Haitian Women, Episcopalian Hosts Christian Dilemma: Violence Vs
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Haitian Women, publication. Episcopalian Hosts and • Margaret Traxler reuse for Christian Dilemma: required Violence vs. Nonviolence • World Council of Churches Permission • Dan Berrigan DFMS. / Putting a Human Face Church On Urban Ministry • Edward Berckman Episcopal the of Archives 2020. Copyright exclusionary grounds invoked against by Religious News Service (RNS) and Suzanne Berkeley, and if the INS had by Edward P. Morgan for his national- LETTERS alerted its Puerto Rican officers to watch ly syndicated radio program, "In the for Ms. Berkeley's arrival. I reminded Public Interest," which goes to 350 him that the plea, "We were just doing stations. The National Council of our job," has a hollow ring to it. Churches also put out a strong resolu- Ml f I would encourage other readers to write Commissioner McKinley and tion on the incident, which appears challenge his action, and his elsewhere in this issue. — Eds.) publication. expectations of WITNESS journalism. and Wrote INS Re Deportation He can be reached at the Eastern The article on INS's treatment of Regional office, INS, Burlington, VT, Fan of Grenada reuse Suzanne Berkeley in the July WITNESS 05401. I have just discovered THE WITNESS for moved me to write the Regional The Rev. Nathan E. Williams and wish to subscribe. I was drawn to it Commissioner in Burlington, Vt. to First Baptist Church by an article on Grenada in the April express my anger over the treatment Ms. of Pittsburgh, Pa. issue and think it a splendid summation. Berkeley received, and to suggest that My husband and I spent 17 happy required she was due an apology. One week later winters there. Grenadians are a William Bittner, Assistant Officer in Met Ms. Berkeley wonderful people and I wish our State charge of the Pittsburgh office, called to I read with interest the article in the July Department had understood how wise it ask for two copies of THE WITNESS — WITNESS on Suzanne Berkeley (the would have been to help them when the Permission that Regional Commissioner Stanley young Grenadian woman deported by British abandoned them. Perhaps it is McKinley had asked him to obtain INS from a theology conference in not too late. The April WITNESS had a copies. Puerto Rico). good article on Ireland, too. DFMS. / Mr. McKinley wrote me on Aug. 9. He As secretary of the Extra Diocesan Barbara Avirett began, "I ... am appalled but not Committee for our Companionship Baltimore, Md. surprised at the distortion of facts in the relations with Grenada I am asking you Church article." In his closing paragraph he to send me the article "Grenada: A added, "I am sorry to see that you . Revolution a Republican Tourist Could interpreted the article in THE WITNESS Love" by Lin Neumann in the April issue. Lauds Miskito Treatment It gave us great joy to see the July Episcopal as authentic. .. ." And, "I assure you the We have a lot of contacts with allegations by THE WITNESS and your Grenada and most of us on the WITNESS articles on Nicaragua, after the interpretation of these allegations are being so often faced with stories that are of committee have made at least one trip to unfounded." Grenada in the past three years. I myself less than objective. Your treatment of McKinley undertook to instruct me in went down last July for a month and met the Miskito Indian situation was very the validity of immigration law, and briefly with Ms. Berkeley while on a tour thorough and sensitive to the difficult Archives described the "Catch 22" used to of the island. situation faced by Nicaragua as it tries to enmesh Suzanne Berkeley in the system Rhode Island still has another two rebuild and reform its nation. 2020. and prevent her from attending the years to go in our relations with the Our Ecumenical Council publishes a conference. McKinley then lectured me Windward Island Diocese (St. Vincent newsletter called Nicaragua Update, for "attacking" the United States and St. Lucia and Grenada) and we are and we would be pleased to hear from government: "I further find that your interested in any views and information any WITNESS readers interested in Copyright verbal attack upon the officer under my we can receive on the situation there. receiving it. Write NICA, 942 Market, direction, myself, and the Immigration The Rev. Harry Kraft Room 709, San Francisco, Ca. 94102. Service and, therefore, the United States Warwick, R.I. Janine Chagoya of America whom we represent is Northern California uncalled for, especially by a man of the Ecumenical Council (THE WITNESS is pleased to present cloth like yourself." (I had suggested that they were the Grand Inquisitor's the above response from readers con- successors.) cerning our article about the deporta- Nicaragua Revisited tion of a young Grenadian, Suzanne I wrote McKinley again. I asked him on It was a pleasant surprise to return from what basis he expected THE WITNESS Berkeley, by U.S. Immigration officials a three week trip to Nicaragua and find to "willfully misrepresent the facts in this from a theology conference in Puerto on top of the mountain of accumulated and other articles it presents to its Rico. In addition, the story was picked readers." I asked him to state the exact up from THE WITNESS and circulated Continued on page 17 THE WITNESS THE EDITOR UIITRESS Mary Lou Suhor EDITORIAL publication. SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Robert L. DeWitt and reuse CONTRIBUTING EDITORS for Richard W. Gillett Hugh C. White required STAFF Ann Hunter Susan Small Puerto Rico's Nightmare Permission Bonnie Spady Lisa Whelan ince 1898, when U.S. soldiers years we have defended a number DFMS. invaded the island of Puerto of Puerto Ricans who were / S PUBLISHER Rico, unilaterally claiming it from brought before Grand Juries in Episcopal Church Publishing Company Spain, the political and social ills New York and Brooklyn for Church of Puerto Ricans have risen and interrogation on alleged charges receded, like a recurrent that were never substantiated. ECPC BOARD OF DIRECTORS nightmare haunting a feverish There is widespread frustration CHAIR patient. Currently the Reagan and growing anger with the Episcopal H. Coleman McGehee administration's regressive social policies of the Reagan administra- the VICE-CHAIR and military policies toward Puerto tion toward Puerto Rico. Deep cuts of Barbara Harris Rico have become, with a in the Comprehensive Employ- SECRETARY vengeance, the latest episode. ment and Training Act (CETA) Helen Seager have eliminated 25,000 jobs. A Archives In recognition of these historic TREASURER facts, and sensitive to Puerto recent reform in the administration Robert Potter Rico's present plight, the of the Food Stamp program has 2020. ASSISTANT TREASURER resulted in cutting 34,000 families Robert Eckersley Episcopal Church Publishing Company convened this summer from the roles. The Reagan Otis Charles an Ecumenical Committee on the administration has recommended Copyright Robert L. DeWitt Future of Puerto Rico. The that the Food Stamp program, Steven Guerra committee arises out of a long which affects at least 57% of all Suzanne Hiatt involvement in Puerto Rican islanders, be replaced by a cash Mattie Hopkins issues, both on the island and grant program, using Puerto Rico Joan Howarth here in the United States. Eleven as a guinea pig for a plan that James Lewis years ago, people now on our might be applied throughout the Joseph A. Pelham board and staff were involved in United States. A new tax bill for the public hearings in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico now before the THE WITNESS is published monthly. Editorial which exposed the collusion of House-Senate Conference Com- office: P.O. Box 359, Ambler, PA 19002. Phone (215) 643-7067. Subscription rates $12 per year. two American companies, mittee would have the effect of $1 per copy. Copyright 1982 by the Episcopal Kennecott and American Metal diminishing corporate investment Church Publishing Company. Printed in U.S.A. Climax, in the exploitation of in Puerto Rico and increasing ISSN 0197-8896 Puerto Rican copper. In recent Continued on page 19 Why Haitians Risk Treacherous hen the first Haitian refugees arrived in a sailboat on Haiti has a combined unemployment and under- W the shore of southern Florida in December of 1972, employment of 80%, an average life expectancy of 50 they signaled a whole new wave of Haitian migration. Those years, and an illiteracy rate of 85%. Three of four Haitians publication. first Haitians to negotiate the Gulf to U.S. shores proved live in rural areas where daily wages may be no more than 40 that it was possible to cross the treacherous Florida current to 60c. In some areas, children begin work at 7 years of age. and in a primitive vessel. In Port-au-Prince, where many have migrated to seekjobs, To be sure, the venture was risky; a home-made sailboat working conditions and labor management relations are no reuse could take 30 days to make the uncertain voyage. better in the sugar mills and bauxite, tobacco, textile and for Nonetheless, poor Haitians who could not afford airfare or cement factories. These poor conditions are also suffered by exit documents then began to join the professional and some 40,000 workers employed by 200 U.S.-owned upper class Haitians who had fled the repressive political companies, drawn to Haiti by Duvalier's promise of low required turmoil of the 1950s. wages and a "stable" political climate. Domestic workers are And they are still coming. Why do they come, when it is legally allowed to put in 14 hour days, without a day off. known that hundreds of lives have been lost at sea using this Given these conditions, it is not surprising that some Permission route? Many seek refuge from the dictatorial regimes 600,000 Haitians were living outside of Haiti as of Jan.