The Wilmington morning star. [volume], July 06, 1947, SECTION A, Page 5-A, Image 5

About The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
Puerto Rican Pilgrims |
Are Seasonal Visitors
NEW YORK, July 5 — (ff) —
Puerto Rican pilgrims, seeking
new frontiers of progress, ire
pouring into the United States in
rapidly growing force via airborne
caravan.
Cut rate plane fares and the
fact that as citizens Puerto Ricans
may come and go at will, have
contributed to the rising influx.
Many small air travel companies
which have sprung up since the
war offer seasonal tickets costing
from $75 to $85 for the San Jaun
New York flight and $28 to $80
for the reverse trip, compared to
the $130 fixed rate of regularly
scheduled airlines.
The Puerto Rican skyway wan
derers cover in eight hours the
1,600 miles between their tropical
homeland and Gotham—roughly
half the distance which the pil
grim fathers in the Mayflower
took weeks to traverse three cen
turies ago.
The Puerto Ricans differ from
others who have poured across
Uncle Sam’s borders in the last
300 years in that thousands go
home again.
Figures of the immigration and
naturalization service of the U.S.
department of justice show that
195,633 Puerto Ricans entered the
United States from 1938 to 1946,
but that 124,983 left for Puerto
Rico in the same period, leaving
a balance of 70,650. However, the
number of those remaining each
year mounted steadily from 4,254
in 1938 to 22,500 in 1946.
A large percentag of the
Puerto Rican migrants converge
on New York. One section of East
Harlem, known as little Puerto
Rico, is reputed to house the larg
est group of Puerto Ricans out
side the island.
There are also many in
Brooklyn and the Bronx. Most of
them live in tenements.
Let’s climb five flights to the
Harlem flat of R. R., where Mr.
R.. his wife and their ten child
ren from two to 15 years old,
live in five rooms. Little Mrs. R.,
who is less than five feet tall,
opens the door to a crowded liv
ing room, in one corner of which
stands an overloaded ironing
board, flanked by a huge portrait of
Franklin D. Roosevelt and two
American flags.
“We came here because there
is so much better food and op
portunity for the children,” says
Mrs. R., In a high pitched tense
voice. “We’re a little crowded, but
we get along. Everybody has his
own bed.”
Around the corner and up three
more flights is the tiny flat of
J. V. L., a pictjire framer, and
his family of five. “It’s hard to
get jobs in Puerto Rico anj milk
is scarce,” he explains. “It’s bet
ter here, if you can find a place
to live.”
As he sits in his clean, shining,
orderly kitchen with its bright
flowered curtains, two white hens
on the living room sofa cluck soft
ly in the mid-day twilight of *he
room.
Puerto Ricans in New York do
both skilled and unskilled work.
Women m?ke fine lingerie and
costume jewelry; many men are
restaurant waiters and cigar mak
ers. A number run successful
little businesses in Harlem — un
detaking parlors, shops selling
candy, cigars, flowers, dresses. A
considerable number are enter
tainers, anj there are some doc
tors and university students. One
Chicago employment agency
brought in a number of Puerto
Rican girls to do domestic work.
But social workers report a large
number were unsuccessful be
cause of the difference between
American and Puerto Rican
housekeeping methods.
Why do Puerto Ricans quit their
homeland by the thousands?
The island’s 2,200,000 inhabit
ants are packed 618 to the square
mile, compared to 47 in this coun
try. Agriculture alone cannot sup
port them. Power and minerals
are scant. Efforts to build fac
tories presented problems. Jobs
and food are scarce. Housing gen
erally is reduced to a minimum.
Even the most primitive sanitary
conditions are lacking for more
than half the population. Millions
of dollars spent by Uncle Sam
over the years have failed to solve
the population problem.
Why, ihen, do they return.' une
reason is that the cold northern
'.’.’inters make sharp contrast to
Puerto Rico’s mild sunny climate
and crowded city streets present
a very different picture from her
sunny flower-splashed country
side. Another reason is that
Puerto Rican people raise no color
bar on the island' and resent it
elsewhere.
The Puerto Rican influx into
New York has intensified the pro
blems arising from the housing
shortage and a slackening de
mand for labor. Social workers re
port that Puerto Ricans, who have
an agricultural background, find it
hard to obtain and hold industrial
jobs. They generally are first to
be dropped in lay-offs and increas
ing numbers report unemploy
ment since December. Doctors
say that tuberculosis is, high
among adults and that a number
suffer from malnutrition. The lan
guage barrier presents another
adjustment problem for Spanish
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We carry a full line
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Special Attention To
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We deliver to all the beaches.
Distributors of Quality Foods
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DIAL 6587
is their traditional tongue. On tile
other hand health clinic heads say
that Puerto Ricans are quick to
take advantage of such service
and the New York City depart
ment of welfare reports that a
relatively small number of relief
applicants are Puerto Ricans.
Because of the influx, Mayor
William O'Dwyer has established
a committee on Puerto Ricans
made up of heads of various city
public departments. The welfare
council of New York established
another committee.
Meanwhile teachers, social
workers and ministers in the
Puerto Rican neighborhoods do
what they can to help the Puerto
Ricans adapt themselves. Dr.
Joseph Loretan, principal of the
Patrick Henry junior high school
(where 800 of the 1,100 pupils are
Puerto Ricans), Dr. Leonard Co
vello, principal of the Benjamin
Franklin high school, and direc
tors of other schools have launch
ed special English classes and ac
tivities.
The Rev. Edicer Rodriguez of
the First Spanish Evangelical
church, Clyde Murray of the union
settlement and others have estab
lished English classes for adults,
clubs for boys and girls and in
struction for mothers on nutrition,
baby care, health and prevention
of juvenile delinquency.
Some of those who work with
the Pueyto Ricans comment on
the influx thus:
“This is a first class problem;
but it’s not their fault. They are
the victims; not the cause. Any
group of people coming in num
bers like the Puerto Ricans could
create a problem. Their only solu
tion for the moment is to drain
the population off the island. We
should not put up bars, but should
make it possible for them to settle
here. And we should do all we
can to help Puerto Rico solve her
home problem.’’
Those who work with Puerto
Ricans join in saying that both
adults and children are polite,
considerate and, though often vol
atile in temperament, are no
harder to handle than any other
group.
But several workers in welfare
fields say privately that officials
are so anxious not to be accused
of discrimination that either they
will not face facts or call the situ
ation honestly, thereby hampering
any consructive permanent solu
tion.
What is the solution of the dif
ficulties created by the Puerto
Rican influx?
Few concrete suggestions have
yet materialized. But Adrian
Burke, chairman of the welfare
council’s committee on Puerto
Ricans, makes these recommen
dations which reflect the view of
the committee:
1. Dissemination of information
in Puerto Rico giving an accurate
picture of conditions in New York.
2. Extension of Federal security
to give help to destitute families
on the island and thus mitigate
the poverty which leads to exces
sive emigraion.
3. Federal development of a
program of Puerto Rican migra
tion and resettlement throughout
the United States which would be
related to Puerto Ricans’ training
and skills.
4. Expansion and adaptation of
educational, recreational, health
and welfare programs of New
York City to facilitate assimila
tion of the newcomers.
CLINTON SEATS
TOWN OFFICIALS
Mayor And Three New
Commissioners Take
Oath This Week
CLINTON, July 5. — Clinton’s
Mayor and the Board of Commis
sioners were sworn in for the new
term of office this week in the
town office by Justice of the
Peace, Carlisle Jackson.
Mayor J. C. Morisey and Com
missioner Joe R. Best, were the
only officers reelected. New mem
bers of the board who accepted
the oath of office are Kermit Aus
tin, Troy Honeycutt and H. B.
Barwick. *
The new members replaced M.
O. Register, R. E. Williams and
W. T. McLean who did not seek
re-election.
Immediately following the cere
monies the new board reappointed
Howard H. Hubbard as town at
torney for his sixth consecutive
year; N. H. Larkins, treasurer,
position he has held for twenty
five years; H. C. Bunch, fire chief,
and J. H. Bunch, as superin
tendent of the water plant. Stew
art Warren, local attorney, was'
elected mayor pro-tem, replacing
J. B. Williams, Jr., and Honey
cutt was elected town clerk.
A call meeting of the board will
be held Monday night.
Battery A Plans
Reunion This Fall
At New Bern Home
NEW BERN, July 5.—About 30
members of New Bern’s Battery
A association of the old 113th
Field Artillery of World War X
gathered Wednesday at the home
of Luby Hardison on Trent river
for a barbecue supper to make
plans for the annual reunion Sef
tember 14.
It was voted to hold the reunion
at the Hardison home. Maj. Rob
ert M- Hanes, of Winston-Salem,
wartime commander of the outfit
and permanent president of the
association, is expected to attend.
New Bernians
Look For Same
Rental Levels
NEW BERN, July 5.—John Hay
wood Jones is president of a new
ly-organized board of realtors . in
New Bern. Hugh Mills is vice
president; and H. K. Land is sec
retary.
These officers and other mem
bers of the organization, in dinner
session at the Gaston hotel, ex
pressed the opinion that there will
be only few increases in rent in
this city.
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