Another Final Solution--Now in Costa Rica
The Earth is a paradise. Its varying climates, vast oceans and smaller seas and the beautiful plant life are awe inspiring. More awe to touch your soul are creatures that live in the water, in the soil, on the ground, the trees, and perch on mountain cliffs. Within this paradise humans live. Human intentions have us blind to the paradise in which we exist.
Business matters brought me to Costa Rica during its rainy season, the end of September. I went from San Jose's downpours to sunny and humid Limon. The bus ride between these two towns filled my eyes with green, mountainous vistas. Brooks and streams ran down the mountainsides which, during the rainy season, may bring mudslides that close the road.
Once through the tunnel, the rain slowed, the clouds parted and the sun dazzled. Several miles before the bus turned into Limon, a vast banana plantation and later cargo containers stacked on top of each other took up much of the scenery. Costa Rica is one the world's major banana suppliers.
I had the honor to lunch at the Black Star Line Restaurant with ONECA's Laura Hall. She introduced me to the current president of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. That's right: UNIA and the restaurant was on the ground floor of the historic-landmarked UNIA international headquarters. Laura Hall led me through the streets where I saw campaign posters of black men running for alcalde--mayor.
It was not all peace, though. There were posters raising public consciousness about domestic violence and child exploitation. My solo trip to the supermarket had me spot and choose to dine in a restaurant that posted a sign with the message: We have the right to choose who we give access to eat in this establishment." This restaurant was operated by mestizos; i.e., people not recognized as having African ancestry. Instead of snapping photos of people, I took shots of the street signs, posters and billboards.
My second day in Limon, an op-ed was published in La Nacion daily newspaper on September 30, 2010. If you're not a Spanish-speaker, use Google Translate to read it. A Dr. Jaime Guitierrez, MD wrote about the high crime rate in Costa Rica and purported these crimes were committed most often by residents of Limon. Limon is a town of 105,000 in a country totalling 4.25 million.
This modest sized town is a historically black community that was established for the English-speaking Caribbeans who came to work the banana plantations and the Panama Canal. In recent decades, other Costa Ricans migrated to the town; however, the town is a decidely black community. Dr. Guitierrez says the crime rate will decrease once the residents of Limon are killed. Yes, can you imagine a newspaper publishing such an op-ed? Responses to the piece ranged from mild agreement to strong opposition. From my perspective the op-ed is reminiscent of how the 100-day bloodbath started in Rwanda, the mowing down by the police of Rio de Janeiro's homeless children and the nightly extermination of the indigenous people in Australia. Less I forget, Margaret Sanger's attempt to sterilize or terminate pregnancies of American black women through the Planned Parenthood network.
Dr. Guitierrez doesn't disturb me. It is the editorial board, publisher and general editor of La Nacion who do. Because my Spanish is meager, listening to the radio or Costa Rican TV would have been wasted efforts.
There is a long history of omitting the contributions of black people in Latin American educational systems. Many people, that in America would be considered of African ancestry, in Latin America don't identify themselves as black or of African ancestry because they see no value in doing so. Why do I raise this? Stoking feelings of hate and violence in an environment of ignorance spells trouble--easy trouble.
Dr. Jewel Pookrum did a lecture that covered human genes and our development. She made an analogy between the flowers she saw on the road to a mountain and people. Pookrum observed the various flowers that grew close to one another. Similar flowers, of course aggregated together. The smaller flowers grew toward the edge of the road. Dr. Pookrum said, "It was as if the flowers consciously arranged themselves so that every kind had space under the sun." She marveled at the accomodation within the plant world. She wanted to know why humans weren't as accomodating to themeselves.
If you're associated with an international or regional organization contact them to learn whether they know about Dr. Jaime Gutierrez's op-ed in La Nacion newspaper and what actions they are taking.
Labels: Costa Rica, genocide, Jaime Gutierrez, Limon, racism
Racism 101: Explaining The Obvious
There was a gathering of intellectuals at a Brooklyn brownstone earlier in April. Coming straight from a vacation in bright, hot and lush West Palm Beach, I walked over not knowing what to expect. The topic was how the economic downturn would increase racial tensions. My question was whether the group would talk tactics or would this be theoretical. Being an American person of color, I don't need theories on the nexus of race and economics. I live the theories. I need tools to survive and thrive.
The name of the research center sponsoring this discussion is withheld but not the happenings. The group was a mix of colors, nationalities, ages and genders. People fell into the category of knowing the host family or being boardmembers. I didn't fit either so my antenna was vibrating--why had I been invited? Would money be solicited at the end of the talk?
The director greeted everyone and restated the theme. There were four presenters. The first presenter spoke about the massive home foreclosures due to the subprime mortgage debacle. He explained that most people who got those loans were persons of color, especially single black women. That's very unfortunate. After getting to a livable income and reaching a respectable social status, these sisters stopped waiting for their knight in shining armor to go for themselves and stake their claim in the American Dream. Maybe their great, great grandma didn't get her 40 acres and a mule, but this grandbaby was about to get hers. But oops, she didn't read the fine print of the contract and actually believed she could pay for a home seven times her salary. Now, the presenter didn't bring the message so "straight ahead." He was dealing with an intellectual crowd that may like theory. He even had to explain redlining. There were people who were astonished as if this was the first time they're hearing that black/communities of color were routinely denied personal and business loans.
The next presenter begged off the racism label to redefine his issue as an immigrant one. No, his problem had nothing to do with his color. It was because he is new to the United States and speaks with an accent. With that foundation layed, he explained the reality of millions who must leave their nations to find employment elsewhere to maintain their households. Money transfer services like Western Union are rich from the plight of others. People sending money back home are charged anywhere from 8% to 20% on a single transaction. His organization is in negotiation with Western Union to address this rip-off.
It's great that they saw a way to gain hegemony. It's sad that they don't understand that it is a racial matter that his country can't financial support its citizenry. The country can't support its people because the country is being discouraged from developing industry. Thus, the country stays a source for raw goods that must be processed elsewhere. The finished good is then imported to the country of origin. Take chocolate: people have come to associate chocolate with France, Germany and Belgium when in fact chocolate or cacao grows in tropical climates. Who lives in tropical climates? People of color do. Tea, rubber, coffee, bananas, coconuts and palm oil also grow in tropical climes. His immigration issue has everything to do with him being from a country other than east/west Europe, Canada or Australia.
The next pair dealt with the restaurant industry. While they explained that the wait staff and bus staff are divided by color, they want to make this an immigrant issue rather than a racial one. If you see that those who clean off the tables and don't get tips are melanated and the people who wait on tables and get tips are primarily white, then you've spotted a racial divide that's eating into families' economics.
This duo goes around the country studying employment trends at the posher restaurants. They seek to unionize the restaurant industry. They established an employee-owned restuarant in Manhattan. An eye-opener is waiters can earn as much as six digits at America's finer eateries.
So how do we really grapple with racism when people of color deny it's affecting them? There are too many trying to go under the radar screen. Some take such positions as: "Yes, my skin is sable but my hair is straight," or "Yes, my nose is wide and lips full but my skin is pale." There ought not be any buts about being alive. Racism--seeking approval from white power structure--has people apologizing, excusing, rationalizing and boot-licking over the right to breathe, work, love and live. If we are to live more abundantly, people of color globally must not fall for "spade pit."
Labels: economics, immigrant rights, racism, subprime mortgages
NYC Admin for Children Services Has Centers at Each Other's Throats
A November 2007 letter from ACS Commissioner Robert Mattingly says all center- and family-based providers have until April 30, 2008 to be enrolled to license capacity—no excuses. Publicly funded childcare services all over the city face closing, sponsor board merging or sharing space with other centers if they can’t meet the goal. This situation is similar to the closings and mergers experienced by public high schools. ACS Office of Child Care and Head Start keeps centers abreast of enrollment status by sending monthly counts. Childcare is a major employer in NYC. Closings affect thousands of low- and moderate-income families and childcare staff.
Here in the Gowanus community, it has become a competitive situation. Centers use various tactics to meet the goal. Some centers with infant care instruct new families to move their preschoolers from their current care providers to theirs in order to get service for their babies. “This is disruptive for the preschoolers and reduces our numbers,” states an unnamed local center worker. Some providers resort to low rating other centers and suggesting the possibility of religious instruction at certain publicly funded centers. The fact is ACS-funded programs can’t provide such instruction. Communities experiencing gentrification have racism and classism rearing their heads. Centers that have operated for decades in a community now are questioned about their innovation and ability to care for children from more affluent families.
Bethel Baptist Day Care Center, a 35-year-old community institution, made changes in teaching staff and, now, boasts of NYS certified teachers and assistant teachers who passed the NYS Assistant Teacher examination. “We focus on continuous quality improvement in teaching, nutrition, sanitation, safety and recreation,” says Carlene Smith, Bethel’s education director. “Our staff distributes flyers throughout the area to families, local schools and community centers. We’re proud of their commitment.” Rather than take the low road, Bethel Baptist Day Care Center gets prospects from current and past families.
Rising above competitiveness, all centers agree that the new requirement for single parents to petition for child support and reduced staffing within ACS Resource Areas are major obstacles. Day Care Council of NYC has publicly raised these issues in recent months. Centers like Bethel will hold open houses and extend a year-round invitation to spend the day in classrooms to judge quality for yourself.
Labels: Brooklyn, childcare, children, gentrification, Gowanus, racism
