PUERTO RICAN LABOR
Ruiz, Ruperto & Present, Harris L.
Puerto Rican Labor Migrant Hiring System Poses Problem for US, PR By HUPtMO RUIZ and HARRIS t. PRtSINT »-|>HL PRESS has lecently been I tilleil witb ,n lilies about the sub ieit of i in...
...Spokesmen loi tin ('•> iVri nmeiit ol I'ueito Hun, the Mayoi's Advisory I'oinniit tec on I'ueito Huans ol New Vol h City, hive 11 (j nested the United 'states Department ol Labor to ban lort ign conli act laboi as long as I'ueito If nans wiie available tor the jobs...
...Puerto Rican Labor Migrant Hiring System Poses Problem for US, PR By HUPtMO RUIZ and HARRIS t. PRtSINT »-|>HL PRESS has lecently been I tilleil witb ,n lilies about the sub ieit of i in tailing alien migrant labor in lavoi of Puerto Huans...
...Last, but not least, the farm employer must have a delinite say in regard to Ihe people that he employs...
...Ruperto Ruix is founder and presi dent of the Spanish American Youth Bureau...
...II the same pioportloll ol people inhabited the United States, we would have ovci two billion souls or the en tiie world's population, concent ¦ ated in this counti y. When we note that close to 110 pei cent ol (he families on the island have an annual income of $,ri00.00 oi less, and that the inajoi ity ol products tbiie come from the mainland and are sold at prices higher than in the United States, the unfortunate economic situa tion is easily apparent...
...Sec iinilly...
...THE GOVERNMENT of the United States is also directly involved in this question Puerto Rico is a delicate political pioblem and almost ajaytiiktW^, done in connection with it is met by gnat pressure from one source or another...
...3. Politically, the advantage of being American ciiixens can be exploited in gaining the support and cooperation of the Puerto Rican peo pie by showing them preferential economic treatment...
...It should, of necessity, realize the importance of maintaining a friendly relationship with the British West Indies, both from the larger standpoint of the interests hf the American Government and from the smallei viewpoint of hill ninny for Hie Puerto Kuan population It is to the advantage of the latter to cooperate in finding ,i means of permitting the maximum number of I'ueito Kuans to be employed without creating enemies for the I'ueito Kuan people...
...The tact is...
...iclatively no prejudice among the Negroes and whites there, and con i qui ntlv...
...The Government of the British West Indies is also, naturally, directly core cerned with this problem...
...and to the Government of Puerto Rico, thai must pass upon all employment of contract labor from Puerto Rico...
...Economic conditions, on the whole, are very poor in their islands and it is not surprising that they look with favor upon the cm ploy nit nt mi a migrant basis of many of their farm laborers in the United States...
...S......¦ additional point-, should be considered...
...Undoubtedly, in this i oiuiei turn, theie must be give and take Com promises will have lo he made on a lair and just basis, and nariow national priorities will have to l» ovei looked in i caching towaid gn atei (Joals...
...No decision -hould be leached without getting Ins point of Vlevv...
...I'ueito Rico is and shall continue to be foi many yeais an ecoiioinic problem to the United Stales Approximately 2,20(1,00(1 people live on this island 100 miles long and '.irJ miles wide, which has a population density of about til'O people to the square mile...
...The inaioiily of these work in the Southern anil Northern slates along the eastern seaboid In addition, thou sands ol migianl Mexican workcis a ic imported each veai to w'oi k ill I he Southwestern states, but Hies" have not been involved m the recent con ti nvcrsy The main arguments advanced hv the proponents of employing I'ueito Huans run along these lines 1. They are ciiixens of the United States and at such are entitled to first consideration in getting jobs...
...Its chief inilusli y is sugar, and many of the workers on the plantations and nulls an uneinployed foi a great part of the year The Insular Government is making ,i brave attempt at leinedyiug domestic conditions by encouraging the est ah lishmeiit of new industries, but it is clear that this can never solve the entire problem...
...seasonally as farm laboi cis...
...West Indian Government ofli rials, however, ought to understand that it does a gi eat dial of harm to have their countrymen work under conditions that depress economic levels...
...Incw and a director of the II0th Street Comn,unity Center of New York City...
...The Puerto Kuan Government is, of course, vei y imii h concerned with this problem...
...Otherwise, the li ii turns glowing out of the importation of farm laboi can develop into sci urns discord bet ween minority gi oup.s in the United States, and between the federal government ,unl the West Indian and Puerto Kuan governments...
...There I...
...PUERTO RICO'S EYES are now lorn i d on tin |obs "I mine than 11.000 Itritish West Indians who come into the U.S...
...In the last analysis, the United States, through lis I k-p.ii tmeiit ill Laboi has In make the decisions which contiol the admission ol migrant hum labor, but this should be done iltei due consideration is given to .ill of the factors and due Ileal - ing to all ul the parties concerned...
...i;ivr pioblenis today, .>ii(l nothing hoiild be done that might lend to inllanie one against the olhei .si .i lime when illillv Is more Hi,in i n r ! e(|(ll] I'll HOW, THEN, can this piobleui besl In solved'' Chiefly, by bringing lo gotht'l representatives ol ;ill the inipol t.uil elements involved ,ni«l working mil ,i pi.in thai will be satisfactoi y to all ..I 11n - in In New York City, for example, the I'ueito Rican population is contiguous .it many points with large mimheis of people who come from the British West Indies...
...For many years, Messrs...
...possible moment a joint meeting should be ai langed between representative* of the Puerto Rican population in New York City, the British West Iiuljan people of New York, the Government of Puei to Rico, the Governments of the vai loin countries of the firitish West Indies th" United Stabs Department of Laboi and I'm in employer groups...
...2. The United States has a direct economic stake in Puerto Rico: therefore, anything that can be done to help Puerto Ricans get employment and be self supporting will in the long run redound to the beneiit ot the American taxpayer...
...They must learn In work to get her in establishing a fuller detune i.icy and combating any evidences of discrimination...
...Thus, the Government of I'ueito lileo has been casting about lor other means of improving the lot ol Puerto Huans...
...any employment obtained lin llleni in Ihe United States, even on ,i temporary basis, should not in .my way disrupt the customs, mores and racial experience of this group...
...New York's I'ueito Kuans and West Indians are vitally interested in arriving at a solution of the nugiant laboi problem that will make for haimonious relations among them -.elves...
...3. We have a large British West Indian population residing in the United Slates, and particularly in New York City, and any curtailment ol work for their brethren will aniognixe them...
...Firstly, the masses in I'ueito Itico are lacially democratic...
...Harris L. Present is counsel for the Spanish American Youth Bureau and the Puerto Rican Employees Association, Inc...
...Puerto Itico has all average annual unemployment total of 70,000 people...
...4. Puerto Ricans might be tncoui aged to spread throughout the United Stales instead of concentrating in the City of New York, where many are victims ol slum living...
...ininoiity gi oup.- in the United Stales die I.h nil...
...2. Many of the British West Indians work in certain of the southern sections of this counlry under conditions and for wages that would be unacceptable to the Puerto Ricans...
...The advocates of independence, tali homl and dominion status, and the 1'uerto Kir.in Nationalists, are always interpreting in then own way anything done lelalive lo Puerto Itico or the Puerto Kit,in people...
...The island is nvei populated It lufTeis from large unemployment It must gi apple with solutions and natui ally will try to get us many jobs for its inhabitants as it possibly can...
...In conclusion, at the eat lies...
...On the other hand, the principal reasons given lor maintaining the pies • nt system of importing alien contract labor arc: 1. They have been accustomed lo working here for many years and any exclusion of them will tend to arouse resentment against the United Stales at a lime when we are trying to build harmony in the Western Hemisphere...
...Ruis and Present have acled as a team In working to improve conditions for New York's Spanish speaking population...
Vol. 33 • April 1950 • No. 17
