Filipino forum. [volume], May 01, 1950, Page Page Three, Image 3

About Filipino forum. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1928-196?

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Mgv, 1950
FILIPINO FORUM
(Organ of 4,000 Filipinos in Seattle and vicinity)
Editorial Office: ' Telephones:
621 King Street "”1”“ SEneca 3092
Seattle 4, Wash. Monthly ELiot 9225
VICTORIO ACOSTA VELASCO '
Editor and Publisher
Anita Osias Villar Wally Almanzor
Society Editor Stat! Photographer
Advertising Rate: $1.50 per column inch per issue
The FORUM is circulated tree in all Filipino Communities in the
United States, Hawaii, and Alaska. Address all communications to the
Editor and Publisher, 621 King St., Seattle 4, Wash.
“So essential is public criticism to democratic institutions and so
much is it a part of our national ideal that if no one were to take an
interest in government except those who are in it, tyranny would
escape with impunity and rivet its iron chains upon the nation. while
democratic processes would be impossible."
—-Justice Mariano A. Albert.
Race Preiudice Carried
On Even Unto the Grave
By MARY LUND
Executive Secretary, CFRE
Many Seattle citizens are quite unaware that racial prej u
dice in our city is being carried even beyond the grave. The
problem of racial discrimination in local cemeteries has had
the attention of the Christian Friends for Racial Equality
over a period of years, but as we see
no tangible improvements in policy
resulting from our years of com
munication with cemetery owners,
we have concluded that the incen
tive for change must come from an
informed and aroused public.
Cemetery owners maintain their
discriminatory policies because
they believe that is what the pub
lic wants; when they can be per
suaded that our citizens prefer
democratic practices, we believe
that they will be able to find a way
to bring their policies into line.
Two Patterns in Discrimination
Cemetery discrimination in Se-
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attle follows two patterns. In the
older cemeteries, which were orig
inally open to all people,without
discrimination. there has developed
in recent years the “unwritten”
custom of burying non-Caucasians
in segregated areas. One of these
cemeteries doubles or triples the
price of plots and demands full
payment in advance, in order to
discourage non-white clients.
Abide by Contract Terms
The newer cemeteries have had
incorporated into their rules and
regulations such phrases as “avail
able to Caucasians only,” and “for
burial of human dead of the Cau—
casian race only.” Owners of these
cemeteries maintain that whatever
might be their present personal
opinion concerning racial restric
tions, they are under moral obliga
tion to abide by the terms of their
contracts, and that if they were'at
present to change the provisions
for burial, they would be subject
to law suits on the part of present
lot owners. However, we believe
that the spirit of the Supreme
Court decision on racial restrictive
covenants in the sale of real estate
property applies equaly to ceme
teries. The Supreme Court ruled
that such covenants in the sale of
real estate are not enforcible in
the courts because they are against
public policy. If a cemetery owner
were to become convinced that
racial discrimination in the sale of
lots is morally unacceptable and
that he could no longer with con
science support it, and if he were
to sell a lot to a non-Caucasian
in order to make a test case of it
in the courts; then we believe that
the courts would render the same
judgment as was given in the case
of covenants in real estate prop—
erty. The temporary indignation
that this change of policy might
arouse in certain of the lot owners
FILIPINO FORUM
‘ TIME OUT '1
with the editor I
We were amused with an editor
ial note in the Philippines Herald
(Manila)of August 21, 1949, which,
speaking of J. (Julius) B. Ruiz,
states: “He was . . . editor and
publisher of the tabloid weekly,
the Philippines Newsletter, before
he volunteered to the U. S.
Army . . .”
There are two glaring errors in
the quotation: first, the Philippines
Newsletter was not a weekly. It
was announced as a monthly publi
éation, but the only times we no
ticed it were when its editor was
working in Alaskan canneries and
he published it on the side to aug
ment his summer earnings; second,
Julius B. Ruiz could not have vol
unteered to join the U. 8. Army
when as of April 16, 1942, Mr. Ruiz
made a written request to a Seattle
Draft Board through the Cannery
Workers’ and Farm Laborera’ Un
ion, Local 7. UCAPAWA, of which
Ruiz was a member. that his induc- ‘
tion into the Army be deferred.l
Ruiz was finally inducted into the
U. S. Army after Local 7 failed to
set a “deferment" for him throth
the local draft board.
Ruiz has been noted for inac
curacies in his reporting, and we
will not be surprized if he, himself,
supplied this data to the Philip
pines Herald for which he is now
working.
A very able article on the habit
of many Filipinos to come late to
meetings and other appointments
appeared in our colums some time
ago. It was written months after
Consul Pedro G. Ramirez appeared
at a Filipino program in which he
was guest of honor two hours late.
But the tragedy and irony of it is
would be insignificant when com
: pared with the contribution made
Howard the building of an inte
-Igrated community.
Objection Against Visiting Friends
A rather interesting point was
brought out in a recent conference
with one of the cemetery owners.
He indicated that the cause of ob
jection lies not so much in the
buried non-Caucasian as in the
groups of friends who gather in
the cemetery for the interment
services and for other memorial
occasions. (One might ask whether
on this basis it would not follow
that restrictions should be incor
porated against non-Caucasians
going out to the cemeteries to visit
the graves of Caucasian friends.)
Petitions Clrcnlated
During the past year our organ
ization has been circulating peti—
tions urging cemetery owners to
i change their racial policies in order
that “practices within our country
might be brought into closer har
mony with our pronouncements to
foreign powers concerning justice
and equality." More recently we
have prepared a leaflet which pre—
sents actual facts concerning the
racial poliices of specific ceme
teries. We are anxious that both
the petition and leaflet be given as
wide a distribution as possible.
Copies may be secured at our of
fice. 5145 Arcade Bldg. The Na—
tional Association for the Advance
; ment of Colored People is also tak
ing action on cemetery discrimina
* tion. A resolution condemning dis
crimination was adopted at its re
cent regional conference in Seattle;
and the various branches in Wash
ington State have agreed to con
duct surveys to determine condi
tions in their respective communi
ties.
Support Promised
Two local cemetery owners have}
been receptive to the possibility of‘
a comprehensive Civil Rights Law
which would include cemeteries in
its provisions. They have said that
if such a law were passed in the
State of Washington they would be
happy to support it. This is a lead
which will be followed up.
The immediate need is for the
public to become fully informed
about conditions in our local ceme
teries; too many people have no
idea of the extent to which dis
crimination is practiced. When
enough of our citizens become
acquainted with the facts. surely
their indignation will lead to some
positive program of correction.
after it appeared in our colums,
Minister Emilio Abello of the Phil
ippine Embassy in Washington ar
rived one hour late at a program in
which he shared speaking honors
with the president of a local uni
versity. And the crowd, out of re
.spect to him, had to wait, including
a university president.
We agree one hundred per cent
with the writer of 'that article be
moaning the bad habit of coming
to appointments very, very late,
that the habit has been, unfortun
ately, christened Filipino time.
How much improvement can we
expect when even some responsi
ble men in high ofiioial positions
cannot give a better example {or
their followers?
This habit is found among all
types of men, Government officials
included. We don’t want to be
branded pessimists by thinking
that Filipinos are hopeless so far
as meeting their obligations are
concerned; but it will take a long,
long time to corect this fault the
way things look so far.
Some people have tact, and
others tell the truth.
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