing pie, presumably one takes from those.

I suggest that's a crazy way to approach government and progress

in this society. And what this government and public officials ought to

be 'linking about is how to expand it pportunities in which all people in

a society can advance, and not get into internecine warfare, whether it

be among minoritie) or whether it be among so-calledkajorities and

minorities.

I don't think that Is necessarily the way public policy has to go.

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. Stephen, I agree with youbut that's

the way the cookie's crumbling these days. I ran a college across town

from your university-and I had to make it wore( this way. And I'm sure

that you're doing it because-I see sonic of the changes that you've

made over there. But you had to take it from somewhere. You didn't

exclude people but what you did is you made sure that 4;qual

employment was proAded and you didn't provide by taking it from

other minorities, you provided it by where the vacancies were.

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And if 80 percent of your faculty is Anglo; then air chance is that 80

percent of the vacancies will be there; and if you provide major

opportuMties there, then that's where you're going to get positions to

bring minorities in. That's what you have tolook at. . You can't kid anybody that you're doing it equally. We're looking at

the greattat .opportunity where the greatest sources are to bring about

parity in representation of government employment, youc?,krici,w, in all

the things that there arc in tcrms of being able to contribute to this

country. z So we do kid ourselves. I've been doing"- it for years, and I'm

probably older than any of you. I've been on both sides of the stick.

That's where the pot is, and tlVt's where you go.

MR. MINAM1. May 1 respond to that? I think I would disagree and

the reason I disa,gree is I don't know if you can count on a continually

expanding ecoriomy given the problems we've had With oil and other

problems and a coming recession possibly.

I think you've got to take it from the Pentagon. You're talking about

giving half yOur mdney away, your tax dollars for mini and for the

Pentagon and I think it's a matter of just priorities. We're looking at

human development, human resources, civil rights, it's really a matter

of what you really think is important for your particular lives and for

the lives of your fellow"brothers and sisters.

A I would look at it that way.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Mr. arirman?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. I hesitate to get into this dialoguekbetween

Mr. Rodriguez and my colleague, and I eves.hesitate to respohd to the

comment on who's the oldest around'here.

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. I happen to know his age.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. ButOkay. As ktween You two, all right,I.

, A I'll agree to that.

My feeling is that we must constantly put eniiih is, of course, on

growth, but I also feel that where discrimination be established,

that we have to start bringing an end to chat discrimination at once,

and sometimes that means doing it within existing resources.

We've done some work in the Area of age diocrimination and your

commission is going to have some responsibilities in that area

beginning on July.1, and we're often met by people who allege that

they will start, or stop discrimipating .the basis of age provided

they're given some money.

But, in the meantime, they'll continue to discriminate.

So it seems to me that itis necessary to break into the vicious circle

at some point, and to takeand at that particular point to begin

bringing an end to'discrimination on the basis of race in this particular

instanee.

431

114

rA
But in-- I thoupiht you might want to comment bet'ore this particular

panel sessiOn ends, 'on sonie of the comments of Mi. Minami, but I

wanted to ask this questiok You referred to the fact that the l!lqual

Elnployment Opportunity Commission is going to put major emphasis

on systemic approach and I know I've heard your chairperson

underline, the same point. Are you aware of any program that is going

to be launched that will deal with that systennc approach, particularly

as far as Asian Americans are concerned?

COMMISsioNI,R.RoDRIGuEz. Yes, but I cannot reveal it.

COMMISSIONER Ft EMmING. Okay, I just wanted--

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. Yes, there are

COMMISSIONER FLEMMING. that's part of your thinking and a part

of your planning?

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. Yes.

CHAIRMAN Fi EMMING. Also another issue that came out, came up

in connection with Mr. Minami's testimony, as the Commission works

on its own affirmative ãhion plan, that is,tinvolving its own

employment, is it going to put emPhasis on some goals and timetabls

as far as Asian Americans are concerned?

COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. Yes.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. All right. Would you like to comment on

any of Mr. Minatni's testimony? He referred to the EEOC and the

Office for Civil Rights. Of course, he referred to a matter that took

place lo4 before you took office, but I didn't know whether you

wanted to comment or not?

COMMISSIONER RODliIGUEZ. I've requested that I get a coPy of

theof the'charge and the written correspondence and I've also asked

that we get together to see how we can join forces and, as far as

know; his statements relative to the profile of EEOC is accurate.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. If you develop a comment On the specific

case to which reference was made, we would appreciate very much

having that information.so that we can make it a part of the, record of

this consultation at this particular point, so that we've got awe've

got the statement made by Mr. Minami. and then statements made by

,e the Equal Employment Opportunity ComOssion, And I also intthded

right at the begining to say that we cert4nlY4welcome you as a

member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and are

delighte4 that you accepted the invitation to become a member of that

Commission, because we feel, as we work in this particular area, that

the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is playing, and will

continue to play a very major role.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you.

432

P

f15
Wer have come to the close of this morning's dismaaion on

employment issues. And I want to thank each of you for taking the

time. You have made a very helpffil contribution to the proceedings.

Thank you very much.

-Jk

\

11 6

4
Pepin Prowdod

Disadvantaged Employment Status of

Asian and Pacific Americans

by Dr. Amado Y. Cabezaa.

The American Heritage Dictionary (1976) defines a myth as: "(1)

One, of the fictions or half-truths forming part of the ideology of a

society: 'the myth of Anglo-Saxon superior% or (2) Any fictitious or

imaginary story, person, or thing: 'German Ortillery support on the

Western Front was a myth',"

This morning "I am addressing some of the mythology about the

socioeconomic success of Asian and Pacific Americans. In particular, I

will focus on myths about the homogeiseity or sameness of Asian and

Pacific Americans, about their succedin t14 job market, about their

high incoine and the consequeites of their high educialonal attainment

level, and about their success in business. Along the way, we also point

out the problems with standard socioeconomic indicators, usually

inappropriate for these populations. I will &include with some

recommendations about equal employment opportunity, affirmative

action, and other minority programs forlAsian and Pacific Americans.

Myth No. 17.,,

"Asian and Pacific Americans all li;ok alike. They are pretty much

the same people."

The U.S. Bureau of the Census ii6out 2 Years ago, while prpai1i g

the questionnaire for the 1980 census, attempted to mike myth a

realityand nearly succeeded. The Bureau Was seriously considering

the use of one aggregqtf ,,category,, "Asian American "or Pacific'

Islander," to include pll Americans of ,Chinese, Japanese,

.11 Korean,,Vietnamese, CamhOdiim, Samoan,' Tongan, Indonesian, Bur-,

mese, and other Southeast Asian descent. The 1970 census data itself

collected separately for Americans of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino,

Korean, and Hawaiian descent, show the diverse demographic awl

socioeconomic characteristics of these populations.' See, for example,

Dr. Amado Cabetas is 'director of human services research at Asian-American Service Institute

for Auistance to Neighborhoods, Inc. (ASIAN. Inc.), 1610 Bush Street, San Francisco, Calif. This

paper is the result of discussions with Harold T. Yet, presiderd of ASIAN, Inc., and Eric Jenaen of

the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. ASIAN, Inc.. is a private, nonprofit research and technical

assistance organisation in San Francisco, Calif.

' U.S., Bureau of the Census, Japanese. Chinese. and Filipinos In the United States. Subject Report PC

(2)-10(1973).

434 :
the distribution even by bfoad occupation of the Chinese, Filipino,

Japanese males and feinalmin tte. San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area (taNles 1 and 2).' The tables show differences, forexample, in

the proportion of male workers in pie managerial, professional laborer,

and service worker occupations. There are proportionately more

Filipino and Chinese males in the service worker occupations. The

proportion of Japanese males in the laborer ranks was the highest

among the four etimicities. The tables also show differences in the

proportion of females in the profrssional, clerical, operative, service

worker, and private household worker occupations. There are proportionately more Chinese females in the operative ranks (mostly garment

workers), more Filipino females in the service wOrkers and clerical

occupations, and more Japanese females in the private household

worker ranks.

Among others, they are also different in culture, language, and

recency of imnUgrItion. A fundamental concept in statistics is: "Thou

shall not aggregate nonhomogeneous entities." The Bureau pretested

the aggregate ciktegory in Oakland, California, in 1977 and found

inconsistencies ))etween the datirand that obtained using the specific

ethnicity categories. ApparentW, many of these Americans did not see

themselves as Asian American or Pacific Islander; rather, they were of

Chinese-441;cent, Filipino descent, Japanese descent, Samoan descent,

and so on. The 1980 census questionnaire now uses the specific

ethnicity.categories and has added others such as Vietnamese, Samoan,

and Guamanian. 4

It is convenient to use the aggregate category. In this consultatiott

and other places, "Asian and Pacific. American" is being Used;

however, this should in no.way.!3e taken to.mean that these Atmericans

are all alike, that their problems are the same, or that their diversity

can be ignored.

Myth No. 2:

"Asian and Pacific Americans are not discriminated against in

employment. They hold good jobs and are filarnd in all

sectors of industry."

In a study funded by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission, ASIAN, Inc. found discriminatory patterns of employment in the private sector in the San Francisco Bay Area.' The data

base used was the 1970 and 1975 EEO-1 data as reported to the EEOC

by employers themselves. The disparities were found to be statistically

significant and, therefore, not likely due to random chance. The

patterns, showing very little change over the 5-year period, are prima

Amado Y Cabezits Ilarok1 1 Yee, Thiscriminarory Ernploymen( of Asian Americans; Private

industry in dre San Francisco. Oakland SMSA, ASIAN, Inc : San Frimetseo, Calif , 1977)

435
Table 1

Distribution by Broad Occupation of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and

Whit Males, All industrios In the San Francisco-Oakland SMSA,

1970

Broad occupation

Male occupational distribution

J;Wse

-1-2%

24

White* Chins Filipino

Manager/administrator** Professionalitchnic Ian

14%

20

10%

20

4%

12

Salesperson 9 6 2 5 Clerk 9 15 18 12 Craftsperson 20 10 11 11

Operative 14 12 10 9 Laborer, except farm 5 4 5 14

Farmer and farm laborer 0 0 2 3 Service worker 9 23 36 8

Private househobt worker 0 1 1 1 All occupations 659,543 22,448 10,414 8,548

-100% -100% -100% - 100%

'White includes Spanish American's and thus is biased downward in the h gh-status oc- cupations and biased upward In the low-status occupations.

A breakdown of self-employed vs. salaried managers, such as shown in table E of ap- pendix E, for the Asian American aggregate is not available.

Source. U.S., Department of Labor, Detailed Manpower lndicatorsSan FranciscoOakland. SMSA (San Francisco: manpower Administration. DOL. 1972)

U S , Bureau of the Census. Japanese. Chinese and Filipinos in the U S (1973)

TABLE 2

Distribution by Broad Occupation of Chinese, Filipino, Japaneu, and

Whits Females, All Industriss in tha San Francisco-Oakland SMSA,

1970

Broad occupation

Fmale Occupational Distrib

White* Chinse Filipino

ut lot"

Japanese

Manager ?Administrator **

Professional/technician

Salesperson Clerk

pftsperaon perative - Laborer, except farm

Farmer and farm laborer

Service worker

Private household worker

5°/0

19

9

45

16

12

2

30/0

11

6

38

2

26

10

11

2

2%

15

3

51

6

1

1 19

2

3%

16

5

40

2

2

12

12

All occupations 410,709

-100%

16,279

=100%

7,963

= op%

7,464

=100%

'White includei Spanish Americans and thus is biased downward in (he high-status occupations and biased upward in the low-status occupations.

**A breakdown of self-employed vs. salaried managers, Such as shown In table E of ap- pebdix E for the Asian American aggregate la nOt available.

Source .S.. Department of Labor, Detailed Manpower IndicatorsSan Frahclsco- Oaklitn SMSA, (1972)

U.S., 81., au of the Census, Japanese.' Ohinese, and Filipinos In .the 0.S. (1973).

436

4

,
facie evidence of discrimination based on present caselaw. 'Therefore,

the evidence is sufficient to shift the burden of proof to the employers.

Among others, the study found Asian employment to be less than

one-half of parity in 12 of the 17 major manufacturing industries in thc

area: food products, lumbers, furniture, paper, printing, petroleum,

rubber, stove, clay, alialxlass products, primary metals, fabricated

metal products, nonelectrical machinery, and miscellaneous manufacturing. (All industrial categories, arc from the Federal standard

industrial classification code.) In the transportation, communication,

and public utility industries, and in finance, insurance, and real estate,

Asian a;4 Pacific Americans are mostly clerical workers. And in the

services idustries, Asian employment is high in hotels, restaurants,

and health services where, however, they are mostly food `And

cleaning service workers.

In hospitals, they are mostly nurses rather than physicians, and even

in these ranks, discrimination apparently exists. Norma Watson, a

Filipino American nurse who was employed by Mary's Help Hospital

in Daly City (a city south of San Frdecisco), after being denied

employment in eight private hospitals in 'San Francisco because "she

,L has no local experience," has filed an employment discrimination suit

against the California Nurses Association-,--the-San-fizapcisco Affiliated

Hospitals, and the American Nurses Association, among others. In her

discrimination complaint she charges that "even though I and other

foreign-born and trained nurses have previous experience and trdning,

an this is not credited when we are employed, d we are therefor ed

at substandard wages, are not put into positions, commensurate with

our backgrounds, are forced to work on undersirable shifts, do not

receive appropriate promotions, and are nOk permitted to work in

supervisory positions." The EEOC is now investigating the charge as

a class action on behalf of other nurses similarly affected.

Charges of discrimination havetalso beeii filed in the last 5 years by

Asian and Pacific Americans against such employers as United

Airlines, Pacific Telephone, Pacific Gas and Electric, and the San

Francisco Police Department, among many other employers.

Five metropolitan areas account for more than one-half of the Asian

.and Pacific American population of the United States; these are the

metropolitan areas of Honolulu, San Francisco, L.:9s Angeles, Chicago,

and New York. The low occupational status of these AmericanS in

these areas can be seen from their lar% percentages among the low

status, low-income occupations, a category defined by the U.S.

Department of Labor as consisting of laborers, service workers,

private household workers, and farmworkers,ksee table 3). Also shown

are their percentages among the female operatives who predominantly

are garment workers. The data from thp 1970 census sliows the

437

450
eTABLE 3

Percentage of Workers In Low-Status, Low-Income Occupations

(laborers, service workers, private household workers, farm workers; separately, female operatives)

INABA

ETHNIC GROUP

Japanese Chinos. White

Chicago: male 9.6 34.0 15.5 13.1

- female 12.2 17.4 7.2 13.3 female operatives 18.3 23.4 3.9 12.1

male 14.0 16.9 39.6 15.6 female 22.7 18.7 34.6 17.5 female operatives 10.0 8.2 16.6 2.2 Los Angeles: male 25.4 22.6 29.5 11.7 female 16.7 10.8 13.3 14.9 female operatives 16.6 25.6 13.0 8.2 New York: male 7.8 38.3 16.3 14.7 female 5.6 8.5 7.5 11.4 female gperatives 7.4 43.7 3.4 10.1

San Franc isctl male 26.9 27.2 43.5 13.1 female 26.1 14.0 22.5 14.1 female operatives 7.7 26.3 6.4 4.8

Source: U.S., Bureau of the Census, Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos In the thited States, Summary Manpower Indicators.

percentages of Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese maleks fad females in

these low-status, low-income occupations to be two to three times that

for whites, depending on the areas.4

In another study sponsored by the EEOC, disparities in employment

were also found in the large ranks of workers in the local, State, and

Federal Government agencies in the five-county San Francisco Bay

area.5 The data base were EE0-4 reports for local and State

governments, and Federal employment data from ',the O.S. Civil

Service Commission. The common patterns uncowred that affect large classes of Asian and Pacific American employees .are the

following:

Low level of employment as administrators,

Low to fair level of employment as professio1als, but with

staestically significant lower salaries relative to their white counterparts.

' David M. Moulton, The Socio-Economk Status of Asian American Families in Five Mellor SMSAs:

With Regard Ds the Relevance of Commonly-Used Indkators qf Economk Welfare (prepared Or the Conference on Pacific and Asian American Families and HEW-Related Issues, Airlie:Va., March 1978), ASIAN, Inc.

Cabelaa W. Lim, and H. T. Yee, A Stmt. of Employment Discrimination Against Asian Amerkans in tht San P)anctsco-Oakland SMSA: !iv( I7 Union Labor; Atm III, Educational Institutions; Ibrt IV. The Unemployed Ranks: and Part V. Government, ASIAN, Inc., Sin Francisco, Calif., August 1976).

438

451
l.

a Fair to high level of employment as clerical workers, but with

significantly lower salaries relative to their white counterparts.

Very low level of employment as police officers in cities, sheriffs

in counties, and highway iltrol officers in the State.

Low to fairOievel of employment as professionals in county

correctional agencies and very low level of employment as

professionals and protective service workers in State correctional

agencies. Very lo* level of etnploynient as fire fighters in city fire

departments.

1....9w level of employment as service/maMtenance workers in

city public works departments.

In the Federal agencies, few Asian and Pacific Americans were

found among the main ranks tot' professimials such as: attorneys,..-

im%estigators, inspectors, geophysicists, biologists, and ecoitomisti:

Exceptions are the IRS agent ranks and the claims assistants at the

Sonial Security Administfation and GSA.. For the most part,fthe data7

showed that Asian and Pacific Americans mostly: nonsupervisory,

hourly, blue-Collar workers in the various military installations; midlevel but nos senior professionals (mostly accOuntants, engineers,

technicians, and nurses); postal service workers, and most of all=

clerical workers. And since U.S. citizenship is requirecINfar.. Federal

Government employment, mbst ofthese Asian and Pacific Americans

aresecond, third, and later generation Americans.

Here in Washington, D.C., it is probably perceived that Asian and

Pacific Americans are in large numbers blithe Federal Government.

While this may be so, none of these Americans are`in administrative,

policYmaking, or decisionmaking positions. There is not an Asian or

Pacific American in such a position in any of the civil rights agencies:

the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of

Federal Contract\ Compliance Programs, nor the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights itself. There is not an Asian or Pacific American in such a

position in the mingOty program of the Department of. Labor, the

Office of Minority gusiness Enterprises, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, nor the

Office of Education, which is in chargeof the Nations's operations in

bilingual education.

Myth No. 3:

'Asian and Pacific Americans do well because they go to coige.

Because of this their income exceeds even that of Atte Americans.'

We need only turn to the 1970 census data to prove ibis to be myth

rather than reality. Special tabulations of the public use sample tapes,

452

439
Ill carried Out for eaa of the five metropolitan areas where Asian and

-Pacific Americans are concentrated,.reveal the poorreturns in income,

even with increasing educational attainment by these Americans (see

tables 4, 5 and 6).4 Fxcluding Honolulu, etlie income of Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino males, iespectively, with 4 'or more years of college and resitting in the other four metropolitan areas was, on

ayerage, only tg percent, 74 ,percent, and 52 percent .that of white

males. And for the college-graduate Japanese, Chinese, and FilipinO

-females, their income, on average, was only 3 percent, 44 percent, 44

percent, respectively, that of white maks. The disparities also exist among' those with lowq, educational attainment: among those Avid' high school to 3 'ye)ir4 ofcollege, Japanese, Chinese, end Filipino male

income, respectively, was about 83 percent, 70 percent, and 70 percent

that of white males. And finally, among those with tesS than a high

school alucation, Japanese, Chinese nd Filipino. Male inCome, respectivelywas about 84 percent, 60 percent, and 74 percent that of

.. white males. i t . , rV In 1970 black male income,wai about 60 percent that off,white male

income in the United States.' Thus, the incOme gap for Chinese and Filipino males and fOr the Asian fernthes was comparable to that for black males. Even with factors such as age, years of ichooling,

Southern residence, hours worked, m4rital status; and veteran status

taken into account, the black-to-white earnings ratio could only be

incremed to about 75 percent, as ochnuarcd With 60 percent When

these factors aie not controlled for.' Also, significantlY,, the ratio was

' 57 percent in 1960, indicating a rate of progress that would require 50

-to 100 years for parity to be reached. What does.this portend for the Asian-to-White earnings gap?.

. Using 1970 census data,:a study found that the earnings differential

between Chinese, Japanese, and black males as cOmpared with white males in California could not be explained by taking ipto account factors such as education, labor market experience, U.S.. citizenship, number of yetis in. the U.S., vocational training, disabilit*, and 1(ibor market area, The study concluded that the most likely 'cause of the

earnings differentials was raoial discrimination.

Median years of schooling, family income, ,-. . and labor forceparticitiation rate, used independently of others as socidaconomics indicators,.

are inapproprMte.afor inost -Asian and Pacific American popuhitions.' MaAsian and .Pacific Americans' are in the labor force, and most

6 Moifiton, pp. 53-55.

., ' J. G Haworth, I Owartney and C. Haworth, "Earnings, yroductivity and Changes in a Ernploymmt Discrimination During the 1960's, "American Economic Review:March 1975. ' Ibid. r . ' ". Harold H. Wong, The Relative Economic Status of Chihese, Japanese, Black and White Men in t'altfornia (Ph. D. thesis, University of.Californiaat Berkeley) (Springlreld, Va.: NTIS, 1974). <, 440

. 453
TABLE 4

Educational Attainment and Earnings.for Asian and White

Americans Persons with 4 or More Years College Education

PiEDIAN ANNVAL INCOME IN DOLLAAS: MALES-AND

FEMALES

SMSA

Jai:iambs* Chines* I Filipino Hawaiian White

Chicago:

Honolulu: M

Los Angeles:

New Yo1.*:

San Francisco: M

0

10,500 9,500 6,250 14,408

7,500 6,1100 6,300 6,788

12,100 14,0004,, 7,900 13,000 11,500

8,250 4,750 6,000 5,5b0 5,750

12,889 , .11,000 6,875 14,311

7,357 5,500 6,250 7,148

11,625 '10,437 8,000 - 14,724

9,000 7,375 -2_7,4249 7,620fr

12,111 11,167 8,000 13,081'

6,000 6,300 5,187 . 6,902

iturce U.S. Census, 1970: Publici14e Simple Tapes, Special Tabulations Tabulations'are made for persons 25 59- rs old

fl0141. TABLE-5

Educational Attainment and Earnings foi,Asian and White

Americans, Persons with High School to 3 Years College Education

SMSA

ghicego:-.

'F

Honolulu:

Los Angeles: M

New York:

tan Francisco: - M

MEDIAN ANNUAL INCOME IN DOLLARS: MALES AND

Japalitrsal [ Chinse I 1 HaWallan 1 White

9,333 6,500 7,2

5,250 5,500

9,700 10,7781 6,00

5,524 5,792k 4,83

9,818 7,833 7,61

5,196 4,333d 250

6,500 6,571 8,500

--

10,904

4,646

8,tia3 8,87,5

5,200 4,750 - 10,4115 - 5,167

10,449

6,250 4,400 6,500 28 Ilk

9,500 8,881 6,70 10, 7

4,937 6,079 4,722 _ 5,388 P source: U.S. Census, 1970: Public Use Sample rapes, Special Tabulations. Tabula-

,: none are m9de for persons 25-59 years old,

\ 441
TABLE 6

EducationalAttainmlont and fifrnings for Asian and White

Amricans, Potions with Less Tha High School Educatio

SMSA

EDIAN A UAL INCOME IN DOLLARS;

FEMALES

Japanese I Chinese I Filipino 'Hawaiian

MALES AND

1_ White

Chicago 9.00 6.000 8,000.. 9,329 F. 4,000 3,375 5,500 4.250 Honolulu 8,722 9,250 7.000 7,929 9.000 4,077 4.273 3,500 3.437 4,000 Los Angelesk 7,458 5.000 4,900 8,766 3,167 _2,944 4,125 3,834 New York: 4,750 4,803 6,500 8,640 4.000 3,588 6.250 3,819 San Francisco 8,250 5,542 7,000 9,047 4,250 2,950 3,417 4.056 \ Source U S Census, 1970- Public Uae Sample Tapes:Special Tabulations Tabula- tions aro made for.per years old

1

families h e nearly two workers per family as compared Ikith 1.6 for

White II lilies."' Their problems have more td do with loW occupational status, discriminatory employment patterns, and low per-person

income. Social indicators such as detailed bccupAti?_91-status rather

than broad , occupational status, per-person incomt, both given by

specific metropolitan area, would be much more relevant indicators.

Myth No. 4:

Another indicatir of the socioeconomic success of Astrirand

Pacific Americans is that many of them are in business for

themselves, and in this, they are successful."

61.

gni

, Probably the only data base that permits an exiimination of this ifflitbh

is the 1972 survey of minority-owned business enterprises conducted

by thda.1.S. Bureau of the Census as part of the economic surveys held

1972. The data, shown herein, reveitl the Asian firms to be mostly in

retail trade and selected services (table 7)." And that among these firms, more t n one-half were classified as "Without Paid Emplo

ees"with avers eipts per firm (table 8).

The low level of grbss receipts for these firms that account for most of Asian andJeeAmerican firms canuotin any way betaken to

Moulton, p 4.

" U S . Bureau of the Census, MI

Others. Report M1172 (February 197

rity-Owned Busmesses Asian Amerwans. American Inchon& and

455

"00
I 1 Y

TABLk 7

Corkcentration of Asian Paolfic American Firms in Retail Trade and

Selected Services

SM8A

No. ol

firms

No. and % in

retail trad

-

1

No. and % In

selected

services . Sim Francisco:

Chinese

Japanese

K orean

Filipino

Los Angelis: Chinese

Japanese

Korean

Filipino

New York:

Chinese

Japanese

Korean

Fill 4_2_ Chicago: Asian

2,386

1,227

59

326

1,211 (51%)

228 (18%)

29 (49%)

79 (24%)

591 (25%)

322 (26 i - 'v.-L:4

22 (3 )

178 (55

1,278 35rTg5

5,304 1,10) 21%) 872 (18%

398 21 (54%) ao (20%

323 94 (29%) (36Xi

1,799 303 (17%) 1.300)72%)

179 31 (17%)' '- 91 (51%)

81 33 (41%) 19 (23%)

60 23 (38%) 26 (43%)

875 388 (44%) 327 (37%)

Source. U.S., Bureau of the Census, 1972 Survey of Minority-Owned Busin ss

Enterprises (1977)

TABLE 8

Average Receipts Per Firm forThose Without Paid Employers

(Accounting-fOr50% or Moreof All MA)

MASA

1OP Son Francisco:

r Chinese

Japanpse

Korean

Filipino

Los Angeles:

Chinese

Japanese

Rorean

Filipino

New York:

Chinese

JaPanese

Korean

Filipino

Chicago: .,)

Asian

Sourcd:. U.S., Bu

terprises. (1977).

(0)Withheld to

AVERAGE awns RECEIPTS

Retail trade

I.

(0) $31,000

, (0) $14,000

$47,000

$36,000

$45,000 4 8,000

$31,000

$21,000

(D)

$13,000

$24,000

,Selected SIrvicos

$1,1,000

$12,000

$' 6,000 $ 6,000 \

410,000 -

$12,000 $12,000 $ 5,000

$11,000 $ 9,000 $,9,000

$ 2,000

$10,000

--4

u of the Census, 1972 Survey of Minority-dwned Business Erat

void disclosing data for individual companies.

56 , 443

41,
mean business si Tess. Retail trade for Asians mostly includes grocery

stores and restaura ts, while selected services mostly are laundries and bookkeeping services. Gross receipts per year was around $11,000 for Chinese firms in selected services; $8,000 to $14,000 for Filipino firms in retail trade; 59,000 to $12,000 for Japanese firms, and $6,000 to $12,000 for Korean firms in selected services. The receipts in the retail trade industries were higher, but 'winded probably many unpaid family workers.

Recommendations

In view of the realities opposing the myths about the socioecopomic

success of Asian and Pacific Ameriiians, I propose the following:

1. That the civil rights of Asian and Pacific Anpricans, as popula- tions including many whO are socioeconomically disadvantaged, continue to be protected.

, 2. That Asian and Pacific Americans continue to be included in the equal employment opportunity and affirmative action programs in both private and public sector employribrt. P 3. That Asian and Pacific Americans ilk continue to be included in

Federal programs that provide contract procurement and technical assistance to minority enterprises. In this regard, Federal regulations \_._ implementing the Addabbo bill should be amended to correct the

, exclusion of Asian and Pacific Americans from Federal procurement and business assistance-for socioeconomically disadvantaged individu- als.

4. That class-action programs and remedies be pursued by Federal civil rights agencies sucy as the Equal Employment Oppg,txunity

,-- Commission the Office of Federal Contract Conipliance ,Programs, a and the Comihission-on Civil Rights on behalf of Asian and Pacific

America9._victimized by discriminatory patterns of employmint. Stich

efforts-sboithl focus in the five metropolitan &rem where Asian and , Pacific."-Americans are concentrated: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Honolulu.

. 5. That Federal civil eights agencies and minority pro ams in the vaqous departments of the executive branch reach ou place Asian , pn Pacific Americans in ad Inistrative and policymaking positions to h p assure equitable repr ntation in programs.

And finally, that t e Asian and .Pacific American populations be assured of their fair share in the budget allocations and distribution of

resources of Federal agencies serving the total population in the areas of employment, business, education, health, housing, and welfare. I thank the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for.theOppoctunity to present our views on the realities 11,--- versus the myths about the - socioeconomic status of Asian and Pacific Americans. ... 4,44

157
N.

Asian/Pacific American Employment ProfHei Myth and Reality-Issues and Answers

by Manorarlan Duna*

I. Introduction

1.1 Towards Defining the Asian/Pacifi c, American

If the American labor is the set, the Asian/Pacific. American labor

force is a subset, and this subset is the subject matter -of our

investigation. If this Nation of immigrants has drawn upon the rest of

the world Wts labor supply, a broad-based, five-fold claslfication of

the,.set, as been currently adopted by the Federal guidelines, is

acceptable. The resent dassification bases itself on dontinenkal

regional origin, gither than on race/color/ethnic ideniification. The

five-fold classification is:

The natives of North Ameriea

iii) Thejmmigrants from Europe (white)

-The immigrants froOfrica (black)

(iv) The immigrants froin Central and South America (Hispanic)

(v) The immigrants from Asia and the Pacific Islands (Asian/Pacific American-A

Apy such..classification is bbund to be arbitrary and certainly len

thad perfect.

1.2 The Undercounted Minority

The subset of APA population in the 1970 census was recorded as

approximately 2 million (tables 1 and 2). This number is believed to be

a serious underestimate and warrants corrective adjustments for tile

_following reasons:

(a) The general undercount:

First, it has been established .that no cemlus ct-beN 100 percent

accurate. The U.S. Bursau.Aartlie Census estimates that for the IWO

ceiksms, the undercottnt for whites was 2 percent, while that for blaeks

was 8 percentfour times as highAt has been suggested that the rate

of undercount may be still higher for the APA population. Betty Lee

Sung (48), in her study, projects that for Chinese Americans the rate of

utttiercount could be as high as 20 to 25 percent. Lack of knowledge or

limited knowledge of English language has been cited to be an issue in

r\ this regard.

The basic issue is one of perceptioneven elanguage were not a

handicap. Historically, the Asian immigrants have been made to

Manoranjan Duna is professorpof economies at Rutgeirs University, C.N., 5055, in New Brunswick,

N.J.

. 458

445
TABLE 1

Population, by Race and Sex, 1940 to 1970, and tkban-Rural Residence, 1960 and 1970

[In thousands. As of April 1. Resident population. Prior Colonial Times to 1970, series A 9N-104] to 1960, excludes Alaska and Hawaii. See also Historical Statistics,

Race and Sex

Totiol

White

eBlack

Indian

Japanese Chinese

Filipino

kOt her'

1940

1 9

118, 15

12, 6

4

7

77

46

5

Male 66,062 White , 59,449 Black 6,269 Indian 171 Japanese 72 Chinese 57 Filipino 40 Other3 4

1960 1970 1950 Total Urban' Rural' Total Urban' Rural' 4111. 150,697 179,323 125,268 54,054 2203,212 149,325 53,887

134,942 158,832 110,428 48,403 177,749 128,773 48,976 15,042 18,872 13,803 5,064 22,580 18,367 4,213 343 ' 524 146 378 - 793 356 437 142 464 381 83 591 524 88 118 237 227 11 435 419 16 62 176 130 4! 343 293 50 49 218 150 68 721

- 593 127

74,833 88,331- 60,733 27,599 ' 98,912 71,959 26,954 67,129 78,367 53,631 24,736 86,721 62,210 24,511 7,299 9,113 6,557 2,556 10,748 8,657. 2,091 179 263 72 191 389 172 217 77 225 184 41 4271' 240 31 .1/4, 77 136 129 6 i 229 220 8 46 .112 80 32 II. 189 159 31 27 115 79

(0)

36

e 365 300 64

A
Female 65,608 0 75,864 90,992 84,5'36 26,456 '404,300 77,368 26,933

White 58,766 67,813 80,465 56,79.1 23,667 91,028 -66,563 24,465

Black 6,596, 7,744 9,758 7,251, 2,508 11,832 9,710 2,122

Indian 163 165 260 74 187 404 1E4 220

Japanese 55 65 240 197 43 320 283 37

Chinese 20 41 . 102 97 4 206 100 8

Filipino 6 16 64 50 14 154 134 19

Other' 1 22 103 71 33 356 293 63

' Based on 1960 urban definition, see text, p. 3. ' See footnote 3, table a. ' Aleuts, Asian Indians, Eskimos,

Hawaiiansndonesians, Koreans, Polynesians, and other races not shown separately.

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, U.S. Census of Population, 1950, vol. II, part 1, and vot IV, part 3; 1960

and 1970, vol. 1.

4

ItY
TABLE 2

Foreign Stock, by Country of Origin: 1960 and 1970

[In thousands, except as Indicated. 1960 based on 25-percent sample; 1970 on 15-percent sample. See source for sampling variability. See also Historical Statistics, Colonial Times to 1970, series C 195-295]

1960

Country of origin

Total Percent Total Percent

All countries 34,030 100.0 33,575, foo.o United Kingdom 2,385 8.5 2,465 7.3 Ireland (Eke), 1,773 5.2 1,450 4.3 Norway 775 2.3 615 1.8 Sweden .1,047 3.1 . 806 . 2.4 Denmark ,

--t 399 1.2 326 1.0 Netherlands , 399 1,2 384 1.1

Switzerland 263 8 219 .7 France 7 352 1.0 343 1.0 Germuny3 4,321 12.7 3,622 10.8 Polant ' 2,780 8.2 2,374 7.1 Czechoslovakia . , ' 918 2.7 760 2.3 Austria 1,099 3.2 975 2.9

roreIgn

born

9,619

686

251

- 97

127

61

111

50

105

833

548

161

. 4 dit . ,

1970

Native

of

foreign

or mixed

parentage

23,956

1,779

1,199

517

679

264

273

169

238

2,789

1,826

599

761

Percent

high

school

gradtastes'

48.1

60.0

64.6-

487

52.4

52.8

48.1

42.3

41.4

42.6

49.0

-st.

Number Median

of family

families Income'

11,706

810

506

238

326

.129

141

Ta(NA)

96

1,221

961

300

389

$10,719

11,120

11,509

9,615

10,038

9,711

10,730

(NA)

10,389

9,503

11,767

10,670

11,7/33
.4r

Hungary 702 2.1 604 1115 183 420 48.3

Yugoslavia 449 1.3 447 1.3 154 294 44.6

U.S.S.R. 2,290 6.7 1,943 5.8 463 1,480 60.0

Lithuania - 403 1.2 331 1.0 76 255 52.0

Greece 379 1.1 435 1.3 177 257 53.6

Italy , . 4,544 13.3 4,241 12.6 1,009 3,232 40.1

Other Europe 1,173 3.4 ' 1,214 3-6 405 809 (NA)

Asia4 , 1,142 3.4 1,745 5.2 825 920

Western Asia' . 335 1.0 399 1.2 174 I 226 A

China (incl. Taiwan) 208 .6 339 1.0 172 167

Japan 322 .9 394 1.2 120 274 68.1

Other As la 276 .8 613 1.8 358 255 (NA)

Canada 3,181 9.3 3,035 9.0 812 2,222 54.6

Mexico 1,736 5.1 2,339 7.0 760 1,579 24.1

Cuba 124 .4' 561 1.7 439 122 44.6

Other America 456 1.3 963 2.9 605 358

Other 'and not reported ..... , 462 1.4 1,380 4.1 466 914

NA Not available. ' Persons 25 years old and over. ' Income

'German Democratic Republic and .Federal Republic of Germany.

"Other." includes Turkey in Europe.

Source: U.S. bureau of the Combs, U.S. Cksus of Population: 1960,

462

236 11,845..

170 11,388

817 13,165

133 12,317

154 11,132

1,740 11,115

(NA) (NA)

(NA (NA

8 10,68

106 12,772

(NA) (NA)

950 10,794

637 7,263

143 8,728

111,J g

received during 1969; for definition of median, see p. xli.

For 1960, United Arab Republic included kl Asia; for 1970, in

vol. I, and 1970, vol. I, and vol. II, PC(2)-1A.

%-e

.1
g TABLE 3

immigrants, b Country of Last Permanent Residence: 1820 to 1977

[In thousands, itept percent. For years ending June 30 except, beginning 1977, ending September 301 For definition of immigrants, see text, pp. 83-84. Data prior to 1906 refer to country from which aliens came. Because of boundary changes and

changes in list of countries separately reported, data for certain countries not comparable throughout. See also Historical Statistics, Colonial Times to 1970, series C 89-1191

4 1820- 1951- 1981- Percent

Country 1977, 1980, 1970, 1972 1873 1974 1975 1976 1977 1820- 1961- 1971-

total total total 1977 1970 1977

Total .' , . ")-47,960 2,515.5 3,321.7 384.7 400.1 394.9 386.2 398.6 462.3 100.0 100.0 100.0

Europe Austrai ' Hungary36,108

4,314

1,325.6

67.1

36.6

1,123.4

20.6

5.4

88.3

2.3

.5

91.2

_ 1.6

1.0

80.4

.7

.9

72.8

.5

.6

73.0

.5

.6

74.0

.5

.5

75.3 .,8.9

33.8 , 20.4

.2 .2

Belgium 202 18.6 9.2 .5 .4 .4 .4 .5 .5 .4 .3 .1

Czechos kia . ) , . . ..137, .9 3.3 1.2 .9 .4 .3 .3 .3 .3 .1 .2

Denmark 364 11.0 9.2 .5 .4 .5 .3 .4 .4 .8 ..3 .1

Finland 33 4.9 4.2 .3 , .3 .2 .2 .2 .2 .1 .1 .1

France , 747 51.1 45.2 2.9 2.6 2.2 1.8 2.0 2.7 1.6 1.4 .6

Germany ' .. . . , , 6,968 477.8 190.8 7. .,.` 7.6 7.2 5.9 6.6 7.4 14.5 5.7 1.8

Great Britain R 4,879 195.5 210:0 11. 11.9 11.7 12.2 13.0 14.0 10.2 6.3 3.1

Greece 646 47.6 86.0 10.5 10.3 10.6 9.8 8.6 7.8 1.3 2.6 2.6

Ireland ' 4,722 57.3 37.5 1.4 1.6 1.3 1.1 1.0 1.0 9.9 1.1 .3

Italy 5,285 185.5 214.1 22.4 22.3 15.0 11.0 8.0 7.4_ 11.0 6.4 3.9

Netherlandt 358 52.3 30.6 1.0 1.0 1.0 .8 .9 1.0 .8 .9 .2

Norway 856 22.9 15.5 .4 .4 .4_,----- .3 .3 1.8 .5 .1

Pojancl ' .t/ 510 10.0 ' 53.5 3.8 4.1 3.6 3.5 3.2 ) 3.3 1.1 1.6 \ .8

Portugal 432 19.6 ,76.1 9.5 10.0 10.7 11.3 11.0 10.0 .9 2.3

110
Spain 254 7.9 44.7 4.3 5.5 4.7 2.6 2.8 5.6 .5 1.3 1.0

Sweden

Switzerland

U.S.S.R. l 4 tat

348

3,367

21.7

17.7

.6

17.1

18.5

2.3

.7

1.0

.4

.6

.7

.9

.6

.7 1

.5

.7

4.7

.6

.8

7.4

.6

.8

5.4

2.7

.7

7.0

.5

.6

.1

.2

.2

.7

Yugoslavia 111 8.2 20.4 2.8 5.2 5.0 2.3 2.3 .2 .6 .9

Other Europe 304 10.8 9.2 .6 1.9 1.8 2.0 2.0 .6 .3 .4

Asia 2,573 153.3 427.8 116.0 120.0 127.0 129.2 146.7 150.8 5.4 12.9 31.7

China, 510 9.7 34.8 8.5 10.0 9.2 9.9 12.5 1.0 1.0 2.4

Hong Kong 169 2' 15.5 75.0 10.9 10.3 10.7 12.5 13.7 12.3 .4 2.3 2.8

India

Iran

14033

2.0

3.4

27.2

10.3

\)3.6

.9

12.0

2.9

11.7

2.

14.3

A2.2

16.1

2.6

16.8

4.2

.3

.1

.8

.3

3.5

.7

Israel 180 25.5 29.6 3.0 2.9 2. 3.5 5.2 4.4 .2 .9 .8

Japan 400 ' 46.3 40.0 5.0 6.1 5.4 4.8 4.5 .8 1.2 1.3

Jordan 34 5.8 11.7 2.4, 2.5 72.3 g.4 2.9 .1 .3 .6

Korea 211 6.2 34.5 18.1

,2.1

22.3 27.5 30-.6 39.7- .4 1.0 6.1

Lebanon 46 4.5 15.2 3.0 2.6 3.0 4.() 5.0 5.5 .1 .5 .9

Philippines ' 343 19.3 98.4 28.7 30.2 325 31.3. 36.8 38.5 .7 3.0 8.1

Turkey 384 3.5 10.1 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.1 1.0 1.0 .8 .3 .3

Vietnam 026 ( 2.7 4.2 3.4 / 4.5 3.1 2.7 2.4 3.4 .1 .1 .8

Other Asia 197 9.0 38.7 13.0 13.5 13.8 13.20 - 16.2 14.1 .4 1.2 3.4

America 8,740 996.9 1,716.4 173.2 179.6 178.8 174.7 169.2 223.2 18.2 51.7

'45.4

Argentina 89 19.5 49.7 2.5 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.7 3.1 .2 1.5 .7

Brazil 55 13.8 29.3 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.9 .1 .9 .4

Canada 4,077 378.0 413.3 18.6 14.8 12.3 11.2 11.4 18.0 8.5 12.4 3.9

Colombia 133 18.0 72.0 5.2 5.3 5.9 6.4 5.7 . 8.2 . .3 4,2.2 1.5

Cuba " 490 78.9 208.5 19.9 22.5 17.4 25.6 28,4 86.1 1.0 6.3 7.2

Dominican Rep 194 9.9 , 93.3 10.8 14.0 15.7 14.1 12..4 11.6 .4 2.8 3.2

Ecuador 60 36.8 4.4 4.2 4.8 4.7 4.5 5.2 .2 1.1 1.2

El Salvador 38 5.9 15.0 2.0 2.0 2.3 2.4 2.4 4,4 . .1

Guatemala 36 4.7 15.9 1.7 1.8 s 1.9 2.0 .1 .5 .5

Haiti ' 76 4.4 341 5.5 4.6 3.8 5.0 5.4 .1- 1.0 1.3

464
;ABLE 3

(Continued)

immigrants, by Country of Last Permanent Residence: 1820 to 1977

[In thousands, except percent. For years ending Junes30 exceipt, beginning 1977, ending September 30. For definition of immigrants, see text, pp. 83-84. Data prior to 1906 refer to country from which aliens came. Because of boundary changes and

changes In list of countries separately reported, data for certain countries not comparable throughout. See also Historical Statistics, Colonial Times to 1970, series C 89-1191

1820- 1951- 1981- Percent

Country 1977, 1960, 1970, 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1820- 1961- 1971- total total total

1 4 1977 1970 1977

Honduras 31 6.0 15:7 1.0 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.6 .1 '.5 .3 Mexico 2,015 299.8 453.9, 64.2 70.4 71.9 62.6 58.4 44.6 4.2 13.7 15.1 Panama 43 11.7 19.4 1.6 1.7 /1.7 1.7 1.8 2.5 , .1 .6 .5 Peru 42 7.4 19.1 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.3 2.6 3.9i .1 .6 .6 West Indies 684 29.8 13.9 24.2 21.6 24.4 22.3 19.6 27.1iP 1.4 4.0 5.9 Other ATerica 657 99.2 106.2 8.3 8.8 9.1 8.9 9.3 16.1 1.3 3.2 2.5 Affia 119 14.1 29.0 5.5 5.5 5.2 5.9 5.7 9.6 .3 .9 1.5 Australia and

New Zealand . 116 11.5 19.5" 2.6 .2.5 2.0 1.8 2.1 2.5 .2 .6 .6 All other 304 14.0 5.7 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.8 1.9 2.2 .6 .2 4

.4

' 19V-1945, Austria included with Germany; 1899-1919, Poland included with Austria-Hungary, Germany, and U.S.S.R. 2 Beginning 1952, Includes .data for United Kingdorm not specified, formerly included with "Other Europe." Comprises Eire and Northern Ireland. 4 Europe and Asia. Beginning 1957, Includes Taiwan. Prior to 1951, Included with "Other Asia." Prfotto 1951, Philippines Included with "All other." Prior to 1953, data for Vietnam not available. Prior to 1951, Included tylth "Other America." Prior to 1951, Included with "West Indies."

44;

Source: U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Annual Report.
perceive that they cannot tTlong to the group of immigrants who

really belong here. We shall develop this point further in the next

section. Thus, those Asian immigrants who arrive here fail to perceive

that they need to be enumerated in the United States cepsus. It has

been suggested further thlit the smaller the size of a minority group in a

given population, the larger the rate of underenumeration is likely to

be for that group. If this hypothesis was found to be "true," the

undercount rate for the A PA in the 1970 census, which constituted

sonic! 1 percent of the total population, would be far higher than the

undercount rate for itlacks. who constituted the largest minority grimy.

It has been argued elsewhere (9) that white as well as black Americans

must share their responsibility in regard to this smallest minority

group. There is a suspicion amongst the Asian Americans that the

official majority (white), as well as the official minority (black), have

no way of fully appreciating the problems of this smallest of all

minority groups.

(b) The 1965 Immigration andNaturalization Act:

:- The 1965 Immigrktion and Naturalization Act finally abolished the

archaic "quota" st4em. This enabled a. larger inflow ofiimmigrants

from Asia. The 0070 censits enumeration could not have inluded them

(tables 3-8). , (c) The 1970 census had specific enumeration for immigrants from

China, Japan, Korta, and the PhilippinesEpfid immigrakgal from other

East Asian countriel; were a "projectio ' from the pool "rthers:"

(d) Finally, immigrants from the In "an subcontinent Tountries were

not considered as Asian Americaps until recently. They remed at

best an annotated footnote to the category "white." As late as 1976,

they were reclassified as Asian Americans. 'Yrom various estimates

based on projections froirithe 1970 census and the recent immigration

.. figures, this group COnsists of approximately a third of a million

people.

-.

. (e) The recent immigration from Vietnam under historical circumstances will further add to the size of the APA population.

There is no firm estimate of the APA population, and the best guess

is that the 1980 census will show the number to be closer to fhe 4

million mark, approximately 2 percent ofthe population.

,. .

+11 1.3 The Sike of the APA Labor Force -.. . The 1970 census tabulations show (tabif 9:and 10) that as higk As

63.8 percent of Japanese, Chinese, and Fihpino AniericanS,'Oartiolpateci.::

in the labor force. Indeed, there is a yery hiAlabpr fo#'e pertiOpatiOn_.

rate for this group as reported by rarious reiriOerif.lf The: abtoie riqis accepod as 4,benchmark and if the.".cuttent- ba.*°*OulOon 4)

million, the APA labor force siie can bo.;...0t.igiatectitt.tikniiitio tisk,- widely beflevekihat -the nurnber is.ntore ihkin4'naion And rtvli . : P, ,,' .. V'. t /1

- -. 1,,-: . :! A. . 407 '- *:` .-°' ' /

It

:t
TABLE 4

ImmIgrartte, by Country. of Birth: 1951 to 1977

14 [In thousands. For ye4is ending June 30 except, beginning41977, ending September 30. Foi definition of Immigrants, see

text, pp. 83:841

1951- 1981- 1971-

Couatry of Blrjh 1960, 1970, 1976, total total total

197* 1977 Country of, Birth

1951,

1960,

total

All countries .2,515.5 3,321:7 1,936.3 398.6 462.3 Asia ' , 157.1

Europe,' ..... 1,492.2 1,238.6 434.6 72.4 .770.0 China' 32.7

Hong Kong . 3.1

Austria 29.7 13.7 2.6 .3 .4 india ......:.'. 3.1 Belgium 12.9 8.5 1.9 -. .4 .4 Japan 44.7

Czechoslovakia. 28.8 21.4 6.3 .6 .6 Jordan 5.1

Denmark 13.1 11.8 2.3 .4 .4 Korea . . 7.0

FinleNd 6.7 5.8 , 1.8 .3 .3 Philippines ... 18.1

France" '38.0 34.3--------4.8-.. 1.$

Vietnam

1.6

2.0

.. aermeny 345.5 200.0 . 32.5 . 5.8 6.4 North Ainerica ' . 789.1

Greece 48.4 90.2 58.5 8,4 7.8 Canada . 274.9

'Hungary 64.5 17.3 7.1 .9 :` .9 Mexico 319.3 Ireland 64.4 42.4 8.3 1.2 1.2 West Indies ' .. 122.8

., Cuba . 78.3

Italy . . . ... '198.0 208.7 93.2 8.4 7.6 Dominican . Netherlands 47.2 27.0 5.0 .9 - 1.0 ''''' Republic .''.ar , 9..8

Norway ' 24.7 16.4 2.1 .3 .3 Jamalee 8.7

Poland. /

' 128.0 73.3 20.5' 3.8 4.0 Central" - America .. , . , 44.6

1981-

1970,

total -. 445.31

96.7

1971-

1975,

total

611.8

85.6

1976

149.9

18.8-

1977

157.8

19,a

23.6 2115 . 31:2 72.9

5.8

17.5 18.6

38.5 23.8 4.3 4.2

14.0 13.2.- 2.6 2.5

45.8 112.5 30.8 30.9

1Q1.6 153.3 37.3 39.1

4.6 19:3 , 3.0 46

, 1,351.1 735.4 142.3 187.3 '

'288.7, 47.8 7.6 12.7

443.3

' 519.5

318.1

324. 8,31.8

44.0

114.0 .

258.8 . . 110.7 29.2 69.7

94.1 67.1 12,5 11.7

71.0 61.5 9.0

- ,11.5

97.7 44.5- 9.9 , 1.6.5
1"

4 , Portugal Romania

Spain

..-- Sweden

Switzerland . U. Kingdom .

U.S S R

Yugoslavia .

20.4

17.4

10_7

18.9

17.2

208.9

46.5

58.7

79;3

14.9

30.5

16.7

16.3

230,5

15.7

46.2

55.9

7.3

18.5

2.9

3.1

53.0

9.1

28.9

10.5

2.2

2.3

.5

jig

8.2'

2.8

9.7

2.0

2.5

.6

.6

12.5

5.7

2.8

South America'

Argentina

Brazil

Colombia

Ecuador

Africa

Australia

New Zealand

Other countries

e 72.2

14.3

8.9

17.6

9.5

16.6

4.6 .

1.8

1.9-

228.3

42.1

20.5

70.3

. 37.0

39.3

9.8

3.7

- 5.7

105.7

10.1

5.9

29.1

23.0

32.9

6.7

2.3

6.9

'

22.7

2.3

1.0

5.7

4.5

7.7

1.4

A

'1.8

32.9

2.8

e 1.5

8.3

5.3

10.2

1.4

.6

2.1 -

' Includes countries not shown separately. Includes Taiwan.

Source: U.S. ImmigrMion and Naturalization Sdryice, Annual Report, and releases.

4

V

.0
TABLE 6

Indochina ttafugess, 1976 To 1977 and.by.Characieristics, 1975

[As of Dec. 31, except as noted. Includes only refugees resettled in U.S.]

Cffiaractsristics Number Percent Charicteristics

\

\.

.p. -

.. lipfugee0total, 1977 Refuges, Iota!, 1976 Refugees,lotal, 1976

Male

Female

Age:

Under 6 years , 6-171years

18-24 years , 25-44 years

45-62 years

63 years and over

Qccupation

hAedical pro-re-Saidna Prof ssi I, technical, and

ma er I Clerical and sales . a.

' 148.4

144.1

' 123.3

67.5

55.8

20.4

36.1

22.7

9.3

2.5

30.6

2.2

7.4

3.6

100.0

400.0

100.0

54.7

45.3

f-----"-'11116

29.3

18.4

26.2

7.5

2.0

100.0

7.2

Occupation 2-Continued Servlce

Farmlng, fishing, and

\ forestry

Agricultural processing Machlpe trades Benchwork, assembly, repair

Structural and construction

Trinspgrtation, miscellanems

Unknown

Educatlonal level 4

None

Elementary . . . . . Sdcondary University apd above

Unknown

As of Dec. 31, 1977, 54494 were resettled in other countries.

households. 4For persons 113 years old and over.

Source: 1976 and 1977, U.S. D pt. of Health, Education, and Welfare, Tisk Force for Indochina, Report to the Congress; 1976, U.S. Dept.

of State? interagency Task Forc for Indochina, Report to the Congress.

1.2

2.0

5.2

2.4

67.0

1.4

12.0

15.1

16. Covers period trom April 18, 1975, to Dec. 10, 1975.

Percent

-7.6

49

.4

8.7

4.1

16.9

7.9

100.0

2.1

17.9

37.9

19.5

22.6

' For heads of

4,6 9

or.
TABLE 7

Aliens RepOrtlog Under Allen Address Program: 1960 to 1977

(In thousands, except percent. All aliens in the United States on

January 1 are required to report their addreses to the Department of Justice in Japuary, except foreign government officials and their' dependents, fepresentatives to international organizations, and, for

1960, Mexican agricultural workers)

11

ot Nationality

# Total

Can

China

Colombia

Cuba

Dorninican.Rep

Ecuador

France

Germany

1960

2,949

295

48

12

63

(NA )

6

35

263

1970

4,247

428

107

59

433

72

31

47

229

Greece 49 73

InOia 10 42

ird1and '," 68 52

Italy 257 247

Jamaica (NA) 60

Japan 72 82

Korea 10 31

Mexico 510 734

Netherlands 40 48

Philippines 61 125

Wand 167 124

Portugal 32 81

Trinidad and Tobago (NA) 19

United Kinesiom 227 330

Vietnam (NA) 4

Yugoslavia 51 43

All other 673 746 il

1977 1976 Num Per411 cent

4,776 4,964 100.0

344 337 6.8

133 138 2.8

68 68 1.4

399 374 7.5

90 97 2.0

44 46 .9

37 38 .8

171 171 3.4

77 73 1.5

98 109 2.2

32 31 .6

210 203 4.1

79 64 1.3

99 1C4 2.0

121 143 2.9

910 963 19.4

37 AA 38 .8

212 226 4.6

89 86 1.7

118 123 2.5

33 31 .6

307 319 6.4

120 125 2.5

43 41 .8

,.905 1,018 20.5

-: l

NA Not evadable-. Includes Taiwan.

4 rio 457
r

I

TABLE 8

-Jr Aliens Naturalized, by Country of Former Allegiance, and by

Stat. of Rsidence: 1970 to 1977\

[For years ending June 30 except, beginning 1977, ending September 30-. Includes U.S. outlying areas. See also Historical Statistics, Col- onial Times to 1970, wies C 169-179]

1977 Country of former allegiance 1970 1975 'Num- Perbar cnt

Total 110,399 141,537 159,873 100.0

Canada I 6,340 3,548 3,759 2.4

Central America ' 2,480 2,773 3,094 1.9

China 2 , 3,099 9,683 11,143 7.0 f

Colombia 970 1,699 2029 , 1.3

Czechoslovakia , 506, 1,738 1,438 .9 i .. Egypt 377 4,988 1,883 1.2

Germany- 10,067 5,187 4,856 3.0

Greece 2,906 6,647 6,151 3.9

Inclia 325 2,720 5,574 3.5

Italy 7,892 8,798 7,891 4.9

Israel 1,516 1,844 1,548 1.0

g Korea 1,687 6,007 11,987 7.5

v. Mexico 0 6,195 5,781 6,301 3.9

Philippines 5,469 15,330 16,145 10.1

Poland 3,426 3,069 2,768 1.7

Portugal 1,374 3,728 3,739 2.3

United Kingdom 3 7,549 8,532 9,345- 5.9

Vietnam 282 1,369 1,412 .9

West Indies '

Cuba id 1

22,675 22,692 29,931 18.7

2088 15,546 20,506 12.8

Dominican Rep 338 1,518 1,904 1.2

Haiti 433 1,966 1,870 1.2

Jamaica 479 2,162 3,849 2.4

Other West Indies 337 1,510 1,802 1.1

Yugoslavia 1,725 3,273 2,447 1.5 - Other 23,539 25,131 26,432 16.5

' Ndependent courAlles. Irfcludes Taiwan.

1 3

458 , A
TABLE 9

Asian° Population bsf National Origin, 1970

Japan-Chinese

ese Filipino Total

Millions

41110opulatIon 588,3.24 431,583 336,731 1 357

% of U.S. (.29%) (.21°A) (.17%) (.670/0)

Foreign born % 20.8 47.3 53.1

16 years old or over 438,954 308,905 226,480 .974

Total In the labor force 16 . years old and over 275,145 191,751 154,947 .622

(% of 16 years old or over) . . (62.7%) (62.1°A) (68.40A) (63.8°A)

Total Employed r 263,972 183,562 131,555 .519

(0 of laboriforce) (95.9) (95.7) (84.9) (931)

Me n s ool years 12.5 12.4 12.2 12.37

No. of, amIlles 133,927 94,931 71,326

Mean family slze 3.36 3.98 4.24 3.76

Median income per $12,515 $10,610 $10,331 $11,152

% of families below pov rty .4 4, Hne 6.4 10.3 11.5 8.8.

#

i

Source: U S. Census of Population, 1970 %excludes other Asians

Acknowrgetnent Dr. K. Masi;it

snggest that ti may be closer to- 1.5 million. But any firm figure is

Tacking. Given any of the above estimates, the APA labor force is

higher than 1 percent of the Nation's current labor force.

1.4 1f information about the APA population and the related labor

foe hos been sketchy, the 'problem is much more aCute with respect

to the Pacific Islanders, and the best one can bone for is progress asthe

1980 census results begin to emerge.

.Myths

2.1 Asian Athericanshave had'no history of disadvantage. Blacks have

a ,,history, the grim history of slavery and lynching. The natives of

North America lost the wIr Sand their existence is now threatened.

Hispanic Americans have a history of difficult immigration process via

exploited, lowpaid jobs.'Womeithave institutional handicaps.

The Asian Americans ate perceived tO have had their voyages tb

America the mai way. This la Tar from true..

The truth is thelf917 Nian Exclusion Act, and the closing of the

gates to the immigrants from Afghanistan to Koreathe :lorbidden".

Asia.

The truth is restricted iinmi hot) q . It has been argued (JO)

_glsewhere that we do not need" to ind in analyzing the relative

intensities of disadanigges and discrimination due to 1.'slave" labor,

A.

" 459.

a

.
-^

Mb g TABLE 10

Employment Characteristics of Ethnic Groups, 1970

Unemployment rate, 16 years

& over

male

female

r Weeks worked in 1969,

& over

50-52

male 27-49

-26

50-52

female 27-49

-26

Income below the poverty Ilne

persons

families

Median incomq of persons, 16

years and pver male

female

Total

3.8

5.?

67.0

19.9

13.1

43.5

28.0

28.5

13.6

4

White

3.6

5.0

68.0

19.1

12.1

43.7

27.5

28.8

10.8

8 .7

Spanish

Black origin Japanile

. /

6.1 5.5 2.0

7.8 8.0 3.0

57.8 61.6' 70.9

27.4 25.1 16.5

14.8 13.3 12.7 t

, 4.2 39.3 52.3

.8 29.6 25.0

20.0 31.1 221

34.6 7.5

25.1 \ 19.4 6.4

, 4158, 5217 7574

2041 2313 3236 .

Chinese

.. 143.0

3.7

61.2

21.8

17.0

41.9

30.4

27.6

13.3

10.3

5223

2680

,

Filipinos

,. 4.7

4.7

25.1

14.0

42.9

30.3

26.7

13.7

11.5

5019

3513

Korean

11 3.6

5.4

di%

,

6435

2741

.

-Source: Census of Population, 197d, volume 2-1B, table 4C, tabis-7; 1G3 tables 4, 7, 19, 22, 23, 34, 37, 39, 49; 6A, table 1; 9A, table 1.

Acknowledoement-pr. K. Sato

473
.41

"cheap" labor, "defeated" labor, and "forbidden" labor. The disadvantageg of "nonentry" and/or "restricted entry" are real, and any

attempt to deny history is no way to approach the troth.

2.2 If restriction and denial of entry are seen as conservative practices,

the liberals have their owit myths, too. They are the architects of the

phrase "brain drain." Thil is indeed a myth, hosVe'ver lofty and liberal

its connotations may be. nue new immigrants from Asian countries are

often seen as "brain drain" and a loss to the economic development of

the countries of their origin. It needs "two blades of a pair of

scissors"supply and demand(34)for economic value of an input to

be determined. If there is plenty of supply and no demand, the "brain"

is uselqs and reduced to a noneconomic input. The "brain drain" is at

best:a slogan to reestablish the Ricardian theory of free mobility of

goods but not .of factors of production. It is no longer true for capital

or for labor.

In today's fast moving interdependent world, both labor and capital

are internationally -mobile, and such mobility his contributed to the

greater prosperity of the world as a whole. Even for the Asian

countries, the so-called "brain' .drain" can hive aji econotrtioally

positive effebt, if the European nations' experiencefidterms of historic

"brain drain" from within their own boundaries are indicative. The

world as a whole would liave been a poorer place to live if sucCessive

rounds of emigration from Europe had never taken place.

2.3 Asian AmeriCans have it 'Ade. The 1970 census (tables 9 and 10)

tabulations establish that the 'Median family incomes of the three'

groups, the Chinese, the Japanese, and the Filipinos, compare

favbrably with the national family income median. Indeedthese

roups are seen to be doing better. There exists a recent "quick"'sttidy

Irsomewhere in the State.Depattment which draws similar conclusions

for the Americans of Asian Indian heritage.

Yuan-li Wu writes ,(55), "The large number of poor Chinese,

especiallY in the ChinatOwns, have somehow escaped the full attention

of those concerned "with the plight of minorifies. These Chinese

Americans have managed to survive through a high participation rate

in the labor force. According to the 1970 census, 59 percent of Chinese

American families had two or more income earners, which compared

with $1 percent for White families." Betty Lee Sung (48) concludes:

"The Chinese, family median income is higher than the natitSnal

average, but the figures in themselves are deceptive." She proceeds to

add, "The sjibstantially lower personal income figures reveal a more

accurate measure." Mariano (33) argues:

At first glance, aggregate data from tiw 1970 census may indicate

that Asian Amencans are well-off in, terms of ihcome, emp1o4-

461

. 4..
TABLE 11

PERCENT

-a50

( 40

,.

30

20

10

*W.

n

UNDER $10,000 $15,000 $20,000

$10,000 to 14,999 tti /9;999-- and above

(Source: NSF Report 73-302)

AcknowledgementDr. R. Chaddha

2

41' ; '!1! ' 47or" .
/'

TABLE 12

PERCENT

60 INDIAN

40

30

20

10

GERMAN

U.K.

fh4.

4

(Source: NSF Report 73-302)

Acknowledgementf-Dr. R. Chaddha

4

,.M.S. B.g.

EDUCATIoN

A

6

463
TABLE 13

Education v. Income

White v. Asian Males

, 100

"g cio

8 80

70

CO 60

50

o.

40 co

30

a3 "6 .,1-

46 20

E

. 10 a.

'\41, 1,

< PtS

Area: Nation

HS-

< C

Ed.

Age: 16-64

LI

<5 < HS HS-

<C.

5

HS

<C

<5

HS-

< C

5-9.9 < HS

HS 5-9.9

'10+

, C +

5-0.9

s, C+

5-9.0

1 0 +

<

+

10 +

10+

In. Ed. In. Ed. In.. Ed. In.

HS-

< C

+ 'HS-

. <C

<5

5-9.9

< HS

10+

C +

Ed. In.

< HS 5-99

Ed. In.

WM AM / WM AM WM AM

1960 -4 7 7 1970 1976

,t cl4rwledgementDr. T. Son'
TABLE 14

Education v. Income

White v. Asian Females

100

c 90

coo 80

79

co 60

-50 a

co

.5

co re. 30

*6 to'

2d

§

Area: Nation \A;ke: 16-64

<5 <43P-

<HS HS.

HS. < C <C

<HS

C +

C + 5-9.9

Ed. In. Ed. In.

WF

1960

AcknowledgementDr. T. Son

<5

of

HS-

< C

< HS

-5-9.9

C+

<5

HS-

< C

_C+ 5-9.9

4

HS-

< HS

C +

10+

5-9.9

10 + 10 +

Ed. in fd. In.

, HS-

<c

AF WF AF i

1970 1976

4.0 44 78

V

<HS

C+.

5-9,9
.4'

mint, education, and return to schooling. llowever,

a.djustments should be introduced for the fnesence

workers in Asian American families as well as for

regions since most Asian/Pacific Americans are 1

cost-of-living areas M the U.S."

A

appropriate

of multiple

geographic

ted in high

Also, a more relevant comparison is with non-Hispanic whites than

with the overall nationwide averages since "disadvantaged groups in

the overall population will tend to lower national averages and

thereby, inflate the status of Asians." Mariano cites "Filipino and

Chinese men are no better off than black men with regard to median

incomes in SMSAs such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York,

Chicago, and Honolulu where there is a high.concentration of Asian

Americans." R.L. Chaddha (tables 11 and 12) presents evideve, based

on foreign sentists' data c.ollected by the National Science'rdunda--

tion, that, corrected for years of schooling, foreign scientists immigrating from Europe, compared with their peers im iigrating here from

Asia, ,(i) make relatively higher average earl .4s, an i) enjoy a more

rapid rate of career advancement.. le 15) and Sen (tables 43

and 14) independently present evidence that school year adjustments

may reveal a relatively low earnings profile for Asian/Pacific

Americans.

2.4 Other arguments for an upwsArd bias in the 1970 tabulations: ..., (a) the general underdiunt;Abe magnitude of which petty Lee

Sung projects for the Chinese as hilik as 20 to 25 percent; left the

, disadvantaged segment unripresented in the census profile;

-I/ (b) native-born, English speaking respond to the census while new

! immigrants with serious language handicaps fail to respond. Indeed,

these inenumerated remain at the bottom of the earnings profile;

(c) a rehensibn about an im4iigration crackdown m tivates many

poor Asians to report nonex tent "inconies," and tbk true state of

unemploymentmains hidd n; -- (d) the state of underemp yment 'is very serious., Jobs in 'family

business are often contributing factors towards inflating family

Median income. The disarepaucy between relatively h,i family

s, median income And the relatively low personal incom

(

an be

explainedby such phenomena; . 1

(e) general lack of perceptiona sen 90 f resignation to uncertain- 4)

tyresults.in the poorer,segment pf sian Americans being left out

of the statistics. This is so becanse, of the lack of decisionmaking

.poiver. For 'OK Asian poor, there' is no...power center to look up to

and; therefore, there is no .urge ti; r rd their unemployment/underemploympnt. The only way th could.make it is to be

succestfpl and if they have not made it, tli option is to be left out:

'`A 466

479
TABLE 15

Years of school completed, 25 years and over, In 1970

Native ()Unfitly parents

Amer.

Indian Others Japanese- Chinese Filipinos Korean

No schdol years

Total White V.Black

completed 1.6 0.9 3.3

Median years completed 12.1 12.2 9.7

% High School graduated 52.4 57.1 , 31.0

% College graduated 10.6 11.8 4.2

7.8 2.5 1.8 11.1 5.6 2.8

9.9 12.2 12.5 12.4 12.2 12.9

\

33.5 56.2). 683 57.8 54.7 71.1 \

3.5 12.6 15.9 25.7 27.5 36.3

Source: Census of Populetlpn, 1970, volume 2-1-6, table 3, 18;33, 48; volume 2--..5B, table 1.

4.
TABLE 16

Growth of Korean immigrants to the United States

1966-1976

(Year.ending Jun 30)

Korea Koran Immigrants as % of

Yars \ Number 1966 = 100% Asla

41,432

61,446

58,989 . 75,679

94,883

103,461

121,058 ., 124,160

. 149,881

132,469

130,662

1,094,120

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1966-1%7

Total

2,492

3,956

3,811

6,045

9,314

14,297

/.....----.____, 18,876

22,930

_ 28,028

28,362

30,803

168,914

L-N\ (100%)

158.7

152.9

24.6

373.8

573.7

757.d

920.1

1124.7

1138.1

1236.1

Source U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Annual Reports, 1941848.

Acknowledgement-Dr. J. Chung

4S 1

World

323,040

361,972

454, 448

358,579

373,326

370,478

438004,0636857

394,861

386,194

398,613

4,206,259

Asia (%) ' 6.0%

6.4%

6.5%

8.0%

9.8%

13.8

15.6

18.5

21.5

21.4

20.6

15.4

World (%)

0.8 yo

1.1%

1.1%

1 7% \ 2. %

4.7%

4.9% , 5.7

7.1

7.3

7.7

4,0
Thus, the family median income is based on the "success-stories" to

the exclusion of those who have failed;

(f) finally, the census income profile is based on sampling (20 25

percent) and given the serious undercount, the bias of the estimates

for the family median incomes reported may be larger than

generally acceptable;

(g) jobs and the,"odd" job need to be distinguished. The "odd" jst

is a code name 'flu a state of serious underemployment. Many

immigrants from Asian countries with advanced schooling have

been known to be working as night security guards and/or as

messenger boys in covorate houses. Such a situatipn can develop if

and only if there is no job in the prime occupational field of choi9

for the candidate.

2.5 The myth that Asian Americans have it made has been persistent,

and until very recently, there has been nb investigation into the reality

of the situation. That Asian Americans have suffered no disadvantage

and that the 19 0 census tabulations show their relatively high family

median income t be relatively high are signs which continue to lend

strong support t the myth of Asian American success. It is argued

hete that on both counts the rest of America has erred.

The persistence of myth can still 'find support from two other

sources: first,A quick facile studies by many social scientists who

have used limited data base and have told their stories of --Asian

success. Gujarati's findings (19) drew widespread criticism because of

their data base, whith was too much aggregative and heavily biased

upward. It is perfectly logical to compare median family income of

two comparible .groups, say a group of Asian immigrant physicians

and a group of native-born whites physicians, adjusted for years of

practice and schooling. It is wrong to compare a select immigrant

group with the national average measure which,* heavily deflated by

the inclusion of various "disadvantaged" groups of minoritid. Mariano (33) has argued this point. Chaddha (4) reported a study, based on

a cross section random sample (n=300) that there exists Nrception of

discrimination amongst professional Asian Indian immigrants. A

sailar finding about the Asian Indian immigrants was reported by

Elkhanialy and Nicholas (13). Another study by Mohapatra (37) based

itself on a data base drawn from "who is who .amongst Indian

immigrants" type listings. Obviously, such directories exclude who is

not "anybody." Those who have not made itthey remain left .out of

the data base.

The second group of scholars approach the problem very differently

and often without any well-defined framework, and thus draw illusory

cOnclusions. For example, it is an absurd approach, to say the least,

when a scholar ventures to compare the earnings profile of Asian

p. 482

469
immigrants in the United States with what they would have earned

should they have stayed back in Asia.

2.5 Odd Jobs are not Jobs

Stanley Lebergott (29) cites the sto istic that in 1969, 6.4 percent of

Japanese American families were in.' erty compared to 8.6 percent

of the white families. This may create a myth about the Japanese

Americans' economic profile. One wonders if that could be considered

a misuse of statistics. The relative economic affluence of Jewish

Americans cannot disprove the history of discrimination against Ihem.

The absence of employment discrimination against Japanese Americans remains to be proved (22). The work ethics of Asian Americans

may encourage -them to accept a job, but not necessarily the one that

would match the individuals' backgrounds.

Yuan-li Wu (55) cites yet another set of statistics to lend further

support to the myth. Table A is data tabulation from thc 1940 census.

TABLE A

chlness Amrecan and u.s. OcAlbationfl Distribution, 1940 Chlns All U.S.

1. Service workers outsid the household 30.9% 5.8%

2. Operatives, etc. 22.0 17.9

3. Managers, proprietors, 4tc. (nonfarm) 21 3 9

Source 1940 U S. Census

Wu explains that the hig

and 'proprietors reflected

establishments owned, in

aspired to be self-employ

resignation, not one of my

Jckseph S. Chung (7) c

Americans. He points out

according to the 1970 c

Japanese and Chinese A

Filipino Americans. In the

Korean income was the 1

Against this state of a relat

(1970) tabulation also pr

profile was roughly com

whole. This is a intyth if

recognized to be real. Chu

Bureau of the Census,

American Indians and Othe

of 1,201 business enterpri

percentage is small busin

Korean ethnic enterprise c

firms employed paid worke

er proportion in the category of managers

the existence of many small Chinese retail

most cases, by poorly paid wcqkers who

d. The real situation is one of failure and

hical success.

iplains of lack Oltome data on Korean

that the median urban income of Koreans,

nsus tabulations, was lower than thai of

ericans but slightly higher than that of

ase of rural median househop income, the

west among the Asian American groups.

vely unfavorable situation, the same census

ects that the Korean American income

rabic to that of the U.S. population as a

wdl-known fallacy of cotposition is not

g refers tofasurvey (52A) of 1972 (U.S.

noritpOwned Business: Asian Americans

, 1975) and makes the point that of a total

s owned by Koreans, an overwhelming

establishment. "The smallness of the

n be surmised by the fact that only 249

s and that the average number of workers

470

rit
per firm* was six. Average gross receipts per year weye $64,839."

Korean Americans are seen to be self-employe4 buiinessm,en. The

status of busihess seems to conceal a stite of underemployment (for

Korean immigration patterns, see table 16.)

III. Tri Reallty

3.1 A differentiated labor market

There exists a differentiated. segment of the Americim labor matket.

Immigrants of Asian/Pacific heritage are perceived to be different and

distinguishable from other major components of the Nation's labor

matket. Even if they spoke English, and, indeedt inimigrints from the

Indian subcontinent countries are generally English speaking, they

would be perceived distinguishable from the rest. This differentiation

of the Asian/Pacific labor force is not based on language, or religion,

or racial origin, or on any pne single issue. It is a "mix" of many issues;

it is a composite issue. It is indeed a matter of perception, based on

their lack of shit-red experiences based on the Greco-roman culture

and the Judeo-Christian religion. It is an experience of being

"excluded," .being l'restricted," and it his its roots in common

historical experiences shared by the immigraqts from Asian countries.

3.2 Economics of DisSitnination

It is important to note that the differentiation is real and can be

observed. Arthur Cecil Pigoul (40) discussed the concept of discrimination--and heie is the Pigovian case of "third degree" discrimination.

More recently, Edward Chamberlin (5) *rote on product differentiation and imperfection of the, market. An Asiin American is not

considered either WHITE or BLACKBrown or Dark are terms / often introduced in description.

Given the above background, the employment profile of

Asian/Pacific Americans must be studied in the context of a differentiated segment of the Nation's labor force. The issue is not whether they

are more or less disadvantaged, or they are more or less differentiated,

in comparison 'with other differentiated segments/. 'The issue is that

they belong to a differentiated segment of the labor for& If so, the

scientific approach calls for objective research based on relevant facts.

Should such investigations show that they are a "model" minority

group, there will be a great deal to learn from such findings. If

otherwise, appropriate policy measures can then be developed for

combating income inequality due to market differentiation.

Thus, the issue is an economic one. Nevertheless, there exists not a

single comprehensive study. An excellent survey of theories of racial

discrimination is found in Marshal- (35); the literature on the theories of

discrimination is extensive (Notes 1). MarWah (36), in her survey,

summarizes:

471

484
TABLE 17

Income Distributions for Chinese and White Men, 24-64, in California and In Hawaii in 1969

income California

Chin- Whites es.

Hawaii

Chin- Whites 090

None 1.6% 1.7% 2.4% 0.9% $1-3,999 19.2 10.4 7.6 11.7

$4,000-6,999 -24.2 12.2 11.8 17.1

0,000-9,999 20.2 25.5 29.5 23.3

$10,000-14,999 22.2 31.2 28.9 24.2

$15,000-19,999 6.9 10.1 11.8 10.1

$20,000-24,999 2.1 3.6 4.7 6.1

$25,000-29,999 1.5 1.8 0.5 3.0

$30,000-49,999 1.5 2.5 1.9 3.0

$50,000 or more 0.4 0.9 0.9 0.8

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

(749) (1,355) (211) (890) Median Income: $7,746 $10,018 $9,881 $9,639

Acknowledgement-Dr. B. Man

472

49
The taste-based aversion models of Becker and Arrow and envymalice models of Krueger and Alexis have followed the ricoclassicei traditions. . . . Bergman and Welch are similar to

Becker0 Model. The 'wage-differential dimension of discrimination s eltvered in the neo-classical economics under the human

.74 lkorv, la Ia. . .Becker, Ben-Porath, Mincer, and Rosen.

The liter ture eil6nsively covers race and sex discriminations.

There is hardly any research encompassing the Asian/Pacific

American labor force as such. Betty Lee Sung (48) and Yuan-li Wu

(54) have -studied the Chinese profile; Harry Kitano (24) has studied

the Japanese American. There are several other recent studies. Thc

limited data base in most studies has been responsible for their limited

value.

3.3 The U.S. Bureau of the Census and No Reliable Estimates

The Census Bureau distribnted tables 22 and 23 at the 1980 Census

Advisory Committee for the Asian/Pacific Americans meeting held at

Bureau headquarters on November 9, 1978. Schooley (44) presented

the same tables at the Stanford workshop (August 20-25, 1978).

Following the widespread criticism and concern expressed at the

above advisory committee meeting, the U.S. Bureau of the Census has

made the following official response (53):

The Census Bureau is just beginning to implement research and

make plans for a major redesign of the Current Population Survey

(CPS). It is anticipated that the redesign will be fully operational

in early 1984. As part of the researdh, we will investigate methods of increasing the reliability of Asian American and Pacific

Islander data. We will also consider publishing data cumulated

over 12-24 months.

The above presentation is a confirmation that there are n4 reliable

estimates describing the prof& of the APA employment status. The

U.S. Bureau of the Census hn upgraded its survey plans for the 1980

census, and is expected to yield an improved data base. The monthly

current population survey (CPS), as is designed currently, cannot offer

a reliable estimate for the group. An expanded sample and/or an

accumulation of relevant data from successive monthly surveys, could

be considered. An ad hoc survey on income and education conducted

in the spring of 1976 by the U.S. Bureau of the Census for the National

Center for Education . Statistics (DHEW) could be yet another

alternative provided the appropriation for funds is made available. The

U.S. Bureau of the Census plans to expaed its CPS survey at a future

date and may then be able to obtain reliable estimates for the

Asian/Pacific American employment profile. Given the small size of

the given subpopulation and its uneven distribution.across the Nation,

486

473
(

designing the sampling technique at an economic cost will continue to

be a difficult problem for the Bureau.

i v. MI 48U09

4.1 The Job Search

The issues of concern for the Asian/Pacific American labor market

are many: Fiest, finding the job is a problem. In a study of job search,'

Gidwani (15) reported that, using imaginary profiles of two rather

identically comparable candidates, one with an Anglo-Saxon name and

the matching one with an Asian Indian name, het survey of some 30

employers showed discrimination against the Asian-named applicant.

Her imaginary candidates, girls as they were, carried identically

comparable physical measures, as she reported. A simifar exercise for

Filipino Americans is known to exist. Shakespeare did not know that

there is more in a name than he could dream ofl

4.2 The Letters of Recommendation

Even when a candidate is successful in clearing the preliminary

screening, the Asian-immigrant candidate suffers difficulties in obtaining comparable letters of recommendation. It is much more so for the

recent immigrants who have not attendeckschools in this country.

Immigrants from Europe are at a comparative advantage, first, because

they havt friends and relatives imd acquaintances in churches and

social clubs, and, secondly, because there is much greater traditional

acceptance here of the values the immigrants from Europe bring with

them.

4.3 The Less-Than-Competitive Offer

Since the Asian immigrant has no way of convincing his or her

potential American employers that the school of plumbing he or she

went to in the Asian country was no worse than the ones here and/or

in Europe, the candidate usually fails to obtain a competitive bargain.

At times* the Asian immigrant is induced to accept the less-thancompetitive offer, lest any chance to "enter" into the American labor

market vanishes or becomes delayed. The point is the key one. The

"entry" or the "access" to the market is not' free to this immigrant.

4.4 The Less-than-competitive Job

An Asian immigrant physican is not always perceived to be a

physician, and it is at times attributed to the immigrant's medical

education. The same is true for engineers, dentists, nurses, and may be

true for priests, too. An investigation alone can establish the truth or

otherwise. Until then, charges of bias and discrimination continue to

persist.

4.5 The Career Advancement

The technical still and professional aptitude need to be evaluated by

peers. The process of peer evaluation cannot be free and open for the

474
Asian immigrant because there exist social barriers, perceived and/or

real. This is perhaps less for the native-born ones of Asian heritage;

perhaps less for those who have spouses who are native born, perhaps

less for aca.demic professionals at the university levels and/or for

research scientists. Perhaps there is no exception, and the process of

career advancement for the Asian immigratits, subject to constrained

peer evaluation, remains slow. R. Chadda (4) in a study suggests

similar findings, and Ishikawa (22) argues that underemployment

rather than unemployment is the prime concern for Asian Americans.

Indeed, delayed and/or blocked career.advancement can surely result

in serious underemployment and an aggravated lbss of productivity.

4.6 The Cost of the Water-flow Model

Brij K hare (25) and Kazuo Sato (42) refer to the water-flow model

and the resultant success by way of career advancement of immigrant

groups, especially of some segmenls of Japanese Americans and Asian

Indians, and they conclude by emphasizing the cost that follows from

the sense of loss of identity. If the concept of "polygkn" has been

rejected and i( the concept of "pluralism" has been found to be optimal

for the American system, the water.-flow model of easier career

advancement can be seen as further shifting the loss (unction, and,

thus, as contributing to longrun loss of the productivity of a certain

segment of the labor force of the Nation.

4.7 Sex DiScrimination and'Asian Women

Marwah (36) has argued at length the case of discrimination for

Asian immigrant women in labor. The triminority and job discrimina- . tion provide a specific case study. Sex discrimination of jobs has been '

studied at length and has been extensively "measured" by variouS

researchers (Notes 2), and we have referred to earlier works of Scott

(43) and Strober (47). It so, it is not too difficult to extend the design of

experiment to consider the case of job discriminatio6 in relation to )

women, Asian, and foreign bornthe triminority.

4.8 The Mian-Origin Physicians

Lanjewar (27A) notes that the foreign medical graduates (FMG) are

a highly heterogenous group, and then concludes that FMGs should

be encouraged to immigrate into the United States, "but we should

certainly not exploit them or entice them to stay here Ito fill up

unpopular jobs in underserved communities." A controlled experiment

'using a body of data, some 10,000 FMGs in the data bank of the

American Medical Association, can be easily conducted to determine

the "true" state of affairs.

4.9 Foreign Born

Bryan D, Man (31A) concludes an extensive study by emphasizipg

the impact of being foreign born. Using the Chinese data in the States

475

4 Ss

trr
TABLE 18

Occupatlonar Distributions for Men 25 lo 84 years old, by

Race and State, In 1960

: Occupation ,

California

Chinese° Whites')

k Hawaii

Chinese Whitesc

; (1) (2) :

(3) (4)

Professionals ... 18.8% 16.9% 18.3% 20.0%

Managers/ administrators 16.5 15.5 17.4 21.0

Sales 9.2 8.5 7.3 6.5

Clerical ... 8.8 7.1 14.2 6.5

Crafthmen 7.6 23.9 22.6 21.2

Operatives 12.6 15.5 9.0 11.3

Laborers 1.5 3.9 3.0 4.2

Service 22.0 5.4 6.9 5.3

Private household _. 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Farmers 1.3 1.8 1.0 1.1

Farm laborers . 0.6 1.5 0.3 2.9

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

(22,586) (2,585,867) (8,385) (25,359)

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. U.S. Census of Population: 1960. Sub: Ject Reports. Nonwhite Population by Race. Final Report PC(2)-1C, (1963:

Table 40). b Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. U.S. Census of Po ulation: 1960. Vol

Characteristics of the Population. Part 6, California, (1! : Table 123); Sublect Reports. Persons of Spanish Surname. Final Report PC(2)-1B, (1963:

Table 8). Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. U.S. Census of Pollulation: 1960. Vol.

Characteristics of the Population. Part 13, Hawaii, (1983: Table 123).

, Acknowledgement-Dr. v. Man

of ,Califdrnia and Hawaii, Man shows that for the Chinese American,

the influence of race alone cannot be seen to relate to:

the previdling perception and conceptualization of race relations

in America. The complex modifying effect nativity has upon the

relationship between race and socioeconomic achievement suggests that immigrant status may be more significant, and race less

significant, in the achievement process.

Man continues: "that the foreign-born Chinese achieve far less than do

foreign-born Whites, however, indicates a more complex relationship

among race, nativity and achievement. . . ."

The above analysis brings into focus a very important aspect of the

study, for a great mAjority of Asian Americans are "foreign horn" and

first-ieneration immigrants (tables 17 and 18).

476 r

_ . eth

a
TABLE 19

Employment Status of Persons 16 Years

and Older by Agar and-Sex"

' (Weighted Percentages)

Males Female,

Un- Em- Not Ern- Un- Em- Not ErnAge welyihted ployed ployed wrd World ployed

----. Total . . . . 705 95.1 4.9 354 93.2 6.8 7" '

16-24 . . 217 95.2 4.8 113 93.1 6.9'

25-34 . . 238 . 95.7 4.3 129 . 95.6 '4.4

35-44 . . 140 97.5 2.5 81 96.7 3.3

45-over 110 90.6 9.4 31 73.3 26.7

Opportunity Systems, Inc., urvey V, July-August 1977

AcknowlecrgementDr. G. Hung

4.10 The Indochinese Americans

Gregory N.T. Hung (21) uses,the INS data of some 114,140 refugees

from Indochina and summarizes some of the socioeconomic.characteristics. Hung, in the same paper refers to a quick survey and notes the

labor force participation rate for this group qf Asian Americans is as

high as 66.5 percent, with. 79.2 percent for men and 49.8 percent for.

women. Hung (table 19) then adds the following words of caution:

1. The statistics are based upon telephone interviews with which

the Indochinese are not familiar.

2. Because of the stigma attached to unemployment, there is a

tendency to exaggerate the employment situation.

3. The term "employment " as trndersto&I by the Indochinese,

means having a job, ai\y job.

Hung continues ,to suggest that a special survey based on specific data

sources derived from reftigee relief and rehabilitation in the

various nongoyernmental groups alone can be expected evelop a

meaningful employment/unemployment profile for this greoup.

given the historical situation,.Hung's argument has merit.

4.11 Korean Americans and Absence of Any Study

Pointing to the absence of any comprehensive study for the Korean

Americans' employment profile (there are some related studies for the

477
TABLE 20

Labor Force Status for White.and Asian Males

Ago Group 16-19

E

1960

U NLF

(%)

E

1970

U NLF

(%)

E

1976

U NLF

(%)

Whites 43 5 52 42 5 53 57 32 Asiallsk 35 3 62 30 4 66 38 7 55

Ago Group20-24

Whites 79 6 15 5 21 78 10 12 Asians 64 4 22 58 4 38 60 16 24

Thus, like other minority much higiter labor force: both "tmemployed" and

counterparts.

ethnic groups, Asian youth suffer from a

nonparticipation (and by that I mean here

"not in labor force? groups) than their white

TABLE 21

(This table is available in Commission files and can be found . In INS Annual Repgrts).

AcknowlpdgementDr. T. Sen

Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino Americaps), Woo Bong Lee (28)

, states: ."

Many Korean Americansicoimter a variety of adverse factors in

thq American job market- that could either cause or prolong

un6mployment and underemployment. Among these factors are:, (j) appearance, (ii) language barriers, (iii) lacic of American job

expenence and training, (iv) degrees and education which are not

really accepted and recognized, (v) lack of American business

experience a4 limited access t financial and managerial re- sources, (vi) discrimination and ptçjudic, (vii) limited mobility, (yin) socioeconomic and cultural ba kliground dissimilar to that of the domin t group, and (ix) other sàpal and economic problems. Leethe argu for'an independent surve and an integrated study of Asi Arteficans _ 4.12 The StiiteoWliawaii d Asian/Pacific Americans

Thomas Q. Gilso 'bes the unique population composition of the State of aii: "The only state in the Union where the

majority of the populatiolis,Asian American by birth or ancestry." Even so, for the new immigrantOilson continues to state:

1 On initial employment, organized efforts at acculturation, particularly in preparation for employment was found to be successful, both in an experimental program involving recent Filipino and Korean immigrants and in the Vietnamese program. . . .This

type of service should be available to recent Samczan ancLEilipino

immigrants."

478

-^
TABLE 22

CV's for Plkonthly, Quarterly Average and Annual Average Estimates of Selected Characteristics from Current

Population Survey for Asian/Pacific Americans, Total Population, Blacks, and Spanish: 1978

Characteristic

Asian/Pacific'

Americans

Total'

Population Blacks Spanish'

.. Quarter Annual . Quarterly Annual Quanerly Annual Quarterly Annual

Monthly Average Average Mohihii Average Average Monthly Average Amigo Monthly Average Average

Estimate Estimate Estimat Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate

CV% CV% CV% qy% Cy% cv% cv% Cy% cv% cv% CV% CV%

Total Population 5.2 4.5 3.3 3.4 3.0 2.4

Civilian Labor Force 4.0 3.5 2.6 0.2 0.2 Orii- 0.8 0.7 0.6 3.5 3.3 2.2

Employment 4.1 3.6 2.7 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.0 0.9 0.7 3.5 3.3 2.2

Wholesale &

Retail 8.6 7.5 5.3 0.9 0.8 0.6 3.8 3.3 2.5 5.4 4.8 3.1

Professional &

Related Fields 9.3 8.5 7.0 1.2 1.1 0.9 4.9 4.3 3.2 7.9 6.7 4.2

Manufacturing 10.5 9.8 8.2 0.9 0.8 0.7 3.14 2.7 2.0 4.9 4.3 2.8

Durable.Goods 15.2 14.1 11.9 1.2 1.1 0.9 4.3 3.8 2.8 6.5 5.6 3.4

Nondurable

Goods 13 9 12.9 ' 10.8 1.5 1.4 0.9 4.6 4.2 3.2 6.3 5.4 3.5

Agriculture, Forestry and

Fishers 18.0 16.4 13.6 2.7 2.5 2.0 7.7 6.8 5.1 10.7 9.0. 5.7

Unemployment

Rate 1.0 15.6 10.0 1.9 0.9 3.7 2.9 1.8 6.7 4.5 , 3.4

Labor Force Part.

Rate 1.8 1.6 1.2 0.3

,1'.4

0.3 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.6 1.1 0.9 0.6

' The CV's for totakpopulation, Blacks and spanish are based on estimates from the-June 1978 CPS.

2 The CV's for ttilifislan and Pacific American population are based on estimittes which assume the same relationsiiIp between the

Asian and eacIfIc AMbrican population in 1978 as in 1970. The CV's given are approximations to those which would be obtained if the data

.on the Asian and Pacific American populations were available from the CPS. , e&

, -.I Acknowledgement-Margaret Schooley c) 492
.7)

TABLE23

CV's of Certain Estimates

-Pacific Americans, Total rom Current Population Survey Based Oh Time for Special Characteristics of Asian opulation, Black, and Spanish: 1978

Asian/Pacific Americans', Two Year Total Pop.' Blacks' Spanish' 4. Two Year Memo of

March Average of March

Double 'Regular Double

Monthly . Sample March Sample Monthly Monthly Monthly \ Characteristic Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate

Total Families 5.1 3:8 4.0 3.1 0.4 1.1 1.7 Total Households 4.4 3.3 3.5 2.6 0.3 0.9 2.1 Median Income , Families 3.8 30 2.2 0.4- 1.5 2-.2 Households 3.8 2.9 2.2 0.4 1.2 2.1 Percent in Poverty

Families 12.7 10.0 , 10.0 7.3 1.1 2.2 4.3 Persons

percent High School

13.6- 10.0 10.9 8.2 1.7 2.3 4.9 '

1 Graduates 2.4 1.8 1.8 1:3 0.3 1 4 2.1

V. ' The CV's for the total population, Blacks and Spanish are based on collimates' from the March 1977 supplement to the CPS. The CV's for the Asian and Pacific American population are based on estimates which assume the same relationship-between:the Asian and Pecific American population in 1976 as in 1970. The CV's given are approximations to those which would be obtained if the data on the Asian and Pacific American populations were available from .the CPS.

Acknowledgement-Margaret Schooley

493
Ttie issue of "nativity," to quote Bryan Man (31A), becomes

presking, and further research alone can determine the magnitude of

the problem.

4,13 Asian Americans and Americin Academia

Suresh Desai (8), in a paper, dwells at length on the "structural"

iinperfections of the market referring to Asian Americans and the

American academia. Drawing upon the "non-profit model of institutional behavior," Desai points to the relative discrimination to which

Asian. Americans are exposed even when their academic superiority

and competitiveness, remain unques ioned, and he attributes the

situation to what their American peerscciv t as "inferior" personal

characteristics. The result, Ltenai`:conCludes, is that their academic

credentials shall remain "undervalued."

.4.14 The Affirmative Action Policies: Seniority vis-i-vis Job-Security

The latest Federal guidelines assert that the five-fold classification of

the American labor force must not be seen 'to be based on race and

shall not be used for any, categorization of a group as a minority.

Indeed, the term "minority" hardly ever appears in the official rules.

However, an important Purpose of such five-fold classification is to

devNop statistics for Federal reporting and one such, reporting is for

the affirmative action programs. This is a difficult relationship to

comprehend; on the one hand, there is the concern for being "pure'c in

compilation of data, and, on the other hand, the same data body is

being usid for socioeconomic normative purposes which- often are

considered, at best, ad hoc reasoning.

In most official notifications, mention is made of blacks, Hispanics,

and then the _global term used is "other minorities." Often the local

authorities argue that the Asian/Pacific Americans are not "minoriticelf9r hiring and promotion, or, for that matter, for any affirmative

actionr program. This is a situation of double jeopardy which involves

"last in" and "first out." It would be proper not to- have any

categorization at all and continue to suffer from the dangerous illusion

that 'all Americanssex, race, and ethnicity notwithstandingare

equal. le not, there exists no case for the Federal, State, and local

officials for not specifically. mentioning Asian/Pacific Americans as an

indePendent catego0 of minorities.

In recent years, the situation has been confonnded by the lack of

uniformity of decisions at various admintstrative levels in regard to the

status of Asian1Pacific Americans as a minority 'group. The U.S.

Bureau of the Census in the U.S. Department of Commerce took the

leadership in considering this group as a "minority," while othera

continue to debate. At times, even in the same FedeN agency some

sections consides them a "minority" while other sections refuse to

treat them as such. A potable case is the OMBE in the Department of

9 4 481
PP

TABLE '24

Age Distribution of Japaneie Americans by Sex, 100

i Age TOW Male Female

0-14 23.6 26.1 21.4 15-24 16.1 17.4 15.3

. 25-34 13.7 13.1 14.2 35-44 ir 17.9 14.2 21.1 45-54 14.3 . \ 14.8 13.8 55-64 6.2 6.8 5.7 65-74 . 4.7 4.4 t 5.0 75-- 3.3 3.1 3.5

Source: Census of Population, 1970, volume 2-10, table 2. AcknowledgementDr. K. Sato

Commerce, and their explicit objection to considering this group as a

"minority."

Asian/Pacific Americans should be considered as a "minority" ns?t

because they are anxious to get on the "bandwagon" and to Islip the

"benefits," as some have observed. They have a history of being

discriminated against if one reads the history of "exclusion" and

"restriction" practiced by the U.S. Immigration Service with care, and

they contindrio be culturally differentiated from the majority group, whites, ind also from the other recognized minority groups, blacks, Hispanics, Natives of North America. Accordingly, they have limited.

access to the American labor markrt, and they must be considered as a

"minority" for logical decisionmaking purposes.

4.15 Asian American Youth

Tapas K. Sen (table 20) points out that, not unlike other minority

youth groups, Asian youth suffers from a much higher nonparticipation labor force rate than their white counterparts. Betty Lee Sung and Yuan-li Wu have referred to the "Chinatown youth gangs" and the

related crimes.

4.16 Education and Earnings

Seri (45) and Chaddha (4) present preliminary evidence to show that

for both males and females the average educational level is consistently higher for the Asian group. Sometimes, in the college and above

category, Asians show twice as high a mcentage as whites, when in

the income category the picture is reversed. Indeed, earnings per

482

4 95
school year, and/or earnings per education dollar, are likely to show

Asian Americans to be discriminated against.

V. A Frameivork of Research

5.1 The Search for a Data Base

Barry Chiswick (6), in a paper, reported that the earnings profile of

white immigrants from Eastern Europe provided no evidence of

discrimination. Commenting on his finding, Martin FIronnfenbrenneriok ,

seriously questioned tbe framework of rescarch Chiswick adopted fix:\

his study. The issue is of prime concern, for it is the design of research

which often becomes responsible for wrong Conclusions from a given

body of data. . The U.S. Bureau of tile Census currently luis no way of providing a

reliable employment profile of Asian/Pacific Americans, as has been

noted earlier. (Barry Chiswick,- in a recent telephone conversation

with this author, indicated that he has completed ins analysis for this

group by using the data base of the 1970 census, but he is not ready to

report his findings.) . The pioneering -works of Harry Kitano, Betty Lee Sung, Yuan-li

Wu, and several others do not really address themsclves to the specific

issue, even though their works shOw great insight into the problems.

The 1980 census, as the projected questionnaire indicates, will

certainly be able to generate a large body of data for developing

meaningful analysis for the employment profile of this segment of the

Americas labor flarce. Even so, it wil not be easy to generate a data

base for this specific group for a coprehensive employment study

since the long-form qtestionnaire, which aloft will have the extensive

coverage for information, will wue-L a limited population of this

unevenly distributed subset of the Natioikpopulation. In addition, the

census data source will have inadequate -information relative to

immigration, and, thus a large section or the Asian/Pacific population

who are recent immigrants and whose earnings profile may btaffected

by "place of birth" may remain uncovered by the census.

5.2 The Case for Usifig the INS Data *ink and Other Sourc9

A search of altemative data bases reveals the following laormatigL_E

Guillermina Joi,sso of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, in a

recent presentation (23), suggested that the INS has developed a data

base of several million new immigrants with identification of the

country of origin of thc immigrant. This is indeed a mine of

informationpand can be utili ed very meaningfully for a comprehensive

study. This body of data #an be, used to*lest hypotheses (table 21):

(i) Immigrants from rope and immigrants from As* and their

compatable profiles in terms of employment and underemployment,

career advancement, and job security;

483
(ii) The recent immigrants from Asia and native-born Americans

of Asian heritage and their comparabk profile, as suggested by Bryan Man;

(iii) The INS data will enable us to "control" immigrants by years of school, language handicap, English language spoken by Asiiin as compared to th English language spoken by the European

immigrants, the professional background;

(iv) The age-sex profile of immigrants from Europe withi that of

immigrants from Asia and the comparable earnings profiks.

Given the (Act that immigration from Asian countries has increased

in recent years, the IN$ data base will be of-significant analytic value. In aidition, it is well-known that a large num6er of Chinese

Americans, even when they immigrated to this country many years ago, still continue to live.off their "green" cards and reftisc to become

naturalized citizens; the INS data may be used to dTaw a special earnings profile for them. The. INS data hal one limitIttion in that it

does noi include Asian immigrants as soon as they become naturalized

citizens. Furthermore, the INS data bank provides only names and

addresses or thousands of Asian immigrants identified by their coun ies of origin, and it can be used only when an independent surVey hasrmadc of this "population" base.

5.3 The Need for Longitudinal Data (39)

The cross section data provide a snapsjicit at a given point of tin;e.

The Nation's labor market information sYstem until recently consisted

almost entirely of cross section 'damn. These data, represent-mg a

snapshot of the population at a moment in time, yield a wealth Of

information on the levels of various characteristics and their incidence

throughout the population. When comparedoover time, they, are

valuable indicators of trendslud cyclical actMty in the labor market.

However, crais sectioti dais do not track individuals over time and, as

a consequence, they provide little information about the dynamits of

labor market activity. Longitudinal data, in contrast, yield a motion

picture of the .labOr market by providing information on the same

individuals atdifferent points in time.

The INS data bank can be used to generate longitudinal data for

studying the dynamics of the Asian/Pacific labor market in that the

addressees in the INS data bank keep reporting to the Service in

484

4 9"-
'Mk

January of every year. Indeed, the longitudinal data base\ can be,

generated in various ways, and a given data bank can he so organized.

5.4 Ishikawa (22) indicates that the Labor Department is planning to

develop a data bank with' identification for an unemployment insurance program. This bohy,of data may be yet another source. Simi!tidy,

Nathe CETA data and the EEOC dattir be scrutinized for some

spects of the study. Several professional associatkms, American

Medical Association, American Statistical Association, American

Economic Association, have moved to collect data t;anks of their

respective memberships with Asian/Pacific identifications. These

bodies of data can be used for "controlled" experiments for developing

comparable earnings profiles.' Earnings of immigrant physicians_ from

Asian countries need to be compared with those of native-born

v physicians, and also with those of immigrant physicians from European countries. The same is true for various other professional groups.

Ishikawa (22) has discussed at length the loss function in its basic

mathematical' form should we undereMploy a segment of the labor,

force.

5.5 AnEstimably4clelMultivariate Analysis:

A rigorous quiliintative study using mat}emaial specifications,

which are estimable, can be undertaken. And there i o need to refer

to well-known referehces in this regard. Elizabeth Scott (43) has done

extensive study for sex discrimination and measurement, and she Inas

iirenlified some 27 explanatory vkriables. Myra Strober (47) has rightly

rejected the "residual" approach in dieasuring sex/ discrimination on

the job. She has 4irguect the great iMportance of limited access .of

women to the prime lab& markerDutta has listed a sct cif variables

and has grouped them under two categoriesquantitatkye and qualita-

. 1 tive (see eharts).' n, S 5.6 The issue is that labor, as an input of production, .is not a

homogenous variable. The prime labor market, however, defined by

the Department of Labor, is a "cliised" market, and the nonprime

labor market is differentiate0. In international trade.ond in welfare

economics, the economics ot market disZrimination have been

to them earlier. We can stud the sime

ank

lyzed, and we have referred

problem in yet another dimension by using the input-outp format of

Leontief '(3 I).

If the labor input of the nonprimary labor market variety (in the

present case, the Asian Amer& origin)'cannqt find entry into most ef

the cells of the production matrix, itomitt remain less productive, and

as such it must stand tto be rAvarded in a differentiated manner. The

issue isthen one of "access," aod the barriers are at times "real" and at

timee'perceived," as Chamberlin developedthe argument in his thesis

on 'monopolistic competition. )n the caseof intergational trade, In%ing

485

498 ,
'se Chart 1

E fIX1 , X2, ,Xm, Xm +1 Xm+2, , Xm) (1) E = Employment

(X1, X2,

, Xm)- vector of perceived variables.

(Xrn+ Xm+ 2, , Xm).-- vector of observed variables E = h(Z1, Z2, 2m, Z114 1, Zm+ 2, , Zm) (2) P = Change in employment/change in time (I.e., career develop- ment)

(Z1, Z2, Zi-n) vector of observed variables

indicating performance on job (Z m+ 1, Zm+ 2, , Zm) = vector of perceived variables

leading to acceptan6e on the

part of the mandgernent with

pow0r toact upon the ith can-

! didate's career advancement.

Note: Functional Form remains undefined. Simple, linear, additive

error structure relationship is easily estimable. However, compli- cated interaction effort especially in the case of "language" and "appearance" may create bothersome problems even in such sim- ple functional specifications.

Perceived Variables - (X1, X2, Xm). Xi = The history of Asian Exclusion Act of 191 7 and its lingering

aftermath. t r X2 = Lack of shared experience, or inadequate sharing of Greco-Roman cUlture iandAudo-Chriktian religious beliefs. X3 = Fallacy of "brain drain" argue,nent: t rrke the Asian immigrant Seel guilty to begin with.

X4 = Discipline/mragement 'Consideration: pore easily controllable subject and the consequent built-in discriminatIon. . X6 Limited access ta-"establishment.:" chupch, country club, political club.

4

486

4 9, `)
t.

X5 = Limited access to political power: immigrants from Europe

and from Africa are the official majority and minority,

respectively, and so perceived by both major political parties. The immigrants from Asia continue to be the unrecog11,

nized and neglected minority. -7

- The history of immigration lawa: the quota system: the

1965 liberalization of.the immigration laws: first generation

, immigrants' profile: the numerical guidelines are seen as a

hidden quota system even by the liberal establishment

when it comes to affirmative action programs; the

Bakke case), but the' numerical guitielines are seeh as

valid and lawful when it comes to the application of the

1965 Immigration Act. There has been no voice raised

even by the liberal scholars who have been vocal in other

cases.

Observed variables = (Xm + , Xm +2, , 4,4).

X5 = Education

X9 = He Ith

X10 Ag

Xi = Coi,municAtion ability (i.e., language barrier)

X12 Appearance

X13 = Sex

Observed Variables =t11Z1 , Z2, , Zm)

Zi = Quantity of output

Z2 = Quality of outpur

Z3 Cost saving per unit of butput

24 /otirrianagement/leadership/committee work

Z5 = Innovativeness/patent/basic research/publication

Perceived variables = (Zm +1, Zm +2, , ZtA)

Z6 = Peer acceptance

Z7 = Acceptance by the consumers of the product

Z5 - Acceptance by the superiors

Z9 = Acceptance by the commupity

Z1 0% " Acceptance,by the self/self-evaluation/job sattfaction

5 0 )487
Chart 1

An Expanded Input-Output Matrix with Five Diffrent Types Of Labor

1 2 3k- 4 5 6

1 F

I

n

a

I

0

u

-I- t

P -Iu

t EXPORTS

.

C

+

I

0

2

3

w 4

5

6

LWA I

,' ti

.

e.

LBA

HA

LNNA .

,

, LAPA

. . BANK

I4ORT i

EXTERNALITIES . PUBLId GOODS

.

. 488

501 °I
%sr

Kravis (27) extended the Tlechsher-Ohlin factor availability theorem

40 suggest that the concept of "availability" can at timp be perceived

to be true, even if mit really so. Can one ever be certain of the

superiority of French wine in comparison with California wine7

5.7 The research design we envisage must be carefully designed and

must involve "controlled" experiments. Comparisons to be meaningful

must be based on comparable data bases: Asian immigrant against

European immigrantgiven the breakdown of profession, years of

schooling, years of immigration, sex-age profile, end varied socioeconomic characteristics. It is our guess that a primeNariable to explain

earnings differential, as may be found, may be explained 6y ethnicassociation coefficient, where the ethnic association may be defined as

the ratio of Asian American immigrants to the basic population as

opposed to the ratio of European immigrants to the basic population.

This is indeed the "access" variable discussed by Strober (47) where

she might consider ratio of women members in the economics

profession compared to the ratio of pale members in the economics

profession.

5.8 In conclusio , it is strongly suggested that, without an independent

'survey using specific data sources, a meaningful study to analyze the

Asian/Pacifio American employment profile is not feasible. The U.S.

Bureau of the,Census can hardly be expectiid to allocate priority to this

smallest of the Raincirities of the Nation'i population, and, even if its

expanded 1980 survey is an improvement, it cannot sufceed in

unravelling the mysteries of the Asian/Pacific employment profile for

many and varied reasons.

On its own response, as noted earlier, th .S. Bureau of the Census

shall be unable to provide any useful i ormation until the second half

of the 1980s..This absence of information for almost another decade to

come must be viewed with Mann. It is much more so in view of the

recent pattern of immigration from Asian countries. Anderson (1) and

Leung (29A) have written extensively on the role of community-based

organizations in relation to research in this regard. Concerned scholars

of Mian/Pacific heritage can and must offer to undertake meaningful

research in studying the Asian/Pacific AmericaNemployment profile

and provide the missing information at.the earliest possible time.

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Decade of Community-Based Manpower Services, The Wharton

School, Pennsylyania, 1976.

2. Blau, P. and 15.D. Duncan, The American Occupational Structure,

4 New York: Wiley, 1967.

502 489
3. CaLxas, A. and H. Yee, Discriminatory Employment of Asian

Americ s Private Industry in the San Francisco-Oakland SMSA,

Asian, ln ., San Francisco (July 1977).

4. Chaddha, R.L. "Problems And Perspectives of Career Advancement-A Cross-Section Survey of Asian Indians," presented at the

Stanford University Workshop, Aug. 20-25, 1978.

5. Chamberlin, Edward H. Me Theory of Monopolistic Competition, 7th ed., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1958.

6. Chiswick, Barry, "Earnings of Immigrants from East European

Countries," Proceedings of the Ameriean Economic Association, 1976.

7. Chung, Joseph S., "Economic Issues and Priorities of Asian

Americans: Korean Immigrants," Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25,

1978.

8. Desai, Suresh, "Career Advancement in Academia: *Some Basic

Questions," Stanford Wotkshop, Aug. 20-25, 1948.

9. Dutta, M. Senate Hearings on the Census Bureau and its Planning

for the 1980 Decennial Census by the Subcommittee on nergy,

Nuclear Proliferation and Federal Services of the Senate- overnmental Affairs Committee, Washington, D.C, Mar. 1, 1979.

10. Dutta, M. "Fractured Empldyment Market for the Asian/Pacific

Americans," Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25, 1978. An earlier

version presented at the National Conference on Asians in America

and Asian Americans, May 13, 1978.

11. Dutta, M. Econometric Methods, South-Western, Cincinnati, Ohio1975.

12. Dutta, M. Evidence before the House of RepresentatiVes Subcommittee on Ceneus and Population, June 1-2, 1976, No. 94-80, pp. 33-37.

13. Elkhpialy, Hekmat and Ralph Nicholas "Racial ittid Ethnic Selfdesignation and Desire for Legal Minority Status Amont Indian

Immigrants in the USA," University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1977. ..A

14. Freeman, Richard D., The Overeducated Ame can, Adgviemic Press, Inc., New York, 1976. t

15. Gidwani-Buschi, Shila, "Elements of National Origin Bias in Recruitment Practices," Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25, 1978.

16. Gilson, Thomas Q., "Employment Problems of Asian Americans

in Hawaii," Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25, 1978. . 17. Ginsberg, Eli, The Manpower Connection, Harvard University Press, 1975.

18. Ginsberg, Eli, ed. Jobs for Americans, The American Assembly,

Prentice-Hall, N.J.,..1976.

19. GUjarati, D. N. "Economic Profile of Asian Indian Immigrants,"

Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-28, 1975.

490 50.3
20. 'Hall, R. .T., 1975, Occupatiorm and the Social Structure. 2d ed.,

New York: McGraw-TIM, 1975.

.21. Hung, Gregory N. T., "Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment of the Indochinese Americans," Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25,1978.

..... 22. Ishikawa, Mamoru, "Discrimination in Employment of Asian

Americans," Stanford Workshop, Auk 20-25,1978. f 23. Jasso, Guillermina, Special Lecture on Asian American Employment Studies, Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25,1978.

24. Kitano, H. H. L, Japanese Americans, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall,

1969.

25. Khare, Brij B., "Fram*ork for Analyzing Migration and

Mobility Pattern of. Asian Immigrants-I-The Indian- Subcontinent

Case," Stanford Workshop, Autg. 20-25,1978.

26. Kim, Hyung C. and Patterson W., Me Koreans in America 1882-

1974, Oceana Publications, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., 1974.

27. Kravis, I. B., "Av-ailability and Other Influences on the CommodiSY of Trade," Journal of Political Economy, LX1V, April 1956.

27A. Lanjewar, D. G., "PrOlems of_ Foreign Medical Graduates in

Relation to Thei Career AdvancementSome Aspects," Stanford t

Workshop, Aug. 0-25,1978.

28. Lee, Woo Bong, "Socio-Economic Implications of ,Unemploy-

, ment and-Underemployment of the Asian/Pacific AmfricansThe

Case Of Korean Americans," gtanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25,

.1978.

29. Lebergott, Stanley, Wealth and Want, Princeton University

Press, N. J., 1975, pp. 108-28.

29A. Leung, Paul, "Asian American Employment Problems and the

Community-based Organizations," Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25,

1978:

30. Levitan, S.A., Miingun, G. and Marshall, R., Human Resources- \--,

and Lgbor Markets, 2d ed., Harper & Row, N. Y. 1976.

31. Leottief, Wassily W., The Structures of American Economy, 2d

ed., Oxford University Press, 1960. 'I\

31A. Man, Bryan, "Chinese Occupational Achievement Patterns:

The Case of a Model Minority," Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25,

1978. . 32. Mangum, darth, Invited Lecture: "American Manpower

StudyPerspective and Prospective."

33. Mariano, Roberto S., "Problems and Perspectives: Towards a

National Survey of the Socioeconomic and Demographic Characteristics of Asian Americans," Stanford Workshop, Aug. 20-25,

1978.

491
34. Marshall, A., Principles of Economics, 8th ed., MacMillan, N. Y., N.Y., 1948.

35. Marshall, Ray, "The Economics of Racial Discriminatiop: A

Survey," Journal of Economic Literature, September 1976, vol. XII (3)-

6. Marwah, Kama, "Employment Status and Earnings Profile of the4 Tri-minority Professionals: Non-native, Asian, Female," Stanford

Workshop, Aug. 20-25, 1978.

37.`44ohapatrt, M. K. "A Study of the Overseas Indians in the

ited States," A Research Report for the Fifth European Confep- en on Modern South Asian Studies, July 9-13, 1978, Pafis, Fr ce.

38. tional Commission 1 Manpower Policy, Manpower and Imm ration Policies in the United States, Special 14port #20, Febru ry 1978.

39. Nat nal Commission on Employment-and Unemployment Sttltis- tics Co ruing the Labor Force: Preliminary Dre Report of the NatiOna Commission on Employment and Unemployment Statistics,

Washingt n, D.C., January 1979. 4. 40. Pigon, .C. Economics of Welfare.

41. Prasad, . et al., "Stereotypes and Employment Opportunities for Asian/ Mk Americans," StanfordlOWorkshop, Aug. 20-25, 1978.

42. Sato, Kaz o, "The Asian American Employment Market: The Pattern and P spectsThe Japanese Experience," Stanford Work- shop, Aug. 20- 5, 1978.

43. Scott, Eliza th L., "MwErement of ,Job Discrimination: A

-Methodology," tanford WorlMop, Aug. 20-25, 1978. 44. Schooley, M garet, "Selected Cacteriltics from CPS for

Asian/Pacific A ricans," StanforeWbrkshop, Aug. 20-25, 1978. 45. Sen, Tapas K., 'The Profile ofU.S. lImploytnent Market: Race, Ethnic, Sex, Mix: The AsianrPacific American ClassifiditiOn,"

Stanford Workshop Aug. 20-25, 1978.

46. Strober, Myra "Women Economists: Career Aspirations, Education and Trai ng," AER Papers and Proceedings, May 1975. 47. Strober, Myra , "Measuring Sex Discrimination on. the Job," Stanford Workshop, ug. 20-25, 1918,

48. Sung, Betty Lee, mese American Manpower and Employment, Department of Asian tudies, City College of New York, N.' Y. 1975.

49. Sung, Betty Lee, "Chineim Americans and Their Employmen-t'N

Profile: A Summary of My Research Findings," Stanford Work- shop, Aug. 20725, 1978.

, 492
50. Ulman, Lloyd, Ed. Manpower Programs and the Policy Mix. Johns

Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Nrd.,1973.

51. U.S.; Department of Labor, Employment and Training Report of

thi President, (1977, 1978).

52. U.S., Bureau 4441,7 Census, Special Report on Japanese. Chinese

and Rlipinos, PC (2)- G, 1970

52A. U.S., Bureau of the Census, Minority-Owned Business, 1975.

53. 'U.S., Bureauof /the Census, "Minutes and COmmittee Recommendaticint_pf the Mecting of the Census Advisory Committee on

tfie Asisn and Pacific Americans Population for the 19'80 Census,"

Nov. 9, 1978.

54. Wu, The Economic Condition of Chinese Americans

(forthcoming).

55. Wu, Yuffit-li, "Chinese Occupational and Employment Patterns

in the United States Since World War II," Stanford Workshop,

Aug. 20-25, 1978.

NOTES 1

Alexis, M., "Pre Political Economy pf Llibor Market Discrimination:

o Synthisits and Exploration," in A. Horowitz and G. Von Furstenberg (edi.) Patterns of Discrimination, D.C. Heath-Lexington Books,

Lexington, Mass., 1974:

---,"The Economic Status of cks and Whites," AER, Papers and`

Proceedings, Ma)i 1978.

Arrow, K.J., "Models of Job Discrimination" and "Some Models of

Race in the Labor MaLket," in A.H. Pascal (ed.), Racial Discrimination in EconoAic Lee, Reath-Lexington Books, Mass., 1972.

----, "The Theory of Discrimination," in 0. Ashenfelter and A. Rees

(eds) Discrimination in Labor Markets, Princeton University Press,

1974.

Becker, G.S., HumanCapital, National Bureau of Economic Research,

New York, 1965.

--,, The Economics of Diserimination, Second Edition, University of

Cticago Press, 1971. ,

Bell, C.S., 'Itepprt of the Committee on the Status of Women in the

Economics Profession," American, Economic Review, Papers and

Proceedings, Mayti 974.

Ben-Pnrath, y., -The Production of Humaii Capital and tl&Life

Cycle of Eavings," Aurnal of Political EconomY, Atigust 1967.

.Bergmann, B.A., Occupation Segregation, Wages, and Profits when

Employers Discriminats by Race and Sex, mimeographedproject on

N. the Economics of Disèrunination, College Park, Md., I

Kruegei, A.O., -1The Economics of Discriminatidn," ournal of

Political Economy, October 1963.

493
Mincer, J., "On-The-Job Training: Costs, Returns, and Some Implications," Journal of Political Economy. October 1962.

Reagan, Barbara B., "Findings of the AEA Committee on tbe Status of

Women in the Economics Profession," AEB, December 1971

--, "Two SupprRaves for Economists? ImOlications .df MobilitY

and Career Attachment.of Women," AER. Papers and Pmceedings:

May 1975.

Rosen, S., "Learning and Experience in the Labor Market," Journal of

Human Resources, summer 1973.

Welch, F., "Labor Market rDiscrimination: An Interpretation of

Income Differences in the Rural South," Journal of Political

Economy, June 1967.

NOTES 2

Blau, P. and O.D. Duncan, The American Occupational Structure, New

York: Wiley, 1967.

Employment and Wining Report of the President, Department of

Labor, 1977, 1978.

Freeman, Richard D., The Overeducated American, Academic Press,

Inc., 111 Fifth Avenue, N.Y., 1976.

Ginsberg, Eli, The ManAkver Connection, Harvard University Press,

1975..

Ginsberg, Eli, "Ekl. Jobs for- Americans.. The American Assembly,

Prentice-Hall, N.J., 1976.

Hall, R.T., 1975, Occupations and the Salm' Structure, 2d ed., New

York: McGraw-Hill, 1975.

Seymour"Careers, Labor Market Siructure, and Socio-

,,, economic Achievethent," American Journal of Sociology, vol. 83, no.

3, November 1977.

Tapinos, George, L'Econbmie des Migrations Intern.qtionala Paris:

Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politique/Armand Colin, 1974, 288 pp.

Ulman, Lloyd, ed. Manpower Programs and the Policy Mix, The, Johns

Hopkins University Press; Baltimore, Md., 1973.

Manpower and Immigration Policies in. thellnited Steites (special 'report

. ofv the .National Commission for Manpower Policy, No. 20), February 1*. ,

494

507
Asian American Employment Issues: Myths

and Realities

Setsuko Mstsunags Nishi, Ph.D."

, Chairman Flemming, Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen: My

name is Setsuko Matsunaga Nishi. I am professor of sociology at

Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of

ew York. I am also senior consulting associate with Clark, Phipps,

Clark, & Harris, Inc., which specializes in equal deployment and

affirmative action programp. With Charles Pei Wang, I cochair the"

Asjan American Affairs Subcommittee of the New York State

Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

For my presentation, I shall draw from materials computed for an

all-day conference last year attended. by. 350 Asian and Pacific

Americans in New York to develop an action agenda and on testimony

and evidqnce taken in 3 days of informal hearings conducted in New

York City (New York State Advisory Committee, U.S. Commission

on Civil Rights). Both of these evente were sponsored by the New

York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil

Rights. Additional sources, include: several studies by doctoral

studeats at the Graduate Center of the City Univers Ity of New York;

Mr: II Iwo kim (1979) and.Ms. Litio Sqbrevinas-Covey (1977); a study

whicli We conducted under contract with the New York State

Division of Human Rights concerning the undertilization by Asian

Americans of the complaint services 9f that agency (Nishi, 1979); and

a recent article written for the journal, New York Affairs (Nishi, 1979).

Employment issues as they affect Asian -Americans ip New York

will be the primary focus: My approach will be to state a myth and its

significance, then to analyze evidenze of the iality, and -finally\ to

suggat straiegies for resolution.

The. Basic Myth: That Asian and Pacific Amaricans

aro an insignificant Elonumt of tit* Population.

It is of critical importance to establish the reality of the significant

presence of Asian and Pacific Americans for the obvious reason that

assessment of equity in the distribution of public resources and in

opportunity fbr, education and. employment 14 based on population

proportion. There are other reasons as well: for example, 1) that all

groups, no matter their size, are imPortant ideologically in a sbciety

Setsuko *pump Nishi is professor of sociology, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of

the City University of New York.

N

495

508
that takes pride in cultural diversity, 2). that Asian and Pac=ific Americans constitute a.. _resource of language skills aild cultural

knowledge increasingly needed in advancing United States foreign

policy and economic relations, and 3) that as nonwhite minorities

heavily concentrated in urban centers, they are likely recruits for significant political coalitions.

A large part of the problem is that the 1970 census figures, which

are still the official basis for equity evaluation, seriously undercounted

Pacific/Asian Americans and are hopelessly out of date. Let us tikt the case of New York City, which can quite properly be called a

"national city." Approximately half of the Asian Americans- now in

'New York were not there for the 1970 census, being new immigrants, temporary residents, of births since that date. In an article just published in New York Affairs, I have described this population growth

in some detail:

I% By official Census count, New York City had 99,184 persons of Chinese (69,324), Filipino (11,207), Japanese (13,968), and Korean (4,685) descent in 1970 (Asian Indians and other Asian $roups were not sepArately enumerated and werp .included In the undifferentiated "Other" category). During the next five years, new immigrants from these backgrou d countries swelled that number by 40 percent. From India alone 2,097 came. Estimating the increase due to births and the siiable number of "non- immigrant" /arrivals such as students and temporary-resident employeesr-of overseas business firms and foreign missions, we could easily account for a 50 percent growth. The New York City Planning Commission estimated that the number of Koreans, Filipinos, and other Asian Americans doubled during this same period and that the Chinese population grew by at least twenty- five percent. There is no indication of decline in this trend, and

the 1980 Census will show at least a doubling of the prior decennial count, probably to about one quarter of a million.

496

But Asian American community leaders and scholars say this is a serious underestimation of their current and projected numbers. Tania Azores of the Asia,n American Advisory Committee for the 1980 Census says that the underenumeration of Asians in 1970 was considerably more than the seven percent acknowledged for

racial minorities partly because many from Asian' countries were classified as "Others" rather than as Asians, but also because of language, housins, and cultural circumstances. The Chinatown Planning Council has projected that by 1980 the Chinese

population in New York City will reaeh 158,497, a '116.6 percent rate of increase si*ce 1970. Illsoo Kim of the City University of New York, who has just completed a detailed, scholarly study of the Koreati American community in the greater New York area, puts their current figure at 80,000. This is about five times the

50.9
estimate based on the 1970 Census figure of 4,685 Koreans in New

York City plus about 1,500 immigrants per year reporting New

York City as their permanent residence to the Immigration and

Naturalization Service.

Likewise, Filipino leaders estimate 70,000 of their number in

greater New York, which is three times what the available official

Census and Immigration flgures)ohow.

The Japanese Consulate does a periodic census, apd their latest

count of October. 1, 1978, indicates that Japanese nationals

(18,522) in greater New York constitute more than twice the

number of Afnerican citizens of Japanese descent (8,579). Of these

,4 Japanese nationals, only a fourth are immigrants. The rest are

temporary residents, mainly employees and family members of

overseas Japanese firms, but also students, Japanese government

workers, restaurant employees, eta. The Japaness population

growth rate for the decade is expected to be about 67 percent in

greater New York.

The actual numbers are not known, of course, but it is a

reasonable caIculation that the total Asian population in the New

trork area may soon be approaching a third of one million.

The offiCial Ceiisus figures above indicate that Asian Americans

of the four major Asian backgrounds constituted 1.3 percent of

New York City.'s population in 1970. The New York City

Planning Commission estimated that Asians were 2.9 percent of

the City's population in 1975, not counting births and those of

"non-immigrant" temporary status. While the Asian American

population in New York City, will haye doubled (or tripled

according to Asip community scholars) in the decade between

1970 and 1980 C.nsus, there has been a persistent decline in the

overall population, 7.4 percent so far in the current decade. If

these trends continue as expeCted, Asian Americans may constitute between four and five percent of New York City's population

by 1980 (Nishi, 1979).

In the meantime, hliwever, parity in the distribution of resources

and assessment of eqtial employment affinnaiive action needs in New

Yorlf is based on the 143 percent of the 1970 census. On the Federal

level, a similar inequity results from using the 1 percent of the national

population parity figure. For the metropolitan gateway cities such as

New York, whire Asian populations.have grown so rapidly, this basis

perpetuates inequality in accetas to resources.for remedy.

Perljaps even than population 'growth itself is the

vitality that Ahan ericans_ hirc;brought to metropolitan centers

such as New Yvrk .lare the fa br 1fieir high, educational and

Occupational qualifications. Thou'gh these characteristics have not

, assured A Commensurably high employment status, as we shall develop

below, they arernditions aiiociated with active participation in a \

497 , 51 0
society. Asian immigrants are becoming gaturalized citizens at a remarkable rate and being quickly politicized io function in ethnic and p -Asian caucuses and minority coalitions as pikt or the New York c izenry and natiOnai politics. N . N\ tiona:

I. That the recommendations of the Asian American Advisory Committee kr' the 1980 census be endorsed and monitored by die U.S. Commissi6n on Civil Rights i rder to reduce undercountingjan44he

availability of data.

2. That Federal, State, ana civil rights enforcement agencies assess equity in the distribution of public resources to Asian/Pacific Americans and in their educational and employment participatiOn on the basis of:

a) The most recent Census Bureau figures such as current population worts and the 1976 survey of income and educaqon updated with`Immigration ahd Naturalization Service data and 4 b) In the appropriate geographic units where Asian/Pacific Amer- icans are heavily concentrated, i.e., New York City.

The Strategic Myth: That A n/Pacific Americans Are Taking Away Job OppoinitI.s from Blacks and Hispanic*

Perhaps this myth is the most strategic to correct, for its obstructs the potential for effective joint actions minorities. I have in coalitions with other sometimes referred to this as the Hitler 'myth, for it was grand design to "divide and conquer." In a multiracial/ethnic society such ar, our, we are especially vulnerable, to divisive scapegott- ing, that is, ble(ming groups who are4hemselves the victims of th saie forces of institutional racism.

In reality, today, Asian Americans are overWhelmingly dist *buted in occupations and/pr work settings in which they do not compete with blacks and Hispaniics. This is partly a consequence of their his xlcexôlusion from the labor movement in the continental Uniied tes (in contrast to Hawaii) and thus from skilled apd/or protected blue-collar occupations.

Another factor is selectivity in the new wave of immigration of those with professional-technical educational and occupational qualki-. cations. In particular; the occupational preference provisions of the

Cially in

1965 Immigration-and Naturalization Act favored professionals espe- medicine and engineering. For example, Immigration and \ Naturalization Service data for 1975 indicate that of the immigrants from Asian countries

'' reporting occupations, half were in the profes- sional-technical category (three-fourths of the Indians, more than half s 498

Si 1
of the Filipinos, four-tenths of the Koreans, and three-tenths of e

Japanese and Chinese), and One-tenth were managers and admmis ators (18.8 percent of thc Japanese, 16,8 percent of the Chinese, 1.6

percent of the. Koreans, and 6.0 percent of the Filipinos and India! ).

That is, i arly two-thirds of the immigrant workers bring with them

skills as ofessionals, technicians, managers, and administrators

occupationa\categories in which blacks and Hispanics are largely

absent.

The complex historical circumstances for the shortage of blacks and

Hispanics in professional-technical occupations clearly are not the

fault of foreign-trained Asian personnel; nonethOess, the irrational

tendency to blame their low status on what is perceived as ior

"outsider" element is as understandable as it is deplorable.

Illustrative i0 the situation in many New York hospitals. Asian

doctors, nurses, and medical technicians are disproportionately concentrated in inner-city municipal and State, mental hospitals to which

they were recruited because of critical shopages, and where most of

the service personnel are black and Hispanic. Administrators tend to

be hite. Such occupational stratification by race is highly visible and

pro ides fertile conditions for the growth of rtsentment again4 Asians

(and some West Indians).

Ironically, however, as we shall develop below, a significant

proportion of highly trained and experienced Asian professionaltechnical personnel are obstructed from ever entering and thus

competing with anyone in the occupations for which they are

ared.

F t Chinese, the largest Asian group in New York and the only

one s

large number from the early period of immigration,

there is g occupational segregation in the less skilled occupational

categories. hirty-eight percent of the Chinese males in New ork

City are se ice workers, mainly in Chinese restaurants and laundries.

Forty-six percent of the Chinese women are operativesi almost all in

Chinese garment factories. Thus, overwhelmingly, lesser skilled

workers are in racially segregated work settings and do not compete in

the general labor market for such work.

For different reasons, then, we must conclude that Asian Americanswhether in professional-technical, skilled blue-collar, or lessskilled or less-protected service occupationsby and.- large, are

sekeiffated of effectively excluded from compet ng with other minorities in the job market.

Recommendations:

1. That the United States C9mmission on Civt ights develop and

publicize the factual basis to overcome the widely held belief among

blacks and Hispanics that Asian iMmigrants are a competitive thieat to

512.

499
their occupational achievemefft. "Fins could be part ofi wider effort to

reduce the divisive tendencies to which racial/et! nic grvups are

vulnerable especially during Periodii of economic decl e and Rs group

consciousness rises.

2. That the Cominission urgr and jnfonitor the approp iate public and

private educational agencies anOiformation media to clude equitably the history and contemporary circumstances of di. imination

against Asian/Pacific Americans along with that of other hij,nority

status groups order to enhance better understanding about nd

among all these'gro4s.

3. That Asian/Pacific American organizations join forces with ot

minority organizations in programs to overcome discrimination. 7 /

The Success Myth: That Asian/Pacific Americans

HaVe Overcome Discrimination and Are plot Eco- v

nomically Disadvantaged

Ironically, it is at least partly a consequence of their reputation for

success and their own hopes for making a go of it in the uncertain

setting of the Big Apple which obstruct access to the services which

many Asian Americans sorely need. 1

I again quote from my New York Affairs article: \

1 have not found anyone yet in New York who was aware that

the City's Chinese have an average income less than that of blacks

or Hispanics according to the last decennial Census. Outside 'of Chinatown, the most visible Asians are in professional-technical

roles, as doctors, nurses, and technicians,in the City's municipal hospitals xor new proprietors of the hundreds of little fruit and

vegetablestores ott Ninth Avenue and North Broadway. F ermore, there is the conspicuous praelce of the more tlfan 450

,overseas Japanese 4firms with their 18,000 employees And the

streams of big-spending Japanese tourists, Who contribute to' the

mistaken impression that Asian Americans are not socio-economically disadvantaged by prejudice and discrimination.

The hard reality is that, despite the undeniable vitality and

striving for self-sufficiency of a population with. better-than- average education, they are generally underemployed, ovepp, worked, and underpaid. A disproportion are in marginal seasoned

industries on the decline in New Yorkgarment factories, laundries and restaurants, lknd small business enterprises in

changing neighborhoods.

.

. -In the New York metropolitan area, both male and female Chinese in 1969 had lower individual incomes than any other ), racial group. Th Census fiku in table A for employed persons 16 yerS,and old are based o i a 20 percent sample.

5p6.

/-

'- 713

to.,-
TABLE A

Male Pamal.

White

/

$7,897 $3,162

Japanese 8,339 3,962

Chinese 4,352 3,143

Filipino 14., 8,124 5,950

Black 5,667 3,439

Spanish origin 5,371 3,178

The relatively high income of.Filipinos is accounted for by the

selective occupational factors in the post-19455 immigration. As

we hrve already observed, about two-thirds of the Japanese in

New York are non-immigrants mainly employed as overseas

personnel in Japanese firms. Thus, their income does hot necessarily reflect their achievement in the American occupational

structure.

Thtitr presence in the health care system is a result of special

recruitment and the occupational preference provisiOns of the 1965.

immigration law, in ' which doctors, nurses, and other medical

specialists were certified by the Department of Labor as occupations

with personnel shortages. They came to fill the empty slots in the

health .care system which were least attractive to native personnel

the municipal hospitals, State mental instittitions, anti rural posts, Yet,

As the hospitals cut back and hiring at State institutions was (mien,

these foreign medical personnel became the-brunt of resentment, and

professional associations such as the American,..Meciical Association

and the American Nurses Associagon took steps to toughen licensing

procedures, and personnel practices discriminating against aliens were

instituted. This is not unlike thb historic_patterns of discrimination

against Asian immigrant labor, in which they were acceptable as long

as there weret.labor shortages to fill, and quicpy bicame the butt of

, anti-Oriental campaigns when labor competition developed in economic depressions (Nishi, 1979). . Dr. llscio Kim's (1979) study of the development of the Ko

community in New York identified bytween 2,000 and 2,500 Ko

owned businesses in the New York metropolitan area, 'al all

established since 1970. Because of initial language.difflcultics, licensing

difficulties, and discrimination, in bureMicracies, many Koreans find

that entrepitneurial activity provides more economic oppounity.

Most of 'the smll retail businesses have been started with capital of

pc), to $20pO0, often accumulated through their wives' earnings.

1Ilghlyabor tensive and involving long hours of family(labor, they

t

( ,

tt

0

q14 NOP 501
are located primarily in changing areas where Jew4, Italians, and Irish

small businesses have moved out.

As admirable as their entrepreneurial drive may he, Kim's explanation for it is the limited opportunity for employment and advancement appropriate to their fields and levels of training and experience. In

addition to the underemployment of high leyel skills, Kim concludes

that their business success has been achieved at the extreme costs of a

willingness for exploitation of self and family latior, a fiercely driven

achievement striving, and the taking of large risks in marginal, transitional enterprises in locations underdoingyapid change. Though much more evidence could be presented, we have dealt with the reality underlying sonie of the more conspicuous appearances

of success in New York. Now, I turn to tho way in which Asian Americans generally have been characterized misleadingly as a

"model minority," that is, having worked hard through education, they have overcome discrimination and achieved economic success.

Here 1 wish to address the use of statisiical measures which have

obscured reality.

The national averages of median school years completed and median family income are better than for the United- States

population as a whole. For example, in 1970, 20.4 percent of

-Asians. (Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos) 25 and older had completed four or more years of college in contrast to 11.4

percent of comparable whites. In 1969, the median family income bit the total U.S. population was $9,596, $12,515 for Japanese, $10,610 for Chinese, and $9,318 for Filipinos.

4..

pne factor Contributing to the tendency to overgeneralize the economic well-being of Asian Americans is that there are

proportionately more earners per family than for white families. Thus, it would be more accurate to compare individual income. Another circumstance is that 90 percent of these Asian groups live in metropolitan areas. Another is the highly selective immigration of professional trained, females, especially among Filipinos, into the U.S. work force. Thus, a comparison of the

individual income of males in these areas is more istilicative of

whether Asians have overcome discrimination and reveals that

Asian males have consistently lower income than white males in all standard metropolitan areas except for Japanese males in Long Beach/Los Angeles and New York. Chinese and Filipino males have lower income than white males in all standard metropolitan areas (Nishi, 1979).

The most widely used indicators of econphic well-being afid related

edUCational charactelstics are measures central tefidencyaverage

..sid median. For poptilation groups as widely varied as Asian/Pacific

Americans, average figures are often deceptive, as we have shown

502

51 5
above. Let us take the case of the Chinese. Nationally, there is a he

distribution of Chinese on the extreme ends of the occupational scale,

that is, a high proportion in professional and technical occupations

and, at the bottom, of males in restaurant and laundry service jobs and

females as operatives in garment factories. Among the foreign born,

this disparity is very pronounced. In New York, where they are

relatively fewer in the professional-technical occupations, more than a

thipd of the men are in service work, much more than nationally, and

43.7 percent of the women are operatives.

Parenthetically, we might note that the practice of reporting median

years of school compfeied as the comparative indicator of education

opportunity hashad the effect of excluding Asians, many of whom are

both economically and educationally disadvantaged, from many

minority fellowship and scholarship programs and 'affirmative action

plans in admissions. For example, very little attention has been given

the seriousness of the disadvantage- represented by the facts that tile

proportion of Chinese over 25 who have 4 or less years of schooling is

4.2 percent, four times that of whites, and of Filipinos, 15.1 percent,

three times that of whites! \--

\Unemployment rates among Asian groups tend to be lower than that

of tii)e general population insofar as the census data indicate. In New

York, this has made them ineligible for the special dispensation

required from the New York State Division of Human Rights as a

nunrty for apprenticeship training programs in craft occupations,

wheie they have been historically excluded. According to data from

the Chinatown Field Study sponsored by the Department of Health,

Education, and Welfare in 1974 (New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1977), it would be

accurate to describe most Chinatown workers as overworked rather

than unemployed. According to testimony presented, 29 percent of the

employed work more than 57 hours per week at/several jobs or long

hours on one job; 43 percent of the elderly are employed and ons out

of five of them worked more than 57 houmper week.

Beyond the hard realities underlying the appearances of success and

the conventional statistical indicators which mask the severity of

economic disadvantage and continuing employment discrimination

the myth of success is also sustainvd by what, at first blush, may seem

bizarre.

We haveofound that many Asian Americans are not themselves

aware that they are victims of prejudice and discrimination. Asian

American "influentials" who were interviewed in a study for the New

York State Division of Human Rights(Nishi, 1977) in equal proportion

denied (41) aud acknowledged (40) experiencing unequal treatment in

employment; 10 said they were not surC're5, almost without

51 6

503
exception, it was their judgment that Asians do not have employment

opportunity equal to whites. We may surmise that our leader-respondents, many of whom were self-employed professionals and small

business entrepreneurs, may tie in occupational circumstances where

inequalities tend to be structural and systemic rather than personal or

directly observable as intended and/or conscious discrimination.

Those who did acknowledge being discriminated against reported

great difficulty and expense in trying to establish proof.

What was even more surprising was that half of our Filipino,

Japanese, Koreaii:and Indian respondents (who were selected because

of their leadership roles in Asian communities), said they knew no one

of their background who had experienced employment discrimination.

In contrast, all but one of the Chinese leaders did, indicating both the

more blatant discrimination faced by earlier immigrant groups as well

as the harshness of the economic plight of many New York Chinese.

Tania Azores (1974) found the same phenomenon in a survey of

Filipinos in New York. Only 18 percent acknowledged experiencing

discrimination personally, and just over a third knew any Filipino who

had. Yet, even those reporting being underpaid, receiying less pay for

the same work, did not acknowledge disciimination or have an

.complaint against their employer. Despite the general denial of --\

discriminatory experience, most of Azores' respondents reported some \

form of unequal treatment such as not working at a level commensurate with training and experience, lower starting salaries, restrictions

and delays in raises and promotion, overtime without pay, assignment

to less desirable Work ichedules, denial of fringe benefits, and selective

layoffs. Azores concluded that Filipinos generally do not know when

they are being victimized by discrimination, that they do not recognize

the subtle forms of exploitation.

Elsewhere, I have commented upon this tendency:

I suppose that the denial of discrimination may be psychologically

defensive. Discrimination is painful to the ego. One way of coping with an event that one can do little about without getting very upset is to try to ignore its occurence. There may be something to

the idea suggested by some that the Eastern philosophical

tradition being more fatalistic, Asian Americans ,niny be less

inclined to protest discrimination. But my own viiw is that they

are making the practical assessment that protesting discrimination

is a costly and risky venture for those in subordinate positions and

whoto group is politically wejik.

There is another consideration. A sense of injustice is dependent

'on whom one selects for comparison with one's own position. For example, even if one were aware of being treated unequally at work, the altsrnative conception of lack ot opportunity in the

immigrant's native country is even less desirable. Thus, the insult

504

5

,
J.

orunequal treatment on the jo 1nay be looked upon as a cost to

be borne while adapting to the new country.

But we have some unusually strong evidence that some of the

discrimination that robs Asian Americans of equal job opportunity

takes place in aspects of the employment process invisible to the

applicant. One ingenious study by a Filipina psychologist, Lirio

Sobrevinas-Covey (1977) of the City, Uni:,ersity of New York found

that 8 out of 10 firms recruiting for a sales position, on the basis of a

resume, would screen out a Filipino applicant while inviting an

equivalently qualified white applicant for an interview (equivalence

was tested thoroughly). The difference was not so great for technical

jobs, for which only 5 out of 10 firms rejected Filipinos in favor of

whites, suggesting the continuing image of Asians being more

acceptable in situations of less interpersonal contact. Discrimination in

the "foot-in-the-door" phase of personal selection is crucial to careers,

but the individual victim has no knowledge and no recourse against

such forms of racism (Nishi, 1979).

Recommendations:

1. That the U.S. CommisSion on Civil kights undertake or request

the Equal ynployment Opportunity Commission to sponsor studies of

the structural, systemic, and processual factors which create .iind

sustain discriminatory patterns such as underemployment, exploitation,

and underutilization of Asian Americans in:4*'

a) the health care systent

b) segregated work' settings such as laundries, restaurants, and

garment factories, and

c) skilled blue-collar and public employment.

2. That the Census Bureau, the National Center for Educational

Staiistics, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Center for

Health Statistics, and their corresponding regional, State, and local

agencies be apprised of the misleading consequences of the conventional statistical measures (average and median measures of central

tendency, family income, and unemplornent), which do not accurately describe the economic and mkial conditions of need of

Asian/Pacific Americans.

3. That the Asian American communities, through their media and

leaders, be assisted in becoming aware of the institutionalized structural arrangements and routinized practices which have exploitative and

t I call yostr attention to the class action complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission on behalf of all foreign trained nurses in the United States brought by Norma Rupisan

Watson, R.N., against thc Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the Immigration and

Naturalization Service, the Department of Labor, the American Nursing Association, the American

Hospital Association. the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools and all State boards

of nursing, "of criminal conspiracy to defraud, deprive and disenfranchise all foreign nurses currently

practicing in the U.S.A. and to dcny them future entry into the U S.A."

518

505
discriminatory conseqtiences for them --that is, modern racism. And,

furthermore, that they be aided in apprising their constituences of their

civil rights and means for protesting discrimination.

In ,this statement, I have tried to emphasize those myths that are *of

overriding consequence to resolving the employment issues ofconcern

to Asian Americans: 1) the basic myth that Asian Americans are an

insignificant element of the population, 2) the strategic myth that

Asian/Pacific Americans are taking away job opportunities from

blacks and Hispanics, and 3) the success myth that Asian/ Pacific

Americans have overcome discriminatory barriers and are no longer

economically disadvantaged. For each myth, we have assessed its

significance for employment concerns, analyzed its sources and the

evidence of reality, and proposed actions for remedy.

There are other both more specific and general my, which I wish

we had the time to consider. For example, the 'mythic images

constructed and sustained in stereotypes portrayed in the media wreak

their-mischief in ways that are little understood. l'he Commission had

documented the content and mode of portrayal ontereotypes, in

several studies, but I believe it is time for a study of how stereotYpic

beliefs, about Asians for example, affect the judgment of decisionmakers in various work career phases and during such situations as

economic recessions and changing United States relations with Asian

countries. In this connection, I submit as an attachment, "The Asian

Image in the United States: Stereotypes and Realities," prepared by

Asian Americans for Fair Media.

Another example is that since so manyAsian/Pacific Americans are

not native English speakers, I believe it would make an important

difference if the mythic beliefs regarding the performance relevance of

standard English without foreign accents were to be subjected to

scrutiny. The success of employment interviews, screening and

licensing examinations, and evaluations often hinge on English

language facility when it has no real effect on job performance.

Another belief which serves to block the expansion and diversification of employment opportunities for Asian Americans is that they are

not interested in manual or blue-collar work. John Yoshino's study for

the Department of Transportation found a considerable interest:

Generally, it would appear that lack of interest in a field is attributed

to a group when there has been effective exclusion of its members

from employment opportunity in that area.

These examples of other myths have' been offered in conclusion as

indicative of the multifaceted obstacle to equal employment opportunity for Asian/Pacifte Americans that the configuration of myths

construct. Perseverence, wit, and intelligence will be challenged ffilly

in seeking resobition of these difficulties. May we expect that the U.S.

506

51,9

a
Commission on Civil Rights, in convening this consultation, intends'to

add its weight to this effort?

Thank you.

REFERENCES

Azores, Tania, 1974, "A Survey of the Problems of Filipinos in New

York City," Migration Today 2 (November):6,14-15.

Kim, Illsoo, 1979, "Immigrants to Urban America: Korean Communi-

`ty in the New' York Metropolitan Area." Unpublished Ph.D.

Dissertation, Graduate Center of the City University of New Yoik.

Nishi, Setsuko Matsunaga N., 1977, Asian American Perceptions and

Responses to Discrimination in .New York: A Study for Outreach

I Development (for the New York State Division of Human Rights).

r- Office of Urban Policy and Progranr, Ci4r University of New

York; 1979 "The New Wave of Asian Americans," New York Affairs

(Spriii :82-96.,

New yor State Advisory Committee, U.S. Commission on, Civil

Ri6ts, 1,77, The Forgotten Minority: Asian Americans in New York

City /

Sobrevinas-Covey, Lirio, 1977, An Evaluation of Discrimination

Against Filipinos in the Resume-Review PhaseirelIle Personnel

Selection Process. Chicago: Asian American Mental Health Research Center.

gioN.

2 0

507
lb/ 4-

Small Ethnic Business as a Form of Disguised Unemployment and Cheap Labor

by Joseph S. Chung'

Exclusion of Asian/Pacific Americans from full participation in the economic, social, and political life in the United States has been

attributable to various forms of discrimination against them. Discrimi- nation, in turn, has often been the byproduct of myths and stereotypes, both negative aqd positive.' Further, these stereotypes have acted as obstacles in dealing effectively with the problems and needs of the Asian ethnic communities. The magnitude, and complexity ofeeir nee4s have multiplied since the large influx of Asian immigrants

resulting from the 1965 amendments to the Immigration and Naturalization Act and the 1975 inflow of Indochinese refugees. Ironicafly, it is frequently the positive public image of typecasting Asians as

successful minorities who have no serious problems and hence require

no special assistance' that does no less harm.

A particular example of problems created by Rositive stereotyping of Asian Americans is found in the area of Asiati ethnic business. IC

deals with the public image of Asians as successful businessmen. The

public points to the size and number of little Tokyos, Chinatowns, little

Manilas, and Koreatowns in major cities around the U.S. as evidence.

In recent years, for example, the growing small ethnic enterprises in Koreatowns, particularly in and aroundOlympid- Avenue in Los

Angeles, have often been cited in the news media and- in popular magazines as symbols of the success of new immigrants from Asia.

Going further, Some:even suggest that Korean immigrants serve as

models for other newcomers such as Vietnamese refugees.

It is the coniption of this testimony that the so-called suCcess or

Asian business."' only a myth, and dist in reality the prepirderance of

small business among the Asian Americans represents symptoms of

underlying fundamental problemi that the new Asian immigrants face

in their newly adopted country, Further, small businessei of Asian Americans must be viewed as what they really are-4--h forni of

underemployment and a source of cheap labor.

Underemployment appears by far the most serious economic issue

faced ,by the Asian Americans, particularly the new immigrants who make up the majority of ,the expanding Asian population in the U.S.

Joseph Chung iftrofessor of economks at Illinois Institute of Technology% Chicago, Ill. ! California Advisory Committee to the US: Commission on Civil Rights, (1975). Aslan Arnerioaris and !Wilk Peopks: A Case of Mistaken Identity.. " Bok-Lim C. Kim, "Problems and Service Needs of Asian Americans in Chicago: An Em

Study." Amens*, Journal. vol. 5, no. 2,1978, pp. 23-44.

508
/

Symptomatically, the existence of underemployment can be ganged by

two interrelated barometric indiCators. They,are the income-education

gap and the discrepancy between the preimmigration and postimmigration occupations.

The 1970 tensus showed that Koreans received an average income

approximhtely equil to the U.S. average, This is so in spite of a much

higher proportion of Korean immigrants with a college education and

with professional and managerial experience before immigration.

Another expression of the same problem is using the retio of persons

earning $10,000 or more to persons with a college education. In the

1970 census this ratio for Koreans was 0.8 as compared to the U.S.

ratio -Of 1,4. The ratio for the Chinese and Filipinos was even lower

than that for the Koreans. When Hawaii is excluded the ratio for

Koreans is much wbrse. It was 0.3, 0.4,- and 0.3, respectk,ely, for

Koreans living-in Los Angeles SMSA,. New York SMSA, and other

areas. An unusually high rate of 1.7 for Honolulu SMSA raised the

Korean average to 0.8.

New Asian immigrants experience a sharp 1 downward mobility in

employment. In a Chicago survey' of Asie. iminigrants, allfour Asian

, groups (Korean, Filipino, Japanese, and Chinese) studied showed a

marked downward movement in employment although the Koreans as

a group appeared to suffer more in this regard. Whereas 65.6 percent

of Korean respondents held positions in the professional/ianagerial

category before immigration, only 30.8 Percent of them held oecupationl in the same Category sihce arrivipg in the U.S. Comparable

percentiles for Filipino, Japanese, and Chinese were, respectively,

62.5 ;Ind 46.2; 28.5 am) 22.4Vand 34.2 and 15.2.

Percentage distribution in the sfmi- or unskilled category reVeals an

QI)ven sharper downward mobility. In the same Chicago survey the

koffrer group again showed up as the leading group in the downward

movement. As compared to a mere 5.4 percent bf Korean respondents

whose preimmigration employment status was in this category, nearly

one-third (29.6 percent) 'were employed in- this category in the U.S.

In the Hurh-Kim-Kim survey' of Koreans in Chicago, 24.4 percent

repliedr"detmitely yes" to status inconsistency between occupation

and. education wi an equal percentage in the "probably yes"

category. This mault nearly half of the reipondents perceived

"definite" or "probable" gaps. A somewhat smaller ,proportion

perceived an inconsistency between incOme and education (16.7

percent "definitely yes"; 30.1 percent "probably yes"). Perceived

Bok-Lim C. Kim, oft cit., p. 31.

Woo Moo Hurn, Hei Chu Kith, and Kwang Chung Kim, Akintilation Pauerns qfImmigrants at the

United States: A Caw Study qf Korean IntnAgrants in the Chicago Arra Washington, D.C.: University

1)ress of America, 1975.

Os-
a

income gap among the new immigrants may underestimate the real

gap since the higher absolute income they receive in the U.S. relative

to that in Korea tends to give them a false sense of well-being

particularly in the hrly phase of their new lif .n the U.S.

Ethnic Business As is Form of Un eremployment

Asian blipess enterprises are very small in scale, concentrated in

9 retail rade dealing with a narrow range of products and ser:,ices

requirin "sniall amount of capital. The most popular Asian family

enterprises are ethnic grocery stores and restaurants, short order and

fast food restaurants, wig shops, laundries, insurance and travel

agencies, gas stations, establishments teaching martial arts` liquor

stores, TV and appliance repair shops, and the like. Most of these show

a high degree of ethnic homogeneity, that is, their business tiansactions

are .chiefly confined to people who are co'khthcs. The owner/managers of Asian business establishments tend to be very highly

educated.

According to a survey conducted in 1972 by the U.S. Bureau of the

Censua,' of a total of 1,201 business enterprises owned by Koreans,

45.0 percent were located in California which led all other States. The -

f., ngeles-Long ggach area had the most concentration of Korean

firms with 33.1 perTent of the 1,201 total located in the areas. The

small scale of the Korean ethnic enterprise can be surmised by the fact

that only 249 firms employed paid workers and that the average

number of employees per firm was six. Average gross receipts per year

was $64,839. There were more retail stores than any other type of

business,. Of thelotal 736 firms reported by the 9 standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSA), 335 firms (45.5 percent) were engaged in

the retail business.

Overrepresentation of Korean business by retail trade is confirmed

in a survey of Koreap business firms in Los Angeles County in 1975-76

by Ivan Light.' Out of i total of 1,142 firms listpd in the Korean,

business directory, 550 firms were engaged in retaiLtrade,-showing a

margin of _Korean overrepresentation in retail trade of 193.) percent

(of the expected number based on industrial distribution gf the base

business population in Los Angeles County).

The 1975 survey by H. Kirn7 of 52 Korean retail busin nterprises

, in Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, aiwl the San Francisc Bay Area

also confirms findings by the Census Bureau and offers signi t i4vi"

U.S4., Bureau of the Censuilnority Owned Mishits:sir Asian Amerkans, Amerloms I lam and

Odier3(1975).

Ivan Light, "Asian Enterprise in -America: Chinese, Jaiianese, and Koreans in Small Busineu,"

University of Californis (unpublished paper).

1

' Hyung-Chan Kim, "Ethnic Enterprises among Korean Emigrants in America," Journal of Koryran

Affalrx Jul), 1976, pp. 40-58.

510

ft 523
information on the nature of Asian business in the U.S. Sizes of the

retail stores in the...survey are small with an average of 2.46 paid

workers. Twenty enterprises out of 52, or 38.5 percent, had no paid

workers. A majority of the enterprises in the-sample started with a

small amount of initial capital. Ou f 50 firms reporting the

information, 23 (46.0 percent) started witis/less than $10,000 and 34

firms representing 62.0 percent started with an initial capital of less

than $15,000. Only 7 firms reported an initial capital of more than

$30,000.

H. Kim's survey reveals that the owner/managers of Korean retail

stores are a very highly educated group. An overwhelming majority,

71.2 percent of them finished 4 or more years of college. Reflecting

their high educational background, most'had professional and managerial positions before they immigrated to the U.S, All reSpondents, with

the exception of one person, switched professions since arriving in the

U.S. Eight former feachers. in Korea represented the largesf single

group for phsfessionals in Korea. Most of them were high school

teachers or college_instructors..One, a former college professor, now

71.2.percent, resided in the U.S. 3 years or lesibefore they started their\ operates a service station. An overwhelming proportion of the total,

'business. Theo; were rather young: 61.5 percent were between the age

bracket of 36-45..

Lighi's study also indicates a high degree of ethnic homogenity of

business. He found, for example, in the case ,of transactions dealing

with liqUor licenses, 79.0 percent of Korean sellers of liquor licenses

found Korean buyers even lhOugh Icoreans represented only 15.0

percent of all buyers. Ligheszexplanatiion of high ethnic homoteneity

are: enhanced trust resulting from theArnutual sympathy of coethnics

convenience arising from the propensity of ethnics, to associate with

one another,. and advertisement in the ethnic press. Whatever the

reasons, a high level ofitethn.ic homogeneity must be regarded as a

growth-limiting factor for Asian businesses beyond the initial stage of

development.- High ethnic 'homogeneity is particularly severe for the

Korean group ai coMpared. to 'the Chinese and Japanese, as Light

points out. , Ethnic homOgeneity is even higher within the Koreatowns. There

'4 most business establishmehts are geared for retailing of immediafe

daily necessities of the Koreans add related, services. For this reason

the growth of KoreatoWns is highly positiVely correlated to the

. growth of the Korean iMMigrant population.

Small Ethnic "business as a Form of Cheap Labor :

While the undocumenteg workers, particularly from Mexico, have

received national attention as a potential source of cheap labor, a new

511

524
form of imported cheap labor has emerged. This arises from a high

propensity on the part of new immigrants from. Asia to en.* small

ethnic business. Edna Bonacich° hypothesizes that such small business

a disguised form of cheap labor for the following reasons. To bgin

with, tIte owner/operator tends to work long hours, often undej ptior

working conditions. In addition, his profit ma "n and, hence, his

equivalent wage is low,,Furater,he is helped by id family labor

his spouse and children. Even those few busin large enough to

employ nonfamilY paid workers often maintain paternalistic relatiocis

with these employees, resulting in long Wours of work and low P4.

The low profit margin, no doubt, is attributable toilkhe small scale,

limited market, concentration .in retail and 'service trade, severe

competition, lack of managerial khow-how, and the like. To be sure,

these characteristics' iipplY to small busiRess in getieral whether they

are operated by the qative Americans ortby new immigrants. But it is

Vie_unusually high propensity of Asian Americans whosenter small

business that poses special problems for the new iirreAp particularly in

view.of theirlhigher-than-national-averl eduvonal and profmsioni: al/managerialkackground.

In a recent survey of Koreans in Los Angeles, Lee and Wagatsuma°

found that out of 23,§08 Koreans in the 1;bor force, 10,796, or 45

percent, were self-employed. The comparable (igure for the national

average is a mere 9 percent.'°

Factors Responsible for High Propensity of Small

Bulginess

What explains this high rate of Korean immigrants who ebter small

business? The following are typicAly mentioned as.responsible for the

trend. All these factors apt as han&aps in the labor markets, and, as

resqit, conspi e against the new immigrants' efforts to obtain jobs

co mensur e with their education and employment experiences.

First, th is the severe language barrier which most Asian immi-

,grants f ce. For example, in the 1970 census 76 pejcent of all lioreans

in the U.S. listed Korean as their mothe- tongue. e proportion was

even higher, naturally, forehe foreign-born Kotean Americans. These

figures are much kigher than those of other Asian groups with the

exception oftle Cliinese. The linguistic handicap of Koreans has been

worsening since 1970 dlie to the increasing number of Korean

immigrants. In the.Hurh-Kim-Kim gurvey the majority ocsespondents

Ednn Bonacich, "New Immigrant Small Business as a Form of Cheap Labor," University of

California at Riverside (unpublished paper),

Changsoo Lee and Hiroshi Wagatsunia, "The Settlement Patterns of Koreans in Los Angeles"

(paper presented at the meeting oPthe Aasociatipn of Asian Studies in Los Angeles, May 1979).

" Bonacich, op cit., p. 6.

512
"

(39.3 percent) rated their ability to speak English as less than adequate.

Comparable figures for reading and writing vVere 43.1 percent and 55.5

percent, respectively. As a matter of fact, Kim's sample of Korean

retail businessmen listed poor English as one of the moat difficult

problems they faced, followed by severe competition. among Korean

fellow retail traders and lack of capituti.

The second factor is job disOrimlniktion. Although the covert nature

of its practice makes discrimination difficult to prove, many Asians,

nevertheless, feel they have been subjected to it. Often discrimination

takes the \ subtle form of requiring from Asian applicants more

diedentials' than the job normally requires. Few Asians ever reach the

superviXory and management level positions, and they feel this is due

to disdrimination. The Kim-Condon field survey of Chicago" showed

that Kdrean and Filipino respondents lioth felt they experienced job-

. related discrimination. Being passed over for promotion seems to be an

important facet of discrimination as 27.3 percent of Korean respondents in the study stated they experienced this form of discrimination

while 14.5 pèient of the sample said they were discknlnated against

in housing. Hurh-Kim-Kim survey also confmed this. A

questi re administered in 1971 at the meeting of K rean Residents,

A.-. ia n of Southern Califoinian- vealed that the sense of

d mi tfon Was positively correlated the length of residence in

the .S. Thin, more oldtimers felt discrimihation than did newcomers.

is may partially be due to the newceners relative satisfaction with

r standard of liVing in romparison with that which ihey left behind

in Korea. Thus, in.the beginning, their reference is to Kareans in

orea. As time goes on .they 'begin to compare themselves with the

ainstream of Anierican life. This tendsito create feelings of general

iscontent _.)yhich, in turn,. lb an awareness of an incomeucation-upation

The fourth is the reftusal by the ppropriate agencies in the U.S. o

recognize Asian education and training. This I. particularly true of

health-related professionals such as physicians, dentists, riurkes,

pharmacists. Although they are given preference by immigriution la

ctice in the yountry their educational credentials are questioned, thei

training I. unaccepted, and their certificatipni are nbt recognized. The

fifth factor is the,lov cosof wives and, particularly, children. A labor

intensive family b6iness is an easy and rearkiitade source for

employmeiit for everyone in the family whose employability outside

tht fallrbusineekis severely limited.

" Dok-Lim C. im end Margaret E. Condon. A Study qf Asian Amayintras j,, chicava: Mir SocioHowson* Problems awl So*, Mai& National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. '.

Department cP1I.alth, Education, and Welfare, 1975.

" Mem 3. Cfia. "An Eihnk Politicil Orientation ae a Function of Assimilation: with Reference to

. Koreans in LoPAngeles," bonsai j Karam Nfrirs. October 1973, pp. 14-23.

513
tiry

i . Faced with these ov&whelming handicaps in the labor market and

the,.teady availability of family litirr, maol a newcomer turns to small

busi itss as an althrnative in spite of their high educational slid

professional qualifications. No wonder the recurrent and rsistent

aspitation *any Asian immigritits is to start a business o heir own.

, Small Env* Buainoss as Symptoms of Problems, A

not Symbols of Sikivsa

It is.ulear that the public.image of Asian 'success in busi ess is only g t

myth. Owing to severe handicaps in obtaining jobs co sistent 'with

their qualifications, the thajority of Asian immigrants entSr into

bteiness simply because there are few other alternatives. An untsually

high propensity of new Asian immigrants entering business must be

regarded as a form of underemployment and a source of cheap labor.

These businesses are mostly small in scale, dealing with ethnic and

labor-intensive products, buying and selling principally with coethnics,

and demand long and arduous hours- from both the owner/managers

and family members. Some community leaders claim that many of

these ventures fail because too many go into business without the prior

experience or management training necessary to run a business of their

own. In the haste to escape low paying jobs, many start business with

inadequate planning. Moreover, competition from fellow ethnic

businessmen is severe.

The preponderance of small business, in reality, is "more a symbol of

disguised poverty thin of matked success."" In the words of a

longtime student of Asian emerprises in the U.S., "Koreans have not

struck it rich in business or demonstrated a rags-to-riches success story

in the Alger tradition. They have, however, developed nearly twice as

many retail stores in proportion to their number as have other ps

Angeles residents."

/.1

40

Ramedlea

The first corrective measure to rectify the employment difficulties

of Asian/PaCific Americans is to educate the general public and

government agencies with regard to he Asian image. Any programs 1

dealing with assisting the Asians mu s rt from a full realization of

the problems they face. In this particular case, the myth stirrounding

the success of Mimi Americans in business must be destroml. Asian r business in the U.S. must be seen for what they realliare. For this

reason I recommend that appropriate Feder4Agencies publish, for V

wide general public consumption, literature eiincerning the real story

.. M Kim, op. cit, p. 57 ', `

14 I. Light, op, rm. p. U. . 514

5 7 4
.1of Asian business. Next, appropriate Federal 4gencies should take

inuuediate steps to collect data to appraise the specific needs of the

Asian commuMties. Third, Federal agencies concerned must take

special notice and actions to remedy factors that limit accessibility of

Asians to the labor market such as job tllscrlmlnation. Fund must be

provided to make English classes widely and easily a aila e to new

immigrants in order oVe uce language as a labor ma handicap. Foigth, 1 recomme d that the appropriate Federal agencies provide fuang and progr uho assist Asian businessmen in the area of

management training for tIle purpose of reducing business failures and

increasing profitabili y. These programs must be given bilingually if

they are to be effective. They must be staffed by experts who know he

special problems faced by Asians. Federal agendies concerned lust

increase funding to collect data and analyze the pattern of employ- ment, underemployment, and unemployment of Asian Americans as

well as their pattern of income disibution.

Lastly, 1 reconfihend that the appropriate Feat1 agencies collect data and study The pattern of et nic Asian business enterprises. Such a study must deal with tracing Ihe process by which Asians enter

business and accumulate savings as well as analyzing the causes of successes and 'failure in their business ventures, the commodity

structure and size distribtitiol, and educational and other backgroile_d of the ethnic entrepreneurs. - . \

Bibllographyi

Asian Americhns and Pacific Peoples: A le`a.se of Mistaken Identity. A

report prepared by the California Advisoryj Committee to the U.S.

ComAission on Civil Rights, 1975.

Bonacich, Edna, "New Immigrant Small Business as a Form of Cheap Labor," University of California at Riverside (unpublished paper). Chlt, Marn J. "An Ethnic Political Ofientation as a Function of

Assimilation: with Reference to Koreans in Los Angeles," Journal of

Korean Affairs. October 1975, pp. 14-25.

Cordova, Dorothy L. and Ick-whan Lee, "A Study of Problems of Asian Heald) Professionals." Seattle: Demonstration Project for

Asian Ameribans (unpublished monograph).

Green, D. The International Role Qf Lb* Korean Emigrant and Exile. 1905-1945 (di rtatij submitted to the faculty of the division of

the social scie9 U

Hurh, Won Moo, Hei

Patterns-of Im

Immieants

of A rheri

versity of Chicago, 1950).

u Kim, and Kwang Chung Kim, Assimilation

,the United States: A Case Sludy of Korean

Area. Washington, D.C.: University Press the.Chit

1978. - 515
4

--. "Life of Aorean Christians in the Chicago Arca: Their

Church,Job, add Home," Western Illinois University (unpublished

paper), 1978.

Hurh, Won Moo, "Comparative Study of Korean Immigrants in the ,..

United States: A Typology," Korean Christian Scholars Journal,

Special Spring Issue, 1974, pp. 60-99. . Kim, Bok-Lim C., "Problems and Service Needs of Asian Americans

in Chicago: An Empirival Study," Amerasia Journal, vol. 5, no. 2,

' 1978, pp. 23-44.

Kim, Bok-Lim C. and Margaret F. Condon, A Study of Asian

Americans inChicago: Their Socio-Economic Characterisiks, Problems

and Sertkce Needs. National Institute of Mentak Health, .S.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1975.

Kim, Hyung-chas. "Ethliic Enterprises among Korean Emigrants in

Asierica," Journal of Korean Affairs, July 1976, pp. 40-58.

---, "Some Aspects of Social Demography of Korean Americans," A

The International Migration Review, vol. 8, 1974, pp. 23-42.

Lee, Changsoo and Hiroshi Wagatsuma, "The Settlement Patterns of,

Koreans in Los Angeles" (paper Presented at the meeting of the.

Association of Asian Studies in Los Angeles, May 1979).'

, Light, Ivan, "Asian Enterprise in America: Chinese, Japanese, and ` Ko?reans in Small Business," University of California. Unpublis ed

paper)

Quan, Thomas. "Asian Americans: A Case of Benjghted Neglect a

Bilingual-Bicultural Service of Delivery, Implications to Spanish

Speaking Americans and Native Americans" (paper presented at the

1975 National Conference on Social Welfare, San Franci o, Calif,

Ryu, Jai P. " Koreans in America': A- Demographic Anatys " (paper

presented at the 1976 meeting of the Assotiatron for AsiavStudiea,

Toronto, Canada, March 1,76).

Shin, L. "Koreans in America:- 1903-1945," Taichiki, A. (ed)., Roots:

An Asian American Reader, Los Angeles, UCLA Asian Studies

Center (1971), pp. 200,206.

Siegal, Jacob S. "Estimates of Coverage of the Population by Sex,

Race and Age in the 1970 Census",'(paper presented at the 192r

Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, NAV

Orleans), Mr. Siegal worksfor the OS. BUreau of the Census.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1970 Census of Population: Subject

Reports.- Japanese, Chinese and Filipinos in the United States, PC(2)-

National Origin a d Language,' PC(2)-1A (Data primarily ,on first 10. (Alio contains ci ata on Koreans and Hawaiians). Abject Reports:

and second, gene ation persons of Japanese and Chinese Orikn.

General Populario qtaracteristicS, PC(1)--B Series, U.S. Summary

and by indivpal States Acontains a total' population count for

516

5 9w t
. :..)

Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos by State and county). 'Detailed

Characteristics, PC(1I-D Series, U.S. Summary and by individual

States (Nunther of Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, and Koreans by sex,

age, and nativity. Also motheLtongue for Japanese and Chinese),

Subjeot Reports: Low-Income Areas, PC(2)-9B) (Number and perceil

of Japanese, Chinese;tmd Filipinos in poverty in 50 major citi .).

Subject Reports: Family Composition, PC (2)-4A. Subject Repol : Marital, Status, PC(2)-4C. "Operation Leap" tabulations (unpetblished) (Special tabulations orl 970 census data generated by the U.S.

Bureau of the.ensus foe-the U.S. Qffice of Economic Otportunity.

Data for metropolitan areas in California have been run separately

on Japanese, Chiner, and Filipinos. Data on nonwhites and

nonblacks in one low-income neighborhood in New York City is 98

percent hinese).

U.S., Bur u of the Census. Minority Owned Businessesn4S-ian Ameri

i I d O 1975

-

._ .,cans, Am can ndians anthers, . _ %

530

517
4

Statement of Henry Der, Executive Mem^

lor, Chinese for Affirmative Action

"Do Asian Americans really need)affirmative action'?"

"Aren't Asian Americans hardworking; industric,s, and successful

in everythip that they do? Why should they be given preferential

treatment?

'4 "There arc dozens of Aran American doctors, engineers, and

accountants. Why would an Asian American want to become a police

officer?"

t- Since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, questions an

comments like these have frequently 14n raised to challenge th

classification of Asian Americans as ona fide minority group in

affirmative action programs. Persons, ignorant of the legacy of racial%

discrimination against Asian Americans in'this country and its lasting, adverse impact on the Asian American community, believe that

Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean/ and other Asians are not

disadvantqged and, as such, seldom have any problems in attaining

equal employment opportunities.

In spite of out inclusion in some affirmative action program), Asian

Americans have generall), been misunderstood and neglected because,

relative to the size of other national minority groups, Asian Americans

represent a small percentage of the Nation's total population and are

primarily concentrated in major metropolitan areas located on,...the

west and 4a5t coasts. Wye there/ was a notable lack of Asian

American' leaders and groirps invdived in the intense civil rights

struggle of e 1950s and 1960s, Asian Americans literally emerged

during the 970s to, assert our identity as a discriminated minority

group and t demand Federal programs in employment, housiqs, child

care, elderl services, health care, andieducation to ructify the effects

of p d prespnt racial injustices.

. = nd s n late 1969, Chinese for Affirmative Action is a San

F nSisco-bsed, nonprofit voluntary membership organization '&di- cated to clefeild the civil rights of and to promote equal employment

opportunities for?Chirli-se Americvs. Over 1,300 dues paying members mutually support the civil rights activities of Chinese for Affirmatir Action. With a small paid staff and a -C rps of community

volunteers, Chinese for Affirmative Action has foug t to:

eradicate 01 forms of racial discriminatiç,i against Chinese Americans;

promote equal employment opportunities forrinese through

-affirmative action programs in the private and pub 'c sectors;

518

5 31
. secure a fair share of public resources (Federal, State and local)

for the Cffinese community;

' persuade broadcast and print media to portray Chinese Americans accurately and to produce programs to meet our educational

and cultural needs.

Through dur efforts to combat emplbyment discrimination, Chinese

for Affirmative Action has worked vigorously to dispel the myth that

Chinese and Asian Americans are a silent, noncomplaining minority

group. chinese for Affirmative Action annua9y assists over 125

individuals of Chinese ancestry whoieel that they have been victims

racially discriminatory employment practices Crr victims of police

harässment. Cour clients rant from blue-collor -workers (e.g., custodians, hotel maids;telephone installers) to proYessionalsje.g. engineers,

accountants, economifs.) r)

Upon receipt of a complaint, Chinese for 'Affirmative Action

attempts to meet with the employer in quecstion to secure an informal

resolution of the grievance. If not possible, Chinese for Affirmative

Action h-elig tiKe complainant to file with the State fair employment 7

/--- practices cditmission (FEPC) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Depending on the findings of these agencies,

Chinese for Affirmative Action may assist the client to identify

appropriate legal counsel tq pursue the complaint in Federal count.

Let me cite a specific example of how Chinese for Affirmative

Action assists emploiment discrimination vicktims.

Mr..Eddy Chan, an asiembler, was terminated by Morrison Imports.

Mr. Chan was paid lEss for equal work and was given less days off than

non-Chinese worke6. i When Mr. Chan first filed for unemployed benefits, his claim was

denied by the loCal unemployment office of the State employment

development department. On appeal, the State unemytOyment appeals

board affirmed Mr. Chan's claim of racial discrimination and granted

him unemployment benefitN1 . ConcurrentlyChinese for Affirmative Action helped Mr. Chan to ,

file a complaint with the State fair einployment practices commission

(FEP ). The FEPC investigator confirmed that Mr. Chan W as paid

less f al work and was given lesS days off. The investigator

convinced the respondent, Morrison Co., to settle' with a cash award

for Mr. Chan, instead of hiring at) attorney to fight the complaint.

For every sticcessful case like Mr. Chan's, there are many more

:1 -) gomplainti3 that are not adequately rtsolved at the employer or FEPC

i Or EEOC level. While certain persons may argue that some of our

., iplientA,may not have good itle VII employment discrimination cases,

i '- th outcome of complai ts filed' by ,sian Americans is largely

I , \

. \ 519 \ 532

4
depe ent on how aktgressively public enforcement agencies pue riti 111 .

t 17se complaints.

''.

Asian Americans account for approximately 20 percent of the

population of the city and county of San Francisco, thereby constituting the largest concentration of Asian Americans in -any single,

major city in the continental United States. hi the San Franciscodekland Bay area as a Whole, 6 percent of the total 3.1 million

residents are Asian Americans. Do Asian Americans enjoy equal Miry

% and promotional employment opportupities with the hundred, of

private and public employers located in the San Franciscd Bay area?

No. Employment discrimination, studies, conducted by ASIAN, 'Mc.

t

e and pubhc agenciet like the San Francisco Human Rights Commission,

indicate' that Asian Americans continue to be underrepresented in

numerous (ccupational fields and industries and are deprived equal

employment opportunities at their work-place.

Yet given this pervasive pattern of employment discrimination

against Asian Americans, it is virtuallyimpossible for the few Asian

American civil rights groUps located in the San Francisco Bay area to

review anirrtionitor all ;The affirmative action programs adopted by

private and public employors in response to Federal and State

egulations. Federal amI State enforcement agencies located in Region

IX, San Francisco, and in Washington, D.C., then play a vital role in

determining whether the civil rights of Asian Americans are protected

and equal employment opportunities are a reality for Asian Americans.

Chineseand Asian Americans too often are victims of neglect by .- Federal agencies empowered to enforce thigf ountry's civil rights laws

and affirmative action regulations. The Mil Rights Act of 1964, as

amended, is a sound Federal law. The Voting Rights 'Act of 1965, as

amended in 1975 with the bilingual election \provisions, is landmark

( legislation in mandating the inclusion of millions of ethnic minorities

across the country to participate equally in the electoral process. But

the effectiveness Of these laws and various affirihativ action regulations is directly. dependent on how well appropriate Fderal agencies

pursue their mandated responsibility of enforcement.,

While Chinese for Affirmati;i-FAction does not nec/ssarily advocate

that only Asian personnel should handle complain s filed by Asian

Americans or should review and approve affirmative action plans

affecting the Asian American community, it is crucial that Federal and

State enfbrcement agencies in the San Francisco Bay area and Region

jIX be staffed with iiit appropriate number of Asian American

employee's throughout their respective work forces. Inhouse sensitivity towards employment discrimination problems faced by Asians can

only enhance the capabilities of these agencies to understand ' the

unique needs of Asian Amerjcansind to initate appropriate relief.

1-..

520 e

533
.

4 review of the work force of the San FranCis(58 district office of

X,' and the Re7,Ilemal Office of 111W's Office for Civil Rights 11,19t.

ton cafes thatilthese two agencies are barely meeting the affirmative

action goal of employing Asian. Americans. ConseHnently, to the best

tif our knowledge, neither of these two gilices has taken any

substantial initiativ to remedy systemic discrMatTry employment

practices afflicting members of thc Asian American oomihunity.

Departmental priorities have normally beefy placed with other ethnic

minority or Vometirtups. \

Within the San Francisco EEOC office, there are over tS0 professional staff members, of which 5 are ASian Americans. Only, 1 Asian is

at the GS-I2 level. No Asian professional holds a supervisorial

/position. At the EEOC litigation center, there are only 2 Asian

attorneystut of a total legal staff of 26; . At Region IX HEW's Office for Civil Rights, prior to the recent

agencywide hiring increase, Asian Americans accounted for approxi:

mately 10 percent of the regional staff. But 50 percent of these Asian

Americans were slotted in clerical positions. During this recent hiring

Increase, Chinese for Affirmative Action literally had to convene a

meeting with the director of HEW/OCR, principal officer of Region

IX HEW, and a personnel officer of HEW to track ,and monitoi the

status of Asian applicants for the position of equal pportunity

. specialist (EOS). Many Asian applicants complained to Chinese for

Affitmative Action that' 'their applications were getting lost in the

personnel department or not being processed or rejected because of

alleged "lack of experience. One Asian attorney, who had previous

experience with a Bay area legal aid firm, was initially rejected entry

Anto the EOS list. He then took it upon himself to enter HEW as a

lowly-paid cle4k so that he NM get his foot into the door.

Eventually, on a second application, lie was deemed "qualified" for

the.EOS list and then got promoted to a EOS GS-7.

There is absolutely no rekson for this kind of treatment of Chinese,

applicants by a Federal agency that has the mandate to enforce the

civil rights law.

Fifty percent of the Chinese community in San Francisco are nonEnglish speaking, as is the case with most other Chinese communities

in the country. A very substantial segment of our Community is

comprised of poor, elderly persons. Yet, only within the last 6 months,

a Chinese EOS was 'hired and assigned to HEW/OCR's Health tind

Human Development Division for the first time.

Those who get served are, by and large, determined by those who

do the serving. According to a receiit article in the San Francisco

Sunday Examiner/Chronicle the San Francisco-based U.S. District

_ Court of Northern California is enforcing about 69 consent decrees

521

534

`-
A.%

which grew out of face and sex bias litigation. A total of 6 labor

unions, 14 public agencies, and 49 private industrieS have obligated

themselves to undertake steps to promote the hiring and promotion of mniorities 'and women. I.ess that IS percent of all these consent

decrees mention and/or include relief dikkted towards Asian Americarts. The other 85 percent deal exclusively with non-Asian nUnority-A

and Women groups. Four of tbe six labor unions have signed consent

decrms involving Asian Americans, but 'already three of these four

labor unions have been cited for failing to hire an adequate number of

Asian American apprentices and journeypersons as promised.

Chine§e foe Affirmative Action is convinced that the protection of

civil rights of Chinese mid Asian Americans is dependent on several

factors:

vigorous and vigilant enforcement of civil rights and affirmative

action regulations by appropriate Federal agencies;

substantial community interest and support for civil rigbts activities;

coalition efforts with taller ethnic minority and women groups;

persistence and self-determination by civil rights groups to

review, monitor,- implement, when appropriate, court decisions,

consent decrees, and voluntary affirmative action programs affecting einployment opportunities for members of out coMinunity.

Listed below are some specific cases and action undertriken by

Chinese for Affirmative Action to defend the civil rights of Asian

Aniericans and -to promote equal opportunities.in our community. In

some instances, the appropriate Federal/State enforcement agency

failed to adequately enfoi4 the law or regulations. In other circum- . . stances, the agency laóked meaningful or workaNe standards to

enforce the law.

I. Chinese for Affirm ative Action v. SF Police Department

jn 1975 Chinese for 4ffirmative Action filed a Title VI cqmplaint

with the U.S. Department of Justice's -Law Enforcement Assistance

AdMinistration against the San Francisco Police Department alleging

that the lack of` bilingual police iervices constitutes racial discrimination against Chinese Americans, pariicularly those who do not speak English. LEAA officials conducted an .onsite investigation and

interviewed both complainants ahd respondentS. LEAA. never issued

its findi'ngs or decision..

' In March 1977 Chinese for Affirmative Action refiled 'our Titlt VI

complaint with LEAA under the then newly elected -presidential

administration.

A LEAA iiNestigator came dut to San Francisco to examine the

problem: Per our.allegation, his investigation revealed that during the

522

535
day on any given day of the week, no 'police officer assigned to

Chinatown or the Richmond district could communicate effectively

with the non-English-speaking Chinese population. Further, Chinesespeaking residents experienced delays of several hours sometimes

before receiving appropriate help from the police dePartment.

The San Francisco Police Department and LEAA eventually signed

a resolution agreement on December 21, 1977, wherein the police

department agreed to take specific steps to imprpve police services to

the Chinese-speaking community. LEAA hailed said resolution agreement 'for setting a national precedent in meeting the needs of a

language minority group.

The resolution agreement specifically caIIe1 for the following: (a)

expanded recruitment efforts of Chinese applicants for patrol officer

positions, (b) inclusion of Chinese Americans on oral interview boards

for police jobs, (c) assignment of bilingual police (Aegis to antiextortion unit, (d) language training for those police officers interested in

improving Chinese languageskills.

I L Officers for Justice v. S.F. Civil Service Commission

As a coplaintiff, Chinese for Affirmative Adion joined with Officers

for Justice, League of United Latin American Citizens, S.F. NOW,

NAACP, and 36 individual police officers to file.a Title VII Federal

lawsuit against the San Francisco Civil Service Commission and San

Francisco Police Department f6r disciminatory hiring and prom9tional practices. When' this suit was filed in 1973, no more than 5 Chinese

polict officers were members of the 1,900 strong police force,

accounting for less than 1 percent of a,11 patrol officers. Based on

pAIiminary arguments presented to him, the Federal judge struck

down the 8" height requirement which had an adverse impact

against Asians, Hispanics, and women. The city waa also ordered to

administer a job-related entrance examination and to hire 60 female

police officers immtdiately.

After 6 years of litigation, earlier this year all parties concerned

agreed to.a consent decree which, among several major provisions,

calls for a 50 percrnt hiring goal of minorities at the entry level. A

total Of 29 Chilitlingual police officers will be hired by 1984, in

addition to tho are on the police force now. The promotion of

minority police officers to the promotional ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, and captain will reflect the percentage of qualified minorities at

the entry level; $500,000 has been earmarked for ensuring the v'alidity

of all police examinations and prOviding training opportunities for

members of the affectql classes.

In the current police recruitment drive, 20 percent of all applicants

are either Asian or Filipino Americans. By the end of the 20th century,

536 523

41,
1

Asian Americans should comprise a significant percentage of the San

Francisco police foYce, thereby quashinji the stereotype that Asians are

not intFrested in la* 'enforcement work.

III. Chinese fbr Affirmative Action v. Kaiser llo,F ital

- In 1975 Chinese for AffirMative Action filed a itle VI complaint

, against Kaiser Hospital's prepaid health plan with Regim IX HEW's

Office for Civil Rights for a lack of adequate bilingual health

personnel. HEW/OCR xat on the complaint for a couple of years

without knowing what to do with it. Then HEW/OCR forwarded this

complaint to its headquarters in Washington, D.C., for further agency

action. It took a total of 4 years for HEW/OCR to develop and , lkapprove an appropriate investigatory an. . Investigation is currently underwa hinese for Affirmative Action

is assisting HEW/OCR to identify Kaiser health plan members who

have either been denied or unable to use health services there because

\ of the lack of bilingual peisonnel, signs, and forms.

In a related matter, last year Chinese for Affirmative Action joined

with he Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund to file'

a peiition for rulemaking with HE* to establish_ bilingual health

stanards. #

IV. ghinese for Affirmative Action, Self:Help for the Ode* Chinese

Newcothers Service(Center v. City & County General Hospital

In May 1978 petitioners filed anadministrative Title VI complaint (/

against City t County General Hospital and Emergency Services for a -.

lack of adeq ate bilingual health personnel with the State department

of health's office of civil rights.

State OCR condutted an exterilip\ 2-week invesn.lnion of San

Francisco general Hospital. Threpeircent of all patients during this

period were monolingual, Chinese-speaking persona. OCR found that

there was a 1a4 Of Chinese bilingual teleptigne operators, signs, forms,

and health rPersonnel in obstetrics/gyacology/ pediatrics, labor/delivery, nursely, laboratoiy/pulmonary, etngency triage, and

emergency admitting. ?

Settlement discussions are in progress*The city has indicated a

willingness to trAnslate hospital sionl and torms, to convert Chinese

and.other 1 e-minority interpreters cup CETAI to permanent

civil servic tatus, to conduct staff traini ., on biliniguar needs, to

increase bili gual recruiti4 efforts, and Jto,ii prove Chinese bilingual

t e016ie services. .

. , ,

. Chinese for Affirmative Action v. KCBS)ci FCC __...,_.....- \.,

524

1
In November 1974 Chinese for Affirmative Action tiled a petition to

deny the ficense renewal application of KCBS-AM for a lack of equal

employment opportunities for Asian Americans and bilingual news

programs. Of 80 plus employees, not more than 1 Asian 'was ever

employed L the .same timspat KCBS. Usually, the employment of

Asian Americans lasted vAy short periods and at the lowest paid

positions.

The Federal Communications Commission dismiased our complaint

without conducting a hearing on the issues of our petition to deny.

Chinese for Affirmative Action then filed an appeal against both

KCI3S and FCC at the ikashington, Cir4it Court of Appeals.

At the three-judge panel, the court aft-Irmo:I Chinese for Affirmative

Action's chirge that our"- petition was dismissed prematurely. On

rehearing though, the cowl-en banc ruled in favor of KCBS and FCC.-

Nevertheless, in the interim, KCBC Moved to improve its nexiTs"--,

coverage of the Criinese..community and started to be more conscious

of gheir hiring pcolicy towards Asian Americanse

VI. Chinese for Affirmative Aaion a al. v. Leguennec

In October 1973 Chinese for Affirmative Action, League of Einitedo.

Latin A.merican Citizens and five individual plaintiffs filed suit in

Federal court against the San Francisco Registrar of Voters for

noncOmpliance with the 1975 bilingual election ainendments of the

Voting Rights Act.

- The district-court judge dismissed our complaint without conducting a hearing on theirmerits occroyNomPlaint. Plaintiffs filed an appeal

with, the Ninth CircuitiCourVa ARpeals. The court-remanded the case

to the district court level in 1978 on theibasis thatipur charges merited

fulPand fair judicial review. 1 The city appealed this decision to the U.. Supreme Court on the

r premise that tbe Voting Rights Act contravenes the 13th amendment.

Earlier thi yar, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the city a hearing on

its appeal., .

.s.,

. VII. United States v. SF Registrar of Voters

Based on complaints forwarded bY Chinese for Affirmative Action

and other civil 'rights groups, the U.S. atto' ey's office in San

FrancisCo observed the conduct of bilingual elections in San Francisco /

(luring the 1978 June primary election. Findingi of the U.S. at;orney'S

office indicate4Aiat, despite the.obvious need, non-English-speaking - voters did not re4ive bi&ngual assistance at the polls.

In October 1978 the T1.S. attorney filed a lawsuit against the San

Francisco Registrar of Voters for noncompliance with the 1975

awn ments to the Voting Rights Act. The court ordered the San

538

4

525

1
Frricisco Registrar of Voters 10 work with the secretary of State and

interested community groups to identify election polls in need of

bilingual oral assistance, to revuit and hire bilingual poll officials, and

to provide adequate training for poll officials assigned to language-

. minority precincts. The coiirt also empowered a Federal examiner to

hire Federal observersAo.be stationed in language-minority precincts.

A total of 120 Chinese and Spanisii precincts were monitored during

1978 November general election.

VIII. ('hinese för Alliefikitive Action & League of Women Voters v. SF

Registrar of Voters

ft

In 1978 plaintiffs filed ,ani administrative complaint with the

California Secretary of State against the San Francisco Registrar of

Voters for notcomplying with State election laws on voter outreach

efforts in underregistered neighborhoods. In the cageof San Francisco,

language-minority and black neighborhoods were predominantly

underregistered and underrepresented.

The secretary of State sent an investigator to San Francisco to

examine the problem. While it was obvious that the San Francisco

Registrar of Voters did little in the way of voter outreach, the

secretary of State took no action because her office fai)ed to establish

standards on voter outreach.

IX. Henry Chan et at v. San Francisco Unified School District

Current1), Chinese for Affirmative Action is representing over 45

Chinese teachers, most of whbin are recent hires, who have received

notices from the San Francisco Board of - Education that thee may not

be employed for the 1979-80 school% year. State education codes

prohibit the use of double seniority lists to Kotect affirm:Wye action

gains of recent years. Chinese for Affirmative Action is arguing that

truly of these teachers with bilingual cre'dentials should be retained

over more senior teachers in order that educational services for

limited- and non-English speaking students are not compromised next

school year.

.526

,-51() ;"
Employment Discrimination and Stiateglesi

From Benevolence to Legal Struggle

by Anthony Kahng!

Asian Americans Must Litigate

z The United Pilipinos for Equal Employment, a nonprofit organization, and Purisima Salazar, an Pan American fo?tner Blue Shield

employee, commenced a laWsun against California Blue.) Shield on

June 27, 1973. The United Pilipinos and Salazar, in their class action,

claimed that California Blue Shield prevented Salazar and other Asian

Americans from being promoted to supervisory and other managerial

positions oiyhe same basis as whites. These palifes were represented

by the Asian Law Caucus of Oakland, California, and alleged

violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, theCivil Rights

Act of 1866, the Civil Rights Act of 1871, and the 14th amendment to

/A the United States Constitution.

The legal action sought money damages, an end to the alleged

racially discriminatory employment practices, and implementation of a

supervisory and managerial training and -promotional program. In

response to these allegations, California Blue Shield denied that it

engaged in any such discriminatory practices. Nevertheless, the Blue

Shield sigreed with the Asian Law Caucus -to negotiate a proposed

settlement of the issues.

On July 1, 1974, the Asian Law Caucus and Blue Shield -agreed to a

compromise settlement of all jitiF--vII issues in this car. This

proposed settlement was tentatiiely approved by the district court and

the following is only a summary of the settlement:

(a) - Establishment of goals and timetables for the representation of

Asian Americans and other minoritifs at all levels of the Blue Shield

--pork force;' , 4:.

(b) Initiation of a presupervisory deVelopment program: The purpose

of this program is to develop a pool of. trainees with managerial

potentiaLfrom which supervisory arid other upper leyel positions will

be filled insofar as possible. Withirthis program, I1111 Shield seeks to

achieve a balance in the racial-composition. of the management

Dr. Anthony Kahng is associate professor of industrial relations, New Jersey Institute of

Technology.

' United Pilipinds for Equal Employment v. California Blue Shield, U.S. District .Court, San

Francisco, Nov. 4, 1974.

527

510

";'.1
personnel of Blue Shield and to the total Blue Shield San Francisco

area work force. This brogram is intended to develop a pool of eligible employees for promotion to 'supervisory and other managerial post- tion4. Insofar as p6ssible, only persons who have participated in and completed the presupervisory development program will be pro- moted. Minority group representation at all supervisory levels in reasonable proportion to the percentage of suc.jh persons in the full work force is intended to be established by 1980. (c) Establishment of an English oral delivery training program. "l'his program will provide for the improvement of English skills for any employee of Blue Shield who desires to take such a course.

(d) Modification of the corporate management human relations

training, "Supervising the Minority EmPloyee," to include special material on Asian American and other minority employees. (e) Establishment of a fund of $50,000 by Blue Shield against which members of the class who believe they have been discriminated against in promotion may make claims for back pay. (t) Blue Shield will also pay to Purisima Salazar the sum of $9,886.79 on account of any claims arising out of or attributable to her

employment by Blue Shield, to the Asian Law Caucus a sum of money

for attorney's fees and costs of monitoring program nnplementation

($16,408.48), and to the Employment Law Center a further sum of money for consultative services ($5,000).'

The lessoits to be learned from this clISC are invaluable. First, as a result of this litigation, the Blue Shield established the goals and principles of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. Selection for such programs shall be nondiscriminatory and equal .eilbrt will be extended to recognize Blue Shield's existing minority

employee..percenatges as a reference guide (target goal) when selecting

such potential management personnel for training in San Francisco

area operations. According to Blue Shield, such ethnic percentages are: total San Francisco supervision (target), 100.0 percent; American Indian stiperrs (target), 9.3 percent; Asian .American supeivisors

(target), 26.2 percent; black American' supervisors (target), 17.8 percent; Spanisrliwme supervisors (taiget), 3.6 percent; others

(target).

Would the Blue Shield agree to a compromil setilement of Title WII issues in this case without resorting to litigation? Perhaps the answer is .not. Therefore, the second most important lesson to be learned from this case is that Purisima Salazar set an unusual model for

Asian Americans in this struggle for civil rights and equal employment

Id

521

111
opporturities. For so many years civil rights lawyers have been asking:

Why don't Asian Americans resort to extensive litigation in ordei to

protect their civil rights? Were Asian Americans recognized as

minorities and a group that is considered ilisadvantaged? To ask these

questions is to reexamine a set of Asian American attitudes and their

perceptions in regard to ther status and self-image in American

societ y.

No one can deny that a very high level of legalism exists in

American society. Often the most powerful testimony comes from the

judiciary. For example, Justice Irving R. Kaufman of the Second

Circuit Court of Appeals, in his address to several hundred Federal

judges and lawyers on September 9, 1977, warned us that:

Too often justice is painful)y slow and prohibitively expensive. . . .The Federal judiciary is barely afloat in a sea of

litigation, and the tide is rising. One Stanford Professor estimated

that, if the rate of growth of federal appeals remains constant, by

the year 2010 one million federal appeals will be decided across

the country each year. Such a workload would require 5,000

appellate judges. Nor does the future seem brighter for the district

courts.'In the last decade filings of civil actions have increaSed

84%. Plainly our judicial system cannot long endure such an

onslaught of cases. We have two choices: refOrmor disaster.'

In October 104 Chief Justice Warren E. Burger gave us a similar

prediction that the caseload of ke Supreme Court, -then more than

3,000 a year, woul1 double in 19 if no steps were taken to deal with

what he called t e "appalling mass of litigation" inundating the

Federal court system. Within a decade, unless we find more solulions,

he said in a year-eni review, "we may well see the nine Justices facing

a case load exceeding 7,((X) cases a year, nearly one new case every

hour of the day an night, weekdays and weekends included."'

"Unless jurisdict on is curtailed,". he said, "continued escalation of

litigation could reqJie 900 Federal judges by the end of this decade."

It was exactly agatnst this background that a study group headed by.

Professor Paul. A. / reund of the Harvard Law School recommended a

national court oflappeals, just below the Supreme Court, that would

screen out all b0 a few hundred of the most important cases and

decide them witicout any higher appeal available.

Alt.lrugh it i0 possible to interpret the statistics in a variefy of ways,

the Sutirerne Tt statistics suggest a rapidly increasing resort to

legalism. Therefore, it is safe to characterize the American culture as a

"litigation" of "power" culture. By all means, it has been said that the

Irving R. Kauffnan, COM and Delaythe Demons of the Judicial Process, U S. Court of Appeak

for the Second Circuit, Sept 9, 1977, pp. 1 -4

' New York Times. Jan 7, 1974, p IQ Oct. 14, 1974

529 f'

5 1
Americans are very litigious people, and they suffer from a "there

ought to be a law" complex. Litigiousness, of course, varies from

culture to culture, and the social meaning of litigation is different in

different societies.

It is, therefore, necessary for all Asian Americans to realize that the

litigation could play an extremely significant role in the context of

American society. The journey from the Chinese Exclusion Act of

1882 to Title VII of the Civil gights Act has not been easy, nor ought

it have been. We are still fighting the battles of extremely sophisticated

and widespread discrimination in employment. For this rea.on, it is an

urgent task for Asian Americans to develop a nationally coordinated strategy in terms of dealing with the question of employment

discrimination. Although there are numerous Asian American organi- zations, how effective are they in terms of grasping and dealing With

the American legal process? Why are they so timid?

A legal tradition is a set of deeply rooted, historically conditioned

attitudes about the nature of law, about tl rolc of law' in the society,

abourthe way law is or shoukd * made, appli6d, studied, perfected,

and tauglit. Ph essence, the legal tradition'relates the legal system _to the

culture of which it is a partial expressiosi.'

Asian American Legal Tradition

Historically, in many respects the Heprew society of the Old

Testament is identical with the Asian statusf law societies of the Far

East. Even so there is one basic difference).between the patriarchal

family of the HeNteW and that -of a norAiyan Buddhist, Taoist, or Confucian society. In the Old Testament, from beginning to end, the

emphasis is upon law?

On the contrary, in Asian societies, 'the use 'elm as a method

settling disputes is regarded as something to be avoided. Forpt1iple,

in examining the classical Chinese attitudee.tdward legal conflict,

Professor Northrop succinctl4 pointed qut:

I 11 To turn ORe's priyatei detenhinate, intrOspected ponviction into

immortal moral and religious issues, thereby giving rise, as the moral, legal, and religious teachings of the West tend to do, to

costly lgal disputes to the bitter end in law courts, during which

every party loses and a fair balance of justice to both parties under

all the circumstances tends Jo bt lost. . .the taiditional Chinese

believes that the existence of such Western egocentric determi- nate moral and religious commandments is a sign of the absence, rather than the presence of moral and religious wisdom.°

F.S.C. Northrop, Philosophical Arahropokey and Practical fblirks (New York: Macmillan, 1960), p. 160.

Ibid., pp. 390-91.

530

51 3
For the same reason, the assumivion of the Western court that one

side or the otter must 4et the4;eriftet is, to Chinese and other Asians,

an expression of the fallacious notion that the determinate character

holding for both parties and that, consequently, the determinate

conduct of one must be right for both and the determinate conduct of

the other wrong for both.

What is true of the,Confucian Chinese legal cultute is true also of

the Korean, Thai, and Japanese societies in this matter. In concert with

the Chinese legal tradition and moral value, Professor Hahm presents a

traditional Korean viewpoint in terms of their deep-rooted attitudes

toward litigation:

The Koreans, like most other Asian peoples, have never had a

clear concept of a "legal right." N9ir have the Koreans had a clear

notion of what the term "legal' obligation" Means. . . .For a

Korean, it is not decent nor "nice" to insist on one's legal right.

When a person hauls another person into court, he is, in fact,

declaring war on him. This signifies a complete breakdown of the

traditional "decent" way of solving disputes. He is now resorting

to norms made by the state %lid enforced by the governmental

power. He has lined himself ilk on the side 'of the bureaucrats to

use the power of the state to oppress his fellowman. Thus, .a

Korean cannot think of law as anything other than oppressive. A

persoTrsho uncompromisingly asserts his right given to him by

the law is an indecent and callous man, a person who lacks the

arts of gracious social living, that is, the virtues.'

In a similar vein, -Professor Sawada Sophia University in Tokyo k

made the following comments:

The notion of "legal Tight" does not flourish in an intetdependent, communal -society, where the supreme social dictate is

spontaneous mutual help. In a society where the concept of right

is absent and neglect of logic is notable, codified private laws

tanhot take deep roots. Contracts are viewed not as a set of legal

claims; but as an evidence of ceetain ,social, or persoiial relations.

Litigation, or even mediation by a third perum, is repitgnant.

Whenever adjustment of interests becomes necessary,, theJapanese prefer settlement in private.'

To enforce the Asian legal culture it is quite appropriate to cite

Professor Northrop's observation on Siam:

Notwithstandin$ the Western type of national law on the

French model which Siam has adopted, one finds that not merely

at 'the village level where Western influence has less effect, but

' Pyong-Choon Hahin, The Korean Tradition and Law (Seoul, Korea: Hof)yrn Corp., 1961,

pp. 189-90.

Toshio Sawada, Subsequent Conduct and Supervening Ewnts (Tokyo, Japan- University of Tokyo

Press, 1968), pp. 225-26.

514

r
1.

4

even at the top Supreme Court level. The Chief Justice in 1950, before he would open a trial between Thins in the Western

manner, would often first attempt to get tht disputants to leave

the court and settle their differences by themselves.'

Many other examples could be cited, for we have only touched the

.,..",,Aturface of the Asian legal culture. In essence, a propensity for parties

to resort to peacemaking efforts, liublic and private, for:the setdement

of disputes between them is an expression of the deep-rooted Asian

moral value. Therefore, the conception of moral conduct as peacemaking without particular regard to litigation is exactly a part of that culture, a very old and firmly held part. This is the folklore of the

working legal praess in the Asian legal culture. It should also be kept in mind that Ally Asian American immigrants were and still are deeply impregnated with this type of legal tradition.

This is thp reascen why many Asian Americans are still inclined to believe that a peacemaking attempt to work out a negotiated

settlement+more civilized, humane, mature, and even preferable to

justice throdith adjudication process. Perhaps this cultural attitude

explains the massive rejection of the American style of "litigation or sue culture" by Asian Americans.

The specific reason for their rejection of the American litigation

culture is that the adjudication route invites game playing, the use of charges and countercharges as tactical maneuvers. In other words,

Asian Americans are deeply afraid that the American style of "sue

culture" may permeate more distrust between the parties and, perhaps,

would inflict irreparable damages to the quality of human relationships

in our society.

Asian American Perspective on Affirmative Action

In the crude jungle of the American litigation culture, the Asian American legal heritage became not only a severe psychological

drarback but also a serious liability to Asian Americans in their

purguit of civil rights' arid equal employment opportunities. At this

critical juncture, a viable strategy for the Asian Americans is to join

the American national sport of litigation because that is the American

way. In other words, we need more United Pihpinos for Equal Employment v. California Blue Shield type of Title VW litigation.

Under the circumstances, what alternatives do we have?

In University of California v. Bakke. " the minority of the Supreme

Court pr&ecd a very noble concept:

.* Northrop, pp 160-61

' Bakke v. The egents of the University of California. 18 Cal. 3d 34, 132 Cal. Rep(r. 680. 553 P.2d

.1152 (1976); Univerany of Califoruiak v. Bakke, Cct-1 Rel,Kwy6,..1.ung 29,.1978. . 532
Our society and jurisprudence have alwaysstressed the value of

voluntary efforts to further the objectives of the law. Judicial

intervention is a last resort to achieve cessation of illegal conduct

or the remedying of its effects rather than a prerequisite to

action."

This noble concept, hoWever, was contradictea by Mr. Drew S.

Days, Ill, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, when he

pointed out in an interview immediately following the Supreme Court

decision in the Bakke case:

I have always found it amazing that people thought that the

Bakke decision was going to say something that would ciuse all

lawsuits to cease. We are a very litigious country. We go to the,

courthouse before we do anything else sometimes." 4f.

Although the Supreme Court minority concept in Bakke is parallel

to the Asian American concept of "moral persuasion," can we

seriously persuade the major corporations and institutions not to

discriminate against minority people by adoptilkig sua an approach? It

is only honest to admit that the Assistant Attorney General for Civil

Rights, Mr. Days, was right when he pointed out that "we go to the

courthouse before we do anything else sometimes." Otherwise, would

we have the Supreme Court decisions such as Brown v. Board of

Education ," Griggs v. Duke Power Co., and Franks v. Bowman

Transportation Co. " Bakke v. The Remus of the University of

California

From a minority pointed of view, it should also be pointed out that

the majority of the Supreme Court in Bakke seriously misplaced the

legal standard of "demonstrated compassion" on minority people. In

Bakke, by ruling that race is a factor Oat is considered along with

geographic location or athletic or artistib abillity, the Supreme Court

suggested some other qualities that.might be considered: unique work

or service experience, leadership potential, maturity, demonstrated

compassion, a history of overcoming disadvantage, ability to cominunicate with the poor, or other qualificalionsdeemed important."

The important questions in the context of the Bakke decision are:

Why should a minority person "demonstrate compassion"? Why can't

a minority person be as individualistic and selfish as Allen Bakke Isn't

it a little absurd to ask the minority people to "demonstrate

compassion" when "there is no empirical clap to demonstrate that any

" Id. at 41-42.

" New York Times. July 2, 1978, PE-1

" 374 U.S. 483 (1954).

" 401 U.S. 424 (1971).

" 96 U.S. 1251, 1269(1976); 12 FEP Cases 549 (1976).

" CCH Report 46 at 48.

5 1

0

533
one race is more selflesSly socittlly oriented or, by contrast, that

another is more selfishly acquisitive'"? Finally, bow compassionate is

the white nuijority for the plight of minorities? Aftër all, the minority people have been too "compassionate" to 'endure a long history of

invidious racial discrimination. If the Supreme Court could place the quality of "demonstrated compassion" on the part of the white majority, many racial injustices could have been alleviated.

Since the Bakke case "reverse discrimination" has become the

obsessive concern of the white majority; the eradication of ingrained

racial injustice can wait. By the same token, is affirmative action

"reverse discrimination?" To find out, Potomac Associates conducted

a survey designed to probe the attitudes, hopes, and fears of Americans. The results are presented and analyzed in State of the Nation 1974. This book captures America today in a fascinating

portrait. However, the picture that emerges is full of surprises. For example, in the area of social justice, we find a massive rejection of

"affirmative action" programs (96 percent) add, 'in general, very

limited "compassion" for all disadvantaged members of sOciety."

The latest Gallup poll, made in MarCh 1977, was based on answers

given in person to this question:

Some people say that to make up for past discrimination, women and members of minority groups rshould be given

preferential treatment in getting jobs and places in colleges. e

Oth&s say that ability', ) as determined by test scores, sho d be

the main consideration.

Which point of view comes closer to how you feel on this matter?

The poll indicated that "an overwhelming majority of Americans believe that reverse discrimination should not be used in hiring people

or determining _admission to college." Seldom before have the

American people been in such agreement on a controversial issue, the

poll reported. Overall, 83 percent of the 1,550 adults' interviewed in

the survey said that preferential treatment should labt be given to

worven or minority groups; 10 percent said it should be given; and 7

percent liad no opinion."

In view of the massive rejection of "affirmative action" by the white majority, how do we achieve racially oriented results without utilizing

racially oriented means? How can we make the concept of emrathy

compatible with the egocentric Protestant ethic of individualism? In

" Stare of the Nation 1974.

" New York Times . ?Amu 17. 1977. p. I.

534

51 7
our achievement-oriented culture, how do we . teach the white

majority to "demonstrate compassion" for the plight of minorities

without seriously asking them to reexamine their self-centered mentality and values? As a matter of fact, isn't this the crux of the underlying

question of the Bakke Ohs&

To put tbe poinl another way, why, are the Bakke -mentality people

so sensitive about the rights of a white person and so insensitive about

ctethe rights of theAninority people? Why are the Bakke -mentality

)ple using the language of the law under the guise of equal

protection ito defeat the spirit Of the law? When institutional. racism

was going on in full swing for so long, did the Bakke -mentality people

ever come forward for the minority people? When the Japanese'

Americans were herded into the concentration camps, where were the

Bakke people? ...- The Asian Americans were yoS time and agani that when you are in

distress, dia) ll--tfie constitutional ambulance. When blacks and *other

rata] minorities dialed the 14th amendme and called for the

constitutional ambulance, it never came on time or came always too

late. When the Japanese Americans in grave distress "dialed the 14th

amendment, the constitutional ambulance refused to service them and

said that "you have too much Japanese accent and w-clannot

understand your English." Why was the same constitutional ambulance so speedy and effective in rescuing Allen Bakke'?

Reverse Discrimination is an Absikd Concept

There is a good deal of potential conflicebetween the two concepts

of affirmative action and reverse discrimination. From an Asian

American point of view, reverse discrimination is an absurd concept.

Ideally, race is and ought to be simply irrelevant to any legitimate

objctiveiIowever, in view of the American reality, race is clearly

necessary aiW,,relevant because the purpose of affirmative action is to

remedy the c tinuing yffectd of prior racial discrimination against

minority groups. This is the, reason why Justice Blackmun suspects

that':

It would be impossible to arrange an affirmative action program

in a racially neutral way and have it successful. To ask that this be -,

so is to demand the impossible. In order to get beyond racism, w

must first' take account of race. There is ,no other way. And in

order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them

differently. We cannotwe dare not let the Equ4Jrotection

Clause perpetuate racial supremacy."

,.,..."

" CCM Report 46 at 5

5 s 535
Because the effects of racial discrimination are not easily eliminated,

mere neutrality toward race often is inadequate to may what has

gone before. yew Court, therefore4 has upheld on many occasions

remedial orders diat require the government to .use rice to alisist in the

remedial process." For example, in Franks v. Bowman Transportation

Co., the SupremeCOurt stated:

If relief undei Title VII can be -denied merely because the majority group of einployees, who have not suffered disclimination, will be unhappy about it, there Aril] be little hope of correcting the wrongs- t, Which the Act is directed."

Ns The Court obierved that "adequate .protection of' Negro rights under Title -VII may necessitate. .some adjustment of the rights of, white employees."" The Court, therefo_Are segarded ia decision ,in

Franks as eslablishing that "a sharing of deburden of past discrimination is presumptively necessary': arid "entirely consistent with any fair

characterization of equity, jurisdiction."

Why is reverse discrimination, an absurd concept? Accordipg to the

Institute for the Study of Educational Policy:

' The phrase "reverse diicrimination" conhotes that Blacks and

other minorities now will do to whites what whites have done to

them for over 300 years. There is no way, of course, that this can happen. There is no way that Blacks and other minorities Can

brutsrlize, degrade, enslave and dehumallizt whites, as \vhites have done to them throughout this country's history. Furthermore, this

is not the objective of Blacks and other minorities. Their. objective ". is equality of participation in the American system."

I, therefore, share the earnest hope of Jtistice Blackmun when he

'said that:

The time -will come when all "affirmative action" pitograni is

unnecessary and is, in truth, only a relic of the past. I would hope

that we could reach this stage within a decade at the most. But the

story of Brolvn v. Board ofEducation, 374 U.S. 483(1954); decidea almost a quarter of a century ago, suggests that that hope is,a din( one. At some timer however, bernd any 'od of 'what iome

would claimis only teansitionalin equality, t e nited States must

US ordgomery Board of Education, 395 U.S. 225 (19611), 2' 96U. 51, 1269 (1976). " Id.

%Id, at 1270.

" Institute ft:44e Study of Educational Policy, The Bakke Case Primer (Washington, D.C.! Howard University,1978).

. 536
rA

and will reach a stage of mikurity where actii;ti along this line,is

no longer necessary."

f,.

Perhaps an affirmative Action is the humanizing process of this

increasingly dehumanizty society.

Nationatcoordination for Title VII Litigation

For many years Asian-Americans Ave been portrayed as a quiet an

hard-working minority with few of the visible social problems

American society. They have assumed whitdentities, that is, th

values and attitudes of the majority of white Americans for the sate o

survival. Now they are seriously beginning to take a more realistic

view of themselves. The civil rights Jnovement of the 1960s was

significant for Asian Americans in terms of awAkening their racial

identity. Yet thak.is but a beginning for Asian Americans in -learning

the significance of Title VII litigation.

In yierica what you do is what von- are: to do nothing is to be

nothing; io do little is to be little.-eirticularly, employment not only

scontrols the presetnt for Asian Americans, but, in a most profound

way, if is creating the future as well. The principal measure of progrers

,tolkard equality will hftehat of employment. It is the primary source.of

individual, or group identity. Perhaps. discrimination in employment

means a capital punishment in a society in which what you do is .what

you are. Therefore; Asian. Americans mat seriously consider the

following strategies itild recommendations in dealing with employment

discrimination.

From Benevolence. to Legal Struggle

As has been statedearlivei; Asian Americans must

shifting their pre-civil rights attitudes at benev

legal struggle as a minority people. Since t,he

institution equipped td attack racism, Asian 4f

weigh the, value of litigation as a social

numerous Asian American community add

How effective are they in terms of dcalin

tigate in terms of

to social and

a powerful

ust carefully

There are

rganizations.

mployment

o

Ttc

nstru

liti

ur

ans,

me

cat

with

discrimination? Are their organizational priorities and pe eptions in

tune.with Title VIIrlitigatioq? When an individual member has auTlip

VII 8omplaint, what type of organizational assistance"C n he or she

eipeci?

Basically, the philosophy of many Asian American organizations has

bten developed along the concept of benevolence or picnic organization. ,This is the heart 'of the problem with Asian Americans "and

-employment discrimination. For this reason, as has been shown.earlier,

" CCH Report 46 at I.

\AO

. c

. 537
the lessons to he learned from the California Blue Shield case are

invaluable to all AsiaUAmericans.

Since disefilliipation On theNbasisv of race, color, religion, sex, or

national origin is by definition edam discrimination, it is- grossly

inadequate to place the financial burden of carrying orrei- Title VII

complaint on an individual person who is not only vulnerable to the

corporate or institutional pressure, bat also has a very limited resource.

For example, a Chinese American paid S5,(XX) fok his attorney and

received a Title VII complaint settlement in the sum of $4,000. Did he

win or lose

A viableldternative to individual litigation is organizational litigation. However, it is-inconceivable to expect such a bold orgimizational

direction or shift from the' pre-civil rights concept of benevolence.

Asian American leaders must seriously reexamine their prchaic

mentality Of benevolence and develop a new organizational peiteption

of employment discrimination. The experie(nce of the past 15 years under the Civil Ri Act 1964 has given LIS many of the legal and

administrative Is needed to ac a more equal status. These tools

can only be ective when there'is an nizational realignment in

terms of shi mg from benevolence to civil rights struggle. Thomas

Pitine aptl warned that: "Those who expect to reap the bte.sAings of

freedom must. . .undergo the fatigue of supporting it."

NLRB Over EEOC

In 1964 employment discrimination was thought to be a rather simple problem, filirly easily solved. By 1971 it was clear that

employment discrimilfation was a difficult problem raising fundamental queitions about American society. lt was obviously a problem

beyond the capacity of the EEOC to remedy. One of the prices paid

for enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964'was the creation of an

agency authorized to move against employment diserimAation, but

stripped of.any power to do so.

\

It was against this background that an important question was

raised:4hould the EEOC be equipped with aighority to issue "cease . t-eftd desist" orders patterned after dux NLRB? Unfortunately, these

. powers were deleted in the final version of the 1964 Civil Rights Act,

leaving the Co mission only advisory and'conciliatory responsibilities. Vritir1972 ts to pliss amendments giving the CoMmission

enfor&ment powers, it had no more than a minimal impact in

elminating" empl nt discrimination based -trPon race, cOler, religioq, sex, or tIonal 0 in."

" Sape & Halt TRW VII Reconsi

George Washihglon Law Rev. 824 (19

53)- \\..

et17 The Equal Employment Oppoztuniq' Act of 1972, 4)

551
Although t he National Labor Relations Act was certainly not

intended-to prohibit general employment discrimination, an examination of the legislative history of both the NI ,RA and the (...ivil Rights

Act of 1964 reveals that Congress did nor intend to preclude the

Na.R13 from taking jurisdiction in cases involving (::mployment

discriminatiOn on the part of unions or employers.

i many situations resort to the NLRB would he more effective than

re rt to the cumbe.rsome atid financially expensive Title VII procedures. Of great importance to minority workers, who frequentl* do

not have adequate resources to pursue a Title VII claim to finarl

exhaustion, is thjact that the NLRB provides a c st-free procedi c.

e

, from initial investigatiob to litigation in an appella court. Further,

the MAU), unlike the EEOC, is not srequired to defer to Sta_te __and

local fair employment practice agencies.

In the context of concurt:Eopthsdict ion between the NI Rt and the

EEOC_t_t_isign-.4411Vrican\organizations should adopt a viable

strateg-y and may follow the pattern set by the Western Addition

Community Organization, a local civil rights Issaciation, Jn the

Emporium Capwell Company case." In this case, Westerii Addidon

Community Organization filed a charge agaMst the company with the,

NLRB on behalf of its two members who were dismissed by their

employer. tr \

Request the Commission Investigation on the Nurses Licen-

. l'ure Problem

,

..fr

The issue is to obtain licensure, particularly for Filipino medical and /

health profeAtonals (FNGs) who are required to pass the State board

examiAations in thc five areas of nursing educationmedical and

surgical, nursing, maternal and child healgi;obstetrics, pcdiatricso-and

psychiatry. There is n.othini objectionable 'in establishing`grocedures, \ -,

, but our initial findings indicate that FNGs consistently 4fikil" this

examination at a 90 percent rate desp.t. ,the fact That their competence, i

reliability; and excellent professional ce have been test(' s for at

least 3 months to 2 years of register -- 'we (RN) practice in the

United States pritriOlhe examination.

Where does the pr9blem lie? Does it lie in the foreign nurse or in the

exam? We have re ons to believe it is the exam. Perhaps the exam is

culturally biased. The method , of examination (multiple

choice/situational ,*ting) and the use of complex phrasing and .

sentence const s place forc4n nurse graduates, who hold

1

t Flikglish only as a se nd language,, at a great disadvantage.

Emporium Cispwdl Co Western Addition Conummity Orsumnition, 420 U S 50 (1975)

. 4

539
The examination also tests foreign nurse graduates on situaiions that

can only be familiar to those who have lived in the United States for 14

extended period of time. Yet, they are flot given any time to adjust to

the American way of life or to the American health-care setting. In fact, they are forced to'take the examination ahpo,st as sobn as they, arrive, regardless of whether the nurse feels prepared and ready to write the exam.

It is also possible that a deliberate quota that limits the licenstdg of FNGs exists. Why are examinees required -to state their nationalities and to attach a photo in applying to the exam? Why are lest paper* marked with F(foreigner) or FR (foreigkampeater)? Why are graded

test papers not available for viewing, even to the nurse 7ho wrote the

exam? Upon failing the exam tfie unsuspecting victim falls prey to

varihus hospitals that demote them and utilize their RN skills at a

lower MMus pay scale.2'

In May 1975 a report of the California Advisory Committee to the

U.S. COmmission on Civil Rights presenteda partial picturekof this

issue." Since the issue presents a serious question of civil rights problem, we hope that the Comminion will explore this issue, which exists nationwide, in order to eaminate discriminatory licensure

practices against FNGs.

-Request the Commission investigation on Nursing Home Practices

Another dimension to the pliiht of FNGs is a questionable practit;

by various nursing .homes... Many nursing home operators are reCruiting Filipino nurses and offering questionable terms and conditioni of

employmentto them. For example, recently 16Filipino nurses

complained rO the New Jersey Association of Filipino Nurses t at: (1) no job description, (2) violations of profesOonal ethics, (3) poo living. conditions and accommodatidtts, (4) invasion or privacy, (5 teiie and under pr sure.

In er words, many Filiping Purses are brought into this couptry by soiIe nursing homes as itilintured slaves. The questionable terms

nditions of employment present a selious question of civil rights.

National Alliance for Fair Licensure for FNGs, "14stional Community Conference Report," New York:April 30--May I. 1977.

. ." California Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, A Dream_Xnfullilled: Korean and Pilipino Health Professionals in California (May 1975). -f Mat 540

551

2°'
(-..

The Chinese Economic Development Council (t2EDC) is a commu-

.--' ,nity development corporatioh serving the Chinese American commu-

- nity in Greater Boston. Its puritose is to improve the socioeconomic

conditions of the community. Initially, CEDC was funded under an

Economic velopment Administration grant to provide technical

assis9tnee 1 -al entreprensurs. CEDC's objective chAnged in

October 1917 when 't received a planning grant from the Community

Services Aelministr tion/Office of Economic Development. CEDC

presently receives grants of administrativcand equity investment funds

froni OSA/GED....

qfEDC *Wreaks community needs through a compreitentive

prkram 'poising on businessrlrusing, and, community developent.

In the business sector, econidinic development funds will help start

new businesses and improve existing ones. Similarly, CEDC plans to

increase housing stock in the,area and improve the buildings that

already exist. In community deMopment, CEDC has programs in the

folloJeing areas: manpower development, group health insurance,

youth, culture, cultural a4justment,,and education. CEbC works with

other agencies and institutions to revitalize the Chinese community as

C a whole and the Chinatown neighborhood in particular.

., Chinese Economic Development Council,

Inc.

Introduction

by William J. Leong*

"PPP

I \

Manpower Develppment Needs

Introduction,

The population ofgunaiengii(including the southencl) llama%

tarot,* 5,000 persons, mostly first-generation Chinese. Each year

another 500 native Chinese immigrife to Boston Nip Hong Kong and

Taiwan. Employment is not the only problenaacing these immigrant

Chinese. As documented below, the primary problems are language

delfciency, low pnblic educational achievement, high unemployment,

extremely high underemployment, moderate earnings, limited sectoral

opportunities in private business, and underrepreOlatation in the public

sector.

William J. Leong is executive director of the Chinese Economic Devdopment Council, Inc., 20

Hudson St., Boston, Mass. 02111. This paper is from the Council's Overall Economic Development

Nan, dated Feb. 14, 1978.

554

541
Ittk

TABLE 3.39

Extent of Engifsh Language Problems Among Boston Chinatown Residents

A: Extent of English Language Probleihs Among Boston Chinatown Residents by Age (1975)

Problem Area Pekent Chinatown Residents

Age: 18-32 33 and up

Aurally understand, speak, read, and write English At least fairly fluently 5rj 18% A little or more 5 /0 82%

Total 100% 100%

B. Extent of English Language Problems Among Boston Chinatown Residents by Sex (1-975)

Prisblem Area Percent Chinatown Residents

Males -Females

Aurally understand, Speak, read English At least fairly fluently 40% 23% A llttle or more 60% 77%

Total

, 100% 100% Write English , At least fairly fluently 29% 23% A little or more ' 71% 77%

Total 100% 100%

a

Source: Health' Care Accessibility tor Boston's Chinese Commuoity, Final Report to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education contract no.

73-147-010 and no. 74-147-006, Tufts University Department of Sociology and other Affiliates and the Boston Chinese Community Health Services, Inc., December 1975.

English Langusge Deficiency

Lack of English fluency is a severe problem amonirChinatown

residents. The pattern among the middle aged is the sane as that for

elderly: very poor, only 18 percent are fluent, while 82 percent are not.

Among youth, the pattern improves to 50:50, respectively. Flueitcy patterns are the same across the spectrum of aural, oral, read, and

written English (see table 3.39A).

The pattern among females is worse than that among males. Only 23

percent of the females are fluent, while among males 40 percent are

fluent in aural, oral, and read English, tin'd 29 percent are fluent in

written English (see table 3.39B).

542

553
TABLE 3.40

Extent of Underemployment In Boston Chinatown (1977)

A: Underemployment by Education

At least some college'education

8%

High school graduates 32%

Total 400/0

B: Underemployment by Former Job Skills

Professionals 14%

(engineers, teachers, accountants, doctOrs.)

Skilled labor 24%

(mechanics, construction workers, acupuncturists,

tailors, watch repairers, etc.)

Semiskilled labor 16%

(HVAC installation, clerks, pastrymakers, truck

drivers, hairdressers, appliance repairers, etc.)

Total 54%

Source; Lee, Man-Leung. CACA Adult Education English Program Survey,

March 1977.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate in Boston Chinatown continues at about

twice the national average. Ve estimate the present unemployment at

about 16 percent. The source .of this unemployment, as'we shall see

later, lies in the limited job opportunities in the1..base industries of the

economy, as well as the language deficiency descri above.

lUnderemployinent Rate

Even worse than the unemployment rate in the labor force is the

underemployment rate. A relint manpower survey estimates under- /

employment ai a shocking 70 percent.

The Chhirese labor force is -eharacteritid /by low educational

achievement in China, but high skill-level training. Despite this, highly

educated or highly trained laborers cannot secure jobs equivalent to

, those held prior to immigration.

About 8 petcent of the resident population have at least_ sonic

college education, but virtually none have coliege-level jobs. Another

32 percent arehigh school graduatek, Rit work at menial jobs in

restaurants (see lable. 3.40A).

About 14 percent of the labor force are professionals holding

nonprofessional jobs. Another 24 percent of the labor force are' skilled

labor holding semiskilled labor menial jobs. In addition, unemployment is another 16 percent (see table 3.40B). 4 543.

556
TABLE 3.41

Wages of Laborers In the Three Major ChILtown Industries

(1977)

Restaurant industry:

cashiers $400 per mo. =$1,70 per hr. waiters $500 per cno. = $2.10 per hr. busboys $400 per mo.= $1.70 per hr. head chef $800 per mo. = $3 30 per hr. dishwashers $400 per rho -_--- $110 per hr.

Restaurant-relkted industry:

shopkeepers, laborers, bakers, other semi- $400-600 per mo.= $1.70-2.50 per hr. skilled labor

Garment industry:

stitchers $100-200 per wk.= $2.20-4.50 per hr. (for a 45 hr. wk )

Electronic industry:

assemblejs $120 per wk. = $2.75-3.00 per hr.

Source: 1. Leo, Man-Leung, Manpower and Employment ln Boston Chinese Community, Thesis for the Degrpe of Master of Urban Af fairs, Boston Univer- sity Metroptiltan College, 1977.` 2. Interview with Milton Kaplan, manager of ILGWV" Joint Board, Dec. 20, 1977,

3 Interview with owners of Advanced Electronics, Inc., Dec. 5, 1977.

Mcfcle'rate Earnings

The earnings of the maj rity of the labor force remain below the Federal minimum wage. 1 the restaurant industry, most jobs pay about 20 cents to 60 cents less than the minimurnd In the garment industry, earnings are substantially higher than the minimum on a

piecework basis (see table 3.41). These jobs are, howeVer, declining in

number.

Concentrated tebltructure

The job struct r Boston Chinese is heavily dependent on the restaurant and garment industry. Over 72 percent of the jobs are in restaurants, while another 24 percent are in the garment shops (see

table 3.42A).

The dependency is highly determined according to sex. A little over 75 percent of all maled work in restaurants while a little under 75

percent of all females work in garment shops (settable 3.42B).

A No Growtht Sectoral Concentratiop and.Geographical Dis- persion

The restaurant industry in Boston Chinatown is a vturated industry. The number of jobs, has hovered around 430 to 450 since 1950. Growth

544

ge 557

.1
r

TABLE 3.42

Job-Structure and Moderate Income Boston Chinese

A: Job Structure of Lowand Moderate-Income Chinese in Boston (1977)

# Eniploybes % by Employees

Restaurants 2,100 72%

Garment industry 700 24%

Electronics 75 3%

Food Retailing 30 1%

Total 2,900 100%

Sourhs: 1. Dun & Bradstreet, Market identifiers, 9122177.

2. Massachusetts Industrial Directory, 1974-75.

3. CEDC venture development team estimates.

't

B: Job Structure of Low- and Moderate-Income Boston Chinatown

Resident by Sex (1974)

tercent Employed Chinese Residents

Occupation (18 years and other)

Males .....-0.Fernales Total

Restaurant-related

f

occupations ' 77.30/0 44% 35.4%

Stitcher -1.3% 72.9"ty 359%

Others 21.40/0 22.8% 28.7%

Total 100% 100% 100%

' Includes waiters, cooks, bprienders, restaurant cashiers, dishwasher, and

restaurant helpers..

Source: Health Care Accessibility for Boston's hinese Community Final

Report to the Mass. Board of Higher Education, c tract no. 73-147-010 and

no. 74-147-006, Tufts University Department of Sociology and Affiliates and

the Boston Chirse Community Health Services, I ., December 1975. .

in Chinese restaurants is in the suburbs of Ch atown (see table 3.43).

The increase of non-Chinese in these suburban jobs is not well

documented.

As indicated, the garment industry in Chinatown is a declining

industry. According to Milton Kaplan, manager of the ILGWU ):)int

Boatd, shops in or' near Chinatown have decreased from abour80 after

World Wm H to about 60 at present. A third of these 60, however,

have movdi from Chifiatown to south and east Bostotdue to space

requirements. While the total number of jobs has decreased; with

unioii- members dropping from about 5,000 to 3,700, the Chinese have

increased their share to the present.700 level.

5s8

545

I.
TABLE 3.43 -1

Saturation of Jobs in Chinese Restaurants in Boston Chinatown (1940-1976) " 1940 1950 1960 1970 1976

Chinatown

Other parts of Greater 120 450 435 350 435

Boston 120 170 1,025 1,565 2,105 Total 240 620 1,460 1,915 2,540

Sources; 1). 19A0- 1970: Chinatown Planning Project, 1940, 1950, and 1960 BOston 1971 (Authors used Area yellow pages directories). 2) 1976: 1976 Boston Area yellow pages directory. 3) Botwright, Ken 0., "An Exotic Front, but Globe, Dec. 11, 1969. Chinatown -suffers," Boston

4) CE venture development staff estimates, 1116/78 Not sive of all restaurants

, Limited Representation in the Growth Sector ., Chinese employMent in the lowest paying major industryrestau- rants in Chinatownis nearly 100 percent. In the highest paying but declining industry, that of the garment shops, it is about 30 percent Chinese. ,In the fastest growing industry, electronics, it is 8 percent. Clearly, the Chinese must increase their share of employment in \industries tit a ,el are expanding, panic...Wady in the electronics industry (see table 3. ). .. The largest employer in Chinatokvn, the electronics firm Teradyne, has about 1,000 employees in the leather district. Only 20 Chinese are employed there.

Chinese employment in the largest n6nprofit institution, Tufts New England Medical Center (TNEMC), is also very low, thoug improving. In 1972 Chinese representation was just over 2 percent (see table 3.45). Therefore, Chinese labor is underrepresented in the growth sector of the local economy (see table 3.46). Potential Chinese employment in the construction trades on boundary developm projects is great. Current estimates of the available jobs in the nelt decade are 5,600 construction jolis (see table 3.47).

I r 1 I

Conclusion 1

. Therefore, the manpower needs of Chinese are: 1

English language training of 2,700, increasing at 500/year; New job creation and job placement of 3,300/year increasing at 500/year, .

... ji b j,raining of 2,800 increasing ar500/year;

54

55 9
TABLE 3.44

Chinese Representation In Private Jobs In Chinatown (1977)

Induitry

Number of Total # of # of % of

Companies Employees Employees Chinese

Garment 60 2,250 700 31%

Electronic 2 1,075 75 8%

Restaurant (inside

Chinatown) : 23 400 )

400 100%

Ldather 7 160 n/a n/a

Printing 10 150 7 . 5%

Footwear 3 '90 n/a n/a

(not Leather) Food wholesale 16 75 67 89%

Displays 2 10 Fifa

Total 122 4,210 1,i7i9 30%

Sources: 1. Dun & Bradstreet, Market Identifiers, 9/22/77.

2. Massachusetts Industrial Directory, 1974-1975.

3.CEDC Venture Development staff estimates 12128/77.

NB: Estimates currently under revision.

In suminary, manpower training programs are needed because the

target group is primarily an imwigrant population which does not

currently possess marketable or transferable skills.

Manpower Development Plan

Program Goals

As indicated in section three, there is a need foritraining programs

specializing in skill training and vocational/e4ucational counseling to

viate the problems in obtaining upwardly mobile employment for

nesi -Ameticans. CEDC has defined the following goal for

furthering manpower development in the community:

to lessen the unemployment and underemployment situation of

ChineseAmerican rmidens in Beaton.

Program Strategies

To bring abont this goal, CEDC .plans to pursue the strategies

described below in its economic development activities.

By providing job training. CEDC hopes to utilize and build upon

existing skills of the Chinese labor force for different jobs with similar

'skill requirements. Through these job training endeavOrs, CEDC

hopes to generate 50 newjobs at the completion of each program. In line

with the venture development activitietrwlahwill, be undertaken by

the CEDC, the committees dealing with manpower affairs will

547

560
TABLE 3.45

Low Chinese Hiring by Major Employers In Chinatown (1977)

Total Number Number of

' Firm of Workers Chinese Workers Chinese

Teradyne TNEMC

Total

1,020

3,500

4,520

20

70

90

2%

2%

Source:, 1. Personnel Department,

4% a

Teradyne, 12/77. 2. Boston Chinatown, BRA, 1972.

3. CEDC Venture Development Staff Estimates, 1/8/77.

Table 3.46

,Target Population of Manpower Needs in Boston Chinatown

Target Population (1977)

English as a

second language

New Jobs creation

(Unemployment)

Alternative jobs

(Underemployment)

Job training

Total Labor Force

2,700 (Increasing at 500/year)

525 (increasing at 500/year)

2,775

2,775 (increasing at 500/year)

8,775

SourcCEDC venture development staff estimates, 12/27/77.

NB: Estith-a-s are currently under revision.

attempt to identify labcir intensive investment opportunities for referral to the business development staff Along with identifying such job

creation potentials, specific training programs might be sought prior to venture establishment. Finlly, CEDC will ensure that recruiting, appropriate training, and employment opportunitiesfire provided for Chinese residents in the numerous development projects in and on the boundary of Chinatown.

Program ObjactOrtas

Initial 2-year fending period

CEDC plans to establish two skills tra ininkprograms,

CEDC will conduct a labor marketsurvey, CEDC will seek employment opportunities for Chinese outside of Chinatown.

548

40
Table 3.47

4k.0% Estimated Corlsbuction Jobs from

Nw Boundary Development (1978-1988) 4 No. of 1-Ysr No. of Minority

Construction jobs Sot-ssido

Park Plaza Phase 1

Lafayette Place South Station Hotel

Arena \

MBTA New Orange Line

Total

373

1,467

NA

NA

4,000/yr,

18,000 Total

over 41/2 years.

19,800

10%

10%

10%

30%

5,580 Man-years or 28% of the

total

Source: (1) Park Plaza, Urban Renewal Project/Final Supplemental Environmental ReEfor: BRA/Sept.11y6 /E.O.E.A. 973

ECRenAiraAilirransopeotretra,ttann.F4jangnin8g Board Southwest Corridor Office, Ken I(

ruckmeyer, January 197(6(

1

1 VI/ Years 3 through 6 of the developmett period

On the basis of the findings resulting from the labor market

surveyp the feasibilitx of initiating further manpower programs will

be studied, and if 'Warranted, proposals will be preeffied and

additional funding sought.

Project ption

Fo i. its ial funding period, CEDC is considAng several projects

which wilt fulfill the stated ciNectives. For an indepth explanation of

how these projects are to be accomplished, the initial funding

.proposal, January 1978, should be teferred to.

Project 1Manpower Development Program

Two flinctions will be carried outinhonse in ordir tcricComplish

this project. A research team ill conduct a _labor market survey to

assess how existing skills can be ansferrect to different markets. The

gudy results will be provided to t e CEDeventuie developme5t,staff

ror use in its Anture selection. Additionally, .trikining prograinii-Will be

sought to provide community members withic employment skills

(multiclerical, keypunch, electronic assembly, homemaker services,

etc.). CEDC has applied for CSA Title ll funds `to maintain this

program. It hopes to receive funds from DOL, CETA, HEW, and

other sources as well.

L.Project 2Chefs Training School . 549

y
"

It

CEDC anticipates setting up a chers training school which will

conduct two 6-month training sessions each year. Students will attend

classes in specialized chers training, general kitchen instructions, and

tnglisti language instructions liver a 30 hour per week whedule.

Seminar; on nutrition, health, sanitation, safety, and kitchen management Will he conducted periodically 'as well as field trips to Chinese

restaurants. CEDC has applied for funds from the State department (vf

occupalionareducation for this program.

Other Prgjects,

The newcomers services program is planned to offer orientation

services to the more than 500 annual immigradts to DostOn as well as

other recent immigrants. A staff of fbur is projected to be hired if

funds are granted from CSA Title H.

The neighborhood security patrol will be on. foot, 24 hours a day, 7

dilys a Week, and beAn constant communication through walkie-talkies

'with a tntileccommunication center. Funds have beep requested from"

LEAA for ibis program:and wheffreceived, a staff of 13 will- be hired.

A more extensive description of this program may be found in the

initizil funding proposal, January 1978.

_x

;

550

LT `
.0"

N. Statement on Employment Issues

by Armando M. Rodriguez**

7,6

I am especially pleased to have this opportunity to participate as a

,panel member of this -*consultation hearing stonsored by the U.S. /

Commission on Civil Riihts regarding the myths and realities of Asian

'and Pacific Americans. '. .

. As A Hispanic, I anNrery much aware of the myths and stereotypes t that we as minorities have encountered throughout our lives, no

matter.how wc isonstantly attemptto dispel them. As a matter of fact,

the stereotypes of Asian and Pabific Americans and. Hispanis are

alMost parallel. How often have you heard someone say that we are a

passive group of 'people, that we eat strange foocl, that we are

Ate

Il

hyiically short, or this classic onethat we all look alike. These *

te

. ereotypes ere negative. However, there are stereotypes that can be 4 A

. onstrued ats positivefor example, that Asian/Pacific Americans are

shrewd business people, acallemically successful; Hispanic's have

0- strong family

,ties. What binds the Asian/Pacific Americans and the

Hispanic is our strong cultural batkgrodlid and our refusal to give it

up.

What we' hope to accomplish through these Ihk:nis panel discussions' is to dispel thesesitivhs and _stereotypes. aal deal with the'

realities. It Ohl not 14k easy to erase what has been going on for

centuries, but el/efy time we' have the opportunity to discuss' thiA

problem, we can be assured that are sensitiiing as wep as educating

someone who will tfegin to s us in a new and more positive

. , ... perspective. , . Y The'fey .word is "sensitize:" I consider myself Soinewhat of an

< w optimist. And as aft optimistic person, I do not .believe that most

peciple intentionally discrinflinate against us. res just that they have not

been "sensitized" to our unique cultural backgrounds, our language, or

the problems which wise as a result of our cultural differences and,

therefore.; they are not alWays certain how to deal 'with us,

As a member of the Equal Employment Opp4rtunitj, CommisSion, I

live .mute it part of my everyday responsibility to sensitip my

'collegues and coworkers of the unique.problems a the Hispanic as

wdll as the Asian/Pacific American. Through this sensitization

s., procss, I belieire that yob Will see some very posittve action coming . out 4:4 the Commission, and will ,acknow'ledge the sincerity of their

, Armando M. Rodriguez is Commisaioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity tolission,

Washington, D.C. 1- .

, . 6

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effort to ensure tfiat everyone is given 'the opportunity of equal

employment.

. Let me digress for just a moment and give you some background on

EEOC.

In Jatitiary 2,9, 1979, EEOt's internal reorganization went into

effect. A nationwide structure of 22 district and 37 area field offices

using ngw psoceAres was set in place. This reorganization resulted

from a careful Commission analysis of the needs of charging parties,

respondents, and law enforcement officials for an efficient and

effective field office structure to deal with the charges Wed with

EEOC. Each office now has a legal staff ticr-Cort.closely with the

\Chargy

processing and investigative staff io assure that charges are

processed on their legal strengths and weaknesses. The closer ties

between our legal staff.and our charge processing investigative she

will assure quicker resolution of many charges as well as better

preparation,f4i,arges for litigation by charging parties and EEOC.

. I Mentioned a moment ago thatirw procedures for processing

charg&WerPbeing implemented in the field officesDne is the early

litigation identificatir (ELI) program, which is designed to identify

early in the agency's, processing charges which would be good charges

/ upon which to base a lawsuit. An effective litigation program will

r" obviously provide substantial benefits io charging,parties.

The Commission will be pursuing greater numbers of class action

cases through the processin:g of systemic cases. 1

The Commission has ap oved six standards which have been

designed to identify situations where the patterns of eniployment

discrifnination are the' most seriod, and where maintenance of a

succeksful "systemic case" will have a 1ignificant positive impact on

the einploYment opportunities available No minorities and women.

The Commission has created a systemic unit at headquarters as well

as in each district office. This new legal unit is a unique approach to

make more effective use of. the legal reiources of the Commission. As

part of the reorganization, attorneys will now work as a.team with the

, investigators at ate district level in order to, assure that the investigation of a charge provides the necessary evidence for filing a strong

case.

In order for thee Commission to institute a systemic roceeding, a

respondent need only,. meet bne of the followin tandards for

selection: -1

4 Employers or other persons subject to Title VII:

, I. Who'Contiimi to effect policies and practices which reSult in low

,utilizatipn of available minorities Sand/or women despite the clear .. obligation in Title VII to fairly , recruit, hire, and ))te Ote 'such

, persons. , 552

a J..)
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2. Who employ a substantially smaffer proportion of minorities

and/or women than other employers in the same labor market who

emPloy persons Witkthe same general level of skills.

3. Who employ a iubstantially smaller proportion of minorities

and/or women-in their higher paid job categories than in their lower

paid job categories.

4. Who maintain specific recruitment, hiring, job assignment, promotion, discharge, and other policies and practices relating to the terms

and conditions of employment that 'have an adverse impact on

minorities and/or women, and are not justified by business necessity.

Stich policies and practices may include but are not limit those

prohOited in Commission guidelines on sex discriminatiAligious

*discrimination, and national origin discrimination, the guidelines on

t# employee selection procedures, and other guidelines as they may beN, adopted and amended from time to time.

5. Whose employment practices have had the effect of restricting or

excluding available minorities and/or women from significant employ-

- ment opportudities, and who are likely to be used as models for other

employers because of such factors as the number of their employees,

their impact on the local economy, or their competitive position in the

industry. 1:

6. Employers (a) who because of expanding employment os significant turnover rates, even if the employer's work force is stible or in

retrenchment, are likely to haVe.substantial numbers of employment

opportunities, and (b) whose practices may not proikle available

minoUties and women vtrith fair access to these opportunities.

I have described the standards used in instituting a systemic case.

Now let me till you about an important tool that can be used to bring

about such lin action. It is called a Commissioner charge. A

Oimmissioner's charge may be issued at the initiative of a member of

the public, a Commissioner himself, 9,!. by Commission.staff, but must

be approved by a signing Commissioner. Any individual or organization may request theissuance of a Commissimer charge when such a

request relates to systemic discrimination. However, normally, a

Commissioner charge in an individual matter should be requesteionly

where an individual alleging discrimination fears retaliatiOr5r, for

ome reason, desires confidentiality, and in effect is asking that irs

charge be' filed on his/her own behalf.:puring thovrecharge

counseling, an attempt is made to persuade the individual to file the

charge on his er own behalf and the individual isinformed that Title

VII prohibits ekaliation for filing a charge. I want to make it clear that

ultimately 't individual's identity must almost always be revealed to

h

f

the respond t if relief is to be obtained.

, 553

5 06

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6r.

What I have described is essentially the Commission's internal

reorganization plan. However, there are major changes taking place in

the Federal civil rights structure. Most of these changes are affecting_Ir

EEOC in one way or another. Under President Carter's reorganization

plan no. I and the Civil Service Reformct, EEOC will become the

principal enforcement agency of the Equal Pay Act, Age Discrimination Act, Rehabilitation Act, and the administration of EEO compliance programs for all Federal Government agencies. There is much

planning and work taking place right now to prepare for the

assumption of these new jurisdictions, and that's just great. But in

order for people to utilize this new efficient and effective process, they

must first be made aware of it.

I recently met with la group of Hispanic leaders who hid cOncerns

verK similar to those expressed by the Asian/Pacific Americans. Those f

concerns included the need for more bilingual information and

material on EEOC, hiring of bilingual staff atcovling to the popula-

.. tion being served, the need for a more concerted positive public

relatiqns effort within the minority community, the sensitization of the

staff at all levels of the agency, of the unique characteristics of the

minority population ing served, and the important need to initiate

s*Itemic charges for t underrepresented minority 'classes.

Although I had been aware of many of these concerns myself, now

that they have been brought to my specific attention and discussed at

length, it is now my responsibility to improve and change the system

wherever and however I can.

, I am sure that many issueVf concern will be brought to light during

these panel discussions, andri and my cdhcagues on the Commission

stand ready to address and hopefully resolve them for the betterment

of all people.

Thank you. ...._,

554

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"W.

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ot

Discrimination Against Asian and Pacific

Americans In Federal Civil Rights Enforcement

by Dale Minami0

A

JP°

Introduction

Over the past 8 years, I have been practicing law in the San

Francisco Bay area, first with the Asian Law Caucus, a communityinterest law firm, and currently with the private law firm of Minami,

Tomi le, and Lew ihr,Oakland and San Francisco. Our offices hav

been II olved 1 numerous civil rights cases on behalf of women an

minorities, 1 individual and class discrimination suits, administrative

complaints, and suits against educational institutions for failures to

provide race-sensitive Curricula and Asian 4merican studies, counseling, and recruitment progrims. We have also sued the San Fritucisco s. Police Department and the ftate attoiney general for civil rights

yiolations against Asian Americaw.

.. Before ycii brand me as anotlitr- roublemaking, sue-happy attorney,

I hope you A/ill consider some of y experiences and statistics,' have

discovered which point to the, exclusion of Asian and Pacific

Americans from klicymaking positions in the Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission and the O, ffi ce for Civil Rights and which . reSult in daniaging collateral effects on Asian. and Pacific American

coiximpes.

z Equal Employment Opportunity Convnission

In P073 we brought a class actionAmployment discrimination suit on

behalf of Asian America% against a major health einsurance Oknpany

in alifornia. Statistics showed thlit Asian Americans cons tut 23

cent of the total work force of the company but not 1 of the 19 top

decisionmakers was an Asian Amp-kali. Thirty-six percent of all Asian

American employees at this compaiiy were in the technician or clericAl

category. One out of every '6. whke persons was an officer or a

manager while onfy 1 out of every 39 Asian Americans held such a

position. White employets outnumbered Asian Americans by a two-toone ratio but white 4afficers -.and managers outnumbered Asian

Americans 15 to 1. %

- As young, scared attorneys we went te. a EEOC for help. Since

we were alsci naive, We thought t drama statistics and other

Dale Minami is an attorney with the law firm of Minami, ne, and Lew, with Alice% in 4

Oak lifid and San Francisco, Calif..,

56s

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factual patterns of discrimination would encourage the 1:_.FOC to assist

us in prosecuting the suit. Other sigvfljjt factOrs were brought to

their attentionthis was the first class action brought on behalf of

Asian Americans in emplyyment; a suit and victory would give

support to other; more reticent Asian Americans to right discrimination; publicity would shake the stereotypes that Asian Americans face

no discrimination and would deter other companies from engaging in

similar pracaces, and, of course, the iracist practices of the company

were clearly wrong.

The EEOC, su ariIy jected oar request citing as reaso9s, "Not

significant eno h" and ' oo Internally, our spies told us

that the poli ynmkers d not feel that Asian `Americans were a

priority and r problems were simply not serious enough to merit

attention. Without the' EEOC's assistance, we won seveial motions,

threatened the Federal funding of the company, and eventnally-won

consent decree which provided back pay, training and language--

programs, goals and timetables for promotions, attorneys' fees and

cost, and individual relief.

Officd for Civil Rights 4

Five years laterdifferent governmental agency. We filed an

administrative complaint with the Office for Ci,\111 Rightl.under Title

VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act against Washington State University

*for discrimination against Asian Americans by failing to establish

Asian American studies, counseling, and recruitment programs which

other. minorities enjoyed. We took the position that we would not

accept a program at the'expense of the other minority gjoups and that

the university had to recognize that Asian American Iiilstory and

culture was as significant as other minorities' history and culture.

Documents obtained from the University revealed the following

facts:

I. A black studies program was approved by the upiversity in 1969, 6

months after a proposal was submitted; Chicano stuWles was.approved

Linofith after their proposal was offered, and Native American studies

was accepted by the university several years)efore a formal proposal

was made. Asian Americans requested Jiprogram 'and turned in a

proliosal in 1973. They still do apt hove a commitment for a permanen

program.

2. The unffersity app`roved a "Program in American Minority

Studies!' in 1969. Asian Americans were not included, consulted, nor,

at that time, 'believed to be minorities. Nowhere in the university's

minutes does "Asian" or "Asian .American" appear during the

consideration of the minority studies programs.

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3 ()v4r $1.4 million was allocated to black, Chicano, and Native

American studies, counseling, and recruitment programs Ilf) I() 1978;

not one ent wpas provided for Asian Americans during this period.

4. _Asian Americans have been the largest or second largest mintrity

on campus in each year from 1973 to 1977.

5. Despite repmmindaties for the creation of Asian American

studies by the university's Owfl special consultant and by a blue-ribbon

committee appointed by the president, the university has made no

commitment, as of this date, fdr a permanent program.

TV atimitnstranve complaint was filed with the Office for Tivil

Rights on December 7, 1977 (truly a coincidence). OCR prdmised to

begin an investigation several times and even told me on two occasions

'That they had begun when, in fact, they had not. Eventually, we

ressured them into initiating the inVestigation which culminated in a

Cfinding or no discrimination. They conducted virtually no investigation, did not interview complainants., other Asian and Pacific Ameri-

.,..can students, Or facidty. They accepted rationales and explanations

from university officials without any critical analysis, and overlooked

clear documentar e edence supporting our position. In short,lhey

acted more like coc rators rather than factfinders.

These examples highlight the consistent lhortcomings of governmental agencies'deMined io prOtect the civil rights of Asian and

Pacific Americans. First, these institutions are, by nature, political

institutions and thus respond 'Mote to political pressure than to

objective appraisals of a particular case's merit. They will thus choose

expedience above all and generally will not respond favorably unless

political pressure is brought to bear against them. For Asianand

facific Americans, a smp minority in this country, we must organize

ocally and nationally to exert rressure on these institutions to do their

jobs. It is ironic that we must fight not only institutions which

discriminatebut also the 'Varied agencies whose duty is to top

discriminatory- practices.

Secondly, their ignorance of Asian and Pacific AmeriCan concerns

and insensitivity to Asian and Pacific American problems is an

enormous barrier to effective action plc behalf of Asian and Pacific

Americans by the agencies. "The prevalent attitude, as reflected in the

examples, is that Asian imd Pacific Americans have it Made and do not

need assistance' in obtaining their civil rights. The dearth of Asian-or

Pacific Americans at policymaking levels in the EEOC or the OCR

forecloses sensitive considerations 'of Asian and Pacific American

issues. I am not so naive to believe that/ Asian faces or names Will

automatically make agencies advocates for Asian and Pacific Americans but without Asian and Pacific Am2ricans in leadership .and

policymaking positions, lack of responsiveness is ensured. 4 e .557
Is'

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Statistics on OCR and,EEOC

I made a freed* of infotmation act (1014) request for the curreno

LEO figures from OCR ahd EEOC. Since I have not yet received

them,.I obtained older figures which are still quite illuminathig.

As of September 30, 1978, dCR employed 24 Asian and Pacific

Americans out of 1,030 employees, a 2.3 percentage. Only 1 out of 141

Grade GSkt3 was an Asian and Pacific American, a 0.7 percentage.

Most signiricantly, at the highest policymaking levels, there are no

Asian and Pacific Americans. There are 18 members of thc senior staff,

the highest ranking, most vbwerful body within OCR, and no Asian

and Pacific American is a member. Of 48 members of the executive

staff which includes senipr staff ( ), regional directors (10), )ivision

directors (14), and (itthers (5), tiere are no Asian and Pacific

Am4ican

The.EEO .5 similarly ''Asian-less" at top levels, Within the EEOC,

7:using August 1977 'figures, there are 36 Asian and Pacific AMericans

( out of 2,274 employees; a 1.6 perc ntage. There are no listed Al;ian

hicific Americans at grades GS 18, GS-17, GS-16, GS-15r3S-14,

seven at GS-13. and six at the G 12 level. In the tos Angekg office,

the highest ranking Asian and Pacific American is a GS-9 investigator.

Employees of the EEOC have told me that there is only one Asian and

Pacific American in the country in a permanent supervisory position.

The direct effect of these employment pattwns can be seen in the

activity of the EEOC on lehalf of Asian and Pacific Americans. Since

A. the- EEOC began operations, they have brought only three lawsuits

which included-Asian and Pacific'Americans, and in one of those suits,

Asian and Pacific Americans had to persuade the Government to

include them in the allegations of discrimthation. The Justice Department, which also has jurisdiction over certain areas of employment

discrimination, has included Asian and Pacific Americans in only three

lawsuits as well, one of which did not include Asian and Pacific

Americans until they intervened independently in the action.

Recommendations

Before a strategy to combat institutional racism against Asian and

Pacific Americans is formulated, further information is necessary. I

would thus propose a study of the EEOC and ditrOCR as well as the

Office for Federal Contract Compliance on their employment and

complaints patterns with regard to Asian and Pacific Americans. I

suggest that you obtain enfployment figures from the EEOC, OCR,

and the OFCC, find out how many Asian and Pacific Americans are in

what positions of authority, conduct a time-in-grade study, and

compare these statistics to other racial groups. Further; you should

558

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talk with A'siall anti Pacific Ameri,can workers, anonymously, (111

coarss, and perhaps with former Asian and Pacific Ametican workers.

Secondly, I would suggest that you analyze the treatment of Asian,:

and Pacific American complainants. Obtain statistics On the number of

Asian and Pacific American complaints, the type of complaints, the

number withdrawn, the number successfully resolved for and against

the complainant, and compare these figures with other minority and

majority groups. You might try to discover how' many were

adequately investigated, how long the process took, and wh5S`

outreach efforts in Asian and Pacific American communities wefe

made by the particular agency. 4 I

A study of this sort may lead you to an understanding of whether

Asian and Pacific Ameircans.file complaints at a rate equal to other

groups, and if not, the reasons therefore. It may I reveal the

treatment of Asian and' Pacific Americans compared tt

Ilk

et groups:

Do their complaints get investigated, why or why not; is a dispropor-,

tionate number withdrawn and is a disproportionate number of

111, adverse findings made? , Based on both employment and complainant statistics and other . information, I would suggest that you release such information to an

independent attorney with experience in civil rights law. Allow him or i her to' analyze the .information and if he or she decides that

discrimination, is systemic, present such evidence to the agencies with

-aa offer to conciliate and resolve the problems. If the agencies r

this troublemaking, pie-happy attorney should be given-Tfre' aut ity

and funds to take We. agentes to court.

Finally, I will recommeØ that this Commission hold a hearing at

which representatives of th various agencies charged with civil rights . responsibilities be called iii'to explain the employment stfitistics on

Asian and Pacific Americans as well as policies relating to the

procissing of complaints by Asian and PaCific Americans. After such

hearing, I would request that this-Commission make recommendatipns

to the President and Congress so that somi action could be taken on

what I believe to be a shameful and hypoCritical, record of these

agencies r behalf .of Asian and Pacific Americans. a

4

57z

559
Employment issues Federal and --late

Policy

. by Betty Lim Guimares*.

ublic policy at 'A-levels of government is aimed at the use of public

resources to obtain full employnwnt for those who are willing and able,

to work. However, the trend or attempting to diminiah the commit-

. ment of public resources will have a tremendous impact on progranis

that offer assistance to the unemployed population. The passage of

Proposition 13 in California, reducing substantially property taxes and

severely limiting the state's ability to inCrease offsetting taxes, set the

'mood for ma4 other States, and the Federal Goyernment is heeding

this in

emplument and training program most familiar to.those of

us w, ork is involved with assistance to the unemployed and the

uncle oyed is the CETA (Comprehensive Employment and

Training Act) program. CETA was conceived as a special revenue

;haring project which would gire all program responsibility tp local

jurisdictions, att ugh the funds(are disbur4d by the LIS. Department

of Labor. This 1 w wag signed in 1973 and implemented in 1974;

however, antto tion of this new concept, some local jurisdictions

were awg(rded planning grants a couple of years before the passage of

CETA.

remember during this planning period, the Chinatown community

in San Francisco was already eagerly anticipating.its increased input in

an important federally funded program. It was tine then, as jt is now,

that Asians are often forgotten as a minority on 4he ational skie. In

1972 I was the executive directer of a successful mploynictit and

training progrant;for limited-English speakers in Chi atoWn.,Thus, I

beclme the prime candidate for a planning position with the'mayor's

offite, and I Was hired as a manwer planner for the city of San

Francisco. And I have worked in, the mayors office in different

positions, but always with an-involvement in CETA, until the preseru.

The Chinatown community, with its own farsighted planning, began

working with our office as early as 1972 in order .to ensure a fair and

equitable process for formulitiniValnan)poAr planning council, which

would eventually be mandated for CETA grants: It is through this

council, nolk the Employment and Training' Council, that citizens are

able to recommend the mix of pfogram activities that most fit the

needs of the unemployed in San Viancisco.

, Deity Lim Cluiroares is 'a commiui er on te Fair Employment Practices Commiuion of

California.

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While on the national level CETA does not impact gre ly on the

Asian Americans, I would like to describe what happens c a local

level where there is sufficient community res9urces -to adv te for

the needs of Chinatown and its residents. AlthouglI,Asians, hich

comprise 20 percent of the San Francisco population, have been a vital

part of Saii Francisco for over 150 years, it is only within the Ist 3

*ars that Asian Aniericans have been successfu) it running f and

winning citywide offices. Thanks largely to the negotiating skills of

various Asian groups and not in small part to the policies of our late

Mayor, George Moticoue, Asian Americans began tO occupy important appointed positions on comifiissions and the Employment and

Training Council. All this, the evidence that Asians are finally

emerging as a liolitical force, made the city aware that the, Chinese

Americans, Japanese Americans, Korean Americans, Filipino Aniericans, and new immigrants from Southeast Asia do indeed share the

same problems as all the other ethnic racial communities in San

Francisco.

It follows that the tETA pr4ram now serves all thv significant , segments of the Unemployed and disadvantaged population and that 20

. percent of the CETA participants in San Ftanciico are Asians. This is

especially significant in view of the fact drat CETA aims its program

preference to v rans and welfare recipients.' Since more than 70

percent of the TA participants who are Asians are immigrants,

these °two prefe tial categories tend 'to exclude these newcomers

(although the department of social services confirmed that Asians -on

public assistances are on the rise). . In San Franctsco, CETA provides funding for a variety of

employment programs to assist Asians in obtaining jobs or in training

to become employable in the4inds of jobs that are available in'the

local marktit. The Chinese' kr Affirmative Actipi negotiates With

r) employers to hire Asians, and it concentrates on those jobs not

traditionally filled by Asian applicant*. The Atnericilh-Moks Program,

wbich operates in Chinatown, trains limitexl-English-speakfng individual* in American and European cooking, often transferring Chinese

cooking skills to those that 'offer the highest chipice of working in

higher paid union jobAn major hotels and restaurants. A combination . of these programs, inCluding the Chinatown Resources Developmen't

Center's' English/Aocational training, Asian Neighborhood Design's

trade training fo ouths, Community Educational Center's English

training for youths; West Bay Multi-Service Corporation's employ-.\

ment projects for youths, Vietnamese Yoath Development Cen-. , ter/Glide Foundation's youth program, the Self-Help gar," Elderly's I

bookkeepini and home health aide training for seniors, the MultiService Center, 6r 4(4:weans, and the Pilipino-American Council's

4,

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4

English/vocational limning programs, offers the, most comprehensive

employment and training support effort in the United States.

Yet there are still gaps; none of these programs, succe sful as they

are in serving their targeted population, can serve those ho come to

this country with no English skills. Owing to the fact that CETA

programs are measured for success by the placement rate and the cost

i)er placement and lire compared regionally, there is pressure not to

fund programs atm would require long periods of training and low

likelihood of job placement. San Francisco has taken on this risk on a

minin0 scale, not enough to push the placement rate too low, or to

push th-c placement cost too high. Yet,those who do not have even the

knowledge of the most basic English phrases ore many, and they are

the ones who are really stuck with the substandard wages and the long,

work hours that preclude their abilityt to learn cnough Englisloo get

out of their traps. What is needed is simply longer training programs

that are measured only to those realistio stanitirds that can be set up

for these special groups. While the benefits nni-y-4,skot be realized as

,.... quickly, they will surely materialize.

. . The employment needs for many in the Asian American commuhities, and, indeed, all thc communities with employment problems, are

growMg. This need is recognized by the Federal Government, which

recognizes this to the extent that the Humphrey-Hawkins Full

Employment bill was _passed-Ned signed by President_ Carter. It it

ironic that right after the paSSagf. the Humphrey-Hawkins hill, there

wasa move to dismantle an important job program like CETA, on the

.premise that there was widespread fraud and abuse in the program.

Ithe Department of Labor recently issued findings, after extensive

nvestigation, that the rate of program fraud. and abuse was 1 percent.

The stories seldom make the press.

. , While t e CETA program was reenacted for another 4 years, there

is still a move in Congress to cut funds. Both the House 'and Senate

Budget Committeeehave voted for, reductions, in the CETA-program,

and while the House Committee voted to maintain the current level.of

summer youth jobs, the Senate Committee voted to cut these jobs by

25 percent: Additionally, cuss for/ the countercyclical publi&service

employment program (a job creation project) would sie4 in a

reduction of more than 500,000 jobs by the end of fiscal year 1980. It

does not take' an expert economist to projV that, mith the diminishing

availability of. fuel and other related fo6rs, the unemployment rate

will not decrease. Thus, it becomes more mindboggling that the--

Government is not only looking for reduced commitment in future

years, but- has also writted in the new aprA I gislation a provision

that lkiitild force hundreds of thousands' of C A workers to be laid

off on September 30, .1979. It is as if we were trying to achieve a.

52

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double-digit unemployment I ate to go with (1III (it mble-digit Inflation

tate. It is not hard to figure out which gloups will sulk, the kitties!

when unemployment goes up.

Which leads to the subject of employment discrimination. When I

graduated front the University of California in 1956, I had also had a

c(Iuple of yeats' experience as a clei k -typist, but I vvotdok:siot be given

an application form for the few clerical lobs I

')had 'sought, and the

newspapet ads fot those jobs would continue .to "run in the ,vapers,

although I was told the positions were filled. Now I am a C'ommissioner on the Fair Employment Practices Commission of California, and

although I can %ay that discriminatory eniployment practices are not

blatantly used, they certainly have not been eliminated. Take, for

example, the CIF.TA workers who perform their jobs well and cannot

pass the civil service tests for those jobs. Invalidated tests, whether

adnunisten,d by public or private employers, are the continuoits

concern of agencies monitoring antidiscrimination efforts. Many

discriminatory practices affect the-ability of Asian Americans to obtain

jobs and promotions. It has become a cliche to say that Asians by

tradition do not like to Complain and are docile enough to accept

unfair treatment and discrimination.,Unfortunately, there is enough

truth. i thus stereotype to have gotten me into numerous arguments

with Triciid S .and relatives Who -did not want to approach their

supervlsors, teachers, or, neighbors to express a dissatisfaction. Fortunately, increased awareness in affirmative action programs and

antidiscriMination legislaticer led to.an increase in a willingness to

face a Problem, rather than to sWallow it, toxin and all.'

Californints history regarding its Asian citizens has some shameful

chapters, of which I ant sure you are aware: cruel exclusionary

policies, exploitation on the labor marke(, and sucklegally-sanctioned,

practices as the internment of Japanese Americans during the Second

World War. While the lastrikcame from awcExccutixe order front the

President, California was L.) known for ipay outburst of outrages as

they might have done if AM' icanx of Italian or German descent were I

suddenly removed from their homes and incarcerated. -

' We no longer see minty examples of bgrant civil rights abuses, but

subtle tibuse continues to exist--in emplc ment, in housing, in

obtaining services and public accomodations. ere are many ways' in ,-

which Asian Americans stilt -cannot claini full egtiSklity. For example, a

little over a year ago Asians were denied entrance into a supper club - because, according to the manager, the Asians looked toq yoUng and it

mas difficult the ascertain the validity of the identification documents

produced. I find it difficult to believe that anyone could believe that

dozens of Asians would obtain and carry fake identification documents

. just to get into supper clubs and bars.

563

5 76
a

1 would like to Offer a brief description of the experienve the

California Fair Employment Practices Commission has had in dealing

with discrimintation against Asians. I should point out that for the

purpose of this statement Asians include Chinese, Japanese, Koreans,

Southeast Asians; andyilipinos. To obtain the mostLrelevant body of

information, the data compiled cover the period of July I, 1977, to

March 31, 1979, 3 months short of a 2-year perihd but providing the

most up-to-date statistics our computer could furnish.

For this 21-month .period, we received from Asians a total of 398

complaints, all but 20 of them in employment, the others beiirg in

housing and public accomodations. This was out of i 'total of 5,326

complaints docketed for that period. For purposes of comparisons,

4,500 complaints were filed by black clients and. 1,200 by Hispanic

origin individuals. While total numbers of Asian complaints continue

too rise, the percentage of such complaints of all those we receive

remains fairly constant over years -approximately 7 to 8 percent.

The bulk of the complaints was received from Asians who were

denied upgrading or promotions. American-born Chinese or Japanese,

for example, may find it relatively easy to get into entry levels jobs,

but later are blocked off from promotional opportunity. Our investigators find that the kinds of reasons employers give for not promoting

and in some cases not hiring for entry level jobsfall into certain

patterns. One. employer, for example, claimed that his failure to

promote an Asian worker was based on the preconceived notion that

although the employee Wass good researcher, like most Asians hiwas

not "action-minded" aNil probably could not make the decisions

required of a manager. This ties in with the stereotype that Asians are

too studious, yiliet, or clannish to fit in with the social-structure of a

company and therefore are shut off from the mainstream. Often we

hear that Asians have not been promoted.or hired becadse they are not

aggressive eliough. Sometimes employers do not recognize that

aggressiveness, in the most positive sense, can be manifested in the

form of persistence in getting a job done rather than.the ability to

manipulate others int'o doing the work.

Another major problem, frequently seen with recently 'arrived_

Filipinos and others from Asia, relates to educational accreditation.

Although the individual might have been highly-qualified eductOisal- -

ly in his or her native land, those credentials often are not acCepted

unless they come from-an approved list of universities., This has led to

frequent complaints of employment discrimination.

Even when Asians speak English fluently, an often-heard excuse for

not hiring is an employer's claim that the applicant lacks communications skills or is unable to communicate easily in English. It is not a

rarity, to see an employer's willingness to accept a European accent but

564

57'4'
is convinced that an equivalent degree of an Asiair accent is

incomprehensible. The fair employment practices`commission itcently

heard h case of an Asian who worked 6 years for one of the counties in

California..After a distinguished career which int:luded two promotions and yearly positive evaluations, a newly hired supervisor decided

that this individual had communications problems mid recoipmended

in his written evaluation report that fhe employee should stop spanking

his native langtNige at home. This highly questionable evahat ion

report was followed with a termination notice, and the employee filed

It complaint with the commission, which eventually found that the

employer engaged unlawful employment.

In the past, and to some extent still triday, arbitrary heig0 and

weight requirements for some jobs, particularly. such -positions as

police officers or fireman,..virtually shut out a huge majority of Asians

and women. This seems to be a.hurdle we are slowly getting over in

California, thanks in good part to a suit filed against the city of San

Fiancisco a few years ago, which threw out such pointless standards in

the police and fire department hiring procedures.

We know, of course, that the major blight of discrimination will not

be eradicated 'or indeed significantly ameliorated by correction of

individual complaints alone. However, we do need to provide better

outreach and other measures to assist sksianli in filing complaints. As

with most enforcement agencies, discrimination complaints require

investigation and efforts at conciliation. The number of complaints

keep increasing, and probably could be increaiing at a higher rate, but

the number of staff required to keep up with the cases is not suficient.

And there you have the conflict -of objectklesincreasing the

opportunity for protected classes to file complaints and decreasing the

length of time it takes to resolve a case. Agai$, with the apparent trend

to reduce governmental commitment of funds, there does not seem to

be a resolution in this conflict in the near future.

With the-kinds of problems Asians in California facekthe number of

complaints of discrimination appears relatively small. I can speculate

somewhat on why this is the case. There is a general unawareness of

fair employment servicesand many other serviceson the part of

those recently arrived in this country. Many are certainly unaware that-a--

the law protects complainants from employer retaliation for filing

complaints.' Additionally, thcre can sometimes be a real language

problem especially outside of the urban areas, and the lack of adequate

bilingual staff to resolve this problem is a serious factor. There is also a

reluctance to rely on a governmental agency to find solutiOns because

of a lack of confidence in governmental agencies, often well-founded,

to respotd to concerns of Asian Americans.

**5 7

565
/

one such hearing in San Francisco to determine the problems of Asians

, obtaining jobs in the Bay area's baking industry. In meeting with

(

community groups, it was determined that all Asian employment

assistance agencies were not receiving satisfactory revonses to \

\requests for information regarding job opeWngs. Throughout the

?planning process, representatives of the bakeries were reluctant to

have a hearing, but after several meetings, an agreement wris reached

whereby there would be a forum during which time the community

agencies would outline the problems and the bakeries would respond

by announcing a plan to work out the problems. At the end of this

forum, a representative of community agencies to implement a

recruiting and information exchange program to be followed by an .. evaluation in 6 months time. It is this kind of action, bringing about \ cooperation between employ+ and advocates of emplo ee groups,

that is the most .pmductiye. An important point to make tiere is that

this agreement would not have Jtome about if dedicated ommunity

agencies, such as the Chinese for Affirmative Action, did n t bring the

1 problem to the commission.

The passage of Proposition 13 in California gives us a lo< k into the

future of the services mentioned in this chapter. Although a surplus in

the State treasury will carry us through for another year, th re will be

an initiative going to the voters to limit government$pen ing. This

initiative, which has a very good chance of passing, will cautie further

\reductions in the kinds of government-supported services that the

4 minorities and the poor need. Needless to say, those who have

advocated for more and better services, such as bilingual assistance for

those who would otherwise not be able to use these services, will have

, an almost impossible task. .

Aside froni individual Complaints, broader measures We needed such

.fts investigative putilic hearings. I,ast December the commission held

Theie is much to be done by those of us in goverhment. to gain the

trust of the Asian American communities. We must start by listening to

their concerns and recommendatiOns and provide a way to ensure

continuous pursuit of policies and programs thatiire suitable to their

needs. In these times of tight budgets and inflationary costs, it is a

challenge we all must facc so thil't government-supported programs

can be perceived as necessary and beneficial to all citizens.

566
Housing Issues

V icy CHAIRMAN HORN. The next discussion will concern the

housing issues as they affect Asian/Pacific Americans, and the first

panel -will deal with the impact of housing issues on Asian/Pacific

Americims, and our first panelist is K.erry Doi, who is the executive

director of the Pacific Asian-Consortium in Employment, otherwise

known as PACE, and located in cos Angeles, California.

Mr. Doi? . Presentation of Kerry Doi, Executive Drrector, Pacific Asian

Consortium in Employment, Los Angeles, California

MR. Doi. Good Giorning.

I would like to preface my statement by baying that a number of

these hearings have happened in different aeas of the United States

regarding communities of the Asian and Pacific Islanders, and these

hearings have been particularly frustrating for those If us that hitv.e

participated and haven't seen any kind of Trials at all. ' I'd lik,eqo emphasize Mr. Minami's statements in making sure diat

something hippens out of this:,The petition that has been circulated

has been signed- hy most of us, and we intend to get a lot more,

signatures to make mire and this probably will be sent to till of our

respective elected officials.

ln' my statement, I'd like to talk about the status of housingjor

Pacific/Asian communities in the Los Angeles area.

The central city of Los Angeles is very similar to the downtowns of

most large metropolitan communities. Negative urban dynamics have

been slowly eroding the social, physical, and economic [infrastructurel, becoming most/ evident through the late 1940s through the

1960s; the exodus of the middle class to suburban communities created

a vacuum that minority and low-income residents have filled.

The older, deteriorating environmental conditions slowly led to

urban decay which resulted in dilapidated, unsafe, and unsanitary

living conditions.

Squalid conditions faced by a cqntral city community were not

overlooked. The prime lucrative commerCial aftal business areas

provided the economic incentives for public and privAite entities to

prime thepumps for inner city community development activities.

From the early renewal activities to current strategy programs,

billions of dollars have been pumped into deteriorating communities

which have resulted in slow reattraction of the more affluent middle

class.

Such purposeful community development programs haxe resulted in

problems. This is especially true for minority and poor residtnts who

567

5.8
are frequently forced to relocate as rents atithaars in revived areas rise

concurrently with property values.

Unable to cope with the higher property values and accompanying

higher taxes and rents, the low-moderate income and fixed:income

peoples are displaced to suburban cgmmunities.

The central city Portion of Los Angeles provides 40 percent of die

employment opportunity for the city of Los Angeles. The bulk of this

employment is in two industries, service and manufacturing. Between

the years 1970 to 1977, central city confmunity populations have

grown substantfally and clearly reflect the high increase found in the

labor force participation rate.

Sixty percent of the labor force is service or manufactu ring related

in which the city has concluded that there remains and will remain a

high demand for low-moderate income housing.

A recent L.A. study stated that a huge housing deficiency in the

centraf city has resulted in -substantial commuting to the central area

for employment. Much, if not most, of this travel is, of course,Idone by

choice because of the desire to reside outside of the central city area.

However, some of these travel patterns are created simply aecause of

the availability of housing for low- to moderate-income populations,

and which is still restricted within the central city. Any additidnal low

value-family housing created within the area would easily be absored

by locally employed people.

Fu rther, it wm recommended and stated that housing programs in

these areas should bc directed towards subsidizing construction of

low-cost, multiple-unit buildings to provide housing for those low- to

moderate-income households who work in the area. In this manner

conimuting. tterns could be reduced by supplying hou'iini to those

families employ in the local area at lower paying occupations.

The study aISo"te4d that the service and manufacturing-related

industries yield lower average employee incdtriet This is reflected by

th rea 's lower median income statistics. . e strong demand for low-moderate income family housilig

ains a void that must be filleAo accommodate the lower income

rvice and manufacturing-related employment market.

Between the years 1970 and 1977, the city of Los Angeles

experienced, a large immigration of Asian and Pacific Islanders.

Because of the turmoil in Southeast Asia and the general instability of ' the political climate, the Asian/Pacific Islander community grew at

rates far beyondlhose estimated by the city.

In many instances the newly arrived refugees were relocated in U.S:

cities but later migrated into Los Angeles because of the weather,

faniily, and communities.

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St Most of tbe immigration as, well its migration targeted into the

central city communities of I,os Angeles. Chinese mid Japanese

populations have been located in many of these communities for \---...41

generationsThese older, traditional Asian communities became the

anchor .for the new Asian and Pacific Islander polndations; the

declining central city communities provided ample space for these

new people but the inadequate infrastructure of the physical and the

economical became a hindering problem for a truly viable community..

In many statistical areas, the Asian and Pacific Islander community

doubled. The city's population, education, employmenj, and housing

study in 1977 indicated much faster population increases in the Asian

papulation than projected by previous trends. It was also determined

by the city that since 1960, housing overcrowding for Asians has

increased drastically. They have experienced a greater increase, 16.5-

i)ercent of overcrowdivg than any other raciaLgroupblack, Chicano, or Anglo.

The substantial overcrowding has been attributed to the inability of

large families to find large, affordable housing 'in the area. The new

relocation of large families has been somewhat substantiated by recent

Analysis and analogies of elementary school data. In many .Mian and

Pacific Islander communities elementary school population has more

. than doubled, an indication that new families are locating in central

city areas.

The Asian and Pacific Islander imthigrants that loctatle in the area

generally do not have the necessary job skills io obtain igher income

salaries as well as entry level positions.

Inadequate employment skills become an additional damper to

cominunity viability. Rib assimilation more than likely occurs within

the manufacturing and serv.ice industries which are reflective of

central city communities. Honsing and employment problems are .:.

close19' integrated with the transportation problems faCed by 4he new

immigrants. These peoe aie less able to commute as freely as the

mobile middle class. It becomes essential that these individuafs find

affordaltle housing near their place of employment.

Thus, the dilemma remains, finding low-skilled employment, found

mostly in the central city, for individuals and locating affordable,

'adetitiate housing, found mostly out of the city, to provide a necessary 1-

environment for a decent livelihood.

The problems.of employment and housing must be met to provide

overall community and city viability in terms of physical, social, and

economic infrastructure.

In emharkipg on our mission to alleviate- the honsing situation

through the building of low-cost housing, we've encountered many

problems. They range from the handicaps of nonprofit organizations

1 569
foi -excuse me, they range from the handicaps of nonpuilits,

, negotiations for predevelopment services, to identifying proper financial resources, to tediolis governnient regulations inhibiting .nonprolit

organiAtions.

The PACE housing community development corporition as well as

many communitkorganizations face the above-mentioned problems in

their attempts to rhoyide needed family hOroing.

PACE has three major recommendations that would help stinhilate

low-moderate housing in low-moderate income situations as needed.

They .are, number oné providing technical assistance, Funding is

needed for organizations to hhe an experienced, competent ho_using

specialist. Such-a specialist woutd have worked for a private developer

and have the know-how to packagehousing projects.

This person would be knowledgeable of 'housing- programs and

policies; the specialist would be familar with all aspects of housing

production and would train others-in the organization.

Number two, capital. Dollars are needed to negotiate .for land and

help unde,rwrite project costs. This would tie necessary for only the

first project because it is "hopeZ1 the organization could generate its

own capital and equity. Predevelopment fees are necessary to cover

architectural and engineering fees.

NuMber three, speciaLincentives for nonprofit organizations. Government proglams should have more incentives to attrath nonprofit,

community-based organizations. As it now stands, there -are more

pegative reasons for agencies to develop with low-moderate income

family housing, -especially in inner-city commulties; community

organizations better. reflect the wants and needs-W the people and

would better target activities to such heeds without having profits ns

an overlying-goal.

Thank you.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank'you very much.

The next panelist is Harold Lui, the manligement director of the

Chinatown Planning Council in New York City.

Mr. Lui?

Presentation Harold Lui, Chinatown Planning Council, New

York

Ma.1 Lui. Minibers of theCommission, members of the audience:

Before 1. make my presentation, l'd like to make two remark4. I've

noticed'that members of the:audience, and some of us in the back have

not been able to really get involved other than our own presentations.

And it's been suggested to me that we ask the Commission to accept

written remarks to the Commission, based -on what their opinions

might be, solhey may be fully involved in this consultation.

570

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r 0 rs. t-)
V u.-1: CHAIRMAN HoRN. We'd be glad to receive written remarks

from not yily ally member of the audience, hut also any member

nationally that's interested in this particular issue, and we'd be.glad to'

consider them in compiling gur final findings and recommendations

and trying to determine, as tile Chairman noted yesterday, what our

course of action will be once we have reviewed the record of this

consultation.

Ma. [Ail. Second of all, I think yesterday Cant!' Pian from the

Division of Asian American Affairs was on the panel,' and was asked

about the work .of her office, and how much was needed by other

government offices.

We, throughout the country, have had occasion to rely on her office

to help us through some of the bureaucratic maze. She did not

indicate, I think it should be noted, that her-the budget for her office

has been cut by 50 percent, and I think it's necessary, if we're to do our

jobs, to havelhat office expanded.

VICE CHAIRMAN Holm .1 hope you're letting the approprittte

Federal officials know your view.

MR. Lui. We have done that. The issnes confronting the Asian

coMmunities throughout the United. States are many and varied. 'Like

any other minority living primarily in the inner city, especially in the

older cities of this country, we suffer from the psual problems of

unemployment, underemployment, health problems, youth problems,

poor and inadequate -education, and in the area I would like to talk

about today, inadequate and insufficient housing.

In a recent publication in New York City, community leaders in the

Chinatown commilaity identified the lack of adequate housing as one

of its major problems. Chinatown, once a small, compact, and self--

contained community of approximately 5 to 15 blocks, has now grOwn

to encompass a 3-square mile area on the lower eall side of Manhattan.

The most accurate estimate of the Chinese population in this area

ranges from 100,000 to 150,000, more than one-third of the total

population of this same area. While the numbers are staggering, they

will -blow your mind when you realize that, according to the New

York City Planning Commission estimates, the number of Asian

4.1mericans in New York City has doubled since 1970, while the

Chinese population has increased by 25 percent.

Furthermore, onlY the other day, we we% informed that the

" expected immigration flow from Vietnam and the mainland of China

to New York City could exceed 10,000 a year.

One has to wonder: Where are they going to live? Where does

Washipgton expect to place them? Decent low-income housing is

difficult to find anywhere in the worldin this country. In New York

571
City, every neighborhood is sulk:ring from a shortage of low income

housing.

Chinatown, one of the oklest areas in the country, is an iirea whet

the early Americans settled .in the middle 1600§; today hs housing

_consists mainly of old tenements tniilt before the 1900s, walkups, six or

seven stories high, many of which still have no central heating and

lupe deficient electrical units. AccOrding to an IWW study, one-fifth

the Chinese families have inadequate plumbing and one-third live in

overcrowded apartments.

The 1970 census tallied or mistallied aose to 3,(XX) dwelling units in

the core of Chinatown, virtuldly all renter occupied, overcrowded,

and frequently dekriorating.

The five blocks of center Chinatown have a density exceeding the

maximum dwelling units permitted by law. Almost every new Chinese

ithmigrant settles originally in the Chinatown area, squeezing in with

relatives.

There is no such thing as a vacant apartment in Chinatown. Almost

every apartment where Chinese are living is spoken for before the

family moves out. Without a doubt, New York Chinatown has the

highest population density in the country. The problems,of our youth,

the high rate of tuberculosis cases can be attributed to the problems of

overcrbwding.

Indeed, when students must eat, sleep, and do their homework in the

same room, their school work must suffer.

A recent report On reading scores in the. New York city putak

schools revealed that in the Chinatown area, where there arc a

majority of Chinese students, less than 45 percent of the students were

reading at the national median level. plat means over 50 percent were

reading below it. Thcse are schools where there are no truancy

problems, no disruptive students, and few broken families.

In the same lower east §ide area, there,are approximately,9,500 uhits

of public housing for low-income families of which less than 1,500 are

Chinese. While the Chinese population consists close to 35 percent of

the total population, less than 15 percent occupy apartments in Iblic

housing.

While applitations from Chinese 'families inCreased markedly over

, the last few years, turnover in the New York City Housing Authority

is very low, and a long *kiting list exists at the applications office.

Families have had .to wait as long 'as 2 or 3 years to be called for

available apartments. To make things wors4r, the prospects \for lowincome housing .appears dim for the coming year. Ever since the

moratorium on housing imposed by Richard Nixon, thefountry has

Lip not reallY recovered and has been unable *to address itself to these

needs..

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594,
The administration is proposing funding for fewer units while the

Congress is looking to cut even more. From a goal of 6a),(xx) new

units a year, it is estiMated that the likely level will be closer to

223,000: For whatever units can come to New York City, the

c mitment has been made to .areas such as the south Bronx and

-7 Booklyn. Section 8 monies and CETA monies lire committed this

year to the rehabilitation of existing dwelling units.

While New York City is wrestling with the problems of property

iabandonment in sections of Brooklyn and the south Bronx, there are

no abandoned apartments in Chinatown. The housing probleM in

Chinatown is a massive one.

In addition to section 8 programs and CETA ftinds, a new

commitment must be made to build low-income housing in Chinatown.

It's not enough to say that millions of dollars will be coming to New

York City; the voice of the Asian community in New York City is

only a whisper., and although city hall is only a few blocks from us, we

may just as well be on the other side of the world.

The coMmunity must be given assurancewof having equal access to

whateve&avilable funds there are. The time for planning is now. The

last urban renewal plan for the lower east side took place 20 years ago.

And is now finally being completed. If we begin now we may see some

results within the next 10 years.

Finally, let me suggest that we build housing where seniors and

familia can live together. Why not develop incentives to keep our

families together? Where does it say that seniors must live away from

their children and theiK families? Why not build apartments so they can

live next to each other, not everyone can afford to send their parents

to live in retirement villages, nor do we want to. ;

Instead, most of us are forced to squeeze in with parents or leave

them alone in isolated areas of .the cities. There is nothing more

depressing or 1Shely than seeing Senior citizens living in cold water

flats or in shared and broken down tenements.

What we need is a commitment to improve the living conditions of

our people in our communities and to provide money with the

commitment, clearly, iftwe can spend billions to assist corporations on

the verge of bankruptcy, wean spend billions to prevent wars in the

Middle East, we can spend billions to keep cities at peace.

If we can int;est in other countries, we can invest in our own

communities. If we can rebuild countries with whom (ye have been it

war, we can rebuild our cities.

Finally, if our government can play a major role in assisting the

citizens of other countLies, it surely must play a major role in helping .

the citizens and taxpayers of our country.

Thank you very much.

573
1

VIC-1.. CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, thank you. That's a very eloquent

statement, if I might editoriiilim with which I agree.

David llumin is director of the West Bay Multi-Service corporation

in San Francisco.. He is our list panelist to discuss the impact of

housing issues on the Asian/Pacific American)conununity.

Presentation of David liumin, Director, West Bay Multi-Service Corporation, San Francisco, California

MR. ILUMIN. Good morniiii, Commissioners.

Before I get into my statement I'd like to share with you on this

occasion, being Asian American Heritage Week, a bit of information

. that I recently cattle across.

As early as 1765, 10 years before the American .Revolution, a group

of Filipinos established an isolated village called St. Malo on the bayOu

near Lake Borgen in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. Having escaped

the ship and colonial rule of the Spaniards whose galleon fled from

Manila to Acapulco, brought to Spain wealth and riches, the Filipinos

were to later on become very involved in establishing the now famous,.

shrimp and seafood industry in Louisiana.

This very early contribution is just one ot the many made by an

Asian American group.

Recognition of such accotnplishment strengthens our pride, our

dignity, and our & umitment to continue our struggle not only fgr

equal rights, but for equal recognition from all Americans.

The agenCy I work for provides services to low-income families and

elders. We recognize the vital role pia& housing and poor neighborhood conditions play in magnifying and intensifying other social

problems and irues such as health, employment, education, crime, and

many others. There is no other residential area in San Francisco quite

like south of Market. Housing can be found on -the same block as

parking lots, manufacturers, retail-wholesale outlets, warehouses, and

offices. But many of the side streets contain two- or three-story frame

apartment houses mixed with other nonresidential buildings.

On a typical bl mercial and industrial buildings and some

residential hot Initiate the main streets. In San Francisco's o4rall

economic structure, south of Market is a major land resource for

incubator industries; downtown support industries, and low-rent

housing.

Althbugh it has only 0.3 perCent of the city!s overall land, iouth of

Market possesses 31.5 percent of the city's total commercial and

industrial areas and, although it only contains 0.3 percent of 1 percent

of the city's residential land, virtually all of the residents, residences

are for low-income people.

574 5 7
Housing for the elderly consists mainly O'f residential hotels, while at

the sametune most recently arrived immigrant families can be found

residing in the two- or three-story apartment houses. Most of the

.. common deficiencies found in south of Market housing units are

electrical, plumbing, maintenance, health, sanitation, and tire safety.

More than half of these units have at least one of the mentioned

deficiencies. It can be genet-011y stated that half of the residential

housing units that are foundiare found to be in substandard condition,

but overcrowding is probably .the most critical housing problem fOr

families in_ wuth of Market.

Overcrowding has countless negative impacts, is generally not

healthy, either physically or mentally for Ow occupants, and it's not

uncommon to find an average recently arrived Filipino family of six to

have relatives and friends staying with them in a two-bedroom

apartment. . Overcrowding has adverse effects on the housing units, since

overcrowdikg leads to rapid deterioration of existing housing stock

and can lead directly to substandard housing itself.

Qespite the small amount of improvement and the large number of

absentee landlords, however:'Thany Filipino tenants take pride in their

homes. It is common, forsxample, for Filipinos to maintain the inside

of their ,apartments very well, even when they're overcrowded. Many

also have A positive feeling about wanting to improve the area and to i

stay' awl permanent resident, but cannot afford the cost of a home in

soth of Market. . The 1970 eensus states that many south of Market- residnts are

paying more than 25 percent of their incomes for rent. Of the total

Filipino families residing in San Francisco, one-fourth of these families

are earning incomes below the poverty levels. Seventy-five pecent of

low-income families reside south of Market and, considering that at

least 25 percent of all San Francisco Filipino families reside in the area,

and with the rapid increase of immigrants establishing residence, and

while at the same time thsFilipnio population having a birth rate t'Cvice

that of San Francisco's city average, south of Market's housing

problems have a potential to continue to worsen.

The elderly in the area have been tremendously affected by the

housing situation, for example, redWelopmegi of an area for a

convention center within louth,ofMarket led to demolition of several

residential hotels. These elderly, mostly single men with annual

incomes of less than $2,000, were displaced from this redevelopment

area and moved to other hotels either in the °Tenderloin or to other

parts of soutL of Market.

to move has"so many ill effects. Although life in a reside ial hotel may The physical and Mental impact on the senidr citi 1 when having

_ 5 s

4416575
t.. , be a marginal ofie for the senior citizeb, it provides the seniffir citizen

independence and a sense of community.

A mutually supportive system has developed where friends help

each other during bad times, and keep an eye out for each i-ither. There

are-really few other places in the city for these people to go. While the number:of residential hotels is dwindling due to ft-development, the

few new elderly housing complexes cannot replace what luis already

, . been illemohshed.

The. International' Hotel is a graphic example.of the need for lowincome hous*, especially for the elderly. N. Manilatowif, adjacent to Chinatown, has- experienced many great

losses in terms of community servicts and small businesses which Were

essential to help support the ne9ds of low-income Asian elderly.

Barber shops, (!afes, and other small businesses which served as social

gathering places for seniors, have given Way to the expansion of the

financi4 dist rict. . . And a similar situation exists in the south of Market toClay, wit12, the

development of a cobvention center. But with Filipino seniors-residing

in MaWatown, the residential hotel situation is very questiona6le at' tbis point. Even though there are some social service agencies and

programs stith a

as Manilatown Senior Center, the problems caused by

lack of low-income housing, low-cost housing are overwhelming and . even the services seal scarce.

The eek for w-cost housing exists iii most, if not all, urban

Americ dOities w re large concentrations of Asian Americans can be

fo

Senibr citizens, low-income families also need community services

to help deal with the social problems caused by poor housing

conditions. Neighbdthoods with mixed uses like south of Market

cannot afford to lose any more housing units to commercialization.

A healthy neighborhood environment will allow immigrant families

and immigrant children and their families to at least experience living

in a safe community atmosphere.

The civil rights of the young, the old, the long time'residents, tile

immigrant are rapidly being overlooked in the context of housing.

Being deprived of decent, low-income, and affordable ,housing and a gate and healthy neighborhood can only produce negative attitudes

among ith residents.

. But because of the overwhelming power of corporate industriei

over elderly and recent immigrant, the political nature of the housing

situation becomes Very complex to the poor and powerless.

To address some of the problems this.1 have mentioned, we sti! st

the following, that all levels of gKerninent support and pi-4e

technical 4sistance to community-based nonprofit housing develop4

76
ment corporations. Such :tipport and recognition will generate input

front community residents, tenants and owners, thus allowing more

positive interaction between the comMunity and its pohcyniakers.

We'd also like to see that local governments be encouraged to adopt

the existing Federal policies to be flexible enough to help increase

ownership of houshig by local residents and thereby increase community control over its housing stock.

Improve the quality of existing housing, the rehabilitation without

placing ,unWanted financial burdens on dsctipants. Although we

recognize that rehabilitation is not a cure-all, itAnust be accompanied

by other improvement including new hdusing, to have any type of

lasting effects gn.improving the life in the conrunity. In urtran .areas

with huge concenthations of unemployed, low-income people, 'priority

should be given to hire local residents with construction skilio to

develop new housing or to rehabilitate existing housing. Job training,

apprenticeship programs should also be established in the .commynity

to help train residents'. We'd also like to enconrage the expansion of

section 8 programs And other Federal and State and local programs

which seem feasible for soch areas like south of Market.

In. areas -which consist mainly oflow-income families, developing

housing units with adequate numbers of bedrooms per unit, overcrowdedness will be reduced as well as health and safety 'problems.

Community facilities, the services program should expand and

develop simultasneously,with the rehabilitation of such existing housing

and with develoPment of new housing.

-.Such services are essential in the improvenient of neighborhoods

aial are very supportive in dealing with the socioecondmic problems

experienced in low-income urban areas.

We'd also like to see an increase in funding and expansion of

prograrns to improve the total quality of inner-city areas and

neighborhoods ,..31vhich contain a substanti'al amount of residential

housing, oven though such areas are not zoned for 414dential use.

And last, we'd like to support the establishment of new programs for

residential housing rehabilitation, because of the large number of

elderly and immigrant families residing in hotels, in San Francisco,

Chinatown, south of Market, the Tenderloin, etc. This alternative can

help alleviate substandard housing conditions found in residential hotel

units.

Thank you.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. thank you very much.

Commissioner Freeman?

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. I have no questions.

5 .9 o

577
Discussion

VICF CHAIRMAN HORN. Chairman Flemming? ,.., CHAIRMAN FLLMMING. I think I'd like to address this question to

any member of the panel. Have you been involved in any actions growing mit of allegations, to ihe etTect that the Asian/Pacific

4 Americans are the victims of a failure to implement title VIII of the

housing act, namely the fair housing title?

MR. l.t11. No, we havep't been involved. In New York City we have a particular problem with the south Bronx. We are, as Dr. Nishi

pointed 8iit eatlier, victims of competing against other minorities; who

is more victimiied, it's hard to say.

We don't want to be put into a position of fighting among ourselves

for, and accusing the government of favoring another minority over

this minority. I think that's a very divisive approach. It seems to me

.that what w re looking for is I an equal access in terms of hearing our

voices, certi ily with a politician such as Herman Badillo who come

down here and spoke for the south Bronx or Charlie Ringo who-come

own and speak for Harlem; they're not going to listen to too many of us coming from Chinatown.

Politically, We're almost like etmuc s. We have no power, and I

think the name of the game, whether we'li,ke it or not in this country, is

who -has the political clout, and I think unless some_ creative and

innovative and I think some courageous thinking comes from this particular panel and from our government officials, the squeaking

wh1eel will always squeak. ...---

, 'CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Any other member of the Panel care to

comment on that?

The Congress is right now considering amendments to title VIII designed to put some teeth into that particular title, to provide for

more effective enforcement and I'm just trying to see whether or not a

failure to enforce it has had an adverse impact on tke members oT your

community and whether enforcement or effective enforcement could

have a positive effect on the members of your community. . MR. ILUMIN. Just to add to what Harold mentioned. The political

nature of the housing condition makes it very, very competitive when you're talking about not only, Asian Americans having housing

problems, but generally in the city of San Francisco where you have at

least about 60 percent of the total population being minority; it tends to get quite competitive for the little amount of funds that there are.

And just to support his statement, I think just to have that kind of

equal access

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Essentially your problem is a problem of

inadequate housing facilities

MR. LU1. More money.

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l'HAIRMAN Ii 1..MMIN6. -and inadequate housing program

MR. I .tn. I think basically what we're saving is that the government is nor committed .to low-income housing, I think that's really

what it is, I think, since the mpratoriun

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Well, your re erence to the 600,0(X) goal

and the fact that we're a long ways away from that points up what you

have in mind.

MR. Lui. Yes, I thiok the problem is that we keep deluding

oursdves, and we talk about housing plan. We have a department of

housing, urban development; We're really not talking about providing

new units where it's really needed and,at the same time, on one hand,

we're bringing in jnore immigrants and we make a big public furor

over the fact'that wc open our shores, and where are you going to put

them?

And then nobody cares about the inner cities until you have another

riot and then you have another poverty program. I ihink what we're

s'aying now is if we're really committed to it, I mean \we're no different

than the bombed out section of Berlin.if you look at the south Bronx

and Brooklyn. One of the visitors from San Francisco came to the

lower east sidevon Monday and he was shocked at-the condi*ons he

saw on the lower east side.

Now, maybe Patricia Harris and the President have to visit the

Chinatowns and the other Asian communities.

[Applause.)

NitE CHAIRMAN HORN. Let ilk pursue that, if I might, MT. Lui.

You mentioned th.at there's problem of competing with the south

Bronx, and you didn't want to fight among minorities. I'm not quite

clear, I guess, at this point, what the competition is. Is it competition to

build particular projects in a given land area or.is it'competition for

members 1f the Asian/Pacific communityto get into housing projects,

low-income projects that are already built in a given land arca?

MR. Lt.n. You have two problems, first in the building, the

commitment of monies goes to the politician's area, favorite area, and I

think when the President goes to the south Bronx and makes a

commitment before he's elected, the least he can do is at least voice his

concern for it and work With his staff to appease the mayor, the

governor, and the politicians that got him, elected. So that's where the

commitment of whatever monies come out of HUD would go.

In public housing, New York City has 600,000 units. The lower cast

Side hat', as I say, 9, units where most of the Chinese live and most

of the Chinese in New ork me eligible for public housing.

Now, unfortunate ; New York City, unlike other 'Cities, does not

have a vacancy problem itr housing projects. So, therefore, if we're

public housing, houses 600,000 New Yorkers, where I 'think it's

579
IaNazing the WO,(X)0 is larger -larger population and more than many

big cities in the country we are sayintrthen that the public housing

prygram that's present there now and working well, is not going to

help the Asian. or the Chinese since there is no vacancy rate. And it's

not a inatter of thscriminat ion, it's a matter of there being no vacancies.

I think there are some situations where many Chinese who apply are

not peperly processed, but even if they were properly processed,

there still is the waiting list of other eligible applicants.

ICE CHAIRMAN HORNc Okay, so you're saying what is clear from

alI. your testimony and, what we all know anyhow, that there's a V

completely inadequate level of public housing units, period. That's * one

point.

Then what I was getting at is, given, though, the existing public &ming, is there discriminatron in the administration of that housing

between minority groups?

,......,.. MR. DOI. In Californiaif I could comment on that

VICE CHAIRMAN HiontN. Yes, pleaSe.. i

\ MR. DOI. The dirimination isn't among minority groups but it's

in the administratipn of the housing production, period. The California,

Housing Finance "Agency, which receives a tremendous amount of

section 8 subsidy from HUD, hasmy estimates would he less than 5'

percent of all of its housing production is in low-cost, multiple-unit

.mt housing production projects.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Well, okay, you're saying the discrimination is made by those charged with the administration of housing

programs between low-income housiiig, moderate-income housing,

and middle-income housing. Is that what I heard _in that last answer?

MR. DOL. Right. Most of Caliiiirnia, the CHFA projects are in the -

II. white, middle-tlasS suburban areas. Asian Americans/effect on job s. oppbrtunities 7,

. VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. All right, tO-whistextezip is that California

Housing Vency 'the recipient of any Feaeral fund's, to Your knowledge?

MR. Doi. Well, agaij to .a tremendous extent, they are a direct

recipienvor section 8 subs dy from HUD.

VICE CHAIRMAN' H N. So they're the administration agency

within California. Have y&U eVer looked to see what kind of a plan

they submit to HUD plaiming what they will do with the funds HUD

is providing to the State of California?

MR. Doi. InVolved in their plans are statements saying that they/

will provide low-income, multiple-unit housing dwellings in the inner

cities. , VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Do they say how 'much?

580

5 9,
Oa tit

MR. Dol. Off the top of my head I really can't tellv you how

much--

Vici: CHAIRMAN HORN. I think this is rather interesting. It seems to

me that in an attempt to try to get at some of these problems anti how

they're administered, we ought to have the Staff Director comnninicate with HUD and the California Housing Finance Agency and

secure the current plan of the State of California. In this exhipit, we

should particularly note what has been said by the State in relation to

HUD in terms of low-income housing that will be provided in inner

city areas of the State, the degree to which that has been funded by the

Federal Government, and then the degree to which that has been

actually carried out under the auspices of the State.

Let me move, Mr. Doi, to another question. You mentioned that

there's a need for incentives to encourage nonprofit organizations. I

wonder if you could specify,some of those incentives? I heard the

technical assistance argument that applks across the board, but is there

something peculiar to the needs of nonprofit organizations which: you

think would be necessary to encourage that type of adtivity?

MR. Do. Privatti,for-pipfit developers get incentives through tax

breaks .such as deteriorationwell, the only way that notiprolits-can

involve private prbfit developers in providing these kinds of housing

projects within the areas that we're trying to concentrate on is by

giving them the tax benefits, we would have to enter into partnerships.

Say forin the developer Vrovicling 20 percent of it in kind

contribution towards the developing vit. the projet, they would--.-we

would have to give them 100 percentlaf the tax breaks, that we might,

say, be able to syndicate out to other kinds Of investo}s. If we could

perhaps receive ir stronger incentive being allowed tdsay syndicate

200 percent of the project rather than 100 percent, then that would

really help out. . VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Very good. . Mr. Lui, one of the interests of this Commission, and we held a

hearing on it a few. niont14 ago, has been in the problems &ad by

undocumented workers. I think, as is clear to many of uso) that this'is

not simply a Southwestern United States problem oft; a problem

between Mexican undocumented workers and their entry into thc

Southwestern United States. It's a national-problem which occurs in

the East, the Detroit area, the Northwept, as much as anywhere.

In terms of your work within the Chinese community orThe

Asian/Pacific Americiln coMmunity in NeW York City,dhdo you have

an estimate as to the number of undocumented Chinese that might be

in tilt area? Does this group pose any additional needs and demands

far services that are not being met through meeting the needs cif

regular immigrant groupait4come in?

581

594
Could you give us a little feel for the situation in New York?

MR. Lut. I'm not cleat as to what you mean.

Vice CHAIRMAN 'HORN. I'm talking apout the undocumented

worker, the illegal alien that conies into the United States---I'm

curious if you have a feeling for how many exist in the New York

Chinese community anq do they \-equire certain social servii:es iii

Adition to what legal iniMigrants might require, because there's the

problem of identification, proof, ineligibility, so forth.

I just wondered what your experience is.

MR. Lin. Well, I have an official experience and I have an

unofficial experience. Officially, I don't know any illegal aliens.

[Applause.]

Regardless of their background, their ethnic race, and their height, their weight, anything, 1 think we just deal with them and we iirovide

the service."

We have had some problems where people who have applied 'for

certain programs, where they have to pioduce certain documents, and

they have been unable to produce them. And I think as an organizatiOn

I received a large number of government funds; we have to comply

with regulations. Whether in fact they're illegal, I don't know. I would

say that, unofficially, there are close to 6, 7, 8,000 living in the

Ghinatown area who are iltegal alieus. Si,iice my mother is an illegal alien, I would figure that theie are se manyI thought I was an'

AmerieanI think the services, though, I think that are provided, I

think are distributed fairly within the Chinikse community. I think

`wit)* the government, there are a lot of poblems because mauy

government, agencies sort of find a way not io serve you. They'll find

ITILSOns.

The government itself has a very, I tiink inconsistent pattern. Many

years ago, as you-know, aliens could not have jobs in government and yet they were faxed and yet they were drafted to get killed overseas. We in the community are fighting to say that anybody who lives, who

lives, who breathes, is entitled to services.

think you wight, you can put diem in any category you want in

terms of statistics, but the fact that someone's walking the .streets and

gets hit by a cir'`doesn't mean that he can't go to this hospital because

he's an illegal alien, you can't pull out a social secufity number, but I

think that the organization, Chinatown, and most of the nonprofit

organizations since they're not making any money out of it, they serve whoever comes

viceE CHAIRMAN HORN. Just so I get this matter in perspective,

remind me how many live in Chinatown of Chinese descent?

R. Lui. Between 100,000 and 150,000.

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VIcT CHAIRMAN HoRN. Okay. One last question on the New York

situation. It seems to me as communities undergo) dim problem of

deterioration, blight, redevelopment, etc. --one of the better Federal

programs that has tried to get at the economies of the inner city has

been the woik of the Economic Devdopment Administration in the

Deparonent of Commerce. Now, wUile that doesn't pertain to housing,

particularly, it 'does pertain to better planning, it does pertain to

leverage to encourage private incentives to get an economic in",*

structure there that will provide opportunities in Minty of these areas.

Is there any experience you have in the Chinatowi area of New

York City in relation to. EDA and various projects there that are EDA A funded?

M. LIM. We have none. I think there 'is an emergence Of

organizations that are getting into the econoMic developmrt area.

Some of. us will be meeting' with the Small Business Administration

and we'll let you know what the outcome is in terms of real assistance

to our communities.

VICE CHMRMAN HORN. Very good.

Commissioner Saltzman? AliPe

Mr. Nunez?

. MR. NUNEZ. Yes, 1 liave one qUestion. Yclii focused your interests

on pub c housing and the plight of ,people in the ifLnn_r c.ty. i I was

wonder ig. whether you have given any thought to the possible

discrinm ation that Asians might encounter as theY' move outside of

or do you think that the problem is primarily one oftpeople livin in

the inner city into the suburbs. Have you done any work in that rea,

the crowded ghettos, the Chinatowns, the Japantowns, the Manila--

towns of America? Are there problems as the communities begin to

spread out of their inner cities?.

Perhaps all of you could respond to this." 11 MR. 1LUMIN. If I hear you right, you're saying if/there is any

discrimination as far as the transition from a low-income neighborhood

. , to, into a middle

MR. NUNEZ. Yes, as they move out from the inner city areas

where traditionIlly Asians have lived. _ MR. Innvutt'Due to the location of my army, my area of work, I

don't come in contact with too many middle-income families. Due to

the fact that we're situated in the downtown area, and it's pretty

common that in most downtown areas there is a small fesidential

neighborhood that has poor housing, we haven't really encotintered

any substantial amount of.diserimination problems existing in the outer

afeas of the particular district.

MR: DOI. On Los Angeles, the problems of housing are more

concentrated in the inner city area, that's nol toi say that there are no

596 . 583

A
1 problems in the subrban areas, but because of the various governmental regulations in HUD ),1* in FDA or in CSA or whatever, you're

forced to deal with !AA geographic areas. So as a nonprofit

organization trying to Work and deal with those problems aisri utilize

government resources to &al with those problems, you hav toyou

have to prioritize, and (he problems arc more concentrated in the inner

city; we're forced by the government regs to prioritize, that's why we

focus in on inner cities.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Any other questions, Mr. Nunez?

MR4:- Nutqui.'No.

VICE CHAHIMAN HORN. Thank you very much. We appreciate your

testimony. It's been very hefpftil.

The next panel will colicern the strategies and remedies in the

housing area. And we will have with us three panelists, the first of

whom is Mr. gordon Chin, of the Chinatown Neighborhood Center in San Francisco.

Mr. Chin i the executive director of the Chinatown Neighborhood

improvement Resource Center. Mr. Chin?

4

Presentation of Gordon Shin, Executive Director, Chinatown

Neighborhood Improvement Resource Center,

San Fra isco, California

MR. CHIN. Thank you, Co issioher. - The Chinatown Neighborh Improvement Resource Center a

community planning` orga aticm seeking to improve the entiie

physical environment of n Francisco Chinatown. The HUD-funded

701 study in 1972 cpaiduded that San Francisco's Chinatown has the

nditions in the western United States. Almost all of

our housing stock was built right after the earthquake. 1,n fact, it was

rebuilt -by t14 Chinese. Most of the residential units are hotel rooms,

anPas David mentioned earlier, matiy of our elderly and families have

lo share bathrooms and k' hens.

Our percentage ofTent occupancy is 84 percent, one of the Highest in San Francisco. China wn has 132 residential hotels comprising

over 5,000 housing units, and this gives Chinatown- -the highest

-population density outside of Manhattan.

Our community is also situated between some of San Trancisco's

most wealthy areas, Nob Hill, 'financial distrIbtAand this Makes' new

housing iicquisltidn very difficult.. Land costs in Chinatown today

approach $200 per square foot and realtors will tell me that there's no

such thing as fair market value.

Combinel with the expansion of.the financial district, we are losing many housing units. And the substantial demand for commercial

584 59 4

ii
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development is imiking it very difficult to maintain -a mixed use,

resident ial -commercial communit y. . Many of the long time small businesses are getting displaced by

banks, jewelry stores, what have you.. It's really no accident that

Chinatowns and 'other Asian communities facc similar types of

problems of displacement and commercial pressures, high land costs,

and congestion.

Like other immigrant communities that have developed near ports

?gtir*other transportation points of 'entry, Chinatown is often located

near'downtowns or financial districts; we have lost many thousandie

housing units in the last two decades to this expansion. - What many people sometimes forget is that Chinatown existed

before there ever was a financial district in San Francisco. 1 think the

Federal Government must correct past insensitivity to Asian community housing needs with a commitment to out fair share of community

development and subsidy monies, but equally important is the Federal

Government's commitment that programs be adapted or created to

meet our uniq .needs.

I would li e to suggest the following measures.; capacity building.

4

Traditional housing programs have not met our needs in Chinatown.

. Government at all levels should recognize the essential role qf

community-based, nonprofit entities in honsing developmeni.

- We have experienced urban renewal and it doesn't work . in

Chinatown'. Massive type of urban renewal projects with high

population densitieS would lead to a substantial amount of displacement. Likewise, public housing authorities have not been able to

develop housing, at least not in San Francisco Chinatown, because of

the high land costs. Thus, we need our own 'development entities, our

own housing development corporations`, housing sponsors, and technical assistance agencies. We think HUD should make every effort to

foster this capacity,' the building effort.

Commuhity-based sponsors for subsidized housing are paramount to

this effort. We think HUD guidelines fbr sponsor selection should . recognize an organization's reputation within its community and notjust look at the size of their bank account or the real estate holdings.

We think legislation and programs such as ammunity development

shOtild mandate tha noOrofit, community-based developerst have D

_ recognized role aM share of funding in the annual community it,1

development and housing assistanceplans. I . Significantly, the 1977 regulations OW the contmunity developreent

pro ram nov7 make it allowable for nonprofit organizations to

impl ent the Ttire range of eligible activities under the block grant.

The" need fdf vapacip building in Asian communities is painfully

eVidenced by San Fradcisco Chinatown's experience with the comm-

. 5 9

585
.,k nit development program Chinatown received less dm 3 mcent of San rancisco's allocation. And when it conies down to the big money wc'r penalized because the larger progradis; redevelopment, code enforcement, are not feasible in .. Chinatown.

The block grant program is allocated to cities according to formulas taking into account population, the percentage of low-income resi- dents, and the condition of the housing stock. However, the distribu- tion of block grant funds within cities does not utiliTe these same criteria when it conies down to iti.viding the pie. Th erefore, every year our ce( mumities' population, income, and housing statistics contribute to the amount of money San Francisco receives, yet when it comes downe to San Francisco to distribute the money, they are not mandated to use those- same criteria between

neighborhoods.

The section 8 -program must be expanded. During the last round of proposals in San Francisco for section 8 new construction, we were instrumental. in HUD approval of li new 240-unit section 8 project in

the waterfront'area of the city, and we're very pleased to have that. However, we had to compete with 18 other neighborhoods in San Francisco and they had very well-deserved projects. Without an expansion of section 8 new construction, it's going to lead to a

competitiveness between neighborhoods , and minority groups in' San Francisco.

HUD standards: HUD currently uses minimum property standards Which---require separate bathrooms and kitchens in any building that utilizes section 8 subsidies. I think HUD must be cognizant that theSe

standards may nted-to be waived in certain cases involving residential hotels.

Right now there is nO program on any government level diat can

feasibly address the rehab in our residential hotels. To do so under

current section 8 standards would lead to a reduction in our housing

stock by 50 percent. -1 In many cases housing with communal kitchens can be developed if HUD standards are waived. In fact, we think HUD shmild establish model programs for residential hotel rehabilitation utilizing flexible standa ds. The h tel makeup of our housing stock is by no means an accident or a c tural preference. It is a direct historical result of

discriminatory ütimigration legislation which divided faries and necelsitated a ho mg stock serving single individuals. WhZ the log cabin was to the uropean pioneer, the residential hotel is to Chinatown and other Asian communities.

The section 202 program: section 202 is a major new construction program for elderly housing. Ciiinatown currently has tw9 projects which have received.a commitment of funds from section 202. One of

586

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these is sponsored by the On I .ok Development Corporation, and I'd

like to share with fim two concerns they have experienced with 202.

The program has been inadequately financed for the program to

\ have maximum feasibility for Chinatown.

\ Mortgages for 202 should be increased to meet ever rising

construction and land costs and, in addition, should provide a 50-year

mortgage term rather than the current 40-year term. TIOs)will make it

a lot easier for nonprofit community sponsors to developriousiu.

Imenetion: HUD is very concerned that the new subsidized housing

projects should be decentralized ont of the core minority communities

and into non-low-income areas. They call this impaction. However,

the Federal Government must realize that future development of

housing outside of Chinatown must be coordinated with needed social

and health services as well as commeicial and transportation support

systems.

Moving outside of familiar Chinatown often has a very tremendous

cultural and social impact, particularly for our elderly, and it is crucial

the -the full range of government resources be coordinated with

holksing. Equally important is the need for HUD to cover within housing

projects mortgageswith housing projects that are designated for

community services and centers. And I think only in this way can the

isolation of our elderly be minimized.

In summary, what San Francisco Chinatown and other Asian

communities need is a full range'of solutions to our housing problems,

funding commitments, flexible standards, new programs, coordination

with supportive services, and capacity building.

No longer can we be satisfied with the oppartunity to apply for

infeasible programs. There are not just technical problems that we

have in adapting to government programs. They are basic civil rights

issues of the government not adapting to us.

Thank you.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much.

our next panelist is Mr. Robert Santos, who is executive director bf

the International District Improvement ANociation located in Seatt1A,

Washington.

Mr. Santos?

Presentation 4 Robert Santos, Executive Director, international District improvement Association, Seattle, Washington

MR. SANTOS. Thank you.

My presentation will take 9 minutes and I'd like to take 1 minute in

asking the Commission a question, and this will be after our panel

presentation. Is that all right?

60 0

58r
VIC! CHAIRMAN HORN. As long as you use your 10 minutes.

MR. SANTOS. All right. Now, some of my remarks may seem a

little contradictory to presentations from San Francisco and New

York, but the Seattle/International District area is not as populated as

theirs, so we have different problems. And the remarks that I make are

geared mostly to elderly and elderly housing.

HUD policy, the HUD policy of deconcentratnig low-income

housing has had an adverse effect on our housing efforts in the

International District. It manifests in two areas, desegregation and in

current housing, Federal housing projects, and in financing.

The first problem arose in 1977 when HUD, through a complitince

agreement, forced the'''Seattle Housing Authority to restrict minority'

occupancy to 35 percent in the International areas, an elderly housing

project built in 1974.

This meant that any new vacancies would be filled by Caucasians

only until the current level of 70 percent minority was reduced to 35

percent. This process would have taken years to accomplish, mean- while no minority residents on a waiting list would be accepted into

the housing project.

INTER*IM met with HUD regional officials who would not budge

from their position. Subsequently, INTER*IM traveled here to

Washington, D.C., to discuss the matter with Chester McGuire, the

then-HUO Assistant Secretary. INTER*IM explained the ethnic

composition of the district and of the attempts by local, State, and Federal Government to preserve the neighborhood 'as an Asian

cultural center of the Northwest..INTER*IM also reminded HUD of

their own iuvestment in housing and community development block

grants to the Internati?nal Disttict. This compliance agreement flies in

the face of these goals.

We further explained that it was insensitive terapply a law regardless

of its practical implications. The district's residents are non-English

speaking who need a cultural environment they are accustomed to as

well as social services which they receive in the district. To disburse

this ethnic community to all parts of the city would be disastrous and

no less impossible. This Federal court order to desegregate has a

reverse affect in the area of housing; people have a right to live in their

own neighborkoods when decent, affordable housing becomes available to them.

The Secretary of HUD agreed to waive the compliance agreement for the International District and, he said, when working to protect and preserVe ihe ethnic neighborhoods like the International District,

the government must be more flexible.

In addition, INTER*IM has run up against HUD's deconcentration

policy when attempting to obtain more section 8 housing for the

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district. For years !RID hrownlisted the district and only as recently

as a month ago, through community pressure, has HUD agreed to

. alldw additional section 8 housing units in our neighborhood.

a..- 'The other problem area related to the housing is financing. Tbe key

to developing low-ipcome housing is financing rograms which, in one

wayM one form or another, subsidize low-income persons' rent.

HUD, FHA [Federal Housing Administration], and Farmers Home

Administration (have numerous programs to achieve such 8 subsidy_

INTERIM is ciihcerned about the Federal regulations and policies

that restrict the flow of dollars to low-income communities mid create

additional costs Jvhich reduce the qbtity of housing- units per

Federal dollar invested. , Our skcific conterns are: one, the section 202 elderly program ht4

built-in cost requirements that make it qifficult for nonprofit commun

ty groups and low-income areas to meh. . Secondly, these funds haven't been prioritized for low-inc une

minority communities. The district has never gotten any section 202

funds.' .. .4 Number two, HUD regulatiOns currently prohibit the use of sect -nil

312, low-interest loans with a section 8 program. In many minorit

urban areas, low-cost fman .ng is necessary to stay within the fair

ial tosany housing rehabilitationto

e

market rent set by the secti 8 program.

Low-interest loans becom cruc

keep the pitt feasible. . Number -th e, the section 312, low-interest program allocated more

money tu(single-fidnily, moderate-income housing rather than multifamily housing in low-income areas where people want to stay.

In Seattle, for example, the city acknowledges thai 90 percent of the

low-income families live in rental units and can't afford the mortgago

payments of subsidized single-family Ilhômes. It makes no sense to have

60 percent of the 312 program illocAons which help only 10 percent

-

'of the low-income persons:

Number -four, the Federal program hould focus on multifamily

housing 'since unit costs and operating costs are significantly less. We

could get mote housing in our communities.

Number five, Federal honSing design and constructionicuiiiii:ments

should fie relaxed in neighborhoods with a nuMber o ilitable

multiunit buildings. Most rehabs can provide more units per dollar and

house more persons per investment; in many. cities- buildings can be

brought up to city codes and be quite comfortable and safe without

adding additional requirements which HEA) now does.

Number sN, alternative housing types stiould also be encouraged by

HUP. Single-room occupancy buildings with shared facilities offer a

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unique opportunity to provide many of our elderly members with modest, liveable living quarters.

We can't afford nor do we all desire suburban standard housing. Seven, the Federal Government should investigate means of developing low?income housing with the least %mount of red tape And delays which cbstswhich create cost overrtins. This also disc(mrages

property owners from taking advantage of Federal programs.

. Future directions could focus around efforts such as the Jubilee

Housing Corporation here in Washington, which is using equity

syndication iiS a means of paying for low7interest mortgages. This creates -rental units at 40 to 50 percent below market .rate without excessive delays and interventions by government.

An example of how HUD requieements affect us in the International

Districtthe example I'd like to 'use is the Milwaukee Rotel. It is

presently operated and managed by INTER*IM and the International

District Housing Alliance. Plans are presently being formulated to

rehabilitate this hotel while still trying to achieve ownership. Project- ed costs of a minor rehabilitation for 106 single-room occupancy units accomodating libmaximum of 100 to 180 pergons is $1.8 million. If, however, we were to do a HUD section 8-sponsored rehabilitation on

the same building to conform with HUD housing regulations -and

standards, we would only have 60 units accomodating a maximum of 120 persons at a total iwject cost of $2.8 million.

Our modest rehabilit7ion proposal will house more persons ;t half

the cost pet person,as the HUD section 8 projeCt.

In sum, HOD shouid relax the Fedetal regulations as Well as free up got more funds to flow into low-income coMmunities in order that more

low-income housing could be built per Federal dollar. Thank you.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very lima.. . Our last paneliat . this morning is Mr. Jay Kim, a leader in the

Chicago Korean. AMerican community. Mr. Kim serves on the State

Advisory Committee for Illinois for the United States Commission on

Civil Rights and is an attorney in Chicago. Mr. Kim.

Presentition of Jay Kim, Attorney, Lawreace Avenue Development Corporation, Chicago, Illinois

Kim. Thank you, Commissioner.

Before menting my viewpoints on ale strategies and remedies of

housing prOfilems, I feel it is iMperative to briefly define the issues and

The problems first-Furtbermore, I would like to focus my discussion

on the experiences of new 'immigrant groups of the Asian Am ricans,

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more particularly Korean Americans in the Chicago area rather than

those of the American-born counterparts.

With respect to housing, Koreans, as new-immigrants, face serious

problems pertaining to a shortage of housing, landlord-tenant disputes,

mortgage loans for home buying, and housing for ?ienior crtizens. This

is, of course, true, of other new Asian., immigrant groups such as

Indochinese and Filipinos and others. Later in my presentation I will

elaborate; I'll describe these problems more explicitj, and 'discuss the

posMde remei#es and strategies.

Plowever, itkniust be pointed out that\here is a paucity of studies on

these topics and consequently no current data avable for Koreans in

the Chicago arca. Therefore, my presentation here today IA Wised

entirely upon my personal observations and experiences in working for

the community_

A 1975 study of the Asian American communities in' the Chicago

area was conducted by R.I.. Kim of the University of Illinois, despite

the fact that the stud))pressure of the housing problemsdata

obtained is undoubtedly outdated due to the drastic increase 'of the

numbers of Korean immigrants coming into metropolitan Chicctgo

area in recent years.

Moreover, since the survey was conducted the neighborhoods of

areas of concentration in population have changed among the new

Korean immigrants, indfcating some interesting resettlement problems

generaily encountered in minority communities.

The inffuence and concentration of new Korean immigrants have

occurred in the area'called Albany Park in the north side of Chicago,

bounded approximately by Fostpr A.venue fb the north, Montrose

Avenue to the Muth, Pulaski to the west, and California to the west.

High Korean population and business activities .within such area

give a strong indication of an emerging Koreantown formation and

development. Unfortunately, the developmeht has not been orkanized

yet bejAtuse of the rapid growth oftthe community and the skprt

historY of the Korean immigrants in the city.

In the Albany Park area alone there are believed to be approximately 15 percent to 20 percent of the entire population consisting of

Koreans. Along Lawrence Avenue; which is an artery shopping street

in Albany Park, there presently are over 60 Korean businesses.

Neighborhood characteristics vary considerable in the density of

population, average family income, average years of education, age of

th'e building, proportion. of housing units .occupied by owners, and

degree of hobsing deterioration.

There are sections which because of thea concentration of older,

large ,multiunit buildings with absentee landlords, facepresent a

threat of deterioration.

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There are also sections where the concentrations of social problems

relate to low income, high density of population, and high proportion of senior citizens.. The old multiple-unit buildings owned by an

absentee landlord and managed by an outside firm creates bad living

conditions for the tenants and discourages maintenance in the building,

especially when they cluster together.

The area, however, with its many obsolete structures, has not

rewitnessed the redevelopment activities initiated yet except for the

business district revitalization project which is in progress with some

degree of success.

Since the atmosphere is not so desirablei Koreans in a better'

financial condition tend to move or attempt, at least attempt to move

out of thethis area into the suburbs. The remaining Koreans in the

area ire oonsidered either as new immigrants, low-income families, or

, senior citizens. . Overcrowding isone of the most significant issues of the area today.

This is intensified by the fact that the area is already viewed as one of

the most populated areas in Chicago. According tD.L. Kim's study,

1975 study, 53 percent of Koreans had 3 to 4 persons and 24 percent / had 5 to 6 persons in the household. bout 70 percent of the

respondents of the survey showed having hildren below the age 9

living with theif-parents. These figures imply that Most of the Korean

households coiisist of younger parents.

Strikingly, 80 percent of the respondents lived in rented apartments.

Although the sum does not particularly represent the Albany Park

area alone, it could well be presumed that .the majority of Koreahs in

the so-called -Albany Park Koreantown area are residing in rented

apartments.

The composition of Korean residents in this area is somewhat

homogenoui. In other words, the majority of the Korean residents in

the area are.newly arrived immigrants or 3- to 6-year residents.

Inevitably, their English -speaking ability is quite limited; most of

them come to reside in this area because of the convenient Korean

stores along the shopping street of Lawrence Avenue and its vicinity

so that they could avoid the language barrier.

In, most cases both husband and wives are working and both those

with younger children require babysitters in the neighborhood where

they can easily find older Korean women to nate care of their children

while they are at work.

The Albany Park 96iiimunity Center houses a day care center, and

even though 40 percent of. the children at the center are Korean, the

facilities are tar from adequate to accomodate the increasing number of.

Applications from the working Korean parents.

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Whatever socioeconomic factors may induce such large numbers of

the new Korean immigrant families Into an all eady convstoil area Of

the city, there certainly arise severe probtems of inadequate housing

both in numbers and in qualitY.

Faced with such housing shortages, Very few Koreans in this 'area

are successful in obtaining decenkhousing accomodations, particularly

families with, younger children and elderly and are often

shunned by the landlordS as undesirable, tenants.

Outpriced of the decent apartment, they finally end up in deteriorated, long nbglected, poor apartment buildings often owned by

absentee landlords. The problem with dealing with unscrupulous

landlords is worsened by the lack of English proficiency. In many

instances the tenants are victimized without proper ,gcmedy or legal

aid. There are very little known evidence or reported cases of housing

discrimination against the Korean Americans in the Chicago area,

however, this is not necessarily indicative of no discriminatory

practices in housing. The Koreans, like other Asian and Pacific

Illanders, tend not to becomplain a lot about any discrimination

Whatever form it takes. They are more likely to go to clher places

when faced with any discrimination from landlords or property

owners.

Such traits might be attributed to cultural reasons, lack of language

proficialcy, and unfamiliarity with the American way of life.

Some distressed Koreans in Albany Park area find themselves

forced to seek "housing in the suburbs. Some hasten prematurely to

purchase homes after saving just enough money foilie downpayment.

Even if most of the prospective home buyers can-afford to pay the

downpayment and mortgage installments, it is not uticommon thit

their mortgage, loans are often denied by the various lending

institutions because pf the lack of credit owing to their short stay in the

United States. Whaber discriminator/ or .not, the fact is that home

buying is denied sirwly because they are immigrants.

When the younger members of the family move toward the outskirts

of the city or to the suburbs for better housing, the older parents art

hesitant to live with, their children in su urban areas for various

reasons.

first, their geographic mobility. wil be greatly restricted as they

havb eto rely vn their children for transportation. They find it more

difficult to assimilate into surburbin life due to old age and the

language ()lurid.

/ The older Korean parents ptefer to be left behind in the community

area for companionship; congeniality among the same age group,

better public tirportation.

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J

l'hey, Of course, cannot allOid to pin chase then own houses due to

(the lack Of income and powei. With loss of.,children to take care of

them they wiluld seek a placc-in thc community. So far there is only

one urban public housing facility available for the s)rnior citizens in t ie

diKorean community area. The Keiimore Senior Citizens Center loci I at 5040 IN orth Kenmore, Chicago, now houses approximately 50

Korean elderly persons, which is equivalent to 20 percen't rf the total

...------- ,... tenants in the center.

They seem to find mor freedom twnd sense of independence from

their offspring and even a sense of dignity. At the same time, they

sufkr from lack of communication ability, for there is nq bilingual

pi:rson working for them, no ethnic foods, and no entertainment

facilities, which are causes of complaints.

Now, atIout remedies. The lAlowing remedies gre recommended.

The lack of basic data regarding the housing patterns of the,,,Korean

Americans has caused a !iignificant problem in understanding, formulating any policies to improve the housing conditions.

h is recommended that 'the oommunity development committee

composed of local citizens plus civic and business leaders be formulated and organized to conduct a study on housing within the boundariesof so-called Koreantown area.

The comnnttee also'shall conauct a study for the revitalization of

the area, where interest, support, and working input as well as

community expertise through the study process arc required.

After researching the housing needs and problems of the community, the committee shall conduct a series of studies to investigath t

physicalconditions of the individual housing to come up with a ni

accuratelpicture of the housing supplies anti needs. t

Number two, once deteriorating areas are defined, re velopment

should be emphasized. Some older apartTents could be modeled to

provide temporary housing service for ne, immigrants.

The acquisaion of certain property and demolition and clearance of

eteriorated struct6res are necessary. _ //4/---"-----d As a solution of the problem of lack of experience in dealing with'

landlord-tenant disputes, .an extended and extensive community orientation and other community services equipped with bilingual persons

are much needed, and in order to solve.the problem of lackg credit

for home buyers, government-guaranteed loans , with low interest,

something equivalent to FHA and the VA loans, must be initiated for

new immigrants.

Bank loan requirements must be made less rigid and there shouNd be

other factors considered in deciding the eligibility of loan applicants. .,, VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much, Mr. Kim.

Commissioner Saltzman? , 594

s.4.7
COMMISSIONER SAI TZMAN. No questions.

V ICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Commissioner Freeman?

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. No.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Chairman Flemming?

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. No. I'd just like to express appreciation for

the contributions that each member of the panel has made that's

proViding us with some very valuable information.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Mr. Miner.?

MR. NUNEZ. Mr. Santos has-a question, inquiry at this point.

Discussion

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. I have a number of questions I want to ask;

perhaps Mr. gantos can wait on ihat. I know my colleagues have also

to be back here by 1:30. I'd like to first ask Mr. Chin, you mate a very

interesting statement there which I susptct happens more than once in

Federal grant applications, that essentialiV the Chinatown statistics are

sed in order for the city of San Francisco to get funding, but that's no

uarantee that the funding, once receivq4, will really 13Q. to Chinat Wn. This, of cou'rse, gets down to a problem of where should

decisions be made on matters like this, at the local level or at the

national level? One could argue, I suspect, either way, depending on

circumstances as to where political cloht might exist at either the local

level or in Washington, through coalitions and congressional represen- \

tation, tiO forth.

Bu I wonder, would you prefer that decisions be ma4 'n

ton by a Federal agency on a project-by-project basis o

you t e present system of using total community statistics to gain

access d toirigger certain funding sources is ,appropriate?lin brief,

would s u just as soon have the process remain as it is des?ite the

hurdles you'vt cited?

MR. CHIN: Well, first of all, Commissioner, let me say that I hav

always been in agreenient with the concept of local condo!, and thj

philosophy behind the community development block grant of putting

the desisionmaking back into the localities.

Pli-ilosophkcally, I may agree. However, I don't think the Federal

Govelvment would be usurping local decisionmaking-by mandating

ivertain griaciples and guidelines that the cities would have to follow,

suh as designating minority areas and low income areas that should)

recvy a percentage of the allocation based kn their heeds.

Th argument against ,FVeral control int he housing program is

often bureaucracy, but the typeof "targeting" guidelines that wc want,

wouldn't require a lot of Federal time to implement.

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595 '

4P
In San Francisco, the situation is that the citY'only has to prove that

"X" percentage of the block grant is going into low-income areas, but

not necessarily which loW-Mcome areas.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Very good.

Mr. Santos, you also made aynterestiiig observation which frankly

poses some major philosophi( l dilemmas for any Federal administrator carrying out aihousing policy or Congress trying to enact criteria

by which* policy c6uld be carried out. In Seattle, you objected to the

Federal Oovernylent, HUD in this instance, breaking up ethnic concentratio. You argued that there were unique circumstance4

there. Apparently you argued successfully since 'the Secretary of

HUD, as I recall your testimony, granted a waiver.

But this does get/down to the situation? tuppose it wasn't

Chinatown, suppose black residents in the community or Mexican

American residents in a community said, "We want to li%%e in the same

building, we want to maintain community identity, etc.?" My query is

very simple: What criteria should a government use to decide a

situation in either case?

MR. SANTOS. As I said before, the gdvernment must be more flexible.

In Seattle's yernational District, for example, we arc trying to accommodate our elderly Asian population who were sestneted into the

International District at the turn of the century. Now with ,the development of the domed stadium and other construction, they wantio dis-

. place our people to accommodate the tourist industry.

Our district is different from New York and San Francisco as we

don't havek too many young families living in the I.D. [international

district] wh\ch tends to create an atmowhere for overcrowd14, which

brings with it many different types of prdblems.

VICE CHAIRMAN nom. You're saying, in essence, "Look at it on a'

case-by-case tiasis realizing that there will be inconsistencies in how

different minority groups are going to be treated, depending on

whatever circumstances you think exist in an area"?

MR. SANTOS. The example is when the stadium was bt;ilt we

wantedwhen the stadium was built and all around that disifict

there's progress happening or progress developing at the expenie, of

residents.

'And right off we decided Iliat that would never happen in the

International District; we Would take care ofour residents, our elderly

residtnts first. We would take care of their hotAing needs and weand

lye imposed a 1,000 limit or 1,000 units of decent affordable housing

,Wor those people, and we visaed HUD with 300, 400 people at a time,

and thWerc called-demonstrations at those times, and we got HUD

)96

ov" 6 0 5
to agree to build new low-income housing for the peop r who ed in

t he dist rict.

Now, they come back 4. years later and say, "[ley, listen, h. to

disperse those people." Wel) l it doesn't make any sense.

, , VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. mr. aantos, we've now got 30 seconds

before 12:35 when we're scheduled to adjburn, what is it you wish to

do?

MR. SANTOS. Thc last ,4 years our district has worked pretty i k

closely, and I imagme there arc some other people here who have

Worked very closely with a staff member from the Commission, and in

a 4-year or 3-year period there was a report that Was put together

called the CCR Natio lal Project on Asian and Pacific Island

Americans. And this re t was put together by Tido Calabia and I'm

just wondering where thai report is, and would we be able to get the

results of that report which we feel we should get as taxpayers.

Victi CHAIRMAN HQRN. Mr. Nunez?

MR.. 'SANTOS. Tino Calabia is also a brother of mine; he's a fellow

Filipino boy.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Mr. Nunez, do you wish to respond to that?

MR. NUNEZ. Well we had a draft of a report which we

determined was not publishable. The data were just not adequate, and

, as an agen6, that stands behind its research and also stands behind

every finding and recommendation in otr- reports we, at times, are not

able to complete a study. Rather than continue with it, we decided to

move in the direction 111 developing regional projects, one in

California, well, /actually several in Calif6rnia and one in New York,

and also having this national consultation of Mian groups to ascertain

the major issues that concern Allan Amekan communitics around t14

, . country. .

,... I do think this consultation presents us with a new opportunitilf

looking at Asian community in some new ways.

VIA CHAIRMAN HORN. I might say tloielt this is not completely a

unique situation. We have had this occur ause of the change in data

or the inadequacy of data in several situations. 6ommissioner Fr mad

and 1,.fot example, for several years have been attempting to c plete

a report on women and poverty in Chicago. However, the djpf1id not

warrant completion given the approach we tried at thal timSo, as

the staff director has indicated, hopefully this consultatiop will sort out

some of the major problem% as perdeived by members of thc various

communities involved and, the Commissiofl can continue itk thrust in

this area.

I r wet that' we will have to recess now, since we're on a very short

I sch ulc; tli Commission will reconvene at approximately 1:30, 1:35.

.-/ 4

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.. 597

6.14;
111

Afternoon Session, May 9, 1979

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. The Commission's afternoon session will'

now begin and we will conclude our section on housing with a

discussion on the Federal policy in housing as it pertains to the

problems of Asian/Pacific Americans.

The first panelist is the Honorable Lawrence H. Simons, Assistant

Secretary for Housing and the Federal Housing Commissioner in the

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Mr. Simons, we welcome you here. 'a

Presentation of Lawrence B. Simons, Assistant Secretary for

Housingi Federal Housing Commissioner, U.S. Department of

Housing and Urban Development

MR. SIMONS. Thank you. Thank you.

It is a pleasure for me to be prment at this consultation on the civil

rights issues of ASian and Pacific Americans sponsor by the U.S.

Coinmission on Civil Rights, and to ke a member o a panel which is

discussing housing issues.

I appreciate this opportunity to exchange information with other

panel membees regarding Federal housing programs and policy as it

relates to Asian and Pacific Americans living in the United States. I'm

aao pleased that attention is being focused on ;his growing minority

group which our most recent estimate now is approximately 4 million

persons.

Often characterized as ."a model minority," this group h contributed significantly to the growth and culture of our count (y. Because

there is widespread belief that Asian and Pacific Ameri ans do not

suffer the discrimination and disadvantages associated with other

minodty groups, in_ many instances the special needs of various

segments of that population may .not always have received the

attentign desired. I hope that one of the signittant outcomes of this

consultation will be an affirmation of Asian and Pa4te Americans as

being an inherent part of the Ainerican society_ with full right for

Active participation in our Federal programs.

4° Before coming over I had my staff do some research on the

involvement of Asian and Pacific Americans in HUb's housing

programs, and they came up with what wekfeel are some very

) interestihg figures. Under our conven nal sing family home insurf ance program, c)illed the section 2031the classic' A program which

provides Federal mortgage insurance to facilitate home ownership in

the construction and financing of single-family housing, Asian and

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P 6yi
Pacific Americans compnsed 1.7 percent of all of our prop am activity

m fiscal year 1978.

In the section 236 rental housing program, in which the Department

provides mortgage insurance and interest reduction and operating

subsidies to reduce rents for lower income households which have

limitations on income, over 4,000 families or 1.6 percent of the overall

total who participated were Asian and Pacific Americans.

A third area which Asian and Pacific Americans participated is the

rent supplement program in which Federal payments are provided to

reduce rents for Certain disadvantaged low-income persons. In this

program HUD may pay rent supplements on behalf of eligible tenants

to certain private owners of multifamily housing /4.,hicli we insure. In

fiscal year 1978, approximately 0.5 percent of the total -0Thgram

activity recipients were Asian and Pacific Americans.

'Our current basic assisted housing program is the section 8 program

in which HUD makes up the difference between what a lower income

household can afford and the fair market rent qf an adequate housing

unit. No eligible tenant for this program ne4ipay more than 25

\iercent of his adjusted gross income towards rent. In fiscal year 1978,

r.,1 percent of all families housed under this section of the housing act

were Asian and Pacific Americans.

Finally, in our low-income public housing program, we house

approximately 4,000 Asian Pacific American familie , which is threequarters of a percent of all 'program activity.

While these figurcs are somewhat lower than the ratio of

Asian/Pacific Americans to the total population, they do indicate that

our housing programs are beginning to reach this group. We would

hope thia Asian/Pacific American involvelnent would increase.

In addition to housing programs, HUD's crmunity development

block grant program is available as a means for improving Asian and

Pacific American communities. Although we have no specific figures

on.the amount of block grant funds specifically applied to Pacific and

Alan American activities, so far, we are convinced that this is an

importantsource of help for this group. In this regard, I was pleased to

see a copy of the San Francisco Chinatown Neighborhood Improvement Plan. The plan was pApared wqh broad community input

incorporajng many of the goals of projects of Chinatown's neighborhood improvement organizations

I. Such a plan ca be an e ective tool

. . for programmming the city's mprovement act' les, particularly

those participating included in the block grant progr . Along this

same line, HUD received a proposal from the National Hispanic

Coalition tior Better Housing for increasing-Hispanic participation in

.housing and cOmmunity development. Asian aild Pacific American

/

. 599
national organizations might wish to consider developing something

similar to this proposal.

The Department has also provided a total Of $240,000 in grants to

support neighborhood self-help revitalization efforts in San Francisco.

With a part of these funds the Chinatown Neighborhood Improvement

Resource Center will engage in comprehensive land-ust and zoning

planning for Chinatown north branch neighborhoods, Ls well as doing

planning and program development for activities to be funded under

the commiftn,y development block grant program. It will also help

develop the strategies for public housing in Chinatorwn. With the

remainder of the grant the Asian American Service Institute for

Assistance to Neighborhoods Inc. [ASIAN, Inc.] will develop coin-.

mercial revitalization - my small business development plans for

Chinatown and inner Richmond.

Recently, Mr: Mark .Tajima, the Washington coordinator of the

Pacific/Asian Coalition [PAC], appeared before the House Select

Committee on Aging to testify on the HUD elderly housing program.

He described Me need for better housing for the elderly Asian and

Pacific Americans. He also made recominendations for changes tp the

section 202 housing for the elderly and handicapped program,

he believed would encourage greater participation by the Asian )ind\

Pacific American elderly and handicapped program sponsors. 11his

program is a direct loan program for nonprott spealsors for the

housing of the elderly and handicapped; the direct loan being prifvided

by the Federal Government. One of,Mr. Tajimai's recommendations

was for HUD to provide technical assistance to the Asian/Pacific

American community to assist sponsoring organizations in developing

the capabilities to manage housing projects as well as to assist them in

the preconstruction and construction phases of the project. You will

be pleased to know that we are currently preparing a technical

assistance package which should provide the means for the Asian and

Pacific American community to improve their level of participation in

HUD programs generally and section 202 in particular. We believe

that this will remove a'significant obstacle which now exists. We have

studied Mr. Tajima's other recommendations carefully, and you may

be sure that they will be given careful consideration in our planning.

Before I close my remarks, I would like to give you some aisurance

concerning HUD's 'continuing support of its assisted programs. We

believe that the administration's housing and community development

program for fiscal year 1980 is a responsible approach to budgetary

restraints and to our commitment to 'assist kow- and moderate-income

people and amProve the physical and economic conditions of the

Nation's cities. Our proposals and management initiatives represent a

I

613
r, continuing effort on the part of HUD to increase the availability pf

decent and affordable housing for all people.

Some of the major features of this budget are:

With respect to assisted housing subsidy payments, a modest

decrease of approximately $3 million, however, this is combined with

an increase in subsidized housing starts, 200,000 units and the actual

provision of aid to over 270,000 more needy families in existing new or

rehabilitated units. With this level of funding, by the end of 1980 the

Federal Government expects to be making subsidy payments on behalf

of over 3.2 million American families.

The provision of $1.5 billion in low-interest mortgage money for

constr tion of rental assistance multifamily projects along with

anot r half billion to support low-interest mortgages for projects in

area targeted for revitalization. This, again, is a very important

prog m for the continuing construction of multifamily housing both

for low-income people and for those areas of the United States

undergoing what we call revitalization.

Increased funding to the maximum authorized level for the

community development block grant program. By the end of 1980

nearly $20 billion will have been made available since this program

was enaded in 1974.

Continuation of the $400 million urban development action grant

program ELIDAGI to assist severely iiiistressed cities and urban

counties in the revitalization of their economic bases and the

reclamation of deteriqtated neighborhoods. The President has requested an additional $275 million for this-program, making a total of $675

million for what we call UDAG in 1980. A total of nearly $1.5 billion

-will have been made available under this program since its enactment

in 1977, when the additional funds that we requested are included.

Enhanced activity in the section 312 rehabilitation loan program.

The budget proposal continues this administration's commitment to

this effective program with a fairly level amount of resources. For

1979 and 1980, appropriations for thivrogram will total $360 million

as compared to $340 million in the preCeding 8 years.

We have some important new items in our -1980 budget request.

These include, first, $15 million in both 1979 and 1980 for the recently

authorized neighborhood self-help development program under which

HUD may award grants and other assistance to neighborhood

organizations to form and carry out specific housing, economic, and

community development projects in deteriorated neighborhoods.

Secohdly, $5 million in-both 1979 and 1980 for the new liveable cities

program to assist State and local government agencies and nonprofit

organizations in undertaking projects of historic, artistic, or cultural

.merit as part of the neighborhood revitalization. And, finally, we've

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asked for $3.7 million for a new program to assist an estimated 31 State

agencies process discrimination complaints under the 1%8 fair housing

legislation. We beheye that the fiscal year 1980 budget will provide

ample opportunity kir increased Asian and Pacific American participation in HUD progr

In closing: I wo Id like to reaffirm HUD's interest in and concern

for the Asian and Pacific Americans as well as all other minorities.

HUD is proud of the overall progress that it has made in serving

minority groups nd is striving to do more. This has not bent by

chance but beca se of a partnership thiA exists between the Federal,

State, and local government and local groups. We.believe that this

partnership can be a driving force in accomplishing the goals of the

Asian and Pacific Americans. Dramatic improvements may not

happen overnight,- but with the efforts and c9operation of all

concerned, and the continuation by HUD of needel programs, we can

expect the steady increase in the involvement l'Of Asian and Pacific

Americans. I Thank you very much.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Thank you very much.

Our next panelist is Mr. Jerome Riffel, who is a member of the city

council of Kansas City, a professor of urban law at the University of

Missouri, and director bf housing litigation for legal aid of western

Missouri.

Presentation of Jrome Riffs!, City Coyncli, Fourth District,

Kansas City; Missouri, and. Professor of Urban Law, University of Missouri

MR. RIFFEL. I WOUld like to preface my remarks today with a few

statements on our country's national housing policy and the objectives

set up by Congress through the years and how they impact upon Asian

Americans and other low-income minorities.

I think the first thing that you should remember is that there is no

specific/national housing policy or housing program which relates to

helping low-income people as a group, regardless of their race, etc.

The national housing policy generally makes provision for low-income

people. Of course, there are two principal programs which Asian

Americans and others havedused. One is generally owned and managed

by housing authorities under local enabling legislation which is

financed and authorized under the United States Housing Act of 1937,

as amended. This housinges what 'you ordinarily hear referred to as

public housing.

There are three principal typesturnkey, conventional, and in later

years, there are various options which can be privately owned under

section 8 dr the Housing and Community DeveloPment Act of 1974. lb.

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In terms of the use of housing in Kansas City by low-income Asians,

the other principal program has been housing subsidized under section

236 of the National Housing Act. It's particularly important to

remember that this housing is privately owned and privately managed

and may have various Federal subsidies piggybacked to the interest

subsidy authorized by section 236.

In 1949 Congress made a national commitment, a provision of socalled "safe, decent and sanitary housing". for every American family,

particularly low-income families. As you know, we haven't even come

L close to proyidijng suitable housing for low-income Americans.

In 1969 this was again reaffirmed. Congress inade a conscious

change of direction to id the private sector, determined to provide

as much housing owned y the private sector as was possible, directed

HUD to give priority to rovision of low-income housihg developed

by the private sector, set goal of 600,000 units a year for the decade

.. ending in 1978.

At is widely known, these goals have not been reached for various

reasofls, the moratorium of '73 and so forth. The failure, or rather, the

pat)ial lure of the national %housing policy--t*hich I'm glad to say

that y Simons and others in HUD are now remedying some of

these ast problemshag impacted greatly upon the housing opportunities for low-income Asiani in Kansas City. t

Now, the example I'm fon.% to give you, whtdrrhink shows the

problems that, we face in 4),is area, is the incoming refugees,

Vietnamese predominantly, but also from other areas.' of Southeast

Asia, that came to Kansas City between 1975 and the present date. The

first waveaboute00 Vietnameseenteretl the Kansas City area,

were sponsored b ivdividual American faAlies, 'and were dispersed

throughout the KanakCity metropolitan area.

For example, one church might sponsbr two middle- or uppermiddle income Vietnamese families. In another area of the city there

might be a family sponsor or, a private business sponsor. These

individuals, for the most part, werakwell educated. They were literate.

They spoke and they Wrote-English well. They had skills and they had

worked with Americans in various cvacities in Southeast Asia.

As far as we've been able to determine4hey assimilated rapidly into

the general population, are considered assets to the community, have

jobs, pnd so forth. -s-

, 'Now, beginning in late 1975, a second wave of Vietnamese refugees 1 .camto_Kansas City. This was a quite different group of people. They j

anw e low-income y _ietnamese persons. They were not well educated.

y of .them didltot-refir or write Vietnamese, much leas have any

understanding of.Eng*h. , 603

616
These Vietnamese families were predominantly fishermen. They had

been told, as incredible as this may sound, that they could make a

living in Kansas City by fishing in the Missouri River. * They had no idea, for example, how to even turn on a twxleni

furnace in a midwestern city. They had no experience with things like

heating elements or indoor plumbinf. They were indeed in a strange

society to them. .;

Well, the Kansas City culture found them about as strange as they

found the Kansas City culture. They [Kansas City] embarked upon a

completely different system of handling this resettlement. At that time,

- the Kansas City Housing Authority was experiencing many of the

same problems as other major housing authorities in other areas of the

... United States. The housing developmerkts that were to be used for the

Vietnamese were located in older neighborhoods local" entirely

'. within the Kansas City School District, were served by schools whichwere impacted- by low-income minority families. These housing

developments had, for example, 90 percent or more 16w-income

minorities.

In one case, a low-income housing development administered by the

Housing Authority of Kansas City was locate a. in an older neighborhood, inhabited for the most part by middle-income Caucasians who

resented and disliked the existing low-income residents of the

development. . Well, very frankly, one of the central reasons that they put the

Vietnamese in this development was to act as a buffer; a minority

\ group, if ydu will, which'this group considered less offensive than that

of the minorities already living there: -- The existing low-incOme minorities Were given no preparation for

this large inflt4 of Vietnamese families.,The Vietnamese families were

given ab,solutely no.help in terms of the use of the facings, in terms of

relationships wifIfItther minority groups. in the area,.antLas you might

expect, (te 'result was a little short of disastrous. , -,"

. il.,..6th,-

., First O all, the low-income, black families residthg in9hat develop-

, ment did noi like the Vietnamese. They resented the benefits that the

Vietnamese were getting. For example, an ADC family could receive

welfare benefits, even though the father was in the home, which, of

. course, was not the case with a black family. The-Vietnamese were

given priority on the waiting list of the Housing Authority of Kansas

, City and jumped over various low-income minorities. . On the other hand, it also ttirned out after the city got involved that

the Vietnamese disliked the low-income minority black's. The reasonA

for ts aren't exact]ly clear. It was shown by the city of Kansas City,

department of huMan rela0ons, later that the South Vietnamese had

experiences with black colonial troups as early as the l950ing..the

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6 1:;'
1 Prench Indochinese War. It was also shown that durin$ the Vietnam

War, the Vietnamese noticied and were influenced and iiffected by the

racism ind racial feelings of both white and black American soldiers.

And, it was also very clear that the Vietnamese, for example, greatly

resented black persons who were in positions of authority.

There were also various cultural differences between their American counterparts, which led to conflict.

I'll just give you ohe short example of this. A Vietnamese child mid

a black child at one point, in a housing development known as

Guinotte Manor, had an altercation. Now, in Vietnamese society, it is

permissible for one adult to discipline the child of another family. This

is accepted, it is regularly done, it is a good social more, and it is good

conduct.

Well, in American society, as you well understand, this may or may

not be acceptable. In this case, a Vietnamese male disciplined a black

child, and an altercaticm developed between those two persons. The

Vietnamese, as is their style, gathered in the courtyard outside to

discuss this dispute. This was misinterpreted by the black, low-income

residents as hOstility and they, jn tucp, got shotguns and so forth. For a

period of about an hour and a half ihey had a full blOwn war going on

between the black and Asian residents of Guinotte Manor.

Well, after this, the Department of Housing and Urban ,DeveloPment, the city of Kansas City, the State of Missouri; and various other

agencies began to see that things had to be done in 4rms of Vi/orking

out these problems.

The department of hirman relations of the city of Kansas City, for

example, assigned two social workers who began a system of

communication betIdeen the two low-income minority groups. The

State of Missouri finally began participating in the Asian resettlement

program sponsored by the Vederal Department of Health, Eucation,

- 1 and Welfare. The Department of Housing,and Urban DevIlopmv

had various specialists also working on OA problem.

But what you really get back to is what is the failure of this and

what does it show, and I think it really reflects in large part a failure of

our national housing policy. The Housing Authority of Kansas City

did not have dispersed units located in good neighborhoods.

Even thouigh the Secretary' of the Department of Housing' and

Urbkn DeveltiNnent was given a Federal directive in 1969.10 push for

dispersal, this effort has not been successful in Kansas City, and it has

largely not been successful in other areas of the country.

It has only been with the Carter administration, with the recent

efforts in HUD's disposition program which Larry Simons here has

helped to develop, that we have really begun having the tiucerful

placement of low-income units in suburban areas.

61
') So, what you had was placement of a different culture in an area

totally impacted by very low-income persons with various social

problems resulting from that ixwert y.

For example, pie obvious thing they could have done, and I've had

a lot of expernkece with ihis, would have tken to use the Community

Relations Service of the Department of Justi . As you know, for over

two decades, the Federal Government, through the Department of

Justice,developed a service to deal with conflicts between various

fmin )rity groups, between governmental agencies and minority groups,

and o "hers. Disputes can be resolved through various arbitration

techniques. These individuals, many of whom I know and have

worked with in Kansas City, I think could have avoided many of the

resettlement problems which resulted with the resettlement of the

Vietnamese in Kansas Z(it y, Missouri.

So you have a mixture of things. You have some exiiting services

which could have been utilized to avoid this tragedy and you law) have

a. long term problem. We, in the United States, simply have not, in

terms of the construction and development of yw-ilicsine housins,

N been able to provide a satisfactory environment for our low-income

citittens.

Discussion

ICE CHAIRMAir HORN. Thank you very much, Mr. Riffel. Let me

ask you, Secretary Simons, one basic question. We are talking basically

about how we deliver housing for low-incom'e citizens, whether

they're Young citizens with inadequate income: unemployment and

underemployment, or whether they're elderly citizens living on lowincour retirement, if that.

Proportionately, we know that more minority individuals in various

categories fit into those two basic categories than does the majority

population.

Now, this morning we had some testimony from a member of the

Asian/Paciftc American -community in Nelk, Yprk City about the

problems in developing low-income housing in the south Bronx and

providing access for individuals of varying minority 9r majority

groups who qualify based on income criteria.

As I recall, the residentmade a commitment to do ething about

the south Bronx. Could *You tell, me why the Federa Government

seems incapable to do.something afibut the housing in uth Bronx? I

know we could spend all day on this, but .1 want you o usel..that

illustration to indk-ate what needs to be done so that this missibn

on which I've now served 10 years as Vice Chairman, does n have to

liken to testimony every year or so, get itself worked up over the

housing Problem, and say, "Why can't we do something?" le you

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1hr

could wave a wand, what would you do to turn around some of these

laws and programs?

MR. SIMONS. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the

question, not only with respect to the south Bronx, which I think is a

special problem, but also as it applialVoughout the United States. As

we analyze the housing need in the Unitid States, a minimum of 5 to 7

, million low- to moderate-income families are in need of housing

assistance today, which are not being assisted. Add to that those

'families that have an income deprivation in the sense that they're

paying too much of their income for their housing, and there is most

likely an eligible population for housing assistance in this country of

about 19 million families.

The resources of this country do not permit the addressing of that

need.'rapidly enough to fulfill everybody's, wish. I've heard, as I've

traveled around the country in the last 2 1/2. years as Assistant

Secretary for Housing, many criticisms of Federal progrags, most of

them arelkidressed to the point you raise. If I had my wish, perhaps

the easiest way to rebuild the south,Bronx, or to rebuild any area, and

to create the housing opportunities that all these people need, would

t)t to have the financihl resources available. I don't. think there'stNi

question about this country's teChnical capacity, to produce the...

housing that's needed. The question is what part of its national

economic resources can this country afford to devote to addressing

this problem? That's a decision that has to be made each year as a

different emphasis.is-placed on the budget. It has been decided this

year, and I think property so, ba.Ad on the total national priorities.

VticE CHAIRMAN HORN., Well, IN6lIld 'you feel it's strictl§ resources

or is it the way we are programming things, the bureaucratic hurdles;,,

the obstacles, the confusion of jurisdictions between city, State, and

national government?

I mean I can't believe it's just money, because I don't see programs

being too adequately delivered within existing resources.

MR. SIMONS. Well, let me comment on that as somebody coming

from the.privite sector into government, and being fully familiar with

the actual delivery of hoitsing resources. I think right now that the

way to delii,er housing is nnique to each area that needs that housing.

There is no single magic wand that can deliver it. We have a variety of

tools available to us to deliver hbusing. We have, as Mr. Riffel pointed

out, public housing which is financed by 'the Federal Government,

built by local publk. housing authorities, so lhat the delivery

mechanism is established local public housing authority. We have

other programs which encourage the participation or private deV,elopers, whereby the Federal Government makes available to them

fun& for certain sites tor the doing of this. We also have programs

B 2 0

607
J

where State housing finance agencies are using Federal resources to

participate in the providing of housing. And.we have other programs

that encourage nonprofit groups to participate..There is no single

answer. What is needed is the, working cooperation of all these levels

becliuse Congress has mandated in the 1974 act that housing dietermination and the control of spending of corm development block

grant money will 'be at the local level. ir share the Federal

Government's resources for housing down to the local level. Each

local government has a responsibility14 preparing what thevcall a

housing assistance plan, and theSe funds flow in accordance with those

housing assistance plans.

Now, as far as delivery capacity is concerned, I can speak for the

administrotion. y'Ve have been reserving at least 92 percent of the

available funds each year. We have/ taken thc section 8 and public

housing program-from a level of abotit 40,000 starts in 1976 to roughly

-190,000 starts this year. This will be, basically a conftant level from

here on grin. So we feel tlfat over ilk last 2 f/2 years, we have made

efficient expenditures of the resourffls availbble to us. We are aware,

however, that these resources which are being delivered to public

housing authorities, to private developers, to State housing finance

agencies, and through nonprofit groups are far froin adequate.

Historically speaking, the Federal Government's involVement in

housing has been basically on the production side. Very littl on the

management side. Perhaps as a result of this, public housing and

assisted housing has bcfn stigmatized to the point where many groups

"do not desire in their neighborhoods. This presents a very serious

problem to us in the proper siting of projects and the proper

accomplishment of our social goals arid objectives. In order to turn,

this around and to refocus fik public's thinking that this is a food

prOgram satisfying a need, the Department, as I mentioned in my

itestimo , is seeking to create a greater understanding in these

prog4is by the neighborhood .groups and neighborhood involve-

= AA,

In dealing with the management side beptIlic or assisted housing,

we know that we neecipeighborhocid and ibnant participation in these

buildings. It strengthens the panagement, it strengthens the viability of

the neiginorhods in which they are located.

VICE CHAIRMAN IIORN. Well, I th6k that makes sense. When you

realize that in the south Brdhx, since that example came up in

testimony, they're probably burning out housihg units faster than, you

can build them, I would think something has, to be done in terms, of,

neighborhood cooperation, involvement to get some sense of pride and

self-discipline in the community:

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- MR. 1SEMONS That's one of the basic thrusts we're pursuing. I'd

like to also coniment on something I think I saw in the papers this

week on the south Bronx. There has been .a tremendous loss of housing

units 01 the last year, I forget what the figure wasp. hut it is very

intere4ilng that what you just described is whal's happening. More

units are being taken out of the stock than units being added in the

south Broth.

VICF. CHAIRMAN HORN. Weji, in summary then, you would say that

the Fetleral Government, from its perspective, has done everything it . coulti In that particular situatiOn, and if there's a problem, I take it

from what I read in the paper, it's the prOblem of the needed

participation by local entities.

MR. SIMONS. When you deal with problems such as in the south

Bronx, you are dealing with problems much broader than housing.

They did not happen overnight and arc the result of- many comple

factors besides housing. They reflect the entire New York Cit

problen), nd the entire urban problem in the Ul .ted.States, and Wli t

happens t ,an arca that loses its basic midd -inconte taxpayi

population. Whet er the Federal Government h

ti o for the so th Bronx or not4lepends tipon1 the objectives'that

, 1 , hou d-be reached for the south-BrohiL at this time. The President, in

. conformance with 416 commitment '. to the area, has funded the

establishment of a special south kronx team headed by Ed Logue,

which is developing a plan for the Zuth Bronx. . \

The Federal Govtrnment is willing to look at aqd fund any

reasonable plan,which will address some of the problems and the needs

of the south Bronx. The question is .Where do you go with the south

Bronx? What should be the %nth Bronx? Such decisions should be

made arthe local le,kel riffi than at the Federal level.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Wll, I do want to comment on the recent

efforts of the administration th pull together Federal line ag cies in

this area. I happen to live in Long Beack California, and I kn w it has

been the beneficiary of a very fine -coordinated effort bet n the

White House, HUD, and the Department of Convnerce, nong

others, ,which think is long overdue in terms of focusing all hese

different pro jir, ra s and how they .can interrelate to each other,

between thepr vision of jobs, housing, and diciest that interact.

MR.- SIMONS. I serve on the Interagency C-rdinating Council,

.1- and it is one .of the most stimulating activities I've been involved in

beauise it is en opportunity to show that theyederal Government has

a total)impact and the agencies can work well together. We use that

type ?fan approach in what we call our public housing urban'initiative

progkem. This is A program dealing with the most difficult troubled

projects in public housing. We've got to,tunt these projects around to

done everything it

609

SO
relieve public housing of the unfavoratir stigma it has with the publit:.

hitve the cooperation of CEA A, JuStice, HUD, and Interior. It is a

total effort throtighout the Government, also involving CFTA and the

Labor. people. We're targeting all of these resources in rder to meet

the objeittie that we all akreeturon.

VICE at AIRMAN HOORN. Mr. Saltzman?

COMMISSIONER SALILZMAN. No.

VICE &AIRMAN 1-10101. Chairman Flemmilig?

CHAIRMAN Fl LMMING. Mr. Secretary, I was very I uch interested

in your testimony relev-ant to the impact of various ograms On/the'

Asian/Pacific American.cOnimunity.

As 1 listened to your testimony 1 gathered that you 4iave *e feeling

that, although some progress had been made in terms of the impact on.

the Asian/Pacific community, there was room for additional progress.

And 1 was wondering whether or not at this particular point in the

Department of Housing and Urban Development responsibility had

been fixed to kind of keep in touch with the needs of this particular

community, relate those needs to the various prOgrams for which the

Department has responsibility, and I was wondering particularly if, in

a responsible position, there is someone who comes from the

Asian/PacifiC community?

SibioNs. We have people in responsible positions from the

Asian/Pacific community. We do not identify any particular person in

the Department with the responsibility for any particular minority

group. As I said in my prepared text, we have a responsibility to all

minority groups. Therefor& the responsibility for the enhancement of

441 opportunity for participation in HUD programs is carried out by the

various assistant secretaries. I have my own responsibility for assisted

and insured housing programs. We have done extensive work, as I

have pointed out, with the section 202 and other programs. Thebffice

of Neighborhoods under the Assistant Secretary Geno Ikaoni does a

lot of work in funding neighborhood groups and group-related

'activities to help theft increase capacity and education.

This has proven to be a very effective tool for encouraging

participation in our programs, especially housing programs, by groups

who would not otherwise be participating in them. There are Asian

American groups being funded through Neighborhoods programs.

Finally, of course, we have the Office of ,Fair Housing and Equal

Opportunity under Assistant Secretary Sterling Tuckr, Wimich has an

overall responsibility to be sure that participation is not denied anyone.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. 1 was going topic/Whether you,'d had the

opportunity in talking with Assistant Secretary Tucker, to know

whether or not they Wad.sic*ntified any particular issues related tAhe

Asian/Pacific Americans.

610
MR. SIMONS. We are unable to identify oaiy particuhu single issthr

which would be representative of those raised by Asian/Pacific

Americans. Assistant Secretary Tucker's Office of Fair Housing and

Equal Opportunity receives very few complaints from ale

Asian/Pacific American minority group. This may be bec use of their

cultural background and self-sufficiency and shoul4 not Je cons( rued

to mean that tip

'ecretary Tuck

luAe received

prompt attention

CHAIRMAN Ft

ey o not suffer from discrin g. OM

's 0 ice carefully reviews all con Aaints

dilli Asian/Pacific Americans are given

s are those from other minorities.

.MMING. Mr. Nuaez?

Assistant

received.

the same

MR. NUNEZ.Mr. Secretary, there were some allegations earlier on

that, because of the many housing problems that our society encounters, and because as you yourself pointed, out, your resources are

limited, and because Asian Americans are tge newest arrivals to the

cities, Chinatown of New YorlIc City it was poiaed out, was alleged to

be the most ilercrowded :ma in the city, it given your already

major problems, if you plaie them strictly on a priority list they're

going to be at the end of theline and you're never going to get to the.

So how do you plan to deal with that kind of concern?

MR. SIMONS. Policies such as this, Mr. Nunez, are determined at

the local level. The defcikion of how to deal with Chinatown in New

York City is a decision Made by the New York City governmeniAhey

have been provided with 'the resourcevind it's up to them to deliver

those resources. It can be illustrated mqr.e clearly by the community

developient block grant funds whicweach year become a source of

allocation which the city Must dal with on a neighborhood-byneighborhood basis and make the' decisi s at the local level. We feel

that the Federal involvement should brom a monitoring standpoint

rather than trying to interfere witii local political decisions.

MR. NUNEZ. Would you make the same assertion for the probleth

that Mr. Riffel brought up of the resettling of Vietnamese refugees into

housing projecti in a local area, that would be the responsibility of the

local government to try to resolve those kinds' of problems that he

related to us?

MR. SIMONS. The responsibility is one of the local government

which made a decision to go forward. We then have a responsibility to

cooperate o the ximum extent that the law permits in this type of

a , it's a matter of local decision on using local

decided to use those resources; it's up to us to

n do with them.

of'the questions that arose' was the question of

of the list in terms of priorities for housing,

resettlemeif

resources. -They

,.maximize w

R.

WY"

611
tr.

apartments in the public housing projects. Do you have any guidelines

for that?

MR. SIMONS. Yes, we have guidelines for public housing authorities on who can have priorities. Displaced people happen to be one of

the priority categories. There are guidelines out. We do not Want to

make the decisions for public housing authorities. Within the guidelines they should be making those decisions.

MR. .RIFFF.I.. The involvement of the HUD area office in terms of

local execution of Feae' ral programs varies, of course, depending onwhat program they're talking about. Now, like the waiting list

problem, the HUD area office has definite control of many aspects of

that sortrof thing IA the local level, where in terms el( the placei nt al

units, once they have approved prospectively a housing assist ce plan

for the placement of snits in that area, as long as the selection of new

sites by that community are in com liance with that housing assdanci

Am there's really no Way dint HUt can interfere. So in terms of th7

problems I talked about with the Housing 'Authority of Kansas City,

HUD had definite jurisdiction, and could have, at any juncture, it

wanted, come into that thing and straightened out some of those

problems. , ., I think that's clear.

MR. SIMONS. Well, I don't think there's any question but th t we

- have responSibility for the operation of those authorities. As to our

standtirds, and any violation of those standards, we have a responsi .1i-1,,

lb ty to deal with them.

VIcE CHAIRMAN HORN. All right, thank you very much; we

appreciate both of you joining with pis. .... I think we've tried to summarize sliniewhat succinctlrh what the

response is as seen at the Federal perSpective and the local rspectve.

MR. RIFFEL. If I may make oneShort suggestion. I ha e talked at

the Department with Mr."Logue, Wh is studying the south Bronx

problem, and also with Mayor Wil

and I think ,it would be a ver

Commission tospeak tO someone li

developing city, because there h

n at the same time,.of San Diego,

'educational experience for the

e Mayor Wilson of San Diego in a

been problems and the proces

like gentrification and so forth are much, much different than th f

an area like the south Bromii !and Mr. Logue is an extremely

intelligent, well-informed mak I tlhink that he could add a lot to these

delibdtations if you had some met od of contacting him. 1 VICE CHAIRMAN4IORN. We ppreciate the suggestion. We know

ink it would be wise for us to discuss our findings

, both of them and j

and get their fence ions on them.'

We thank gou,fo mentioning t.

CHAIRMAN Fiyusufgo. Thanl you both.

I 612
a. Papers Presented

The 'Status of Housing for Pacific Asian

Communities in 'Los Angeles, Californip

by Kerry-N. Dor ,/

Preface 4 I'

This paper addresses itself to Abe nukjor trends and dynamics with

regard to Asian and Pacific Islanders in housing in Los Angeles. It is

hoped that this paper will give the reader father insights to the

multitude of problems Asian and Pacific Islanders face in 'housing. ISA

also hoped that the reader will bettr understand the ,problems faced

by a n nprofit, community-based organization atte4ting to mitigate

such pr blems. This paper is by no means the "definitive" account of

the situ tion, but rather an overview of a community-based organizah 's perceptioft of the dynamics of its community environment.

This paper IAll basicalli'develop the physical and economic trends

of inner-city comniunities, specifiCally those of Los Angeles. Explained also are the parameters and "framework" of the institution

known as a city tb which thousands of Asian and Pacific Islanders will

` locate and hope to make their lives as well as community environment

' truly viable. kr

The institution's "framework" is not a good one. Community-based

rganizations such as the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment

are diligently attempting to solve many of the problems faced by its

constituent communities. This is by no means an easy task. Community-based organizations need all the support they can get from both

private and public "entities to reach a goal that would improve the

inner-city environment for all people. \

Summary

Basically, it was fount1 that the institutional "framework" of the city

given to the Asian and Pacific Islander people is a very poor,one. The

inner city suffers from physical and economic deterioration of its

r infrastructure. In most cities, Los Angeles included, dollars were

invested only to dislocate the indigenous populations who were

entialoyed there. As the housing stock deteriorated, yie small amount

of new construction took only the form of high-cost housinig.

vna Kerryk Doi is executive director, Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (P.A.V.), \Los Angeles,

61?;

.613

1
Most Asiaucommimities are located in the central city, a trend that

,\ 4, has panned many generations...These communities drew new influies

.of 4sian and Pfitific Islanders a.. they fled from their homeland. Not

possessing job skills, these pc le began employment in low-paying.

low-skilled _jobs found close to their -homes. The low pay to cover

expens f their new large families increased tht.1"economic burden on

these ple. Low-moderate income housing came to be in high

demand.

.. As a solution, the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment

(PACE) was founded by community members and has peen successfully attacking one of the major problyms that the community faced: i- unemployment. PACE soon saw thatlthe peOple's needs were 4çe,

and that community 'viability rested._,on a. comprehensive appr , utilizing government as well as private dollars in economic, employ-

, metit, and community development (housing) activities. fb

PACE has embarked on implementing its housing goals buthltr

encountered many problems. PACE, therefore, has developed and has

proposed solutions that would heti) community-based organizations

facilitnte housing activities. These are: I. 1. Technical assistance

2. Capital . 3. Special incentiVes / Status of Housing for Pacific Asian Communities -

in Lds Angeles,. californ a

The central city of L'os An s is very similar to the downtowns of

most I .ge metropolitan cities. Negative urban dynamics have been

slowly eroding,the social, physical, and economic infrastructure, thus

becomi ig most' evident through the late 1940s to the early 1960s. The

exodu. of thii middle class to subtirban communit'es creaW a vacuum

7411 majoOty and low-income residents began to fill. The olgttr,

ete

%

'brating environmental conditions slowly led to urban decay

which lesulted in dilapidated, unsafe, and unsanitary living et:mations.

Thi squalid conditions faced by central city communities were not

overgooted Thqk prime lucrative commercial and business areas

provided thi economic incentives for public and private entities to

"panic the pumps" for inner city community development activities.

Froth rthe early renewal activities to current neighborhood strategy

programs, pillions of dollars have been pujnped into deteriorated , communities which have resulted in the slo reattraction of the more

affluent middle class. Such purposeful community development

programs have resulted in problems. This ecially is true for

Minority and poor residents who are frequently forced to relocate as

614

4
rents and taxes in "revived" areas rise concnrrently with property

values. Mall le to cope with the higher property values and accompal

riying higher taxes and rents, the low-moderate and fixed-income

peoples are displaced to suburban communities. a. The central city portion of-Los. Angeles provides over 40 percent of

th empl4ment opportunities for the city of Los Angeles. The bulk of

i this mployment is in two industries: service- and manufacturing.

Between the years 1970-77, central city commuttity populations have

grown substantially and clearly reflect the high increase found in the

labor force participation rate. "ty percent ,,,,f_ the labor force is

rvice or manufacturing related in which the c ty has concluded that

there remains and will remain -a very higl . demOd for low-moderate

... / income housiffg. A recent Los Angeles city ecOnomic housing study

stated that: .i \ , A huge housing deficiency in the central qity has resulted in the

substantial commuting to the central area qff- employMent. Much

if 9ot most of this travel is, of course, don by choice because of

/--9 the destfe to reside outside of the centr l city area. However-. soak of these travel patterns are created simply because the (

availability of housing for low- to moderat -income populations is so restricted within the central city. Anfr additional low-value

family housing created within the area w uld easily be absorbed

by locally employed people.

Further, it wasTernimended and stated that: *

Housing programs in these areas should be directed toward

. subsidizing colnstruction of low-cost, multiple-unit buildings to

Provide hoding for those low- to moderate-income households which work in the area. In this manner, commuting patterns could be reduced by supplying affordable housing to those families

employe0 in the local area in lower paying oc7pation.

The study also stated that the service- ar0 manufacturing-related

industries yield lower a*rage employer incomes; This is reflected by

the areas' lower median income statistics. The strong demand for lowmoderate income family housing remilins a void that must be filled to

acc mmodate the lower income, service- and manufacturing-related

em ent market.

Between the years 1970-77, the city of LoS Angeles experienced a

, large immigration of Asian and Pacific Islanders. Because of the

turmoil in Southeast Asia and the general instability of the political

, climate, the Asian and IJacific Islander community grew at rates far

.46eyond those estimated by the 'city. fln many instances, the newly

615
a# refugees W.vedaled ii.i other U.S. cities but later migrated info Los

. Angeles because osf the Weather, familY, and communities.

Most of the' immigration as well as migration targeted into the

central city communities oe I,0s Angeles. Chinese and Japanese

populations have located in many of these communities for generations. These older traditional Asian communities became the anchor

'.. and draw for the new 'Asian and Pacific Islander populations. The

declining central ci4 communities provided ample space 1'4 these

new Reople, but the inadequate infrastructure (physical, and economic),

.. became a hindrance to true community viability.

In many statistical areas, the Asian and Pacific Islander. coinfnunity

r--- donbled. The city's pOpulation, education; and housing study in 1977 -

int:heated "much faster population increases in the Asian population

projected by previous trends." It was also determined by the city that

since 1960, housing overcrowding for Asians has increased drastically,

"They have experienced a greater increase (16.5 percent) of overcrowding than any oiher racial grouri: black, Chicano, or Anglo." The

Substantial overcrowding has yen attributed to the inability of large

families" to find large afforda6Te housing in the area. The new

relocation of large f4milief has-been somewhat .substantiated by recert

analysis of elementary school data. In many Asian and Pacific Islander

oomnnmities, the elementary school populations has more than

doubled, an indication that many new families are locating in central

cit y areas./

I. The -Asian and Pacific Islander mugrants that locate in the area i6 ,

generally do not have the necessary joPkillsEnglish, job training. "

to obtain higher income salaries as well as entry-level positions. The

inadequate employment skills become an additional damper to commue \ nity viability. Job assimilation, more thtm likely, occurs within the

manufacturing and service industries, which are reflective of central

city communities.

Housing and employment problems are closely integrated with the

transportation problems faced by the new immigrants. These people

are less able to cemmute-tts freely as the nuibile middle class. It

becomes essential that these individuals find affordable housing near

. their place of employment.

Thus, the dilemma remains: finding low-skilled employmntfound

mostly in the central cityfor individuals and locating affordable

'adequate housingtound mostly out of the central cityto provide'

the necessary environment for a decent livelihood. The problems of

employment and housing must be met to help provide overall

community and city viability, in terms of the, physical, social, and

, economic infrastructure,.

616

6 0:4 -t-cf

MIN)
11,

PACE

l'he Pacific ASiiin ConsortMm in Fmployment (PAM was originally fOuntled in late 1974 through the erfOrts of a coalifnm of various

Asian community groups and indi-vidualir Japanese, Korean, l'ihpino,

Chinese, and Semonnconcerned about tlwavowing unmet needs for

manpower development services in the Asian community. Through

the sponsorship of another Asian prQgram, the Asian American Drug ,.

Abuse Program, PdACE was initially ftitided in January 1975 to operate

a CE:I.A training program for the city of 1.os Angel+. Since then,

PACE1; funding has grown over 400 percent Starting with $354,(XX)

for CETA job training services, PACE has currently mime $1,580,(XX)

in grants through such sources as CETA (city of Los Angeles and

coun% .of Los Angeles), IRAP [Indochinese Refugee Assistance

Progffim] of the U.S. Department of HEW, Community Block Grant

(Los Angeles City), and Ltrban Housing Development Loan (CaliforMa State H DC).

Through PACE's direct plicement program, work experience, onthe-job training, and classroo-41raining (English as a second language/

clerical, and bookkeeping), PACE began to address the first chronic

need of the community employment. Three years after developing a

successful employment pro:it:am, PACE clearly saw thot the problems

faced by its clientele and,6Minunity went far beyond employment and

that it would take a comprehensive approach that included employment,,as well as housing, to bring forth true community viability.

On September 14, 1978, the PACE board of' directors voted and

approved the formation of the PACE Housing and Community

Development Corporation to be the tool that would address the

second most vital need faceMbixiits clientele: housing. With the help of

governmental and private funding programs, PACE Housing and

Community Development Corporation hopes to address the problem

of community decay and disinvestment that is currently eroding /Van

and Pacific Islander comMunities.

Through the Housing and Community Development Corporation,

PACE hopes to attempt to alleviate some of the problems facing lowmoderate income family residents. PAC using and Community

Development Corporation is currently pla mg the construction of 30

to 50 low-moderate income faim

to be located on vacant

hopefully help relieve some

the residents who are bei

sousing

ttered sites.

f the demand

laced as

of low-income units. In this pr t, P

impckant objectives:

1. Provision of family. .housin

nits. The initial project is

his ambitious goal will

or such housing faced by

11 as alleviate the shortage

CE will implement four very

fcqr low-moderate income people.

63o

617

lt.
2. Maximum utilization of land without displacement.

3. Scattering impacts of low-moderate family housing.

4. Providing housing that reflects the overall economic comhtions

of the-area, i.e. low incomes, large families.

In embarking on this ambitious rission, PACE Housing and

COmmanty Development Corporation has encountered many pr9blems similar to other- community organization attempts to provide

honsing. Basically, PACE has found difficulty in the following areas:'

Predevelopment Service§

I. Property Identification/Land Acquisition Cost

PACE has utilized a realtor to identify and locate vacant properties in

the proposed impact area. Like many inner city areas, land is expensive

and owners of such parcels tend to be holding them for speculating

purposes. A new, nonprofit community housing corporation has a very

difficult time negotiating with an owner, especially if the organization

has no substantial assets. Thus, the high cost of land makes -many

projects infeasible, even With HUD's section 8 rental subsidies.

2. Architectural Engineering Services

.. Because a new, itoriks wa t entity has no substantial assets, it is difficult

to hire architectural/e ineering services unless the architect or

engineer agrees to be paid contingent to permanent financing.

Through this method, it become very difficult to hire good experienced architects.

S. Market Surveys and Cost Analysis . To ,truly understand how to conduct such activities, it is necessary for

experienced develdpeks to teach community organizations how to

carry Out studies. This is accomplished only through willing, experienced developers. .

. 4. Gaining Government Cooperation, Support, and Cooperation

Agency support and Cooperation is usually achieved by the organizalion's "proven" abillty. Housing agencies, understandability, "bank!:

, on tract record as a criteria to funding projects. This factor impinges

on the ability of new Organizations entering the housing field and

gaining support cooperation -as well as dpproval from- governmental

entities.

.. l

Finangial

1. ,Identification of Appropriate Sources

To. clearly become aware of appropriate f un tng source's,: it d' is

necessary for community organizations to become "plugged into" the..'

housing intoimation network. This is done through tithe and money.

This outline is froni Conirouinty Development .Corporation Housing Activities, liconomic

Development Law Project, Berkeley, California, November/December 1978.

6i8

631
9

Federal, State, and local policy must be well monitored. Conferences

and newsletters must be attended and subscribed to by individuals

knowledgeable of housing concepts to gain the maximum use of such

information. , 2. Financial Applications and Packaging: Settion.8

Experience again becomes the key element in developing propet

applications kir govitinmental br private financing. To know what the

funding is looking for in packaging applications, it becomes necessary

A

to get past step one of the housing development process.

3. SyndIcaiion/Investments

In most instances, developers "breatSeven" or make profits only

through depreciation And tax incentivesIn Los Angeles (now with

rent control) owners are running V projects with negative cash flows,

that is, spending More in payments and receiving less in rent ihcome.

Profit is made only when depreciation and tax incentives are included.

Nonprofit agency cannot utilize depreciation or tax incentives because

they are already tax exeMpt. Project feasibility, therefore, rests on the

ability for incomes to be greater than costs.

Syndication or limited-dividend partnerships is a Method whereupon

the tax advantages aredsold to investors. In most instancei, this is the

most profitable means of packaging housing programs..One problem

arises in developing the proper legarsiructure for,such a venture.

In most governmental programs, such an entity can no longer be

considered a nonprofit corporation. Thus, the, financing subsidy rates

are lower and; in some instances, prOgrams are totally unai,ailable.4

Organizational/Other Legal et 1. Ownership Structpre/Coventure/Contracts

Subsidiary housing development corporations, real estate holding

companies, limited partnerships, cooperatives, and other legal entities

are frequently required to carry out the project. Contracts for services,

construction, and financing are, nectissary, Laws_ and governmental

regulations many titnet require legarinterpretalions, and in some cass,

changes need to be advocated in order to allow' effective participation

by, communitAbased groups. . Training

1. Real Estate Development/Management/Housing Constrwtion

PACE, -in entering the housing field, hopes to develop its own

Management entity' as well as develop a housing construction entity.

PACE, as welL%- as other community organizations, can therefore

develop permanent jobs and training in tpe management and construction fields. Organizations such as PACE qui thus provide, through a

619
1.)

permanent mechanism, housing and jobs ?or theirbconstituent communities. A' Regulations/Restrictions

1. Land Use Intensity [MI] - The land-use intensity nunther is an indicator that determines specific

limits to land use on any FHA-HUD [Federal Housing Administral

tion-Housi4 and Urban Development] programs. The local HUD

area office determines this ratio that essentialfy determines the

ptojects: .

I. FARfloor area ratio )

2. OSRopen space ratio t

3. LSRliving space ratio la

4. RSRrecreation space ratio

5. OCRoccupant car ratio

\ 6. TCRtotal Car ratio T

It has been found that the ratio number for the area in which PACE

taigeted activity is somewhat res)rictive in atteMpting to build 'on

ski!ttered sites.-

2. Article 34 N 1

Article 34 is a State law that requires citieN. pass a referendum to

allo public dollars to go to the use of housing production. The city of

Lo Angeles psed such a r ferendum on the stipulation that there be

rip more than five units per te.

. 3;---

Stat g Requirements IIUtas ell as California's Housing Finance Agenc; both li-a e

minimuTin Standards to which construction' must adakcire. California

Housing Finande Agency (CHFA.))1as a direct lendW4program that

provides i00 percent loans. iii% 7( 3/4 percent for family' housing

production. ,The State's share of section kis also automatically

coupled.

The progfam is a sound one except tha it cannot work in the inner

city communitiel of Los Anieles. Being relegatO to five units per site

(article 34) and reqricted to a low, LUil rdquiptment, feasibility

problems arise. The project bicomes ti. lly infeasible when added to

these restrictitons, as the CHFAL mom si e requirements. [See table 1,.]

4. Pentervicess ( As it sta now, cost4werruns become Wmajor deterrent tii project( 1 tasibility. Ttie permit process (citylevel) and conforMance to building

standards not onlk adds to the coati but Mso extends construction time

in which time inflation relegates the project infeasible.

..... 0 \

620 '41. . 633

Alb
)

t,'

TAKE 1

Room Sizes (sq. ft.)

Type CHFA -.HUD

2- Bedroom 850 650

3,--Bedroom 1,050 830

.4-Bedroom 1,250 990

PACE Housing Community Developmeet Corporation as well as

many community,organizations face the aboe-mentioned problems in

.their ettlernpts to provide needed fantily housing. PACE has three

major recommendationti. that would help stimulate low-moderate -,,

income family housing in areas where it is needed. They are:

J. Technic*/ Assistance: Funding is needed for organizations to

r hire an experienced, competent housing Opecialist. Such a specialist

I would have .wdrked for ii 'private deyeloper and know how to

),k.kage hi:Rising projects. This person would be knowledgeable of

hoining projects. programs, and policies. The specialist iwouldo6e *4

familiar with all aspects of housing production and would train

others within the organization. t

-2. Capital: Dollars are needed to negotiaie for land and help

underwrite project costs. This would be necessary for only the first

'project because it is hoped 0)1,t/the organization would generate its

own capital in& jityvickdevelopment fees are necessary to cover le, architectural andengineerinefees..1 TO

3. Special Incentives for Nonpiefit Corporations: Government

programs should have more incentiveqo attract nonprofit community organizations. As it now stands, there are more negative reasdns

especial! Aions

t

-in inner-city communities. Community organizfor

ark ies to develop with low-moderate income family housing,

better reflect the wants and needs of the people and would better

target activities to such needs without having prpfits aa its pri e

goal.

\,

6 .

%, 1 621i+ I

4
gtatement on ('Flousing IssuesImpact

by Harold Luis

The issues confronting the Asian communities throughout the

United Stiites''Vre-Aany, and yaried. Like any other minority living

primarily in the inner citg, especially in the older cities of this country,

we suffer from the usual problems of unemployment, underemployment, health problfals, youth problems, poor and inadequate education, and, jn the area I would like to address today, inadequate and

insufficient housing.

In a *scent publication, Neighborhood, published by the New\ York

Urban Coalition in New; York City, community' leaders in the

Chinatown community idintified the lack of adequate housing as one

of its major problems. Chinatown, once a small c.ompact and selfcontained community of approximately 5 to 15 blocks, has now grown

to encompass a 3-square mile area on the kw/et-east side of Manhattan.

The !post accUrate estimate of the Chinese population in this area

ranget from 100,000 to 150,000, more than one-third of the total

population of this same area. While the numbers are staggering, the

rate of increase is even more impressive.

It will blow your mind when you realize that according to New

York City- Planning CommisSion estimates, (lir number of Asian

Americans in New York City has doubled since 1970 (179,734), while

the Chinese population has increased by 25 percent. Furthermore, only

the other day we were informed that the expected immigration flow

from Vietnam and the mainland of China to New York City could

exceeh l'0,0(X) a year. One has to wonder: Where are they going to

live? Where does Washington expect to place them?

-Decent low-income housing is difficult to find any wherein New

York City, in the United States, Ar in the entire world. In New York

City, every neighborhood is suffering from the shortay of low-income

housing. Chinatown, one of the oltt Communities in the country, is

an area wherc 'the early Americans settled in the mid-1600s. Today its

houSing stock consists mainly of old law tenements built before the

1900s (walkups six to seven stories high) many of which still have no

central heating or efficient electrical units, According to an HEW

study, one-fifth of Chinese families have inadequate plumbing and onethird live in overerowded aiiartments.

The 1970 censusiallied or mistallied clOse to 3,000 dwelling units in

the core of Chinatown, virtually all renter occupied, overcnewded,

Harold Lui is with the Chinatown Planning Council in New York City.

622
, and hequently deteinnating. Fhe five blocks of centi al Chinatown

have a density exceeding the II laMMUM dwelling units prrinitted by

law. Almost every new Chmese immigiant settles originally in the

Chinatown area, squeezing in with relatives. There is no stitch thing as

a vacant apartment in Chinatown. Almost every apartment where

Chinese arc living is spoken for before the family MOVCS out. Without

a doubt, New York Chinatown hals the- higlwst population di-Inky in

the country

'File problems of Ar youth, the high rate of.tubercuk,ms cases and

scholastic deficiency can be attributed to the problems of-oveicrowding. Indeed, when students nme, eat, sleep, and do.,kheir homewprk in

the same room, their school iivork -mustsuffer. A recent report on

reading scores in the New York City public schools revealed that in

the Chinatown area, schools where there are a majority of Chinese

4 students, less than 45 percent of the students were reading at the

national median level. (These are schools where there are no truancy'

problems, no disruptiv,e students, and few broken families.) ji In this same area there- are. approximately 9,500 units of public

housing for low-incdme families, of which less than 1,500 are occupied

by Chinese. While the Chinese population cOnstitutes close to -35

percent of the total, less than 15 percent occupy apartments in public

housing. While applications of Chinese families increased markedly

over the last few years, turnover of apartments in theNew York City

Housing Authority is very low and a long waiting list A'xists at the

applications office. Families have had to wait as long ag 2 or 3 years to

be called for available apartments:-

To make things worse, the prosPects for low-income housing

appears dim for the coming yeai: Ever since the mortitorium on

housing imposed by President Nixon, the country has not really

recovered and has been unabVto address, itself to these needs. The

administration is proposing funding for fewer units this year and the

Congress is looking to cut even more. Froma goal of 400,000 newmuts a year, it is estimated that the likely level would be closer to

223,000 units. For whatever units can come to New York City, the

commitment has-been made to areas such as the south Bronx and

Brooklyr%Section 8 monies and community development monies are

committid this year to the rehabilitation of existing dwelling units.

While New Yott City is wrestling with the problems of property

'abandonment in sections of Brooklyn and the south Bronx, there are

no abandoned apahments in citinatown. The housing problem in

Chinatown is clearly a massive One.

In addition to section 8 programs and cominunity development

funds, a new commiement must be made to build low-income housing

in the Chinatown area. It's not enough to say that millions of dollars

623

836
will he coming to 1New Yolk City The v4nce Of the Asian community

in New York City is only a whisper, and although city hall is (nly a

few blocks from us, we may just as well be on the Other side of the

world. The community must be given assurance of having equal access

to whatever available funds there are.

The' dme for planning is now. The last urban renewal plan on lower

4 east side tc)ok place 20 years ago and is now¶Inally being completed_ If

we begin now, we may see sonic results within the next I() ye.iits

Finally, let me suggest that we build housing where seniors and their

families can live together. Why not develop incentives to keep our

families togoter? Where does it say that seniors must live away from

their children and their families? Why not build apartments so they can

live next to each other? Not everyone can arlbrd to have their parents

live in roirement villagenor do we want to. Instead, most of us are

forced to squeeze in with parents of leave them alone in isohited areas

in the cities. There is nothing more depressing or lonely than seeing

senior citizens living in cold water flats or in fear in broken-dorn

tenements. What we need is a commitment to improve the living

conditions of our people in our communities and to provide inoney'-.

with the commitment.

ClearlY, if we can spend billions to assist corporations on the

verge of bankruptcy, we can assist cities in similar situations.

If tve can spend billions to prevent war in the Middle East, we

can spend billions to keep our inner cities at peace

If we can invest in other countries, we can invest in our own

conimunities

If we can rebuild countries with whom we we have been at war,

we can rebuild our cities

Finally, if our government can play a major role in assisting citizens

of other countries, it surely must play a major role in helping citizens

and taxpayers of our own country.

6241) 63?
Hering Problems In South of Market, San

Francisco

by David G. llumine

i

: West Bay Pilipino Mul i-Service Corporation s a i nonprofit, community-based service agency. West Bay, through its senior, youth,

legal, and immigration services components serves approximately 100

new clients a month. Although West Bay serves clients from all parts .

of San Francisco, a major portion of its clients reside in the south of

Market area, located in the central city district which also embodies

the Tenderloin, downtown, and civic center areas.

Them is no other residential area in San Francisco quite like the

south of Market. Housing can be found on the same block as Arking

lots, manufacturers, retail and wholesale outlets, warehouses, and

offices. Mytc of the side streets contain two and three story frame

apartment houses mixed with other nonresidential buildings. On a

typical block, commercial and industrial buildings, and some residential hotels dominate the main streets.

In San Francisco's overall economic structure, south of Market is a

major land resource for incubator industries, downtown support

industries, and low-rent housing. Although it has only 3 percept of the

city's overall land, south of le)arket possesses 31.5 percent of the city's

total commercial/industrial eas, and although it contains only 3

percent of 1 percent of the city's residential land, virtually all of the

residences are for lower income people. . Housing for the elderly consist mainly of residential hotels, while at

the same time, most recently arrived immigrant families can be fodnd

mainly residing in two or three story apartment houses. The most

common deficiencies found in south of Market housing units are

electrical, plumbjng, maintenance, health and sanitation, and fire

safety. More than half of all housing units have at least one of the

mentioned deficiencies. Generialy, it can be stated that half' of the

residential housing units are found in substandard conditions. Overcrowding is probably the moat critical housing problem for families in

south of Market. Overcrowding has countless negative impacts.

Generqy, it is not healthy, either physically or mentally for the

occupants. Wis not uncommon to find an average recently arrived

Pilipino family of six to have relatives and friends staying with them in

a two-bedroom apartment. Overcrowding has adverse effects on the

. housing units since overcrowding leads to rapid deterioration of the

David Humin is the director of West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Corporation, in San Francisco,

Calif.

525

S8A
existing housing stock and cah lead directly to kubstandard housing

itself. ,

, However, despite the small amount of improvement and the large

number of absentee landlord ', many tenants take pride in their homes.

It is common, for example, or Pilipinos to maintain the inside of their

apartments very well evei when they are overcrowded. Many also

have a positive feeling ab(7 it wanting to improve the area 'and to stay

as a permanent resident bill cannot afford the cost of a home in south

of Market /

Ihe 1970 census stayes that many south of Whet residents arc

paying more than 25

Pilipino families reskl, ng in San Francisco (8,000), 26 percent (2,080)

Pe rcent of their incomes for rent. Of the . total . of these families arciearning incomes below the poverty levels defined

by the Federal g8verninent. Seventy-five percent (1,560) of lowincome Pilipino f*milies reside in south of Market. Considering that at

least 25 percent Of all San Francisco Pitipino families reside in the area,

and with the rapid increase immigtants tstablishing their residence

and.while at the same time t1 Pilipino community "Qving a birth rate

twice that of city average, south of Market's housing problems have

the potential to continue to worse&

The elderly in the area have been tremend7usly affected by the

housing situation. Redevelopment of an area for a convention center

within south of Market led to the demolition of several residental

hotels. The elderly, mostly single men with annual incomes ofless than

$2,000, were displaced from the redevOopment area and moved to

other hotels eitiier in the Tenderloik or to other parts of south of

Market. The physical and mental impact on the senior citizen has

caused many ill effects.

Although life in reskkntial hotels may he a marginal.one, it es the

senior citizen independence and a sense of communit mutually

suilkaiiive system has developed where friends help each other during

bad times and keeP an ewe out for each other: There are really few

other places in the city for thrse people pp go. While the number of

residential hotels is ilWindling due to redevelopment, the few new

elderly housing complexes cannot replace what has already been

demolished.

. The International Hotel is a graphic example of the need- for lowincome housing, especially for the elderly. Manilatown, adjacent to

Chinatown, has experienced many great losses in terms of community

services and small businesses which were essential to help support the

needs of low-income Asian elderly. Barbershops, cafes, and other

small businesses, Which served as social gathering places for senior's,

have given way to the expansion of the financial district. Pilipino

620

, 7;4
seniors can be found residing in many of the residential hotels in

ChinatoAn and Manilato*n. "1".

Even though there are some vial service agencies and programs,

such as the Manilatown Senioilkenter, the problems caused by the

lack of low-cost housing are overwhelming and even the services seem

scarce.

The need for low-cost housing exists in most, if not all, urban Asian

American communities on the west coast. Senior citizens and lowincome families also need community services to help deal with the

social problems generated by poor housing conditions. Neighborhoods

with mixed uses like south of Market cannot afford to lose any more

housing units to commercialization. A healthy neighborhood environment will allow immigrant chillren and their families to at least

experience living in a safe community atmosphere. The civil rights of

the young and 1k)ld, the longtime resident, and the immigrant are

rapidly being overlooked in the context of housing. Being deprived of

decent, low-income housing in safe and healthy neighborhoods can

only produce negative attitudramong its residents. But because of the

overwhelming power of corporate industries over elderly and recent

immigrant, the political nature of the housing situation becomes very

compteito the poor and powerless.

To address the problems previously mentioned, we suggest the

following:

A. That all levels of government 'Support and provide technical"

assistance to community based, nonprofit housing development corporations. Such ,support and recognitiOn` will generate input frOm

community .residents, tenants, and owners, thUs, allowing more

interaction betikeen the community and policymakers.

B. Encourage local governments -to adapt the existing Federal

tO be flexible enough to help increase ownership of hOusing

by local residents, and thereby increase coMmunity contTl over

housing stock.

C. Improve the quality of existing housing through rehabilitat

without placing unwanted financial burdens on occupants. Although

rehabilitation is not a cure all, it must be accompanied by other

improvements, including new housing, to have a lasting effect on

improving life in the community.

D. In urban areas with huge concentrations of unemployed, lowincOme people, priority should be giveln to hire local residents with .

construction skills to develop new housing or to rebibilitate existing

housing. lob training and apprenticeship programs should also be

established i ic community to help train residents.

61 0
4

E. Encourage the expansion of section 8 programs and other.

Federal, State, and local programs which seem feasible for areas such

as south of Market.

F. In areas which consists mainly of low-income families, develop

housing units with adequate numbers of bedrooms per unit, except for

elderly housing. Overcrowding will be reduced as well as health and

safety problems.

G. Community facilities, its services and programs, should expand

and develop simultaneously with the rehabilitation of existing housing

and with the development of new housing. Such services are essential

in the imprIkement of neighborhoods and are very supportive in

dealing witliWe socioeconomic problems experienced in low- income

urban areas.

H. Increase funding and expand programs to improve the total

quality of inner-city areas and neighborhoods which contain a

substantial number of residential housing, even though such areas are

not zoned for residential use.

I. Support the establishment of new programs for residential hotel

reh bilitation. Because of the large number of elderly and immigrant

famiIi.es residing in hotels in San Francisco, this alternative can help

alley te the substandard conditions found in residential hotel units.

628 614

I.
Housing Problemt in San Francisco Chinatown

by Gordon Chin*

The Chinatown Neighborhood Improvement Resource Center is a

community planning organization working on the physical improvement of San Francisco Chinatown. From our experiences in the last

few years, we have a very definite opinions about the Federal response

to our community needs. But first, I would like to relate some of the

unique problems we face in Chinatown.

HUD-financed No. 701 study in 1972 concluded that San Francis

Chinatown has the worst hotising conditions in the Western United

States. Virtually all of the housing stock in Chinatown was built

shortly after the 1906 earthquake and is substandard. Most of the

residential units are hotel rooms, with severe heating, electrical, and

plumbing deficiencies. Overcrowding is a getable problem, with our

elderly anci families haying to share communal bathrooms and

kitchens. Our 84 percent renter occupancy is among the highest in San

Francisco.

_Chinatown now has 132 residential hotels, comprising over 5,000

tising units. This large number of hotel- buildings gives Chinatown

the highest population density in the United States outside of

Manhattan. This problem is compounded by the fact that the

population is largely, senior citizens and their numbers continue to

increase.

Our community is situated between four of San Francisco's

wealthiest areas (Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill, and the

financial district), making new housing opnortunities almost impossi-

. ble.

Land costs in Chinatown today commonly reach UM per square

foot. As any local realtor will admit, there is no such thing as'"fair

market value" in Chinatown. This ifituation, combined with pressure

from the financial district to expand, creates substantial demand for

inteniive commercial uses in Chinatown at the expense of residential

uses and neighborhood-serving small businessesConversioss from

residential to office or retail space4s becoming increasingly commofi.

Thus, ChinatOwn, while increasing lb. popvlation, is losing-its housing

stock.

kis no accident that many Chinatowns and Apaommunities face

similar problems of displacement and pressures from commercializaGordon Chin is executive director of the Chinatown Neighborhtxxt Improvement Resource

Center in San Francisco, Calif. f

6/2. 6;2%,
lion, high land costs, and congestion. I,ike many immigrant communities which have developed near ports or other tronsportation poMts of

entry, Chinatowns are often located near downtowns or financial

districts which also develop aro Ind transportation services. Thus, San

Francisco Chinatown has lost any housing units to financial district

expansion in the last two ...codes. Manilatown, once a 10 block

thriving Filipino commui y next to Chinatown, hos been nearly

destroyed. What is too ( ten forgotten is that SanFriancisco Chinatown existed long before_ there was a financial district.

The Federal Government must correct its past insensitivity to Asian

community housing needs, both in quantitative and qualitative terms.

We need a commitment for our fair share of community development,

section 8 subsidies, and other programs. Equally important is the

Federal Government's commitment that programs can be adapted or

created to meet our unique needs. '-

We would like to suggest the following measures:

0

1) Capicity Building

Traditional housing programs have not met the unique needs of

Chinatown communities. Government at all levels should recognize

the essential role of community-based, nonprofit entities in housing

development. Minority communities across the country have exkrienced the adverse displacement effects of tirban renewal. Asian

communities such as San Francisco Chinatown, with high population

densities, are particularly_ ill-suited for massive redevelopment areas.

Likewise, public housing authorities often find our land costs prohibitive in seeking individual sites for development.

Thus, we need our own development entitiesour own housing

development corporations, housing sponsors, and technical assistance

agencies.

.We believe that HUD should make every effort to foster the

capacity building of Asian cOmmunities in housing. Community-based

sponsors for section 8 and section 202 housing arc paramount to any

capacity building effort. HUD guidelines fori sponsor selection

currently emphasize large bank accounts or major-i-eal estate holdings,

father than an organization's reputation within its community.

Moreover, legislation and block grant programs such as community

development should mandate that community-based developers have a

recognized role and share of funding in annual communityodevelopment and housing assistance plans.

Significantly, the 1977 regulations on the community development

program allow nonprofit orgazations to participate as implementing

agencies for aleligible activities under the block grant. We applaud

;

630

6 4 3
this recognition of i "potential" ('ommunity role in local housing

programs.

2) Community Developmtnt

The need for Apatity building in Asian communities is painfully

illustrated by San Francisco Chinatown's experience with the Tinmunit y developNent block grant. Out of over $400 million whiN, San

Francisco has received n the first 5 years of the block grant,

Chinatown hal received less than $4 million, less than 3 percent. The

very fact that the major city programs available for new housing and

rehabilitation (redevelotaNit and concentrated code enforcement) in

San Francisco are not feasible in Chinatown, has penalized us when it

comes to the "big money."

The community development,program is allocated tO cities accord,. -.

ing to formulas, taking intoraccount: population, percentage-of lowincome residexts, and t/tal condition of housing . sto'ck. However,/....---

distribution of community drvelopment funds within cities:does not

utilize such criteria when it comes time to akvi(le the pie.

Thus, every year, Chinatown's population, income, and housing

siatistics contlibute substantially in justifying how much San Franciscq

will receive. Yet San Francisco is, not mandated to distribute its

allocation according to these same criteria. (Cities must onrpthow that

a satisfactory percentage o counity development funds benefit mm

low- and moderate-income rem, ents).

J 3) Section 8 Progrim

The. section 8 program is the major housing construction program

available for low-income tenants. The section 8 new constructiOn

program must be expanded. During the last round of proposals for San

Francisco, we were instrumental in the HUD approval of a 220 units

section 8 project n the waterfront area of the city. However, this was

in competition with 18 other well-deserved projects in San Francisco.

The limited. gpmmOment -fosters adverse competitiveness between

neighborhoods'and minority groups. S 4°) HUD Standards ,- HUD currently uses minimum, property standards which reOire

separateathrooms and kitchens in any building Section 8 subs.dies.

HUD mat be cognizant that minimum property standards may 1eed

to be waived in selective MSC'S involving rdsidentitil hotels. Right n w,

there is no program at any levy] of government wit* can feasibly

address the rehabilitation of our residential hoteli which have

occupancy. To do so under current section 8' standards would

generally (educe the number of our housing units by more than half, an

631

GI 4.
'll

intomble prospect In.some ('as('s, congiegate housing.with comnmnal

kitchens can be developed if !Ill!) standards are %%lived.

.. . r 5). Model Hotel Programs

HUI) should establish model pfograms for residential hotel rehabilitation for communities such as San Francisco:Chinatown, utilizing

flexible standards! ManY Asian commimities across the- i>c)untry have

substantial poPhitions residing in hotels. "The elderly iii particular have no oilier housing alternative, and families Who emigrate here

often reside in hotels as their first shelter in the United States.

'

"I:he hotel makeup ofrur honsing stock,.is by no means an accident

or a cultural preference: It is a direet historical result of discriminatory

legislation . which divaed families and necessitated a housing stock

serving Single individuals. R . fili 6) Seismic Standards , . The Federal Government -must like:wisv address the pralem vf earthquake safety md seisnitc reinforcement in housingrehilbilitation programs for Chinatown., "San Francisco. *:is known ,fli the most

earthquake dangerous city in the country. SeisMologists liave called

Chinatown, with our predominately blick-masonry buildings, the most

'earthquake danagerous neighborhood in San Francisco.,

Federal seismic safety standards for new housing contruction arc

rieeded. However, these standards also make housing rehabilitation

very -difficult. in Chinatown. Rehabiliintion cbsts in Chinatown are"

already very expensive- because of the severe defi6iencies of our

buildings. When compounded by seismic reinforcement Costs, which

can exceed the costs of. internal renovatiou, section 8 financed

rehabilitation inay be unfeasible.

..

. HUD and 'othe Federal agencies,' such as the Environmental

Protection Agency should pursue special grant-programs for seismic

.work that could be rovided in tandem with housing prOgramS.

t 7) Sectioh 202 Program

The section 202 program is the major new construction prograni for elderly housing. Chinatown currently has two project& which have

received a commitment of funds front the section 202 hotping' .

.

.... program. One of these projects is sponwed by the On La

Development Cerporatiorc-and I would like tO share two concerns On dL iti'as experienced with section 202. ,- urrently, section 202 has proven to be inadequately financed for

the program to have maximuth viability for Chinatown: Mortgage `

limitslor Section 202 should be increased in order to Meet ever-rising

, con4truction anti land costs. SeCtion tö2 should permit a 50-ye4 mortgage term rather than the present 40-y-ear.

. term. _The earlier

. 632'

I e

-16
A

section 2.02 and public housiQg programs both had 50-year terms and

provided lowet debt service. ,

8) Impaction

HUD is.concerned. that new subSidized housing projects (sect4 8,

section 202, public housing) not "impact" already jow-inwme Areas.

However, the Federal Gpvernment mot realize that future dey

ment of housing outside of Chiiatowi qust bp coordinated with

needed social and health services, as ell as commerCial and

transportation support systems.

Moving outside of familiar Chinatown creates a tremendous social

'and cultural impact on our residents, particularly: the elderly. It iscrucial that Supportive Programs be coordinated with new, housing,

utilizing the full range of go4rerhment resources. Where such programmg Is not fully provided,i Feder I agencies such as the Department of

Transportation should work HUD in developing shuttle van

services for .h,ousing project residents to "commute" to and front the

core of the Asimi cianmunity. Only in this way can the isolation of our

elderly be minimizeT.

. . In summary, what San Francisco Cbinatown and other Asian,

communities need is a full range of solutions to, our-housing problems:

funding commitments, flexible standards, new programs, coordihation

.witb suppative services, and capaCity building. '-

No longer can we be satisfied with Vie "opportunity" to apply for

programs that do -not 04:cognize our unique n

technical probleths that we lire in adapting t

They are basic civil rights issues of govepin

-Theie are just not

- ernment programs.

adapting to us.

a

633

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4*.
Housing Isstues In the International District,

'Seattle, Washington

by Robert N. Santos*

Development of the International District

<,\

The history -"of the International District in Seattle is one of

comm nity values competing against larger political and financial 4

institutilps. Resilents have long striven to create a unique mix of

, commercial, residential, cultural, social, and recreational activities

aimed at ,the needs of this Asian multilingual, multicultural community. However, outside economic and governmental interests lave tradie b

tionally ignored the residents' wishes and sought to exploit the

district's valuable I n for theil own-ends.

The Interim al Distrt asiraditionalljf been the focal point for

the .Asian pulation of the enti acific Northwest since the. 19th

'century. F. t, it was the Chinese immt rants, then the Japanese, and

finally th ilipinOs who came to live in the district. Today the district _is home or Asians, blackS, whites, and Natiye Americahks including

both long term residents and recent immigrants. Because of the variety of ethnic groups living and working in tbe sanie heighborhood, the district is .unique among Asian comniunities througholft the country. V i ---- tiletoryOne cif Struggle

However, the history of the district reveals a long struggle to maintain its chaiacter against outside business interests, racism, and

political intervention. Some highlights:

1885-1886: Anti-Cffinese riots forced merchants to flee Chinatown

ln Seattle.

1889: Washington State passed the alien land law.

1889:..The great Seattle fire destroyed the thinese neighboAtod. 1920: The extension of 2d Aveniie cut through the middle of the oisinal Chinatown in Seattle. This actign was the final blow which

0-1\- forced the movement of Chinatown to thk district.

1939-1945: The internment of Japanese American citizens, as a

resu lan and business ownership bi-residents of the'district was

9lbstantiallpérmancntly reduced.

1960s: Interstate 1. freeway was built, eliminating numerous apa menti and in the eastern half of tlie district. Mamifacturing

i

, busin contro by oytside nterests, moved into the district

Robert Santos is executive ector, International District Im%overnent Association .(IN- TERIM)." -

.,' .,,N.

/

, 647

4
1.

v after the construCtion, redncing housing stock and local economic

coiftrol.

1971-1973: King County Domed Stadium built adjacent to the

district despite the protests of district residents and activists. The

stadium contributes to parking and congestion problems and hasn't

helped mMority-owned businesses.

1974-1978: The Port cif Seattle 4eveloped plans to make Union

.- Station an intermodal transportation terminal, tourist hotel, an

retail complex. Because this proposal would have created more

congestion, reduced local economic control, ai d escalated rents4nd

property vities, ttie district community succ ssfully stopped etk_,

plans in Deeember 1978.

1977: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmenr(H D)

orders "minorities" out of HUD-snbsidited housing in the distric to

reduce minority occupancter fervent community opposition to

this attempt to "drehe non-English speaking residents, HUD

ressindaihis er. .-.

. ,.. 1-08: Private speculators begin bidding for existing apartment

buildings, hoping to develop tourist hotels, retail. out1e4e and

additional parking lots. Thus far, the 11ternational Distrkt has

successfully rebuffed this takeover at the initiativ'e of INTERrM.

1979: Immigration and Naturalization Service has plans to move

from the district to be replaced llky a counly jail facility. We weren't

consulted abeett4his plan and numerous d&trict groups are trying to

stop its implementation. . , 1979: Because of recognition of the People's Republic of Chinar.

large anwunts of Taiwanese jade and jewelry are being imported to

b9iturned into U.S. dollars, as well as for direct investment in local

, pfoperty. This constitutes a significant danger to the cóncept of

communit ownership alid control in ian communikes in the U.S.

Thus, the International District comrnunity has histo \

lly fought

'

44 attempts by outsiders to takeFontrol of the area.

-

District's Location: An Untappsii taptial

Because of -11-cloCation, the district is an area of virtually unlimited

economic potentia However, this location hasn't assisted community

economic devel ment because of ill-planned, mixed-use pritterns,

traffic congestipn, and misuse of resOurces. The district covers a 50-

block area situateresputheast of the entral business district, west of the"

so*

Interstate 5 fr

lof the stadium.

4ighborhoods i

mix.

1

, directly nor of the industral complex, and east

is unique in ;that it is one of the few remaining

Seattle which boasts of a residential/commercial

61/18

635

-4

-Ly
Present Housing Situation in the international District

The residential role of the district has drastically decreased over the

years. Between 1960 anti 1970, the district 100 units, over 60

percent of its housing stock. The major factors have resulted hi

private hotel closures are:

I) Construction of the 1-5 freeway throtigh the district effectiveb' removing hundreds of housing units-Mid small Asian business9s.

2) A rash of fires in the downtown central business district which

led to the passage of stringent fire-and building code standards aimed at multifamily units. The enforcement of the codes resulted in

a reluctance i?y the owners to invest large snms of money into the hotels to bring them up to cod jeidding sprinklers, firedoors, etc.) 3) Most of t fle buildings were built $0 or more years ago and have

reached the point of requiring major rehabilitation to correct

eroded/rusted plumbing, inadequate wiring, wornout elevators anti heating systems, etc.

Betweerf 1969 and'1972, 24 hotels having 1,918 low-income units cloied. Then from 1973 to 1979 nine hdIsis were demolishtd to pave

the way for sprawling parking lots and restaurants. The remaining

'housing stock includes 20 open hotels with 1,547 single-room . ocCupan- -cy facilities of 306 to 400 square feet and 16 similar hotels which are

vacant and ready for rehabilitation. 1NTERIM has lead in community pressure upon owners and local government to stop any more

evictions of low-income residents and to prevent conversion of unoccupied units into non-housing uses.

INTIEt*IM feels that residents deserve decent, affordable housing. Currently, th; unmet housi4 need stands at 598 units. The proress to

renovate low-Mcome housing is a long and difficult one. Our.efforts to

get 196 units of housidg took the community over 7 years. It's pecome

impossitla-to renovate low-incohie housing as a private investment and, thus, it !. nO surprise: that between 197049, only one small apartment was financed by private owners.

But the district can't just advocatelfor the present Asia and nonAsian, residents. Historically, the distria has servedqh br der Asian

conjnunity, and presently there are 1,800 new immtgrant oming into SiktIe per year and many cgMe to the district to live.

n addition, there isren upsurge in young, middle-class Asian

ofestionals desiring to live in the district. There is an unmet need to

provide this large sector of people with market-rate houSing.

RedevelopmentProgress For, Whom?

The cycle of deterioration is /

a Ommon phenomenon In urban areas, and the International District is mi different. Most buildings were built

before 192Q..and reinvestwent iin these old buildingi\just hasn't

636

6

.

.\
matetialized Nonsubsidired investment capital hasn't flowed into the

maintenance of low-income housing nor has it gone into the constinctionvA nrw homing Instead it concentrates in investment that can be

more profitably approached on the massive scale, such as construction

of .new regional shopping centers, industrial parks, or suburban

housing developments. Housing in the inner city typically deteriorates

find soon getf "bouet out" byliig investors. for "higher, more

profitable uses."

In the meantime, downtown property values are "skynwkenng,"

adding pressures not to construct low-renr housing' and brings Cosh,:

ollt of financial reach or private owners.

The district is in the center of this redevelopment. From all four

stdes ,thaleighborhood is "boxed in" by high-intenbity, urban

redrvek4nWit projects mist plans, i.e., the I 5 freeway, stadium,

proposed.plans flr union Station, the economic boom of skyscrapers

in the central Ininess district, and an expanding industrial area to the

south. We are truly at a crucia) pOint in the development of the

Istrict: Will ale district survive as a residential and conundcial area

td be developed with comm nity control?

.INTEIVIMCommunity dyocacy and Social Service

. The International District's revitalization as a small-scale commercial and residential neighb011mod has, in large part, been led by the

Intirnational District Improvement Association (I NTERIM).

Fohned in 1969, its primary aim was to attack the physical decay,

deterioration of housing, and lacK of human services. INTER9M has

proved that a balance between community activism and responsible

administration of social programs can happen.

Fo'r the last 10 years, 1NTERIM has played a vanguard role in

community action yringing out of the protest against the) doided

stadium construction. In those early years, energy and commitment, of

hundreds of persons were directed at the city staicing ,CouRty

government to stavegiff-oeifitruction of the $68 million development.

With activism didg't stop the stadium froin 'being built, but it did

result in some "trade-offs." The I.D. Co_masistity Health Center,

Denise Louie Child Care Center, ChinesCliutritión program for the

elderly, and the emergency meal voucher program were established.

'this activism Surrounding the stadium also led' to the development

of important institutions designed to 'protect the-distlict from further

encroachment by large outside forces. Theeilniernational Special

Review District Board was empowered to protecti,the district by

serving as a reviewer of building permits, zoning changes, use permits,

and city-funded physical improvements in the district. The Seattle

Chinatown-International District Preseryation and.Development Au656

637
tik

el) Obtained 199 twa housing units in 1975 for low-income

residents. INTER*IM and the I.D. Housing Alliance organiied

thority (PDA) was created as a community-controlled developer and

property owner. As a municipal corporation, the PDA is able to sell

tax-free bonds and to borrow and lend funds at very low-interest rates.

Both the PDA and the International Special Review District Board

were formed as a direct response tofiNTER*IM's organized activities.

INTER* IM's Role In Housing

There are numerous problems when we speak of housing development which will be.,fixther elaborated on. However, INTFRIM, na

conjunction with t e tenant-advocate organization, the I.D. Housing

Alliance, has accom ished some significant things. Some accomplishments ana activities urcknde:

countless meetings with governmental bodies, worked with f the

developers to speed the HUD decisionmaking processes, assisted in the

A-zoning waivers for parking, height, and hulk restrictions, and developed the waiting list for tenant occupancy. This overall effort has

spanned over 7 years.

Key to our success was mobilizing the residents to voice their need for

housing, over and over again.

2) Another important victory was won when 200 determinel tenants

of the 1111D-subsidized DowntoWner Apartmentsvtopped a proposed

conversion of their hotek into a high-class tourist hotel. After many

meetings, petition drives, tenants secured a promise from owners and

local HUD officials that the conversion plan would be dropped.

3) INTeksIM stopped the proposed closure of a ii)ajor (69-unit)

hotel, the Milwaukee Hotel. This project is unique in that we are now

managing it in cooperalion with the tenants and volunteers. Back in

September 1977, the ultimate crisis occurred when the fire department

V A ordered the hotel closed within 7 days. Through a combined effort of

over 100 volunteers And residents, the'most critiparViolations were

remedied. On the following Monday, Judge Yanick praised this

"tremendous community effort" and gave an extension of time on the

remaining code violations.

In the following months, INTER*IM and the I.D. housing Alliance

continued to organize the tenants to pressure the owners to fniish the

repairs. Meanwhile, we continued to strategize on how to secure a.

long term (40-60 year) lease- or purchase of the building so that public

funds could be secured to rehabilitate the structure.

After a series of meetings, no significant progress was made with

owners. Meanwhile, hundreds of vblunteers continued a "human

firewatch" 24-hours a day for a year and a half until,November 1978,

when a new fire alarm system was installed.

638

V.314

r\\
I.

Today. thr hotel stands open. almost in compliance with codes, n xvi,o,

an active teant groui) and managed by the community. In total, w

raised over $35,(XX) in donations and volunteer labor. We are currentfy

continuing our efforts to negotiate a sale or lease of the Milwaukee and

are working with the city to find other means of financing the

rehabilitation of this hotel.

Critique of Federal Housing Programs

HUD's ,Policy Deconcentration . HUD's policy of deconcentrating low-income housing has had an

adverse effect on our housing efforts in the International District. It

manifests in two areasdesegregation in current Federal housing

projects and in financing.

The first problem arose in 1977 when HUD, through a compliance

agreement, forced the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) to restrict

minority occupancy to 35 percent at the International Terrace, ar

elderly housing project. This meant that any new vacancies would Lk

filled by "Caucasians only" until the current level of .78 percent

minorities was reduced to.35 percent. This process would take years to

accom ish. Meanwhile, no Asian minority residents on waiting lists

woul

dte

accepted into thelousing project.

INTER*IM met with HUD regional offioialt who wouldn't budge

'from their position. Subsequently, INTER*IMIraveled toWashington, D.C., to discuss the matter with Chester McGuire, I-JUD Assistant

Secretary. INTER*I/M explained the ethnic composition of the district and .of

the attempts by local, State, 'and Federal Governments to preserve the

neighborhood as the Asiagbctiltural center of the Pacific Nerthwest

region. INtER*IM also reminded HUD of their own investment in

housing and community development blocl drants to the International

District. This compliance agreement flies in the face of these goals.

We further explained that it is insensitive to apply a law regardless

of its practical implications. The districk's residents are non-English

speaking .wh4o need a cultural environment they are.accustotped to as

well as,-the multilingual social services which they receive in the

district. To dispçrse this ethnic community to all parts of the city

would be diZaltto , and no less impossible. . This Federal or to desegregate has a reverse effect i,A the areas of

houling. People ha the right to live in their own n6gIllborhoods

when decent holAing is ailable to them.

The Secretary of HU agreed to waive the compliance agreement

for the International District and. said, "When working to tvdtect and

6 5

69
Sr

pi esei ve ethnic neighborhoods like the Dist et, (he Federal Government must he more flexible."

In addition, INTFIL*IM has run up against IIUD's deconcentroon

policy When attempting to attain more section 8 housing for the

district For years, HUD "blacklisted" the district and only as recently

as a month ago, through community pressure, has HUD agreed to

allow additional section 8 units in our neighborhood.

The ot tic! problem area relates to housing finawing. The key to

developing ,low-income housing is financing programs which in one vire

form or another subsidize low-income persons' rents. HUD, the

Federal Housing Administration (in HUD), and Farmers Mille

Administration have nikmerous programs to achieve such a subsidy.

INTER*IM is concerned about Federal regulations and policies that

restrict the flow of dollars to low-income communities and create

additional costs which reduce (he quantitY of housing units per.

Fe(leral dollar invested. Our specific concerns are:

1) 'The section 202 ekierly program has built-in cost requirement's

that maike it difficult fort nonprofit community groups in low-incOme

areas to meet. Secondly, these funds haven'4 been prioritized for lowincome, minority communities. The district hasn't gotten any section

202 funds.

2)' HUD-regulations currently prohibit use of section 312 low-interest

loans with section 8 pr gram. In many minority urban areas, low-cost\

fmancing is necessary t stay within the "fair market rents" set by the .\-Ns)

section 8 program. Low-interest loans become crpcial to any housing

rehabilitation to keep the project feasible.

3) The section 312 low-interest loan program allocated more money

to single-family, moilerate-income housing rather than multifamily

housing in low=income areas where people want to stay. In Seattle, for

example, t1w1;.:iiti.tyc acknowledges that 90 percent of the low-income

families live tal units and can't afford the mortgage payments of

subsidized, single-family homes. It makes no sense to have 60 percent

of the section 312 program allocations which lielp only 10 percent of

the low-income persons.

4) Federal programs should focus on multifamily housing since unit

costs and operatingi costs are significantly less. We could get more

housing in 'our communities.

5) Federil housing design and construction requirements should be

relaxed in neighborhoods with a number. of rehabilitable .multiunit

buildings. Modest rehabs can provide more units per dollar ainl, house

more persons per investment. In many ciises, bilildings can be brought

up to city codes and be quite comfortable and safe without adding

additional requirements which HUD now does.

640

411

6-53
f

.9

6) Alternative housing types should also he encouraged by tRID.

Single-room occupancy-buildings with shared facilities otTer a unique

opportunity to provide many of our elderly members with modest

livable living quarters. We can't afford nor do we all desire

"suburban" standarized housing. ',

7) The Federal Government should investigate Means of developing

low-income housing with the least amount of red tape and delays

which create cost overruns. This also discourages 'property owners

from taking advantage of Federal programs. .Future directions could

focus around efforts such as Jubilee Housing Corporation in Washington, D.C., which is using equity syndication as a means of paying for

low-interest mortgages. This creates rental units at 40 to 50 percent

below the tnarket rate without excessive delays and interventions by

the go verntnent..

An example of how HUD requirements affect tai is the Milwaukee

Hotel mentioned earheAlt is prkently operated and managed by

INTER*IM and the I.D. Housing Alliance. Plans are presently being

formulated to rehabilitate this h...c.;:t. While still trying to achieve

ownership. Projected costs of a minor rehabilitation for a6 singlemom occupancy units accomodating a maximum of 180 persons are

$1.8 million. lf, however, we were to do a RLID sectiorrrsponsored

rehabilitation on the same building to conform with HUD's housing

regulations and standards, we would have only 60 units accomodating

a maximum of 120 peysons at a total project cost of $2.8 million. Our

modest rehabffitation proposal will house/firore persons at half of the

costs per person as the HUD section 8 pn 'ect.

In sum, HUD should relax their Federal regulations as well as -free

up more fueds to flow into low-income ommunities in ordt.;r that

more low-in&ome housing could be built pe Federal dollar,

6 5 110 r-- cf)4)
Housing issuies:,Strategies and Remedies

by Jay H. Kim, Esq.*

I. Introduction

Asian Americans, particularly the newly arrived immigrants and

those who reside in ethnically segregated areas such as Chinatowns

and Koreatowns, .facc many unresolved housing problems. These

include exhorbitant rents for substandard housing, overcrowding,

inadequate 'plumbing and heating, difficulty in securing mortgage

loans, and rundown neighborhoods with few open or green spaces.

The objective of this paper is to present a general overview of the

111 sing problems among Korean Americans, one of the newest groups

sian Americans. What will be said about them, however, is likely

to pply also to other, new Asian immigrants: Vietnainese, Thais, and

Filipinos. FIrst, 1.shall describe the nature of hou)ing problems among

Koreans in the Chicago area, but no, attempt Will be made ,to explore

them in detail. From my own observations, it appears that these

comprise landlord/tenant disputes, housing for senior citizens and for

families with young children, and mortgage loans for home buying.

Untortu lately, there are no current data on housing conditions .and \ needs nong Koreans in the Chicago area, and there is a paucity of

studie on' these topics. Il is, therefore, imperative that we try to

) specify the issue pertaining td housing. This paper reflects not only niy

personal insights, but also my longtime expeqence in working for the

community. Secondly, I shall examine possible strategiet to remedy

housing conditions and to meet some of the housing needs of Koreans

in Chicago. This discussion also incorporates my own viewpoint.

.

ls

II. Nature of the Problems

A 1975 study of Asian American communities in the Chicago ar

was conducted by B.L. Kim of the University of Illiribis. T le

was drawn from all names reported on 1973 alien cards in the Illinois

files of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Interviews were

compltted with 228 .Koreans, 199 Filipings, 150 Japanese, and 149

Chinese. 15e§Pite the fact that the study dealt partially with the

housing problems, the data obtained are undoubtedly ouidated owing

to the drastic increase in numbers of new immigrAits from Korea into

the metropolitan Chicago area. Moreover, thc neighborhoods as well

as area of concentration in population have changed among the new

,

.- H. Kim is an attorney with the Lawrence AvenUe Development Corp., Chicago, Ill.

2 65,5
Korean immigrants, indicating some interesting urban settlement

problems generally encountered in minority communities. , The influx and concentration of new Korean immigrants hay

occurreS in the area called'Albany Park in the north side of ChicagO,

bounded approximately by Foster Avenue to the north, Montrose

Avenue to the south, Pulaski to the west, and California to the east

(map of Albany Park area in Commission files). lhgh Korean

.population concentration and business activities within such an area

give a strong indication pf an emerging Koreantown formation and

' development. Unfortunately, this area is still anvyhous because of the

rapid population growth and the short history Of the Korean

immigrants in the city.

It is believed that Koreans comprise 15 to 20 percent of the

population of the Alban.y Park area alone. Along }, wrence Avenue,

which is an artery shopping strip in Albany Park, t ere are presently

1

over 60 Korean businesses. Neighborhoods vary considerably in

density of population, average family income, average years of

education, age of buildings, proportion of housing units occupied by

owners, and degree of housing deterioration. Because of a concentration cif older, large multiunit buildings with absentee landlords, some

sections arc currently threatved by deterioration. There are also

sections with an accumulation of social problems related to low

2 income, lower education, high density of population, and a. h'tgh

proportion of senior citizens.

Absentee ownership 'and management by outside firms of old

multiple-unit housing have, created bad liVing coIi Kr tenants

and have discouraged maintenance by tenants. W e the revitalization

of thelmsiness district is progressing satisfaectorily, the area, in spite of

.its many obsolete structures, has not witnessed any redevelopment

/ activities. Since the neighborhood is undesirable, Koreans who can

...,fmanciany afford to clo- so tend to move out of the area or at least

attempt to move out to the suburbs.

Theicompositioli of Korean residents in this area' is somewhat

homogeneous, with a fn-edominance of apartment dwellers, young

fam&s, and new immigrants. As indicated by Kim's sample (1975), 80

percent of the respondents lived in rented apartments. Although the

sample does not particularly represent the Albany ark area alone, it

could well be presumed 'ority of Korean in the so-called

Albany Park " o antown ar reside in rental 11nits. Moreover,

about '70 percent o the househ children under 9 (Kim, 1975),

thus implying that most ho olds in th area conSist of young

parents. The majority of the residents iti the area are newly

arrived immigrants of 3 to 6 years residence. Inevitably, their Englishspeaking ability is quite limited. Most of them move-to this area

4

. 643
because of the convenient Korean stores along the shopping strip of

Lawrence Avenue and its vicinity. They can thus avoid the language

barrier. hi most cases, both husbands and wives are working; .those

with younger children require babysitters, and ip this neighborhood

they can easily find older Korean women to take care of their children.

The Albany Park Community Center houses a day care center and,

even though 40 percent of the children at the center are Kor the

facilities arc far from adequate to accommodate the increasii ber

of applications from working Korean parents.

.1* The area is viewed as one of the most populatedt segments of

Chicago, and overcrowding is one of its most significant problems

today. According to Kim (1975), 52 percent of the Koreans had 3 to 4

persons and 24 percent had 5 Co 6 persons in theft households.

Whatever socioeconomic factors induce so many of tfie new Korean

immigrant families to move into such a congested part of the city, the

inevitable consequence is a further decline in the quality and supply of

housing. Faced with such shortages of dwellings, very few Koreans in

this area are suCcessful in obtaining decent accommodations. Families

with younger children and elderly parents are often shunned by the

landlords as undesirable tpnants. Outpriced out of decent apartments,

they finally end up in deteriorated, long-neglected poor apartment

buildings often owned by the absentee landlords.

The problem of dealing with unscrupulous landlords is worsened by

the lack of English proficiency. In many instanCes, the tenants are

victimized withoilt proper remedy or legal aid. While there are very

fe l!! reported cases of housing discrimination against the Korean

Ameiicans in Chicago, this is not necessarily indicative of the lack of

discriminatory praCtices in housing.. Koreans like other Asian and

Pacific Islanders tehd not to complain vociferously_about any violation

of their civil rights no matter how blatant. When they are faced with

any prejudiced landlords or sellers of real property, they go somewhere else. Such traits might be attributed to cultural r6asons, lack of..,

language proficiency, and unfamiliarity with the Americin way of

Some distressed Koreans in the Albany Park area find themselves

forced to seek housing in the suburbs. Some hasten prematurely to

purchase houses after saving just enough money for the downpayment.

Even if most of the prospective home buyers can afford to make the

downpayment for the purchase and monthly installments, it is noe'

uncommon that their mortgage loans are often denied`by the various

lending institutions because of the lack of ciedit owing to theirsport

length of stay in the U.S. Whether discriminatory Qr._ not, the effect is

that the ome buying is denied simply because they are new

immi ants.

644 .. -At 5

Ai k
When the vomit:J.t inembeis of the family move towaid the outsloits

Of the city or to the sublubl tor better housing. the older parents are

hesitant to live m suburban areas With then cluldiencloi vat s reasons Their geographic mobility will be greatly restricted as they

have to rely On their children for transportation They find it more

difficult to be assimiliated to the suburban life due to old age and

language battlers. 'I-he old Korean parents prefer to IT left behind in

the community area for companionship. congeniality among the same

age gimps, and better public transportation. l'hey, of ciTurse, conot

afford to purchase their owti houses doe to the lack of income and

earning power. With loss of children to take care of them, they would

search for a place in the community. So far, there is (ml y one natal]

public luinsing facility for the senior citi7ens in the Korean community

area. The Kenmore Senior Citizens Center, located at 5040 N.

Kenmore, Vincago, now houses approximately .50 Korean elderly

peisons, winch is equivalent to 20 peiceat of the total tenants in the

center. They seem to find more freedom and sense of independence

from their offspring- and a sense of dignity. At the saw time, they

suffer from lack of cimuimmication ability, for there no bilingual

person working for then-Cho ethnic foods, and no entertainment

facilities, which lure causes of complaints.

1411 Remedles

The problems'that have been delineated are not Without solutions,

but these will require the concerted efforts of a number of paRple and

organizations. We propose the romation of a ComMufloily Development Committee (CDC) composed of locN citiz.ens tind civic and

business leaders_ The (DC will have two major responsibilities: I)

plan, design, and possiblci carry out a survey of housing conditions and

A housing needs in the Albany Park area, and 2) on the basis of the

results "of this sutvey, develop a course of action that will remedy

existing conditions. These activities of the CDC. will be described in'

more detail. - A. Survey of housing conditions pnd needs - The first priority should be given iki a survey of current housing 0

conditioA and needs in the area. St sit.i a survey will provide

Mformation that is not available at prese and diat is essential for the

development of action strategies. The survey should start with a

detailed inventory mid,. description of the physical conditions of

housing occupied by KOrean families, its market value, the patterns of

ownership and management, and the amounts and sources of financing.

i.-- This could be obtained front secondary sources (ix. property records).

"the other phase of the survey will be based on face-to-face or // 645
et

Oa. telephone ipteryiews of a sample of residents It should include

questions on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of

households, on social networks and utilization of local facilities, and on

attitudes toward housing and neighborhood (satisfaction, clissatisfacApirations, etc). The analysis of the sum vey data should pinpoint

the residentcal structures that are in bad state of disrepair and uncover

the most urgent needs of the residents.

Action strategies

There are a number of action strategies that the CDC i:ould adopt to

reMedy the !iituation revealed by the survey. These ;Mans of action

should have as their goals: I) the improvement and expansion of the

supply of housing to meet current and futurr demand, and 2) the

provision of services to iwrease residential satisfaction.

1) IMprovement faid expansion of housing supply

Detetioeted structures may eifher be rehabilitated or elinnnated 40

make wair for better housing. Rehabilitation will require the cooperation of owners, and this- may be -difficult with absentee oWners of

larger apartment units. Wally, this restoration should be undertaken

by the owners themSelves, with low-interest loans procured as an

incentive If the repairs are not extensiye, rent reductions or- rebates

could stuntnate the _renters to do the work. This may necessitate,

nevertheles'§, the availability pf technical seryices (plumbing, carpen- ,

try, etc.) and supplies at low cost.

As part of. a rederalb, financed program, deteridrated structures

could be condemned, demolished, and removed. The land.thus cleare

would be available for new construction.-ftile redevelopment ',is a

slow process which may. take many yearg,",it---hA numher, of . , advantages.. Not only is the housing stock renewed't'but ft 'also Oui_be

expanded through the erection Of larger 'structures. `these buildinto

should be planned so as_lt meet the needs of-nmfintunigrants a dd of

other residents who fnd it diffittilt to locate suitable' shelter.

Construction will have to be financed 'by lo-w-interest loans to facilitate

loc.* participation. Bectiuse of the lack of 'public low-income housing

projeCtS and ehe liftlited financial resources of Korean households,

there is \extensive overcrowdingt The majority of ne iMmigrants

atrive in this equntry. without any arrangement for ouslog. They

usually stay with relatives and friends, consequently a ding. fo the high

'a residential density. Among the other igroups with !kposial housinw

needs, particular attention must be giVen to. Korean 'sen#I5r Qitizens.

Many are too poor to find their .own accommodations or live in a

nursinig home. They woUld %-elcome some form or low-cOst group

quarters close to transportation, stores, churches, and othr communi;

.44 646

.4

t'' 4 e
4.

4, N. 01 "jet

ty institutions. Recreational facihties, bilingual personnel, and ethnic

foods should also be available for them.

..-2) Services to in-crease the residential satisfactions

Theie are other housing,related problems that have to be resolved,

in addition to the improvement- and expansionikthe how;ing supply.

For example, many Korean renters have difficulties settling disputes

with their manager..s.and landlords, partly because they are not famiharwith litigation proi:edures or have little kniowledge of English. On the

.other hand, other Kolteans; who are prospective home buyers, may be

*acquainted with 4,cal *estate negotiations. In addition, those who are

new 'immigrants usually have a Itard lime establishing their financial ,

credit. Tq slielp these people; it would be essential to have an area-

. basedprganization with bilingual personnel. More specifically, it could

. Ate

be a "clearinghouse" for informatiop on legal assistance in litigations,

low-interest Teal estate and other Icians, and vtrious governmental

progránis to help the poor and the aged. One important function ?Or 4

the COC would be to find .the _necessary funds to set up such an

Operation and-ensure its smooth operation.

11

a

.v

NY:

647
rc,

0\

The impaict of Federal Policies'and Pro- t grams Upon the Housing Problems of

Asian Americans: The Kansas City Experience

0 Jerome D. Rigel and John J. Huffman'

I. Background of Resettlement of Asians in the

United States

The vast majority of" Asian AmericAns residing in Kansas City

immigrated to the metropolitan area siv.:19_75. Their housing

problemssimilar to those of low-income American Minorities

reflect a mirror-image of. the general failure of the Federal hoeing

4, policy to actleve and maintain a safe, decent, and sanitary environment for'row-nicome families.

Mr-vrfmrimuary 1, 1979, the Unitn-States has resettlqd some 200,000

refugees.' Otherslsations lui,ve also extended coMern and acceined/

Indochinese refugees. Australia has agreed to resettle 18,000 refugees:-

Canada has 2,000 refugees and has agreed to accept SO iloat case

families per month. France has continued its program since May 1975

of resettling 1,000 reffigees each month.?

Since the 'defeat of. te Republic of Vietnam and the Khmer

Republic in April 1975 id the collapse of the Kingdom of Laos in

Decemtler.)975, over 9O0,00 people have fled their native countries in

search of reffige in vher countries.' The flow of refugees is steadily

increasing at a rate as high as 30,000 per month and there is little

likelihood that it will diminish in the sear future.' - The' United States has contributed over half ($31,000,000) of tile

United Notions High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) funding for

Indochinese reTugees.5 It is UNHCkwhich has the overall responsibility for coordinating the international relief effort for the Indochinese

refugees aS well as the additional responsibility for their care,

maintenance, and protection while they aie in asylum. The Intergbvernmental .Commitiee for Eyropean Migration (ICEM) is responsible

for the outprocesing, movement, and transportation of the refugees'to

third countries. I

Jerome 13. Riffel 'snit attvrney in primate practice and a city councilman of the fourth district, city

of KaNas.City, Mo. John Illuffman is with the human relations department, city of Kansas City, Mo.

I Inthwhinese Refugees: An Update. Committee on the Judiciary, 'Musa of 14presentatives

(November 1978), p

ap.41 cit.. pp. I -2

lime. May 14, 1979, p." l 5.

' op cit.. p. 14. , Indochinese Refugees: An Ware. p. 5.

648

.:6154 4t,

.11
,) A

In thc United States, various jilvate voluntary agencies have

carried the major responsieilities for the resettlement effort of the

Indochinese 'refugees. The overall responsibility for coordinating

sponsorship arrangements lies with the American Council for Voluntary Agencies. Operational activities aredivided on a geographic basis.

Church World Service is responsible for Malaysia, the International

Rescue Committee is responsible for Thailand, the American Comic

for Nationalities Service for Hong Kong and Indonesia, and

United States Catholic Conference for Singapore, the Philippines, and

Japan.

C- The United States has admitted the vast majority ofaidochinese

under the parole power of the Attorney General, which 17.set forth in L.

section 2120) (5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Without the

use of this parole power, the UnitedIStates would be limited to a total°

worldwide refugee allocation of 17,000 persons per year. Additionally,

some Indochinese refugees have entered as "conditional entrants" or

as immigrants.

The initfil phase of the special parole program announced during

the spring of 1975 placed emphasis upon relatives of U. citizens,

pqrmanent resident aliens, 2,000 orphans, Vietnamese whose association withreither the United States Government or the Government of

Vietnam would place them at risk under # new government (high risk

category), their dependents, and those Cambodians wlio had been

airlifted to Thailand. More. than 140,000 persons entered the United

States under this special parole prograin. Six thousantlitin hundred and

thirty-two of this .group resettled in third countries and 2,090

repatriated to Vietnam. In August 1975 the Attorney General'shumaniOrie parole program expanded the categories to include

Laotinnst The humanitarian parole program allowed the resettlement

of 3,466 LaOtians and 528 Vietnamese and Cambodiins to the United

States.*

The growing dumber of boat caset -reaching temporary camps in

Malaysia and Thilland caused the United States to expand its parole

program in May 1976 to allow the resettlement of 11,000 persons

including 500 boat cases.' The continuing flow ofrefitgeellitIrat and

overland from Laos caused the Attorney General in August 1977 to

texpand the parole program to include refugees whose parole wottd

benefit the United States ocrefugees with compellinftbumanitalcian

reasons for paróle. This allowed for the resettlement of 7,000 boat Fase

people and ,000 overland refugees primarily from Laos.' In January

opL cit.," 38-39

( p. cit.. I 39.

op cit., 40.

646'44-

649
4

SI

1978 the Attorney General paroled another 7,(XX) boat case people.'

Six months later, a new parole was authorired for 12,5(X) boat cies

refugees and 12,500 overland refugees. The current parole progre,

announced in March 1979, permits the resettlement of 35,000 Indochinese refugees by Oetober 1979.'°

Congressional action in authorizing public funds to assist in the

resettlement has 'also been swift. Oi May 23, 1975, Public Law 94..23

(the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act) authorized

$455,000,000 to be administered by the Department of State and the

Department of Health, Educlation, and Welfare. Public Law 95-145

provided $6,300,000 to be administered by the DepartMent bf State to

cover the resettlement expenses *of the August 1977 parole, and

$114,000,000 for irsistance to Indochinese refugees in the United

States during fiscal year 1978' and $10,000,000 for special education

and training activities, both' programs to be administered by HEW.

Furthermore, the Indochina Refugee Children Assistance Act.(Public

aw 94-405, extended by Public Law 95*-561) authorized a total of

$28,750,000 to be administered by HEW for the purpose of school age

awl adult education programs for Indochinese rerugees. Thet)epartmeat of State also administered $109,800,000 from the Agency ftir

International Development appropriations and $12,950,000 front the

Emergency Migrigion and Refugee Assistance Fund. The Indochinese

refugee program expenditnres, as of January 1,` 1979, represent a total

of $718,800,000 or an average of less than $3,600 per refugee. To this

total figure may be "added Ate United States contribution of

$31,000,000 to UNHCR previously mentioned.

II. The Resettlen4nt of Asians In Kansas City

The number of Ind6chinese refugees resettled to Missouri grew

from the initial 1,208 people at the end of summer 1975 to the current

figure of 3,260 people. There are an estimated 800, Indochinese

refugees living within the metropolitan Kansas City area plus an

additional 400 refugees concentrated: in three neighboring federally

assisted public housing -developments. The public hotisifig developments are OuinottallManor With 75 refugee families, Riverview with 20

refugee families' , and Chbuteau wittifive refugee families. Ethnically,

the refugee population is approximately 90 percent Vietnamese and 10

percent Khmer, Lao, and M'uong." ' The Indochinese refugee resettlement program in Kansas. Cit37 took

two approachesscattered and concentrated. The first group'of

*. Facts on File. Feb. 16, 1979, p. 109.

'I Time; May 14, 1979, p. 14.

" Population data furnished by the Vietnamese Center,l(ansas City, Mo. Alltacc.developMents are

assisted under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as am*tided, and lare lobated in Kansas City's

-b

(inner city. -

. 650

.1 't
r 4, refugees to arrive were sponsored by volunteer organrzatiolis. church

,. groups, and private citizens. Each refugee family had an American

family to assist them in their acculturation process. (enendly

speaking, the first group of refugees were well-educaped, niiddle-toupiter 'class with various professional skills. Many refugees in this first

group had previous exposure to Western culture and possessed

varying degrees of fluency with the English language. Their sponsors

a.tassisted them in locating liousing in a dispersed pattern throughout the

metropolitan area..Because of the close attention given them by their

sponsors, this group of Indochinese began their acculturation process

with a minimum of difficulties.-

It was an entir5ly different story with the second major group of

In )cbinese refugees. The Federal Government was attempting to

shut e four temporary resettlement canips operating within the

continental United States but was having difficulty in locating

sponsors for the remaining refugees." These refugees generally lacked

the education and -skills.of the first group. Sponsors were invilling to

a. assume, the responsibility for resettling' refugees without marketable

job skills or good educatiotg.

> It was at this point that aitsettlement'plan was submitted by the

Don Bosco Community Cente it to sponsor the concentrated resettleinent of 75 remaining refugee .families within the Columbus Park

neighbothood.tThe Columba Parkarea in northeastern Kansas City

has traditiona0been an area where many ethnic and refugee gioups

first settled. The VietnaMese were preceded by Italians, blaeks,

Cubans, Hungarians, and Mexicans. In .1975 Columbus ,Park was a

,nredsriiiimintly Italian and black community. .'

The resettlement plan submitted by Don Bro COmtnunity Center ,---,n

called for a departure from the individual family sponsor concept in

favor of a central resettlement'Ulice to serve the needs of the 75

;

ndochinese refugee families. Tbe Federal Oovefnment ag A to fund ; he Dori Bosco Community Center plan.

Idltiall, 160 Indochinese refugees left the relocation camp at Fort

Chaffee, Arkansas, to relocateoto public housing located in Columbus

Park. As incredible as it triay sound, the Indochinese refugees were

told at the relocation camp tliat t* could earn their living by fishing t

in the adjacent Missouri River. This had a definite appeal to a group of

people who had Made their living fishing and s ce few of this group

had marketable job MI1s. 14 4 ..

'' The last reception center, Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. w Dec. 20, 1973.

See Appendix One. IXin Boar> Center.'-start 1940, c rently receives its financing trim

private donations, Heart' of America, United W the Nal Iliance of Business, Community

Development Act funds, Comprehensive Employtnent and g Act funds. and Social SecuriV

Administration.

"-See Appendix 1 for what tyllt of were expected, 1. .

. #

. ,

... ' 0

..,. 6:64 -

-,.

651

.411,
Slimily a(tei the Indochinese iefugees bep,an aiming in Kansas

4.'it y. the Don 'Bosco Resettlement-4.X (Jive pioposed to the housing

nut Writ y that -a majority of the refugees be placed in a neighborhood

public housing development, Guinotte Manor._ The Kansas City

Housing_Authority, which was plagued by a large number of vacant

units and low-rent receipts, eagerly agreed. The aiming refugees

weie plaved in vacant units at Guinotto, Manor on a priority basis,

bypassing black families that had been on the waiting list for months

This special trea caused a great deal of resentment on the part of

the black- nmund toward this new alien group ,entering a predomini tly black tblic housing developivent. Resentment grA

when the refugees tic an receiving the benefits from ,special Federal

prow anis ientioned earlier. N.

s.i Individual efforts by some blacks to be friendly ti) t(te new refilgees/

were hampered by the communication problems and,: the hostility of

the refugees. The anti-black attitudes of the Indochinese irppareittly

stems front past experiences with foreign soldiers during the First and

Second Indochina Wars. The *French commonly einploye b ck

AfriCtin colonial troops in the early 1950s. The United States utihm a

11

disproportionately large number of black combat troops in the 1960s

and early 1970s. Moreover, sortft- Indochinese refligees. felt that .the

whitc,etlinic community had used theni to provide a buffer against the .

blacks in Guinotte Mantlr.'5 , Racial tensions flared in June 1976, after an isolated incident

involving a Vietnamese man and a black family. The confrontation

occurred after a 56-year-old Vietnamese man slapped a 5-year old

black child in order to discipline him. While it is acceptable behavior

in Vietnamese society to discipline another's child, it ,i,LI..ess acceptable

in American society. The slapping led to altercations between blacks

and Vietnamese. After the fighting had ceased, a Vietnamese leader

, requested the Vietnametie to gather in the common in order to dispel

., rumors circulating. One black man became frightened at the sight of

the Vietnamese gathering en 'matse and fired As. shotgun blaSt into the

crowd of Vietnamese. Three Vietnamese receittd gunsinit wounds. In

the wake of this incident, the Kosas City Human.Retations Depart- .., went requested and received technical as,istance from the Indochinese

,Refugee Interagency Task Force in-Washington, D.C. After ten, had relaxed, a Guinotte Manorkirask Force Was created. The task orce

'was cowposed of three black residents, three Vietnamese residents,

three white !residents, and institutional representatives of the police

. de.paftnient, housing authority, human relations, and the resettleme . office. The function of the task force was to serve as a resource cente

*id" Ill .. " Uhl% opinion i widely hared by many wgments of the Community.

652

, , V
inside Gumotte NIalipi whet(' leili1111S could go 'I;) receive assistance.

infoi !nation, oi aid in resolving conflicts

rhe concentration of Indochinese refugcet at Gumotte Mvot

served as a magnet drawing refugees from auross the cointry." The

Indochinese reffigees from the lower CCO110111.k sofde are accustomed

to living in clustels. Vie refugee population in public housing steadily

increased due to the migration of othei refugees from initial resettlement locations to Guinotte Manor Another eaw;e I'm the mei ease w...as

family reunification. Overcrowding remains a problem overlooked by

the housing authority. It is not uncommon to find as many as 10

Indochinese re gees sharing a two- or three-bedroom unit, despite the

large percentag of vacant units available.

An additional roblem for the ifi'dochinese refugees occurred when

Missouri declined Fcderal.monetary assistante offered by the government under Piddle I .aw 95-145. The reasons behind this action remaih

unclear but some ideas have been expressed on how this administrative

decision was made. These include the unwillingness oft he State to pay

its contributing share of the funds and the growing unpopularity

among some_Qems of the welfare dual stanilards for refuees. There

is uot an unemployment problem among the Indochinese in Kansas

City. However, it is not uncommon for three or four members of' the

seine family, to-work tb support a large family. These fishermen who

came to Kansas City without marketable urban skills work in various

low-skill jobs.rrhe majority of Indochinese refugees in

Columbus Park area earn bOween $3.50 and $5 per hour.17

Ill. Federal Policies and LawsL,Analysis # A. These new low-inerne Asian Americans were victims Of the

failute of the national housing policy:-

-Under Federal law, there never has been a specific housing policy or

program relating to the needs of Asian Americans or other ethnic

groups. The housing opportunities of low-income _Asian Xmericans

therefore closely track those of other low-inCome minority groups.

In 1949 Congress did generally commit the Federal Government to

achievement of "safe, decent and sanitary. housing" for every American family, particularly low-income flimilies. The national housing

ob:jectiye,is ". . .the realization as soon as feasible of a decerit home

and suitable living environment for every American family. . . ." 42

U.S.C. Sec. 1441. The "Declaration of Policy" in section I of the 1937

Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1401, establishes as "policy of the United.

States to _promote the general welfare of the nation by employing its

' I he populotion swelled tel221 pep,ons. by June 15, 1976. acutuding to a tel 11.4 nithed by

the vretnamese Centel.

K an$a s City Star (Star Magazine). Nov 2b, p 1(1 tr.

h 66ti .11

653
funds and cleilit to I euredy the ungafe and unsanitary housing

conditions and t the acire shortage of tleccnt, safe, and samtpry

dwellings for families of low income, in tirpan, rural, nonfarm and

Indian areas, that are injurious tol,he healtli, safety or morals of the

citizens of the Nation." 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1401i Congress, in 1968; again

lealliimed the goal to the United States I/ousing Act of 1937 by

* ordering Ill1D to give "the highest prnCrity and emphasis. . .to

meeting the housing goals of those families for which the housing goal

has not become a reality. . ." 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1701t.

The Supreme Court, in Thorpe v. Housing Authority'Of Durham, 393

U.S. at 281, judicially confirmed that one of the specific purposes of

the Federal housing' acts is to provide, 'a decept home and a suitable

liing uirdnmeiut for every ATherican family' 'that lacks the financial,

means of p oviding, such:a home without governmental aid." It also. ( recognized Coufgross' direaive !hat 'roll agencies of the Federal,

t , Government having powers, functions, or duties with fespey to

housing. . .exercise their powers, functions and duties tu er this or

" any other la*, consistently with the National Musing Poli1 declared

by this act." 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1441. This policy has been reaffirmed and

reshaped through thg years. Congress, for example, in the Preamble to

the Housing and 'Community Development Act of 1974, again

reaffirmed the Mterest of low-income persons in safe, decent, and

sanitary housing:

1 654

(c) The primary ottjective of this chapter is the development

of viable urban communities, by providitig decent housing and a

suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, principally ror persons of low and moderate income.

Consistent with the primary objeCtive, the Federal assistance

provided in this chapter is for the support of community

development activities which are directed toward the following

specific objectives:

(1) the elimination of slurps and blight and the prevention of

blighting influences and the deterioration' of property and neighborhood and community facilities of importance to the welfare of

the community, principally persons of low and moderate income;

(2) the elimination of conditions WhIeFare detrimental to

health, safety, and public welfare, through code enforcement,

demolition, interim rehabilitation assistance, and related activities;

(3) the conservation and expansion of tOe Nation's housing

stock in order to provide a decent home and a suitable living environment for all persons, but principally those of low and

moderate incomes;
(4) the expansion and improvement of the quanht y and quality

of community services, principally for persons of low and

moderate income, which are essential for sound community

development and for the development of viable urban conutiumties;

(6) the reduction of ihe isolation of income groups within

communities and geographic areas and the. promotion of an

increase in (he diversity and vitality of neighborhoods through ;lic

spatial deconcentration of housing opportunities for ix-rsops of

lower income and the revitalization of deterioratino- or dieteriorated iieighborhoods to attract persons of a higher intome. . . . 42 U.S.C. See. 5301(c). 4 r..

) It indeed is clear that HUD and its predecessor ve been unde a

/duty to direct the development of low-rent units suph,,manner

will encourage and assist. . .the development of well-planned, integrated, residential neighborhoods. . ." since at least 1949. 42 U.S.C.

Sec. 1441. The progression of these duties- of the Department of

Housing and Urban Development is well recpgnized by the Federal

Courts. See, e.g., Joy v.,Daniels. 479 F.2d 1236, 1240-1241 (4th Cir.

._. 1973); Shannon v. HUD. 36 F.2d 809, 816 (3d Cir. 1970). - .

7 The legislative histOry of the United States housing .act and other

national -housing' legislation enacted in the interest of low-income ,

persons is literally permeated with the mandates _Congress tiliait.

HUD act in the intirest of poor persons, including Asian A

Despite the clear duties assumed by the Federal Gover ent, it is

clear that the-'failui'esof the national holiting policy is a tragedy of

k

national proportion. In the case of nunierous public housing developments funded and reg lated by ,the Federal Govermetp, HUD is,-.ii

effect, maint*ing little more-than racially segregated slums. The\

divisive and garmful.social results of maintenancei by local housing

cauthorities of segegated slums 'emasculating the purposes of the

United States Housing Act or 1937, had to have a substantial inpact on

the integratipn of these Asians in American society.

By 1975 the Housing Authority of Kansas City (HAKC) owned and

managed seven ionventionaily-constructed public housing-developmenAi for families. There had been no new developments constructed

for use by families by HAKC Once 1963. The housing authority had

knowingly maintained tio of the deVelopments as blaFk developments

' at all times since.1967.11. seven family developments were located lin

central city areas which had experieneed substantial declines in terms

" See legislative hist cited iit ELS. Coile Cong. a Adm. News, 1949, pp. 1565-1566; 1954, pp. 2723

2724, 2726; 1968, pp. 873, 2874; 1974, pp. 4397. ., a .. A 4

. 6 6,

655
of condition of the housing 1;tock and Median income -ftjt esidents. The

developments increaltingly had growing numbers of ver low-income

minority families with significant.social problems and were served by

.. public schools Thich were rapidly 1.%coming racially segregated.51t

)asinevitable that these conditions Would affect the resettlement of

lese Asians in Kansas City.

Kansas City had recognized, the need for dispersal of some of these

units. The mayor had, since 1971, consistently promoted such a

governmental policy. HAKC actually conceived and executed a

workable plan forthe construction of family housing at dispersed sites

within ths city of Kansas City with the cooperation and support of

plannin agencies of the city, members of the city council, the city

i , and the mayor. The plaintiffs, in 'a lawsuit filed in 1976,

that4hese units were never built because of policies promulgate( the Nixon administration during the early 1970s. Sec Louise

Vann et aL. Plaintiffs. v. Housing Authority of Kansas City, et aL,

De .i)ndants. Civil Action No..4cV72-W-3. ------

., January 8, 1973, the ltdministration declared a moratorium on

the furthei-V. istructipn of conventional public housinOmits under the

United States HousMg Act of 1937." The fate of HAKC's segregated

devel?pmeMs was thereby foretold and HAKC thereafter was denied

further reservations or developmentS for construction, and existing

reservations were ceased by HUD. Since 1974, Coniress has repeated-

. ly expressed its disapproval of these particular HUD Policies." It is

only in the last several years that HUD has*.gun developing limited

policies to counter this national trend. :. . It is, therefore, little wonder that these Asians ere gr96.4 affected

by 4,their residence in housing owned by the tetropolitan area's

housing supplier of last resort. This failure of th natiOnal housing

"ppolicy affects HAKC's waitinst, in terms' of numbers and race; it

affects the difficulty in mamtaining'integrated housing for Asians and

other minorities; it affects the Kansas City gchoOt District, which in

turn reinforces a segregited environment affecting the Asian Nmerican, and it all could have been avoided by simply following clear

directives of Congress long ma as 1949.

B. . Many resettlement p ems could have been aioided through

better cooi:dination and use of existing Fedral programs.

The 1oWer income Indochinese refligee received disparate treatment

as couipared to those Indo4nese refugees from a higher socioeco-

" Senate Report 93 1036, 93d Cong d Ness., pp;7 (Aug. 1, 1974).

" Senate Report 93-1023, 9;id g. 2d sem., p, 7 (1974); H.R. No. 94-1091, 94th Cong. 2d. sm.

(May 6, 1976); S.R. 94 .749, 94th ng., 21 sem'. (Apr.32, 1976). 1 656

668

V
-- nomic group. The Federal Government should not \\have totally

abandoned its policy of individual sponsors for indivllMel refugee

families. In doing so, the Indochinese refugees Were depried of any . meaningful interaction with American familie Nor* stpuld the

Federal Government have agreed to the large concen ation of

. Indochinese refugees in Columbus Park withput prior co ultation

witk..41,Lmajor segments of that c6mmunity.,Much of the resentment

from theYfrit community arose as a result of the exclUsion of (W.

community from the decisions which affected them. A closer examiar 0

tion of these problems by 9te Federal Government would have

revealed a history of cultural and racial differences between the whites

in Columbus Park and the blacks living in Guinotte Manor. : The Federal Government should have assured that necessary

supportive services were adequate and available. The housing supply,

for example, was inadequate absent the use of these dilapidated public

housing units. There also was no adequatecounsding service, even as

to the mOst basic housing needs. Consequently, many refugeeit. faced

their first winter in Kansas City without knowledge of flow to turn the

heat on in their public hiiusing units, or rhat, type of food and clothing

to purchase in preparation for a Midwestern winter.

The Indoc nese refugee resettlemeut program suffered most of aft

from the lac f a consistent, uniform refugee policy directed by die

Federal Gov ment. The program bad the appearance of a piecemeal *

operation wit the funding to the resettlement office being coustintly

. interrupted. The flow of refugees to Kansas City continued af a rate

which made proper service impossible. Oftentimes, personnel working

at the resettlement office had to work full time without pay. A uniform

refugee Policy may have alio prevented the steering of poorer refugees

into existing neglecte4 'Veas like Guinotte) Marior and! thereby

preventod further negative impaction. v The Federal Government could also have bettaved the Communi-

.ty Relations Service of the UnitedStates Department okJustice. This

little publicized agency was established-under Title X of the 1964 Civil

Rights Act to, as the lang the act puts it, "provide assistance to

cominunities and person' in r lying disputes, disagreements, or

(-difficulties relatinglo di riminato y practices based on race, color 4

national origin " Tile Community Relations Servke staff have pioneered the ad tion of labor-management 'mediation techniques to

community d' ute resolution work. Their techniques are now comipg

I to be recognized'as' a coat-effective means for getting at the underlying'

factors.that precipiiate conflict.

Foi eicarnple, at' the time of the altercations betwten refugees and

low-income ATerican minorities described above, the Kansas City

Human Relation& liepartment found corisidefable benefits from

4.

657

(-;
persons attending a meeting held in Kansas City with persons .+,lio had

experience resolving Indochinese-refugee resettlemen problems else-

, where in the United States. The residting planning .nabled Kansas

- City to anticipate avoidable conflict. This meeti g was in part

organized with the assistance of Community Relations Services

personnel based,in Kansas City.

Contingency planning and dispute resolution through mediation

advocated by Community Relations Services is a continuing function

pailliculahy in light of increasing nunthers of refugees and other

minorities experiencing discrimination prohibited by law. Many cities

and cdunties experiencing conflict associated with prohibited racial or

national origin discrimination do not maintain civil rights program

9fficials. For example, Johnson County, Kansas, a substantial portion

of suburban Kansas City, announced March 21, 1979, that the county

government was discontinuing funding fof-stief positions and disbanding their human rights commission. jr

-% 658

7ALS

lp
Appendix I

THE COLUMBUS PARK INDOCHINESE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROPOSAL

A Proposal)

Comildering the Resell lenient of Vietnamese Refugees

Subehitled* by the Residents of the Columbus Park Area of Kansas City, Missouri

gx The Columbus Park community in Kansas City is a completely

integrated, multicultured neighborhood which has traditionally served

dewly arrived immigrants to this couhtry, irtcludingdisplaced persons

daring World War 11 and refugees from Hungary and Cuba. One of

the oldest and yet one of the few true neighborhooqs remaining in the

n etropolitan area;it offers an atMosphere unlike that in'any other part

o the city. Its residential buildings are structurally sound and well

kept. It is served-by a strong church which was originally founded to

serve an immigrankiparish. An active Home Owners' Association and

maq .communitylOriented groups such "as the Property Owners

Planning Commission 14-41he newly formed Columbus Park DeVelopment corporation (a nonprofit organization funded by the city

charter's revenue sharing, plan) instrumental in neighborhood

development and maintaining th the heritage as well as the property

of the area. !Os a stable ct iunity which desires to maintain .that

.... stability.

The Don Bosco nity Centg iS dedicated to providing a

structure tb the corp_. provi es it with many essential

services ihcluding the pr motrotof a e. The

i area is but a few blocks from thislity market where many o t e

residents are employed. It is centrally located to all of Kansas Ciiy and

boasts the lowest crime rate of any area inkatke city. . Theirfore, based oft. the -heritage of the \neighborhood and id an

effort to aid in the reVitalization of Columbu& Park, while at the same

time providing neW immigrants to adjust' t eir new life, the

following pr9posal is presentedi

PROPOSAL To relocate up to 75 Vietnamese refugee families in the

Columbus Park area of Kansas City, Missouri, utilizing eiisting

housing facilities and services to settle and, oeientate these people at

low cost to the government and be able at the same time to provide thc

659

410
APPENDIX I

Approximate Costa

Housing Pteparing Living Units 40 at $295 $11,800

/181 Year Rent (10001*) $ 7,876

2nd Year Rent (50%) 3,937

3rd year Rent (25%) 1,968

TOTAL RENT $13,781

Education

Basic English & Citizenship

Teacher $10,000

Supplies & Texts Z000

Vocational Language Training

(For Professional & Technical People)

Teacher $12,000

Tape Machines, Supplies & Texts 18,500

Rent 3,250

Social & Welfare

Social Worker , $10,000

Recreation Director - 8,000

Bus 5,200

Driver 6,060

Miscellaneous Costs 2,000

Supplementary funds to senior citizen and day care programs would be on a per capita basis in proportion to present funding. v refugees with a structured community geared to expediting the

cultural transition which they face. The 'community itself would,

benefit in that the sctling of the families in the area, many of Whom

would be professional people, skilled workers and tradesmen, would

aid in theoftabilization of the neighborhood and concurrently upgrade

the living condktions.

I. AvellibIo FcIIItIes

I. Housing

A. Private Housing: Up to 40 apartments in 'the community could'be

made available to refugee familiest providing them with immediate

acceptance into the community itself. ALM approximate coat of $295

per unit those units could be revitalized. The greater part of this money

Would 'go to impro* the actual physical structure (plumbing, wiring,

heatin& painting, etc.). The csmmunity through such organizations as

the tame Owners' Association, local churches, and the senior citizens

organizatiOns could aid in providing the essentials of, hOusekeeping

-such as linens, bedding, cookiag,utensils, etc. The suggested rent for

,660

673,
each such unit would be $105 per month with the appropriate

government agencies providing 100 percent of the rent for the first

year, 50 percent the second 'year, and 25 percent the third year, the

balance being paid directly to the landlord by the resident.

B. Public Housing: Units in -the Ouin'otte and Chouteau housing

projects which are being vacated by the screening prpcesses of HUD

programs could peovide up to 35 residences for refugee families. Thab.

same method of renk payment would be utilized only with the

government agency itself acting in the capacity of rent collector.

II. Orientation Facifities

The Don Bosco Community Center, funded by Federal revienue

sharing and the United Funds. The center is the hub of the community

and has a history of working with intmigrant peoples who have

traditionally settled in this area of Kansas City. It can provide ;mini

and educational services without extensive modification to its piesent

program and serve in an oveiall advisory capacity to the new families.

Physical facilities and some of the staff of the center can be utilized at

no cost tO the taxpayer. Among the services which are presently

available or could be easily adapted are:

I. Nutritional education

2. Citizenship education

, 3. Language education

4. Recreation programs, including sports, crafts, and various

leisure tithe activities.

Obtaining orientation in such an atmosphere would greatly facilitate

the assimilation of the families into their new society. ,A. W. Social Services

A. Day care center

B. -Senior citizen organizations

C. Food programs

Dat Guinotte recreation center

IV. Education

A. Public Schools

I. K. C. Mo. elementary & secondary schools

2. Penn Valley Community College

3. University of Missouri at Kansas City

B. Private & partziehjal schools

C: Vocational training

Many private and public institutions provide this service The Don

Bosco Center could be used for training in such things as o skills.

D. Language education

6

74-.44i

661
See attached outline [below].

Employment

The area is centrally located in reference to industry and business.

Many area businessmen have expressed a willingness to hire the

immigrants.

-*

Feeling that the neighborhood has, much to offer in the way of

aiding the Vietnamese immigrants and willing to acCept d them

wholeheartedly into the Jio'ciety, realizing that the neighborhood itseq

will be greatly benefited and the cost to the government will be'

extraordinarily' low, the consensus of area residents is that this

proposal be adopted for the best interests of all concerned.

The opportunity to teach English as a fore4n language is undoubtedly one of the finest and most rewarding pursuits a teacher could

have. To this end I have proPos0 a tentative program for teaching

English as a second language to *hive speakers of Vietnamese. This

program is designed to inkiate or augment a methodology for

readjusting Vietnamese refugees to a worthwhile social and economic

life while in the United States. In the program the students are to be

taken on their own merits; that is, iea person was a banker, he would

be studying economicsor financially oriented materials so he would be

more competent to compete in business/circles here.

As a basic approximation th program runs as follows:

it- It is an intensive program (ideally). This is especiallyovaluable in

the early stages to bridge the $ p relative to the linguistic diversity of

the cultnres and,also because the success that such programs have

had in the past. The increaI number of contact hours of daily

language instruCtion will alio dircurnvent the problem of having to

place the reffigees into etccupatio al fields immediately.

2. It is a program that i relati ly. easy to administer. The materials

can be appropriated so that . here is a need for only a few

'adMinistrators who are quaIifie or have knowledit of teaching

second languages. The rest of the s ff or instructors can be trained in a

relatively short time to serve as asistant instructors, While it is not

neesiary, it is certainly mbst hel fill that these assistant instructora

have a knowledge of teaching languages or at least hive learned some

other languag# so that the neWness..ofrthe classroom situation will not

detract from/the students right to learn English.

3. The coin of the program can be keld to a minimum with the aid of

the community and donations from ocal firms in terms of teaching

materials, instructional aids, and clerIdl serv,ices. The most expensive

component of the educational progTam will probably be a language lab.

662

673.
with electronic facilities, though it is not uncommon to limit these

electronic facihties to an unspecified number orcassette tape recorders

for home study:

4. The time needed for traininki a language learner in a new language

has been estimated to be at least I year. This will bring the student to

approximately a fourth or fifth grade level of language proficiency.

'Any time devoted after the first year will and should be spent on

perfecting the language that goes along with the students' prior skills

and occupational professions.

The abbve language frogram was developed by William D. Patter-

.. son, Intensive-English Center, University of Kansas. Lawrence,

Kansas.

4

676 663
\

, APPENDIX II

Indochines Refugee Population by State as of May 1979

a

1/31/7,9 2/28/79

Alabama 1,369 1,378

Alaska 242 246

Arizona 1,318 1,334

Arkansas 1,868 1,918

California 48,997 50,009

Colorado 3,727 3,756

Connecticut 1,716 1,762

Delaware 199 199

District of

Columbia 837 877

Florida 5,712 5,808

Georgia 1,726 1,788

Hawaii 3,012 3,118

Idaho .416 456

Illinois 5,856 6,044

Indiana 1999 , 2,040

Iowa 3,230 3,330

Kansas 2,252 2,265

Kentucky 1,072 1,106

Louisiana 7,445 7,487

Maine 292 302

Maryland 2,947

MaSsachusetts

.2,924

1,601 '1,634

MicNgan 3,169 3,259

Minnesota 4,503 4,590.

Mississippi 799 810

Missouri 3,0Q2 3,120 Montan* 507 513

Nebraski 1,527 1,587

3/31/79 4/30/79 )5/10/79 \

1,480 1,504 1,514

246 259 259

1,383 1,416 1,428

1,974 1,985 1,990

52,111 53,640 54,017

3,946 4,032 4,047

1,865 1,900 1,928

199 201 201

1,191 1,352 1,370

5,931 6,039 6,058

1,863 1,933 1,938

3,336 3,437 3,465

461 465 465

6,452 6,768 6,844

2,088 2,109 2,113

3,446 3,713 3,713

2,326 2,385 2,396

1,143 1,162' 1,162

7,680 7,815 7,825

313 321 321

2,973 3,016 3,021

1,712 1,792 1,792

3,380 3,484 3,520

4,864 5,017 5,082

816 831 831

.3,199 3,254' 3,260

529 541 544

1,670 1,761 1,761

.

677
APPENDIX II (ContInuedY

Indochinese Refugee Population by State as of May 1979

,1/31/79 2/28/79 3/31/79 4/30/79 5/10/79

Nevada 840 884 916 932 940

New Hampshire 145 145 145 145 152

New Jersey 1,901 1,929 1,946 1,950 1,969

New Mexico 879 903 962 996 - 997

New York 4,968 5,136 5,525 5,84d 5,869

North Carolina 1,340 1,364 1,434 1,506 1,506

North Dakota 303 366 387 . 401 401

Ohio 3,112 3,185 3,322 3,419 3,439

Oklahoma 3,670 3,758 3,867 3,966 3,971

Oregon 4,463 4,596 4,841 5,023 5,076

Pennsylvania 8,079 8,234 8,722 8,894 8,909

Rhode Island 869 890 963 999 1,022

South Carolina 907 918 927 934 935

South Dakota j, 466 466 497 , 513 513

Tennessee 1,695 1,728 1,805 1,873 11877

Texas 16,536 16,903 17,349 17,669 17,732

Utah 1,404 1,463 --1,603 1,710 1,727

Vermont 52 52 52 52 52

Virginia 7,027 7,077 7,156 7,225 7,234

Washington 6,457 6,586 6,829 7,097 7,131

West Virginia 154 171 171 176 176

Wisconsin 2,814 _ 2,873 2,981 .3,018 3,057 t

Wyoming 96 se 96 96 96

Guam 364 376 387 387 387,

PAierto Rico 36 36 36 36 36

Unknown State 499 499 .499 499 499

Virgin Islands 17 17 17 17 17

480,470 184,334 192,012 197,511 198,585

665

678
Health and Social Services

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. The CommitiSion, in connection with the

4

consultatio0 now turnS to the health and social service issue arca, and

I'm requesting our colleagtie, Commissioner Saltzman: to preside

d ring the discussion of these very important issues.

-ommissioner Saltzman?

OMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Our first -panel on health and social

service issues will deal with the area of mental health. We'd like to

introduce to you Prof. Kenji Murase. Mr. Murase is the principal

investigator for the Pacific/Asian Coalition, mental health concerns

division, and has been a professor of social work education at San

Francisco State University since 1967. Mr...Mrrae?

Presentation of Professor Kenji Murase, Department of Social Work 'Education, San Francisco State University,

California

MR. MURASE. Thank you.

Members of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for

this opportunity to appear before you.

Since so much has already been said about mental health related

issues, I will focus on only a few of the issues that I have developed in

my paper. I will, therefore, focus upon the wepific issue of how State

and local governments may act to correct the problem of inequity fill.

Asian/Pacific Americans in their access to and utilization of mental

health services.

We have heard much during this consultation about the problem of

access and utilizatiOn in relation to other services. So I'll not go into

the problem here. The premise developed in my paper is that State

government performs a critical role in determlning the nature of the

mentalhealth services. That is, through its faction, Contribution, and

control over the provision of seryices, and through its administration

and disburstment of Federal funds, State government is a major

instrument in influencing the quality .and, quantity of mental health

services.

Although the problem of access and utilization of services affects all

Asian/Pacific Americans, my primary concern is with the most

vulnerable, the most at risk aroUps'among Asian/Pacific Americans.

As we have heard repeatedly in this Consultation, there are at least

three such groups. The first consists of recent immigrants, mainly

Chinese, Korean, Filipinos, and other Pacific Islanders. The second

group consists of Indochinese refugees, and the third would be the

elderly of all Asian/Pacific American groups.

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4
Now, what are the barriers that crettie the inequities in trcess to and

utilization of mental health services by Asian/PacifiC Aniericama In

my view, and as we have heard much of this before, there are, first of

all, the cultural and linguistic barriers, and these may be defined in

terms of cultural values, lifestyles, and language.

Secondly, and perhaps more important, there tile the structural and

institutional barriers. These are the bar.rizOat are deeply imbedded

in the racist history, traditions, and practices of the larger- society.

There are many such barriers, and I will mention only. a few. First,

there is the problem of noncompliance with sectiott 206C-1 of Public

Law 94-63, which concerns community mental health centers that

have a substantial proportion of limited-English, limited-Englishspeaking, or nOn-English-speaking populations.

This section of the law requires that such community mental health

centers mtAt provide services in the language and cultural context

most appropriate for such populations. We know that for the most part

this is not being done.

Another barrier is tokenism in the employment of bilingual-bicultural personnel. Even when such bilingual personnel Are employed, they

are often widely disbursed throughout tlk system and are not

permitted to function as a visible team or unit.

Another barrier is) the practice of confinement of selrvices to

catchment areas only or geographically defined areas. So that even if

bilingual services are available and in one catchment area, large

numbers of Asians who aredispersed in Other areas do not have access.

What, then, can State and local governments-do to. deal With these

barriers to access and utilization of mental health services? I will

mention just a few off the. measures that could be undertaken by State

and local units of government.

First of all, BA a btisis for planning and evaluatibni there should be

mandatory collection of data on bilingual-bicultural tkeds.

eceirrdly, dye needs to be a mechanism for monitoring of

compliance with nondiscrimination statutes. One .such mecliaitism

would be the establishment of an Asian/Pacific American commission

at the State levekto perform a' watchdog function to advise the State

government on the effects of policies and regulations on Asian/Pacific

Americans.

The scope of such a commission's" interest should probably be

extended to all human services, as in the case of the Commission on

Asian American Affairs of the State of Washington.

At a minimum," such a commission should be provided with the

resources and authority to engage in monitoring existing State-funded

mental health program and facilities. It should have the.. authority to

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hold public hearings, and to withhold approval of the State mental

health plan, thereby requiring a response by the State planning agenFy.

An alternative would be the creation of an Asian/Pacific office

within the existing State human rights agency or commission. Its

function would be to monitor compliance of all State agencies with

'State and Federal statutes, and to initiate action to withhold Federal or

State funding in situations of discriminatory practices or impact.

A th0 measure that could be adopted by State government would

be a 'manadatory bilingual staffing requirement for public contact

positions in public service facilities such as mental health prOgrams.

Such a bilingual staffing law should consist of first, the identification

of a trigger mechanisip for enforcement of the bilingual staffing

requirement. For exampre, when at least 3 percent of the populatidn of

a service area are of limited-English or non-English speaking ability,

the bilingual staffing requirement would become operative.

Secondly, there should be specification ot the types of positions to

)4e filled by bilingual staff This bilingual steiffing requirement will not

lie met by the hiring of bilingual clericar staff as hb been the practice

in so many cases.

Third, there sho4ild be a spelling out of the procedures for the hiring

of bilingual staff.

And finally, when bilingually certified staff are hired for public

contact positions, they should be compensated additionally if they

spend more than a specified proportion of their time in using their

special language skills. ,Califoi-nia, currently pays $30 a month, I

believe, extra to bilingually certified staff

lave much more to say in my paper, but_in the interests of time,

would like to defer to my colleagues on the panel. , Thank you.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you, Professor Murase.

Our second speaker is Dr. Pat Okura. He has been the assistant

director of the International Mental Health program of the National

Institute. of Health for 3 years and was previously the executive

assistant to the director of that organization for 7 years.

Dr. Okura.

Presentation of Dr. K. Patrick Okura, Assistant Director, Intrnational Division, National Institute of Mntal Halth, U.S.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

DR. OKURA. Thank you very much..

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this consultation. I

have spent a great amount of time in the last 10 years appearing before

many, many commissions, many hearings, and it's my hope that the

results of this will not be the results that we have seen in so many other

668 /

681
commissions, that after the 2-day hearings or after the 2-day consultation, that all the nice things that we have said and all the other things

that we would like to see done, just gathers dust On somebody's shelf. I

trust that with the number of experts and the number of people that

1 you have called in for this kind of a consultation, that there will be

some imeact on some of our mental health programs in the next

several years and the next decade.

1 prepared a few remarks and it will probably be a repetition of a lot

of things everybody else has said but I want to say it for the record and

get it onto the record and then I'd like to tell you a little about what

N1MH itself is preparing to do in this whole area.

There's a widespread belief that Asian and Pacific Americans do not

suffer the aiscrimination and disadvantages associted with other - minority gronps. The stereotyping of Asian/Pacific Americans as a

success model among minority groups by virtue of hard work,

education, thrift, and initiatives, has lulled the general public into an

attitude of what we call benign neglect to the extent that the Asian

American concerns are secondary to the problems of other minority

groups. . The general public, as well ai the Federal Government, fails to

understand that except for the common fact of immigration and

residence in the United Statest the Asian/Pacific Americans represent

a rather heterogenous and colliplex group.:`

The successive.waves of Asians who have come to the United States

have expeAenced a repetitive history of labor exploitation, blatant

discrimination, and violence. The Asian American responded to this

overwhelming racism by withdrawing, by accepting, by uitcomplaining, and simply as quiet Americans.

This quietness has penalized many harshly since it fostered the

attitude of benign neglect among public and private officials to the

extent of excluding Asian/Pacific Americans as a significant minority

group. The fact is that despite receitt efforts to promote civil rights

and equal opportunity for all ethnie- minorities in the United States,

Asian and Pacific Americans have been largely neglected and ignored

by governmental agencies, educational institutjons, private corporations, and other sectors of oir society.

.. This has ,been further compounded by the paucity- of Asian

Americans in policy and decisionmaking, high administration and

management positiona in both government and private industry.

,T 0 examples: Anti-Asian bias in Public Law 95Z507,. ian

Amc ns have been excluded as a protected minority under the

definni f "socially and eponomically disidvantaged" in thi blic

Law 95-507, which gives prefereniial treatment to federally designated minorities in a.varding government contracts. Selection of blacks,

669
Hispanics, and Native Americans are specified in this law, however, Asian and Pacific American groups have been completely left out.

Second example is when the President's Commission's on Mental

Health was established, 'not a single Asian American, Asian/Pacific

American was named among the eight minorities that were appointed

to this 20-member Commission.

Many of us appeared before the Commission; we had ligreat deal of

input and finally there was a 20-member task for& set up of Asian/Pacific Americans to provide an input into the President's Commission's report.

NoW, why I think this is so ihiportant is that the President's

Commission's report is going to be the blueprint for our mental health

programs for.the next two decades in this country and unless we have

some impact into that particular Commission's report, and its'stated on

every other page practically, the underserved, the unserved, including women, children, aging, all the minorities and especially Asian

American minorities, in this particular report.

However, if there's no Asian or Pacific American placed in any kind of a pOsition to carry out ihe recommendations .that .appear in 'the

President's report, again we will be last in line aticl4the least served.

These are only two blatant examples in just this past year in spite of

our efforts to promote equal opportunity and civil rights for all ethnic

minorities. Now, from a mental health perspective, programs in the

area of health, education, welfare, housing, employment, immigration,

manpower, rehabilitation, aging, children, all have significant and

major jmpact on the Asian/Pacific American community. The Asian American group consists of more than 4 million which you've heard

and who have resided in-this country and aie now victims of many of

the same political and economic inequities that have victimized the

other minorities, blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans. The

guarimtee of equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex,

color, religion, or national origin isa national goal. It's legislated into

our laws and it's affirmed by the highest court in our land, so all we're asking for is, and we make the request to the Commission, to

encourage and assist other Federal agencies to implqment these laws

that are on the books, out the kinds of programs that we're

talking about.

think -that it's a responsibility which should not be lightly

considered by this Commission. We seek no special privileges; all we

seek is equal rights and equal opportunity.

Now, in the area of mental health, and the President's Commission's

report which just was completed and submitted just a year ago, they made, as I mentioned earlier, a.number of recommendations, and some of them have already influenced our 1979-80 research budgets and

670

6 9 3 ft
ft

other budget appropriations for our National Institute of Mental

Health. V

To make the most of these opportunities, and to best meet the

mental health needs of our group, I believe the minority community

has, to pervade the mental health establishment. Recently we held, just

a week ago, a technical systems workshop on minority mental health

research. Another one is planned on the west coast, and I hope that all

of our Asian American professionals and others that are interested in

mental health will make sure 'that they appear at this particular

workshop to make their needs known. - I presented a paper there in terms again of pointing out that wethe

intent is there, there are enough laws on the books, but for some reason

or another, when it comes to making policies to carry out these

provisions that are already in our statutes and in our guidelines,

somehow they fail to get carried out.

I just want to describe a couple of things that we have planned and

the strategies thai, on a policy1rnaking level; have already taken place

in NIMH, and we're wprking on.every effort to encourage minotity

participation in all areas of not only research but training as well as

services.

The first 'is that we have recently signed, together with the National

Institutes of Health, a division of relearch resources, a program to

participate and support minority biomedical support program. We're

providing research awards to variotk institutions that have significant

enrollment* ethnic minority students, thus creating an oppdrtunity

for more Asian Americans to participate in biomedical research. I'm

sure that there are a number of well trained researchers within our

Asian/Pacific American population, however, .again we seem to

overlook them when it comes to some of the prOgrams that we have

instituted.

Under this agreement signed this last month, N1MH agreed to

provide financial support into the programs to fund.activities that are

relevant to mental health and to increase the number of minority

personnel in basic clinical and applied research and as well as in

research training in all of the various mental health-related areas.

Tomorrow, when our national council meets.to give approval to all

the awards, for this particular round there will be five projects that

have been reviewed and will be receiving approximatety.$2 million to

do some of this kind of work that I just mentioned.

We also have a minority fellowship program supported by our

center for minority mental health programs. In the past year we have

provided close to $6 million in grants to the various national

disciplinarY organizations such 1LS the American Psychiatric Association, the American PsYchological Association, National Association of

0110
Social Work Education, American Nurses Association, and the

American Sociological Association in providing opportuniiies specifically for minority training programs. The obje-6ive of each is to

increase theaumber of minority mental.health prOfessiondr; and social

and behavioral scientists in these disciplines.

However, again, when you check the records of the last 5 years,

there's only a handful of Asian/Pacific Americans that -have re,ceived

any kind of help fromthis kind of a program, tind I think here again we

need to make sure that the Asian American population itself has to be a

little inore aggressive in terms of seeking these kinds of opportunities.

We are continuing to increase our grant support.interactions with

minorify institution and minority inyestigators. It's important that

minorities participate; in what we call our peer review process that is - required to the award Of grants. And they're the oneS that make- the

decision as -icy who gets the awards and so on.

So we have made a very concerted attempt to get more Pacific/Asian minorities onto these initial review groups.

In the history of NIMH, in 5 years we've only had dne Asian

American on the National Advisory Council, and that was to an

unexpired 1-year term.

We've sent up a great number of names; we have a 'number of wellqualified professionals in the mental health field, and every year three

or four names are sent up, but somehow they are overlooked, they

never t on oiir advisory council, although we are able to have

enoug cks, enough Chicanos, However, the Native Americans

Aeceive the same kind of treatment that the 'Asian/Pacific Americana

have received. ` I tliink this gitws you some ideas in terms of what our thoughts are,

in terms pf the opportunities that supposedly are available for

everyone, however, again, in my closing remarks, I'd jtist like to make

the' statement that, when we consider minorities, that we be given the

same kind of consideration that we've given other minorities.

Thank you very much.

COMMISSKINER SALTZMAN. Thank you, Dr. Okura.

Our next speaker is Dr. Steven Shon; who is the staff psychiatrist at

the Richmond Maxi-Center in San Francisco, Dr. Shon.

Presentation Dr. Steven Shon, Staff Psychiatrist, Richmond Maxi-Center, San Francisco, California

DR. SHON. The title of my talk Will be the delivery of mental

health services to Asian anC-Pacific Americans. Recruitment and

training will be discussed undeti that.

, What Pm going to discuss today briefly is really the service delivery

aspects of mental health services to Asian and Pacific Americans. And

672
A*" Nwant to point out in the beginning that it's estimated that by 1980 the

Asian and Pacific American population of this country will exceed 3

million people. And this is especially impressive when one considers

that in 1970 the population figures were estimated to be alx)ut 1.5

million.

I think the other ithportant aspect to remember in this is that over

.half of that population are immigrants, and that has a lot Of-blearing in

terms of the delivery of mental health services that I'll discuss later.

Also, I wish to point out, and several of the other speakers yesterday

and today I know pointed out, the great diversity within the Asian and

,Pacific American desispation. And because of this diversity, I think

that it really is important tbeep:In thind that all groups who are going

to be reached by mental health services must be included at all levels

of planning and decision if those iervices are really to be appropriate

for the people who will be receiving them.

In terms of the mental health models that are used in this country,

the field of mental health still predominantly is based on the medical

model of disease and illness, and there's no field in the medical field,

for example, where cufture and Value iystems make such an important

difference.

The root of the theoretical models that are presently used are really

derived from the yestern Ffrpean philosophical base with its

inherent attitudes and value sy§lem.

The growth of these models comes out of the European Age of

Reason and the development of the scientific methOd. The mental

health models are mechanistic and reductionistic kinds of models and

rarely influence the way the Western world has looked at things,

basically the world view that it's taken.

In terms of serving people, mental health service providers, when

they do serve people who share the same value system and background and culture, if often works out very well. HoweVer, in serving

people from different cultures and with differeht baagounds and who

A have a different world view, the results are often far from satisfactory.

And I wish to discuss very briefly a couple of examples of the

differences.

One is in the idea of the view_pf the family versus the individual.

Within Western society there is a great focus on the individual: The

focus on family is on the nuclear family, and it's expected that.a young

person will grow up, have authority and parental conflicts, and

evenivally break away from the family-and build their ciwn life. - The ideals of individuality, independence, and self-sufficiency are

highly stressed. Within most traditional East Asian and Pacific

'cultures, there's a different kind&stress, particularly those that have a

strong ConfuCian tradition. Tbe family tends to be a central vehicle

6 8 6 673
rather thaethe individual. It is an entity that exists through time 4nd

'has a history that' goes back 40 the beginning of time and will exist

perhapvtill the end of time. The individual's actions reflect not only on

himself and the nuclear family but often tend to reflect, or are thotfght

reflect, on the entire family line from.the beginning and on all the

flture generations to come.

Therefore, actions by the individual are looked at much differently

and the issue of stigma is much greatet. A lot of other issues arOund

this are disculIted in the paper tha,t/ve submitted and can be looked at

later.

The American mental health profesiional who sees Asian and

Pacific American indivkltials from traditional families often labeled

them as pathological, based primarily on their Own conscious cultural

bias - of what is appropriate for, mainstream, middle-cs white.

AMericans. Asian and^ Picific American children are Itequently

labeled as dependent, family members as overproteetive, and relationAiships between family members as symbiotic.

This is not to say that emotional disturb ces do not exist, for they

certainly do. But the mental tealth s'yste1I all too frequently compoundS problems by misinterpretation of both normal and abnormal

behavior and interactions because of cultural ignorance.

Another issue in which this arises is in the area of communication.

American society tends to promote directness, openness, andionesiy

as its stated ideals. (Ilowever, within the tradition of most A.sian and

Pacific AmericItit cultures, communication is goverwd by many Very

complex variables. Among them are age, status, -role, familiarity,

concepts of obligation, shame, and loss of face, and many otheis.

Without knowledge of" these important variables, many American

mental health professionals make interpretations based upon their own,

cultural view and value system aroundscommunication. Most psychotherapists rely primarily on direct verbal communication and therefore

this style of communication tends to be highly valuedpy mental health

professionals.

Because of this Asian and Pacific American pthple are often seen as

quiet, passive, nonexpressive, and overall resistant to psychotherapy,

In actuality there may be many messages being communicated but not

in the direct verbal manner that American mental health professionals

are Used to. Again, these concepts are developed more in the paper

that I've submitted.

It's therefore not surprising the recent studies in Los Angeles, San

Francisco, and Seattle show that Asian and Pacific Americansally

do not return after their*first visit to the mental health system. , 674
In dealing with solutions to these ,problems, I've outlined some

things that are again listed in the paper ancl, I'd like to go over them

briefly. - First of All, I think that it's, essential that all AsiaA and Pacific

American groups that are going to be reached by service delivery

systems be involved in all levels of the decisionmatig piocess from

the very beginning.

Next, I think that it's clear the importance of bilingual-bicupural

mental health service providers. The mentaflealfh service prohiller

who does not understand the cultural context of his client cannol

effectively serve him. With the high number of imMigranti over half

the existing Asian/Pacific American population, it's essential, of

course, that bilingual service providers exist.

I think Kenji Murase has discussed the importance of the enforcement of subparagraph D of section 206C-I of Public Law 94-63

guaranteeing that, where there is 'a significant population of monolingual peOple,t that bilingual-bicultural service providers be available.

Most community mental health centers do not comply with this

legislation but there is no enforcement and-therefore nothifig comes of

it. I think one of the essential and crucial areas is in the area of training

in terms of the solution. It's clear that there are not enough service

proyiders who have bitingual-bicultura1 capacity td deliver mental

health services.

Triatie;nal training progran4 arejlot knowledgeable or sensitive to

issues of Asian and pacific Amiricans, and therefore cannot teach and

train service providers. They often offer little oppoaunity for service

providers to have contact with Asiatvand PacifieAmericans.

Because of the small amount of resources within the communities, it

makes sense to pool resources, and I endorse the stand .that the

, President's Commission on Mental Health subpanel on Asian, Americans took in recommending a _multidisciplinary training program

located in various regions for the iraining of service providers in the

areas 44psychiatry, psychology, psychiatric nursing, social work, and

paraprofessionals.

Such a service, such a training program,could provide field work,

seminars, develop curriculum, offer recruitment and reseirch and

evaluation for Asian and Pacific American communities in mental

health.

They could also pro de direct services and indirect preventive

services as well cons __ with other service delivery imencies and

teaching institutions on the issues of working with Asian and Pacific

American populations.

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I think one of the essential features of such a training program

would be that it must be yommunity based. The idea is.not to replace

pniversitics in training institutions but to supplement theni.

In terms of shorterm goals, I think that there are a few things that

can be done. One deals with the issue of maldistribution of service

;providers. There arc ninny foreign medical graduates from Asian and

Pacific American countries who comes to the United States apd are

trained in psychiatry. However, they arc not accepted into programs

whereAhere are high 14ulations of Asian and Pacific peoples, that is,

west (koast universities and training institutions, and this is where the

majority of our population exists. They are shut out of these programs

'and often end up training and practicing in the East and the Midwest

where there are lower numbers of people.

T46 problem with the catchment concept was discussed by Dr:

Murase and I won't go over that.

I think finally the last thing that I'd like to say is that, and again I'd

refer to the mental health of Asian and Pacific Ameficans report,

which is part of the report to .the President from the President's

Commission on Mental Health, and they identify this as the central

issue for Asian and Pacific Americans in mental health and I'll quote,

"the most pervasive mental health problem confronting the Asian and

Pacific Americang is racism. The effects of racism, such as colonialism

and institutional racism are viewed as being highly detrimental to the

mental health of Asian and Pacific Americans. Racism adversely

affects the emotional and Psychological well being of Asian and

Pacific Americans and often restricts th, resources, economic and

services available to them."

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Dr. Show are you going to submit that

with your report? . DR. SEWN. Yes, I am, and they have a recommendation which. the

Commission can read in the report. . COMMISSIONFR SA!_TZMAN. Okay, I'd like. tollitank you very much

for Your preseptation. 4

Oa next speaker is'Ms. Evelyn- Lee, who is the director of the

mental health and social services-division of the South Cove Mental

Health Center in Boston.

Ms. Lee?

Presentation of Evelyn Löe, Director, Mental Health and Social Services Divison, South Cove Mental Health Center,

eoston, Massachusetts

MS. LEE. Thank you.

Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, want to make it

very clear that I am a Chinese American. Todai when I took a cab the

676

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driver was totally confukd about whether I was a Filipino, Ko&an, or

Japanese. So I just have to say that most Americans arc still confused

%about all "those Asians." . Actually, for many Asians, mental health is.still a vague ooncept

them.-During the last 16 years, I had the opportunity to work in Hong

Kong, Vietnam, and in Chinatowns of the United States. Every time

when I stepped into Chinatown and identified myself being a mental

health professional and wanted to offer mental health services, they

would all look at me, thinking that I had mental health problems

myself. I always have a hard time trying to translate the word "mental

health" into Chinese or Vietnamese without making it somewhat

threatening. So we have to start by assuming that Chinese, like other

Asians, are pretty confused about the conception of mental health, but

it doesn't mean that we don't have problems.

As a provider, I see tremendous human tragedies daily. There have

been many Asians walking into my office to ask for help. For instance,

just yesterday, I had a lady who was separated from her husband for

nearly 17 years. By the time that she arrived at United States, her

husband died on the same day. She cried to me yesterday, asking

"What right does the government have, separating my husband and

myself for '17 years"? It's indeed very difficult for me to reply to such a

question. Last week I showed a film to a group of garment an0

restaurant workers and we talked about our problems in Chinatown.

Many of them have to work 12 hours a clay in restaurants or factories

with only 5 or 6 hours of sleep each day..They. lack iinion protection,

health insurance, and retirement plan. I also have a lot of young clients

who have no idea whether they are Chinese or- American:- Many

lonely elderly aredying daily in Ciiinatown, with neither adequate

klealth care nor attention from the anyone else..As Asians, we have a

lbt Of problems. What happened to thok nice promises made to us by

ihe government in the_last two decades? For instarice, what happened

to the 1963 CoMmunity Meing Health Center Act and its1975

amendnients which guaranteal bilingual-bicultural services? What

about those affirmative action acts? The mandate of Title VI 9f 1964?

It's nearly impossible for me to provide satisfactory answeig to the

consumers ip our community.

Sixteen 0..ars after the first Community Mental He:1th Center Act,

one sees only a few coMmuni4W-based mental health programs for

Asians. Severals days agO I was in Chicago. I aisoovered that-Asian )

Human Seiyices has the budget for only one staff while4mtny other

Asian countunities either have very few or have no bilingual-bicultural resou#s at all. What a very poor track record!

You mighuek, "What would you want now"? Since we're so

overwhelmed li-f-our pOnblems, it's hard for us to pin all those needs

0

.1
and priorities together. But what I may share with you is my personal

experience from working in Boston Chinatown. Our mental health

service model can be served to demonstrate hbw the use of bilingual- bicultural staff can dcamatically increased the elivery of servicea to Asian minorities.

After nearly 10 years of negotiation with the a government we have obtained one huge building, which is referred as "one-stop shopping

mall for human services." Within the building, we have an elementary

.s.clilool (with more than 700 'students), an elderly tower (with 160,

apartments), a health center (with a mental health component), a little

city hall, a community school (with English classes, recreation

activities, summer camp, after school progi'am, etc.).

This one-stop shopping mall concept has brought many positive

results to our community, and I would like to see such a model become

a reality in every Chinatown and perhaps even in every Asian

community.

Why don't Asians have adequate mental health services? According

to'my impression, many Americans, used to regard us as the "okay" or "model minority." They came to our restaurants, tasted our foods, and

talked to us a little, and then left. They would never picture or realize

the miserable life of the reMaurants workers, the laundry workers,-and

the female garment factory workers.

Mother reason for the lack of effective sgryices is because there are

very few bilingual-bicultural mental health providers in the existing_

service delivery systems who could underitand the common value

systems and life stresses of the cosumers.

During the past few years, we have been referred a lot of "chronic

schizophrenic"_ Chinese from State .hdspitals. After years of intensive

outpatient treatment and training programs, many of them are now

holding jobs aruitare no longer dependent on the State hospital system.

Such a model has many advantages: one, this kind of comprehensive

setting is very Cost effective,. For example, if sotheone from our

community Walks in to see one of our bilingual counselors, it would

cost $28 per encounter, but one outpatient encounter would cost $50

from a teaching hospital nearby. If he happens toefall apart that night, hospitalization woirld cost another $300 for one inpatient bed per day. So ,it is not just a "nice" system form,but a very cost effective way to deliver services; two, our progiarns wprin such a system are

controlled by a cominunity board which 'is more responsive te the

consumer's need and expectations; three, such a neighborhood health

center (as provider of primary mental health care) greatly increases the

accessibility and psychological acceptability of mental health services.

This service model also enhances prevention, early case findings, and

coordination of primary health care; four, the physical design of the

678 . 691
r ental health center in the same geographic location with other

human services increases the program visibility and also fosters

ihtegrated treatment planning; five, activities with other service

networks facilities can improve coordination of care for patients with

multiple problems. Very few of my clientspatients would have just

,/ tine problem. Most of them are haviiig so many problems such as legalc problem, housing prOblem, financial problem, mental health problem,

health problem, etc. It's very important for us to treat the "body" and

the "mind" under one roof. 7

What would we request from the government?

I have a list of 16 recommendations for the Federal Government and

10 for the State. Let me just focus on the Federal Government:

Number one, we would like the support for the creation of a

(

minority mental health center diyision. ADAMHA should provithl an

annual budget to carry out its responsibilities and functions. More , Asians should be appointed in the policymaking position.

, Number two, we urge the ADAMHA to monitor more aggressively

and to provide technical assistanCe to the State to implement

affirmative action in the local conununities. 4111?-

Number three, culture specific models for servicsdelivery should be

develoried a id impleniented in all Asian communitits in the context of

accessible pr liry health care or multiservice center settings.

. Number fi r, we would like to have specific policy addressed to the

4 newly uprodted Asian immigrants and refugees with appropriate

funding anct legislative authority.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. MS. Lee? Um sorry

Ms. LEE. I cannot finish but I wish people would read my paper

because it has the entire list.

Just one more thing. i would recommend that someone from the

office can integrate all our recommendations within a month nd 'then

ftI would like to have a meeting with the representative fro HEW,

especially the ADAMHA administration, before July, befor.e their

summer vacmion, if possible. . . - COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Well, we can't commit ourselves relative to HEW. I know yolir entire paper will be submitted as part of the

record, woii't it? With all the recommendations?

MS. LEE. Yes, my concern i§ we talk a great Cleat about needs and

OroblFms, what to doowhat alternatives but very few followup, and

that's the reason .why I really would like to see that all Nose

recommendations listed today .will be followed up with a definite

deadline.

COVMISSIONER SALTZMAN. We will seek to comply.

I know we plaaed serious time restraints on this panel as well as

other panels, and I'd like equally, with great-respect for my colleagues,

6 9 4,

679
to place tithe restraints on them. You have about 3 minutes for

questions before the time for our next panel.

Mr. Chairman?

- Discussion

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Commissioner Saltzman turns to mc with

that kind of an admonition because he knows that I'm constantly

talking with my colleagues about our schedule -here in fairness to

everyone.

I'd just like to ask this question, and if you don't have an immediate

response to it and would like to furnish it to us, I would appreciate it,

I'm very much impressed by what virtually every member of the

panel has said about the failure to bring about an implementation of the

provision of the law that 9ills for bilingual and bicultural resources at

the community mental health`centers.

I feel that when Congress passes a law of that kind, all of us have got

some, got a real obligation to ace whaecan be done to bring about its

implementation. f Do you know of any situations where that kind of absence of

bilingual and bicultural personnel has been pursued with the director

of the community mental health cliiLc and nofgetting satisfaction, has

been pursued ftirther along the li In other words, I'm interested in

whether or not, in any situation particularly where the members of

your community are in need o is kind of service, there's been a real ,

effort to put pressure on, tq,bfing about an implementation of the law,

and if you don't kno certain case histories where that has been

wou appre6ate your furnishing it to us and then I would like

to send your case history or history over to tbe Department of Health.

Education, and Welfare and get comments from thtm to see if we can

bring to a head what's wrong here in terms of bringing about an

implementation of this provision of the law.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. As former Secretary of HEW, I think

our Chairman has a little bit of influence over there, so if you will

provide that information lo him, I thinkit would be helpful.

Ms. LER.ahere are a number of pxamples. It will be very easy to provide

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Well, if you could vrovide those case

histories, I'm Sure qua will be helpful in terms oi our pursuing it.

Commissioner Freeman?

COMMISSIONER FREEMAN. No.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Mr. Nunez?

MR. NUNEZ. No questions.

680

69;3
COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. I want to thank you. I found this

fascinating as I'm sure all of our colleagues did. Thank you very much

for being here. . [Applause.] j

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. OUr next panel will deal with communif

- ty services.

Our first speaker on this panel, I see it says there Sandy but I have

Sandra, is it okay if I call you*Sandra?

Ms. Sandra Ouye, who is a .membet of the board of directqfs of

, Kimochi; Incorporated, a grassroots community organization serving

the JaPanese American elderly in San Francisco.

Ms. Ouye? ... Presentation of Sandra Ouye, Kimochl, Incorporated, San

Francisco, Catfornia

Ms. OUYE. Thank you, Commissioners.

Incidentally, "Kimochi" in Japanese means feeling. g

The area that I' going to address this afternoon is the area of

community servi for the elderly. And some of the areas of the

elderly have been addressed in some of the previous panels so that I

will not repeat some of those issues that have come up.

One of the things- that I want to do first though, is to clarify the

'perspective I'm going to present to you today. My perspective is

basically from a grassroots, community-based organizational perspective, based on a philosophy .of participation in the Asian American

movement which started back in the 1960s. My experiences have,been

mainly in the San Francisco Bay area, in California, in the Japanese

American community. Therefore, my comments would be mostly

addressed to those areas. , I wanted to first indicate to you that I strongly support Tonr Kim's

statement yesteiday in terms of his definition of Asian. Americans.

That it is, indeed, a political concept and a developing political 'clout

,and not a race. It is important to understandima respect the cultuial

diversities among the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, Vietnamese, and Pacific Islander elderly.

Japanese American elderly say to me they are 'Japanese American

before they become old. And when I am talking about the elderly, I

am talking about persons over 55 years of age.

There are a couple ofstereotypes that I want to kind of dispel to the -

members of the Commission. Qne is /hat we are not the tiuiet

Ame4ans, that Japanese Americans are not the model minority, and

that Japahese Americans have not madeit. . For'some of you4n the Commissi9n,..just for your own information,

although I do know that Commissioner Flemming is well aware of this

, 681
becaus he used to be the Commissioner on Aging, and that is that we

have ha a research project that was funded for a' period of 3 years,

and that as headed by Dr. Sharon Fujii on the PaC IASian elderly

research project, which was completed in May of 1

Also, we have just received some funding from ACM in terms of a

7-month developmental grant to have four workshops on Asian

elderly in New York, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Chicago.

Dr. Kenji Marase is the principal investigator and the director of

that project is Louise Kawakami Swanson.

Now, dealing" with the civil rights issues, I want to mention a

problo and make recommendations to the problem that I mentioned:

As-a thi d-generation Japanese American, a Sansei, I wasborn in Tule

Lake, a concentration camp, and it seems that most of my adult life I

have participated in dealing with the civil rithts of my people.

So that this is why I'm here and this is why that I would like to share

with you som of the civil rights issues that affect our elderly.

The first is the need for accessibility of the elderly to inforniption

and direct ser ces. And as it is now, there are many establishment

agencies that ar ot providing culturally relevant services to our

elderly. Therefo , back in the late '60s and early '70s various

community-based rganizations were formed throughout. the Nation,

on the west coast, specifically in the /Jay area. Kimochi started back in

1971 for the Japanese elderly. Another group is the'East Bay Japanese

for Action in Oakland and Berkeley, California.

Another is the Pioneer Center in Los Angeles, California. For the

Korean elderly, i3 has been the Korean Service Center in San

Francisco. For the Filipinos, it has been recently the Manilatown

Senior Center in San Francisco. And also three other senior centers in

the Mission district in San Francisco.

For the Chinese, the program that has gained worldAationwide

recognition is theSelf-Help for the Elderly in San Francisco.

Many times these community-based organiztaons in seeking funding

sources for direct service delivery have come acro'ss situationswhereby it is mpch more feasible to the funding source tot us to be

affiliated with a large institution or a very credentialed, so-called

credentialed institution such as a university.

And I will tell you, Commissioners, that we fit the community may

not have the credentials but we certainly hame-ixpetience with our

elderly. Therefore, my recommendation is that your Commission

require the appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies to fund

cominunity-based programs based on evaluation and monitoring of the

quality of the program, and I'm talking about quality of services, fiscal

management, and units of service per dollar.

682

6 9.5
IMy second recommendation .. the hiring of Pacific/Asian Americans or culturally senghtive persons to provide bilingtfal-bicultural.

services. , My feeling is that yesterday, that one of the panelists, MS. Bok-Lim

Kim was asked a question pertaining to the number of translators that

you woUld want to hire in a bilingual-bicultural setting, and that it is

not possible or reAistic to hire a great inumber of those. Andll think

that we would all agree that, of course, that is not practical. Irowev.er,

one thing that people seem to forget, is that when we talk about hiring

bilingual-bicultural individuals, we are- saying that we can also provide

services to the Anglos as well as Asian Americans. And that we have

people who are capable and competent to do that. And I would like to

./ refer to a document that 'came out of the California Advisory

Committee on Civil Rights, and I'd like td quote a recommendation

that was presented to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, back in

1975, of which I participated in this hearing also in San Francisco.

The recommendation reads: "That the Advisory Committee recommends that all public social service agencies provide bilingual Asian

'American and Pacific People's outreach employees as well as printed

material in Asian and Pacific languaget." And I realize that that was

back in 1975, and a lot of those things have not been implemented.

Another area in terms of a problem is the effect of the result of the

Bakke decision on funding and affirmative action.

The recommendation I have is that the U.S. Civil Rights Commission monitor. the Federal agencies to provide an equal opportunity for

Pacific/Asian elderly. The other, in terms of problem areas, is in terms

of specifically Japanese Americans. We are talking about the new

elderly, the 1Ifsei generation, the second generation who were the

victims of concentration camps. We are finding that there are many

problems and we would recommend that appropijate funding be given

to agencies that will- try to reflect those needs of the Japanese

AmeticansIderly.

And in terms of the immigration answeroopill Hing referred to

yesterday the exclusion and deportation of elderly aged receiving SSI;

I think he did make some recontmendations on that.

In terms of the census, I want to support Fortunata Azores'

comment she Made yesterday to hire bilingual staff and that Ithe thing,

'in addition to that, is that you've got to hire people from the

commtinity because our elderly won't even open the door if you don't

have people that they're going to trust.

And that our rebommendation would be that your Commission

effectively monitor the U.S. Census Bureau on this.

683
4

And in closing, 1 kel it is incumbent on the Commission to seek

methods to monitor their recommendations to the various Federal

agencies, and therefore the question becomes, after you get 'all the

information from all of us here today and yesterday What will you do

to make a commitment for.our civil.rights?

And I've appeared before many hearings, and I continue to do it because I believe in it, but the ultimate question is, in connection with your desire to be concerned with civil rights: What kind of power do

you have'?

Thank you.

COMMISSIONER SAI.TZMAN. Thank you, Ms. ()nye. Dr. Lawrence K. Koseki is presently deputy director of Hawaii's Department of Social Services and Housing.

Dr. Koseki?

Presentation of Dr. Lawience ,Koseki, Deputy Director, State Department of Social Services and Housing, Honolulu, Hawaii

DR. KOSEKI. Thank you, Mr,.Chairman, meMbets of the Commission.

My presentation is based on a paper which is essentially a case study

. of one agency in Hawaii. The presentation or the paper is an attempt

to relate the Issue of civil rights to the concept Of affirmative action.

Within this context, the paper presents detailed analysis of the agency's

ethnic distribution of ,its employees as well as the recipient groups. The paper also provides some 4nalysis 'of the political leaders of the State, including congressional persons by ethnic backgrounds. I do

also want to spend some time ,commenting on the concept of Asian

Americau/Pacific Islander as it is used in Hawaii.

Then, in concluding my presentation, I would like to suggest several

steps which telate to the civil service or merit system.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. If you do not finish within the allotted

time, sir, I'm sureyou heard that all the material presented to us will

go into the record aId will be considered in the course

DR. KOSEKI. Right, I understand that.

COMMISSIONER ALTZMAN. Thank -you.

DR. KOSEKI. There are many things unique about Hawaii, the fact that it's an island State, separated from the U.S. continent, but one

unique factor is that the population is diverse that there is neither a

white majority nor a single majority ethnic group. Although there are

more Asian and Pacific Islanders living in the continental United

States, the Asian-Pacific Islander group constitutes of 61 percent of the

nonwhite population in Hawaii. Hawaii is also known as a place for

immigrant and refugee settlement.

684
4 The concept of Asiap American and Pacific Islander as an ethnic or

even a political identity is rarely used or acknowledged by Hawaii's

people.. Rather, Islanders tend to identify themselves with their ethnic.

specific labels such as Chinese, Filipinos, Korean, Japanese, etc.

Interestingly, even the "-American" is omitted.

The underutifization of the Asian American/Pacific Islander term

may be due to a number of complex factors. However, given the lack

of a minority-majority mindset and the possible lessetied need to

organize and coalesce with other minority groups to deal with a

majority group, it is my conjecture that Hawaii's racial groups have

generally tended to rely on their own-specific racial identification. In

spite of the so-called Pacific Asian "majority" among the State

politicianS, issues and problems are seldom addressed along racial lines.

In fact, despite the voting patterns 1which reflect sonic racial

preferences, it is commonly accepted that running for public office

based on one's ethnicity is politically suicidal.

The power of the Pacific/Asian political leadership thus must be

viewed withip this context. It is My belief that if power is derived from

, financial &sources and racism and discrimination are .practiced for

economic reason% then we also need to take a hard look at Hawaii's

economic and corporate structure to really understand the sources and

dimensions of power.

But the fact remains that in the analysis that I have done within our

i department, thc Japanese population is highly visible n State government and in some of the professions. And ytet their visibility in

government service must be viewed in an historical context. This is a

point that 14,wrence Filchs made incisively-in his book, gawaii Pono:

Soda/ History.

The Japanese at that time .represented the largest single group

before, during, and after World War II. Ai the same time, they were

generally excluded from jobs in the privre sector, in some of tile

professions, and from the Federal Government.

Armed with veterans' benefits to further their schooling and imbued

with their parents' value on education, nuiny of the Nisei veterans

went off to college and upon their return, sought employment in the

Slate civil services system, particularly in teaching.

The impact of this proc6ss was achieved in 1954 durjng the

Democratic farty's landslide victory in Which the politi -social

system of Hawaii was significantly altered.

The point to be made here is that there is a continuing residual effect

of this social-political revolution' wflich rippled through the third and

fourth generatkin of the, Japanese population. This, in part, reflects

their current nunibers, sioecifi6ally in teaching, social service, public

health, engineering, medicine, and dentistry.. No doubt the large

685

69s
J.

number of Japanese coupled with their educational attainment put

them in a very visible position. 1/4 . The department of social services and housing involves a nurir'ber of

programs, .86 to be *cif-ie.; we have a budget of over, t 300

about 2,054 empl4ees, and .the types of service' range from public

assistance, medicaid, vocational rehabilitation service, public housing, corrections and parole.

The paper was aimed to take a look at the ethnic background of the

employees as well as the recipient group. With ihe exception of the

corrections division, Japanese constituted a majority in most of the.

major programs. Conversely, the recipient gr.oups showed an almost

reverse pattern where other groups such as the Pacific Islanders were

heavily overrepresented.

This, to me, indicates a concern that the so-called yellow Asians have to be very sensitive- about. Because Hawaii's people generally perceive others as well as themselves in ethnic-specific terms, the

,resulting impression is not that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

are well represenillo, but rather the Chinese and especially the

Japanese are overrepresented in the department of social service andin

most other State jobs.

As I noted earlier, I think the ethnic distribution of the recipients is such that we peed to be more sensitive to this imbalance. This can and

has created tensions, strainNd intergroup conflicts among the varioris

Asian and Pacific Islander groups as well as with white and other

nonwhite groups: .4. lin addition io the struggle to obtani.: access to employment

opportunities, racial tension and intergroup e'onflicts are also generst- ed by way of the provider-consumer relationship when the client's,;,

perception of the provider of Services is predominantly, of one ethnic

group. And while a peripective of history is essential in understanding

the present state of Aran's, other issues must be uamined.

One such factbr is the merit'systema system that evolved out Of a

'concern that government workers should not be v'tilnerable and

subjeCted to politléal patronage. However, thb' Aelopment of the

cMl service system has become bureaucratic in 'view -of its detailed

rules, procedures, regulatiOths, etc. But more signifipantly, the problem

'relqtes to the 'minimum qualification!' which c'alls for some form of

credentials in education, training, and Wbrk expeiiences, which at

tinies-may be highly irrelevant. . And while qteiconcept of the merit systeni is generally accepted by

society, the question is: Are. ,there other alternatives. to Which

underrepresented groups cab be included. M the system?

Let me suggest some action' alternatives. One is a coqcept that we have used in- Hawaii and it may be applied elsewberea concept

686

6 9i
A

referred to as "selective certification." Selective certification deals

wfth looking at the requirements of the jot) and tailoring the

qualifications accordingly, such as for his/tier bilingual capabilities;

another is "geographic location" of the applicant's residenceimplying the need for familiarity of the target community or servie area.

Another alternative is to change or at least begin looking at the

current minimum qualifications to see if they are related or relevant to

the job duties. And lastly, what appears to he the most important are

the intensity and level of sensitivity to one's own staff and looking at

its ethnic composition. Thus, when the eligible list is referred from

civil service, we need to examine the gaps and/or umkrrepresentation

in filling vacancies accordingly. This will involve and affect lair

administrators and hiring authorities. This plea for a keen sensitivity is

not limited to the white majority; it includes all of us as Pacific/Asians

who have decisionmaking authority or are in the position to hire

people.

Thank you.

COMKISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you, Dr. Koseki.

- Now Dr. Kinzo Yamamoto, who is, at present, director -of analysis

and evaluation at HEW's Health Resoterces Adminisiration.

Dr. Yamamoto?

Presentation of Dr. Kinzo Yamamoto, Director, Analysis and

EvaluatIon, Health Resources Administration, Department of

Health, Education, and Welfare

DR. YAMAMOTO. 1 thank you for the invitation to participate

%-

today. . I am a Federal worker as are some of those that have already

appeared. My remarks will be focused oti health manpower, and since

there's a lot done on this 'subject, my comments will be short and I will

provide the staff with the material that I broUght in my briefclise.

COMMISIONER SALTZMAN. ThanIt'YOU.*

DR. YAMAMOTO. As all of you know, health Imanpower data ant

not universally available, but given the nature of this conference, I

thdught ttiat some selected Asian American and Pacific Island health

manpower terms might be useful as kind of guidelines to what we're

talking, about on how Asian Americans are faring.

In medicine, for example, the total enrollment for, and may I use the

abbreyiated Asian American and for the entire Asian 'American and

Pacific Island, the Asian Americans have increased from 1.1 percent in

'68-69 academic year to 2 percent '76-77. In actual numbers, in othet

words, during this 2-year period, we have increased from 421 students

to 1,177. This kind ofincrease is also reflected in other pursuits such as

A osteopathy, but I won't read those numbers.

470G

687
In dentistry and in the major health profes.sions that we call the

MODVOPPS that is medleal, osteopathy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry, and pharmacy, some might accuse the

Asians of being the "super whites" or the most industrious students

that you could find.

Thus, I'm litre to examine that label because we must be careful of

what that kind of inference might bring us. So let me briefly look at the

track record and make some personal as well as policy examinations.

For example, in the private sector, the Association of American

Medical Colleges at this time does not recognize Asian Americans as

an underrepresented racial minority as far as mixlical school enrollment is concerned. That, is, they are satisfied with the numbers of

Asian Americans entering medical schools. , The Federal Government, on the other hand, includes. Asian

Americans in its health manpower thrust as a minority, and as a group

subsumed under its definition of disadvantaged.

In some cases, then, the Federal policy.does not exactly match with

what the outside world is doitig. The inclusion of Asian Americans as

disadvantaged does not necessarily proffer them, however, in Federal

programs, to any' special benefits. Only tha they are not omitted as

part of the definition.

My personal speculation is that if the myth would continue; that our

health manpowerkack might change, and go in another direction. So,

I, as an Asian American, kel that we need to do something about this

homogenization of the concetit of Asian Americans. I'm sure lots of

people have spoken to the issue in the last day and a half here, and it's

really a statistical category that lumps all of us together, and it has

invented more problems than it has solved, in my view.

We should closely examine the Asian American success story of our

increasing numbers in the several health Professions. We should not be

surprised ,that Japanese and Chinese\ Americans.would capture a large

proportion of students and graduates in the health fields.

But if you were a Samoan.litting out there in the audience or a

Filipino or Guamese or Vietnamese or any other lesser numbered

Asians which comphse the total category of Asian Americans, you

would be fairly ticked off that you happen to be associated with the

Japanese and Chinese. You may be sure that the artifact of the

defihition would cause you more grief than good.

I'm fairly certain that this has been repeated many times here. Thus,

What we face here is a statistical homogehization that- needs to be

reexamined concerningigealth manpower opportunities or, for That

matter, any ki4d of opportunity of the smaller Asian groupg which

should be separately examined. I would personally decry the assassinatiA of Martin Luther King because he was trying not to have us

688

70 A, .
4

1

Ic

separatefy go our various corners along with blacks or Hispanics. But

for this consultation, I think we must pursue the current cards as laid

tefore us. . Now let me make some observations that Would, perhaps, lead to

recommendations. As I had just stated, from the narrow perspective of

the health manpower opportunities). for Asian Americans, we are

making some gains. Howver, these gains are clustered around the

second-and third-generation -Asian Americans and speciffcally Japaese and Chinese Americans.

Thus, first we aced a special delineation and enum, eration of the

arious Asjan subgroups, and I think that should be something that

would have to be taken to those clearance channels like OMB or the

Census, etc.

Second, since.our health manpower training opportuiRties should

eventually provide some type of health care, we need to address the

bilingual-bicultural phenomenon ofprovider and patient.

Here we must lye concerned that any Asian provider cannot

necessarily interface with all Asian patients. And in this regard, I will

leave(or the Commission the law, I shall not read it, That's Public Law

94-484, which is the Heldth Professions Educational Assistance Aet of

1976, and section 904F which reads 'that, "the Health Resources

Administration will provide Congress with a report on what we are

doing on dke bilingual-bicultural training." And we dodhave a retort

out, and I wbuld ask this Commission to examine what we are actually

doing in folloWing up those endorsements and recommendations. -

Sometimes recommenditions do surface or are actually forwarded, but

in this case Ilion't see aAything happening. . . Thirdly,1 think those Of us who consider ourselves as active Asian

Americans should respond to pUblic appeals and notices for legislative

,. , and regulatory reVtew. There are opportunities to comment on

regulations that ate pubkshed in the Federal Register. s

. In this sense, I think Asian Americans ,doenot participate in sufficient

.numbers by providing public comments. . An4 finally, I endorseithat which Pat Okura said previously, that we

are trying to get Asian Americans as members in the various national

advisory councils. I think this would be helpful.

I thank you vetw much.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank ypu, Dr: Yamamoto. -- Our next spealvr is Ms. Wlen F. Hayes, who now serves as the

'director of tile Chinese Cultural Center hi Washington. Ms. Hays.

Presentation of Hlen Fugh Hayes, Director, Chinese Cultural Center, Washington, D.C.

Ms. HAY 13 s. link you, Commissioner.

689

'
In the last 2 days much has been talked about the myths and realities

i the Asian and Pacific American, therefore, since I work in the

hinese commuyity heroin Washington, D.C., 1 Illp,ught I would just

ve you a httle background information of outs monition and

\-- existence in these years and what We're.looking for in the future to

come.

The ChiAese Cultural Center was opened without any ifunds in

September 1970. At that time it was located at 740 Sixth SIT N.W., on

the second floor.

. . As a final result from a meeting organized by three concerned,

Chinese youths from Chimttown with some Chinese community

leadtrs and the then-dean of the adult and cOmmunity eAcation

division of the Federal City College to provide some, however small,

.0 technical assirance for the Chinese community, Federal City College

responded very warmly with the space and small supplies fA the

Chinese center.

I and several other people volunteered, and we opened the Chinese

center; the services in those days provided were English classes for the

non-English speaking, family planning and health, citizenship classes,

consumer and social security benefits, income tax preparation; and - accompanying elderly patients to lie city's medical clinic serving as

interpreters. . "

. Incorporated in January 1973 in the District of Columbia, the

Chinese Cultural Center's corporate title is the, Asian American

Bicentennial Corporation. It is a multiservices and nonprofit, taxexempt organization dedicated to promote better understanditig '\ between pvples of different cultures and to serve the needs of th ,-/

Chinese coiCamunitY. . , 1 e(k. In April 1973 the Chinese center moved from Sixth Str t to its

. present location, 711 Eighth St., N.W., roop 179, a buildin adjacent

to and owned by the Calvary Baptist Churdh. However, the Chinese

center is an independent, nonchurch-related entity. , Cooperative Extension Services of the. Federal College, which isiv- i

ay1-1975, seed motley, for the Chinese center came from the D.C.

#4

today the University of the District of Columbia.-CrThe center is composed of two organizations, the Chinese Cultural

Center, AABC, and Chinese Extension Service Center, D.C. Cwperafive Extension Service of the University of the District of Cogmbia.

Under the auspices of these two organizations, the center innovates

and coordinates several programs: housing planning for senior citizeys,

families, and new commerce in the Chinese community. This is doneln

cooperation with the MultiFamily Services Inc. and D.C.D.C.; the

Chinese Senior Citizens Club, with a membership of 246. hindering

effectiveness We provide recreational activities; also at the Chinese , 690

, 70 3
Center, CETA aides; hot lunch program 5 days a week, cosponsor

by the Washington Urban League; legal services, immigration c

citizenship applications, etc., that are coordinated with the Le

Neighborhood Services. And we also promote the Sino-econom c

community development for the Chinese business and the community,

such as last yea0 summer street fair publication of my and) guide

book. . We did vocational counseling early this year, provided educational

guidance, referral services for job training and emplornent, and this is

done in conjunction with UPO and the city agencies.1

, The Chinese center for the coming summer 4.4ll serve as host

agency for the bity's summer youth employment program. This is iiii

cooperation with the D.C. Board of Trade, the D.C. Department of

Labor, and we anticipate about 20 or more Chinese,and non-Chinese

Youths in this program. We will be providing training and counseling

in employment and educational opportunities. , Everydaylet me talk about the youth. lir .1475 \the Chinese center

had three 4-H national winners from the nistrict of Columbia. And we

were\in Chicago. So it ,vas an experience for *ek youngsterkEvery

day t ecenter serves about from 50 to 60 persons through clines, hot

lunches, and services, and then We get various requests fqr information

and assistance.

In addition, the center offers free servioes, such as translation and

cultural presentations for other organizations and city agencies. The

Chinese center today still runs on' a shoestring manner. We subsidiie

t inn D.C. Cooperative Extension SerVide funding. Other

mo ..... coming from donations, self-help projects. We cater

Chin `.r large parties; we recently just did one for the Asian

a Heritage ' at the Cannon Building and that money will be going A\

to the elderl housing project. =

lb And the ladies' glub,,they do Chinese tailoring, etc. and this is a selfhelp project that the center is sponsoring. /

\-. The center resides in two large rooms; its major equipment an'd

resources c4nsists of a Chinese typewriter 'and English typewriter, a

refrigerator, a 16 mm. movie projector, tape recorder, a Dodge

, Maxivanomd a dedicated, hard-working, bilingual staff and volunteers

and friend?. For recommendations, we , did an analysis this past year,

th needs and assessment, which I'll just read briefly. "Cottpled with

the 'flcienci in English, itygeneral lack of inderstanding of the

American way of life. The need exists to .deve p an awareness and

understanding of such basic factors in banking po1lcies and procedures,

obtaining credit and responsibilities, proper use f capital, existing

public health services in the city, personal budgeting, types of potIntial

jobs arid requirements for entering them, how to obtain U.S.

704 691

/4\
citizenship and resources Mr assistance in fulfilling the requirements

Social security provision and benefits, pension plans, house insurance.

just cut time short snd go to.some of the suggestions

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. You've got about 30 i& nds.

Ms. HAYES. I'll just hapd th est of the paper to you.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMA Okay, thank yOU very much, MR.

Hayes.

Our final speaker is Victorina Peralta. Ms. Nralta has been the

director of\Oe adult and aging services division of the Philadelphia

Department 4,PAlic Welfare since 1974. Ms. Peralta.

Presentation of Victorina Permits, Director, Adult Services,

City of Philadefphia Social Services Dipartmant

MS. PERALTA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

In the interest of time, I shall confine my presentation this afternoon

to a brief summary of some of the eight concerns I wish to call to the

attention of this Commission. HoWever, I am submitting for the record

the full text of my testimony.

The topic assigned to me tl?is afternoon is "State and Local Policy."

I, as a social worker, born mid raised in the Philippine', came to this

country in 1%64, firm in the belief that in this rich and powerful

country, which was to be my second home, there is ej1ia opportunity

for the goods of fhe society regardless of race, color, creèd, or ethnic

background. That was 14 years ago.

Today I can say without the least doubt of hesitation, that where the

needs of Pacific/Asian American& are concerned, those democratic

ideals about equal opportunities regarding access to services, availability of resources, as well as social and health 'supports for Pacific/Asian

Americans,lare indeed a myth rather thfin a reality.

For, indeed, the policies in this country are rather discrnatory,

regressive, and punitiye where the needs of Pacific/Asian Americans -

air concerned.'

Anil to back up my statement,,I refer to the findings of outstanding

Pacific/Asian American researchers, among them Dr. Sharon Fujii,

who made a study on a national level on the needs of Asian,Ambrican

elderly in 1978. I was part of that advisory board which helped put

said study together with Dr. Fujii.

I also refer to the study made by Bok-Lim Kim of 1974, of Juanita

Tamayo Lott, 1976, Harry KiMno, 1975, William Lui, 1973,1uanita

131_rros, 1977, and many others who have documented the fact that the

ngdl of Asiail Amerienns and the *Pacific Islanders are not being

wrved.

5 Pacific/Asian Americans ae underserved and unserved. In particular, letphare with you the experience we haye In Philadelphia, a

.1§92

1
city of the first class. 1 will confine it to the area of aging since Dr

Flemming and 1 worked very closely in that field When he was the

Federal Commissioner on Aging.

We have the Philadelphia C9rporation on Aging which is responsible for allocating State and Federal funds and for coordinating and

planning services to the aging. When we apProachefl thcm to seCure

funds for services to the Asian Americhin elderly in 1975, their

response to its was, "Where are those Asian American elderly? We

have not seen them. We don't even know they're around." Philadelphia Corporation on Aging [CPA] is a private, nonprofit agency

handling public monies.

.So 1 did a "Potentialities and Need's Study of Asian American

Elderly in Greater Philadelphia" 1978. We got money from Chicago,

mind you; the project had to be funded from Chicago to do a study in

greater Philadelphia. I was the principal investigator and my coinvestigator was Dr. Herbert Horikawa.

Our study showed that Asian American elderly, Pilipinos, Chinese,

Japanese, and Koreans in Greater Philadelphia are not receiving

services that are theira by right. We presented the facts to PCA. We

gave them a copy of the study. For the record I am submitting

herewith, as a part of my testimony to the Commission, a copy of that

study as document 13 to my testimo y,"Potentialities and Needs of , Asian American Elderly in Greater 1 iladelphia-N78." At that time

the Philadelphia Corporation on Aging told us, "But we have no new

monies coming in; we cannot fund any new programs."

This is, indeed, the type of very systemic,/subtle kihd of discrimination that 'we are receiving, based on the policie-i-of both local, State,

and Federal Government. -4

Now let me give you some other examples of ho'w these policies are

indeed discriminatory, regressive, and punitive in natifre. Let us take

the Title XX comprphensive social service plan. .The regulations

require that there should be a hearing in ordet .that people can haye

, input in the development of this comprehensiVe sodal service plan.

The announcements are made in English, in yeti Tine prints, usua y

at the last Page of the newspapers. The hearings are conduct in

English. How do we expect the Asian Americans and;.le

Islanders, particularly the .non-Eitlish speaking, to have.an. in t in

this process when they do not speak orread English? ' Sometimes Pacific/Asian Americans cio not even want to participate

in these hearibgs even if they speak.English fol fear of being hafassed

or even nade fuh pf because of air "funny accent." . In th allocating funds, the basit for funding is the 1970

Ansus. The reau Of the Census in 1970 admitted !That they

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4
undercoltnt nnnorities, and yet that census continues to be the basis for

allocating funds to communities.

Let us take, the SSMs (social service hiemorandiiinsl. Those of you

who are in the field of social work, particularly in administration, I'm

sure you get this very voluminous athount of SSMsthe social service

memorandums. These social service memorandums spell out the

regulations and interpret them. Even those of us who are lucky

enough to have a good education have a hard tiMe interpreting these

SSMs because they are written in such a confusing English language.

For instance, as pe director of the.county welfare agency, I, myself,

have to call up Washington or Harriturg to get further clarification

on these SSMs. How can our Asian American and Pacific Islanders

participate in the process when even those of us who are lucky enough

to break into the system due to our aggressiveness and due to our push,

still are confused with these SSMs, which we get continually with the

guidelines which likewise continue to chauge?

We implement the program according to4the guidelines. Within 2

months or so we get another SSM Oanging.the guidelines, and so we

continue to shift and change and shift and change; in the process, we,

the Asian Americans and the Pacific Islanders, are shortchanged.

Now, in terms.of the merit system, the policy is that to be able to get

into the decisionmaking process or to be an employee within the city,

State, or Federal Government; we -have to take the civil service test.

I'm Aid I passed that test. But very few Pacific/Asian Americans do

becausethese tests are discriminatory in nature, due to the langthige

that are used, and the way those tests are structured.

I saw you make a sign that I have only I minute.

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. One minute left.

Ms. PERALTA. Okay, for the record, I have here my I 6-page

testimony that I wig submitting to the Commission marked Document

A. Since this is a form of dialogue, I would like to end my presentation

with a question directly to Dr. Flemming.

I chose Dr. Flemming because I have very high regards for him.

Doctor Flemming, you're always honest and you do haVe...unquestion=

able integrity in my opinion. The $64-question I ask is' this: There has

been a 3-year study with a lot of money put on the national project on

Asitn and Pacific Island Americans which was supposed to have

became the Civil Rights CommissiOn's statutbry report to the

Prvident and Congress showing aspects of discrimination affecting

iihnin and Pacific Island Americans'. W t happtned to that report?

one bf my colleagles, Bobby Santos fr Seattle, asked that question

-1 -"this morning, and I heard, if I am rig t, that this 2-day eonsultatioh

will take the place of that report. t

s'

694

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p.
6

Dr. Flemming, no way can a 2-day of consultation take the place

of a 3-,tar extensive study that was supposed to have been submitted

as a report to Congress and to the President, For the record, we ask

you, Dr. FlemMing: What happened to that report? Will it be made

available and will it still be among the reports to be submitted to the

President and to Congfess?

Thank you very much.

[Applause]

COMMISSIONER SALTZMAN. Thank you, MS. Peralta.

I will recognize Dr. Flemming to respond, but I do want to remind

ourmy colleagues thitt it is 4:00 p.m., Some of us, unfortunately, have

planes to make or other transportation commitments.

Dr. Flemming.

Discussion

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. First of all, may I express my appreciation

for the presentation made by this, the members of this panel. It seems

to (me you have identified 'and tied together in a verx fine way, some of

th basic issues that we have been taking a look at.

ond place, may I assure all of your-that this consultation is not an

end In itself. This consu)tation has been held for the purpose of

bringing together the kind of evidenceNhat has been presented to us,

and as I indicated yesterday afternoon, this testimony will be evaluated

and the Commission, colleagial body, will then determine what its next

step will be.

In determining its next stop, it will likewise take into consideration

and evaluate any staff work that has preCeded this consultation, and

that.staff work will be reflected in any decision we make as to our next

stop.

I did point out, without making any commitment at all, that one of

our normal next steps is to work on the development of what we tend

to call a monograph. I referred to the fact that some of the members

that have participated in this consultation did participate in the

constiltation on battered women, and we are now in the process of

developing a' monograph which will contain findings and recommendations and will be addressed to the President and to the Congress.

And certainly there is no doubt if my mind but that the members of

this panel and the menpers of other panels have identified the issues in

the civil righlis field which should be explored further,' which should

be discussed by the members of the Commission, and which', on the

basis of those discussions, should lead to findings and recommendations in one form or anotfier; it may be a monograph or it may be some

other kind of a document, should lead to findings and recoMmenda-.

tions that Will, in tttrn, go to the President and o t ongress.

( 708

695
./. .. Atid, of course, those recommendations often 'that arc addressed to

the President, often include specific recommendations to other

departments of the government, but we address the other departments

of the government through the President.

And I think that you have probably gathered from the questioning \

i

that has taken place here, and with the requests dra t have been made

by members of the Commission for additional information, that certain

issties have fleen put On top of the table, that we intend to follow

through on it, I end to get responses from the departents and m

agoicies of the go ernment.

And we are in a position where we can get those responses.

We normally have to difficulty in getting it simply by requesting it,

but we have authority if we have to exercise the authority to subpena

information that we need in order to make up our minds. So that this

consultation, with the additional information that we'll get as a result

of the issues that have been identified here, plus the other staff work

... that has gone on in this area, will all be brought together, considered

by the Commission, and used as a basis for determining what findings,

what recommendations to make to the President and to Congress.

That is the way the process will operate. TheI'd like to make this

general statement, that I, first of all, want in behalf, not only of the , \

Commission, but I think in behalf of all of,those from the Asian/Pacific ) \

American community, who have participated in this process, express

deep appreciation to the staff of the Commission that organized thiiii

consultation.

. As some of you, most of you undoubtetily know, the members of

this Commission all have other assignments; this is a citizens comMisSion in the fullest sense of the term. Consequently, it is not possible for

thcm to take a great many days out of their other assignments for Any

given hearing.

A great deal has to be worked in to a fairly short period of time.

And I feel that the staff of thc Commission has done an_ excellent job

along that line, but I know Ithat theyvve been able to do that job

because of the kind of cooperation that has come from leaders of the

'community, the ideas, the suggestions that have come from the

members Of the community. And I know finally that we've been able

to have this kind of an experience together because of your willingness

to respo9d to, to prepare papers,' to come here to make these

presentations.

Now, I want to underline -this, we do not takeI -believethe

comment that we make to you when you're not able to complete a . presentation in the time allotted, that we are 'going to have your

coMplete paper made a part of the record of the consultation. This

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means t.. we will give consideration the paper and to the evidence

that has been incorporated in the paper.

I'm going to make one final comment g owing out .of one

observation on the part of another member ot the panel, which related

to, in effect, it was kind of rhetorical question: What is the authority of

the Commission?

And as I've listened to some of the comments, I've realized that

there's some confusion on this, and some of your minds just as there is

in the minds of a great many other persons. This unique body; we have

no enforcement authority of any kind. Our role is a role of identifying

basic issues, making studies, conducting hearings or consultations,

weighing the evidence, and making findings and recommendations to

the President and the Congress. That's one of our major roles.

The other major role is to moritor what departments and agencies

of the.Federal Government the have responsibility for enforcement of

civil rights laws are doing; to make studies, conduct hearings, and once

again, make,findings and recommendations to ihe President and to the

Congress.

Once Ike have publicly issued a report, we do not let it rest there; we

endeavor to followup on it, but our role is essentially a leadership role,

ithat's what itihas been for the last 21 years. We cannot implement

anything that wethat we recommend. We try to develop aif

understanding of our findings and recommendations, try to develop

support for those findings and recommendations.

When something is issued growing out of this consultation, and out

of the other staff work (that has gone on 4n this particular area,

including findings and recommendations, if they are to be implemented

will be very dependent on how the memberi. of this community

respond and how the members of this community followup on

whatever findings and recommendations we make.

We'll be following up also, but we'll need your help and your

usistance.

VICE CHAIRMAN HORN. Mr. Chairman, I agree with your comments on staff. I think this was an excellent( well-roundea presentation

and I, too, am grateful for the willingness of the witnesses to compress

their oral testimony to 10 minutes, especially when we had any

number of college professors who are used to talking in 50-minute

modules. I know that's a very difficult assignment.

I share your concern about the comment I did hear from one

witness, earlier this afternoon, the worry that we have said this bifore,

we have said this to Federal, and State bodies, and will this be simply

another report that gather", dust on the shelves?

That's a legitimate concern and I think the Chiirman's remarks as to

the role of the Commission, I hope clarify that.

697
I think we should also remember that what we arc talking about

here in terms of solutions fi)r many of the problems you describe might

also be the solutions for the problems other minority groups describe.

Indeed, other people in society who are not members of minority

groups also face problems in terms of low-income housing, the need

for social services in a timely manner, so forth. Ultirately, there are

one of two places those questions get resolved. They get resolved in a

political process, whether it be executive or legislative or they get

resolved in a judicial process. I would include within the executive

process the bureaucratic-administrative process.

And I am always'conscious as one Commissioner, and I think all my

colleagues agfee with this, that we do not want to raise false

expectations as to what this Commission can do.

All we can do is try to focus on matters as the Chairman suggests; to

make findings and recilmmendations, and from time tpiime, to try to

educate a broader public which I think is important if you are to be

successful in the political-administrative-bureaucratic process.

Court action is something else. You do ndt newsarily need a

broader public to sustain court action, although that can be helpful.

And I'm glad that this dialogue has oCcurred on the record, because I

do not think anyone should be misapprehensive that as much as each

of us might like to wave a Wand and would willingly wave it, that the

problems will be easily solved. It means that you have to talk to

elected representatives and people running for office and you've got to

keep after them not just let them promise you something during a

political campaign, and use you, if you will, 4ith all the hokey

symbolism that we see in California and the Nation. You've got to

keep after them and let them know what are you doing every day.

Then perhaps you will achieve a little bit of progress in these areas.

The powers are there, it's a question of the executive, be it national,

State, or local, using the will to carry those powers out.

MS. PERALTA. May I respond to the comment made by Mr. Horn.

Those of t,who are here are very well aware of our responsibilities as

sian Americans. We would not be here otherwise. However, there

re two sides of the question just as there are two sides to a coin. We

will continue to do our part, but we expect the Commission also to join

us in this effort and make sure, and I'd like to repeat, that this 2-day

consultation recommendations are not going to gather dust; we hope

further that this is not a token kind of a consultation wherein we are

brought together tg appease ottr advsztacy at different levels.

We also hope that this is really something that the Commission will

take seriously and that you will keep in touch with us because we are

ready to support you, but we need your support, likewise, in our

efforts towards improving onr quality of life.

698
VICI: CHAIRMAN HORN You don't have to worry about it gat heripg

dust with this Commission, your woirv has to be again - and that's the

phrase that bothers me, "gathering d61,- I'll admit it, vour worry has

to be that when we issue the report and issue the recommendations,

that when we followup with our monitoring process every month (us() and ask some assistant secretary in a Federal agency what have you

done to carry out the recommendations, and we get, in return, a

bureaucratic euphemistic letter and we again followup, then your

problem has to be to help us deal with the .political authorities to

whtmi those individuals rgport and with the Congress. We can't do

that..We are prohibieed fr6m lobbying.

MS. PERALTA. We are aware of that, Mr Horn, and that's why we

want to make sure that since this is a dialogue, we don't want to end it

up with some kind of a paternalistic attitude: .we being lectured upon

and being instructed as to what our Obligations arc%

We know what our obligations are. We also know what our

respons4bilities are, but at the same time we hope that this consultation

is taken 1/4rionSIY so th4 it not just a token or just an exercise in

futility or j t a going tbrough the process. That's what we want to

ensure.

VIcu. CHOtMAN HORN. If it wasn't taken seriously, we wouldn't be

here.

PERALTA. Thank you vsyry much. That goes f(-11.0w.t.tx).

If you, we do.not take our responsibilities seriously, we will not also

be here, sir. Thank you very much.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMING. Just one moment, so that we're sure that we

understand one another. No one was attempting to indicate whatwe

never attempt to indicate what the responsibilities of this or any other

group may be. But we've learned from experience that it is very

important for persOns to understand what the role of the Commission.

is.

MS. OUYE. Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Horn just left and I'm

so y that he did but one point that you may relate to hini in terms of

st information is that his point of pglitical organizing in terms of

dealing with the politicians and so on is one well taken, and I assure

you that in the Asian American communities, this'is a growing kind of

thing, and that there are very many organizations, people here today

are participating in organizing a political organization throughout the

Nation.

CHAIRMAN FLEMMIK. I, you know, as I listened to the testimony

over the last 2 days, I sensed that this was something that was evolving

as I listened to the varibus witnesses and I appreciate your comment.

MR. NUNEZ. I have several announcements and I, too, want to

compliiirgit our staff for the very fine job they did. As you may know,

699

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we changed the date-for this consultatiOn at the request of many of the

Aiian groups present here today. This chalige in date caused problems

in rescheduling, inviting people to conic and making all the numerous

arrangements to bring you all in from all parts of the country.

So I think it was a job weikdone.

For those of you who are staying at the Harambe House, there is a

bus waiting to take you back there at 4:15, which is now.

There are publications still available. All of those who have not

Yegistered, please register. Place your name on the register with your

at1dress. We want your name and address so that you can be assured of

getting a copy of the proceedings of this consultation when we have

completed it.

Thank you again for beirig with Ili. I think it's- been a very

worthwhile experience for us oft the staff, the Commissioners, I'm

sure, and I trust it has been for you also.

Thank you again.

[Applause.)

[Consultation adjourned]

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713
1 Papers Presented

State and Local Public Policy Issues in Delivering Mental Health and Related Services to Asian and Pacific Americans

by Kenji Murase, D.S.W *

Introduction

This paper is concerned with the general issue of equity in access to

and utilization of mental health and related services by Asian and

Pacific Americans. More specifically, the paper will address the

queStion of how State and local units of government may act to

respond to the problem of inequity for Asian and Pacific Americans in

their access to and utilization of mental health and related services.

This paper draws heavily upon two Major sources: (1) the "keport

of the Sperft-t PopulationS Subpanel on Mental Health of

Asian/Pacific Americans" submittedsto the President's Commission on

Menth Health (President's Commission on Mental Health, 1978) and

(2) "Study to Develop Improvement ,in the Bilingual/Bicultural

Components of Mental Health and Hunum Services ,13elivery,"

prepared for the National Institute of Mental Health by'Urban Systems

Research and Engineering, Inc. (Urban Systems Research and Engi-

, neering, 1978). 1 Part I provides a brief description of the composition and population

of Asian and Pacific Antericans and an assessment of their mental

health statusPart 11 discusses the, problem of underutilization of

mental health and related services by Asian and, Pacific Americans and,

deltpeates barriers to service utilization. Part J11. focuses on measures

that may be undertaken by State and ldcal gov&nments to improve the

utilization of services by Asian and Pacific Americans. Part IV is

concerned with State and local measures for improving the delivery

and relevance of services for Asian and Pacific Americans.

I...The MentaLtleaith Status of Asian and pacific

Ameritmens

DamographiC Factors

Asian and Pacific Americans,includfng Cambodians, Chinese, East

Indians, Guamanians, Hawaiians, Japanese, Koreans, Pakistanis, Pilik

; Dr. Kenji Murase is a professor of social work education at San Francisco State University. San

Francisco, Calif

71 4

VG. 403.
I.

nos, Samoans, Thais, Vietnamese, and other Asian and Pacific peoples,

now number close to 2 million. The 1970 census reported 8 56 percent

increase over the 1960 census figures for the three major Asian

groups----Chinese, Japanese, and Pilipino. iis trend is likely to be

reflected in substaigially larger increases in the 1980 census, as

Kdreans and Pilipinos continue to be amon the largest groups

inuingrating to the United States today. Currently, it is estimated that

£60 pervenulrall Chinese residents, 70 percent of all Pilipino, and 90

TpercenkQf_all K-mean residents in the United States are immigrants or

high risk populations. Perhaps the most vulnerable of all recent

newcomers to this country are the more than 150,000 Indochinese

refugees.

The marked increase in..ihe Asian and Pacific American population,

especially since 1965, haA created a fluid, rapidly changing mixture of

peoples. In the first 100 years of Asian and Pacific American

immigration to the United States, the newcomers were primarily

Chinese, Japanese, and Pilipino. In the past 10 years there has been a

dramatic increase in other groups, such as Koreans, Sankans, and

Guamanians and others from Micronesia, East Indians, Indochinese,

and others; as well as a new wave of Pilipinos. Tfiis rapid increase in

n w Asian and Pacific American immigrants has resulted in significant

di e nces between flive old and the new Asian and Pacific Americans.

The-Asian and Pacific American populations are generally becoming

more heterogenous as new immigrants alter the composition and

cultural unity of the total Asian and Pacific American population. For

example, new immigrants from Hong Kong may have little in common

with the Chinese immigrants who arrived in the United States several

generatifIns earlier. Their differences reflect differing levels of acculturation, changing international relations, immigration from different

parts of the old country, and the impact that present day immigration

has upon newly immigrated families.

The Mental Health Status of Asian and Pa'CHIC Americans

The popular stereotype of Asian and PacifIC Americans is that they

are intelligent, law-abiding, quiet, loyal, hard-woiking, and model

Americans. There is widespread belief that Asian and Pacific Ameri-.

cans do not suffer the discrimination and disadvantages as ated with

other .minority groups. The consequence is that in spit of recent

efforti to promote civil rights and equal opportnnities r

minorities in the United States, Asian and Pacific Americans h e beelr.

lardly ignored by governmental agencies, educational instit tions,

private corporations, and other sectors of thc society.

The facts, however, are that Asian and Pacific Americans afe

victims of the same sbcial, economic, and political inequities that have

"702

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(7

I

victimized blacks, Hispanics,.and Native Americans. For it substantial

proportion 'of Asian and Pacific Americans in this country today,

particularly among the elderly and immigrant populations, ghetto

existence and chronic conditions of poverty remain their only way of

life. Asian and Pacific Americans are tft fore cononted today with fr

very real questions of survival related ouch problems, as below

supsistence levels of income; high rates ot unemployment or underemployment, substandard housing, inferior education, inadeqUate health

and social services: problems of drug abuse and delinquehcy among

/ their youth, and the insidious and demoralizing effects of prolonged

states of alienation and poWerlessness (Murase, 1977).

The consequences of living and coping with such conditions are that

Asian and Pacific Americansparticularly recent immigrants, youth,

and then elderlyare extremely vulnerable to severe stress. Studies

show that Asian and Pacific Americans tend.to 'endure stress and come

to the attention of mental health services only at, the pointiX acute

breakdown 'is{ crisis. For ekample, in Sue's study (1977) of Greater

Seattle, Asians were found tu have a far higher proportion of the

i diagnosis of "psychosis" than any other group. Among Asian patients,

22.4-percent were diagnosed as "psychotic" compared to 12.7 perceiff\ .

, of white patients, 17.6 percent of Native American patients, 13.8 -7,.

percent of black patients, and 14.5 percent of Chicano patients. Berk\

and Hirata (1973) :reported that Chinese Americans have been

admitted to State mental hospitals in California at a rate greater than

that, .for the general population for the 100-year period, 1855-1955.

They also found a dramatic increase iv rates of Chinese commitment

film 82.1 per 100,000 persoiqs in 1855 to 161.2 per 100,000 in 1955. , Males, aged and foreip.borii, were reported to experience substantal- ,:., ly greater increases in risk of commitment than females, the young, and

' native born.

.. Brown et al. (1973) also found that the severe mental health

r problems in the Chinese comtnunity tended to be those of immigrants.

. In comparing a simple' cf Chinese patients with a randomly selected

control group, while the Chinese *ere found to be less likely to utilize

dliw existing mental health servicts; those who did tended to be more

disturbed tharr 'Caucasian patients. In a study based on a student

:. population, Sue and Kirk (1972) found that Chinese and Japanese

.. students expressed greater feelings,of loneliness, isolation, and anxiety

than others in the general student- body. Hinkle's study (1974) of the.

mental and medibal status.of a group of immigrant Chinese revealed

major social dislocations and disruption of important t interpersonal

relatiottships. and ."%a gretiter frequency Of morbidity. Other researcl

have indicated that .Asikri and Pacific Americans experience value

conflicts and more anxiet3t loneliness, and passivity than Caucasians

.44

r 716 a .

703
1 .

1*--

(Ayabe, 1973; Fong and Peskin, 1969; Meredith and Meredith, 1966;

Fenz and Arkoft 1962; Sue and Frank, 1973).

lb Issues In Utilization of Services by Asian and

Pacific Americans

, i

'rho Problom of UndorutilListbn of Sent

The serious problem of underutiliOtion of ser ces by Asian and

Pacific Americans has been well documentrd. Sue (1975) found in hit

study of 17 community mental health centers in the Greater Seat&

area over a 3-year period that, although Asians were 21kpercent of the

population, they represented only 0.7 percent Of the patient population. Moreover, the dropout rate after the initial intake session for

Asian patients' was 5'2 percent or almost ftwice the- dropout rate for

white patients. In Los Angeles Counfy, which has the largest

cpncentration of Asian and Pacific Americans, the Asianaadmission

rate to its mental health services in 1971 tas 0.9 pirdent of the patient

'population, although their representation,' the igunty was close to 4

) t percent (Hataintka et al., 1975). In San Francisco, -a report of its /

Ibmmunity mental health services program sh9ws thatfor the 7-month

period, July 1976-January 1977, in its Northeast Mental Health

Center, which includes Chinatown, although the. Chinese make up 29

- percent of The catchment area population, they constituted only 10

rcent of the patients served. For the city as a whole, although ihe

hinese are c!ose to 10 percent of the population, they make up only 2

percot of the patients serv"di in mental health programs. I

Huang and Grachow (1974) report that there appears to be a

consistent pattern of Asian Americans doctoring themseWes, using

folk remedies, Or resorting to traflional modes of Jreatment such as

acupuncture and seeking the servrtes of a physician only when they%

experience an cute episode of illness and then only for iinmediate

relief of sy toms. Whatever the source of care, the number of Asian

and Paci 'Americans utilizing available health resources for preventive care is extremely low. For exampke, the Asian Americadlofield

' survey (1977) indicated that among all ,the Chinese surveye4, more

than 20 percent of the chiilliren and about one 'half of the adults had

never had auye or\ dental examination. Moreover, 23 percent of the

adults had nager had a phypical examination during the period 1965-73

If when the survey was conducted. In a study or the Chinese community

in Boston, Li (1972) reports that 61 fiercent of a sample of,Chinese did

not have a private or clinic physician. Breslow and Klein (1971) in A,

California study on the utilization of services by Chinese Americana

and other minorities, reported that only 65 percentthe lowest of all

groupsof Chinese Americans had a regular doctor. Consistent with

704
C . , .

these findings is the rephrt of the White House Conference on Aging

(1972) of a study which showed that 34 percent of the Asian and

Pacific American.aged Who were interviewed had never had a medical

or dental examination.

... . For an analysis of the problem (if underutilizatkin of services by

Asian and Pacipc Americans, it pry be useftil to conceptualize the

problem in terms of:..(1) cultural and linguistic barriers to 'service

utilization, and (2) structural/institutional barriers _to service utilization.

t )

cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Sorvloa Utillzatton

The low service utilization rates of the Asian and Pacific American

population may be attributed in part 'to certain cultural values and

practices which- are characteristic of many Asian and Pacific American groups. Superimposed upon these vplues has been- their long

history of encounters with racial discnmination in this country.

Together thex may help account for not only the co arktive restraint

and silence ofkiOan and Pacific Americans, but also Ieir reluctance,

even in the face of kdire need, to turn to provide of service for

_ assi , mog the most compelling of the cul ral *values cortimon to most

.. A n and Pacific American peoples is the-notion that one's capability

t control expression of personal problems or troubled feelings is a - easure of maturity. Suet' control of self-expression, in turn, is related

to concepts of shame andvpride, which are also paramount values that

govern the behaviof of Asian and Pacific Americans (Ho, 1976). Thus,

he Asian and Pacific Atherican client may perceive services, such as

ounseling, as shame-inducing processes and Will undergo extreme

tress who'd. asking foor ting help from ,sanyone outside the

family. In most Asian and Pac c American groups, if a perso al

problem or issue is not resolved within the confines of the famil d

requires outside intervention, the family is viewed as losing face. ile

there may be variations among Asian and Pacific American grou in

rsponse to butside intervention, there is uniform rehktance f

individuals to seek professional help.

Structur.Vlnstttulonal Barden to Service RitatIon

Basically, the structural/institutional barriers to service utilization bf Aide-and POific Americans are deeply embedded in the racist 4 oilization history, tr and prtices of the larger society. From this legacy ablitions, f racism has developed a series of impediments to the ut

of mental health and related services by Asian and Pacific Americans.

Among &bin are the eollowing:

705
Ify1

Rce lance to employmedt of biHngual-bicuqural personnel. Subpara- %

gra D bf sectiod 206(c) (1) of POlic I .nw 94=63 requires assurances

from A community thental health center with a:

substat proportion of indmiduals of limited Englis speaking

%ability t it has (1i develoOd a plan and made irrangements

responsive to the needs of such populations for providing services

to the extent practicabletin the language andiculturikontext most appropriate to such individuals and (ii) identified an in ividual on

its staff who is fluent in bosh that langutige and Englis

' The failure of community mental health faeilities to comply with subh

existing statutes results in limiting full access to and availability their

se4ices to Asian and Pacific American populations. Noncompliance

also results in denial of employment opportunities to qualified

bilingual-bicultural persons in Asian and Pacific American communities (Nguyen, 1977).

Tokenism in employment of bilingual-bicultural personel. Related to

the problem of tbe lack of bilingual-bicultural personnel is the problem

of tokenism when such personnel are actually employed by mental

health facilities. In practice this takes the lbrm of employment of a

minimum number of such personnel who are then widely dispersed

throughout the system. Experience has shown that when Asian and

Pacific Americans are employed and deployed as teams or units, rather

than singly, their visibility and effectiveness as service providers as

well as their utilization, are greatly enhanced (Sue and McKinney,

1975; True, 1975; Wong, 1977kHatanaka, 1975).

Maidiatribution of Asian and ilacific American service providers.

There are at present, substantial numbers of Asian and Pacific

American mental health cliniciansespecially psychiatristswho are

practicing in areas where there are relatively few Asian and Pacific

Americans. These clinicians are unable to practice in States with large

Asian and Pacifib American populations due to training and licensing

testrictions which apply to graduates of foreign medical schools. For

example, California has approximately 50 percent of the Asian and

Pacific American population of the United States but only 5 percent of

the Asian and Pacific 'American psychiatrists (Sata, 1977).

-Restriction on credentials/licensure. Among newer Asian and

Pacific American communities are recent immigrants from Ihdochina,

Korea, the Philippines, Samoa, and Guam...They have,notNhad an

opportunity in this country to acquire the necessary training 'to obtain

the credentials or licensing required for emplopylent. Many hive hd

professional training in their native country but are unable to qualify

for licensure in this counky w,ithout additional training (Sue and Chin!'

1976). Because of the acae" need for trained personnel fpr services to

706

7

'Mk
new Asian and Pacific American communitiesichangesin credentialing and licensure requirements are necessary to assure a sufficient

supply of such personnel.

Service confinement to catchment areas. Asian and Pacific American

popullatioqs are not wholly concentra d in.inner-city or u nth areas.

Many reside in scattered locations or st urban areas hic may cover

several service cat inut areas. In many instances, Ili! ial-hicultural

s(f)vice providers rpnnavailable in their oWn catchment area and

travel over long di lances becomes necessary. In effect, because their

service needs can tly be met by bilingual-bicultural providers, many

Asian and Pacific /American patients-are denied access to services.

Hexibility in interpretation and enforcement of the- catchment areas

1 concept seems essential for Asian and PaCific American communities.

' Ignorance of natural support systems. Natural support systems are

crucial linking Und helping meclia -sms in Asianipd Pacific American

communities. liffity are comp,rised : (1) tuMformal network of

community caretakers, such es ministers, shopkeepers, bartenders,

barbers, and community elderyho have gained a measure of trust and

respect for their communcty Work over the years, a n 2) community

institutions such as churc es, hometown clubs, fatal ssociations,

mutual aid societies, and si Miler groups. The natural support systems

perform a significant serv-i& in helping to maintain and sustain inllir.

own communities the .eldeily, the disabled, the alienated, and the

needy. Yet these ,natural support syst s are for the most part

overloloked or ignored by the larg service delivery system as a

reseoure. The adyantages of utilizing helpers and the natural

support sYstems are that they are alreacl place and are behlg used

by community persons in need. Integration of the natural support

systems into the formal service delivery system is clearly indicated.

Exclusion from third party reimbursement for services. Related to the

natural support systems of Asian and Pacific American communities

are culturally traditional forms of caree.g., aNcupuncture, herbs,

-massages, meditption, holistic healing medicine, family Maintenance in

the' care ofithe ill, aged, and handicapped. Such forms of care are

frequently the preferred modes Of treatment by Asian and Pacific

AMericans a d mec nisms for reimbursement for providers of such

culturally rete ethnicall3 specific services should be devel-

. oped.

720

707
4

ill. State end j.ocil Measures for improving Planning and Adthinistration of Services

Introduction

-, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of-4964, which applies to all State

agencies receiving Federal financial assiitance for public programs,

prohibits discrimination on the baiis of race, color, or national origin.

To date, the Federal Governinent has not defined in more specific

--..-11 tyrms the requirements of this act with regard to health and mental _- health, or social services to Asian and Pacific Americans and other

minorities. Hov.1ever, a gradual recognition of the needs .of bilingualbicultural my& as a distinct group is evidenced in legyation p

since the 1964 Civil Rights act, such as the Voting-Rights Act of 65

and the Bilingual klucatisn Act of 1968 and 1974. In the mental health

area, the Health Revenue Sharing and Health Services Act of 1975

ab requir4d -43dnimunity menial health centers serving a substantial

proportion ell individuals of limited English-speaking ability to make

administrative, programmatic, and staffing arrangements which are

r responsive to the language and cultural preferences bf such individuals. The-Health Professions Education Assistance Act of 1976 echoed 1 these requirements and also 'mandated studies to ascertain the appropriateness of health professions schools' admissions criteria for bili

gual-bitulral applicants, and. the adequacy of culturally sensitiv

training in health professions schools which service bilingual-biculturP

al %Populations. f State statutes follow Federal initiatives in relation to (1) provision of

information in languages other than English, e.g., voting rights and (2) .., bilingual education. However, in the health and human servi area,

State legislation addressing bilingual-bicultural needs is very r .ited..

In addition to State legislation, administrative and judicial rulinis have

affected service delivery to tnangual-biculkural populations. The civil

rights 'office of the department of health in California has developed

guidelines based 'on Title VI for the nondiscriminatory provision' a ,. t' 4 mental health services to .611ingual-bicu1tural clients by local mental

health centers. In California, Connecticut., and Illinois individuals andAr

groups have successfully brought suit against the State providers ot

public services on the ground of disdtimination against bilingual- .

t bicultural minorities in violation of Title VI and similar action is under

consideration in other States.

In the coustalaiion 444f governmental structuiesFearal, State,

regional, and municipal the State performs a critical role in determining the natureof men health seivice provisioy. Through its financial,

contributions to ind c ncomitant control over service provision and

through its administ a on' and ilisbursement of Federal funds, State

708
government is a major instrument fOr the1 definitiOn )7if the quality and

quantityftf service available to minority populations. Also, due to its

more lo4alized political base in contrast to the Federal Government,

State g veriiinent is able to take actions on behalf of specific

populati groupti; such as Asiamand Pacific Americans. To plan for

such actt n, however, there needs to be an adequate data base, as will

be outlinc1 below. --- Measures to Improv Planning and Evaluation of Services

State planning mechanisms must be made more sensitive and more

responsive to thleipepial nteds and cicumittances or Asian'pd Pacific

Americans. The following measurei are proposed to ficilitate the

planning- and evaluation of services and programs_ to respond to Asian

and Pacific American colncetns.

Collection of data on bilingual-bicultural needs.

A basic frst step in the process of planning for servicesis collection

of data on1 the use, effectiveness, and efficiency of various service

delivery m alities for meeting the mental health land related needs of

Asi and acific Americans. For purposes of data collection, the

smal -unit of government reponsible for generating mental health

plans on a regular liasisusuapy the countyshould be designated as

the unit of analysis. Ai part of the dita required of these units for

purposes of the mental health planning process, the State 'agency

charged with the plahnirtg authority should require, at a minimum, the

following data elements: (1) ethnic category, (2) primary language

spoken, (3) age, (4) sex, (5)types of referral, (§) disability category, (7)

residence, (8) type and number of service units, (9) type of providers,

(10) final diagnosis.

In addition to the elements listed above, it would be useful to

include additional administrative data elements which would further

describe the.current delivery of services .to Asian and Pacific

Americans. These are: (1) primary language and language abilities of

service providers, and (2) contracts made available to Aelaiail and

Pacific American community-based organizations. .

In those Areas in which Asian and Pacific American groups

constitute less than a specified proportion a the _total populatione.g.,

3. krcenta waiver should be applied to nullify the data collecOon

requirements. In areas where Asian and Pacific 'American ostoups

coptitute at least 3 percent of the population, however, data collection

requirements might be imposed by either legislation or State mental

health agency administrative tegulations. Such 'regulatory or legislative policy might go beyond- the requirement for data balleotion to

stipulate that planning units must submit in their plans not only data

summaries, but also analyses of comparisons of Asian aildr-Plicific

709

7 2

1 4.

0
,

American service tiIizadoii to representation in the population and

, plans-- iethods, gbals, and timetables-- fot addressing any discrepan-

., cies in ut lization.

EstaIislment of an Asian and Paciftc,American commission.

A commission composed of representatives of Asian and Pacific

American communities could be chargea with iyvestigating and

reviewingi tfit types, extent, and utilization of mental health and

relkted sevice,s for Asian am). Pacific Americans. This commission

"would advise the State administration on regulations, !Aides, problems, rd areas of c,oncern with regard. io appropriate and adequate

service provision to Asian and Pacific Ameripin communities!

b-The scope of such a commission's areas /if responsibilities might 4

extended to include all humap services., Such a commission wa41\

recently created by the State of Massachusetts, which assigns tq an I !-

member body an advisory role in the area of Hispanic employment

opportunities, economic development, education, health, welfare,

housing, human rights, and other services. Washington, Michigan,

Nebraska, Oregon, and Illinois currently have in operation Spanish

speaking apd/or Asian American cOmmissions in similar roles. j

At a"minimum, such a commission sholfd be provided with the

resources and the authority to. engage in State 'agency monitoring of

exiMing State-funded mental health and related programs and facilities.

Findings should be made public and reported annually to the State

health planning agency and the State legislation and State executive.

The commission should be given ailthority to hokl public hearings and

lo review end, withhold approval of the annual State mental health

plan, thereby requiring a rehponse pi the State planning agency. An

alternative t the creation of an Asian and Pacific American commission mighf the development of an Asian and Pacific American

citizens' ad sory cOmmission, with representation from a broad cross

section of ttè Asian and Pacific Ameripin community.

Repr,sçtitfon of Asian and Pacific Arntricans on publik bodies.

remese that Asian and Pacific Americans are more likely to

ware of,the needs of their people and that they have the rightv be

reprAented in bodies which govern the availability services .to

them, lesislation or wgulation stipulating the compospion of such

bodies should drAure equitable representation of Asi)th and Pacific

Americans.

\

c Measures to Improve the Administration of, ental Health

Services

Through legislation or regulatory directives, theradministration of

mental health and related services could be modifiW to improve the

710

:s
/ 1,

qUality of such services. Some possible measures that 'could be adopted

would be the fillowing:

Establishment of an Asian and Pacfic American office within The State

Human Rights Agency or Commission. If enforced, the existing

Federal and State laws and regulations governing the provision of

` mental health and human seryices would result in services more

- responsive to the needs of Aslin and Pacific Americans. Therefore,

. there should be staff within the State human rights 'agency, or

functioning as a separate entity, which monitors the compliance of all

State agencies with the statutes.

human rights agencies curren tly have varying degrees of

a hority to withhold Federal or State fundjng on The basis of

iscriminatory practices oi impact. The O1IB-95 review system

constitutes one mechanism for State agencies to revia4 and make i recommendations on te civil rights impact of Federal funding

../ 1- proposals. With respect to State funding of programs, civil rights

agencies may have more clearly defined authority to review, although

_jn practice they toldom assume the role of initiating complaints and

/- monitoring ofillerating programs tend to be haphazard.

California recently enacted a lawAB 803which formalizes a

process for monitoring compliance with nondiacrimination statutes.

. is law requires that all State agencies adopt rules and regulations

w .ch ensure nondiscrimination in the provision of funds and services.

Agencies providing seryices in an amount greater than $100,000 pei

year must develop regtuations in compliance with the spirit of Title VI

and TitleIX of the Federal Civil Rights Act, and analagous California

law exprertsing the inteut that no person shall be denied participation in

or access to programs or agencies receiving State financial assistance

.? on the basis of sex, race, or national origin.

Stqffing guidelines for mental health and related services. ,7-In view of

the earlier cited documentation attesting to the kthportance of

bilingual-bicultural staff for maximum utilization of services by Asian

and Pacific American populations, there needs to be State and local

provision for such, staffing. Laws responding to the need among

bilingual-bicultural recipients of services for service providers to

pommuniçate in the recipients' primary language are of two types: The

first tpe bilingual staff, regardless of cultural background and

is more feasilile tbatt the second type which requires bilingual and

... bicultural staff, for two reasons. Fleet, the idea that 4 bilingual..

rbicultural ind%vidual has a right to receive services in a language he or

-1 she ,can comPrehend is more generally acceptable than the concept . -that only a, person Of the same culture can provide ippropriate services

koibilingual-bicultural individvals. Secondly, the shortage of profes-

__IaiOn#1who are both bifingualkand bictilturg would make a law of the

e.;

4

711
And type practically unenforceatile among service providing

agencies.

( A California lawAB 1258requires the hiring of "a sufficient

'number" of bilingual staft in ublic contract positions when non- or

limited-English speaking people comprise at least 5 percent of the

clients of any State agency which disseminates information or renders

4f. services. Programs, facilities, or agencies with a defined catchment or

service area must hire bilingual staff when the population of that

N geographic area is a least 5 percents limited-English speaking. For

prograins, facilities, or agencies with no specific geographic boundarids, e.g., State hospitals, the 5 percent thresh ld is based on the

r..- number of clients actually served. The Califo nia law_ does not

disitinguish between professional and nonprofessi nal staff categories.

It does require that sufficient bilingual-bicultural staff be employed to

provide the same level of service to both non-English-speaking and

English-speaking clients. The exception would be any agency which

em loys less than 25 fu11-time employqesauthorizing, in this case, the

u3é of interpreters.

Analysis of the C ifornia kw reveals that it fails to-address the

needs of Asian and P cificjAmericans in several respects. Setting of a

threshold of 5 perc nt of the client population may exclude large

numbers of Asian and Pacific Americans where the proportional

percentage may be under 5 percent, but the absolute numbers of clients

. could still pe substantial. In a large agency, 4 percent of the client

population/ might represent a largei absolute number of- Asian and

Pacific Ainericans, yet as a proportion rcentage, Asian and Pacific

.,, Americans ?Jould not qualify for bilin;tbicUltural staff. For populations such as Asian and Pacific Americans which tend to be scattered

across catchment areas, there should be a minimum threshold in terms

\ of absolute numbers as well as in proportional terms.

A similar Illinois statute enacted in 1975 requires the department of

personnel to establish an unspecified number of Nicupational titles "for

persons having sufficient linguistic ability or cultural knowledge to be

able to render effective service" to "non-English speaking Or otherwise culturally distinct citilat." By addressing the isKue of culture as

well as language, this law seems to go beyond the California law.

Necessary components of any bilingual staffing law consist Of: (1)

the identification of a triggering mechanism for requitement of

bilingual staffing, (2) specification of types of positions to be filled by

bilingual staff, and (3) delineation of procedures for hiring such staff.'

The triggering mechanism should be designed to reach as many

linguistically minority clients as possible, without being so all inclusive

as to render implementation of bilingual staffing impossible. The

December 1977 Guidelines for Comniunit.0 Mental Health Center

712

,
S.

,Servfres for Minorities. from the National Institute of Mental Health, in

ddiessing the iiese-Zts for bilingual stall*, defined that level in terms of the

language: alif a population constitutes more than five percent or more

than 3,500 persons jn the catchineth area.," The guidelines also say that

it is the responkibility of the community nicl health center to meet

the need for services of "any individual onTinited nglish speaking

iPiity." Another precedent has been set by the office ofcivil rights of

the California Ileortment of Health in'afdiscrimination action brought

against a San Francisco hospital in relation to the provisipn of services

to Asian Americans of that conununity. That office of civil rights has

set a population level of 3 percent of the total popalation as the

threshold above which services must be provided bilingually for

limitelEnglish-speaking clients.

Baal --on a review of existing bilingual staffing guidelines and expert

opinion, it is proposed that any bilingual staffing law should include

the following conditions and definitions: 4;

I. When at least percent of the population of a service area, or

.3,500 people (whichever number is less)belongs to a given lingUistic/

grodp and has limited or no English speaking ability, public contac$

positions in public service facilities must be filled by staff who

reflect tfie linguiiiic composition of the service arca pgptilatiOn.

2. A public contact position can be definM as one n which at least i

25 percent of working time_involv7 contact with clients or potential

clients.

3. Bilingual certification should be required a; a, component of the

job description for public Contact positions.

4. Bilinguilly certified staff in public contact positions who spend

at least 10 percent of theiNnie using their special language skills

should bi compensated additionally for these skills. (California

. currently provides additional remuneration of .$30 per month to

bilingually certified staft).

Promotion of training opportunities for bilingualbkultural student&

Whether,due to limited educational opportunities, lack of role models,

lack of information regarding career opportunities, institutional dis-

'crimination in the educational process, the high cost of education,, or

other factors, hilingual Asian and Pacific Americans with training in

mental health and ielated services are lacking. In addition to the

scar6ity of bilingual Asian and Pacific American service providers, the

maldiitribution of ,such providers exacerbates the inaccessibility of

services for Asian and Pacific Americans. Therefofe, any initiatives

intended to remedy the scarcity of bilingual Asian and Pacific

American mental health ant Other professions must address both

manpower shdrtages and.maldistribution.

713

72 6
4

e

One proposal which could address both these issues is development

of a linguistic minorities health service corps modeled on and training

:programs the national health s&vice corps legislation. States could

identify orificel mental health manpower sOortage areas with high

concentration of minorities to be served b5r trained mental health

°professionals whose training has been,partly or wholly funded by such

a program.

State gOvernments might also address the shonage of bilingualbicultural mental health professionals .by exercising financial control

over educational, institutions which receive State support. The State

could require thitt financial support find special recruitment, admissions, and retention programs be made available to bilingual-bicultural

students. A recent survey (Sata, 1977) of Asian American psychiatrists

indicating that 41- percent of their patients 'were minority group

Members lends support to the value of increased training opportunities

for bilingual-bicultural minorities.

Another approach would to% to develop a system of apprenticeship

training programs in mental health specialties which could award

academic credit for inservice training. Such Firograms would not,be

restricted to bilingual-bicultural persons but would partinflarly benefit

Asian and Pacific Americans for whom higher academic training may

be a financial impossibility. For such programs to be successful, State

mental health prOfessions licensing boards would have to establish

stanjards for apprtwal of apprenticeship as training equivalent to

tr itifinaeadeinic programs.

--' Not only must there be Wended-training opportunities for-Asian

and Pacific qirmericans andifother bilingual-bicultural groups, but also

.the_regulaCtraining of mental health professionals must be designed to

increased their sensitivity' to the needi of bilingual-bicultural populations. Mental health training programs in States with significant

bilingual-bicultural populations should Include coursework dealing

with: the Special mental lkalth problems, the culture-bound value

systeMs; and the perceptions of health and mental - health ,among

bilingual-bicultural peoples.

The California Legislature is reported to be currently considering a

resolution which addresses the need tO recruit and train bilingual-"

.bicultural healthand legalProfessionals: ACR 43 requests the

California POstsecondary Education. Commission to develop' and

duhmit to the legislature- and other appropriate bodies"plans which -

"further the adfriission, preparation, and training' of persons fOr

primary care and services in all areas of health and legal peofassions

who are bilingualand culturally sensitive."''

States can also intervene through their licensing powers to change .

requirements for qualification. Licensing standards could be amended

A 714

4
to include requirement of coursework in culturally sensitive aipects of,

bilingual-bicultural mental health problems. Further, State 'licensing

examinations forrnental health and other professions might include a

component designed to alsess the cultural knowledge and sensitivity of,

examinees.

IV. State and Local Measures for improving the

Delivery and Relevance of Services for Asian and

Pacific Americana

Introduction

(.,In the material to follo , proposals will be made directed to

improvements in both the delivery of mental health and relaied

services and the relevance of mental health and related services ror

'Asian and Pacific Americans. These measures will be concerned with

issues of: (1) prevention, (2) access to services, (3) community

involvement, and (4) culturally relevant treatment modalities.

Prevention Masures

In the concern to respond to crisis sitnalions or survival needs of

Asian and Pacific Americans, relativity little attention is given to the

issue of prevention of problems of mental 'illness, family breakdown,

and individual dysfunctioning. The following measures are proposed

to prevent such ocaurrences:

Comiunity development program. The mental health system oi any

system of Mime!) services cannot be expected to solve societal

Ablems which create the stresses and strains that produce mental

illness. However, insofar as mental health systems directly engage

people at the community level, mental health programs can contribute

to community development and community educdtion activities

which, by improvihg the living environspent of the community as a

who , serves an important preventive-function. Among community

devekpment activitie§ in Asian and Pacific American communities

that m tal healthgrograms should support and collaborate with are

efforts' to exponditoyment opportunities, obtain adequate low-cost

housing, secure. ity education, establish child care facilities,

provide sufficient recreational facilities, and related activities directed

to improvement of the quality of life. , Oriontatioo program for immigrants. ANIaian and Pacific blands

immigrants 'would betiefit from orientation program whidh would

assist them in negotiating the "system" of socialservices and help them

with- the cultural adjustment problems thet ehcounter (Huey, 1974r

Lee, 1977). If the mental healtk facility lacks,sufficient resourcCs for

76
such acitivities, religious or other conununity groups might be

encouraged to takeAresponsibility for them (Abad, et 1974).

Client advocacy functions. --A crieical \role for mental health professionak should he advocacy for clients, linking up clients with other

agencies and institutions, and getting communitgencies to respond

to basic and tangible client -needs. Early intervNntion in life-stress

situations will not only prevent further serious pro4lons but also

establish the mental health program's trust and credibility in the

community.

Involvement of natural support systems. A consultative relationship

established with preexisting caregivers such as doctors, ministers,

teachers, merchants, community elders; and others would provide th9

bbsis for an effective referral netwqt (Cohen, 1979;..Murase, 1977).

The natural support system may als utilized as a resource in ihe

ongoing and long term covtinuing care maintenance of certain

patients.

\ Access Masures

Lack of'aCcess to mental health services is, in effect, denial of such,

servi6es. Inequity in access is a generid problem faced by limited- orz

noli-Eliglish-speaking Asian and Pacific Americans.Narious measurj

. can be taken to remedy or alleviate the proble recess to servic .. Availability of bilingual-bicultural staffing. Aatcated ea'rlier, State

legislati n can make mandatory the availability of bilingual-bicultural

staffin when theOimited or on-English speaking population of a

service area exceeds a certain ... roportion, (e.g., 3 percent) of the total

area qortiin number of persons, e.g., 3,500.

Availab ty interpreters 'and Materials in primary languages.

Where bilingual staffing is not available, the pitsence i o terpreters

and relevant print&I materials and forms in the prima iviguage of

limited- or non-English-speaking iitliaic and Pacific Americans would

counteract the sense of alienation experienced tiwy entering mental

health facilities% as well as to-ensure their understanding of their rights,

obligations, and procedures. *

Integration of mental health services in -medical settings. The

experience of the Chinese communitY of Boston ('kee 1977) demon-,

strates dramatically that-where Nental lieth services are integrated

into a medical cafe giving systenZ'entry uit4 the mental health system

is eased and aceJerated. Conjoin1 health id mental health delivery has beeti sh n to improve casefindini; c dination oftare,. long.

term follow , and preventive education! ifforts to meet specific

popVation needs (Borus, et at, 1976). - mmunity-based facility. An ideal tacilqy which would maximize

a cess and utilization for Asian and Pacifid% Americans would be one

. 716 .41

e

1
' . which combines the attributes of: (1) central location within the

commmunity being served, (2) flexible hours of operations, (3) drop-in

services, (4) compatible physicalarchitectural and interior design

features, and (5) multipurpose use for community social, recreational,

cultural, andeducational evees, as well as health services.

Outreach through ethnic media. 7-Community outreach in the primary

language, bothAspoken (radio) and in print, is essential in Asian and

Pacific American communities. Special outreach measures should be

directed towards -at-risk" groups, such as Indochinese refugees,

American servicemen's wives fi-orn Asian and Pacific countries, recent

a

immigrants, and individuals with physiCal or deeloprnental disabilitieS, as well as mental health care needs.

Community involvement.

A? 'essential condition for effective delivicry of services and

relvfance of such services is involvement or participation of the Asian

Ptfo Amerian commtinity. This May take any or all of the

llowi rms.

Sanction of community leaders. A decisive factor in a community's

acceptance of a mental health prograM would be the attitude of its

leaders. The approbation of community leaders-4e1r acknowledgment that the program and its staff are trustworthycould make a

critical difference, not only in the use,of the services but also in the

felatidnships of the facility with 9tt r rganizations and institutions in

that community (Abaket 1144),

C?mmunity participatiorianniji#Xind oinprationv--A mental health

ceigiar may not be "tolerated" if the ommunity does not have a

significant role in its planning and o ratio (Scher! and English,

1969). Community involvement .from he óint of planning tea the

administration kfif the facility will Contribute to a program that is

responsive t b the. needs and expectations of the individual clients, a.

well as the c'ommunity at large.

Use of indigenous pataprofessionals..--To the extent that the staff of a

mental health center is drawn from the immedi te CoMmunity, Its

credibility and effeCtiveness may be enhanced: !Nu' professionals from . the community could be utilized not only to alley1te the shortage of

trained bilingual-bicultural mental health Aprofessionals, but also to ' bridge the diffe between the cultural context of the clierit and . that of the institut n (Brawn et at, 1973). Paraprofessionals may be

particularly hielpfttlZin fostMing community, outreach, earlycasefinding

(prevention), continuity of care (e.g., home visits), and involvement of

the mat support system of the community.

----- , .., 717
1'

Culturally Relevant Treatnient Modalities

Various studies have shown that when visible, cult wally relevant

programs for Asian and Pacific Americans are provided,\-there is a

significant increase in the utilization of such programs (Sue and

McKinney, 1975; Wong, 1977; True,.1975; Hatanaka, 1975). Attributes

of such programs inOude one or more of the following characteristics:

Flexibility in use of treatment, niodalities. Cultural resistance among

Asian and Pacific Americans to traditional modes of treatment

requires extreme fleiltibility in adapting treatmew to the unique

perceptions and values Of individual patients. tor example, the

multifaceted view of mental illness among the Chiaese includts

religious, nwralistic, cosmic, physiological, social; and genetic factTs

(Lin and Lite, 1978). Among recent immigrant Asian and Pacific

Americans, mental health problems are likely to be related to current

life-stress circumstances and the therapist must deal immediately with

these circumstances at the time of their occurrence. In such sittutt ions,

formal long term therapeutic procedures would bb totally inapprOpriate.

Treatment' within the family context. Among Asian and Pacific

Americans, the family represents a dominant structure, and problems

stemming from, acculturation of mainstream lifestyles are often

manifested in the family structure. Therefore, staff_ should he sensitive

to the need for family-focused treatment in which th; family is

involved in acknowledging illness, authorizing treatment, and conducting treatment (Murase, 1977).

Treatment within the community context. Reference has already been

made to the important function of the natural support system within

Asian arid Piked-id' American zommunities. Therefore, individual

treatment programs should take into account the possible role apd

contribution of the existing indigenouk formal and Mformal communhy

care or support systems, such as locid churches, family associations,

hometown clubs and district associations, credit associatidllts, and other

institutions, and community caretakers:- such as ministers, doctors,

teachers, elders, merchants, etc.

Interdisciplinary bolistic treatment. Ideally, interdisciplinary teams

should be available to facilitate- holistic treatment of multifocused

problems, incorporating health, mental health, and social services staff.

Such comprehensive services would address the spectrum of problems

confronting Asian and Pacific American clients, particularly the

psychosocial-cultural determinants of mental health problems. For

chronically ill patients who lack social support systemse.g., fami6

, the interdisciplinary team might create a psychosocial kinship network

that could provide a subStitute support system (Lim' and Lin, 1978).

718 731
Summary , In this 1)11pet we have attempted to address- (I) the general Issue of.

-equity in access to and utilization of mental health and related SerViCeS

by Asian and Pacific Americans, and (2) the role of State ind local

governments in reducing,inequities in access to and utilization of

services by Asian and Pacific American COMMunnies.

The paper presented a brief summary of salient demographic floors

regarding Asian and Pacific American populations and the metaal

health status of Asianiond acific Americans. It then discussed the

general problem of unArutilization of services by Asian and Pacific

Americans and delineated the barriers to service utilization in terms of'

cultural and linguistiC barrierllid structural/instAtional barriers.

This was followed by a discasion of: (I) State and local measures for

improving the planning and administration of services to"Asain and

Pacific Americans, and (2) State and local measures for improvinig the

delivery and relevance of services to Asian and Pacific Americans.

It is hoped that thispaper will serve to focus attention upomthe role

and reqxmsibility of State and local government in improving mental

health and related services to Asian and Pacific American communities.

REFERENCES

Abad, V., Ramos J. and lioyce, E. "A Model for Delivery of Mental

Health Services to Spanish Speaking Minorities." Ameriean Journal

of Orthopsychiatry. July 1974.

Ayabe, ILL. "Deference and Ethnic Differences in- Voice Lerels."

Journal of Social Psychology: 1971, pp. 181-85.

U.S., Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Asian American

Field Survey. Division of Asian American Affairs, Offlue of Special

,Concerns, Assistant Secretary '9z.--11anning and Evaluation, Office

of the Secretary, May 1977.

Berk, B. and Hirata, L. "Mental illness Among the Chinese: Myth or

Reality?" Journal of Social Issues, vol. 29, no. 2, 1973.

Borus, J., et at "Neighborhood 'Health Centers as Providers of

Primary Mental Health Care." New England Journal of Medicine.

July 1976.

Breslow, L. and Klein, 13. "Health and Race in California." American

Journal of Public Health. vol. 61, no. 4, April 1971.

Brown, T.R., Stein, K., Huang, K., tad Harris, D. "Mpntal Illness and

the Role of Mental Health Facilitie8 in Chinatow*, Asian Americans: Psychological Pepectives, Stanley Sue and Nathanial Wagfier,

eds. Ben Lomond, Cahf., Science and Behavior Books, 1973.

Cohen, R. "Principles. o'1 Preventive Mental Healtk Programs for

Ethnic Minority Popula ions: The Acculturation of Puerto Ricans."

7 3 z 719
Improving Mental Health and Human Services for Hispanic C'ornmunities. National Coalition of Hispanic Mental Health and Hunian

Services Organizations; Washington, D.C., 1977.

Ruiz, W. and Arkoff, A. "Comparative Need Patterns of Five

Ancestry Groups in Hawaii." Journal of Sodal Psychology. 1962, pp.

67-89..

Fong, SALM. and Peskin, H. "Sex Role Strain and Personality

Adjustment of China-born Students in Anierica: A Pilot Study."

Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1969, pp. 563-0.

Hatanaka, H., Watanabe, B., and Ono, S. "The Utilization of Mental

Health Services in the Los Angeles Area, in W. Ishikawa, and N.

Archer, eds. Service Delivery in Ran Asian Communities. :San Diego:

Pacific/Asian CoalitiOn, 1975.

Hinkle, L.E. 'The Effect of Exposure to Culture Change, Social

Change and Changes in Interpersonal . Relationship. ou Health," in

Dohrenwand, B.S. and Dohrenwandr B.P., eds. Stressful Lift Events:

Their Nature and Effects. New York: Wiley, 1974.

Ho, M.K. "Social Work with Asian Americans." Social Casework 57(3)

March 1976. 1

'Huang, C. and Grachow, F. "The Dilemma of Health Services in

Chinatown, New York City." Paper presented at the annual

conference, American Public Health Association, New Orleans, La.,

October 1974.

Huey, L. ed. First National Conference on Asian American Mental

Hea/th. Washington, D.C., V974.

Lee, E. "A Mental Health Service Model for the Model Minority."

South Cove Community Health Center, Boston, Mass., October

1977.

Li, F.P., Schlief, N.Y., Chang, C.J., and Gaw, A.C. "Health Care for

the 'Chinese Community in Boston." American Journal of Public

Health.. 62 April 1972.

Lin, T. and Lin, M. "Service Delivery Issues in Asian North American

Communities." American Journal ofPsychiatry April 1978.

Meredith, G.M. and Meredith, C.G.W, "Acculturation and Personality Among Japanese American College Students in Hawaii." Journal

of Social Psychology (1966) 68,175-82.

Mprase, K. "Delivery of Social Services fo Asian Americans."

Encylopedia of Social Work Washington D.C.: National Association

of Social Workers, 1977.

Nguyen, T.D. "Mental Problems and Service Needs of Indo-Chinese

Refugees." Paper prepared for President's Commission on+ Mental

Health, Subpanel on Mental Health of Asian/Pacific Americans,

" 1977.

720

P 733
1411

Presidcnt's Commission on Mental Health, Task Panel Reports Submitted to the President's Commission on Mental Health, 1978, vol.,111,

appendix 1978.

Sata, L. "A Profile of Asir an American Psychiatrists," Anrer'e n

, . . Journal of Psychiatry. April 978. - Scherl, D. and English, J. " omnmnity Mental Health and Compl+-

hensive Health Service Programs for the Pom." American Journal of

Psychiatry. June 1969.

Sue, D. and Frank. A. "A Typological Approaeh to the Psychological

Study of Chinese and Japanese American College Males." Journal of

Social Issues. 1973. 29, pp. 129-48.

Sue, D. and Kirk, B.A. "Asian Americans: Use of Counseling and

Psyclbiatric Services on a College Campus." Journal qf Counseling'

Psychology. 1975, 22, 84-86.

Sue, S. Community Mental Health Services to Minority Groups,"

American Psychologist. vol. 32, no. 8, August 1977.

Sue, S. and Chin, R., eds. The National Asian American Psychology

Training Conference. Report of the conference held July 29-4tug. 1,

1976, Long Beach, Calif.

Sue, S., and Mcli.inney, H. "Asian Americans in the Community

, Mental Health Care System," American Journal of Orthopsychiatri

45 (1) January 1975. 1,.

True, R.H. "Mental Health Ser.2 es in a Chinese American Community," in W. Ishikawa and N. Ar, her, eds. Service Delivery in Pan Asian

Communities. San Diego: Pacific/Asian Coalition, 1975.

. . Urban Systems Research and Engineering, Inc. "Study to Develop

'Improvement in the Bilingual/Bicultural Components of MentalHealth and Human Services Delivery." Cambridge, Mass: Urban

Systems Research and Engineering, Inc'. 1978.

White House Conference on Aging. Special Concerns Session Reports:

The Asian American Elderly (Washington, D.C.: 1972).

\ a, \

734 721/
Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities

by K. Patrick Okura*

There is a widespread belief that Asian and Pacific Americans do

not suffer the discrimination and disadvantages associated with other

minority groups. The stereotyping of Asian and Pacific Americans as a

success model among minority groups ty virtue of hard work,

education, thrift, ay, initiative has lulled the general public into an

attitude of "benign neglect" to the extent that Asian and Pacific

American concerns are considered secondary to the problems of the

other minority groups. The general public, as well as our Federal

Government, fails to understand that, except for the common facts of

immigration and residence in the U.S., Asian and Pacific Americans

represent a heterogeneous and complex grpup.

The successive waves of Asiankwho have mine to the\United States

have expethenced a repetitive history of labor exploitation, blatant

discrimination, and violence. The Asian Americans responded 'to this

overwhelming racism by withdrawing', accepting, uncomplaining, and

simply being "quiet Americans." This quiescence has penalized them

harshly since it fostered the attitude of benign neglect among public

and private officials to the extent of eacluding Asian and Pacific

Americans as a significant minority groOR The fact is that despite

recent efforrts to promote civil rights and mil opportunities for ethnic

minorities in the trS., Asian and Pacific Wmericans have been largely

neglected and, ignored by governmental agencies, educational' institutions, private corporations, and other sectors, of out society. This has

been further compounded by the paucity of Asian Americans in

and decisionmaking, high administration and management 1fios in

gOvernment airi.0 private industry. Examples:

'Anti-Asian bias in P4 .,95-507:t Asian and 'Pacific Americans

have heen excluded is a protected minority .under the definition of

"socially and economiScallY dislidvantaged" in this Public Law 95- « 507, which gives preferential treatment to federally designated

minorities in awarding government contracts. Selection of blacks,

HispanicS, and Native Americans are specified.

When the President's Commission on Mental Health was

established, not a 'single Asian or Pacific American was named

among the eight minorities appointed to the 20-member Commis.:

sion.

K. Patrick Okura is director, International Division, National Institute of Mental Health, U S.

Department of Health. Education, and Welfare.

721
These are only two blatant examples in just this past yea, in tite of

our efforts to promote eqtqil optivtunities and civil rights for all ethMc

i nor it ire'

From a mental health perspecte, programs in the area of health,

education, welfare, housing, employment, immigration, manpower,

rehabilitation, aging, children, all have significant and major impact on

the Asian and Packfic American community.

The Asian and Pacific American group consists of more than it

million people who now reside in this country and Who are victims of

many of the same social, economic, and political inequities that have

victimized blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans. The guarantee of

equal opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, sex, color,

religion, or national origin is a natymal goal, legislated into law and

affirmed by the highest courts in the land.

We request a' II& urge the U.S. Civil Rights Commission to encourage

and assist Federal agencies to.implement such laws and programs. This

is a responsibitity which should not be lightly considered by this

Commission:We seek no speci# privileges; all we seek, is equal rights

and equal opportunity.

73 6
The Delivery of Mental Health Services to

Asian and Pacific Americans

by Steven P. Shon, M.D.'

this paper I will attempt to address some of the major issues

involving the delivery of mental health services to Asian and Pacific

Americans (AA PA).

It is estimated that by 1980 the AAPA population of the United

States will exceed 3 million people. This is especially impressive when

one considers that 01070 the AAPA population was reported to be

1.5 million. Much oMie reason for this dramatic increase is due to the

changes in immigratio, laws in the mid- l960s, which had the effect of

shifting 'immigration away from Western Europe and predominantly

toward Asia, the Pticific Islands, and Latin America. This tremendous

increase in immigration, coupled with the large numbers of Indochinese refugees who have been entering this country since 1975, creates

a situation where at least half of the AAPA populatioen are immigrants.

This has important implications in the delivery of services which will

be discussed later.

One of the first things that one must be aware of in order to

understand Asian and Pacific Americans is the great diversity of

/People that are included under the AAPA designation. Included are

Chinese, Japanese, Pilipinos, Koreans, Samoans, Guamanians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, etc. Although there may be some

shared philosophical, religious, and other cultural commonalities, the

differences are often as striking as the similarities. One cannot deliver

mental health services to AAPA without being cognizant of the

differences as well as the similarities, for what may be apprOpriate for

one AAPA group may not be appropriate for another. Thus, the

planni0 of servies for AAPA must include all AAPA groues .who

reached by those services if they are ,to be appropriate- and

relevant.

The field of mentak.health in this country is concerned with the

treatment and preventiOn of a broad range of emotional problems and

disorders. It is a field whose approach is still predominantly based on

the medical model of disease and illness. However, there is no field of

medicine where culture and value systeMs make so much difference as

in the field of psychiatry and mental ,health in general. While the

practUIone_Ohysical medicine may Use objective testi suCh .as. blood

Steven Shoo is IT psychistkist with the Richmond Maiii-Centg. DistLict V. Conintdnity Mental

Health Center, and with the Day Area Indochinese Mental Health Project, in San Francisco, 'Cita.

724

frV 737

,
chemistries and X-rays to make judgments and interpretations about

the physical well-being of his patient, the mental health practitioner

does not have the benefit of such objective types of measures. "The

mental health practitioner makes interpretations about human behavior

and interactions, but those interpretations are ultimately based upon

the value system and cultural beliefs of the society that the practitioner

is from. This may work out well when the client shares the 'same

values and lives in the same culture, but may be far from satisfactory

when the client comes from a different culture, with a different value

system and world view.

The psychiatric medical model, upon which many of our current

mental health concepts are based, is derived from a Western European

philosophical base. It is a product of the scientific method, whose

developmental roots begin in.the Eurtiffiean Age of Rationalism in the

16th century. The approach of scientific rationalism is a reductionistic

one (that is, in order to understand something, one attempts to break it

down into its component parts). It also believes in orderly, natural

laws which govern the actions of all things. The scientific approach

has had great technological impact on our mode& world. All modern

tecl1nology, which we so easily take for granted, is the product of this

way of thinking. Although most people who live in the Western world

do not realize it, it shapes the very way they lOok at the world and

how it works. That is their world view. However, people from Asian

and Pacific cultures come from traditions, very often several thousands of years old (as opposed to several hundred in the Western

world), whose 'patterns of belief, value systems, and World view may

be extremely different. The judgments and interpretations that Western inental health .professionals make about AAPA may be totally

. inappropriate to the cultural context of AAPA and, therefore,

erroneous. Unfortunately, those erroneous judgments can have serious

negative consequences.

I would like to ditcuss some examples of how quite disparate

cultural points of view, between Asian -and Pacific Americans and

mainstream American society create conflict within the mental health

arena. The issue of family versus individual is one major example of

this conflict.

The family plays a. very important role in most AAPA cultures

unlike in American society where family bonds are much looser atod

one thinks primarily of the nuclear family of parents and children. In

American society the individual breaks away from the family to go his

own way. The ideals of individuality, independence, and self-sufficiency are stressed by society. Lifels considered in terms of the individual,

beginning with birth and ending with death. Within the life of the

individual there tends to be an emphasis on the "here and now."

725'

7 38
However, the tradition o? most Asian mid Pacific American cultures

.... tends to place a great emphasis on the family as the central unit rather

than the individual. Within the framework of time, which is seen as a

continuum with a long past and long future, it is the family that is the

unit of life that moves through this continuum. The family has a life

that goes all the way back to the beginning of time and will go all the

way to the end of time. The family name exists throughout history and

will exist throughout all history to come. The impli9ition for the

individual is that all the actions in his life will reflect on all the

ancestors .that have ever .existed in the family and on in future

generations. Thus, the individual's actions reflect on the fathily past,

present, and futile. One can, therefore, understand the implications of

mental illness and its stigmatic effect on the whole filthily line.

Traditionally, each of the family members has fairly specific roles

and functions which are based on concepts which may date back

several thousand years, e.g., Confucian ideals of 'the family. If all

members function as they are supposed to, there exists a mutual

interdepindence among all family members. F4mily members are tied

together thrOughout their lives, and different generations may live

together in the same home. The American mental health professional

often sees AAPA individuals from traditional families as pathologital,

based primarily on their own unconscious cultural bias of what is

appropriate for mainstream, middle-class white Americans. AAPA

children are fretIATEbtly labeled as "dependent,"1 family members as

"overprotective," and relationships between tamily members as

"symbiotic." This is not to say that emotional disturbances do .not

exist, for they certainly do, bmt the mental health system all too

frequently compounds problems.by misinterpretation of both normal

and abnormal behavior, ana interactioits because of cultural ignorance.

Another area of cultural disparity that creates difficulty for AAPA

people in contact with the American mental health system is..the area

of communication. A.1 erican society tends to promote directness,

openness, and honesty st ideals. However, within the

tredition of most AAPA cultures, -ommunication is governed by

many very complex variableS. Amo them are age, status, role,

familiarity, concepts of obligation, sha e and "lossitf face," and many

others. The area is so important an sensitive t t the use of gobgtweens is an..important part of the radition of many AAPA groups.

Without knoWledge A'' these im I ortant variables, many American

mental health professionals make interpretations based upon their own

cultural views and value systems around communicatiog. Most

psychotherapies rely primarily on direct verbal communication and,

therefore, this style of communication tends to be highly valued by

mental health practitioners. Becruse of this, AAPA people are often

726

\
seen as "quiet," "passive,"."nonexpressive," and Overall "resistant." In

actuality there may be,many messages being communicated, but not in

the direct, verbal manner that American mental health professionals

ate used to. For example, AAPA parents have at times been seen as

uncaring and unlovie of theit*hildren because they have not been

oberved to express those feelings openly and verbally or through

physical cpntact in -front of therapists. These types of inappropriate

interpretations b)) mental health people who are not knowledgeable

about AA PA. cg,mmunication styles are further reflections of thc

\ insensitivity arid cultural ignorance or the overall mental health

system. *

. The issues of family and communication style are only two of many

examples of how the American mental health system does not

effectively deal with Asiiin and Pacific Aperican peoples because of

cultural biases. It is, therefore, lip( -surprising that studies of mental

health centers in various parts If the country su as Seattle (Suand

McKiimeyt 1975T, Los Au eles (Hatanaka et al., 1975) and San

A

Francisoo (Report of the 'Sim Francisco Copmunity Mental Health

Services, 1977) show that various AAPA gro4s grossly miderutilize

mental health sec/ices in proportion to their population. The Seattle

study also showed ,that when AAPA do seek services, they tended not

to return after the first contact. The underutilization of seNicies by

AAPA does not mean that AAPA do not have mental health

problems. Studies in Seattle (Sue, 1977) and in the California State

mental hospitals (Berk and Hirata, 1973), and the experience of the

Richmond Maxi-Center in the San Francisco community mental,

health system show that the AAPA people who do use mental health

services- tend to be more disturbed (based on diagnosis) than other

groups. This would indicate that most AAPA only turn to mental

health services when problems are extremely severe and that there are

many who need mrntal health services, but are not utilizing the

American mental health system. This is confirmed by the experience of

many mentAl health profosionals workingkwith AAPA whO note that

people will usually Only' seek serviceS as alast resOrt when things are

extremely 'bad _and all other resources, especially within the family,

havefailed.

In the preceding pages I have very briefly sketched some of the

main issues that 1 see as problems Of Asian and Pacific Americans in

.i obtaining useful and relevant mental health services. A much full r

discussion of these and othtr important Waifs may be found in th

President's Commission on Mental Health subpanel rep9rt entitl , "Mental Health of Asian/Pacific Americans" (Report tolfie President

from the President's Commission on Mental Health, 1978). the

solutions to the problems discussed earlier are obviously complex and

7 4-0

727

-o
mum,. therefore, as I pin ceive them, occur at many levels. In the

rolliming pages I will attempt to delineate !Wine a 1 hese solutions.

First. I 13elitv'e it is essential that AAPA be involved in all levels of

decisionmaking, in-oci!sses to ensure. that AAPA needs are identified

and that services provided are appropriate and relevant. It is important

that, consumers', provider, and overall community inPut be elicited and

adhered to in the decisionmaking process. As"stated earlier, hecause of

the diversity. of AAPA.groups, it is important that there is representation from all A A PA groups who will be.affected by such decisions,

and that input be obtained ill The very beginning of planning as well as

in the ongoing operations. 1

Because of the fact -that AAPA .come from 'cultures whose

philosophical, religions, and cultural world views are quite different from the Western world, it is essential thr t .there be biCultural seryice providers that are from the AAPA gr s being served. A mental health service-provider who does not undershrd the cultural cOntext

of his client cannot effwtively terve. him. As noted earlier, a gotSd half of the AAPA population are 'immigrants and English is, not their

primarylanguage. Many are monolingual. Because of. this i is quite' obviously important that service .prIoViders for this population have bilingual as well as bicultural capacities. Theieforer in, or.der that AAPA be guaranteed the right to appropriate services, bilingual- bicultural staffing must exist. Furthermore, staffing must be more than

just a token geSture and must exist at alWeifels seNice provision

systems.

There is someiegislation, such as subparagraph D of sectidn 206 (c). (I) of PUblic Law 94-63 which states that:

r. in the case of a community mental health center serving a population including a substantial proportion., of individuals of

limited English-speaking ability, the center has (i) develdped a plan 'and made arrangements responsive to the needs of such

population for providing servIces to the extent practicable in the.. language,and ctiltural context most appropriate to such individu- als and (ii) identified an individual on its staff who is flaeht in both

that language and English and whose responsibilities shall include providing guidance to such individuals and to appropriate staff members with respect to cultural sensitivities and hridging

linguistic and cultural difference:-

'community mentarhealth cehters have failed to comply with

such gislation and thereby limited the right of many Asian and Pacific American peoples to appropriate services and treatment. It is,

therefore, important 'that the Federal Gvernment develop mecha- nisms lo enforce the compliance of such existing legislation, for without enforcement it is useless. , 728 :
Not only has the mental heillth system failed iii its servii.e to A A PA

peoples- by not providing bilingual-bicultural services, buCalso the

system of mental health training in this country has failed ni'produce

enough well-trained hilMgual-bicultural mental health professionals.

The great shortager\of bilingual-bicultural personnel, will not be

alleviated until major, steps are taken in the arca of mental hea th

training iu address the problem. The issue is well described in t e

A APA- subpanel report to the President's Commission on Mei tal

Health (Report to the President from the' President's Commissio, on

Mental Health, VR8) which states: ,

-..

I 0

Traditional training programs in the me tal health disciplines of

psychiatry, psychology, social wOrk, and psychiatric nursing have

not significantly increased the number -41- Aiian and Pacific

American graduates nor adequately equipped them to stow the

mental health needs of Asian and Pacific American populations.

The vast majority of the tract. ional training programs have been

Afigking in the necessary expe tise, interest, and qualified AAPA

staff. They have tended to p?i5vide little opportunity for contact

with Asian and Pacific American clients and communities. Ihis

situation indirectly discourages Asian and Pacific American

trainees interes141 in working with Asian and Pacific American

populations ,and denies these students the necessary training

durjngc critical phase in their Prbfessional careers:

"44,, Because- of the lack of resources to train AAPA mental health

professionals,.both.within and across mental health disciplines, I Would

see a.necessity to pool resources so they may be effectively focuse-d on

such training. This could be done by the development of regional

Mian and Pacific Amenean multidisciplinary in tat liealth training

centers. These centers could also render comprtihve mental health

services to target AAPA populations as well pr e consultation

to other mental health service agencie§ an4&r *ning stitinions. The

training within such a center should incl de cont mg education,

bilingual-bicultural training, fieldwork ex rience, peeific training

seminars, curriculum development, recruitm t, re ch, and evalu-

, ation. They should also include a board of dire ors refresentative of

AAPA communities. immer""\44

An essential aspect of such a program is that it sho be community

based. Links to university-based traitling programs and community

mental health centers would be vitally important, but it is crucial that

the autonomy and self-determination of such AAPA training centers

.*be preserved.'

The developmeni of such centers would require a commitment of

training flinds designated for the development 1AAPA mental health

service providers. Funding shoutd proyide for training in all m. enial

729

4 .,

.`
, health disciplines as well as for paraprofessionals and should "include

support for training rnters, faculty costs, stipends, and continuing

education. .?

The issue ofriCruitment is clearlykif major concern if there is ever

to be an increase in the number of bilingual-bicultural mcntal health

personnel. The estpblishment of regional multidisciplinary training

centers would be one means of recruitment and would make mental

health work a visible career alternative. However, for recruitment to

be successfulit' Minn be long range and would haveto be instioned at

the early public school level. Mental health educational programs beginning\at the elementary school level would be helpful for this

purpose. .SdhOol edticational programs, especially those that stress

prevention, would be very jmportaiit in AAPA communities and have

as dual Izenefits a means of raising mental health consciousnls and a

way of promoting interest in the mental health field as a career. This

would be particularly important for AAPA communities because of

the great many cultural taboos and stignias associated 'with mental

cillness. Because-current recruitment meChanisms are either noneXistent

or totally inadequate, there must be a conscious and specific effort'at

both the State and national level to create recruitment mechanisms

which will identify, inform, and selsct potential AAPA mental health

service providers.

There is a large body of literature that shows that culture does make

a:difference in mental health. It is an important l'actor_not only in

service deliver)ibut also in understanding the etiologyincidence, and

symptomatolog}of mental illness. With the rapidly increasing rise of

the AAPA population -in this country, it is imperative that AAPAfocused curriculum and teaching materials be deVeloped and imple- mented in all mental health disciplines. It is also important that

continuing educational rarograms about AAPA populations be-drieloped,,for current, non-AAPA mentnl health-service providers. These

educational programs should be required of all non0)1PA mental

health service providers who deal with AAPA populations.

Within

"-

AAPA populations there are special subgroups who have

received scant mental health attention and where culture is an

cintRortralt variable. Some of these important subgroups are AAPA wives of U.S. servicemen, AAPA with developmental disabilities,

AAPA who I've in the Trust Territories \ of the Pacifict AAPA

children, mnd P -elderly. It is important tluit orientation an

teachtig materials develokd and disseminated for mental health

service providers who have contact with these special groups. It is clear t an in ase in well-trained, AAPA bilingual-bicultural

ineiital heal h service oviders will 'take some time to develop..

However,there are some eps that can be taken now to'alleviate the

r\

7 13 fr
--current situation. One of these steps deals with the issue of the

maldistribulion of AAPA psychiatrists) There are large numbers of

foreign medical school graduates who eater the United States every

year from Asian and Pacific countries. Many of them choose

psychiatry as their area of specialty. However, psychiatry training

programs that are located in areas where there are large AAPA

ulations (the west CCM( of the United States), do not generally

ept foreign medical school graduates from Asian . and Pacific

countries into their programs. Because of this, foreign medical scbool

graduates from Asian and Pacific countries end up training and

practicing in .arcas where there are very minima concentrationeet,

AAPA. Also, their training, understandably, d s not focus on(-----

treatment of AAPA groups because there are so few in their areas. It

would, therefore, be important that crualified foreign medical' sc 1 _graduates from Asian and Pacific countries be allowed to train li

concentrations of A . ining programs, most all of which

programs which exist in areas ---tte country where there-are high

receive-wine-public funding, snould be forced to change restrictive

admissions policies and train AAPA psychiatrists who can fulfill the

t c-' ...- needs of AAPA-people in those areas. "-

The community mental health system catchment area policy often, . works against AAPA who are in need of mental health services. The

policy dictates that the range of mental health services be set up -

according to geographical areas based on population, and that people

should seek serlikerin their own catchment` area. Because AAPA

populations do not always live in one area but are often spread out,

vifid because of the shortage of bilingual-bicultural service,providers,

AAPA clien*often cannot find appropriate service providers in their

t own c chment area. Because catchment areas are usually given funds

-

to pro ide service only to those clients who live in their districts, they

..) .. often discourage service seekers from crossin4 boundarieS4Intil there

are enough bilingual-bicultural service providers in all aitOment

areas, it makes sense to pool resou r, es Whenever feasible.`Thus,

, administrative, program, and fiscal a , .ements should' be made to

,

allow Asian and Pacific American nts to be served' across

catchment boundaries .when appropriate serkes do not exist in their

areas. This would avoid duplication. of existing services which are

:Nfoten in themselv

mbined with servi

Because of the sho

providers and the

many cOmmunit

areNbeing utilized

tIrst community ,p

1.

inadequate, but could be more effective if

es from other catchments. s- ge of bilingual-bicultural mental health service

ropriateness *existing mental health services,

AAPA service programs have developed and

AAPA clients in need of help. In many ways

grams are doing the job that the mental health

' 1 1

731 \
system ought to he doing. I would, therefore, reconinund I hat

community mental health serVices contiact with AAPA communit y- based organizations whenever possible to deliver inertial health

services to the AA PA communities that such organizatiqps serve.

In closing, I would again like to refer to the AA PA subpauel report

on the "Mental Health of Asian/Pacific Aincrions". which is port of

the Report to the President from the President's commission on ental.

Health, 1978:

The most pervasive mental health pniblem confronting Asian and

Pacific Americans is racism. The effects of racism (e.g., colonial- ism and institutional racism) are *wed as being highly detrimental to the mental health of Asiagoind Pacifie Americans. Racism

adversely affects the emotioni"nd psychological well-being of Asian and Pacific Americans, and it often restriets the resources

(e.g., economic and service) available to them. Racism is manifested in discriminatory acts which often have a damaging psychological impact on Asian and Pacific Americans. These acts have frequently been codified in discriminatory legislation, which

clearly violates human rights (0w,,ep, 1975). Racisnl is also manifested in derogatory stereotyPi4 of Asian and Pacific

Americans as something less than "American." Such stigma has followed Asian and Pacific -Americans over the years, often

producing a sense of inferiority and second-class citizenship.

Institutional racism further operates in the mental health delivery

system to ignore the distinct and diverse mental health needs of

the Asian and Pacific Americans and to restrict opportunities to

enter the mental health professions. The subpanel recommends:

1. 'That existing aud proposed mental health policies contain

specific provisions which acknowledge- .the unique cultoyes,, languages, and lifestyles (including immigration experience) of the

Asian and Pacific American. The subpanel further recoMmends

support of those policies which recognize and reflect sensitivity tip the.cul al, racial, and ethnic differences of the.Asian and Pacific

, Amecicai tHe.g., bilingual-bicultural education and affirmative

action pr pis). I"

F wholeheartedly adieeayith the subpanel's identificatio of this

prima y .mental health issue-facing Asian and Pacific it m is and its

reqo mendations to deal with it.

ERFNCES

sian and Pacific American Subpanel. "Mental Health .a Asian and

1. Pacific AMericans." Report to' the President from the President's

ommission on MentalNealth, 1978.

Berk, Bernard B. and Hirata, Lucie Cheng. "Mental Illnessitmong the Chinese: Myth or Reality?" Journal of.Social Issue, vol. 29, no. 2,

4973.

732

see
r

Hatanaka, Herbert K., Watanabe, 13ill Y., and Ono, Shinya. "The

Utilization of Mental Health Services in the Los Angeles Area," in

1shlkawa, Wesley H., and Archer, Nikki Hayashi, (eds.) Service

Delivery in Pan. Asian Communities. San Diego: Pacific/Asian

Cqa lition, 1975.

Owan, Tom. "asian Americans: .4,, Case of Benighted Neglect."

Unpublished paper ppesented at the National Conference on Social

Welfare, San Francisco, Calif., May 13, 1975_

San Francisco Community Mental Health Services. Chinese Bilingual

Mental Health Thsk Force Preliminary Report. San Francisco:

Department of Public Health, 1977.

Sue, S(iinle ommunity Mental Health Services to Minority Groups.

AmericaI ): hologist, vol. 3t, no..8, August 1977.

Sue, Stanley, and) McKinney, Herman. "Asian Americans in the

Community Nyntal Health Care System." American Journal of

Orthopsychiatry, 45 (1) January 1975.

OP-

,,

733

71.
114

'

Mental Health Services for the Asian

Americans:_ Problems and Alternatives

by Evelyn Lee* 4

I. The "Model" Minority and the Madness Establishment

For many minorities in America, quality mental health care is not

readily available. Our service system is crisis oriented rather than

prevention Otiented; the delivery system is too fragmented, ineffective,

mnd lacks coordination; mosi unfortunately, the strengths and cultural

urtiqueness of the minority individuals are either neglected or disre- garded.

After years of protests, judicial decisions, and big push for consumer

input in the '60s and early '70s, the poor and the minority started to

receive increased public attention and some legislative protection from

the Federal Government. The Community Mental Health Center Act

in 1963 (P.L. 58-164) and later amendments (P.L. 94-63) sought to

provide incentives through funding to establish community naental

health centers throughout the country. One of the goals of the Federal

community mental health center (CMHC) progrank is to reach, the

high-risk, needy groups otherwise lacking high quality services.

Twelve mental health serviees are mandated to be made available to

persons in the local communities:

Title VI 43( the Civil Rights Act of 1974 also require) that State

agencies and their local counterparts reeeiving Federal financial

assistance operate in a way which ensures that the individuals are not

denied the benefits of or excluded from participation in services on the

basis of race, color, or national origin. This law has been further

defined in the Health Revenue Sharinfp_ohd Health .Setwices Act of

1975, which requires tliat community mental health centers make

specific goals and plans and staffing appointments which_ it-re cultural

and linguiitically responsive to the needs of the populatipn they serve.

The implementation of such Federal legislative 'Mandates had

aroused mixed feelings of confusion and excitement among the mental

health professionals. There are endless debates over the "clinical

service" versus "social change" models. There are issues pertinent to

conflict involving "community control" versus "governmental control." The 6dical industry is rapidly being challenged by health

"consumeri ." There are conqtant struggles to define who are "overEvelyn Lee is

, Mass.

dir or of the mentarhealth and social services division of the South Cove Mental

Health Center in Bost()

734

71.7

4.

Or
N.

)4'

served," "underserved," or "unserved!" Many "deinstitutionalired"

mental patients are in local communities with no treatment alitNp

support. Discriminatir and rever4e discrimination are hot issue'

N6vered by our daily newspapers. The mental health industry, like

their patients, is in a gate of madness.

\ Now, 16 years after the implementation of the CMHC Act, even

with the increased mental health centers, mental health care is still

irrelevent and often unavailable (Chu and -Hotter, 1972). The detailed

specifications for the Community Mental Health Systems Act (Fed.

1979 draft) lists several discouraging findings:

I. Despite significant progress in the availability of mental health

services, 'children and youth, the aged, the chronically mentally ill,

racial and ethnic minorities, poor persons, and persons in rural areas

often lack access to adequate mental health services.

2. Even where mental services are available, the lack of coordination

of mental health, health, an human services often lead to d4 neglect or

unnecessary institutionalizat. n of persons with chronic mental disabilities.

3. Millions of persons with . Some level of mental disorder lull

treated in the primary health care system where opportunities for

effective care are often lost because of inadequate mental health

training for general health care personnel and the lack of mental

healtlypersonnel in primary health care settings.

4. Present efforts to prevent mental disability _through discovery and

elimination of the causes of mental illness ancrtitkough early4etection

and treatment programs are far too limited. . For many minorities, they are also often underserved by high

_quality mentsl health resources (Kramer. Rosen, and Willis, 1973). In

1973, 38 percent of the 272 centers with over 2,000 nonwhite residents

in their catchment areas had lower utilization rates for nonwhites than

for whites (Windle, 1976). Ilk the Asian and PacificIsland Aniericans,

they are either unserved, underserved, or, iniippropriately served by

the Nstion's mental health System. There ere Major deficiencies in the

areas of service availability, assessibility, appmpriateness, and accountability. Let us examine some of the very limited available findings:

According to Sue and McFinney's-istudy in the, Seattle, Wash=

ington, area (1974), Asians afe diagnosed as Psychotic almost ,twice

as often as whites (22.4 percent to 12.7 percent), and the dropout

rate for Astinpatients was extremely high (52 percent). , Many orihi Asians and Pacific Islanders are plased in State

hospitals far awaVfrom their local community. In 19$3 Berk and

Hirata reported that the rate pf State hospital commitniati amoilig

Chinese Americans had inc;ased faster than that .of the generhl

population in California during the last 50 years.

A ik
According to the several studiep and Mct(inney, 1974; Sue,

1977; Karns and Edgerton, 1969), Spanish AM icans and Asian t I Americans use mental health services far less than )ther segments of..,-.'

American society. For those who engaged in the mental health

systeMs, they seem to face a greltendency to be overdiagnosed in

some categories while underdiagnosed in others.

In comparing a sample of Chinese patients with a randomly

selected control group, it was shown that while the Chinese were

less likely to utilize mental healthlacilities, the patients tejided to be

more disturbed than white patients (Brown, Stein, Huang, and

Hafris, 1973).

A study on Asia! students (Sue and Sue, 1971) showed that

Chinese and Japanesjmftles rem to exhibit more severe psychological disturbance than non-Asians. Very few bicultural services are

available for such population.

As a member in the ricinority advisory committee a Administration

of Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health (ADAMHA) of HEW, I

have the opportunity to visit manyeAsian and Pacifk Island mental

health programs in the U.S. At, a mental health proNiider, I also have

the opportunity to learn from the consumers. There are many very A discouraging findings. For example:

Many non-EnglislPspeaking patients who are hospitalized in

Staie hospitals are not able to communicate with the Staff. The

majority of States, like M ssachiisetts, do not have any bilingual

mental health professionals. . , Many Asian and Paci ic Island communities do not have

community-based mental health programs. This inchpdes big cities

with large Asian and Pacific Isiand populations.

, Very few mental. 'health programs are directly ontrolled by

local community boards. . - In many parts of the country, Asians and Pacific Islanders are

dispersed over "Gra-catchment areas. For many "isolated" people,

such as residents in the,Midwest Or in-the South, kultural-bilingual

services are not available at all. There is almost no attention given to

the need for cross catchment area service delivery Concept.

A significant proportion of/Wan/Pacific Americans, especially

refugees from Southeast Asia, are newcomers to the U.S. who must

face multiple problems of language barriers, unemployment, cultural

shock, emotional .problems caused by losses, isolation, loneliness,

etc. Very little attention 'and financial support are given to

community agencies to provide menfal health Services, to such

groups.

There are 'very few bilingual and bicultural mental health

professionals available. For example, in MaksaChusetts there is no

736
Vietnamese-speaking psychologist or psychiatitt available. There is 6

only One Cantonese-speaking psychiatrist and one Toisimese-speaking licensed psychologist. Many States do not have any Asian and

Pacific Island professionals available.

There arc many reasons why Asian and Pacific Island minorities do

not receive their Nil' share of mental health set-vices. The following are

some major problems:

I. Asians and Pacific Islam-lien; are often stereotyped as the "model"

minority: educated, having a stable family, and free of conflicts. The

problems of mental health ond -the rate of mental illness have been

underestimated by the American public; The "they'll take care of

themselves" assurnitton led to governmental neglect in provi'dnig very

needed services to this silent minority. Many. social services and

mental health facilities are relieved of their responsibility and obligation, and therefore mobiLie their energy and resources to the more

visible, vocal, and "problematic" populations.

2. Asians are in general not "psychologically minded." Most of them

have very little understanding.ind contkict with the mental health

profession. To receive help from a "stranger" would be to publicOe

the disgrace of his family. Pride, shame, fear .of sbcial stigmas, "savi

face" 4(, prevent theirentry to the desellf mewal health cent

(Sato, 19 9).

3. Thcre are few bilingual-bicultural providers in thesxisting cW1C

with good understanding of the distinctive ethnic value system and

common life stresses. Many Asians and Pacific Islanders, especially the

new immigrants, do not speak English and find it very difficult to

express their emotional difficidty through interpreters.

'4. TheMestern idetlogy of emotional problem nd its methodology

are very foreign to most of-the Asians: It is rath r difficult to establish

rapport and therapeutic relationships between t e Asian clients and

'American-trained itlierapists who have different racial and cultural

backgrounds. PsOotherapy is basically a white( upper-middle class

activity geared for patients who have high verbM functioning, -high

ernotional expressiveness, and great tolerance for ambiguity (Sue and

Derold, 1973). Diagnosis and treatment are based on tra4itional

psychiatric concepts of mental health and mental disorders. 'Traditional. psychiatric modalities tend to work best for the YAVIS (young,

adaptable, 'verbal, intelligent, and successful). As for most of- th

. uneducated Akians who have low verbal skills, unmotivated or,.insigh

thOapy, and u4ble to pay, they fall into a limbo..

'

5. Nonexistence of loca community-based mental 1161th pri3- rams in

many Asian and Paciac 4 and communities. Maq big cities with large

!Numbers of PacificiAsi n Americans still la6k commiinity,based *

, mental health facilitie\

414- 737

S
6. Cimited power in clie mental health planning and decisionmaking

process. Very few Asians anti Pa Cific Islanders are represented on the

local, regional, and State mental health area hoards.

7. Inadequate Asian and Pacific Islander leadership at the national

level td provyle technicaliassistances to local Asian and Pacific

Isla9der conimunities or to serve as'advocates for Asian and Pacific

laider concerns. Vcry few Asians and Pacific Islanders arc appointed to high level positions in HEW.

II. Alternative Model for Delivery of Mental Health

Service- to Asian and Pacific island Minorities

What steps can be taken to ensure that hie mental health needs of

Asian and Pacific Island minorities are met and that the services they

r -ive are appropriate and effective? u to this point, there are no

sy latic studies to assess what type of rVice delivery model works

bes for,the Asian and Pacific Island population. tine of the purposes

pe

of this paperis to piesent one model presently in oyeration in Boston's

Chinatown. TN* service model has .brought --diout many new and

exciting treatment possibilities to our local community. It is, ofcourse,

not our intention to provide a "recipe" to all Asian communities:1- It is

very important to note that each Asian and Pacific Island ethnic group

s(lould be examined separately and their idiStinctive and diverse \ alturil ackgrounds taken into account. Itt addition, each community

has its own' political and leadership structures and its own funding

)patterns. Program design should be tailored to the needs of each ethnic

minority with its own community characteristicp.

Our mental health service model is designed with the following

assumptions:

1. Programs controlled by the community bArd are more responsive

to the consum&s' needs and expectations;

2. Neighborhood health center as provider of primary mental health

care increases the accessibility and psYchological acceptability of

mental health 5.r-vices. This 'service mockel also enhances prevention,

early casefindings, and coordination of primary-health care;

3. The physical design of the mental health center in the same

geograpihical location with other human services increases the program; I ` . 4. Activities with other services networks lacilitates coordination of

care for patients with multiple problems. This eclipses the possibility

of servjce fragmentation and duplication;

t Asian American is defined as "persons whose origins or parentage is Chinese. East Indian. Filipino.

Ouamanian. Indonesian. Japanese, Korean. native Hawaiian, Pakistani, Samoan. Thai, and Vietnamest." (Classification for ethnic minorities used in NIMIA).

3
1. Bilingual providers with good understanding of the distinctive

ethnic value system and common life stresses produce lx-t ter treatment

outconie.

To translate our assumptions into program objectives, the internal \

design of our system has tried lo meet these criteria. It is:

responsible to the target population as defined in ous proposal,

reliable and consistent,

minimizing pool of unmet needs through preventive components,

. eConomical and efficietit

In our implemeutation of the above-mentioned objectives, our

si,,(model calls for stioiSIinkage bet een mental health center system

and other human services systems.

There are many levels of linkages (see appendix I): f

l Level I Linkage with the Health Services in the Center

During the last decade there has been increasing interest in the

provision of mental health care in a variety of settings ranging from

private offices to group practices, teaching hospitals, and community

halfway houses. In .1973 under the auspices of the Massachusetil%

League 6f Neighborhood Health Centers, a task force of mental health

workers in the Boston area designed a study to gain a better

understanding of the organization, operation, and functioning of the 19

Boston neighborhood health centers with mental health programs."

There was general consensus that mental health should be considered

part of comprehensive general health care and,should not be separated

from it either programmatically or geographically. Comeiremeontacted

, indicate /he following specific advantages: 4,

I. Referrals are easier and quicker in both directions with fewer

irpatients likely t'o be "lost" betwern referring and referred caregivers

-/....if theearegtvers are in the same focation. , 2. Communications abOut patient care for referral, consultation, or

collaborative efforts are facilitated by the advantages of ready

access 16 allied caregiveT, a common record system, and a common

adatinistrative hierarchy to decrease red tape.

3. Since,many health care delivery problems hinge on the patientprovider relationship, mental health staff can often assist health staff

in learning how to deal with behaviorally difficult patients. In turn,

health staff can use their ongoing relationship' with patients to

facilitate acceptance of mental health services when needed. . 4. The appreciation of, emotional problems by general health staff

and their,use of consultation is facil' tii frequent informal

contacts between the health-an mental caregivers-located under the

.,. same roof (Borus, 1975).

a

it

C...

739
APPENDIX I

Level I

Level IV

>,

Pediatric, adult medicine, eye, dental, adult psychiatry, child

psychiatry, social service, and OB/GYN services

Quincy school, little city hall, community council, Quincy

tower

Vocational training program, English classes, day care - center, housing, youth groups, after school programs, big brother & big sister program,

legal services, and other social service agencies

MassachuSetts Rehabifitation

Commissiorf, Court, Police,

Hospital & Clinics, social serv- --

ice agencies, departnient of mental hedith, public welfare, schools, etc.

.753
AnFor out Asian and Pacific Island patients, the majority of whom ale

Chinese and Vietnamese, such a design 5 extremely paramount

because of the following cultural factors7

I. Asian and Pacific Island males and females displayed more somatic

complaints which are often the result of emotional conflicts. Asians and

gPacific Islanders are reluctant to admit psychological problems, since

they are regarded as shameful, whereas physical problems are better

reahied and are more acceptable.

2. Medication is highly valued by the Asians and Pacific Islanders as

the "cure" for mental problems. They usually turn to a physician ot

traditional herbal medicine as their priMary source of help for

emotional troubles.

3. There is a strong fear and denial of mental illness in the Asian and

Pacific Island community., There is less stigma and labeling of the

patient as mentally ill when he 4feeks mental health service in a health

center. Many pritients are shifted from a medical doctor to a social

worker conveniently and naturally.

4. Physicians are well-trusted and respected in our community. The

prkimity also fosters greater patient acceptance of a rerrral for

emotional help when it is made by- the trusted health ca giver to

someone who is part of the --ame caregiving system. The team

approach in the health center with patient care meetings can also

decrease the high rate of patient attrition in the referral wcess and

facilitate early case referral..

5: Most of the families we work with are from "midtiproblem"

families (see appendix II). Having health and mental health serXces

under one roof can facilitate coordifiation of primary care and foster

integrated treatment planning for the total familyunit.

6. When someone was in need of help, his own family members or

family association and local étilmmunity leaders were traditionally used

as the major support systems. Therapy is not well-understood and

received. They perceive counseling with much apprehension and

suspicion. Health center with the insurance of confidentiality does

create a "safer" and a'socially more acceptable' environment for

people to receive help.

7. Many of our mental health unit patiettts are, in need of inedical

services.

eferral to thtmedical unit just across the hal4or medical, dental, and

eye care provides valuable assets in relationart builtfing. By initially

trusting the counselor, they learn to extend dick trust -.upon other

health providers.

8. Policies and program planning at the health center is controlled by

an elected community board. By shifting the mental health program

from a predominantly white-controlled institution tolhe neighborhood

741

e-;; 75

1$
APPENDIX II

Accoycling.to the 1970 study conducted by the Action for Boston

Community Development(ABCD), the Boston Chinese community is

- shown to have greater problems than most other groups in the city,

inducting other minoritiei. 63% of Chinese family have annual incomes ot less than $6,000

and 210/0 have incomes under $3,000 per year

family size is 3A compared to 2.9 for the city as a whole; 78% of

he area's housing units have more than one person per roorn,.r.f...

compared to .6% in the city as a whole. almost 50% of the Chinese pupils enrolled in the Bostoh public

schools in 1969 were foreign born.

nearly 70% of head of household Have less,than an eighth grade

education. /".

82% of Chinese head of households are employed in_ service

job& presumably in restaurants and laundries. Only 12% were

so employed in the city as a whole.

. the infant mortality rate in 1966 was 66.7 per thousand, two and

one-half times,greater than in the city as a whole 'and 150 percerWgrgater than in 1960.

the ingfdencegl nEtw tuberculosis Case is 192%, greater than in

the city, and tice general death-rate is 12% greater.

72% of ainatowh's housing deteriorating or dilapidated, compared to 14% in the city. , .. health center, control of the priority programs and quality of services

can then lA better monitored and more efficiently controlled by the.

,local community residents1. Now services can be more directly related

to the needs and expectations of the comMunity and fit into tqleir

. .. unique cultu'fal 14atterns. Since most 'of neighborhood health center,

- boards consist of relatively "young" members with frish new. ideas,

- there is no need.to fight against years of establitlhed traditio'n like-most

of the old agencies in this area. Furthermorerthe board-can serve'vs

neW political 'power base for.system change. - -.:":1 ... 9: Very feW Asia4s and Pacific, Islanpers can affOr449 or are wifints

. to pay for mental health 'service. A very small perCentag.e ,or our /

patients are' cOvered by4ird 'party reimbiiisemint, (1 0 percent

r BC'/BS; 6.4 percent medicare; 14.6 percent- medicaid). I It- is yitallY

important for a clinic where they can go for services- at. a reasonable

cost (or at no cost at 41).

Like most of the mental health clinicS, we offer indivi

and family therajiy. But better-than most of the.tradition

program design ar the health center opens many new t

b The follosving are some` linkage examples:

ual, group,

settings, our

ovatt!tre ideas.

a child mental health team consisting of chD:. lisychiatrists.,,;

,psychologists, educators, soCial vorkers, dentists' -and .4tometrist

and -pediatricians, nurse, ntrfritionist, health educator . providing

comprehensive cale foi children.

742 .

.e ''

T1-
ongoing prenatal and infant development classes organized by

our hralth educator and pediatrician with input from the mental

'tealth team staff.

pediatric screening by A social worker at th well-baby clinic

allows early cpsefinding and prevention.

adoleVent chnicprovides bilingual comprehensive medical,

health education, social and inyntal health services to our teenage

group.

outreach teams tolhe elderly. Each team consists of a social

strvice and a medical para- professional. They are jointly responsi-

, ble for visiting thNlderly in the community to develop a treatment

plan after a bedical social-psychosocial screening.

interprNer-escort service: provided by social service assistants to

all residents and medical institutions in the Boston area.

a 24-hour telephone emergency service for all patients, staffed by

physithans and nurse.

an intake/registration interview conducted by social workers at

their first Contact with the health center.

switnming and exercisi,9ii classes, organized by our initritionist

and group worker,

Dentist, pediatriciad nurses, ailig mental health professionals1--

conduct workshops for newinunigiant students in bilingual classes.

bilingual radio `program, foctis on medi 1 and mental health

issues. -

familythealthneWsleTters, organized by a Mu tidisciplinary team.

Other: such .as women:s club; knitting classes, cooking classes,

titizenship classes are also av ilable for all neighborhood. residents.

s. biweekly insevvice trainin to both medical and mental_ health

.staff to increase mutual und anding.

With the help of snch link ges, ma atients who "ate; the ptimary

Care health systeip are referred, tO ment1 ealth and social services.

^ Such referralsurepresent 3-5.percent of the adult mental health and 41

24.,t

percent of the child-mental health cases (see appendix III).

For many residents, health center is not only a place to take care of

the physical and.einotiorial problems, but also a learning institution for

new growth. The network of _support sY§tems provided by our

multidisciplinary team has proved to be an extremely effective tool in

8erving this long-neglected minority group. Community &haunters

appear to respond well to such program design. 'Our computerized

mtImagément information systim indicates a drastic increaae of patient

,reg trations and, encounters (ice appendix IV). At present, we have'

intir than 9,000 registered patients and provided 30,304 enco nters in

fiscal year 1978 and 36,900 .in 1979. This type of cOmpr ensive'

service also has proved to be wit e'ffective. It costs our health center

Au

.j175

6

743
APPENDIX III

Adult Meptal Health Team and Social Service Unit

k Primate physicns

Self

Other social agencies School

Hospital

1978

41%

2%

27.4%

, 12.2%

3.4%

14%

Child Mental.Health Team

\ InternalLS.C.C.H.C. 55%

Self , . 4%

Other social agencies 12%

School 26% ir

Hospital 3%

$28.09 per clinic visit (appendix la, (Compared with $50 per

outpatiatt-Vinind $3Q0 inpatient in a nearby hospital).,,,,

Level II Linkage with tO7luman Service Complex

The location of our health cenSer is built along with an elementary

/ public school, a community council, little city hall, an elderly tbwer

with'160 apartments, and a day care center. It is a "one-stop" shopping

mall with many vital services for all segments of our population. There

are many distinguished advantages of such type of architectural

design.

Bekng one -of the very few nevi)), constructed buildings in a

deteriorating neighborhood, this colorful building is ideally located

among-three housing projects in Chinatoin. The easy accessibility has

undoubtedty increased the number of visits to our center. It is

especially necessary for those without means of transportation, for

those who are homebound, and for pareiits without child care.

2. It is always n pleasuratile experience to come to this attractive

- Quincy School Complex. The comfortable atmosphere give clients and

staff- a warm feeling and a sense of recognition. This, directly or

indirectly, enhances the -treatment process' es, reinforces behavioral

change, and generatet brier productilii4r (Young, 1976).

3.. The complex puis many different types of programs ether in an

alliance that benefits all. By being "neighbors" to each other,

, caregivers from-many fields are encouraged to interact juid learn how

to coopetate. Teachers, nurses, social workers, child, -care and

recreaticA staff, psychologists, health educators, etc. are all working'

together under one roof. The team work in proximity,lenhan es early

case finding, successful referral and_coordination of setvides.

744

t
APPENDIX IV

South Cove Community Health Center Visits by Service FY 77-FY 79

DEPT

Internal medicine

Pediatrics

Ob/Gyn

Dental

Eye Care

ilealth education

Mental health

Nutrition

Social services

Totals

tr,

FY 77

4,050

4,100

1,300

600

850

400

2,800

600

2,900

18,000

FY 78

4,166

5,862

1,864

4,136

1,236

666

4,764

2,302

1r592

30,304

FY 7'9

4,768

8,046

241,425

:275791 800

5,68§. 2,37ff.

5,007

36,000

10IP

, APPENDIX V

South Cove Community Health Center

Visit Cost Analysis

FY 76-FY 79

N. Year Operating Cost Encounters Cost/Visit

-14

1976 641,570 . 18,000 350

1977 743,772 23,000 32.30

1978 947,326 30,304 Alle 1.26

1979' 1,024,754 36,486

Atiru-allzed from 6 mo. acluals

The Quincy complex serve as the "second home" for many Chinese

families. For instance, a mot er.may take her lid to school, see her

physician or social worker, at end Efiglish or cooking classes, visit her

in-law nearby, or dipoome g ocery shopping. The children may stay

after,. school to join in all kinds of activities such as swimming,

basketball, gym, art .and crafts, afterschool program, ballet cir, or

Chinese dancing. For our mental health providers, the 'physical

tiocati6n provides great convenience to- talk to teacher& or to observe a,

child in . clapsroom. Social workers. Ian 'take advanVe of the

sswimming pool and gym facilities to reach out to their clients. It take;

only a few m tes to visit an elderly next door.

. -11

. During t Past year, our health center has set up several joint

projects Wi other orgitnizations in the same comple3. For example:

. 745

r
-

1 .

Cosponsored summer day camp program with three other

Itommunity agencies. Around 2(X) children and adolescents attend

each year. Our staff members are involved in 'gentling, orientation

for camp counselors, first aid training and emergency medical

0

backup, health and mental health education curriculum;

Children's fair a day of fun for children and their family

members, organized by teachers, Quincy School Council and health

center staff, student board members, and many volunteers;

a family sUpport program for the day,care program;

'766 evaluation for children with special needs;

therapeutic tutoring program and English classes; A school healthfocus n early detection and prevention of

medical and emotiona) p,póblems in the school population;

comprehensive n4ical, social, -mental health services to the

elrly and the handicai4ped.

Level LII Linkage with Neightiorhood-Based Cultunil and Organizatiopl

Networks

Despite the,rhetoric support of the trend toward more comprehensive Boston program/problems of -care at the neighborhood letel,

human'service caregiVers still have shown little effort to cooperate and

to build a strong service network in their own community. Conse,

quNitly, human services to low-income urban consumers are generally

fragmented and disc) Aized. Many high-risk community residents are

being ecludeJ,fr6m the exi ng network of human service. The

absenc of ctdtdüaied sys s of care often, results in duplication of

efforts and wast of scarce commtinity resources. Opportunities for

early sefi ding /are frequently sacrificed to the need for crisis

intervention.

During, the past few yearimany storefroet agencies have establish-

, ed their roots in Chinatown and offered a wide spectrum of 'human

services. However, in the past vet:), little effort has been made to

examine closely the issues of collaboration, interagency coordination,

-and system jntervention. .

. Last year the Chinatown Community Task Force was formed to

coordinate services anVerve as advocate for consumers. Chinatown

Council of Community7Services was als formed, in October 1978 by

six major community agenties in order to bring better coordination

and broader system change in air 'neighbOrhood. With t1jelncredsing.

mental health manpower and the financial suppOrt of th consultation

" and education grant, our mental health program has, tri to develop

multiple e al linkages to community agencies and regivers,

including sc ools and child care.facilitieS, recreatidnal activities, Uth_

,- groups, churches, sociat service agencies, artl other medical, prOviders.

In. the Chinese cdmmunity, it is particularly iittportaa to be in good

746

7 5 :--,
4

communication with the .local restaurants, grocery, stores, police

station, travel agencies, family associations, drug stores, garment

factories, etc.

Levil IV finkage with Outside Agencies and Organizations

Historically, residents in Chinatown have tried to maintain their

social structure with a minimum of noticeable conflicts with the

Anipican society. They tolerated much prejudice and discrimination

quietly without making strong protest. Evidence of institutional

neglect caii*e found in . almost all types of human services systems:

economic development, welfare, education, medical and mental

health, legal-service, medical, etc. Eventhodgh the outsiders are more

aware of the social problems in Chinatown, presently most of the "I

agencies outside of Chinatown do not have anY bilingual and bicultural

staff to serve this non-English-speaking population. Many Chinese

residents do not know how to use the outside resources. For the clients

who enter the agency systems, services are usually provided by

, English-speaking providers or through interpreters which easily hods

to wrong diagnosis and misfaixliolgjherefore, besides treating many -

k. "resistant" individual clients, we have to deal with many "resiitant"

agncies with low motivation for chl ge.

After years\ of planning and ne tiation, our health center., has

established collaborative arrangemts with several human service

agencies and set tilik new outreach programs for our . residents.

Examples are:-

medical and financial backup by Tufts New England Medical

.sceqter, , . support. toNi Bay Cove Community Mental Health Cenier in the

areas of child mental health services, consultatim and education

program, etc.

vocational training class funded by the Massachysetts RehaiJitatioli

11/lethal retardation program funded by department of mental

health,

English and citizenship classes available for our patients at

University of Massachusetts,

fieldWork placements for social Work students from' graduate

school of social work,

training program for,oychiatric residents,

assistance in sociai service44plications at the health centers

(such as food stamp application and other welfare benefits),

legal Counseling Tor our patients arthe heal nter.

.lHealth Center also provides the following o ch services to the

followling institutions:

a,

74?

1 76
school consultationregular visits to schools with large Chinese

sfudent populations,

comprehensive medical and mental health backup for day care

centers in Chinatown,.

consultation to afterschool programs,

translation service,

interpreter-escort service available to hospitals, clinics in the

Boston area

first aid tr and othe'r health education programs available

for agenci e NI con, tation to ate hospital, community mental health centers,

univers ties, church roups, and rcial seevices agencies, , inser ice training program available for all jiuman service

providers. , Problem Areas . ,

,- Our adopted model is notAvithout disadvantages. There-are several

problems in providing ecioidinated primary mental health serices in

neighilorhood health centers. Setne arerticularly pertinent to our

community:.,

I. . Funding: Presently, we have no single-source funding for Our

mental health services. Our prinnpal funding source (HEW) does not

cover any mental health salaries. Very few patients ar9reovered by any

..- health insurance and caAnot afford service fees. Many indirect services

* are currently not reimbursable by third-party paYments. Preventive

and educational programs, therefore,"are very costly even though sUelt

,programs are desperately needed.. ,-''''' 2. Very few patieuts are eligible for welfare benefits..The strengths of

Asians and Pacific Islanders (such as ' working -Aid. and being

economically independent) arc somehow "punished" by the present

welfare system. It is rather diffilimIt for 'Asian and Pacific Ishind

agencies to be self-reliant without governMental support. When the . ..CMHC money dries up in the coming year it will be next to

impossible fer many Asian. and Pacific Islanikprogrants to continue

vvitbout new ways of funding.' - ` A' - A , 3. Recruitm,A,.. .r. ilingual sae: neje is a critical shortage of bilingual W prof:s, especially those who are comfortable with

.their ethnic iI e ble to tolerate the job pressure.

.4. Language and eultu l-gapfk Although most of our patients speak '

rantoneee and Toisanese, ere are patients who only speak Mandarin

or Vietnamese. Our patients ho came from various Asian and Pacific

Island countries require different treatment approaches. This calls fall : -..4, multidialectcapability and multicultural expertise upon our staff. Ift-'i

5. ). Lack of backup facilities: ,It is rather difficult to operate an

outpatient bilingual mental health clini e. wi0out adequate backup v

..

ft,

748

76

V
41,

facilities. Presently, there are no bilingual stef available in inpatient

psychiatric settthgs, "there lire also no halfway house, day hospital.

foster-home, workshop, etc., designed to work wini Asians and l'aciic

Islanders., Furthermore, our center's usually treated as the "stumping

ground" for difficult cases. li4i1S puts an extra burden on our already

overworked staff.

"Healing of the wounded spirit" requires the understanding of the

psychological,: physiological, and the social environment oft, the

individual. Mental., health professionals _cannot remain isolated from

vjtal community needs and resources. We strongly believeA hat:

I.. Neighborhood health center as provider of printiry mental, '

health cars increases the accessibility and psycbologic3a1 acceptabili-

..ty of mental health services;

2 . bilingual providers with mnIticultund fainilarity of th'e consum-

-er populalion produce better treatment outcome;

.3. the architectural design of "multiservice shopping mall" concept increases 'the prdgram visibility, facilitates successful referrals,

and fosters integrated program and treatment planning.

Obviously, the success or failure of such model must be deteriiiined by

future. research. With the decreased funding .'availability for mental

health services, progren effectiveness and servrce integratio(l have

moved from innovative luxuries to mandated necessities. Every

chance to test eut a new service capacity at reduced cost must be

pursued.

Recommendation for Future Action

To alsist 3 million Asian Americans (according to the 1975 Special

census)and help those with iliental health problems, we must affirm the

goal that high quality bilingual mental health care should be available.

Their neglis calflicit te met unless we make basic changes in public

policies and programs, particularly in how we, plan, .coordinate, and

finance mental health care. There must be a much clearer delineation

of responsibility and atfrounthtility for the care delivered to these

people.

For the next _decade, national mental health policies would be

'greMly influenced by the recommendations made by the President's

CommissiOir oh Mental Health. In thereport, the Commission strongly

recommends priority in the new gratit program be given to:

1) unserved and underserved areas,

2) services for,children, adolescents, and die elderly,

3) specialized services for racial and ethnic minority populations,

and

.4) services for people with chronic mental dines's.

- 74g I.

a. "
Ibe proposed ( ommunity Mental Health System ..let also lists the

following specific ob*tives

1) Foster the most effecti4e use of available Federal, State, local,

and p6vate resources by encouraging States to improve their

management of mental health services and their coordination of

such Services with other health and human services;

2) develop community-based services for nnserved, underserved,

an(1 inappropriately served populations, especially children and

youth, the aged, the chronically mentally ill, racial and ethnic

"ft minorities, poor persons, and'persons in rural areas; , 3) minimize unnecessary or inappropriate inStitutionalization and

ensure that per5ons re,quiring long tem tesidential care due to

ment 1 illness oli disability 'receive stall care in thei least restrictive

se t t in possi141E;, , 7 c- . 4) increase the intygration of general health and wental h9alth

services through inservice ntental health training 1,4 primary care

providers -and through placement of mental healthtprofessionals in 1 primary care program; . 5) encourage Slates to develop prevention programs; and

6), encourage nienr1 health proftssionals to locate in unser,ed and

underserved qreas.' /

To implement the above objectives, we feel that the Administration ,., of Alcohol, Drug Abuse: mil Mental Healtii,(APANKIA) of HEW

must assume the following Federal responsibilities.-

I. Bilingual-bicultural mental health services must be made available

to all Asian Americans in the 'TS. within their local communities.

2. Culture-specific models of service should be developed and

delivered to Asian Americans in the context of accessible multiservice

centers providing acceptable mental health, health, social services,

economic, educational, and legal services centered around the

strzgths of the Asians and Pacific Islanders.

3. There should be a Al'ational policy statement and extra funding to

provide assistance to the newly "uprooted" immigrants and refugees.

To help them to get a good start in thi5 new land can prevent the

deOelopment aserious mental and emotional disabilities. Such type of

prevention can be much more coat-effective.

4. ADAMFIA should establish a nationid 'plan "to-increase the

- available pool of Asian and Pacific Island professionals and paraprofessionals. ,Appropriate funding shoul\d be allocated directly tO existing

Asian and Pacific Island Mental health centers.

I 5. ADAMHA should provide, necessary technical aisistance and

adequate resources to enable the underserved Asian and Pacific Island

communities to gradually develop their own mental health program.

, 750

c.
0

ti. ADAMHA should develop very clear compliance requirement)

and appeal procedures ih order to actively enforce Title VI and VII of

the' 1464 Civil Rights Act, as applicable, to all health, mental health

service delivery institutions, and universities that receive Fedetal'

funds.

7. ADAMHA should encourage and fund innovative nwdels of service

,-delivery uniquely tailored to the needs of Asian and Pacific Island

t pulations.

8. ADAMHA should pay attention to each profoundly different

subgroup within the grouping of Asian/Pacific Americans. Attempy

should be made to develop specific programs that would addresiSitich

value and, cultural differences. .4 i

9. Asian and PacVic kland representatives shOuld be substantially

increased within the structure of ADAMHA. Areas should include:

high level administrative positions, initial review grou special task

forces, and national adVisory cohncils. To ensure such e§entation,

a full-time bilingual-bicultural staff should be appointed to function as

Asian and Pacific Island coordinators to ADAMHA and MAC on

0 Asian and Pacific Island issues and concerns.

10. ADAMHA should expand research funding in order to: 1)

'identify and define the priority mental health needs. 2) analyze

available alternative models, 3) study the range and effectiveness of

different therapeutic modalities. Such research should be ccinducted in

service settings with maximum community input.

l l \ ProgramS for the pr5vention of mental illness and the promotion o '. 'mental health in Asians and Pacific Island communitiesjt r e

top priority with sufficient funding. . 12. Mental health con14ation and educatio4 activities should be

encouraged with funding su port. Such programs should be bilingualbicultural in nature, and pla ned and,delivered by. Asians and Pacific

Islanders themselvilp to eni'are ffi-eir relevence and senOtivity to the

Asian and Pacific Island cultures. Effort must be takAt to educate

otheeethnic and Majority groups-concerning the problems as well as

the strengtlis of the Asian and Pacific Island groups. Asian American

communities must be helped to understand and destigmatize mental

health services. Special attention should also be given to the formal

and infocmal commillnitY netwdits and institutions within local

communities such' as schools, churches, family associations, unions,

: civic clubs, and voluntary organizations, etc.

13. ADAMHA should diiipop special programs for thee'minority"

within the Asian and :Pacific Island Tinority groups such as day care

for the elderly, aftercare program for Ilie ichriniCally.ill, comprehensive services for allescents, etc.

0 4

fr,

751
14. ADA MIIA should provide support to the continuity of the

minority advisory committee and the annual minority nAltvl health

conference. Such conference is the only vehicle for minority prokssUmals and consumep to share their common concerns and excHange

'their ideas so as to iilan for action strategior

15. JThe newly proposed Community Mental Health System Act (S.

) should' have specific language in the bill which addresses the

arriers to mental health service delivery for limited-English-speaking

and bicultural persons. Explicit assurances with adequate funding

appropriations must be provided for the planning and delivery of

culturally relevant services staffed by bilingual and bicultural person- , nel contract with Asian and Pacific Island community-based organizations for delivery of services is ritcially imp4rtant.

16. ADAMNA should give support for the creation of minority

mental health center division. ADAMHA should provide-an annual

budget to carry out its responsibilities and functions. More Asians and

Pacific Islandos should be appointed in the division to- provide

adequate input in program plahning, implementation, and evaluation.

The Federal Government alone cannot solve all our problems. We

must tigve strategies .developedillnd iMplemented by State and loZal

overnmentsSince the new FOeral Community Mental tlealth Act

was passed .py C ngress in 1975, each State is required to produce a 5-

year State plank mental health services.

The 13ipbposed Community Mental Health System Act also giv.es an

unbalanced emphasis to the role of the States. In view ofithe historical

rneglecV of minorities in the pastthe idea of cutting down human

° services expenses in the Tuture in various Statesit is very crucial for

each State to take the following responsibilities:

I. Each State should inveitigate and assess the qu ity and antity

of services provided for Asian Americans. Based on he fin in s, the

State- should be .mandated to develop a separate 5 ar plan with

concrete operational statement and specific programs that can be

.... nted i each funding cycle.%, - ( Eac'h State should have clear up-to-date iatistical breakdown and

demogrikihic characteristics of minority population.

3. For the CMHC to be eligible for Federal funding, it must meet t6e

coMplianceregulatiOns. One iegulation is that the governing body must

be from the community or!resiO0q within thiS catchment area. It

must be culturally sensitive so( A_ to recognize the different racial

components Of its catchment area and be responsive to their concerns.

For the past 16 years, many CMHCs simply igndred these compliance

regulations but received continuer6s funding. It is very important that

each State develop a clear licy statement regarding .the specific

goals and steps in order to,i6eet the compliance regulations. Funding

752

ro,
should not be given to the CMI1C which fails to n'..e snob

compliance. - 4. More Asians and Pacific Islanders. should be appointed or e ted

in the local area I I I , the regional board, and thetate advIory

council structur _in o s er to provide Asian and Pacific Is! nds

perspectives in the s and decisionmaking processes.

Sinceign.Q12 of the Asian nd Pacifio Island population is dis rsed

among all catcmitem areas, the issue of flexible catchment area concept

should,bc addressed. Regional silingual and bicultural mental health

facilities should be developed to nret the needs of Asians and Pacific

Islanders, especially the ones who ire geographically isolated from the

Asian and-Pacific Island communities.

6. Each State Mould have an effective inform lion system and a

statewide management and quality assurances quideliJomeasure the

State's objectives for service delivery, cost control, eve!, ation, and

planning.

. 7. The State agency resnnsible for the State mental health plan

should approve the award abpliOations which can promote.coordination between mental health and primary health care (services, as

recommended by the President's Commissiot on 'Mental Healthtate

also should place ore mental health professionals in primary health

care setting.

8. Since very few sian Americans are covered by public or private

insurance, it is very ifficult for Asian add Pacific Island programs to

generate high third-party reimbursement. This should be taken ihto

consideration for future funding.

9. The State office should be charged with drawing up and

monitoring plans for recruitment'. and qffirmative action. Special

attentiOn should be given tsiOthe recruitment and advancement of

qualified Alien Americans 'in accordance with affirmative aciion

guidelines.

10. There should be a decisive shift toward multidlTelpttnary training

programs!, rather than single-discipline training. Training sites should

be base4 in community programs direct funding support.

11. Training in management s ould available for minority manag-

. ..... ersrd leaders sponsoreil by t States regional offices.

12. There shotild be '11 formal structure fbr minority mental health"

providers.and cQnsLners to voice their concernstlt is very important

for each state to e its own minority advisory Council and annual

conference to bring minorities together. Asian/Pacific Islanders

should be well represented in such structure.

As Asian Americans we alto must face up to our own rewnsibilities.

Many Asian and Pacific Island communities such as Chinatbwns, like

other ghetto arem 4tke urban city, are aclually in deep trouble, a fact

a. 753

76 6

V
t

that the Asian and Pacific Island community leaders can .no longer

_deny and American institutions can no longer neglect. Jac bs, Landau,

,and Pell (1971) noted that the Chinese iir San Francisc Chinatown

have the higjiest tuberculosis rate in the city and that the icide rate is

three times higher than the national rate. Other 'problems such as

juvenile delinquency, inadequate housing, poverty, underl,mployment,

mental illness are also prevalent in other Chinatowns. The large influx

of new immigrants from Indochina and other countries bring in new

problews to the already overwhelmed Asian and Pacific Island

commanities. For many Asian and Pacific Islanders, especially the

new immigrants, emotional stresses pre mainly caused py language

barriers, inadequate housing, long years of separation from their loved

ones, long working hours with no job ilternatives, and ctltural

conflicts with the host country.

Racism and many discriminatory legislations (such as the Exclusion

Act of 1882) severely crippled the growth Ala development of many

Asians and Pacific Islanders. Mental health serVideks.therefore, cannot

be planned and implementedlated from other socioeconomicpolitical factors. As Asian arid Pacific Island groups, we have a lot to

learn and share from each other and other minorities. We must be

politically united in order to bring about broader system change in Our

neighborhoods. We must make the Federal and State governMents

more accountable for their re nsibilities..And, most important of aft

we must be able to deVelop reali'tic short term and long term goals for --... ourselves.

..,. . f I I Conclusion

i In summary, this paper addressed three issues:

I. TOidocument a past record of institutional neglect;

2. to hemonstilite a pesent mental health service model in one Asian

and Pacific Islakal community which can serve as one of the

alternative models of mental health service delivery; r

3. To outline a plan'for future actions which hopefully can lead to

more responsive and relevant m ital health services for Asian and

Pacific gland communities. -Y--,_

Wit hip the past 20 years a number of significant legislatlis have

shlirpened Americans' respOlises to the needs of those with menal tind

emotional problems. However, many Alan. Americans still receive

inadequate care. 'We, approaching 3.1,alid of this decade, must see

more clearly the fundamental problems in planning, organizing,

deliveririg, and finaticing mental health services throughout the mental , health .Syitem. Such chaages call for a bask c,h nge of a redistribution t

of poWer and fundi4. It demands new aianc tween the public and

rtrivate sectors/and among Federal, State, andflocal goVernments.

7 g
Together we must develop a network of accessible community

mental health seivices in local conimunities, and increase the inlegra

lion of mental hAdth, other health, and human service networks. The

currently existing social and personal supports in our neighborhoods

are great resources for preventing the development of mental and

emotional problems in American society.

Looking forward to the decades ahead, the govrmiient should take

special care of those who have been neglecte41 in the paia. With

combined efforts from Ole Asian and Pacific Island connimmties and

governments, we can all expect a brighterfuture.

REFINCES

s Abad, ., Ramos, J., aild Boyce, E. "A Model for Delivery of Mental

1-lealth Service to Spanish-speaking Minorities." American Journal of

Orthopsychiatry, 1974, 44, 584-95.

ABCD Report. The Chinese in Boston, 1970.

Berk, B. and L.C. Hirata. "Mental Illness Among the Chinese: Myth

or Reality?" Journal of Social :Issues, 29, 1973. 149-66.

Bloombaum, M., Yamamoto, J., and Evans, Q. "Cultural Stereotyping

Ai mg Psychotherapipts." Journal of Counseling "and Clinical

Psyc ology, 1968, 32, 991

Borus, Jonathan L & D. "The Cootdination of Mental Health Services

at thc Neighborhood Level." Services at the Neighborhood Level.

Americau Journal ofisychiatry, November 1975.

Brown,.T.R., Stein, K., HugIK., and .Hartis D. "Mental Illness and

the Role of Mental Health Facilities in Chinatown."'Asian American

Psychological .Perspectives. S. Sue and N. Wagner, eds., Ca. Science

and Behavior Books, 1973.

Chen, eeter W. Cflinese-AmeriecimqView Their Mental Health. San

Francisco, R &115 Resea ch Assocates, 1977.

Cheung, Freda K. Avdl ility, Accessibility -and Accountability of

Mental Heakh Facilitie from ad Asian-Amerlcan Perspective.

NIMH, August 1978. ,... . -. Chu, Franklin and Sharland Trotter, 1974. The Madness Establishment:

IRalph Nader's Study Grvup Report on %14.National Institute of Mental

Heald; Grossman: New York.

Jacobs, I., Landan, S. and Pd1 E., To Serve thePevil, vol. 2. Colonials

., and Sojourners. New York: Vintage BoOks, 197 t.,

Kim, Bok-Lim, "Asian Americans: No Model Mincnit6Social Work,

18, May 1973, pp. 44-53. , -

4 Kline, L.Y. "Some Faclors in the -Psycliiatric Treatment of SpanishAmericans. American Journal of Psychiatry, 1969, 125, 1674-81..

Kramer, M., Rosen, B.M., and Willis, E.M. "Definitions and Distribution of Mental Disorders in a Racist Society," in C.V. Willis; B.M. i . 755

44.
Kramer, and B.S. Brown (eds.) Racism and Mental Health.- Essays.

Pittsbui:gh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1973.

Matsuskima, B., Gonzalez, C., Gibson, E., Brown, C. Summary:

Alcoholism/Alcohol Abuse "Needs' Asselsment" Study of the Pacif- -

ic/Asian Community. April 1978.

National Institute of Mental Health. Bibliography on Racism. 1972-75,

vol. 2. HEW Publication No. (ADM) 78-318, 1978.

Norman, Martin M. "An Outreach Team Approach to Neighborhood

Mental Health Service." Neighborhood Psychiatry. Macht, Schgrl,

and Sharfstein, Lexington Woks, Lexington, Mass., 1976, p. 93.

Owan, Tom C. "Improving Productivity in the Public Sector Through

Bilingual-Bicultural Staff. National Association of Social Workers.

1978.

Ryan, W. Blaming the Victim. New York: Pantheon, 1971.

Sato, Masayuki. Concept of Shame and the Mental Health of Pacific

Asian-Americans. May 1979.

Shapiro, Richard. Discrimination and Community Mental Health. Civil

Rights Digest. Fall 1975, p. 69-73.

Sue, S. "Community Mental .Health Services 'to Minority Groups:

Some Optimism, Some Pessimism." American Psychologist, 1977, 32,

616-24.

Sue, S., Allen, D.13., lmd Conaway, L. "The Responsiveness and

Equality of Mental Health Care to Chicanos and Niti -1.-Te- Amer--

cans.1.-Anierkdn Journal of Community Psychology, 1978, 6, 137-46.

Sue, S. and McKinney, H. "Asian Americans in the Community

Mental Health Care System." Ametjcan Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

1974, 42, 794-801.

Willie, C.V., Kramer, B.M., and Brown, B.S. Racism and Mental

Health: Esitays. Pittsburgh: University'of Pittsburgh Press, 1973.

Yamamoto, I:James, 0.C., and Palley, N. "Cultural Problems in

Psychiatric Therapy." Archives of Geherul Rrychiatry, 1'968, 19, 45-

49.

Young, Linda G. "A Model for Reinforcing Mental Health Facilities:

A Student's View." Community Mental Health Journal. vol. 12, no.

4, Winter 1976, p. 422.

I\

756
Civil Rights and Affirmative Action: Wages,

Dilemmas, And Alternatives

by Lawrepce K. Kosekl, D.S.W.*

Introduction

In approaching the issue of civil rights, the notion of affirmative

action repreaents an integral concepta concept which Can be

examined critically frein the standpoint Of:

1) the nature of the work force and causes for the Current situat1pn,

2) issues and problem areas, and

3) action alternatives.

This paper analyzes the ethnic distribution of the 4vork force of a

large State human service agency in the light of Hawaii's unique

population, history, and ethnopolitical climate. The exposition provides-a brief background of Hawaii in terms of its diverse population,

the ethnic characteristics of its political leaders, and the State

agencythe department of social services and housing (DSSH). An

analysis of the ethnic backgrounds of the agency employees by major

programs includes a comparison with the ethnic distribution of the

recipient groups.

This paper, has been approached with a value orientation that

everyone in our society should have equal .access to employment

opportunities and those ethnic groups underrepresented should have

the chance to catchup." Despite this idealistic oricntation, the paper

attempts toco.fitction steps Which might be helpfla on the belief that

solutions can No-st be generated from within the agency rather than be

imposed from the outside.

Hawaii: Tito Mottiothnic Socloty

One of the uirique characteristics of Hawaii is the lactof neither a

white nudority nor a single majority ethnic group. Although there are

more Asians and Pacific Islanders residing in the continental United

States, Asian Americans 'and 'Pacific Islanders, according to recent

statistics, aceounted for approximately 61 percent' of dr nonwhite

population in Hawaii. Table 1 presents the State's populatIcin distribution by specific ethnic groups. In the last two decades, Hawaii has

experienced large numbers of immigrants mostly from Asian countries .

and the Pacific Basin. It now has the largest proportion of foreign

Iminigrants of any State. In addition to the' continuing rise of

Lawrence K. Kasai is deputy dipctor of the Department of Social Service and Housing for the

State of Hawaii.

776

137
TABLE 1

*It Hawaii State Population By Ethnic Group, 1976

Ethnic group No.

Caucasian 230,078 27.8%

Japanese 219,824 26 6

Native Hawaiian 146.291 17 7

Filipino 83,791 10.1

Chinese 35791 4 3

Korean 10,733 1:3 .

Black 7,637 .9

Samoan 4,460 .5

Puerto Rican 3,183 A

Mixed (cosmopQlitan) 76,324 9.2

Unknown/others 9,283 1.1

Total 827,466 99.9%

Source Hawaii State Department of Health, Hawaii Health Surveillance Program

Survey, Spring 1476. 911.

immigration to the islands, Hawaii has been historically a place for

immigrants and refugee settlement. vt. The concept of Asian American and Pacific Islander as an ethnic or

even political identity is rarely used or acknowledged ,by Hawaii's

people. Rather, Islanders tend to identify themselves with their ethnicspecific labels such as Chinese, Filipinos, korean, Japanese, or

Smnoans. Interestingly, even the "American" suffix is omitted'. Thc

underutilization of the Asian American and Pacific Islander term may

be due to a number of complex factors. However, given the lack of k

minority/majority mindset and the possible lessened need to organize

and coalesce with other minority groups to deal with a majority

group, Hawaii's racial groups have generally tendedtto rely on their

specific ethnic background for identification. The political leaders also

reflect the impact of a .nonwhite "majority" State population. Both

U.S. Senators are of Japanese anceitry; one of the two Congressmen is

a Native Hawaiian. The Governor. and Lieutenght Governor are

Japanese and Japanese-Caucasian, respectfully. And while the mayors

of the city and county of Honolulu (Oahu) and Maui are Caucasian,

the mayors of Hawaii and Kauai Counties are Japanese and Filipino,

respectively.

Among the 76 State legishitors, Asians and Pacific Islanders

represent 72 percent in the /senate and abaut 77 percent in the house of

758

77i
,

TABLE 2 \

Hawaii Stat. Log Motors By Ethnic Background, January 1979

Ethnic group

SENATE HOUSE

No. 56 No.. N.

Caucasian 6 24% 12 23.5%

Japanese 11 44 27 52.9

Chinese 3 12 2 . 3.9

Filipino 1 4 2 3 9

Native Hawaiian 3 12 6 11.8

Black 1 4 :--- Mixed (Asian)

, 2 3.9

Total 25 100% 51 99.9%

representatives. Table 2 provides a more specific breakdown of the

legislators' ethnic backgrounds. In spite of the Pacific/Asian majority

among the State political leadership, issues and problems are seldom

addressed along racial lines. In fact, despite voting patterns which

reflect racial preference!, it is commonly accepted ahat running for

public office based on one's ethnicity is political suicide. The power of

the Pacific Asian political leadership, thus, must I* viewed within this

climate. And if power is derived from financial resources and racism

and discrithination are practiced for economic reasons, Hawaii's

economic and corporate structure need to be closely examined to

understand the sources and dimensions of power in Hawaii.

But the fact remains that the Japaneseoegment of the population is

now highly visible in government and in-the professions. And yet Ili&

/ visibility in government service musf be viewed in a historical

contextto which Lawrence H. Fuchs incisively depicted in Hawaii,

Pono: A Social Iiisto7. ' The Japoese represented the largest single

.. groupalthough not a majoritybefore, during, and after World War

II, but were generally excluded from employment in business and from

other private sector jobs, including the professions. Aimed with

veteran's benefits to further their schooling and imbued with their

partnts' value on eduCation, many of the Nisei yeterans went off to

college and upon their return sought employment: irt government,

particularly in teaching. The impact of this process achieved its crest

-in 1954 during the Democratic Party's landslide victory in which the

political system of Hawaii was significantly alter--1. -The continbipg

residual effect of this sodal-political revolution ri Flied through the

thiid and fourth generations of the Japanese population and reflects, in

part, their current numbers specifically in teaching, social service,

public health, engineering, medicine, dentistry, and throughout the

puiolic sector in general. No doubt, the large number of the Japanese,

Lawrence H. Fuchs, Hawaii limo: A Social History (New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World. Inc.,

1961).

759
coupled with .t heir educational attainment propelled them into a.

conspicuous ilosirion_ The Clnnese, on the other hand, tend to- be also

overrepresedted (in relation to tlieir numbers in 'the population) in

govethmentl'ivork as well as in siiidlar professions, but their small

numbers in the general population are such that in spite of their

educational, social, and economic gains,/ they as a group have not

'generated levels of hostilitir and competitiveness experienvd by the

Japanese.

The Department of Social Services and Housing

The State government ocHawaii is highly centralized with 17

departments. Unlike its sister States, the t.ate is responsible for

administering all health, education, and welfare programs. The

department of social services and housing repliesents one of the largest

and complex State agencks consisting of more than 86 programs with

an annual operating budget of approximately $300 million: Its staff

comprises over 2,000 workets. The agency annual clientele number

over 175,000 Persons.

The department's programs range from public assistance and health

service, vocational rehabilitation services, public housing, corrections

and parole. There are three line divisionspublic welfare, corrections

and vocational rehabilitation, and services to the blind. The State

medicaid program operates under the public welfare division. The

Hawaii Housing Authority, Hawaii Paroling Authority, and the

Criminal Injuries Compensation Commission function independently

under their iespective boards or commissions but are attached to the

department for administrative purpose. Support services to all programs are provided by various departmental staff offices such as the

office of information systems, research and statistics, administrative

and fiscal services;personnel, program evaluation and fair hearings.

A Comparison of Staff and Recipient Ethnic Profiles

Tlie department, as of April 1978, lifid a total of 2,054 employees. Of

this total, the three largest groups were Japanese, 945 or 46 percent;

Native Hawaiians, 344 or about 17 percent; and Caucasian, 326 or

approximately 16 percent. Chinese, Filipinos, blacks, and Koreans

followed in that order with smaller proportions (see table 3).

According to table 3A, Japanese and Chinese represented twothirds of the top administrative positions in the department. NatiVe

Hawaiians and Caucasians accounted for approximately 20 and 10

percentkiestectively. Among the professional employees, over 50

percent were Japanese, followed by Caucasians, 21 percent, Native

Hawaiians, 11 percent, and Chinese, 10 percent, respectively.

7 ;0
TABLE 3

Total DSSH Employees By Ethnic Background, April 1978

Ethnic group No.

Japanese 945 460%

Native Hawaiian 344 16.7

Caucasian 326 15.9

Chinese 43 6.9

FIllpIño 112 5 5%

-Black 16 .8

Kbrean 14 .7

Others 154 7.5

.Total - 2.054 100.0%

Native Hawaiians and Japanese were the largest groups among the

technicians, each with 38 percent, respectively. Of the total protective

service employees, 38 percent were Native Hawaiians and 28 percent

were Caucasians. Paraprofessional workers showed 52 percent Japanese and 14 percent, respectively, for Caucasians and Native Hawaiians. Among the office and clerical employed, 60 percent were

Japanese. The next largest group was Native Hawaiians, 11 percent

followed by Caucasians, Filipino, and Chinese With approximately 6

percent each. Japanese employees represented 49 percent of the

skilled/craft workers. Native Hawaiians accounted for 17 percent

followed by Caucasians, 11 percent, Filipinos, 8 percent and Chinese, 7

percent. Among the service/maintenance workers, Native Hawaiians

had 31 percent, Filipinos and Japanese, 21 percent and Caucasians, 15

Percent (see table 3A).

Oi the other hand, it is interesting to note the distribution .of

employees in job categories by each ethnic group. As table 3B shows,

the Caucasian group had its largest representation in professional,

protective service, and paraprofessional positions;. the Japanese in

professional, office/cleriyl, and paraprofessional; the Native Hawaiians in paraprofessional positions; Filipinos had their largest representation in office/clerical jobs ,followed by service/maintenance and

paraprofessipnal positions; the Chinese largest representation were in

professional, paraprofessional, and office/clerical work; the Koreans

had about one-half of their numbers in professional positions followed

by office/clerical workers; and blacks Shad their largest proportion in

protective service and professional positions.

In tabli 4 Japanese employees in the public welfare program

represented 53.3 percent of the total 857 staff: All other groups are

underrepresented in comparison to their numbers in the general

population. On the other hand,. table 4A indicates that, Native

Hawaiian, Caucasian, and Filipfho groups represented over one-half of

the total number of persons receiving public assistance. In Comparison

7 7 4

f)

761
-4

Ch 11

t....) TABLE 3A

Total I188H Employees By Ethnic Background and Job Categories, April 1978

1 Ethnic group

Official/adminion

No.

` sional

%

Technician

No. %

Caucasian 2 1.1% 122 20 7% 3 18.8%

Japanese 6 33.3 . 302 51.3 5 31 3

Native Hawaiian 4 22.2 63 101 5 31.3

Filipino 8 1 4 1 6 2

Chinese 6 33 3 58 9.9 1 6 2

Korean - 6 1.0 - -

Black - - 4 0.6 - -

Others - - 26 4.4 1 6.2

Total 18 99.9% 589 100.0% 1 6 too.0%

JOB CATEGORY

Protective Paraproservices fesisbnal

No. % No. %

73 27.8% 64 13.7%

- 23 8.8 243 51.9

101 38.4 64 13 7

16 6 1 23 4 9

7 2.7 32 6 8

1 0 4 1 0 2

! 7 2.7 3 0.6

35 3.3 38 8 1

263 100.2% 468 99.9%

TABLE 3B

Total DIM Employees By Job Categories and Ethnic Background, April 1978

Job category Caucasian

No.. or%

Japanese

No. %

Native

Hawaiian

No. _ % . Filipino

No. %

Chinese

No. %

Official/

administrator 2 0.6% Q 0.6% 4 . 1.2% - I' 6

4.2%

Professional ----- 22 37.4 302 32.0 63 18.3 8 7.1% 58 40.6

Technician 3 0.9 5 0.5 5 1.5 1 0.9 1 r 0.7

Protective service 73 22.4 23 2.4 101 29.4 16 14.3 7 . 4.9

Paraprofessional 64 19.6 243 25.7 64 18.6 23 20.5 32 22.4

Office/clerical 33 10.1 287 30.4 53 15:4 31 27.7 30 21.0

%Wad craft 12 3.7 55 5.8 19 5.5 9 1 8.0 8% 5.6

SerVice maintenance 17 5.2 24 2.5 35 10.2 24 . 21.4 1 0.7

Total 326 99.9% 945 . 99.9% .344 100.1% 112 99.9% 143 100.1%

Office/ ., clericalSkilled

craft

Service

maintenance

No. % No. % No. %

33 6.9%1 12 10.7% 1.7 15.2%

287 60.3 55 49 1 . 24 21.4

53 , 11.1 19 17.0 35 31.1

31 6.5 9 8.0 24 21.4:

30 6.3 8 7.1 1 09

3 0.6 1 0 9 2 1 lip - - 2 1.8 - -

39 8.2 6 5.4 9 8.0

476 99.9% 112 100.0% 112 100.0%

Korean Bleck Others

No. % No. % No. % - .__/- - ' - - - .

b'

42.9% 4 26.0 26 18.9% - - 1 0.7

1 7.1 7 43.8 35 22.7

1 7.1 3 ' 18.8 38 24.7

-3 21.4 - 39 25.3

1 7.1 2 12.5 6 3.9

2 14.3 - - 9 5.9

14 99.9% 16 100.1% 154 100.1%

7 t o
TABLE .4

Public Welfare Divialon En; loyal* By Ethnic Background, AI:011978

Ethnic group No. %

Japanese

Caucastan

Native Hawaiian

466

141

105

Chinese \ 59

Filipino 40

Black 6 3

Korean 2

Others 59

Total 857

53.3%

16.1

12.0

6.7

4.6 :

0.3

0.2

6.7

, TABLE 4A

Radial Chiracteristics of Putilic Assistanc Recipients, November

1978

Ethnic group . No. %

Native Hawaiian

Caucasian

Filipino

?3,456

v18,958

11,1 14

23$%

18.3

10.7

Mixed 8,946 s 8.6

Samoan 6,741 6.5

Japanese' 6,415 _ 6.2 qiv

Chinese - -. 1,487 1.4

Puerto Rican 1,149 v 1.1

,Korean '

, 1,079 1.0

Black 832 0.8

Other 2,078 2.0

Unknown 19,754 19.0

Missing data 869 0.8

Total 103,749a 99.9%i'

aincludes duplicated count from food stamp only and medical needy only

cases.

to the general population, Native Hawaiians, Samoans, and' Puerto

Ricans were overrepresented; Caucisian, Japanese, Chinese and

Korean groups were underrepresented while Filipinos, blacks, and

those who were grouped as "mixed" were nearly proportionate to

their numbers itube population-at-large (see table 4A).

Corrections Ditision. Table 5 shows that Native Hawaiians constituted

almost one-third of the corrections wolt force. -Caucasian and

Japanese employees followed next, accounting for about one-fifth, of

the total correctional workers,- respectively (see table 5):

In examining table 5A, Native Hawaiian offenders (Hawaiian and

part-Hawaiian) represent;c1 a disproportionate number relative to their

numbers in the general population, accounting for almost 50 percent of

763

7 76
TABLE S

Corrections Division Employees By Ethnic Background, April 1973 11

Ethnic group N. - Native Hawaiian 138 - 32.9%

Caucasian 96 22.9

Japanese 86 4 20.5 Filipino . 27 6.4

Chinyise 15 3.6 Black 9 2.2

Korean 4 1.0

Others 44 10.6

- ."Total arP' 419 100.0%

TABLE SA

Ethnic Background of Offenders Under Corrections and Hawaii

ParolingAuthorfty Jurisdictions, February 19Th

Ethnicity latfil

No.

Howell Porolhig Authority

Ns.

Caucasian

Chinese

Filipino

Hawaiian . a-Hawaiian

7,panese

Korean

Black , Portuguse Puerto Rican

Samoan

Others

Unknown

Total ,

50

6

12.4%

t.5

37

3

11.5%

0.9

35 8.7 36 11.2

9 2.2 6 1.6

+180 44.6 126 38.7

24 5.9 20 6.2

2 0.5 3 0.9

12 3.0 7 2,2

17 4.2 28 8.7

27 6.7 14 4.3

21 5.2 14 4.3

15 . 3.7 3 0.9

8 1.5 28 8.7

,N__ 404 100.1% 323 100.1%

Source: Ethnic background ofvopulation under jurisdiction of Corrections

Division and Hawaii Paroling Authority, computer printouts as of Feb. 28, 1978, Office of Correctional Information and Statistics, Intake Service Centbrs, State of Hawaii, pp. 39-40.

the total offenders under the jurisdiction of the corrections division.

Caucasians were the next largest group of offenders followed by the

,Filipirio, Puerto Rican, Japarrse, and Samoan groups (see table 5A).

Hawaii Paroling Authority. Among the paroling authority 21 employees, Japanese workers represented the largest single group with 10

employees or 47.6 percent. Caucasian, Native Hawaiian, and Chinese

followed in that order (see table 6).

In contr_sst, the largest number of parolees were represented by

Native Hawaiians (Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian) who constituted over

-40 percent of those under parole supervision. Caucasian ahd Filipino

, 764
,s4116

TABLE 6

Hawaii Paroling Authority Employees By Ethnic Background, April

1978

Ethnic group No.

Japanese 10 47.6

Caucasian 4 19.0

Native Hawaiian 3 14.2

Chinese 3 14.2

Others 1 5.0

Total .21 100.0%

TABLE 7

Hawaii Housing Authority Employee. pi Ethnic1978

nd, April

Ethnic group No.

Japanese 161 z 47.9%

Native Hawaiian 66 19.7

Filipino 31 9.2

Caucasian 29 8.6

Chinese 22 6.6,

Korean 3 0.8

Black 2 0.5

Others 22 6.5

Total 336 99.9%

were i6he next largest parolee groups, together accounting fog...Ryer

one-fifth 'of the total number of parolees (see also table 5A).

Hawaii Housing *amity. The housing authority had a staff complement of 336 as of April 1978. Of this total, 161 or 47.9 percent were

Japanese employees. Native Hawaiians, 66 employee& or 19.7 percent;

Filipinos, 31 staff or 9.2 percent; Caucasians, 29 employees or 8.6

tiercent; and Chinese, 22 personnel or 6.6 percent followed in ihat

order. Koreans, blacks, and others represented the remaining balance

(see table 7).

Table 7A shows that among the 5104-occupied public housing units

(which include both Fedqral and State-Ananced projects), Native

Hawaiians and Filipinos rePresented nearly 40 percent of the total

tenants. Samoans, 16 percent, Caucasians, 15 percent, and Japanese, 13

percent followed in that order (see table 7A).

Vocational Rehabilitation and Service* for the Blind/Of personnel In

the division of vOcational rehabilitation, 1 1 1 emplOyees or 57 percent

were Japanese, 33 or 17 percent were Caucasians, and 28 or 14 percent

were Chinese. Smaller proportions were represented by' Native

Hawaiians, 5 percent; Filipino, 3 percent; and Korean, 1 percent (see

765
TABLE 7A

Ethnic Background of Heads of Famillesa In All Public Housing

Projects, Juno 1978

Ethnic group No.

Native Hawaiian 1,012 19.8% Filipino 985 19.3 Samoan 801 15.7 Caucasian 776 6 15.2 Japanese 677 13.3 Puerto Rican 268 5.3 Korean 250 4.9 Chinese 183 3.6 Black 02 0.5 Others 120 2.4 Total 5,104 100.0%

*Includes women as heads of household

TABLE 8

Vocational Rehabilitation Employees By EthnicBackgroUnd, April

-1978

. Ethnic group No. 56

Japanese 111 56.9% Caucasian 33 16.9 Chinese . 28 14.4 Native Hawaiian 10 5.1 Filipino 6 3.1 Korean 2 1.0 Others 5 2.6 . Total 195 100.0%

table 8). Unfortunately, no data relating bo clients' ethnic backgrounds were available at this point in time.

Issues and Problems Areas

The data relating to personnel clearly 'show the visibility of Asians

.and Pacific Islanders throughout the department ofsocial services and

housing. Because Hawaii's people generally perceive others as well as

themselves in ethnic-specific terms, the resulting impression is not that Asian Americans an ific Islanders are well represented but rather

the Chinese the Japanese are overrepresented in the department. On the other hand, a reyerse pattern in the ethnic

distribution among the recipients of servfce is 4lso indicated. This can

and has created tensions, strain, and intergrolp nflicts among the various Alian. and Pacific blander groups as %yell as with white and

other nonwhite groups. In addition to the.struggle 'to-obtain access to

emplOyment opportunities, racial tension and intergroup conflicts are

also generated by way of the provider-consumer relationship when the'.

766

r2r7r.i
. - client's perception of the .provider of service is predominantly of one

ethnic group.

And while a perspective of history is essential in understanding the

present state of affairs, other issues must be examined. One such factor

is the merit or civil service systema system which evolve4 out of a

concern that government workers shyuld not be vulnerable and

subject to political patronage. The development of the civil service

system, however, has also become bureaucratic in terms of its detailed

rules and regulations, procedures and processes, and, more significantly, the precise "minimum qualifications" which call for some form of

credentials in the form of education, training, and work experiehces

which may at times be irrelevant.

Although the concept and principle of recruiting, screening and

hiring based on merit appears to be widely accepted by society, are

there other alternatives to which underrepresented groups can achieve

some gains in public employment? One argument is that the merit

system works-cbut the imperatives call for a bettereducational system

and aggressive recruitment of underrepresented nvrtiorities by profes-

.. sional schools. Another perspective is reflected by a desk6to change

the laws and regulations so as to accommodate those who are able to\

perform certain job expectations bnt lack the credentials and "necessary" qualifications.

An illustration of this dilemma was found in a recent intraagency

memorateium relating to minimum qualificatiOn requirements for

computer programmer series:

The substitution of four years of work experience in place of

education is okay. However, in past experience, I have found

some inconsistencies in the State's educational structure which

causes problems when graduates from the community colleges

with computer science or information science associate degrees

do not qualify for the Computer Programmer I trainee level

position. This is an example of a product of the State's educational

system not able to find a job within the State government. A level

below that of a Computer Programmer I should be included in the

class specifications to allow for a community college graduate to

enter the system.

The reduction of minimum qualifications and Othei changes in the

regulations are not anticipated, however, due to the rise in the number

of college graduates and decreasing job opportunities. In addition,

opposition and resistance to such changes may be expected from

prefessional associations, unions, and even clients themselves who

might object to being denied services from a "professional."

786
Some -Action A ematives

On the other hal i, there are certain courses of action which can

hale potential im act on the ethnic distribution of service providers.

One; relates to e concept of "selective certification" utilized in

Hawaii in whi applicants can t4 recruited and hired on the basis of

Certain skills and abilities required by the position, e.g., bilingual

caPabilities nd the applicant's location of tesidencethe latter

underscor the value of a worker's familiarity with the service area,

problems and community resources, especially in rural, isolated

neighbor oods.

. .. The aodification of certain professional job descriptions leading fo

chang s in the required minimum qyalifications is another alternative_

to a 'eying some ethnic balance among service workers, This,

A how ver, presents other problems such as Feclassification and possible

do ngrading of salary. In addition without an upward mobility

in hanism, i.e., a promotional opportunity ladder, changes limited to

t e entry level would continue to reflect an ethnic imbalance in view

f the current educational attainment or lack of by partitular ethnic

, groups.

. Another option available to Aministrators and other hiring authorities is the development of a keen sensitivity of the current ethnic

composition of thleir 'staff. By keeping a constant pulse of the staff

cOmposition, the selection of underrepresented group applicants can dig.' i...as Filipino,

1140)

st. When there is a lack of such applicants

be acc lished assuming that underrepresented applicants are on the

Samoan, and Native Hawaiian candidates, hewever, the issue becomes

more complex in terms of the undersupply of trained workers among

these groups. Increasing the manpower of these groups and concentrating on their career preparation and development are immediate

goals but a 'process which requires !song range planning and time. But

perhaps.the action should start with the educational system, especially

with professional schools in making their curriculum relevant and

demanding the enrollment of underrepresented ethnic groups.

Summary and Implications

To theAsian American and Pacific Islander living on the mainland,

the situation in Hawaii may appear enviable and a shining example of

what Asian and Pacific Islander groups point toward in their stfuggle

for equal access to employment and services. Yet, Hawaii may be more

complex and unique than the fact that there is no majority group. One,

of the unique features of HaWaii is the uncommon use of the term

Asian American and Pacific Islander. And yet ethnicity in politics,

768 7-Si
social relationships, and economic arrangements represents a highly

oensitive elementperhaps more so in Hawaii than on the mainland.

Although' this paper compared the ethnic distribution-of the State

Population with the ethnicity of the department's employees, ihis

comparison shetild be viewed with a recognition of the historical and

cultural factors which contributed significantly to the currenf proporoional distribution of the work force in general and the "department's

staff in particular. Despite an understanding .of the historical factors

which reflect the current situation, there is no geins saying that the

reverse patterns of the ethnic disti-ibution of the recipients should be a

concern among service providvs who are 'Asians and PacVic Islanders. #

To achieve some balance for groups underrepresented in the work

force, several alternatives relating to the merit system and its processes

as well as inherent dilemmas were discussed. The problems, however,

may be more fundamental and yet complicated, encompassing social

economic factors, cultural norms and values, and vocatiol orientationpointing toward the need for educational reforms and the

preparation for these groups to obtain their education and credentials.

While structural and system changes can address institutional

barriers and discrimination,- a ltifh level of sensitivity about the plight

of the disadvantaged;runderrepresented- group must be developed by

those of us in the wqrk force. To explain our history and Struggles and

feel an inner strengthare not enoughthe responsibility rests with us

to continue seeking and,promoting equal treatment in employment and

access to.services forthose who are different from us.

4#

tt,fj k 769

'o
ai

The Chinese Cultural Center

by Helen Fugh Hayes*

The Chinese Cultural Center is a nonprofit, tax-exempt bilingual

organization with the primary .objective of helping the Washington,

D.C., metropolitan area's Chinese community members help themselves become independent and self-reliant individuals able to function

in our socliety.

The center was originally formed in 1970 as a result gf a meeting

held with concerned community members, the dean of the adult and

'community education division of Federal City College (now, the

University of the District of Columbia), and myself to discuss the

, problems that existed in the Chinese community and possible means to

help community residents deal and cope with the problems that faced

them.'

Federal City College responded warmly to our -request for any

assistance that they could offer to hel us get started, providing us

with office space and small office suppl es. This was the beginning for

the center and we greatly appreciated th rovisions.

Staffed with volunteers (approximately 15), we began reaching out

to the community by offering English classes for the non-Englishspeaking residents; citiZenship classes, family planning and healtl ? care

classes, all taught by bilingual volunteers. .--- Volunteeak offered income tax preparation services; law students

Offered to heir, with legal problems by referring cases to aiea legal

service centers.

Those volunteers that did not teach:offered other valuable serVices,

like accompanying elderly patients to and from city medical centers

and serving as interpreters for the non-English-speaking patients. Prior

to 1970 there were no such bilingual services avAable.

In January 1973 the center became incorporated with the corporate

title: The Asian American Bicentennial Cotporatiott As a multiservice

nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, it was develoPed to promote better

understanding between peoples of different cultures and to serve the

needs of the Chinese community. We were incorporated at such, also,

in commemoration of the 1976 bicentennial era.

In April 1973 the center moved from 740 6th St., N.W., to 711 8th

St., N.W., Room 179; a building adjacent to and owned by the Calvary

Baptist Church. Though located at the church, the center is independent and non-church related.

z Helen Fugh Hayes is director of the Chinese Cultural Center, 711 8th St., N.W., Room 179,

Washington, D.C. 20001 Telephone: (202) 628-4765.

770
'The center moved to Calvary because we did not have the funds to

pay the rent at the Sixth Street address; the church gave us space rent

free.

In May 1975 the Chinese center received funding from U.D.C.

(formerly Federal City College) as a cooperative extension service of

F.C.C.; the money that was granted us was only for adult education

and coordin'ation of the Center with the city government.

This money enabled us to finally have three paid staff memb4s. Up

until 1975, no one was paid and all funds necessary to run the ce;her

were from donations, contributions, and money made frotri activities

such as street bazaao and the:like.

To fully understand how Our center meets the needs of the Chinese

community, it is Gist necessary tO discuss the community problems.'

We have found that the most serious problem existing in the

community is the English language problem. Many of the residents do

not speak or understand English, therefore creating more tensioniand

pressure that effect other problems.

It is difficult enough to live in another country that hps a completely

different tultural background as well as a language difference. Many

new ithmigrants face a culture shock when first arriving in this

country, and many of those who have lived and worked here for many

years still are not itkvare, or have understanding, of, American

lifest yles. - For these reasons, many ,Chinese residents are .at more of ir

disaaantage than other minority *oups in/this country.

For example, the large majority of the/elderly Chinese residents do

not speak English. They have been in this country for 20 or 30 years

and have been working here for as long. Some are eligible for-social

security benefits and do not realize it. Others may be afraid, of applying

for fear of deportation since many of these older people came here

without visas and are still afraid of being deported. Soine do not evet

know how or where to apply for their benefits.

For these cases, the center applies for social security for those that

are eligible. Those thatare -not, we apply for public assistance for

them. Quite a few of the senior citizens had worked for years in the ,

U.S. but either, w re never iold of such benefits or their employers

never took out t social security taxes. We help get public assistance

for these peopl as well.

For the sen or citizens and the rest ofthe community, citizenship is a

problem! Many would pike to receive citizenship papers, but do not

know enough English o takethe exam and have had po preparation

for it..This is why o r English classes and our citizentihip classes are

invaluable.

771

784

A.
Citizenship is of great concern for the elder!), because these people

have worked and lived in this countiry for so many years and have

given their services to this country; yet they arc still unable to obtain

the citizenship. The problem again is English, It is very difficult at the

age of 60 or over to learn a second language. Six of our elderly

members tried so hard to learn enough Eng'ish to prepare for their

citizenship exams and failed. These same six have lived here for more

t han 26 years. 1 We would like very much to-help these particular cases receive their

pi ers without havinglo take this exanii, and 9 have made this oil

ou'r obpdives for ill? ftrture.

F.Irtunately our lEuglish and citizenship cIasses have benel 11 others, In this past year alone, seven connunnity residents have passed

exam and have received their citizenship as a result of Our classes. liousing is a gravely .serious problem in the area; the housing

shortav affects all the Chinese Community but it affects thc elderly

twofold. The center helps find available housing apd places the elderly

and families whenever it is possible. This is whY, we are working on

developing co-Operative housing in the community in association with

the appropriate agencies. We have already held workshops pertaining

to cooperative housing for the elderly.

Associated with the housing problem is the tenement -condition oP

many of the buildings in which they reside. Again; there has been, in

the past, no recourse available to these people tltecause of fear of

deportation and the inability to speak English.. Others may not know

wive theY should kturn to for help. Therefore, the center has been

making legal referral services .availal,le, serves aS a site for such

services, and now has, in coordination with legal services, a bilingual e

representative who helps the peoVe with such' legal probleMs as

it+ landlord-tenant and immigration cases. Such cases are coordinated

witl the legal neighborhood rrvices. . Along these, lines we also promote- the Vo-economic community

development for She Chinese business community. An example of the

way we hap this copse is last year's summer street fair publication of a

guide and map of the Chinese buiness community.

The center also has held workshops concerning the possibility of

relocation of families and businesses because of'the Eisenhower Civic

Center, ThiS is of grave concern for the community people4 Chinatown is therr place of security, their roots in America, where they

know and feel secure; we are trying to help deal with the feelings they

have about such possible relocation.

. Health problems are not as prevalent as they were prior to our

opening in 1970. There were cases of tuberculosis gone untreated and

not diagnosed because of lack of money and fear of American hospitals

772

71
and doctors. This is certainly understandable since we ore talking

about the elderly who do not speak English.

General hygiene was the main health problem. In coordination with

the department of human resources, the Center has held health classes

since 1970. We have it bilingual nurse from the department to-teach.

We have nutrition classes as well, and we are aiming at having home

economics.classes for the homemakers in the community.

, In coordination with U.D.C., NIve have 'held weatheriz.ation and

home improvement clinics, hoping to help the community learn how

to care for their homes and save money by doing many things

themselves. V

Job opportunities is a major concern for nny minority group in this

country. Lack of English language skills again and again poses as the

major hurdle for the Chinese. If one bas skills and is non-English

speaking, there is nothing, and one gets lost in menil jobs that are still

stereotypically "suited" for non-English-spe4ing minorities. Included

. among thest jobs is restauradi work-thlit demands 12 to 14 hours a day

) with way below the minimum .wages paid, and rarely, if ever& ally

benefits. The- reason for this again is that some are here illegally

without tisas; others are tob afraid and unaware of any help available

to them. Many are exploited not just by majority Americans but by

their own people as well. . With this problem in mind, we dicl a vocational counseling clihic in

1978, provided educational guidance (English) and referral services for

,

job training and possible future emplOyment in conjunction with UPO

P '4, and other city agencies. The clinic tnrned out to be a success and we

hope to develop it further if we can get more funds for staff, and

necessary materials. , 1

. . With these problems in mind, lve must realize that these conditions

S have existed for so long; the Chinese community has been treated as a

separate entity, apart from the maMstream of American socicty since

our beginnings in. the United States because. White Americans have

often stereotyped the ChIn*e as passive people with no real social and

educational problems and &cause the treatment of Asitns has been'

related to American foreign policy toward Asia.' . 4)

Americans hive viewed Chinatowns (even the name iN. giyen,with

lack of any cultural algareness) asplaces to visit on Chinefic New Year, ,. v ui4 a great place to dine out 41 a good sourcdf Kevenue. eWith the services. proed by or Qinese cpmmunities, it is

, difficult to underStand why piese same communities al& individuals

within the communitiesare receiving no aid in their efforts to promote

self-lrlp programs like the center has develbped. Social welfare is not

whirwe want or need. There are some cases when it is necessary to

tit ize the social welfare igencies, big ourrmiain goal is to 'help ,

773

786
individuals stand on their own feet and function as integral parts of the

community and our society. They must learn the language in order to

survive in-ihis country, to enable them to be aware of the American

lifestyle, and to learn of possibilities open to them.

lite center does not want to Perpetuate an attitude of neglect and

irresponsibility that these people have encountered, which leads to

hopelessness and dependency.

Coupled with the deficiency in English is the general lack of

understanding of American lifestyles and the inability to function in

the U.S. We need to develop English language ikills and basic

understanding of banking policies, procedures to obtain credit, and the

proper use of capital, life insurance, and house insurance. All these and

more need to be taught in order to understand and fill out applications,

forms, and meet necessary requirements.

The center has been serving the community in an attempt to meet all

the various needs of the people as two organizations: the Chinese

Cultural Center (the Asian American ¢ennial Corporation) and

the Chinese Extension Center, with the D.C. Cooperative Extension

Service of the University of the District of Columbia, and we have

hopes to offer more programs and services in the future.

Under the auspices of these two organizations, we have other

programs as well as those mentioned previously. We have a senior

eithens' club with a membership of 246. 'lite club holds dinners every

Wednesday night; the dinners, prepared by our senior citizen volunteers, are sold for Si, shice.this functiqn is self-supporting. The dinner

serves as a social function for the elderly, since many do IA drive, and

the Center is in,easy aCcess and within walking distance for them. For

many of these people, this is their only outing; they stay in their rooms_

and, have little contact with other' people. This way they share

conversation and meet new people. For others, this dinner serves -m

one hot meal because many do not have cooking facilities in their

rooms. \ . The center .functiotis* the senior citizen mithtion site, Monday

through Friday at noon, in Cosponsorship withothe Washington Urban

League, We have four senior citizen aides that are funded through

CETA that servd.the meals at noon and have also been trained to help

with office work.

. ' There is a women's club that acts 'as a self-help group where the

women of the tommtigty meet at the center once a month and do

Chinese tailoring; organize bake sales, and other activities to helpiraise

ftmds f9r the Center. This, too, is an opportunity for the women of the

community to get together and meet tiew people and share experiences. 1
We had a 4-H Club program associated with Federal City College in

1975 when we had four winners from the Washington, D.C., area go

- to Chicago. One of the winners was a youth from our program and it

was a great experience for him. Unfortunately, we no longer have this

program because ofthe lack of funds, space, and manpower needed to

provide for this program. Hopefully, In the future, we will be able to

- offer more programs such as this and will be able to expand on the

c...._46grams already existing.

We have accomplished muCh in the past 10 years-44rd there is still

more to do. .. We have translated and published the directory of adult education

and vocatio41 training services manual in D.C.; we have promoted

the economic growth and development of the buSiness community.by

our publication of the map, and guidebooks; we have conflucted,

workshops concerning housing problems a Possible relocation. Our

health care program has been very beneficial to the community and

continues to be such; our legal aid services are needed and are always

being utilized, and now we have a bilingual neighborhood legal

services representative. Our vocational comiselitaind job opportunity

clinic was successful and is direly needed iq tile community; our

English nd citizenship classes have proved sutcessful and beneficial;

and we ave strived to work in cooperation wV4 all other public and

private ganizations to promote total commuity development and

cohesion. . Our future plans include trying to get more funding to develop

further in our programmini Our classes and services could be much

more, effective with skilled, trikned instructors and counselors and

with quality materials,

Being in coordination with the appropriate social and city pencies

would further our endeavor to meet the needs of our c n I munity by

getting funds to hire and train bilingual liaisons or re resentatives

between our Center and thcse agencies. Bilingual educatimis stressed

constantly-because of the urgent need for this type of service.

Putting theChinese community residents on public assistance is not

solving the problem, but enhancing it. Shufflirtg non-English-speaking

people through agencies and pregrams nbs geared to handle this

problem is not the sdrution etther. , 1 The center, being centrally located, is easily accessible to the people

as well as the only place where bilingual services are available.

In the past, Chinese communities often had their own "mayor" who

was recognized by city officials as a liaison. City officials assumed little

oft no responsipility towards the Chinese people themselves, but they

were and still are-willing to use services provided by the Chinese (e.g.,

79 s

775
restaurants, cultural activities, etc.) as well as revenue collected from

the community.

The Chinese community alone cannot resolve the many problems it

faces. Therefore, we must continue .our work in the communiv, with

our social services, cultural activities, and, moat importanity, our

educational and job divelopment programs.

Yet, for us to be effective, we need funds to obtain adequate space,

teaching materials, ind hire skilled and trained bilingual staff.

We are trying to become coordinated with all the appropriate

agencies within the city so as to reach all the people and meet all the

needs.

With the sincere dedication of our volunteers, of thoee who'

contributed both time and Money, and with the help of U.D.C., we

have gotten where we are today and have achieved many-things in 10

years..

With more help,- we can achieve even more, and reach even more

people.

We are Striving towards even More goals in trying to become even

more effective in the Chinese community. We are not asking for

welfare but a chance to let these people develop themsel:7 through

various self-help programs through e center.

19#-)

4

716

d 7st-)
Community'ServicesState and Local

Policy

by Victorina Para Ile

I. Introduction

For the record, I would like to make it clear that I am here not in

my apacity as director of adult 'and aging services, Philadelphia

Departmest of Public Welfare. I am using my vacation so that I can

participate in this consultation. I speak for the Delaware Valley

Association of Pilipinos, for the Asian American Council of Greater

Philadelphia for the Picific/Asian Coalition, and for Asian Americans

who are victims of institutional racism.

I am deeply concerned because our State and local policies are

rather repressiVe, discriminatory, regressive, and, at limes, even

punitive to Pacif /Asian Americans. For, indeed, the blatan3 discnmina1on against acific/Asian Americans is now gone, but a more

subtle, more phistrcated, highly systemic, and scientific form of

institutional racism-against Pacific/Asian Americans now exists,

As a social worker born and raised in the Philippines, I immigrat

to the/Pnited Slates of America at tht age of 45 with 18 yearsliSf

expenence as a social work practitioner, researcher, and community

organizer. I ha21 high hopes at that time that as a social work

practitioner I would be able to serve people better in general andt

Asian Americana in Philatlephia in pIrticular, because' in the United

States' tit' America there those certain democratic ideals about

access to services; amilability of resources, as Well as social and health

supports. I firmly believed at that time also that in this ' rich and

powerful country, wilich was to 'be my new-found home, there would

beequal opportunity for the goods of society regardless of race, color,

Or creed.

That was 15 years ago, but now as a naluralized U.S. citizen whose

mission remains in \the field of social work practice, I pan honestly -

*tie that those democratic ideals about equal opportunities regarding

access to services, availability of resources, as well as social and health

supports for PacificXAsian Americans are a myth 'rather than a reality.

I said this because-the Pacific/Asian Americans in ihis country are

either undeserved or unserved due to local and State policies that are

not responsive to their needs. Based on the findings of outstanding

Asian American researchers, among them William Liu (1973), Bok- 2

Victor* ?trait* Vdirector of duII services for the city of Philadelphia Sc;cial Service

Department. She is a cofounder of Asian Amerkan Council of Greater Philadelphia and founder

of the Delaware Valley ftaoc4a9dh of Pilipinos.

-777

79 0
7

7 Lim im 0974), Harry Kitano (1975),. Juanita Tamayo Lott (106),

Juani Btirros (1977), Sharon Fujii (1918), Pacific/Asiin Americans

are inded not receiving many of the community services they are

entitled to.

z

II. Statemnt of the Problem

In Philadelphia, for instance, Dr. Herbert Horikawa ma I did a

"Potentialities and Needs Assessment Study of the Asian Americin

Elderly in Greater Philadelphia" in 197 8 and Amu findings document

facts beyond doubt, that the Asian 144mtheerican elderly in Greater

Philadelphia are not receiving the services that are theirs by right. This

is true not only in Philadelphia; the same condition exists in Various

urban cities of the U.S.A., especially on thoeast coast. For the record,

I'm submitting a copy of the Philadelphia study with my presentation

herewith.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that the Pacific/Asian American

population has never been adequately represented politicallyoutside

of Hawaiithus the establishment of political, social, economic, and

health priorities has failed to reflect our needs and wants:. Attenipts by

many Pacific/Asian'Americans to charyge our lot have been thwarted

by a formidable wall of institutional resistance. . As a result, and in reality, Pacific/Asian Americans are very much

deprived with regard tosaccess, availability, and support _regarding our:

1) rightt,-2) entitlements( amp). benefiti.. i-. i Ar Take, for instance, U.S. Government %policies (Federal, State, and

local).- In spite of its good intent to make. services, entitlements, and

benefits accessible and available to all its citizens regardless of race,

color or creed, somehow they fail to address the specific needs and

wants of Pacific/Asian Americans. i Likewise, in the allocation of funds, we, the Pacific/4sian Americans, are shortchanged in a countless number of ways.

Thus, where our rights, benefits, and entitltments are concerned, it

is at this time and point safe to state that many of those rights, benefith,

and entitlements are not as yet as accessible or as avaibible AS they

should be to Pacific/Asian Americans.

III. Rationale For the Statement of the Problem

At this point of my presentation, I will cite some samples of how we,

the Pacific/Asian Ameridans, are victims of unfair government

(Federal, State, and local) policies in terms of access and availability of

resources, as well as, social and health stipports.

Because of the 40 minute time limit allotted to me, I will confine my

presentation to only eight concerns, alththigh there are a lot more.

They are:

778

7 9
Concern No.

Concern No.

Concern No.

ment

Concern No.

Concern No.

practices and

Concern No.

Concern No.

Concern No.

1: The 5-year residency requirement policy

2: Fun4 allocation and appropriation formula

3: The SSMsThe "Boxing In" approach by govern4: Public health services

5: Restrictive and discriminatory licensing and hiring

policies

6: Application-for-fun& process

7: Unmet needs of Pacific Asian American Elderly

8: Other 20th Centurydiscriminatory practices

1. The 5-Year Residency Requirement Policy

Pacific/Asian American immigrants who have ndirulfilled the 5-

year residency requirement to naturalizz, find that they cannot obtain

basic social and health services that are federally funded because they

are open only to U.S. citizens.

As a result, many PacificYAsian Americans have met with subhuman treatment by some government officials. In some instances, such

abrasive treatment is more pronounced than that exPeriencetl by other

immigrant groups. As a result, many Papific/Asian Americans live in

constant fear of harassment and even deportationr

Take, for inlance, the way some Asian restaurant workers are

"hoarded like cattle" and "grilled" to check if they are legal 'aliens.

The INS provides no community services tOetittpsigrants except

processing their papers and checking their eligibility.

2. Fund AllOcation and Appropriation Formula

Allocation and appropriations in this country are based on demographic and other statistical data. The Census Bureau has acknowledged an undercount in minority population enumeration during the

1970 census, yet the allocation and appropriation 'of funds have

continued to be based on the 1970 census. Thus, due to the

acknowledged undercount in the minority population, in general, and

of th4 Pacific/Asian Americans, in particular, it is a fact that where

allocation and appropriation of fundsbe it Federal, State, or local

for services and other supkorts, the Pacific/Asian Americans are

shortchanged in a countless number of ways.

Another factor is the corinmunity input process; let us take the

communitY development funds, for' instance. The law requires that a

public hearing be conducted on how to allocate these funds. The

hearing notices are published in English and the hearings are

conducted in English. How can non-English-speaking Paciftc/Asian

AmeriCans become a part of that process? In the Pacific/Asian

Americans culture, public hearings are alien to most of us. We syy

779
away from those hearings because public hearings are not a way of life

for Pacific/Asian Americans and many are scared of them for fear of

being ridiculed, harassed, and embarrassed.

Anothq example I can cite is in relation to the allocation of Title

XX funds. Again, the law requires that community input be sought in

determining allocation of said funds. Public hearings are used as a tool

to allow community input.

Again, the hearings -are announced in English and they are

conducted in English. Further, the Title XX regulations are written in

such a highly technical language so that even those of us whcr are

fortunate enough tb speak, write, read,, and understand English Aid

them rather difficult to interprete in terms of services as related to the

equitable allocation of funds.

3. The SSMsThe "Boxing in" Approach BY Government

I'm sure that my 9olleagues in the field of social work practice are

familiar with the SgMs, those social service memorandums which we

get from time to time That stipulate the everchanging guidelines in the

provision of services as well a, in the allOcation of funds..

Man5r of these SSMs tend to "box in" clients into the administrative

framework, rather than,respond to clients' needs, and, where the needs

and wants of the Pacific/Asian Americans are concerned, these SSMs

do not only "box them in," rather they "wipe them out." This is so

because government (Federal, State, and local) is just not convinced

that we are a minority. They seem not to define us as such because

many Pacific/Asian American' groups are very small and do not have

central facilities; therefore, their bona fide existence is highly and

unreasonably questioned.

4. Public Health Services

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: "No person in the

United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be

excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be

subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving

Federal financial assistance." Therefore, activities.of the Public Health

Service, like every program or activity receiving financial assistance

from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, must be

operated in compliance with this law.

In theory, this Civil Rights Act of 1964 is lovely rhetoric. It is

pleasing to read and, indeed, sweet tO the ears. But, in reality, many

Pacific/Asian Americans are unable to utilize health services because

they cannot communicate with non-Asian health service providers.

Further, many non-Asian health service providers do not have any

concept about Pacific/Asian health problems.

780 \ 07 9
r

Winter of 1964 was my first one in the United States of America. At

that time, my knees began to swell and the pains were wibearable. My

American friend brought me to her family doctor who gave me a

thorough medical examination. This American doctor took my blood

count and my blood chemistry. He also tested me for gout and for

syphilis. I was so humiliated subjecting myself to a syphilis test. But I

was in great pain and so I agreed to it all. After conducting a complete

and thorough lab exam, be hospitalized me and he spirted injecting

cortisone in my kneesI died a thousand deaths as those long needles

punched my swollen knees.

One day a Pilipino doctor working as an 'intern in the hospital

happened to see me in bed. We exchanged pleasantries and in the

,7745urse of the conversation I told him or my knees. He examined them

by tapping them with his hands. He concluded that I did not need any

cortisone injeCtions; all I needed Was to wear pants during.the winter,

as coming from a tropical country the cold winter months made my

joints swell.

I then left the hospital against doctor's advice and I began to wear

pants and drink plenty of orange juice. Since then I've never had

problems with my knees. Yet the Pilipino doctor was used as an intern

with the responsibilities of a resident doctor at that hospital.

5. The Affirmative Action Plan

Many recAnt immigrant Pacific/Asiah Americans were admitted

under occupational preferences and are of professional backgrounds.

Yet language and cultural barriers coupled 'with licensing restrictions

prevent them from fracticing in their professions. As a result, many

are forced to work in menial low-skilled, low-paying jobs. For

instance, the affirmative action plan, where Pacific/Asian Americans

are concerned, is a farce. To wit: I would like to emphasize that nt

Asian Americans havo been selected for long term trainins:by State,

AID, or ICA for at least the past 6 to 7 yearstrainrg which is

generally a steppingstone to higher responsibility.

Time-in-grade for Asian 'American employees is substantially longer

in 'almost all grades in AID at this point. I quote a portion of the letter

sent to the Honorable Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of State, dated May

4, 1979, by Mr. Wayne Ching, chapter president of the sian and

Pacific American Federal Employee CounCiRAPAFECI

We pointed out to the Task Force in June 1977 that no Asian

Americans held any high level positions either in' State or AID

(except for Patsy Mink who later resigned), and we called for,

among present employees (FSs, FSRs, GSs), in State and AID

and from among the Asian American community at large to be

selected for executive positions.

7 9 4

781
'

0

To date we have not received any response to our letter mentioned /above and based on available data no major senior appointmeius of Asian Americans havt taken place in foreign

affairs. Thus,. fter 2 years there are still: . A. State

1. No Asian American Assistant Secretaries (except for Patsy Mink who later resigned in 5/78)

2. No Asian American Deputy Assistant Secretaries

3. No Asian American Ambassador and Deputy Chief ,of Missiit

4.- No Asian American PrinCipal Officers

5. No Asian American Country/Office Directors (Dr. Luke Lee's office directorship was abolished in 5/79)

6. No Asian American QS-16-18s--highest is GS-15

7. No Atian American FS-1s (only one F50-2)

8. A few Asian Americans in mid-level GS grades

9. A few Asian Americans in mid-level FSO grades

13. AID

I. i4o Asian American Assistant Administrator

2. No Asian American Deputy kssistant Administrator

3. No Asian American Mission Director/Deputy Mission Director

4. No Asian:American Office Director with supergrade rank

5. No Asian American FSR-1,-2s; highest is FSR-3

6. No Asian American GS/AD-16-18s; highest is GS-15

7. No Asian American in the higher F§S.levels

JCA

10, No Asian Ainerican Assistant Directors tr-lk - - .

. 2. tip Asian American PAOs

3. No Asian Americah FS10-1., -2s; higheit is FS10-3

782

4 4. No Asian AmeriCan GS-16-18s; highest is QS-15

79(
Mr. Secretary, can it tnithfully be said that not one of the Asial

American employees is suitable for a senior position and none can

be found in the community at large?

Until this inequitable situation is remedied, it cannot be asserted as the

President does in his proclamation for the Asian/Pacific American

Heritage Week that: "We have succeeded in removing the barriers to

full participation in American life."

6. Application-For-Funds Process

This is quite a tortuous process, and to illustrate my point I share

with you the experience of one of my PacifiWAsian American

colleagues, Dr. Leslie Hiraoka from the JACL, New York Chapter.

Sometime in 1976, he applied to the ethnic heritage studies program of

the Office of Edtication fór a grant to enable him to study Japanese

Americans and Japanese nationals in the New York metropolitan area.

His project was not funded yet it is interesting to note that some

Japanese corporations funded part of the study, even though the study

was primarily of Japanese Americans in the New York area. As a

matter' of fact, very few Asian American projects lire funded by tHe

Federal, State, or local government or by foundations.

I can think of four reasons why this is so, namely:

1) Definition of minority: What is a minority?

2) Legitimacy questionmany Asian American organizations are

. not considered legitimate-even the JACL witb 96 chapters and with

over 30,000 'members is not cOnsiftred legitimate.

3) Lack of identity due to the Pacific/Asian American's diversity,

invisibility, ethnocentrism. AN - 4) The myth that "Asian Americans have got it made."

7. Unmet Needs of Pacific/Asian American Elderly

It is hard for me to be nice and polite. wlien I speak of this s4bject

because - of my emotional and +geographical proximity to th 6

concerns. I said this because, since 197d, I have been calling atteM

of government about the needs of our Asian/American elderly in

Greater Philadelphia.

In 1969 I was told, "But where are those Asian American elderly?"

So in 1969, with the help of some Pilipino leaders in Philadelphia,'I

organized and founded the Delaware Valley Association of Pilipinos

(DVAP) with a, senior citizen program for our Pilipino elderly. We

were told that we could !lot be funded because DVAP was not a

legitimate organization.

thus, in January 1972, I organized the Asian AmeriCan Council

with specific concerns for the Asian American elderly in Greater

Philadelphia. Later on, in October 1972, Dr. Marshall Jung joined

7 9'

783
efforts with "us and Dr. Juni; expanded the council to include other

concerns. In 1974 the council was duly incorporated and finally, with

a juridical personality, we approached our area agent)), on aging

(PCA) to secure some funds for services to Asian American elderly.

We were asked for some data: Where are they? How many are tO7

etc.

Therefore, in 1976, we agvocated for a minority conference in

Pennsylvania and for the firiirtime the Asian American elderly in

Pennsylvania received a small fonding to attend this first minority

conferenke composed of blackA American Indians, Puerto Ricans/Mexican Americans, and Asialt Americans..

As ai result of that conference, the Asian American ElderlY

oalitikon was organiztd and the coalition officers, namely, Rev. Yam

Toh Hoh, Chinese American; Mrs:. Jeurig Lung Kim, Korean

American; Mr. Hiroshi Uyehara, Japanese American; Mr. Jose

Alegarkes, Pilipino immigrant went again to our area agency on aging

to Oplore fundings for services and programs. At that time, they were

told, "Where arc your date Where are the Asian-Americans7" Thus in

1977-78, we did a study of the "Potentialities and Needs of Asian

American Elderly in Greater Philadelphia" (V. Peralta and H.

Horikawa, 1978) which documented the\ need for services to 3,500

Asian American elderly in Greater Philadelphia. A copy of this itudy

is attached herTwith.

/As of this-date, there are in Philadelphia 32 multiservice centers

ftinded by the Philadelphia Corporation on Aging. The Philadelphia

Corporation on Aging has a $12 million budget; yet as of this date the

needs of Asian American elderly in Greater Philadelphia are not yet

being addressed nor being met! Reasonsthe same four reasons why

pr. Leslie tikraoka'a project from the JACL in New York was not

heing funded, I suspect, are the basis for nonfunding in spite of the

documented needs. Our Philadelphia experience is replicated in other

13arts of the east coast where older Paciftc/Asian Americans ate not

/receiving their services.

Other 20th Century Discriminatory Practices

As for other discrimination practices,. take, for instance, the rece t

camtiaign to boycott Japan and her products to ensure the survival 5f

whales! I sincerely believe, based on my readings and on what I

I and hear, the whaling .industries of Japan go into cat and dog foods

here in U.S.A. Therefore, in reality, it is the American pet owners who

are.subsidizing the .hrtling industries, not only in japan, but also in

Russia, Norway, an4 other Europenn countries. Yet such f

brought outby the inany.U.S. ads and press releases; ocus of said 'ads

and press releases is against the Japanese whalingindustry. In various

I 784
4

schools, colleges, and universities, most of the books available in

libraries are those that degrade Pacific/Asian Americans. For instance,

a book on the "Philippines" in a pubhc school libpry depicted

Pilipinos as wearing G-strings, barefooted, squatting at a bamboo floor

in a nipa shanty eating with their fingers! Thus, my g9tfidchild in the

same school was bluntly asked by one of his classinfites: -Do your

parents know how to sit prope4 at a dinner table and eat with knives

and brks?" In another instance, my youngest son,(age 20, one day

came h me and asked nie, "Mama, what is meant by 1' You do not stand

a Chinaman:v chance?" Oftentimes, we are also called "Japs," "gooks,"

"slant-eyed," "pugged nose." This is racist language and we certainly

do not.eppreciate it.

IV. Recommendations

Just as 1 presented you with eight concerns, I also 0fler eight

recomMendations, namely:

Concern No. 1: The 5-Year Reiidency Requirement Policy

, 1 recommend that the government (Federal, State, and local) be

n4andated not to w4hhold services io their future taxpaying citizens. In

this connection 1 call attention to the precedent that has already been

set in the Supreme Court decision on the Graham v. Richardson case:

"that ali4ns are entitled .to equal rights in the receipt of state welfare

benefits\based on the 14th Amendment."

Secondly, I propose that a national Asian American advisory board

be created and be properly staffed and funded to enable it to do its job

effectively .so that ihe INS as well as the Departments of State and

Labor will be more humane in processing and treating Pacific/Asian

Americans.

1 further recofnmend that the INS crAte a human service division

within its structure to provide followup human services to immigrants

to ensure that they aTe not abased, neglfcted, or exploited.

Concein No. 2: Fund AHocation and Appropriations ,Formula

I recommend thet, since the Census Bureau has acknowledged an

undercount in Minority population, the 1970 census should not be the

basis of determining 'allocation and appropriation of funds. Instead,

Pacific/Asian American community self-help groups should be funded, not basedIcin that census:but based on current studies made by

Pacifie/Asian Americans on the socioecOnomic and health needs-of

the PlIcific/A4ari Americang.

I further recommend the use of the current population survey

(CPS), which is done monthly, rather than the 1970 census. lt would

"be helpful for policymakers to collect the CPS on a cumulative basis

up to 1980 so that a more adequate indicator related to the\

7-9 b

785
Pacific/Asian American social statistics, social conditions, and societal

oals can be accurately collected upon Mitch to base decisions in the

(Ilocation of funds for this neglected mMority.gronp. Further, public

earings shoulIcl not be the only tool for Community input in , \ determining how public funds should be used. I recommend town

meetings w,ith non-English speaking groups conducted bY bilingual

governmeht staff (Federal, State, and local) to be conducted in a

manner that is conversan to and respectful to the.,.-onituir and

traditions of Pacific/Asian Americans. Further, I recommend that

announcements for hearing, anil/or toWn meetings stiould be multilingual. , Concern No. 3: The SSMsthe "Boxing In" Approach 1, I recommend that studies be conducted and funded by government

agencies to determine the scope, depth, and coMplexities of the

Pacific/AsiiM Americans needs. Such studies will ao doubt help and

enable government to keep from "boxing in" people in their aaministrative framework:

Concern No. 4: Public Health Services

I recommend the creation of a Pacific/Asian American social

service and'health council by Executive oral- of thelPresident to_

ensure that Pacific/Asian American social service and health needs are

not neglected ip the egablishment 6f the country's political, social, and

health priorities. I highly recommend the integration of social service

and health functions into a unified Pacific/Asian American Council to

prevent a fragmented approach that is health versus social service.

Concern No. 5: Restrictive and Discriminatory Licensing and Hhinil

Practices.,

I recommend programs in language training (reading, Writing, 41

comprehensive), job training, and vocational educat*p geared

towards Pacific/Asian American needs

Ibe designed. fIded, and

implemented on an ongoing basis. Least restrictive alternatives for

lictnling and hiring practices must be developed with input from

acific/Asian Americans. i Concern No. 6: Application-For-Funds Process

I recommend the recruitment and training orracific/Asian Americans for decisionmaking positions within the various government

agencies that allocate. funds for. various projects and ser4es. As

decisioninakers, these. Pacific/Asian Americans can help balance the

unequitable and discriminatory distribution of funds.

I further recommend that: Minority be defined as "minoritior of

color. "13y confining the deffnition of minority to "minorities of color,"

,there can be a good safeguard in guaranteeing that the Pacific/Asian

Americans are given an even chance. By minorities of color I suggest:,

[786 -* 79,1
black Americans, American Indians, Pacific/Asian Americans, uerio

Ricans/Mexican Americans.

Concern No. 7: Unmet Needs of Pacific/Asian American Elderly

I recommend that the Administration on Aging imm iately

recognize the needs of older Pacific/Asian Americans and fund special

programs on their behalf. The Administyation on Aging should take

special effort to recruit and employ older Pacific/Asian Americans,

particularly in Washington, D.C.,-offices, which, to my knowledge, as

df this date, employ nonel

I recommend government funding for research and demonstration

projects to determine how older Pacific/AsOm Americans can be

effectively assisted based on their needs, cultutral differences, vrs,

traditions, and desires.

Concern No. !: Other 20th Century Discriminatory Practices

I recommend that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

issue specific and stricter rules and yeguldtions about unethical ads and

press releases that are discriminatory toyacific/Asian Americans in

particular and to all people in general.

I propose that the Department of Education set up a Pacific/Asian

merican advisory board whose functionfo-wOuld include-but not be

limited to,..reviewing librario as well as textbooks about Pacific/Asian

Americans to ensure that they are net detiumanizing or derogatory in

nature. This proposed advisory board should be allowed input in

curriculum building to integrate PacifiC/Asian American perspectives

in the total educational systems.

V. Conclusion

I extend My sincere appreciation and congratulations to Dr. Arthur

H. Flemming and his staff for convening this effort. I also appreciate

the privilege of sharing my concerns with you.

However, I sincerely hope that this effort is not one of rheric. I

also hope theit this effort is not mint to be a "calming bumper" to

appease the advocacy by Pacific/Asian Americans everywhere. W

are looking forward With great anticipation to positive clianges th

will begin to address the needs and wants of Pacific/Asian Americans.

What I've just said is, indeed, a very tiny scratch on the surface of the

many koblems that face oUr people. For indeed, there exists very

sophisticated .and highly subtle racial prejudiCe againscPacific/Asian

Americans\ Race prejudice is not a polite itbpic, as the Honorable

Judge Wilrtam Marutani of Philadelphia, th4 only Asian judge in the

whOle U.S.A., stMed, "One cannot speak of 4t in a polite manner or in'

polite terms."

I am aware that some of hiy statements are too strong. But if I were

a Caucasian American saying these things, I would be praised as being

787
wise, aware, sensitive to people's needs, etc. But because I am a

foreign-born Asian American, I can be calied a rebel-rouser, or an

agitator, pr even be accused of having an "axe to grind." However, I

take Mat, risk because where the welfare of peciOle in genera is

concerned, specifically where rth ikelfare of Pacific/Asian Americans

is concerned, I will take any s if there is even that tiny hope and

chance to help improve our quality of lifel In this instance I sincerely

feel there isihat hope and that chance.

And in cksing, ll ask this $64 miestion of Dr. Arthur Flemming,

Chairman of the Civil Rialits Commission: What is the status of the 3-

year study on thc CCR National .Project on Asian and Pacific Island

Americans which was supposed to have become#he Civil Rights

Commission statutory r(port to the President and to Congress showing

aspects of discrimination affecting Asian and Pacific Island Americans,

as seen in allocations from selected Federal programs?

I am aware that one of the earlier panelists, Mr. Robert Santos,

executive director of Interdational District Improvement Association

from Seattle has asked this same question. One of your staff, Mr.

Nunez, alluded to this 2-day consultation ea substitute for that 3-year

intensive and

Dr. Flemming embers of the Commission, I sintrely call to

your attenOon that in no way can this ay consultation With us take

the place of that 3-year study. Both e needed; therefore, in behalf of

all the consultation panelists d on behalf of the welfare of

Pacific/Asian Americans, I aga ask: What happened to the CCR

National Project on Asian and acific Island Americans? I strongly

Urge that it ite used and dissem aied no/nly to the Prpsiden _and to

Congress but also to us, "your consultants," as well as t anyone

interested in the well-being of Pacific/Asian Americans. Please give us

'your honest reply. Thank youl

4.

t.

80i

0
Exhibit No. 1 OOSITTCN summea

/ or THE

JAPANESE AMERMAN CITIZENS LEAGUE

timmomm warn= POP PEDICSS

ln the spring of 1942, over 120,000 men, woman, children

and infantethe vest majority qf wham werejlative-born Americans--

wore abruptly and tangibly evicted fraa their homes in the West Coast

states and herded into detention camps surromded by barbed wire,

watchtowers, searchlights, and armed guards.

Nb charges.were ever filed. No hearings or trials were

svei held. No credible 'claims of wrongdoing werelodged against

4

these innocent victims. Yet, they were imprisoned for more than three

and a half years. Their "cries"? They were Americans born of Japanese

sncestry.

Never in the history of this:nation hes there been such

blatant and gross violations of Constitutional guarantees. Seven of the

ten articles of the Bill of Pights were aCiaitrarily suspended without

supporting evidence. The actiqns were taNhn on the basis of race andlL

race; alone. As a consequence,,an entire group f loial Americans was

deprived of their Constitutional rights.-

*side from the minimum of $400 +lion in property losses

alone as intimated by the Federal Reserve Sa'nk of San Francisco in . 1942, there tare other devastating damages: loss of individual freedom, deetruction of perabhal human dignity, disintegration o? aiily

life, viMlations to religion and *Apure, loss of physioll and mental 4 health, defamation of character, and ices okincems.

1

Nara than 37 years have passed since these outrages occurred.

1

tit

4(

789
Page 'DA)

Time is a great healer. Yet, in a historical sense, Atherica must rectify mistakes of the past to the greatest extent possible if we, as a

nation, are to continue as the best hope for mankind.

At a time when America calls upon the world to cherish and

protect individual human dignity, this blot Umn our own history cannot

be permitted to remain without some msaningfUl measure of correction.

Today, Americana of Japanese ancestry seek remedial legislation as a means of promoting human rights and upholding the Constitution of the United/States. The campaign is spearheaded by the Japenese American Citizens League, a human rights,organization with a membershio of Over 30,000 Americans. WO call upon fellow Americans to

recognize this blemish in our national history and to join Us in petitioning COngress.to provide redress for this grave error committed

against United States citizens and'lawful permanent-residents.

In etriving for theme goals, we should be reminded that the

evict,ion of all Americans of Japanese ancestry from the West Coas,t...414,

their subsequent incarceration yes the consequence of EXSCUt,JL4S Order

9066, signed by President Franklin El. Roosevelt on February 119, 1942;

and that the principle of exclusion baled solely on race wes uphold by

ALAhe-Uhited States Stiprdei Cburt, and as JUstice Robert Jackeon stated

'74!.ingdissent: "The Cburt for all time has validitel the,ffinciple of

racial discrimination in criMinal procedure."

. 4

, We'are fUrther reminded tiekit a totally inadequate coupon-

'.sation amounting to ON cents on the dollar for property losles alone

labpaid by the government in 108; and that President Gerald R. !Ord,

rescinding Executive Order 9066 on IF/Olevery 19, 1976, ecknowledged,

j.00"Wle now know what we should have known then--bot only wes the evacuation

190
rays TnIAIO

wrong, but Japanese Americans were and are loyal Americans."

-,000101111914, the CongXess of the United States is called

tIpOn tO

(1) Acknowledge as p nation that the actions taken against

American citizens'and legal residents of Japanese ancestry during

1942-46 were wrong and contrary to the Constitution of the United States.

(3) Amard damages to the victims.

(3) Duct safeguards and provide a lasting memorial so that

arbitrary governmental represedon will never again victimize any group

'\ of people in the United States. t k.... (4) Signal to am the people of-the werld that the United

S\\tates dces indeed carry out in practice the ideals embodied in our

Declaration of independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

The moss expulsion and.inCexceration of Americans of Japanese

% ancestry stand as &dangerous precedent for all Americans. Redress

for the victims of those governmental abases is in the best interest

of all the people and in the finest tradition of American justice.

A

1 as

'

A 804 791'.
792

E'xhibit No. 3

Statement of

Nampeo D.R. McKenney, Chief,

Ethnic and Racial Statistics Staff

Population Division

U.S. Bureau of the Census

Washington, D.C.

803
Availability of 1980 Cr 'ii'ma Volume I Data en the

Asian and Pacific Islander Population..

The following data have been proposed for publication for the Japancxe,

Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Hawaiian, Guqraunian,

and Samoan populations. The title of the 1980 repoet and geoRraphical nreaR

for which data will be shown are provided.

PC(1)-B, General Populaticn Characteristics

I. Upulation counts by sex for --

United States

States

SMSA's

Urbanisedareas

Places of 1,000 or more

CountiRs

General characteristics (such all rclxtions)iip, ,age, sex,

and marital status) will be presented fol" ,xv r''United States

States

SMSA's with 400 or more of the population group

Plases of 2,500 or more with 400;or more of the

population group

Counties with 400,or more of the population group

PC(1)-C, General Social and Economic Characteristics*

,

Characteristics (such as ethnicity, curront language, age, relationship,

family composition,place of birth, place of work, education, employment,

occupation, industrif, and income) will be presented for --

United States

States with 11000 or tore total Asian and Pacific

Islander population

Data will also be shown for the totall%ther Asian" population.

MAY 8-9, 1979

806 793
o'

Pitc(i), ,Tracts

Population counts for --

A SNSA's

Tracts

)

Data on 'the total Asian and Pacific Islander populatjon have been

; proposed for inclusion in the following Volume I reports:

PC(1)-C, General Social and Economic Characteristics

L. Population counts for rural and rural farm for--

United States

States

Counties

Characteristics (such-as ethnicity, current language,jage, relationship,

family composition, place of birth, place of work, ed6oaction, employvent,

occupation, industry, and income) will.be presented for --

.United States

States

MA's

Urbanized

Places of

'Places of

Counties

Areas 10,000 or more

2,500 to10,000

PC(1)-D, Detailed Characteristics

Th

ht

is series of reports i not.been finalized ifs yet;I however, preliminary Plans are to pu lish social and economic characteristics by

3

1 With I,000Prb more

Asian and Pacific

Islanders

With 400 or more Asian

and Pacific Islanders

'age, sex, etc. for the A ian and Pacific Islander population

United States, States ancl\ large MA's.

\ MIC(1), Census Tracts

Characteristics (suoh as age, sex, marital status, educ tion,

place of birth, employment, income) will be presented f

miry counties,And places with at least one ract that

has 400 or more Asian and Pacific Islanders

Tracts with 400 or mbre Asian and Pacific /Oar:Vern

for the

li NOTE: Complete -countidata (100-percent are shown in PC(I) -B reports.

Population counts in Census Trac) s reports are 100 -percent data.

Sample data are presented in 0041)-C, PC(1) -D, and Census Tract

- _ reports. .,

, - 4

1-..

alt 794
1980 CENSUS QUESTION

RACE

(Short and Long Forme , 100 Percent)

4. Is gbh pens. tort 0 Whits 0 Asian Indian

0 Black or Nero .1-; Hawaiian

FPI one ark . 0 Japasese 0 Guamanian

0 Chinese 0 Samoan

0 Filipino 0 Eskimo

0 Korean 0 Aleut

0 Vietnams's C Othar Spsc/f),

0 Indian (Amsr,) hint

tribe -01-

/,

'V

*so

808

)411.14tr

795
191

796

1980 CENSUS QUESTIONS

ANCE5TRY

(Long Form - Sample)

114 Why Is this pasores onosory7 II uncertain *cart how

rtport &worry, we hestrialem geolfe.

eiemple-Vio-A747:-Enplak frirn-airtiimon. tioneimetn,

Numetrion, rtishoirtn, irerno7cin7Kereen, itoenese,,Qtracon,

Merlon. pola, Vosizia(erk etc.)

PLACE OF BIRTH

(Long Form - Sample')

11. In what State or,footign countiy van'this person ban?

PtiM tht Stott ø,rt this penon's Mother Amy

*Atn this person *In born. Drynot five the locotorm of

the hpspitel unless the mother', home end the ho,,p,wp

weft k. the'some Stott

Nome of Stott or. foreign Country; or Puerto Rico, G.iom, etc.

80,9
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION

(Long.Form Satple)

12. it fl,j p4.n.ort *CI bOrn mil loet COUntly

*. Is this person a naturalized citizen Of the O'

1. United States?

0 Yes, a naturalized Olt

o No. not a crtizen

0 Born abroad ol American rents

b. When .did this person come to the United States

to Stay?

o 1975 to 1980 0 1955 W 1969 0 1950 to 1959

'1970 to 1974 0 1960 to 1964 0 Bev, 1950

LANGUAGE

NIongtFrm

a'

ia. Does thts person speak a languayettzer than

English at home!

Yes No. onty speaks trIrtsh SArp to 14

NW

b. What is this tentage?

(for tromple lt.rison. utt.1

t. How well, dots this person .speak Enthsht

Very well attpt

Well Not at all 12

810

"1
k

Exhibit No. 4

ICO9EAll COMMLMITY fERVICE CffITER

3136 FUCION-- SI SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118

1415)561 3267 CALL KOREANS -

798'

r e$1
1frrkollt)(1 ION

The,Agerlu

The Korean Community Seevice Center ( CSC) was established in November

of 1976 with the hope of meeting some of %Ire needs of the Korean population.

The KCSC, located at 3136 Fulton Street, San Francisco, is A ribri-profit, 141-

) fee social service agency which provides services to Koreans of all ages,

"or

including senior citizens:

Historical Background w

Since the passage of the U.S. Immigration Act of )265, a steady influx

of Korean immigrants have arrived and settled in the United Stat, primarily

N

in Hawaii, large urban centers such as Chicago eQd New-York, and on the Pacific

west coast, especially Los Angeles and San rrancisco. Korean immigration into

tH;HUnited States has grown drameticall7 the past few,years. There has T7:11%4

. . over 1,300% increate in population from 1965 to 1975. Nationally, Korean

immigrants represent- the third largest group entering the United States, and

tile second largest Asian immigrant group. A 1917 report from the Office of the

Lieutenant Governor of California plac .the total nic,.ber of Kozeans in California at 150,000 (experienced copmunity workers feel this sCatistic/,to be low).

5 Ay, The Korean community irr'San.F:ancisco aftne is estimated at approximately 17,05A0.

t Ninety percent of the Korean population.in the San Frm:Icisco Bay Area are

as3,ential1y monofingual (KOreen speaking) iesnigtants, do not,comprehend American

cultuxa and locieiY, po1iticelly are relatively powerless, and tend to fall in

the loW and lower-middle income bratkets. A report of the California Advisory

Committee to the United States CoMmission on Civil Rights, leleased in February,

1975, pointed out that,'"....:social services had not provided for the needs of

r

7

99 - /
Korean-American immigrants whose knowledge of and facility in English WAS

limited. Testimonies from community wOrkers allege that because of lack

of Aederally-funded programs, the responsibility 0( pivvielon of social srvices

was placed on the community.

The problem, however, was apparieirt. There were n An direct service

IVagencies, nor training programs for service delivery fo raring. This,

coupled with the fact that there were virtually P.010AL bilingual personnel in

I public and private agencies and institutions had I. to an unpropitious otat

of affairs in which a myriad of unmet needs were beina expexienced by the Korean

community.

/ --

To make matters worse, the concept of servIce delivery from a cormunity

hasp genc4 was, at best, foreign to most Korean immigrants. Thisconcept and

if li practice 01 socialf welfare/social wtirk AU AZImilirAll well, for all practi-

.. 410Ple purposes, non-axistent in Korea.

A group of Korean-AmerXcin workers.who had been involved in varous-community services and politics in the San Francisco floay Area realized the gravity aod

i ... . precarious r.Ature of the situation And began to for-mu/Arc p.lans as to bow to

1 ,f/lkst meet these needs. Mier namerous meetings And discusrions, a conr.ensAs was ...- -1 reached in whichit was felt tilt the most expeditious direction to take was to

develop a direct strvict\and training program.

Three concurrent and interrelated objectives.were formulated;

1, train social workers who cou&iwork in the Korean community;

2. stablish a direct service program; and

3. dove suppOrt 'systems consisting of professionals who

co provide training and consultation U3 Of direct

s ice program through their professional expertise.

These. objectives formed tbe basis upon which Ale KnCkaof its program &Yeas wire

developed.

,r

800

815
(3)

11

PROGRAM AREAS "es As multi-service cantr,. the VSC has five major areas, (1) A senior

citizens' program, (2) direct services, (24) Lmmigration subcomponent,

(3) ind .K1 services, and (4) training.

11

(1) Senior Citizen's Center/Component

The Senior Citizens' component encamp he Senior Hot Meals program

end coordirlates lderly'services. The MSC has provided the site for a hot meals

program which, since its inception, has served approximately-30 Korean style

A

meals a day to senior citizens, five days 11 week (SOO uo 600 meals/ponth). The

nutritiouily 'lanced meals, familiar to Kora/Welder]

to senior citizens !kola the general community.

Korean. Senior Cit-imens' tentlir

ties such as calligraphy classes; educat nal activities, such as p4esantations

are also being served

also the site for recreational acIAon proper nutrition; or English-as-a-seliond-language classes; and for social/

Civic activities.

(2) Direct S:rvica, Progfam

The Direct Service Program represents a compsehensive comtination of services

in whicherlisis/suppoib.kye co u. ling is_an integral part. OLher services include,

(a) newcomers orientation;

(b) Interpretation/translation;

(c) escort services;

-

(d) ,job information/referral

(e) legal aid, and

(f) psychiatkic consultation.

A

814 801

r.
(4) KCSC Morker opet ate in t esins of two LA( h t Cam t-on si at s. of No: vith-boi n

and an ame an-born work er. The rean-born worKer tsr h k

iblis

0

wors direct1y with the Went whilst -..e th ......erican,7born workel haldles Aspects of km ...-

a lapport and

the Americanowsteus which ere instrumental in improving the well-being of the

client. Both workers are mutually supportive. throught the ca evotk ploceSs.

41 One of the primary 'actiVities of the Direct Setvice Pio am is tp lip . clients with various servicei and resources which Are reflective of their needs.,

Sa. of

.1 theme services are provided internally within the XCSC (e.g., _legal aid,

mental health counseling and inlychiatric consultation, translation, interpretation and escort services). Other services and rehOulcos existing in the geniral me coMmunity are provided thaough ties to gtrat numhet of agencies in San rlanclUCO.

The necessity ofthese ties is illustrated by the absence of Korean bilingual

workers in these agencies.

The Direct:Service Program is presently averaging 425 Leivice chntacts per

4

month. A service contact can last anywhere from 15 minutessto 3 hours.

(2a) Immigration Subcomponent

The XCSC has also developed an Immigration ubcomponent U3 the Direct Servi 01

Program. Operating with a case coordinator, supervising attorney and 3 iimiligsation lawyers/consultants, this subcomponent has been dealing with the specialized

immigration needs of the Korean community

(3) Indirect Services

- Indirect services are an integral aspect of the total program and complem;rit

each of the other agency program areas. In-direct servicei include staff activii ties which involve co?sultation, education, public information, and community

organisation.

802

4.
Thera are ive malor categories or agencies/institutions with which the

KCSC has provided' services. There are agenices, communi mental

health end residential context+, education Institut ono govutnment/

public agencies, and/lospitals and ftublic health agenciee.

1)

(4) ResOurce Gr upe

Resource persons to the direct service program include Korean professionals in the fields of psychiatry, social work, law% community development,

and health. Resource Oeetings are held monthly betren connultants and staff

and usually concern social work/mental health issues! Regular weekly clinical

.reminare are cond ted with the KCSslen psychiatric These seminaru

facilitate the pritentation of cane materials by workern and involve casework/

therapy practice problems. The Alertine offeriici by the agency'. consultants

affords the staff with the professional guidance and pers ve needed when

working with clients in a vari ty of circumstances.

; -4

(5) Training

The Korean Community Service Center is coaitted to' the training of social

work, psycho4gy, and rehabilitation counselii students, and other direct

i sorvi;ce providers, and serves as an accredKed ter's leVol field placement

Al site fOi several universities and colleges. Par cipating institutions lleve

included the University of Calitornia, litukoley (School of Social Welfare),

San Francisco State University (Deparkment (If Social work Education, Department of Counseling, Department of Psychology), and the University of Illinois

(Jane Adams School of Social Work).

8 1

N.

803
APPENDIX I

54rAFF, CONSULTANTS/ia!,OURCF .;ROUP

STAFF

Mr. Tom Kim Directpr

Ms. Tae Ok Yun Direct Service Program Coordinator

Mrs. Dora Kim Senior Citizens Center Coordinate.'

Mrs. Jane Buc

Mr. Kyo Hak Chu

Mrs. Jiung Bun Choi

Mr. Brett Ctlun

Ms.rHakel Avidson

Mr. Frank Kim

Mrs. Jung Ja Kim

Ms. Sun,kte KiM

Ms. Man Paek

'N Mr.. Glenn Park'

Ks. Son Hui Yang

Mr. Frank Yoon

Mr. Ron Yu

1. CONSULTANT/RESOURCE GROUP

,Dr. Yung Hi France (Psychology)

.Mrs. Vbk-Lim C. Kin (Soci Work)

Mis. Grace Kim (Education)

Dr. Luke Kim (Corrections Ps.ychiatv)

Dr. 'Eyoung Soo Park (Psychology)

Dr. Steven Shon (Psychiatry)

Mr. Tom Surh (Law)

Mr. Jay K. Yoo (Law)

4

The Korean Hot Meals site is one of 7 mealsites ner the

Self-Help for the Eldeay

- Mr. Alan Wong (Director, Self-Help for th,e Eldrly)

Ms. Noreyn 'Chen (Inter-Ethnic Meals Program) -, Ms. Bevfrly Yuan (Project Nutritionist)

Mrs. Han Ju KiM-Farley (Nutritionist)

MIN

a. 81 -1

e.
' r

Exhibit No. 5

3ANOAN COMMUNITY--Prediminary_Survn

1

FOCUS OF REPO%

ADDENDUM I

Thin report is a preliminary survey of the location end nature of the Samoan

Community in the State of California. This survoy was conducted by the Office

a Samoan Affairs, Inc...through the efforts of the Samoan-Communfty Leader's

from the three (3) regions oft San Diego County, Los Angeles/Oranga Counties,

and ths Say Area. This report is not designed ad a statistically valid same,.

but rather as a "bust etiolate" o6 which the inNirmation provided will be

utliis.4 for the larger HEW Evaluation Survey of American Sampans."

71, SAN MECO

SAMOAN POPULATION IN CALIF&NIA

SUBTOTAL

COUNTY National City

Oceanside/Vista

San piligo Proper

5,000

5,000

2,000

"forth San Diego 1,500

'fast San Diego 900

14,400 LOS ANGELIS COUNTY: Carson 11,000

Compton 9,600

Los Angeles 8,000

Wilmington 7,400 Torrance 2,000

Long Beach 1,200

39,200 -OUNCE COUNTY: 'ts,000 BAY AREA: San Francisco 8,500

Santa Clara/San

Jose 5,000

San Mateo 4,500

East Ray 2,500 - /

A TOTAL IN CALIFORNIA 091-1010 -Al-
\-

' A The tot.1 estimated population for the above regions is 89,100. THe ,Above area were elected because they wive the moat concentrated residential ars s for the Samoans. Other &rbe ouch an Oxnard, Monterey,

and Sento R se where there are incressing/number of Samoans living ar not

included.

Results in the urvky of families:

VP

FAMILY S1ZR

,w (members in one household) Range 5 to-13

Average - 7

POPULATION BREAKDOWN BYNAGE:

'Under 19 years 19 - 35 Y04rs 36( 50 years

-,40% 30% 20%,

50+

Samoan plaE:S a high value on;iarge families nince large families are an

and birts indication of wealth and powlio

control i generally encouraged. Largo

r in the community. lo the U.4., the emphasis

is on small families.

families, which also tend to/bo poor, crpate dllemmas for the elderly.

Although tha ttitudes of c Ying for the elderly do exist, poverty is ] one of thedefieive forces perating on tho SamoaNfamily which may

hinder ilia lderly from ge ting proper healti care.

4. NEEDS AS§ESSMENT

A survey of needs was co ducted in the three (3) regions. Results as follows!

4 Highest on the rativig scale was the need to over-came the linguage

--barrier. Ip the or er that themfollowing are listed represents tho

priority of 110ort ce. 4 ,e educ tion pportunities

empIymentf and training

so al services (availability)

eeo mic deyilopment

heal h ca;ro

ori ta0oh programs - avallahlitty of assistance, whatAhere I how

col ural knderstanding

sing r ognized as a group/Samoan and not "other"

boil)

f1.tivnca. in communicating needs to the varioue lvels of

goVetnsent (federal, state, local) and the various agencia

806

-A2-

C.
/ I.

Samoans encountered di.fficultles In many arena oi American life. Two of the

most prolent external garriers to successful lila in California.neem [II be

_poor language skilla and lock of education. Combinations of these with other

problems makee life extremely difficujt. For example, poor language skills

nod little education make finding good paying lob.' difficult. Low-paying

jobs make it hard for the elderly difficult, doe to higtebealth costs and

the necessity for trantwortmmion to clinics, end eo on. Poor language skills

make n S4monn, especially nn olderly,one, hesitant to /leek medical care from

an sll-English-speaking clinic or hospital. Another barrier, over which

the Snmonns have little, if any, control end one that is somewhat difficult

to assess is discrimination. lt is unfortunate but often the case that many

etheic groups that lack English skills and employable skills often find

themselves discriminated against by others.

But some of these external barrier, may, in part, be caustid by the sainnen

social system. Con/Het of values in the two cultures is most evident.

Th. young Samoan children may find themselves lost sbotween the traditionsl

Samoan celture, whichAhey wish to modify nr Nave altogether, and the

American culture, which does not reaaily itcept them. This creates problems

of well being, which may lead to frustration, almle:ydrifting, welfare, and

delinquency.

For a greater insight to the Samoan Community in California, a pictorial

narrative, "The Samoan Experience in San Francisco", has been prepared.

(Slides and Cassette).

,--) - / ist

A3-

807
SOUitti: 1

0

STATISTICAL DATA AS OF MARCH 1970

ON

SAMOAN COMUNITIES IN CALIORNIA HAWAII AND SEATTLE

Office of Samoan,Affairs, Inc.

Regional Titled Leaders

Organizational Leaders

Church Leaderci

Agency Data Sheet Print-outs 1

1 OF UNEMPLOYMENT7-

POPULATION - (60%)

OTAL POPULATION X EMPLOYAIICE ACE GROUP

CALIFORNIA 70% 60%

89,100 62,370 37,422

HAWAII 70% 60%

26,000 / 18,200 10,920

SHINCTON 60%

GOO 5,600 3 360

4 I

11 r Of the 40% co1N-1 Samoan population represented in the employMent forceekly .1% is represented in the professional likl. The remaining employed

&wSan population are.represented in the unsk ed/blue collar labor force.

At a Samoan Leadership Confefence held in Carson, California March 11, 1978

- A most highly specialized area of concern was the access of employment

lpiavunitiss and development of employable skillb.

Al/

808

-A4

Ins
1,7.rhibit No. 7

United Stoores-Depailment of the Interior

OFFICE OF TH4F.CRETARY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240

Mr, Frederfbk Routh

Direotor, Community Liainon Division

Office of Congreesional and

Public Liaison

U.S1 'Commies on Civil Rights

Washington, 20425

*ear Mr. Routh:

JUN .2 6

This responds to your letter of June 14, 1979 requesting hn official

statement from me on the origin and nature of the differential pay

scales in the territorien of American Samoa and GUAM.

As the Governments of American Samoa and Guam Bet their own %dge

standards, information on the breakdown of the wage/salary differentials by occupation, the explanation of how the wage/ealary

eta0arde aro set, and whd euforces them would have to be obtained

from those GOvernmente directly. For GUAM, I mould ouggont that you

contact the Director of Labor, Government of Guam, Agana, Guam 96910.

For American Samoa, the contact would be the Director, Departmeht of

Manpower Resourtee, Government of AmeriCan Samoa, Pagp Pago, Tutuila,

American Samoa 96799.

The Governments would also have to be contacted dii4eotly an to the

actual origin of the differential pay scales. From the limited

historical information available to me, it would appear that any

differential paid may eed on the U.S. Government's policy of".

payiqg such in non-for!!114%yereeas areas. Such differentials

paid la a post in a non-foreign area when conditions of environmet

differ substantially from conditions of the environment in the

United State0 and warrant additional pay an a recruitment incenti

Therefore, natives.of the area are not paid such a differaitial

the need for an enticement to temporarily relocate te the area is - absent. The Office of Pereonnel Management (formeay tbe U.S. Civil

Service Commission) establishes the differentials for Filderal personnel:

located in.non-foreign areas.

If there is any other way in which I may be of assistance to you,

please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely yours,

-1

."4". Mrs. Ruth G. Van Cleve

Director

Office of Territorial Affairs

8 ' ewe 44

809
June 14. 1979

*Ms. Ruth Van Clive, Director

Office of Territorial Affairs

Departmeneorth4 Interior

Washingtbn, D.C. 20240

Dear M. yap Cleve: , In a recent consultation on Civil Rights Issues of Asian and Pacific Americahs:

Mytt)s and Realities, sponsora-by the, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

references were made by several of the participants to the differential pay

scales which exist in the territories of Guam and Samoa between on-island

and off-island hires in both government and private industry (see attached

transcript'pages 296-301).

In an effort to pr4vide for the record a historiaal perspective with respect

to the subject matter, I am requesting an official statement by the Department of the Interior, Office of Territorial Affairs on the origin and nature

of the differential pay scales in those territories, including a breakdown_

of the wage/salary differentials by occupation; an explanation of how the

wage/salary standards are set; whe enforces them; and the extent to which

the wage/salary differentials reseted from policy considerations by the

Federal government. s, If you wish to contact a staff person concerning this request, please call

Mr. Herbert Wheeless on 254-6345.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

. FREDERICK ROUTH.

Directer

. Community Liaison Division .. Office of Congressional and

' Public Liaison , ei Enclosure

1

. . ^s . 810

).

".<
Exhibit. No. 8

Me Cuban Retiugee

Ittarch 10, 1952. Fulgeneio Batista. in a bbodless coup Getat. toak c,nt! ol of the :KR' ernthent of Cnua. This was the beginnin4 of a MICA of events whjch iesnited in the Cuban

refugee proginm opcmturcl fn the Uaited Elates today.

Following the March 10 coup. more and

snore resistance to Batista's dictatorship caus- ed an increase in repressive measures -by the Cuban police. Many Cubans fled to the United States and claimed political akylum, othei s atayed and (firmed resistance geoups, one of which was headed by Fidel Castro.

These early political refugees were IsXued

visas by U. S. Consular Officers in Cuba, And upon arrival in the United States were ac- corded immigration inspection in the same manner as other applicants for admission.

Exedns Begins

The mnss exodus of refugees from Cubit began with the overthrow of -Piesident Ful- genclo Batista during the last week of Decem- ber 1950. Defeat ol President Batista wasbrought about by the efforts of ma4 revolutionary groups, and ,at first the only persons

seeking Tolitleal asylum were the supporters of the Batista regime. However, after Fidel Castro assumed power on 'January 1, 1959. And the true picture of the Communist take- over in Cuba begarrto emerge, Ihore and more Cubans fled-to the United States seeking polit- kal asylum. These were anti-Castro refugees as differentiated from the earlier pro-Batista

ref ugees.

Parole,Under Section 212 (d) (5)

Prior to 1901, Cubans desiring to seek political asylum secured aonimmigrant or immi- grant visas at the 4.inerican krn ba ssy lm

Havana In -order to enter the .Uidted States.

On the Ihrgl, anniversary of the Cuban Airlift, flag- waving refugees front that troubled lyland hoil the United Stalei uith on their arrnal nt

The 175 person% orritit g au the Iterenther I. night* mere ti,allod to -birthday party" fratuting a slant birthday calt ,party %as silo:num! by Cabala groups th the ,arca.

/t/ alf-v

I 4. 7 Robert -C Woutigb

A.Iirki Arc(' tor

...Wants; .9toridri

yever, in January 1901 diploniatic relations

Wi utm acre in °ken and, the United States

Emb y in Havana wi4 closed. Cubans nhmo were bot In poalession of valid nonimmigt ant. viszs ItOt obtithl pa511.4e on al; lin

operating between Cuba and 4the United States. Some Cuban nationals went to other

countries and obtained visas, hut.this was a

slow and expensivs process which many could not a ffold. 3 To alleviate this situation, shortly after diplomatic relations were severed our Oov- ernment inauginated a procedure for granting

visa waivers. Cubans in the United States submitted to the Department of State applice-s

lions for waivers of nonimmigrant visas in be- half of relatives and friendi desiring to come

tb the.,United States, and the State Depart- ment referred each application to the Immi- gration and Naturalization Service for conenrrence In waiving the required visa. If no derog- atory information developed, the Immigration and Naturalization Service concurred in the

waiver, and the applicant was advised by the

4

71...1 '7(1.- ,,\;1-77...

i ..' '.---.:Lk.:."-' ) -S.,,. I

'N ''. N '_ ,-f A .t. : .4

-11-.- T...,:r, .... `-. , h e__ . l' --- v `L,-,7-!....-'t.,,`d.,./.''. .-r'i7

._ ) . li

, , -/, *t.

V4=-,-. . , .,Ne.f. .^1.

. . --- 10,...,6 -.

./Akse!.

; 7.:-...s. ,. 1 . . ''

I, . - i

I r

5. .;.

.. "

8 24

<

-a. 1314

811

7.',

-

C.
... lh Cuban Itelogirs----Cominusd

0..1epartment of State that hls application had

' been appi rived 4. Almost 475.000 vha waiver applications lot

Cubans riesling! ietneee status wel r nlocrited

by the 1)i 11.:ohm:tit of State and the Iminivia. (ion and Nato lahr Ilion ()nice in Miami. aud

the aniyul of lefugees under this progi am

reached a peal: of 1.600 to 1.700 each w..cek

Under, Ons nonimonelant visa waiver pro- gram, (7uban refneees vete Inote.,ht t3 the United States on tun flielo.s o;.ri .!ed daily by Pan Ainei ir an \Vol Id Ai ways, and on a ilo,:ht 0)ciaird I %(() days ench week 1,5, 11. N,......

lands kl :v1 Anion tin aii nal at Miami Intel. national Airport tlic.m people 55(4 v int ei Sirwrd by lining:lam Inspectois 1110;10(4a III the Spanlral langoaec in 1.0 der to determine their adnossibility node: the mningiation

laws.

Since the refugees arriving under this pro- gram weir. condeg to stay indelthitely, many Intending to WOlk, they weir actually Mimi- grants without fmmirant visas Despite the Visa waiver, these peopl could not be admitted

113 nonimmigi ants, lind eonscouently they were pal 0INI Into the United Staies under the provisions of Suction 712(111i:5) of In Innin gration inid Nationality Act Stith uaiole is

\not copsidercd to be aii admission under the itnmigrat ion laws

Tbose peiscos 'paroled in for an Indefinite

period 1 inter Section 712Id) 0), were ieferred to the lami District Office of the Service for photo raphIng and ,fine.erprinting Male Clibeine.m, i mutt ing further sci ceiling woe

taken to a newly-opened Service processang Center nt Opa I.ocka. a mann b of Miami. 55 hew they Wei e piovided sic:plum; accommodations

and meals, as a ell as clothing and medical at- tention, if ceded They weie housed there un-

; 'VI ---- :' -.'- 7 - fr"..."'!' 4.1'1-71 ..

-

r--, 1

1

--,... -. k , , .-i t

:d...- .:,......,_.:11

. '!'.1.. ...... (""s`v, . .10....LiA....1.6.10.14 .,....1

4. . ...

;.... ....,:r --N4 1

I . AA assist:nice mid icsettline

. _ 1 country who sy

Vann area. To accong

A family of Cohan refugees (fnrieronitil) are seen with a tipalikpeakolz handl; mit to,peetor hrielitt oho int..14..eti their parole into the United

tames Mann, atter metv arrtvat st national Airport.

ill completely cleated for refugee status usu- ally within a puliod of hom s seicening at \ ()pa Locha ails Dim iinvh, and he n I y

ebeeks weir made in all CAM'S Whell !IC( Sal V. Stall:M(1as ts tic taken and a Si:tyke in- vusii;:al ion c ndueled Iii &lei mine the alien's eligibility for -note

In addition to tau.r. arriving via comniercitil ern rivis under th s isa-v. aim. 1. pi credo: e. some

iclugees escaped hom Cuba in small boats of all 517V5 and tYpes. mosPflif whie!i landed In the

rim Ida Keys Many prisons on

lints. some made of enints. steel &MIK CVN1

ninei)Jebes Uclogees liii II-iil I, tiiit %%elm. iwocr53ed iii thc fant way n% those aiming

via commel cull can lei s.

'rhose I efugees who were not cleared for

release Within two week's of anis AI at Opa- Locka were tiansferred to a detention futility at Tampa Sonic welt. denied pinole andAtere

isisted in depai ling. to othri countiles of en choice.

Dining thls period, a proce(Iure was set up

to take eine of Cubans lilt (.1100: t )1(' Ul:11(11 States as temnorary visttoi s They %sor ex- amined foe !ringer status, and v hen found

elg:ible, wile wanted indefinite voluotai y pal tine

Assistance for Refugees

Many of the earlier refugees were !hum- elally solvent and their in rival posed no par- Acular moblems. As time went on, the finan- cial condition of t e arriving refugees wors- ened Many left Ct with little nim e than the

clothes they s e iting Assimilation of this

in: ge i oup nted many social and cuono- ploblen s lumn whete most of 1.11em

sett led.

To cope with these problems, The Cuban Refugee Enuneiwy.Centei ssas established hi Miami by the Department of Ilealth, Education and Welfare 'rile Center helped relleye

the burden imposed upon the local commui fly

the sudtien hIll U.sil 01 10 u6e,a. This age has done a remarkable job, iteeting thetigers' immediate needs, training ilium for

employment. Jio..-tding medical ticatment and

mother pai ts of the

rice to lease the

1 pest. monumental

'

8 12

t

11b
\

U. Cuban Illleqi.. Corihnv.d

tasks. tile Rehicce Centel enlistrd the aid of

volimi.ny np.n, les suili as the chinch Wm hi Set vwc, the Nationai cathohe \Venal e cem

ferrnce, the Intematomal Resi oe Committee.

and the llcbto% linini1;iant Aid r-rop.iety

New Probtrais ArneReturn of (wooers and

Their Reliftir..!.5 . On Ot:tobei 22. OW', i coital means of ti :lett

by Common earlier bet seci'll the United St2lcs and Cuba suddenly telmiluded due hi we

(lists riser the missiles and rinv-ile bases

loca!ri! :-.. C:','. 'I Ii,:e-ii-, ow, 11.,, .,-v

iefiTees able to escape Cuba m small hoals 01

tneyri ilooligli le thud conntly eame to the United States Thts slowdow,,a in the mandlei

of Incoming ler igler'S CO1)(11111(.0 1111(11 the I i`

lease of the Bay en Pip pi isirveis and thir arrival In Ott tinned States on Dect'inbci 24,

1902.

The unsocceraful invasion of 'Cuba at the

Bay of Pigs by e,siles,flom that cOuntry in Api II 19a1 iesulted hi a Lliy;e'number of the

Invadeis being takert pismorr. by the Cuban government. lliese ?lien welt! antnisinied in C Ilan Jalla arid pi istms Thl-ti mn»lies Ito mill ot ganizat ion known as the Cuban Families ommittee whieli %. as decilcated to otrpoineg

t re freedom of thesiL 14n, but cai,ly ncgolia

tith 3 were thisuesessTni 1:"t:erpt to bi mg about

the lea§e of a small number of the seriously

Ill an 'a/blinded pi ikoners. The Cuban Families Committee obtained

the assfstance of a well-known attoincy who Was successful in negot:ating the release of all but a few of the iniplisoned invadei a Sub

' sequently, 1,111 Bay of Pigs prisoncis %sett, brought to he United States in planes char- y.'" red by GI' Anon ican lied CiOSS To facilitate

Us mbin ation of the ieleased in isonels. ol

lIceis e Ironup alum and Nattn :dual ion Beryice were detailed to ride the planes which

landed at Homestead Ali Force Base jjs

south of Miami There,the formei s a rs

were processed by the VaiuUk1ted States Government Inspection :nitwit's Time nev.Nar- rivals were iegisierett and prosaied with new

Clothing by thc Government's Cuban Refugee Etielgency Center. They were served a hot meal, and those agreeable to inter-VIM:1 wile made available to [icy, s'aiedia, including I adio, television, newspapers and petiodicals, which Covered the ar vals.

The Cuban fugee Emergency Center pro- vided buseeto t anspoiLthe released knisoners

to the MuqiCtpal Auditorium at Dinner Key where the Men were reunited with their famwe

17

Mrs and h lend% lids i einuon loin 'deli a joy

ons CV I.,tittas e wjurli sun tie 1011;7, i mem ,...

hOlua Ilot Only by the esiles bid by the rhally

Fedei al cinploNI-c-. nnlat.ny iwt minnel npi Miler, v.ho SS,,ikekl ..0 loin'. Aliti I aftrIttIlly to

033Ist III makin;.; the i clinical possible

As a pail of the in iangements made to five

the Pay 0( Pir.s pnwnins. 1.ni-c on mutes of medical and othei Nullities welt' sent to Coba

by ships and planes rhese shipments evene

handled by thy Amyl 0-.111 II.-d Cioss In an ef

hot /0 /Cfhill').1le Onlird :A ale.% 111171913 And

I hell IMInt ou:tie tailill.r.. nom Cho t ;mil to le

Unlit' NIpalatNt ( 'WOO 1.111111k-5. ai an-,-,ellients well' ivade thimoi the Amelia:in bled Cloy, and Oh\ Linhassy of SWII /CI lillai lot ti anspol-

!anon ol,,,these iv..ophe to the United Slates oil the shipssund planes st hall had (-awed sup

pires to Cpbn

'In determining who would be panted pas. sage on the flist planes and sinps ictinning to

the United Slates, pi efel eller exits Jriven to the

families aml i elatives of the BaV Orliga, Talsz.1 nneis The iefugeus, totalnw, 890, al livetkiry i plane and stele mocessed at the Miami Infer- 1 national Alipoit thiough the legular pis. ceiluiesoct up fen piocessing Cuban lefugues

Inspection of the thousands in lefugecs in

riving On the ships, and taking eine of then' Immediate physical needs, cleated a situallon

requiring special considelatio Thciefoie. alPort Eveiglades, Floi Ida he flr9Or vessel rangcments were made to la ig the gdps to

brought 922 iefugees. most of whom wet(' ie

lated to the Bay of Pigs pusoners Six mote

vessel!: arrived at Port Everghdes, bringing

the total to 4,03 refugees

At Pint E/erglades. the Immigiation an NatuializatiOn %rime act up a sperial pro. eessoig venter at dockside Ali angeniclits 55eie N

inade for photopaphing and lingerplinting

the renigees at later dates The United S ales Public Health and Customs Services als ex- anum'd the new arlivals and then lugga at

dockside facilities The Cuban Refugee En r- geney Centeriat ranged transportation tor refugees wIm 11111Th I d not be met by then families When necessaiy, the Center furnished tempm al goal ters as well as meals until al !angeme nt et-add be maile for loom: r resettlenient

of th iefugecs.

. . After the arrival of the last Red Cross ship, Cubans desil mg to seek political asylum had

either to go thiough a third eounti y or eseane

(ruin ClIbl in smalLboats In addithon to the

dangtIS of the sea irsinseawm thy boats andrat ts, the escaping refugees faced thq dangers

813

4
I

1_

The.Subrin ltlugus--Conilnud I

of inteiceplIon by Cohan 1,,ovei nand tiOnts tel who c imam:melds we e made NH hous

and planes rill oiling li le Cuban coast Mg and eventual ieseltien ad

Dming the months fil (jklolie1 and Noveni Curren( Airlift Program bet. the a i ea bet xi cen CLIO .0 id Pluin1u is sub

On Seplembei 28. 1965. Pi mita Fidel Cash() wet to sodden sipla 5, SWIMS if orl-evt91 irn

unexpectedly announced 11131, effeethe Oclo wanes To clIsIlle W safely of4the (loth i of ber 10. 1965. Cuhan citizens who de-aif d to Join sinall bon l% xx hiell "cot to t'ob, to Win ref

their (ninnies in the United Stale). of otheis ugets to the thnic stale,s. A-he 1.1 :i :oast

who wished to live In the Unlpft-Snites. would Goald patiolicd 111c lttrit now ow I h: cenole

be permitted to leave Cuba N , - limit of C7oba to the poi t of key West to fissuie

President I.Indon li Jahmain. In a speech 11)I11 none would he 10:1 On sevcial occasions

dein:Ned a1tlie71-alt17:1571.111icTIV on omohm 1111. coaSt ohaid had to lake people Oil the

....1,,:q.,3 d c! ced il.:11 Ow 14,,,le-or ro:, "hi, small boats In pi el (lit l licit sndon:1 I idol

_auk] C'AP,:cilkl i::%-:ill'idAt it.Iii4f111.6:vipr d.i) ow (-hal it-Ivd x, ,..iI% c,,,plitiud npvi at ion

lici:De ion m1 t 1..,,11'1, thnitt.'h fht !,..x lc% t In our h No% cintci ,i0. I III.,, and in (111911 11 Iga54.17-Vklidi .6.7111VM1;:. thi: Qiiiiei! Slate,.. torm of 1.969 f el (ogees io the United Nudes

pieuinigpl. in (101,1 'with ile.)-Co i.ra aullimi Small. pi ivateN mined boats biNinht Seim al thousand dui mr, the 2- month pei aid in 1965 f13191-VI 91 del 11; CM)ai-I3 cfliii-FruKeciliilliT heroic the airlift became' opel alive. It was kliii cq Stoty.s.

While these nr,eltiations week In progress. of the U S Coast Gon:d :hal this was' -ay- only because of the ellhnencv and dedicAlmn

Castro opened the poll of Camarloca so Oval Cuban exiles in the United Stalrq: might pick complished without so ions nanny or loss of

t p their relalives and Mends arid hong INTin life.

' boat to this counti y A bilge flotilla of toats Neroliations by the Swiss Emhassy with the o every type Imaginable went to Cam:mot-a Cuban Fox eminent weir sof-cr.:qui, and on

lale flist small boat 'ail ived back in the United Dceembei I. 196.), the United :inn-. inaugo.

Stales on October 7, 1V65 Time:mei a steady ialed .111 anInt bolo Cuba 10 Miami to blin:i,

sticant of small omit 111115415 tandinucd until ln Um:A' pci sunk W.ho had close family ties In

Novembel 13. 1965. when vessels elm; lei ed hy the United States.

the Department of Stale took over lhe task of Under the cui lent program,-pcisolis in the

transporting lljose ref oge,es remaining at United States desh mg to la t.:ig in relatives

Camanoca wheir that port was cloyed to small from Cuba submit applications. 'or "plamllas" boats. to the Cuban Relugce Fowl genes Center

Immigrant Inspectors and United Stifles whet() lists ale made of the nallic,s ;iceman%

Public Health officials were assigned to ode to ielationship and*date of 111111:: Pi Moly is

tlwse chili tei Id vessels In Ullb i, alld thirst Q1- ',1'll to l'io!C 11111111 I'S Ot CUh:111 woles In the

hilted Stales The cuban 01 eminent makes

lists tif those who ic;:istei to Wale Ctiliii, and

the Cuban Refugee 1illeigeney Centel pre- pro-. punch ,.3itis fits' ilaniic nopcal nig on

both tlw Cuban goveinment and Refugee Cert.

ler lists These cal ds ale suomilted to the Immigration and Nattnalizalion Service for

clealance before tlw individual may -depart Cuba on the ahlift Iltemol e clearmice is Slanted by the Servlcrt1 each name is dram!

Ulf ()ugh the Set vice 1 cords and those of other

agencies Lists of lief. us icenvaig o1)1)101 al ale taken to Cuha ln tii o Ininogial ion Of

fleNs who go lo that coonhy oa ca, h fil:110 to assuie that only peisons pi ()Lally cicaled

boaid the planes A United Slates Public

Ilkilth Doctor accompanies the two Immigration (Mims to Cuba and assists in the screening, proces in that countsu

Since thp :Mint began onliblecember 1. 1965. two lflights a day, five days a week, have arrs wm keit %% dli the Swics Fanif Issy scieenill) iclogo.s at the loading dock 111 Matanzas, Cuba, when) tlw refugees %vele brought faun then trim-male shellei at the

port of Conlin loco. The Inspectors can led lists of persons eligible to bruild these vessels destined to the Unitcd States. and checked the

boarding passengers against the lists.

Cubans dtsii ing tu loot e tlich naln c land were requiltd by the C isho gm/mm.1CM to

leave all then 'cal and peisonal plopcitv except. ofrelot hing they were per- mitted to take a LO.l 14111 vessels Hall them

On turival at Key i%.st. then few br.lonnw were quielly inspectld by the Customs Officers, and they boat ded buses destined to the Cuban inspectiril center at Opa-Locka where

final processing and granting of ret twee status

WAS ReCOM pi ished . 'film-ratter. refugees who were not met by family members were delivered to the Cuban Refugee Emergettcy Cen814 8

18
4

The [when Refugee -Con!.Aued

TIVcd Ut TOlintil Inlyi national Aii roil hoot

011).1

NV1itli thy an lilt 11i sl slat lutl illv 1 eltirrcs

aft( liail:acilcd [iota llic phoit's 1Q litr.,-, and

lalsen 11-) 11 11171,., 1.10( ("(,111 : ( ' '11'1 lyr/11S1 .11 Oita lacha foi use in ail inspection a nitiavs

inul Oa. Cut.an 1(c1tca... I 1 it i!!( nu% i'eniet

This installation ((Ili l'i oil ii.illy (1..i (I aro

piocessing 111-1M1411 it (.1 10 I 110 N11,11111 11034". nationnl All poll ikon am val the C'tillans ate

pioressed by inspe, tam a :( lime., mitt writ ..ii ...vt. it, ('ithan iivoyce 1 r!e- .,-;.-,. l Ill , I.

111,nancill aid not) lios.,1',1,, i,,,1,11,11,,,ii 1,,

ollicl pails 01 ilit. thillutl Vilt's -11.o.,-1..titio In h,mit, 1 it v h ti...,,,-. micit,m ch, I.,., .,.1

food nt an an ow. t huilitini:, am:mini ilely

callrd -1.'icisloin lloost.

Frolll I.)ccl IIIIiel 1 1965 through Iv 31.

1967,in eNcess ol 7.1,000 ieltiiA' al I IV lit Mc

Ull'ilted Stales on the Cuban ;ill lill. Si r cer.

(inn tho,set, ol Colvails al, iloi o,Imilt,:ii to ,1,...

pal t the island lav lolly, (lime has been ri steady but ielatively small numbei of I cf ii-ves

reaching Hot ida in small Ilvats .%laiiv of thil..c v.ho depai t nom Cuba elandest wily ale of diaft 11e, and have heen il, tiled in %%mild not

be Elven pei mission to leave

.. Problems encountered by the t'ultan irt

ogees (Mel J.( ival-Aii the mimed stales iii. dude iliell;iblilly Mr niany types ol I. mployintent because 01 then temp.:1:11v status. nei

ther lawful permanent residents nor United States citi;ens, and then inch:IMO:Iv to'

homestead exemptions undm 1 lin lila tax lints

l'o overcome this, many term:yrs tinveleil to Canada in 40.11(1 (\MIA i leS 10 Se( 111(' 1111/111 pant Imp; and I crawled the l'mtv(11-;tates as

Insvhil pelainnent icSidents Howe% ei , lln, t:as all exptlisise procrss and not avatlably to (lie

vast la:awl it)' of I einees

.1'0 alleviate this situation, Public Law 89- 732 was approved Not eilibm 2_ 1966 12(t Slat 1161), pi ovirling Mr adiustment of status to

that of lawful pelmancat I vident. tat 0 yeni:

After their adatissfon or pa 1 olv

'l'o meet the large number of anticipated tip

plicntions for adiustntent ot status in tlx14lami :nen. the bei vice established a Cultaii

Adjustmcnt Centel at 1001 1; k'l. 1:iist Nticyl--...

in that .city 'Dm (enter is slailiI by oliv)ifip

ervisory Inimir,Itint Inspector and 10111 4hlint- giant Inspectois with a suitable clinical stall to process the anticipated thousandi 01 atipll . cations to lir iced' ed Through July 31, L167, 28,231 applirit inns wet 0 r('ceived for adiust- rnent of status tO that of lawful permanent.

19

1 ( I l'SIllt ill and .1!, .110 i,iccc hay(' lit VII e(1111 Weird

A19111..010111 101 lecl(tt 111 SI.11 l(% 1111,111 11/('

111.1, 1 I 1. l'.1. .11IN It. pt..' 111e 1111

.ifiirs1 111i III III '.1 11 tr. 111,14k.( I 1 ItIll 1"( Of

liiiitii"i al ion anti Nation, his he :with

eatilth accrillri.1 111- 11, ,

t mat r 1.04.1 .lo iii ir 1 IC

101 1111111 I('W 1111(1 111etlle.11 rippointmen( hitel. usually, :ent mit ribald

min ( lis I i',111, alt1,1:, 1111

it, .

, 411 1,1 -1st) 11 111 ttlt, II Ale It 111111CtI 1/( 1111' 11 :; l'11111., 1 1C.111 11 :WI VI, 1'

l111-11 11;4,11, .1111 .11 1 /11 (III' Centel 011 Ile day of hi', nItihmit invill lit. I% 11151 ,\

alnlin I ity Ole 11v1111 Sei s tt14.0-11 lit' is inied

Nrisl. is examined In an Imatigiant hi irectoi 14) dilemma! Ins eligibility fin

adiustineAt of 4,1at a. to that :1 a I v.'. till

lila/tont Icsaletil 11 11.1 111/- III olltI. 1 It 1 151 t'.',,t it lo him As

Mt" oi in 1 will show ad

shission nil lien( as of 11,. "( (I"' l'.1 til 1 utal in Me

Slat, N. 111 .1'. 01 .1 t1:11 11101,11 111101 III Me

filing tit ho, mph, ,tlion. %till, lit tn dale 1,

Mir) 11"hus applIc.Illon 1101 Apo o'ed. 1 Ile 1119111C:1111 us folltIjIllr(1 lit' has en

)(O,t11 -111;11 of ii puolve (n an alien who lias been panted pm mission . to immun in the United States until (lathe! notice

l'ulthe Law 89.732 alyt pvimits a Cuban, ad milted to the Cinted ;Ames I'm !awl ill pei

Manent icsaltnec iti itti N,I.,1V('1111111 1900

lo hat t' 111% dale ol aihnission lo r.lvt

tivneills as the Who ha

atlpistril his status to that of a pc: aliment I es-

(dent _ 'ri it. huge nunMer ivfligee; coming to our

shoyes froin Culai has cleated fhany, ohlems

for" the %minus kivet nment tl,.riiCicS COIL"'

ceined with pi oCessing rind .ettling

this country. I .., A eSlieclet1 di'd'reated employoes haVe

11Vet1 lilt lo (hen line.,namt of "OW 1_11.1v:int.- 01141 11.1(1! 1 4-11)111 11111111 11.'', . CV(`I 111111(11111 01 lit(' 11111'1 (`SIS 01 then Clovein meat .1 hey have kept in mind that they ate

(Icahn!: v a inliple ho hay(' been uplooted and ale leaving behind 1)1t1 ties, tsav,, and

ti attain:is to cailliii k on a new wily of file in a

land \stitch, thour,li a welcomed haven, Is tilien

to theta

815
FOB itf.LEASi: IU unt t.? T November 6, Pif.S

Office 01 the W.hite hIm. r Pu ea. Sect eta, y

(Austin. Texas)

THE WHITE HOUSE

The President announced today that at 9:00 An. T the Swiss Embassy

its Havana, representing United States interests in Cilba, and the Cuban Foreign

Ministry had exchanged diplomatic notes establishing pruc c.S,iic and means

for the movement of Cuban relugees to thv United Statea. The arrangements

fur the movement were ot out in a memorandum of understanding incogorated

in the notels.

The full text of Alto note from the Swiss Entbassy to the Cuban Foreign Ministry follows:

"The Embassy of Swityeriand presents its compiiments to the Ministry

of Foreign Avist ions and, In its capacity ay representative of the interests of

the United States oi America in Cuba, has the honor to refer to recent conlion" %hull have taken place between the Eintidssy and i rprecntative a of

the Coeernito ill uf Cuba with respect to the movement to thu United States of

Cubans whr. wiali In live in kho United States.

"The Embassy Aldo has the honor to bet forth below the test. in English\

and Siantp.li 1.in:zuage versions which shall be equally authentic, of the memorandom of understanding agreed upon in those conversations:

"lke:7:JORANDUM U4LERSTAN6ING BETWEEN THE

EMBA.Y OF SWITZERLAND IN HAVANA, REPRKSENTING

THE 14TF:1".!..:STS Cr TilL: UNITED STATES OF MERICA-IN

THE REPUBLIC CF CULA ANC THE Mai:ION MINISTRY OF

THE abVERNMENT OF CUBA CCHCERNING THE MOVEMENT

TO TIIE UNITED STATES OF CubANs WISHING To LIVE IN TUE

UNITED STATES

"I. Thu"Covernment of 'Cuba agrees; to permit the departure from

Cuba of, and the Government of the United.State. agrees to permit the entry

Into the United Stakes of, Cubans who W1 3.h to leave Cuba for the Unttcd States,

in accordance with the provisions of Osis memorandum of understanding.

"Z. In recognition of the prime importance of the humanitarian task of

reuniting divided (artistica, tho two Governments agree that persons living in

Cuba whn are i %%% mediate relatives of persona now living In the United States

will be given, as A group, heft priority in processing and movement., The tuo Governments agree that the terito.'immediatelelativelt is defin.ed to mean

parents of unmarried childrn under the age of 21, spousea, unmarried children

under Ilse age of 21 and brothers and stipters under the age of 21.

"3. The two Cove % nts agre., that they will ...lode AS members of this

..*1 first prinr sty grnup other close relatives living in Coln( of e'er-sons now in the

'Ignited Slates oho reaide In the same !lime...hold al the immediate relative's when

such Inclusion IN required by humanitarian c.on,idi'taui.,,%ut. hi nreler to proles t the integrity nf the ;weld principle of Bret priority (fir immediate tehttives, the

Iwo Governments agrqur that it will be tietes.s.ary to verify the rcl.st :ship "sot the.actoal existence of Om I .plitarisn cobsideratimis referred to. The tAu

CovernmenIs agree that this t sysk of verification will be carried our by lite

Embacay of Switzerland in Havana and that the pitIgnient nf.t at Eisibasay will

be Accepted by thn twin Governments as final.

moat;

8 '3 d
4. The Government of Cuba agree to present to the Lisibasy of

Ss. It zer land in havana soon as pl)11111b)C .1 list (hes einalter callril "Cuban

)aster list A") of inuisedime 1 clative living so Culla ol per fond now living

In the United State., and of other reron lising in Cuba di...crated in poragraph

3 above, who wish to live in the United State*, Tho Embasy of Nwitrerland

in Ilavana will transmit Cuban . taster L iot A to t he Cover nt of the United

Stat ed, The Governnt of th me United States for Its .part, will li.ive prepared

'A hit (hereina(ter called ''US t) roster List A") bated on information upplied by

perons now living in the United State v,Iso have line relative living In

Cuba and who are pi/Tared to receive tuii Aro Intereted in receiving /loch

r clatsve. It is understood that Ills lists provided for In thi par agrapli may bc

prepared In installment and shall b supplemented from time to tone, s

"5. Those nainee which appdar on both Cohen Master Litt A and US

Master List A will he Incorporated by the Government of the United States in a

ingle hst (hereinafter called "Joint Consolidated Lit A"), whicli will be

transit l i tt ed by the Embassy of Switzerland in IlavAna to the Government of

Cub. Wuh respect to Joint Consolidated List A, there will be a presumption

tht the persons on the list will be permitted by the Cover ent of Cuba to

depart Cuba and will b perml.ted by th Government of the United States to

enter the United 5tatee, but final permission will be granted in the form of

approval by both Government uf embarkation lists for each (light from Cuba

to the United States,

"6. The cases of perilous whose name, appear on Cuban Master Lit A

or on US Melte/ List A but not on both (and !herelare not on Joint Consolidated

List A) will be the object of forther exAminat by the two Gov,rnments,

utilising the service of the 1.:mbassy of Switst riand in !Javan., as required,

with a view to the inclusion of such persons in i,ddenda to Joint Coniolidoted

List A, or, in any case, in the ccond priority group described below in

paragrph

"7. The two Governments ree that from Joint Consolidated List A.

and its addenda, embarkation lists or each (101 from Cuba to th,e United

States will be drawn. nie two Gnvern-nents agree that they will make evcry

effort to ensufe thai the fr.lowin: catc;.ories, of penions P2peaving on Joint

C0110011112 I ed 1.i at A :ire transpo..ed ii. :he order of prim ity nilrated: First,

parent) ir,d u-oare'-.el s:zters ender the age of 21 living in Cuhir

of chilO..,:n living in the Co.ted !..7tate under the age of II, Second, - children under the age of 21 living in Cuba of parents living so the Unitvd Staten;

end third, spouses hiing in Cuba of persons living in the United States.

Families and olier ol the h....reeholds will he put- ed to travel

together in accordancetewith the principles oft paragraph 3 above.

"B. When both Governments afiree that the persona aprearing on Joint

Consolid.ated List A and its addenda no lotiger require full utilisation of the

tranportation provided, the movement of other per son living in Cuba

wish to live In the United States will begin. Firt conolerat ion will he 1:Ive11

to relatives living in Cnba of persona living in the United State) v.lio do rot fall

within the definition cif iinmediate relatives.

"9. The Ggilte-rnrnent of COba agrees to present, indue course, to the

Embassy of Swittelland in Havana, for ti ansminion to the Government uf the, United States a list (heelotafter called, 'Cuban Ma-ster List JV ) of all such

persons who will be permitted to derriarrrom Cuba. The Government of Cuba

agrees to consider, In preparing Cuban Mater List 13, names of persons liviii

In Cuba submitted by the Government of tho United Statee on the bAsis of information supplied by friend and reittives living in the United States.

140ftE

83

8V1
ka

ks,

3 -

"10. 1.14. two Government. aster that Cuban Master Lisi It will 110111%

the barn of the preparation of embaikation lists for eaeli flight Nom Cuba to

the United St.\ lye. in accordanc with procedur es deeicribed below.

"11. The Government of Cuba agree. that with r e spec t to per sons

on either Joint Conolidated List A or Cuban kdastr List 11, It will prepar.

In conultaIlon with the Fnibatisy of Switserland In Havann. prospectiv

embarkation hat. for Inilividual.flighte from Cuba to the United Sitte. Such

lists will be provided the Government of the United Stte at lesI even day

iteiur try the date of the

"12. The Government of the United States agrees' In turn to Inform

the Government of Cuba without delay. through the Embassy of Switeerland in

Havana. of persons on the embarkation lists approveel for entry into the United

State.. with the understanding that final for rn tittles will be completed at thri

point of embarkation by officer IP of the US Immigration and Naturalisation ServIc And Public Health Service.

"IL The Government of Cuba agree, to assemble such person. at the

Irport at Varadero.

"le. The two Governments agree thc<I 3iiC persons will be subject to a

final) auras tur e inspection by officlills of the Lepartment of-inv.msgration and the

Ministly ot Public Health of Cuba and to All entrance inspection by officials of

the lounirratii:11 arid Naturalization Service and the Public Health Service of the

United States, at the airport in Varaderel. Persons found to be ineligible for

departure from Cuba by Cuban officials in accordance vsith the laws and

regulation. in force In Cuba or those found by American officials to be ineligible

for entr am-e tii to the United State. under laws and regulation. in force in the United States will not be permitted to embark.

15. The Government of the United attics agrees to provide air transportation to cirrry persons permitted to depart\Coha and to enter the United

States from Varadc.r.o to a convenient point if thii United State..

"16. The Gevernment of the United States agrees to provide air transportation with such frequency and capacity.as to permit the movement of between

3, 000 and 4.000 per sons per month.

"17. The two Governments agree that the firt movemtnt r the

terms of this memorandum of undertanding will begin not later. December I, 1955.

"IL The Iwo Govetamients agree'thit any problem that may aririe ire-

. the 1MpleMentation of 'thiemem'Oranurn'of 6nrre istanding will be cons Ide red *Jointly by Ithe ntbai by of Swilii:er land in avana. 'repre cent ing the interests of the United States of America In the Republic of Cuba. and the Government of

Cuba.

MORE

818 83
In the tour tie of I Ity.c orly(9% eat sof.l wfss, h led to the 5Isciouriindurn iii

uniturstanding sti foigh alatiA6, theirtbvpi missal of t.oh statedOs position

comet nita the departure 01 technicians and men from IS to 21, years of age

rti Cuba who Are obliged to perform gibniptileury nsifst4ey servke. The GovernMem of Cobs also sited that it woulCi it forth Ile poition on thett matterr in

a aeparats nolo.

' "Me Gov't rnment ol the Unitd State stated that It would reply.

throtigh !lie Costaaetly of Styatzerland, to the note of the Government of Cub

referred tu in the preceding paragrph and would set forth ito own position on

tee mattess as it had been expremd In the course of Ilia diecuItions.

fortlirrioure. the Government of the UPted States tsted It would tranout

Ihr (..s.vvrnalltrni of Cuba. througli the Erobatlay of Switzerland. a separate

wile concerning the poitton of the Governmert of tho United ftates on the matter of the incluion in the movement from Cuba of peron imprisoned In

Cuba fur offenes of a political nature as that poition had berm rep d in

the rooter of the diecuestons.

-e-`" "Th Government of Cala ttvil that et would reply to the note of the

(n.ivervinient of thu Vited Mate conc&ning the Inclusion to the movement to

that (uneasy of per. wipr Isoned in Cuba fur ulfne ai:Inet the revolution

anit wool,: nil forth de owlaiinsition on this matter a it heti been cepresed In

the oos we id ihn duct Hsi-mos.

l_nibaasy has the lionordo propuse that. If the onderstarnling deal ',lord in the vinvissalusii uoursthntling it,t forth above are acceptable

to the Ministry al ruir.-soi Relations, this note Alta the Monett y' rply

enn,us riot. th. 1i ii, h.ill i onatitote sit Jt t arplAIIC o by the G."4 uii,u,Cnt f th

thutril and rinient of Cuba of the terms of the inernorandunt of

umiutstalfteol. u h,, It rhall tah, effect Op thy date of-the rePly "

ri.anish 1..ng o. . el-stun omitted)

It osernr ring roue from.the Caibin rorein Isliniotry to the 5n 1 se

un.pletud thy e).ehatige soot put the Memorandum of understanding

iiitn effect.

Iii ..ftlitio'n to these rnain notes, thc wect four other now. -ccil...r.ged

epar.ately ..t :amid 9: iii um CST. :thy brat. of their.. Irrn:o 5h.1 Cube. 7M etrit

Mi.sistry S.. the Swiss Elikbassy. readir.s follow's ictUrnta,Iiielitaey hi.rodurteio

And close . "'flue Goverononit of Cuba, in at tardancy /oath the statement art tPr is..t

COW...nu% thy memorandum usC u ntlerLoallog, and i,n of(her Iv pr....Vert el d

in iiiterprvtattOn on the part .of, 'nr 10 relation 1u, :ertacit per Susi.. 0. by .

eeisott tlo: tatacSnP fuoc,lion they priform or because of legal tthiluntsullta from

%loch they %annul b excinwit, arc eubjei t to rertain'reetrttiomi Iii riRard

their departure or whu thu oot have the eqht tu Wave the ry. t %Altera it

I./soli-11\10 cootirm in writtng. amt 'also ft. publisch,. what was elated-orally to

the cOnverrialione with the Swis Ehlbersy which preceded the tialil (mi souranthain

IIIIIterlandIng. iii refirenu'i. to priorities, form Auld sd.d.'part"I' ' uhUns who wish to jnin theie ridatives 11%. in tin. United :;ial.

that ill lb. 4 so 01 le Chris. s a no 01- illIrd ou v.1601.11..1 IA Imui Sonii th,

counts v may auto:, nen ,tiuturbanct. In a specific ALPHA aei Cite or in

prodio t ioo. bet-alto, a oeplacement for i itch in,recui woolil not inime.iintele h. &se the tlovernment tit Cuba wilt aothoriae lily departure of .ut e,fiti

within Mr pc rle.d during %%filch the trip will tekr pinee. Lot will pompom. it until the liat when uch perot. may be replaced to the dotie whit:It he pea fueMe

1 MORI:

8 3 40,

819
4

"1.1kewsar. nod to iiiii y the sii iii in Ili.- Cuban note

10011411kt/4z the remolamlutu of one. rstanolinx, And lot thv re,iinons set

int th in the preceding p... g eph. Ike Govenoteot of (.iiU. 4 undwh-1 It

410..1r-ibis. to confirm hereby, and t the anie time to pubhsh, whmt it derly

tated during the course of th neg.diations; namely that no citiaen who under

the law Is included to the fit I call-up for compulsory military service, that Is .

between Il sod 26 years of age, or who will be included in the call-up in the

nest two years, that Is to say, who I. it present 15 year. of age. ha the right to leave the country and therfors will nOt b uthorized to leav."

The Swiss Embasay replid to thie note follows.(complinientary

Introduction and (104 0 ii ed):

"During the recent dicuasions which led to the inemorand of undrstanding of November 6. 1965, the Entbalsey of Switxerland oi.tle clear that It

hall been the understanding and hope of the Government of the United SiA1C that

the statement by the Prime Minister of Cuba on September 30. 1965, would

encom)ias pec,son in these categories who wthed to leave Cuba to live in th United Stater Thu,.. for xample, there wa no uggestion in that brod

tatement that any techimlana who wished t leav Cuba ( r the United

btater would be prevented from departtog, even troporarily.

"'the Govi-rnmi.:nt iif t't,e United titatea tegret th1 at thi ttme the

Goveti.mool of Cuh. h.%s nut permitted men aubjuct to military ervice ant:1

certain tithniciaois to be included under the terms ot the tdernoranclum of

Underst..nding. The Cove-Esurmill of the United States expreefe. th hype that

the Government of Cuba will be willing tu reconsider thi position expressed

in the yourve of the dtscussion mentioned above and repeated in the note of thu

Mimi-try. The Government of thy United States wishes to stres thc partivular

Importarce which such reconsideration would have in permitting the reunion

of many families.

"Tor its part, the Government of the Ue'ted Stater reaffirms ite

readiness to grant entry to the United States if the pers=is who are the ubject of thi note through pvocedures consistent with those estaaltherl in the

Xtemorandum of Understanding of this dat."

The third separate note was from the ...e.vie Embassy to the Cuban roreign

Ministry (complimentary introduction and close omitted):

"Ail the Embassy of Seettrerland made clear duraog the course of the

recent converatione which led to the Memoramlum of UndeIlanding on the movement of persons from Cuba lo the United nate., a trifled by both

Guysirnmeuta on Novembrr h. 1965, the Cuvernotent ot United St 4i ea reearde

with special humanitarian concern the eiliew of those pertuons imprioncil in

deba harleffeneespf aoulitic.1 natur. It had been the with:fel/tiding and hope

01 the Gnvernment of Che Coifed Flaws that the statement by ihr Prime Minieter

of Cuba on ,eptembur 30, 1965 would persoos lo this category who

wihed to leav Cuba to live in the Uitited Statis.

"The Government of the United States regrets that at this tttt e the

Government of Cuba has not per tttt ed politkal prisoners to be included un.Islr

the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding. The Government of the Untied

lltato expresses the hope, that the Government of CIA., will be within.; to r:consider

Illis position. The Government of tho United States wishes trvstress the varticulsr

Inystrtance whsch such reeonslcierwsop would have to prmuttmg the reunion of

many families. "For its part. the Government of the.United States reaffstrhe its

readi 'Ile to grant entry to the United Slates' of 401 po(illtSil prilioner a through

proc duree toosurtent with tgoeo stablished in the Menanrangyrn of Undreeiantlank

. of .N ember 6, 196S. " ' 1. ' '

.- . ",..

. ,

820 i".

)49.7

8 3 3

1
- 6 - The (trial eeparate note. a i c ',pone, by the Cohan l'oi yawl Mintstrito th Lote initiated bx the Swis l:nnbaery. read Ai folicAiii:

"The Ministry of Foreign Relations preocrits it compliwento to 01*

Embassy of 5.-uatierland. tr orcuentinc the- interests of tit., United Llates of

Aroertc.1 iu Cube. sand an aLla4714,...lcialfi receipt of at note datt-si November 6.

has the honor to 1ni"or,-.1 it 1!al the Cuban posarion on the matter f that

expleseed an its n"ott: of Octo'oer IZ of the present year."

821
Exhil3it. No. 1 2

A PETITION

TO THE

U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

V#1 WE, THE UNDERSIGNED PARTICIPANTS i THE U. S. COMNISSIO

ON CIVIL RIGHTS CONSULTATION ON ASIAN AND PACIFIC AMERICANS

REQUEST THAT THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS BE IMPLEMENTED,

oheoPs

I. THAT THE CommIssIoN SUMMIT SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CoNGOESS AND TO THE PRESIOENT,

Z. THAT APPRoPRIATE FEDERAL AGENCIES NAMED IN THE CONSUL AT1ON BE CALLED BEFORE THE COMMISSION To RESPOAD TO 141

ISSUES AND DATA PRESENTED DURING THa CONSULTATION,

3. THAT MORE INDEPTH STUDIES ON THa PRIORITIES. ISSUES,.

AND PROSLEMS BE PURSUED BY THIS COMMISSION,

4. THAT THa PRESIDENT APPOINT AN ASIAN R PACIFIC AMERICA

CommISSIDNER TO THIS COMMISSION, AND

.0. THAT THIS PETITION 0111 SumMITTED INTO THE RECORDS or T

PROCEEDINGS OF THIS CONSULTATION AND PRINTED AS PART

or THE REPORT OF THIS CONSULTATION.

olL

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1144 A

14-(;)144) j Aka -4404:0

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8 3 5
A PETITION

TO THE

U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

4414Ponfier

WI, THES uNDSRSIGN4D PARTICIPANTS IN SH4 U. S. CONWIsSON

ON CIVIL RIGHTS CONSULTATION ON ASIAN ANO PACIFIC ANIRIcANs. mmovast THAT irt FOLLOWING RSCONRUNDATIONs ea IMPLENENTIO.

1. THAT THR CONNISSION SUBMIT SPICIFIC gINDINGS ANO

ANCOmMIENDATIONA TO 1141 CONGRESS AND TO THE PREsIDEN11

2. THAT.APPROPRIATS FSDSRAL AGIINCISS NAMED IN TWA C0NOUL1ATION sa CALLOW umbels THU CONOIsSION TO RIEsPOND TO THE

ISSUES AND DATA ORIMINTED DURING THE CoNsuLTATIONI

3. THAT MORS INDEPTH sTuDISS ON TN! PRIORITISES. ISSUES.

AND PROBLEMS St PURSUID SY THIS COMBISEION1

sol 4. THAT THS PAIsloaNT APPOINT, AN AsIAHvbilt PACIPIC ANIERILAM ComMISSIONSM To THIS C011isSIoNo AND

S. THAT THIS PITITION SUMITTIID INTO THa Rscosos OP 1HO

pROCEIDMIS OF THI CONSULTATION AND PRINTKO AS PART

or THN PURPORT OF THIS CONSULTATION,

MIL _LlaaAruziuoliars..liasunti_. AooIUS

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823
It PETITION

TO THE

, U.S. CdigHISCION OH-CIVIL RIGHTS

VasibbDelven

Ws. TH4 UNDERSIGNED AARTICIPANTS IN THE U. S. COMMISSION

ON CIVIL RIGHTS CONSULTATION ON ASIAN ANO PACIFIC AMERICANS. RaovasT THAT TH4 FOLLCP5ING RECOMMENDATIONS GE IMPLEmENTED.

THAT TH4 COMMISSION SUBMIT SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE. CONGRESS AND TO THEIPRESIDENT1

a. THAT APPROPRIATE PEDERALLA-MINCIES NAMED IN THE CONSULTATIOg SE cAtLao SIEFOR4 TO14 COMMISSION TO RISPOND TO THE

Issuas AND 0A74 PRISENTIID.DURING'TH4 CONSULTATION;

3. THAT MOROI INDEPTH STUDIES ON THE PRIORITIES. ISSUES.

AND PROBLEMS ma PURSUED Y 'THIS COMMISSION;

A. THAk T441. PRESIDENT APPOINT AN AsIANvatWigrAcIPIc AMERICAN

COMMISSIONER TO.THIS COMMISSION; AND

5. THAT THIS PIRTITION ma 1UOMIJT510 INTO THE REFORDS OF THE

PROCEEDINGS OF THIS CONSULTAIFION AND PRINTE0 AS PART

OF THE REPORT OP TH#41 CONSULTATION:

e.t --"1A="7-uutf°47!"Luat ADDRESS

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tenfirtit,t cmplevwce) pordl

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r

&PETITION

TO THE

U.S. CrMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

'-..t04614"1*4

Ma. /Ha UNOIRKIGNED PARTICIPANTS IN THE U. S. COMMISSION

ON CIVIL NIGHTS CONSULTATION ON ASIAN AND PACIFIC AMERICANS,

REQUEST THAT 'ma FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS DE IMPLEMONTED, P

I . THAT THE COMMISSION sgamIr aracIrIc FINDINGF AND

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CONGRSSS ANO filk THE PotasIbaNTI

2. THAT APPROPRIATE FEDERAL AckaNclas NAKED IN THE CONSULTATION OK cALLao agroaa THE COnalaszom TO nasromo TO THE ISSUES ANO,DATA PRESENTED DURING Toa COHauLTATIGH1 . 3. TNA/ MORE INDEPTN STUDIES. C441 THE PRIORITIES. ISSUES.

AND rnoeLaNs sa PURSUED SY THIS COMMIStrOgi

. 11441 4. TKAT Tha-PaasloaNT APPOINT AN ASIANOA PACIFIC AMERICA

COMMISSIONER TO THIS COMMISSION, AND

)THAT THIS PETITION Oa SUOMI TED INTO THa Natogos OF I'VE

FROCEEDINGS OF THIS CON*UL.j4TON AND PRINTED AS PART

br THE REPORT OP THIS CONSULTATION.

HAM

111* 1. /N4.-0/

obi riS

(1-tiovv.

N cu:k

Wfrima

Petpuv,

7t7,, goei.

LinfiAtUALLIWAEFULLAILML- ...161112AULIL_

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825

A
A PETITIM

TO 1ME

' t_

U:S. COMMISSION ON CIVILIRIGHTS

vaNJoiOn6

WE. THE UNDERSIGNED PARTICIPANTS IN THE U. S. COMMISSION

ON CIYIL RIGHTS CONSULTATION ON ASIAN,AND PACIFIC AMERICANS,

REGUEST.THAT THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS OE IMPLEMENTED,

1. THAT THB COMMISSION SUBMIT SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CONGRESS AND TO THE PRESIDENT,

E. THAT\01PROPRIATE FEOERAL A4ENg4ES NAMED IN THE CONSULTATION WE CALLE() BEFORE THE COMMISSION TO RESPOND TO THE

ISSUES AND, DATA PRESENTED DURING THE CONSULTATLON,

1. THAT MORE INDEPTH STUOIEB ON rma PRIORITIES. IssuEs.

AND PROBLEMS OE PURSUED BY THIS COMMISSION, -

14441 4. THAT THE ORISIDENT APPOINT AN ASIANWR PACIFIC AMERICAN)

COMMISSIONER TO THIS COMMISSION, AND

5. THAT THIS PETITION BE SUBMITTED INTO THE RECORDS OW THE

PROCEEDINGS OF THIS CONSULTATION AND PRINTED AS PART

OF THE REPORT OF THIS CONSULTATION.

t)

MUM _AQMIL21.1

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--dfm.ss-Atta 44-44$

. fe9.11FA -144,

f"-r1,4 437,Q4.642A-disJ'At4 31"

ish NAP,
A PETITION

. TO THE

U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

vlejoS*1146

THE UNDERSIGNED PARTICIPANTS IN THE U. S. COMMissION

ON CIVIL R1GHT$ CoNsULTATION ON ASIAN ANO PAciric AMERICANS.

macluEsT THAT THE FOLLOW5N0 RECOMMENDATIONS DE IMPLEMENTED.

I. THAT THE COMMISSION SUOMIT SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND 4. ReCsOMRENDATIONS TO THE CONGRESS AND TO THE PRESIDENT,

, 2. THA APPROPRIATS FEDERAL Aaamclas NAMED IN THE CONSULTA

TI A II CALLED earoom THE COMMISSION TO ESPOND TO.THE

tssua AND DATA PRESINTED DURING THE CO LTATION,

S. THAT mom INOEPTH swim's* (44 THE PRIORITIES, ISSUElv---..,

AND PRopLams ea PURSUED EY IVHIS COMMISSION,

. / 4. THAT THE PRESIDENT APPOINT AN ASIANVPC1R PAcIFIC AMERICAN

COMMISSIONER TO THIS COMML&SION, AND

S. THAT THIs PETIT ill SUEMITTED 'INTO THE RECORDS OF THE

PROCEEDING THIS ONSULTATION AND PRINTED AS PART

OP ORT OF THIS CONSULTATION.

C4ciA67,57/AYenwPArrli

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827
A PETHION 7

TO THI

U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

raisimirpo

/4,1

Ss. THE uNDERsIGNED PARTICIPANTS IN THE U. S. COMNISsION

oN CIVIL RIGHTS CONsuLTATIGN ON AS, NO PABIPIc AmERICAN5.

RaouasT THAT THE POLLOWING RECOMMEODAT NS BS INPLamENTEDI

I. THAT THS COMmissiON SuBMIT_>16,SCI IL pTivINGs AND

RECOMMENOATIONS TO THE CONGRIss ND TO 4tor PAISIDENY4

2. THAT APPROPRIATE! FIEDIERAL AGENCIBS NAMED IN THE CONSULTATION SE CALLSO errors Ttwa comm;sillop TO RESPOND TO THE

ISSUES AND DATA PRESENTER DOMINO T CONSULTATION,

3. THAT MORS INOSPTH STUDISS ON T IORITIES. °usual'.

AND PROBLEMS OR PUNSulD BY THis COMMIssTON, l

4. THAT THS PRISIDINT APPOINT AN ASIAN OR PAcIrIc AmEmjcAN

COMMISSIONER TO THIS COMMIssION, AND

5. THAT THis PSTITIOsi SB sorm1TTao INTO THE ;WORDS OP THE

pROCISDINGS or THIS CONSULTATION AND PRINTED As PART

OP-THE RIPOAT Or THIS CONSULTATION.

HAIM Alagetiusuplitherii_uainti_

E45;hit Uri Li- C

L-11e1Thal&CIAN6at At.:?14%VeCTI*A

404:4

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7-`

'1 a
Rxhihit No. 15

June 19, 1979

Mr. Wilson C. Riles, Superintendent

of Public Instructions - Department of Education

721 Capitol Moil so, Sacramento, Californi, 95814

Dear Mr. Riles:

In a recent consultation on Civil Rights Issues of Asian andEPacific Moen--

cans: Myths and Reflities. sponsored by the U.S. Commission on Civil

Rights, Dr. Ling Chi Wang, Professor of Asian American Studies, University

of California at Berkeley referred to a ruling by the California State

Office otsiducation to terminate State funds for the Chin4se and Japanese

btlinguallp multiculturalieducalion program in the public schools of

Shn Francisco (sqe attached transWpt pages 32p-331). Ne stated for

the record that JIie reaton to tqrminhte State funds was because the AFDC

count amoqg Asi students was not high enough to justify the continuation

of those prograts which, he indicated, have been very successful. - in our effort to complete the proceedings,of the transcript:Of'the consultation relative to the subject matter, I am requesting a statement for the

4 recordyith respectto Dr. g's testimoRy, including a copy of the decision to terminate State fuhds for those programs, and the criteria used

to support that decision.

If you wish to contact a stAff person concerning this request, please call

Mr. NeAert Wheless on 202/54-6345.

Thai* you for your cooperation. f Sincerely,

FREDERICK B. ROUTH

Director, Special Projects Division

°Office of National C4vil Rights Issues

Enclosure

cc; Mr. Robert F. Aitcrtir---

Superintent of Public Instructions

135 Van Ness Avenue, Rm. 209

San Francisco, California 74102

8 #(-; 829
June 15, 1979

Mr. Stuart Honse

Executive Officer

California Rousing Finance Agency

301 Capitol Mall

Suite 303

Sacramento, California 95814

Dear Mr. itnse:

In a recent consultation on Civil Rights Issues of Asian and Pacific Ameri-ili

cans: Myths and Realities, sponsored by the U.S. Commission on Civil

Rights, relereeps were made by several af the participants to the availability of and-Provision for additional low-income, multiple unit hoysing

in `the innercities of the State of California, particularly with reference

to Arian and Pacific Americans'residing in the innercity of San Francisco

and Los Angeles (see attached transcript pages 466-473).

-N In our effort to complete the proceedings af /pe consultatiog relativefto

the pbject matter. I am requesting for the record a copy of the current

State plan with respect to low-income housing that will be provided in

inncercity areas of the State, particularlpin those areas that are heavily

populated by Asian and ,sacific Americans, and a statement relative to the

degree in which the plan has been impleme*ted.

If you wish to contact a staff person concerning this request; please call

Mr. Herbert Wheeless on 202/254-6345.

Thank you for you cooperation,.

Sincerely,

FREDERICK B. ROUTH

Director, Sppcial Projects Division

Office of National Civil Rights Issues

Enclosure

FBR:bh/6-15-79

830 v
I.

June 18, 1979

4

MeRoland E. Camfield, Jr.

Director

Area Office

Department of Housing and Urban Development

2500 Wilshire Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90057

Dear Mr: Camfield:

In a recent consultation on Civil Rights Issues of Asian and Pacific Ampricans: Myths and Realities, sponsored by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights,

references mere made by several of the participants to-the availability

of and provision for additional low-income, muAlple unit houSing in the

innercities of the State of CalOornta, particularly with reference to Asian

and Pacific Americans residing in the.innercity of San Francisco and Los

Angeles (see attached transcript pages 466-473). .

. In our effort to complete the ranscript of the proceedings of the consuli

tatiop relative to the subjec matter, I am requesting for the record a

copy of the current Affirmati Fair Marketing Plan for the State of

California with respect to Section p housing assistance programs in the,

innercities of the State, particularly in those areas that are hetili1li4o ulated by Asian and Pacific Americans such as San Francisco and Los Angele

and a compliance statement relative to the degree in which the pldo'has

been implemented.

If you wish to contact a staff person concerning this request, please call

Mr. Herbdrt Wheeless on 202/254-6345.

,../ Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely.

-I--

FREDERICK B. ROUTH

Director, Special Projects Division

.Office of National Civil Ugh* Issues

Encloture

HHIOFBR:bh/6-18-79

I tk 8`3 1
June 18, 1979

Mr. James H. Price

Directof.

Area Office

Department of Housing and Urban Development

1 Embarcadero Center

San Francisco, California 94111

Dear Mr. Price:

In a recent consultation on Civil Ri h s Issues of Asian and Pacc Americans: Myths and Realities, sponsored by t e U.S. Commission-66-CMTff5Fts,

references were made by several of the participants to the availability of

and provision for additional low-income, multiple unit housing in the

innercities of the State of California, particularly with reference to Asian

and Pacific Americans residing ip the innercity of San Francisco and Los

Angeles (see a4tached transcriptpages 468-473).

4 In our effort to complete the transcriOt.of the proceedings of the consiiltation relative to the subject matter, I am requesting for the record a

copy of the current Affirmative Fair Marketing Plan for the State of

California with respect to Section 8 housing assistance programs in,the

innercities of. the State, particularly in those areas that are heavily populated by Asian and Pacific Americans suth as San Francisco and Los-Angeles, k

and a compliance statement relative to the degree in which the plan has

been implemented. ... If yoy(wish to contact a staff person concerning this request, please ca41

Mr. Herbert Wheeless on 202/25 -6345.,

i

Thank you for your cooperation

Sincerely,

FREDERICK B. ROUTH

Director, Special Projects Division - Office of National Civil Rights Issues

Enclosure

HHW/FBRibh/6-18-79

832

L.

tte

rl

"."^F
",

July 2. 1979

Mr. tloyd L. Umagat

Director of Labor

Government of Guam

Agana, Guam 96910

Dear Mr. Umagat:

In a recent consultation on Civil Rights Issues of Asian and Pacific America s: M ths and Realities, Iponsored brefii-TX:-Nentiiron on C611

J1g11ts, erences were made by several of the participants to the differential pay scgles which exist In Guam between on,itlan4 and off-island hires

in both givierlinent and private industry.

In an effort to provide for the record a historical perspective with respect

to the subject matter, I am requesting an official statement on the origin

and hature 9f the'differential pay scales, including a breakdown of the

wage/salary differentials by occupation; an explanation of how.the wage/

salary standards are set; who enforces them; and the extent to which the

wage/salary differentials resulted from policy cons,iderations by the

Federal government. .4

If you wish to contact a staff-person concerning this request, please call

Mr. Herbert Wheeless on (202) 254-6345.

Itank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

FREDERICK B. ROUTH

Director, Special Projtas

National CiviPRights Issues

Ab.

41

81 6

z

8.3
m July 2, 1979

Mr. J.1. Grey

Director

Department of Manpower Resources

Government of American Samoa

Page Pago, Tutuila

American Samoa, 96799

Dear Mr. Grey:

In a recent consultation on Civil Ri_ghts Issues of Asian and Pacific Ameriiar11,:jiyths and Realities, Sponsored Wile U.S. CommliiiioTri

references were made by several of the participants to the differential

pay scalei Which- extgt-in American Samoa between on-island and off-island

hires in both government and private industry.

In an effort to provide for the record a historiaal perspective with respect

to the su ect matter, I am requesting an official statement on the origin

and natu f the differential pay scales, including a breakdown of the

wagOsala ifferenti0.1 by Occupation; an oiplanation of how the wage/

salary sta ards are set; who enforces them; and the extent to which the

wage/salary differentials,resulted frourpolisi considerations by the

Federal governMent:.

If you wish to contact a staff person concernin6 this request, please call

Mr. Herbert Wheeless on (202) 254-6345.

40

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

1 : FREDERICK B. ROUTH

DireCtMr, Special Projects,

National Civil Rights Issues

834 if '

1
INDEX

A

Addabbo bill (P.L. 95-507) "16, 43,

188, 274, 278, 324, 392, 444,

669

Affirmative action Ck\

attitudes toward 532, 533, 534

Chinese for Affirmative Action,

activities 404, 417, 518, 519

...x......_""-- civil rights, activities to protect *ft

405, 522

denial to Asian Americans 518,

521

employment discrimination as

- creating need for 405, 519

ethnic group membership data as

necessary for 481 Jo,

failures of 781

Federal and State enforcement

agencies' hiring of Asian

Americans to enhance

functioning of 520 - government agencies role in 417*

illtyltrative successful plans, Civil

Rights Commission request. for

414 417

Oequities_as resulting from census

inaccuracies 497 . litigation, cases cited 404, 406,

407, 519, 522, 523, 524, 525,

426

.mo.nitoring difficulties 5S0

recommendations to promote

equality of 498

Affirmative action, denial to Asian

and Pacific Americans 322, 324

Age Discrimination Act 554

Alaska 315

Alban'y Park, Chicago

See Housing issues

Alien Land Act of 1913 42

Alien Land Act of 1920 42

Aliens, illegal

See Migrants, illegal

American ltistitutesjo,r, Research 29

American Nurses Association, suit

against .262, 390, 437

American Samoa

as part of Polynesia 360

bill of rights in 316

conflicts with, American legal

concepts 353

due proc4 and equal protection

356'

overview 353, 358

titles of nobility 357

trial by jury 355, 356

diseases in 327, 349

history and geography of 354

immigration to mainland U.S. 333,

361

mainland communities

exclusion of immigrant Western

Samoan relatives 302

population 185, 252

liocioeconssiLkycle. 275

national stitus Witti respect to U.S.

citinship 315

partial citizenship rights 309, 343

population

increase in 310, 344

median age of 310, 344

Samoans in California, number of

273, 323, 333, 334, 360, 361

traditional society

breakdown on mainland 335,

362, 363

communal land ownership 355

extended Emily system 354

group orientation 353

role of women 357, -358

structure 334, 362

Asian American Bicentennial

Cormfation

See Chinese Cultural Center

Asian and. Pacific American Heritage

Week 2, 43, 164, 322, 325,

332, 360
1 2

AMall slid Pacific Americans (See atm

Pacific Islan(1s, specific countries

and ethnic groups)

imo American

mainstream as motivation for

pursuing educational 44, 372,

373

children. special problems ot 187,

266

civil rights struggles of

absence of relevant data for 24

as requiring distinc( evaluation

and assistance 23, 24, 27,

28

overview 21; 22, 40

denial of equal rights and

opportunities to 669, 722, 723

diminished self-concept of 120,

ethnic groups designated by term 4

ethnic stereotyping 418,- 506, 551,

681, 784, 787

expectations from civil rights

consultation 698, 699, 787

guilt feelings of 120, 157

immigrants and American-born

residents, different problems of

5

immigrants, overview of problems of , 35, 61, 97

"learned helplessness" problem 158

legal traditions 413, 530, 531, 532

mental health status 158, 702, 703

misconceptions concerning 198,

199

motivation' to immigrate 245

nonhomogeneity 62

nonhomogeneity of 22, 32, 33,

434, 681, 724

nonreptesentation on government

commissions and agencies 25

not seen as disadvantaged minority

group 6, 65, 332, 333, 360,

598

8 1, ,)

particular isolation in ithenstern

U S 59

population 4,\32, 3

population in w4.41-ce

preference given to

problem 36

social and familial i aditions 673,

674, 725, 726

Itudies on assimilation succe

criticism of use of 37N,

Asian L.aw Cnticus, Califotnia 527

tral U.S 35

uher minorities.

Bakke v. The Regents of the

University of California 15, 23,

72, 371, 384, 532, 534, 535,

683

Baron., Cieno, Assistant Secretary,

HUD 610

Ikrnsen, Sani, INS 180, 242

Bilingual Education, Office of 15

Bilingual education programs

See Education issues

Bilingual Voting Rights Act 24

Blackmun, Justice Harry A 535,

536

Blue Shield, suit against 412, 420,

527, 528

"Boat People"

See Indoc hi nese refugees,

resettlement of

Boston

Srr, Chinese Americans; Chinese . Economic Development

Council; Mental tupalth services

,s! Boyer, Ernest L., Cogirnissioner,

Office of Education ,369

Brown v. 536

Bureau of the Census

See Census issues

Burger, 4tarren E, Chief Justice 529

Calabia, frino 597

Cambodian reffigees

See Indochinese refugees,

r*settle sent

Carlinet, D id 01 ACLU 176,

180, 2

Carter, Jam E., Prelident 1, 43,

1 , 168, 210, 215

Ala
Ips

Caste Ilar Children's Centel, Los

Angeles 104, 128

Castro, Fidel, Premier of Cuba 167,

213

Census Cu Ines

absence of classification for Pacific

Islanders 323

categories as inadequate

representations of ethnic group

niemlikership 49, 61, 71, 96,

98, 1g4, 311, 312, 317, 333,

347, 361

census data, uses of 46, 48, 70

current population survey (CPS)

criticism of 57, 88

objectives, 56, 85, 88

redesign of 396, 473

sampling procedures 88

sukgestlons to improve reliability

of estimates concerning Asian

Americans 58, 89

current trends in Asian 'immigration

183, 186, 192, 245, 24,

252, 273, 496, 701

data collection and analysis

as not showing Asian Americans .

as disadvantaged group 55,

70, 84

community leaders assistance in

68

criticism of methodology 50, 51,

69, 74, 7/

improved procedures for(1080

census 46, 47, 48, 65, 66,

47, 92

suggestions for highlighting

specific needs of Asian

Americans 57

demographic information

Asian Americans' concentration in

California and New York 61

Cambockatis 252

Chinese 4, 185, 250, 274

Cluamanians 185, 252

Indians 185, 252

Indochinese 4, 185, 252, 274

.Japanese 4, 185, 250, 274

Koreans 4, 96, 185, 187, 252,

243

qverview 192.

kacific Islanders 323, 326, 349

Pilipinicis/ 4, 185, 250, 213

1-3

8

Samoans 185, 232, 273, 333,

334, 360, 361

Thais 252

design of government programs.

effect on 53, j6, '80, 83, 85,

86, 94, 95, 94"

educational achievement data,

analytis of 50, 72

educational levels of immigraid

187, 257, 260

effects of categories on 'participation

in Federal programs 312, 317,

347

ethnic group classifications 47, 71,

184, 249, 393, 445

importance of 1980 census 55, 59,

85, 90, 91, 495

language data, criticism of analysis

of 50, 73

Mexican immigration, 192

New York City ethrfic groups, size

and growth rate 397, 496,

497

occupational status of immigrants

186, 254, 23ili

other data sourcea 59, 90

personal information, necessity of

protecting confidentialky of

63, 100

politiol representation, relationship

to 82, 94

population changes 186, 253, 254

population of Asian and Pacific

Americans 4, 33

1970 figures 394, 445

1980 estimate 454, 672, 724

population .of Asian and Pacific

Americans in west-central U.S.

32, 35

(-privatesurveys 323

race identification, necessity fbr

'.4toparticipation in 'Federal

prograim 248

recommendations...for modification of

succestrffilly conducting census

among non-English-speaking

-

school enrollment data categories,

critiqam of 51,.76

persons 8, 49, 54, 60, 63,

64, 72, 80, 83, 86, 95, 100,

683

'N.
r`.

'f.

suggestions fOr highlighting specific

neetjs of Asian Americans 54,

52! 77, 78, 87, 498 - undercomiting

as reason for inequities in

assistance programs 497

method of estimating rate of 67

Nem of 8, 53, 81

te in 1970 53, 82, 86,

441

91, 99,

reasons for 53, 60, 61, 62, 68,

80, 82, 92,- 91, 99, 445,

453, 496

CETA

-. See Comprehensive Employment. and

. Training Act

Chamorro .pepple

See Mariana yOnds

s,

Chan, Eddy, litigant 404, 51§

Chi.cago

. See Housing issues

Child care

See Women's issues

Chinatown '11 Ste Chinese Americans

Chinese Americans ,Chinatown; Boston /

- English language, deficiencies 542

manpower needs 546

occupational levels And limitations

544, 546

population 541

salary levels 544

unemployment and

underempjoymeni 543-

Chinatown, New York City

hotisink deficiencies 571, 572,

622, 623

Planning Council,,activities 409,

410

size-and population 496, 571,

582, 6.22

Chinatown, San Frincfsco

CETA assistance 560, 561

community development block

grant program activities 599

hOusing deficiencies 17, 584,

629'

land Costs u prohibiting neW

housing construction 584,

62T .

1

1-4

.-"".

citizenship right granted 107, 133,

197

educational levels of 187

eniploynient statistics SS related to

discrimination 395, 470

faniily reunification, obstacles to

299, 300

illegal migrants, rumber in New

York City 582

immigrants 301

discrimination against 34

educaticinal levels 01.-; 257, 259

exclusion of 34, 196, .271, 284,

285, 288, 290, 298, 300,

304'

petitions, INS backlog 193

-populstiort 250, 274

immigration rate 185

income levels 188, 274

undercount rate in census 445, 463

unemployment rate ,.188, 274 . Chinese Cultural Center, Washington,

D.C.

assistance activities

citizenship classes 771

evaluation of 775

healtli classes 772

housing programs .772

legal referpl servibes 772

securing_of public.assiaanci for

elijk perions .771

social prdgearns-, 774, 775

summary 69P:" 691'

vocational couiseliOg 773

bacligrounli 6904, 691, 770, 77ia

self-sufficitlity oPthinese

community, goal' 773, :174,

775; 776

Chinese Eicondmic bevelOpment

Council, Boston

manPower development far! °547,.

549

overview 413, 414, 15, 341, 556

Chinese Exclusion

See Immigration ilaws*n4 licies

chinese for Affirmative -*ctn &

League Of Women Votert v.- 126

'Chinese for Affirmative ;Action_ et al.

'-v. 525

Chinese fix Affirmative Action, San

s4 Franc boa

' activities 464, 417, 519

A

.
...backgiound 404, 518

litigation undertaken by, specific

cases 406, 407, 522, 323,

524, 525, 526

Chinese for Affirmative Adion, SelfHelp for the Elderly:- Chinese

Newcomers Service Center v.

524

Cliinese for Affirmative Actjon v..

406, 407, 522, 4424

41 Ching, -Wayne, APAFEC, chapter

,president

Civil Rights "isCI of 1964 538, 708,

734,. 780

Civil Rights, Office for (OCR)

health servicesstudy 19

minority employment statistics 405,

421, 521, 558

'perceived shortcomings in

investigating complaints 421

556, 557

Civil S7ervice Reform Act \554

Clark, Senator Richard 165) 1 b()-,/

173, 210, 216 4 I

Coleman, 'Peter T., Governor of

American gamoa 339

Commerce, 110epartmenCb? (DOC)

583 . Commission on Civil Rights, U.S.

. authority and role of 697, 698

follownp procedures 387, 695,

696

, iibblication of reports, criteria for

it(s

597

recommendations made ta '427

regulations foLservice on .,25

Community Mental Health Act of

1975 752

CommUnity. Mental Iliealth Center Act

of 1963 734

Community-Mental Health Systetn Act

749, 752 , Community Relations Service, Justice

s Dept. 606, 657 , Co munity services

<, Health and iocial servicel

omprehensive Employment and

Tr 'rain Act (CETAI, - - et limitations 428; 429

t

1-5

fundintt decrease, proposed 425,

562

overview' 060

San Francisco groups, assistance to

425, 560, 561, 562

Concerned Asian American and

Pacific Peoples organization 323

CPS(cutrent population survey)

See Census issues

Cuba

refugees from 167, 213, 300

Current population survey (CPS)

See Census issi*s

I)

Dang, Doan Vinh, Indochinese

refugee 212

Days, Drew S., Assistant Attorney

General for Civil Rights 533

d g Haan, Dale, UN Deputy High ( Commissioner for Refugees 166,

213

.1/Demonstration Project for Asian

Americans (DPAA) 257, 265,

267

pepartment

See names of specific departments

Discrimination

See Employment issues; Immigiation

laws and policies:- Women's

iSSUCS

, Drug abuse 120, 157

2

E

Economic Development Administration

- (EDA) 583

Education, Departmentof 15

Education issues

affitmative iction policies, inequities

as resulting from censtis

inaccuracies 503

Asian AmeOcans' inclusion in

special admissions programs,

questioning of

reasont for questioning 371

'refutation of data Concerning

371, 372

assessdent of educational services,

implemchtation problems

C oncerning 381,. 382

bilingual and multiculturta programs

854.

1

sit
as alternative form of education,

concept and criticism 14

Chinese/and Japanese American

programs, )siVcess of 379

evaluation studyNnticism of 29, ft.

30 A'

funding 380, 382, 383

Importance for piescrvat ion of

cultural identity 369, 374,

378, 3/9, -384

lack of 335, 364

polioles regarding, suggested

reevaluation of 15

census data conce g, criticism of

analysis of 50, 51, 72, 76

Tisequences oi limited education

sad Englfsh'lo 334, 361,

362,........

cultural differences enceeregl by

Pacific Islanders 33T, 331,

332

curriculum development to reflect

cultural diversity 384

difficulty of access to recruitment

and financial aid programs 139

educational levels of immigrants

187, 257, 260

number of Islanders as exceeding

reiidents enrolled in hiUher

education programs 339

Pacie' Islands

coMmunity college and dniversity

facilities 330

curriculum planning 330

Federal aisistance 338

stateside teacher training 330

upgrading of 329

perceived neglect of Asian and

Pacific Americans' specific

needs 367, 368, 386

programs in tigher educalional

institutions, inadequate

development of 384, i85

recommendations 335,930, 366

representition orAsian Americans

on uncils, necessity for 368,

3 376, 377, 378, 383_

Samoan dropout rate 334, 335,

337, 361, 364

Samoan participation in adult

education programs .363

stereotyping guidance 386 -

1-6

voucher plan, opposition to 386

Washington State University,

absence of Asian American

in ogi ams 421, 556, 557

FEOC

_ ee Equal Employment Opport unit y

Commission

Eisenhower, Dwight D., President

374

Elderly regiffii '''s,

See Ikalth and social services,

Mental health services

Employment issues, Pacific Islands

income differentials bet weell Pacdo

Islands and mainland li S 33T,

340,. 341

Employnwnt issues (See also

Affirmative action, CETA,

EEOC, Legal Trues; Woinen's

issue)

accent or skin color, attitudes

toward '266 .. acculturation programs for

.immigraction 480

Asian and Pacific American labor

force

as differentiated labor market _ 471

statistics 394, 395, 454

, Asian and Pacific Americans not

# seen as disadvantaged minority

group 16, 37, 43:188, 323, 324,

325, 481

..assistance programs, trend toward

decreasing financial support for

560, 566 . Bine Shield, suit_agliinst 412, 420,

527,'528

career advancement inequities 476

Chinatown, Boston, employment

problems 541, 543, 544, 546

Chinatown Planni ai ouncil,

409, 0

r

activities

Chinese Economic:Development

Council "

, ., manpower developthent plan ,

, 547, 549

. overvieW 413,' k14, 5, 541

'
41

community organizations

government ambiance to 410

needed activifies of 409

competition among minorily groups

assessment 429, 430

competition among minority gimps

lot pths

assessment 397 , 403, 430, 431,

498, 499

recommendations to dispel myth

of 397, 499

discrimination

assistance to niinorities and fihng

coniplaints of 426

assistance to minorities in filing

complaints of 565, 566

exaniples of 36, 399, 412, 426,

4174, 505, 563

"foreign 15orn" status as basis for

477

legal methods to conibat 410

noriperpcption by Asian Americans

38, 503, 504

number of complaints filed in

California 425, 564

proposed study of complaint -

investigations 423, 558, 559

reasons for 396, 426, 564, 565

recommendations fox elimination

of 392, 399, 444, 505,

514, 515

suggest^nvestigation of 423

theoretical model for analyzing

471

-educational credentials, undervalued

status of 481,-482

employment prof* for minority

groups, need to develop 478

employment rate, Vietnamese 189

English communication skills

'need for 260, 261, 399

need to assess importance of 506

foreigweducated 411

foreign-educated profesaionals

licensing problem 161, 169, 193,

216, 17, 218, 262, 411,

539

possible exploitation of 475

undervalued status of 474

government contract awards to

minorities, Asian American

exclnsion 669

income diffei en tials

bet ween l'ac ific Islands and

ntainland U.S 338

ethnicity disiribution 391, 395,

440, 462, 502, 509

ethnicit y dist ributi 439, 509

upward bias of, rins for 466,

502

income differentials complaints 324,

income levels 55, 84, 188, 274

income 391

increased public Avareness of Asian

Americans' needs 325

lack of education and skills, pro em

265

loss of identity following career

advancement 477

myths concerning 506

myths concerning Asian Americans

bases and developnYent of 402

effect on job opportunities 506

overview 434, 506

refutation 461 408

occupational differentials

analysis of 398

ethnicity distribution 324, 389,

390, 391, 434, 435, 437,

438, 439, 500, 501, 502

ethnicity distribution differentials

437 .4

OCR minority employment statistics

405, 422, 521, 558

parole status of refugees, effect on

parole status 175

85
parole status of refugees, effect on

job opportunities 176, 181,

206, 235

.0 paroles status of refugees, effect

job omit tut unities 235

piofessional relicensing eq (III C ment

263

rel'ugees exclusion from aerospace \

industry 170, 218

research conceriung

analytical techniques

criticisms of 469

data base, difficulti of, generating

395, 473, 483, 189

data sources 483, 484, 485

tongitudinal data, need for 484

misuse of statistics in 395, 469,

470

sensitivity training for non-Asians,-

recon mm endations 187

stuall' ethnic businesses

as form of underemployment and

cheap labor 400, 501, 510,

511

as indicative of socieAnomic

problems 508

as indicative of socioeconomic

probleins 392, 442, 508,

514

high number of, rbasons 401

512, 513

underemployment and unemplo ment

16, 36 , 264

Chinn 188, 274

low rate as misleading 503

problem of 17

Vietnamese 189

underemployment and Imemployment

protlem of 263

youth groups, unemployment

problem of 482

Employment issues (See also

Affirmative Action) 518

oil

.4

485

-8

Employment issues (See also

Comprehensive Employment and

Tranung Act) 560

Employmenl issues (See also Flit's!

Oppol t unity

(ot lllll ission) )55

Employment issues (See als) Legal

issues

foreign-educated professional

questionable contract term

Emporium Capwell Co v. 5_

Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EE0(2)

jurisdiction,. extension of 419, 554

minority -employment statistics 4405,

422, 521, 558

Overview 4,32

perceivtd shortcomings in

investigating complaints 421,

557

poSitive ptitlic relations, measures to . ensure 419, 554

powerlessness of 538

refusal to assist III prosecution Of

suit in Clifornia 421, 555

reorganization to facilitate processing

charges 418, 432, 552, 553

F.qual Pay Act 554

Ethnic businesses - See Employment issues

Evaluation and Dissemination, Office

of 30

Exectitive Order 11935 236-

ExeCutive Order 9066 43

540

Eedeial Procurement Policy, Office of

43, 324

Federation of Guamanian associations

..of America 323, 328

Fiji 360

Filipino Americans

See Philippines; Pili

Franks v. 536

Freund, Paul A.,

529

Fujii, SharOn

no Americans

Harva

681

Law School

G.

Garment industry

See Women's issues

Gentlemen's Agreement
See immigration laws,and policies

Graham v. Richardson 785

Osiam

as one of Mariana islands 309,

342

as part of Micionesia 308, 342,

.411e 360

-bill of rights in 316

citizenship status 315

coot of livMg difference between

island and mainland 34.0

diseases in 326., 349

government of 309, 343

Ouamanians in California, number of

323

immigration to, effects of 312, 347

immigration to U.S. mainland 319

mainland communities, population of

185, 252

population

Lincrease in 310, 344 ..- meditn age of 310, 344

salary differences between island id

mandand 339, 340, 341

Onam Club of INg Bench, California

. 323

Guam Territorial Society, Washington,

-323, 328

z Hafa Adai Club of Fairfield,

California 323

Handlin, Oscar, author 195

Hawaii . ac8ulturation eirograms for

imMigrants 478t

as part of Polynesia 360

census categories

as alterations of ethnic groupmemberstap 317

effects on Federal programs '317 sr' ethnic distribution of population.

684, 757, 758,1059

immigrants to, imitates toward J la

Native Hawaiiansnumber 310,

.344

providers and recipients of social

services, ethnicity listribution

685, 686, 760p 76144163, 765

statehood decision 315' k Hayaiawa, S.I., Senator 384

t

1 9

Health and social services (See-also

Mental health servkces, Women's

issues)

affiliations with universities,

suggested termination of 682

assessment of 692, 777, 778, 780,

781

bureaucratic regulations

bureaucratic regulations

effectiveness 780

Chinese Cultural Center

as 694

as hindering

actisanes

690, 691, 770, 771, 772,

773, 774, 775, 776

cultural and linguistic barriers 19,

. 326, 328, 349, 350, 351

-delivery and relevance, improvement

recommendations

bilingual and bicultikal progruns

328, 351 - bilingual and bicultural staff 20

(*livery and relevance, improvement

suggestions

recruitment and training programs

21

diseases unique ,to Pacific islanders

326, 327, 349

elderly persons

firograms for 682

services, need for 787

factors affecting -availability to A;iaiv-)

Americans

immigrant status I

summary 778

5,yeaurresidency req nt . 779

funding allocations

census data as basis for 693,

779

difficulty in obtaining 6937 783

public hearings for in English,

problem 693, 779

recomme dations 683

updated ata base for 785

Hawaii

ethnicity distribution of providers

and recipients of services

685, 686, 760, 761, 763,

=761

ties in "providerv status,t

suggestions for increasing

686, 766, 76Y, 768, 769

improyemêm recommedhations

assessment Of needs 661-, 709

8 51,

.7

;

.41k
1 1 0

bilingual and bicultural staff 711,

712, 713

bilingual public hearing 785

development of Asian Americanonented educational materials

20, 714

immigrant services 785

involvement of Asian Americans

in planning

recruitment 7

recruitment d training pr grams

713, 7 6

summary I 3

unified health and social services

council 786

5-year residency requirement,

elimination of 785

improvement suggestions

bilingusl and bicultural staff 683

increased use following

inielementation of bilingual and

bicultural programs 19

Kimochi, inc., reserch project on

elderty 681

legislation concerning 708 1

- legitimacy-of community

organization, proof requirement

of 783, 784

licensing restrictions on foreign-

' edUcated professionals"

effect on health programs 161

recommendations for modification

of 162

monitoring compliance with

nondiscriMination statutvi 667,

. 668, 684, 710, 711

preventive health measures, absence

.in Pacific Islanders' 7, 350

special problems of i rants 275

State responsibilities

underutilization of, cul . ins

for 18

Healfith, Education; and Welfare,

nepartmedP-of (rms.')

Division of Asian American Affairs

26, 27, 30, 371

refligee programs

guidelines:for .L26'

juriscliction 169, 216

phasedown of 168, 213

Health manpower

medical students, number of 687 ^

minority groups representation in

688

Health manpower, bilingual health

providers, need for 689

Health Professious Education

Assistance Act of 1976 708

Health Revenue Sharing,. and If ealth

Services Act of 197 708

Henry Chan et al. v. 526

Higher Education Act of 145 384, Nt 385

Iiirabayashi v. United States '6, 38

7

aolia, Lslie, MCI_ member 783

, 4

ispanic 'persons

ethnic stereotyping 41g, 551

Housing and Urban Development,

Department of (HUD)

See Honting issues \

Housing is.kues ' Chinatown, New York City

Federal funds distribution for

,573, 623

housing deficiencies. 571, 572,

622, 623

Chinatown, San Francisco `: community development block

grant program activities 399

holising deficiencies 17, 584, .

629 .---"-

land costs as prohibiting new

housing consitutien 584,

629

community housing otganizations

problems of 569, 618, 619, 620

suggestions to assist work of

570, 581, 621

complaintsekom Asian Americans,

assessmAt of 611e

deconcesiration policy as leading to

desegregation 588, 596, 639

discrimination in suburbs, assessme

583

economic development programs for

cities .583

families requiring assistance, number

of 607

HUD progranis

administration of 610

Asian American participation in

°598,,;599

delivery capadity and mechanisms

607, 608
disci-. 'option in administration of

580

evaluation of 602, 606, 607,0".

609

Federal ()over nnn ent

responsibilities 611, 612

inadequate level of 578, 579,

580

local government responsibilities

641

1980 budget, major. features of

600, 601

International. District, Seattle

destruction of corn n unity by

redevelopment activities 636

housing deficiencies 636

private hotel closings 06

revitalizatian activities 637, 638

struggles to maintain community

idestity 596, 634, 635

Kansas City, refirgee resettlement

problems 603,9604, 605, 655,

656 - Korean community, Chicago,

housing.problems 590, 59 1,

592, 593, 594, 642, 643, 644;

645

Los Angeles

Asian community, growth/and

problems of 568, 569, 615,

616 ;

status of housing in central city

567, 568, 613, AS14, 615

national tic:using pOlicy''

failures of 603, 64), 655

laws regarding 602, 653, 654

overview -17

.Pacific Asian Consortium in

Employment (PACE)

backgrounil 614, 617

Ifousing pagrams 6) r

Pilipino conimunity, San Francisco

elimination offommunity suppOtt

networks Ty redevelopment

activities VS, .626, 627

houpig Oficiencies 575, 625 ,

ome levelS 575, 626'

p ysical description 574625

recommendatiOns for low-incoMe

housing brograms

reevahatioj of HUD_regulations

and standards standards 640

tr

1 - 1

,. recommenlations for modificatisip of.

low-hicome housing ts,rograms

Albany Perk -community plan

594, 645, 646, 647

Albany Park community plan

developnient plan 594 .. basic guidehnes set by Federal

Government 595

capacity building /585, 630 . community-oriental development

573, 576, 577, 627

coordination with community

support programs 587, 628,

633 ,-- este 'sion of section 202 mortgage

mite 586, 632

fundi for seismic reinforcement

costs 632

increr and redistribuqpn of

government flinding '565,

5g8, 589, 628, 631

multifamily dwellings, 624

reevaluation of HUD regulations

and iondards 586, 589,

500;131, 641

residential hotel programs 589,

628, 632

summary 18

technical assistance to community

organizationt 600 . - .. south Bronx, problems of 573, 609

HUD (Housing and Urban

Development, Department of)

See Housing issues

Humphrey-Hawkiy bill 562

- I

Illegal aliens

See Migrants, illegal

Immigrant, definition of 178, 238

Immigrants fa, See Asian and Pacific Amerio;

specific ethnic groups

Immigration end Naturalization Aot of

1965 197, 210, 273, 286, 453

Immigratiop and Naturalization Service

(INS)

Vivifies, overview 192, 193

adefisory comMittees, role of 207, e W

208

backlog problem- )93

enforcement agenis, number of 179

.°

27. f-

-

P
fraudulent immigration clainis 205

language requirements 2Q4

Immigration laws and policies

as impeding estabhshnient of faniily

units 107, 134

assessment of 208

card number 94. problem of

surrendering 205, 206

character witness requirement,

proposed elimination of 194

Cuban refugees, admtssion of 167,

213, 300

discrimination agiiinst Asians

attmpts te.<tify 12, e197, 1.99:

210, 211, 267

barred zone arca, 1(17 ,196, 285

Chinese exclusion 196, 271,

_ 284, 285, 298, 290, 300,

301

i

citizenship, denial of 197, 285,

286

current American attitudlys 197,

286

disregard for cultural tqditions

304

harassment by immigration.agents

12

historical analysis 11, 4.0, 41,

42, 195, 196, 197, 210,

271, 272, 283, 284, 285,

286, 289, 394, 459, 461

inconsistencies in laws regarding

welfare eligibility 11

Indochinese reftwees 287

interrogation methods $01, 305

Japanese exclusion 196, 272,

285

Korean exclusion 272

lack of information and referral

services for immigrants 11

overview 200, 292, 307

Pilipino exclusion 272, 286, 294,

295, 296, 297, 298

recommended solutions for 202,

203, 268, 290, 305, 306

Samoan exclusion 301, 302

secondary evidence and interview

requirements 202

5

1-12

1 war, effect of 290

-English literacy requirement 303, , 304

foreign policy effect on 197, 287,

288

Guamanian+ and Samoans, status of

208

Pacific Islanders' exemption from

273, 323

parole status

as preventing refugees from

petitiOning .for relati+ 166,

213

cititenship sgbiIity conchtions

166, 213

negative effkctskin emplojmient

175 1 negative effects on employment

oppordnities 176, 1,81, 206,

235

recommended termination of

177, 182, 236, 237, 280

recommendations concerning

culturally relevant educational

materials 280

culturally relevant screening

devices 280

immigrant referral center 189,

191, 276

long-range program funding 190,

,278

monitoring of funds distribution

279

ponitoring Of relevant legislation

190, 278

special service centers 189, 277

refugees, admittance provisions

conditional entrants 174, 182,

234

parole authority 175, 234, 649

reecommendation to expedite

naturalizatiqn process 190,

28

supplementartsecurity income (SSI)

recipients

exclusion of 23

interrogiation of seen as

discrimination .200, 201, 294

reentry', regulations 203, 204

Immigration* laivs and policieli
3

discrimination against Asians

current American attitudes 289

Income differentials

See Employment issues

India

immigrants from

educational levels of 187

number 185, 496

India, immigrants from

number 252

Indochina Migration and Refugee

, Auistance Act 13, 650

Indochina Refugee addren Assistance

Act 650

Indochinese refugees, resettlement of

agencies responsible for 648

citizenship, recommendation for

expeditious granting of 190,

281

coordinated policy regarding, need

for 12, 164, 1651 167, 168,

215, 216, 220, 221

discriminatory statement stegarding

393

dispersal throughout U.S. as

hindering assistance to 173

econoniic self-sufficiency, approaches

for developing 13, 170, 218

employment Rroille of, need to

develop -177 ..

employment rate 1817 476

ethnic group clasidicati ns 171

exclusion .from aerospade industry(

170. V

family reuniircation

difficulties encountered 165, 166,

212

importance of 211

State Department directives 166,

211

income levels iir ..

in4ia1 socialization process,

unforeseen problems in 2241

225

Kansas City resettlem-eit

overcrowded housing conditions

653 \-___

patterns and problems 603, 604,

650, 6/1, 656, 657

racial tensidna with black

commuffity 604, 605, 652

s.

State discontinuation of Federal

assistance for 653 ')

mental health needs 174

mental,health programs

amessment approach 222

community support systems,

requirements of 227

cultural differences as oboacles of

173

deficiencies of 172

Federal Vesponsibilities 229,k210,

231

HEW programs, objectives and

weaknesses 172, 173 \

HEW anis, objectives i4

of 226, 22

local programs, suggestions fo

174, 228, 231

nuniber of 222' . State funding, guidelines for 229,

' .231

training of Indochinese

paraprofessionals 227 r -need to expedite 214

number in U.S. 170, 185, 210, ' 252, 273, 274, 648

parole program_649

parolee status, reco yended

r removal of 280

prejudice regarding, iiked to

eliminate 3131 relicensing of professionals IAN

216, 217, 218

second wa4 of refligees, special

services for 219, 220

settlement in California ,1preference

for 167, 215

socioeconomic levels in U.S. 275

,underetimloyment probtem 189 , war and evacuation, effects on

traditional values 171, ?19,

222, 223, 224, 230, 231

Inouye, Senator/Daniel 64, 101 163

INS v. Hibi 296

Inieridr, Department of

Pacific Islands administration 309,

-312, 313, 333, 343, 354, 161

International District Improvemeht

Association 637, 638

fii;

<
1-14

,Jackson, Maynard, mayor of Atlanta, a. 92

ese American Courier 373

ese Americans

breast cancer 118

breast cancer in 154

citizenship right granted 106, 133"

civil rights of, vialations of during

World War II

overview 6, 7, 25, 26, 34, 37,

38, 199

employment statistics as related to

discriminaNion 395, 470

immigrants

educational levels of 257, 259

exclusion of 1196, 272, 285, 288

imallgration rate 185

income levels 188, 274

Japan.ge nationals, population in

Igew York City 497

Los Angeles sornmunity

25, 126 .

public sta to families,

lnqIty tit 03, 127

New Y rk City population 496

population 250, 274

rlapanese Exclusion Act

See Immigration laws and policies

Johnson, Lyndon B., President 167,

213

Joy y. 655

Jung, Marshall, Asian American

Couhcil 783

Juce, Department tsf 558, 606

(

K

.Kansas City

See Indochinese refligees,

resettlement of

Kufman, Irving R, Mike, Second

ee, Norman Lau, INS Federal

Circuit eourt of' Appeals sp

K /.\

adviaory COMmitter 192

Kennedy, Senator Edward M. 165,

211 . ,/orean Americans

Albany Park, Chicago communit

breakup of extended family 493,

645

characteristics of reildenti 592,

643

it

4111.

-"A\

denial of mortgage loans 593,

644 . ,iiiousing problems 590, 591, 592,

593, 642, 643, 644

location within city 591, 643 -

census categories as inadequate

representation of ethnic group

membership 61, 96, 98

development of community support

systems 98

educadonal and Orofessional profiles

400

'immigrants

educational levels of immigrants

254

exclusioi; of 272

immigration rate 115 . income differentials as indicative of

employment discrimination 509

income levels 97, 274

New York City population 496

population 96, 252, 273'

ttlement patterns 1)37

all retail businesses . - as form of underemployment and

cheap labor 400, 470, 501,

510, 511 /.

high number of, reasons 401,

512, 513

Korematsu v United States 6, 38

I.

Labor, Departmen

Laotian relives

See Indochinese refugees,

resettlement or

tau v. Nichols 6, 14, 23, 29,

186, 254, 369, 374, 379

Legal issues

VT..\

of 560,

/ ?ire

35,

Amerkan Samba, conflicts with

U.S. legal concepts 353, 355,

356, 358

Asian'Americen legal tradition

413; 530, 531, 532 . high level of lebalism in American

society 413; 529

NLRB, resort to over EEOC 538

reverse discriMination as absurd

. concept 535, 536
11

1

1 -15

Title VII litigation, necessity of

coordinated approach to 537

Licensing problem

See Employment issues

Little Friends Playgroup. Los Angeles

104, 128

Logue, FAlward, HUI) 609, 612

Los Angeles

See Housing issues

Louise Vann, et al., Plaintiffs v. 656

Manpower

See Health manpower

Mariana 10ands

as part /of Micronesia 308, 342

bill of rights in )16

Chamorro% native inhabitantl 309,

142

citizenship status 316

commonweal status 3I4

islander* in ifornia,"intither of

323

partial citizen p rights 309, 343

territory designated by term 309,

342

Marutani, William, Philadelphia judge

787

Matsunaga, Senator Spark 64, 101

McGuire, Chester, Assistant Secretary,

HUD 588, 639

Melanesia 360

Mentallealth, Presi'dent's Commission

absence

on

Asian American service on,

of 670

necessity of involvement of Asian

Americans 670

Mental health servicis (See also Health

and social services. Indochinese

.refugees, recttlement of)

access to; wa of easing 716

Asian Ame .s' responsibihties

753

assessment of 677, 734, 735

bilingual staff absence of 680

1 r

s.

cultural and lingui ic barriers 667,

673 674 705, 725, 726, 737

deficiencies in 736

delivery, Boston pro rani

convimmty access t 744, 745

coordination of Mei ent health

services within one bulk nig,

advantages 739, 741,

743

Nesign assumptions and criteria

738

linkage with community

rganizatioos 746

OUt realrTTToramfls 747

problems of "748, 749

delivery, Boston programs,

desigmi assUmptions and criteria

738

delivery, 748 i

lifignoses, inappropriateness 735

4' Hil.W responsibilities 679, 750,

751, 752

,1 improvement suggestions

adoption of preventive peasures

715, 716

bilingual and biculturSL staff 668,

675, 728

community organitations,

combining cif resources 731

cross-catchnien, area service 731

culturally rele ant ufatment

lprogranis 718

devlopment f Asian Americanoriented educational materials "Mr

involvemen of Asian Americans

in pla ing 670, 673, 675,

717, 28

overview 163, 754

recruitm qt and training prognmis

67 729, 730

insputio 1 barriers 667, 705, 706,

707 737

legiqati n concerning 734

menial ealth problems of the

el erly '327, 350

NIM activities 671, 672
ipecti yes 749, 750

racism, effect pn mental health

674, 732' , restrictive graduate admission

policies, necessity of changes in

676, 730

State responsibilities 666, 752, 753

underutikzation of

assestient 727

underutilization rate 704, 705

Western concept of mental health

673, 724, 725

Mexico, immigrants from 192

Micronesia

bill of rights in 316

development of 314

education system as developing

unattainable goals In the

population 320

immigratioq to, discouragement of

319

nalional interest of, U.S. obligation

to prolote 313

national status with respect to the

U.S.,' changes in 314

'population, concern for control of

, -,rritory designated by term 308, 1 313, 342, 360

Migrants, illegal

acquisition of status 178, 179,

238, .., definition 0T 178, 238

fate of after apprehensft 181, 244

legalization program, proposed 181,

244 b.

number apprehended 179, 239

number in New York City 582

personal characteristics of 171, 4 239, .241 / -

rights of

due process in immig tion

hwings ,180, 2 2

in labor market _1 242, 243

overview 180

...-'...4N\N

social services 181, 243, 581,

582

Military '-i;;ives (

See Wonlell4s issues

Mills, lames, California State' Senator , 161 , MXill Land Grant Act of 186i 94

. !

4.

1-16

Moscoile, George, mayo of San

Francisco 424, 56

Multicultural education programs

Sty Education issues

Murray, Hugh C , Chief Justice,

California Supreme Court 42

National Asian-Pacific American

Educational Alliance 367, 386

qational Institute of Mental Health ' (NIMH)

advisdry and review coun ils,

minority groups parti1pstion in * 672

minorit programs programs 91, 671

National Insti ts\of Health 671

National Labor Relialons Act (NLRA)

539

National Labor Relations Board

(NLRB) 538

New York City (See also

, Americans)

ethnic communities

contribution of 497

discrimination towards,

recommendations to eliminate

Chinese

498

size and growth

497

undercounting. as basis for

assistance inequitiei 497

Nikkei Shims 373

NIMH

4See National Institute offrMental

Health

Nixon, Richard M., President 572

NLRA (National Labor Relations Act)

539

NLRB (National Labor Relit s Board) 538

Noninnigrant,. definition of 1/8, 238

Nortrn Marianas

Mariana Islands

rate 397, 496, '

0

09cuPaitIOnal differentials

Ste Emp yment issues

OCR /

411

"-

mit
See Civil Righis, 7ke for

Office of

See names of s c offices

Officers for Justice Y 406, 523

Owan, Tom 92

Orawil v United Sates 42, 305

. . Pacific Asian Consortium in

E ployment (PACE)

bac round 614, 617

ho sing programs 617

problems of 570, 618, 619, 620

suggestions to assist work of

community organizations 570,

621

pacific Islands (See also Asian rind

Pacific Americans, specific islands)

bills of rights in 316

ecIjstis categories

alterations of ethnic iroup

. membership 3_11, 333, .347,

361

as alterations of ethnie,group

membership of ethnic group

membeqthip 312 \C\

effects on Federal progranis 112,

317, 347

contacts With Western civilization

, 309, 343

. data concerning, lac) of 309, 342

economic development, prob rn of

balalcing with papulatib

growth 3/p !

,... --.Q.. economic development, problent of

balancing with population

growth 319,

1 emigration from

migration within

320,

309,

318,

321,

343

319

322

national' interest of, U.S. obligation, . to promote 312,,-347

national status with respect to U.S.

citizenship. 309, 315, 316, 343

native populations' loss of control , over 310; 311, 344, 345,

346, 347

perceived neglect of U.S. policies

toward 13, 309, 343

population increases 310, 344 ,.

social and financial services

extension to, suggestion 14

;

1-17

territory designated by term 308,

309, 342, 360

traditional lifestyles, alterations in

310, 343

Peopk v Brady 42

People Ir.) layer, 42 . People v. George W. Hall 42

Philadelphia Child Care Guithmce

Center 211

Philippines (See also Pilipino

t Americans)

independence of 315

noninunigrants from, treatment of

s, 296

wilt veterans. exclusion of of 296

war veterans from, exclusion of

295

PiliPi no Americans

cardiovascular-renal disease in

. Filipino American women 119

cardiovascular-renal disease in

Pilipino American women 154

citizenship right granted 197

citizenship status 107, 133

immigrants

educational kvels of 187

eciticatibnal levels of immigrants

259

exclusiou of -272, 286, 294, 304

petition!, INS backlog 193

treatment by immigration

peesonnel 294

innfiigration rate 185

income levels 188, 274

licensigg problem for medical

plessionals 411, 539

`Vuisiapa settlement, l76. 5.. 574- .. Ne'tv l'ork City population 496, . . nurses pecetved discrimination

al ainst ,, 262, 297

popu tion s 2500 3

ques onable cokFract elmt for

urscs 411, 510

south of Market San Francisco e `

lc:immunity , housing problems

i 25, 626

Polk' proc

. par4cipatiOn in

- bari
1- 18

overvigW 106,.107, 108, 133,

134, 135, 137 .

benefits from women's involvement

138

factors facilitating

affirmative action programs 109,

'136

assimilation 'into Amencan

mainstreaM 109, 136

increased education and political , awareness 108, 135

women's movement 109, 136

inroads made by Asian Americans

424, 699

. necessity for achieving political

efficacy 138

Polynesia, area designated by,term

360

Population figure;

See Census issues

Poverty issues

See Women's, issues

Public Law 95=507 (Actdabbo bill)

16, 43, 188, 274, 278, 324,

392, 444, 669, 722

Puerto Rico 315

R

Refugee Act of 1979 165, 236

Refugees

admittance to U.S. since World

II. 234

Cuban refnees, .admission of 167,

213, 100

entrance prOvisions

.conditional entrants 174, 182;

' 234

parole authority 175, 234

parole status

as preventing petitioning for

_relatives 166, 213

citizenship eligibility conditions

166, 2.13

negative effects on employment

.opportunities 175, 176, 181,

206, 235

recommended termination of

177, /82, 236 237

, protection and rights of 177,236

Rentres 4See also Indochinese

trIligies, resettlement of) . 234

Rehabilitation Act 554

War

1.-

Roberts, Maurice, editor 180, 242

Roosevelt, Franklin D., rresident '43

Rota 309, 342'

Saipaie 309, 342

Salary dinerentials,

See Employment issues

Salazar, Purisima, litigant

528

Samoa

' Se. American Samon;, Western

Samoa

Samoan Affairs, Office of 336; 337

San Frarcisco

See Chinese Americans; dhinese for

Affirmative Action

Sa Ftancisco Registrar of Voters;

-United States v. 407, 525

Seattle

Ate Housing issues

Shatmon v. 111.1.0 655

Short-Doyle Act 22%1/4

,Siegel,- Jacob S., Census Bureau 81,

83

Small Bushieu Administration 16, . \ 37, 43, 65, 188, 324 \s.

Solomon Islands 360

Sons alid Daughteri of Guam in

Diego 323

Southesist Asia, refugees from

See Indochinese refugees,

resettlement of,

Southern Marianas

See Guam

Speer v. See Yup 42

State, Department of

family reunification directives 166,

213-

reception of reffigees; 'jurisdiction

169, 216, - Swanson, Louis Kawakami 682

412, 527,

San

4
Tajima, Mark, Pacific Asian Coalition

. 600

Tenitorial Affairs, Office of

See Interior, Depaliment of

Thorpe v Housing Authority of

Durham 654 \

Tinian 3.09, ,342

Trust 'rerritories

as part of Micronesisir 308, 342,

360-

Islanders in Calfornia, number of

323

popul,tion

increase in 310, 344

median Ise of 310, -344

self-government in 314, 315

Tucker, Sterling, Assistant Secretary,

HUD 610

Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 272

Undercounting

Set Census issues

Underemployment

Sek Employment issues

Undocurmted aliens

See Migrants, illegal

Unemployment

See Employment issues

Unions

nonsupport of women's interests

11.1, 144

United Filipinos for EqUal 4 Employment v. California Blue

Shield 527

United PiliPinos for Equal

Employment v. 412, 528

Vance, Cyrus R., Secretary of Staie

781

Vitenamese reffigees

ftndochinese'reftigees,

resettlement of

Virgin Islands

bill of rights in 316

citizenship status 315

Visa abusers

See Migrants, illegal

Voucher plan, opposition to 387

1- 19

1. Walter-McCarran Act of 1956 106,

133, 273

Washington, D.C.

See Chinese Cultural Cent%

Washington State University 421,

556, 557

Watson, Norma Rupisan, nurse 262,

390, 437

Weber v. ICaiser Aluminum 324

West, Bay Pilipino Multi-Servic?r

Ctwporation 625

Western Addition Community

Organization 539

Westerm Samoa 354

Wilson, Pete, mayor of San Diego

612

Women's issues

abortion 155

abused and divorced women, special

jproblems of 112, 144, 145

audience size at civil rights

conference as indicating lack of

interest in 114

breast cancer 118, 154

cardiovascular-renal disease in

Filipino American women 119,

154

'child care facilities

Chinatown Commiktee

requirements for 129

lacit of 103, 104, 127, 121

depression, reasons for

diminished .self-concept 120, 157

guilt- 120, 157

isolation 119, 56

stress of interracial marriage 120,

156

drug abuse problem 120, 157

employment, discrimination

complaint procedures, obstacles to

effective use of 113, 144

employment statistics,

misinterpretation of 140

fringe benefits; absence of 104,

!AO

garment industry, intimidation in

111, 112, 142, 143

overview 9

recommigndations to eliminate 10,

147; 148 .

f

8(3 ri
0

sex and, ethnic stereotyping as

ieat4ng to underemployment

11.0 JJ.1, 141, 142

/studies concerning 477

underrepresentation in health

industry 121, 163

imions, nonsupport by I I I, 144

health servicvs

bilingual services, method of

implementing 122, kz3

cultural reasons for

underutilization. of 120,- 160,-

161

inadequate delivery of 10, 105,

130, 159

recommendations for modification

of improving delivery of io

recommendations to improve W2

utilization, rate and reasons for

160

insufficient data as causing

inadequate delivery of health

services 105, 118, 121,. 131,

153

"learned helplessness" problem 158

mental health status of Asian

Americans .158

military wives

attitudes toward 115, 149

English communication' problems

115, 149

1720

limiter and nationalities of 114,_

149

psychosocial isolation 115, I I 4,

150

recommended services to reduce

problems of 117, 151,

Mllarity with American legal

system 116, 117, 150

negative experiences with police and

court system

English communication difficulty

113, 146 '

sex and ethnic stereotypinga

reason for harassment 113,

146

occupation-related illnesses 119,

155

'overview 110, 140

participation in political processes

"benefits from 138

obstaclei to 137

pdverty data 102; 125,/- 126

pu lio financial assistance I

(feet on citizenship' application

103, 127 . iiiequity of 103, 127

ra and wife abuse 119, 155

n '

4

U 8. gOVERNMENT

. Y

Uniteli States 6, -38

ti)

k

62b0S6/1772

u