NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH CORPS, PREPARED STATEMENT OF JOE T. Chapa, ASSISTANT Director Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, the Neighborhood Youth Corps-Out-of-school, sponsored by the Nueces County Commissioner's Court, had it's beginning in October, 1966. The program was orginally funded for 140 enrollees in seven counties (Nueces, San Patricio, Aransas, Refugio, Calhoun, Victoria, and Kleberg). This figure of enrollment has been cut to 70 enrollees. Enrollees in the N.Y.C. (O/S) must be unemployed, and must come from families with annual incomes below the poverty guide lines. These enrollees must have dropped out of school at least six months prior to enrollment and must be between 16 and 17 years of age; previously this was 16-22 year olds. After taking the enrollee's application, an interview is set up to help the enrollee see himself in a full time job, and to evaluate his potentials, If possible, a job is created for the enrollee to fit his needs, interest, and future job placement. This is done with a realistic approach. One of the main concepts of the program is for the enrollee to receive valuable work experience as trainees for librarians, nurses, secretaries, office clerks, welders, and many other professional positions. These enrollees are placed under professional personnel in non-profit organizations such as cities, counties, state, and federal agencies. The enrollee works 32 hours a week for $1.40 an hour. In addition to their work experience, they are required to attend at least 6 hours of educational classes per week; this is done mostly in night classes. Following these guidelines allows him to be eligible for a two year period of training in the program; some of the enrollees do not require this amount of time to complete their education and training; but many that complete the regular academic courses, need this amount of time. By the time the enrollee completes the training as scheduled for his ability and potential, he, or she, has completed high school, G.E.D., or remedial education plus vocational courses. If the enrollee has not received enough training by the time alloted, or if it is felt further training is needed, arrangements are made through other programs to further enrich their opportunity toward permanent employment. Such programs existing in this area are: M.D.T.A., O.J.T., S.E.R., Migrant, Job Corps, NABS, Vocational Rehab., T.E.C., Del Mar Tech, and others. The following examples are told so that the true story may be heard of the effectual efforts that manpower programs are playing in this area. CASE NO. 1 Lorenzo T. Sanchez.-Is an average build young man, neat, and talks fairly well. He was somewhat quiet, but seemed geniunely interested. He quit jr. high school during the 9th grade to help his parents. His father is a labor and works as the weather permits. His older sister is a cerebral palsey patient thus adding to the family problems. Since leaving school Lorenzo has only worked as a dish washer in a local restaurant. He worked 50 and 60 hrs. per week receiving only $40.00 per week. This to him was a good sum of money for he and his parents knew no difference. Lorenzo was placed with the Nueces County Park, there he received good work experience and training. He showed the potential to develop into a good worker with more maturity and experience. His family moved from the city taking Lorenzo with them. It was unfortuante that he had to leave for this only added to the fragmented kind of experience he apparently had since leaving school. After a period of a year the family was back as before for the pattern had been set by Lorenzo's father. Lorenzo then again came in seeking help for his father couldn't find a job. After explaining to him that if he is again given a chance he must attend G.E.D. classes in order to re-enroll in the program in addition to attending weekly counseling session. Lorenzo thus completed his G.E.D. and received his deploma. He was then placed in W.T.I. (a program under N.Y.C.) He worked for Hobert-Dayton Sales Agency for six months as a Electrical Appliances Helper before being hired full time for $1.75 per. hr. The six month follow up shows that he is still in gainful employment and his hourly wage has moved to $1.85 per hr. Thus in the case of an hard core poverty youth who applyed himself and now he is payint taxes on his wages instead of receiving unemployment wages like his father. CASE NO. 2 Juanita Ortiz.-A very thin enrollee dropped out of school during her senior year. Her parents claimed that they needed her to work in order to help the family. However the only job she could find was as a house maid. Later she worked for a week or two as a clerical asst. Afterward she was unemployed and unable to find a job. Juanita came to this office for help looking for work and a chance to prove to herself that she could adjust and make something of herself. As she explained, she hated her father for taking her out of school. She mention that she had heard of the N.Y.C. program through a friend and she wanted the same chance. On 9-3-68 Juanita was placed with the pre-school program in Portland, Texas as a teacher's Aide. There has been no night school classes for her to attend in her area. Yet she expressed the desire to get ahead. I mention to her that she could enter Del Mar Tech. yet it was found that she had no transportation. Therefore an agreement was made with the high school, for she was to attend high school classes late in the afternoon so she could work toward her high school diploma. Mean while it was found that her family continued working on her to quit and find a full time job. It was pointed out to her and after many counseling session, that it is most important for her to complete her high school if she would like to become a future teacher. After 9 months Juanita completed her required subjects and received regular high school diploma. Our next goal was to get her into college. Her father mentioned that he would not let her leave home, and he wanted her to withdraw from the program. Yet she brought out she wanted to go and this meant she would go against her father's wishes. A serious family feud developed and Mr. Ortiz threw his daughter out of the house. She mentioned that she moved in with an uncle. Plans continued toward her goal and arrangements were made with Texas A & I University for her to enter in Sept. of 69. By Sept. she and her father withdrew their indifference and she started on to college with the family's blessing. Yet a permanent placement wasn't her immediate goal she will become a useful example of what can be done if one has the desire for the future. Let us look ahead for this enrollee and continue to give her praise for she is one of many that the N.Y.C. has helped. CASE NO. 3 Elma Lopez. A small thin very attractive enrollee. (Read attached letter.) After basic interview Elma was placed with Kingsville Naval Base. There she was placed under the direction of the Supply Qfficer as a Clerical Aide. Toward the first of the summer Elma left her husband and continued on her job and returned to live with her family. When Texas A & I resumed in Sept. of 69 she was transferred to work under the direction of Dr. Ballard of the Government Dept. Elma entered a local G.E.D. class under the direction of a local C.A.A. She seemed eager to learn and has expressed a deep interest in starting college at a later date. Meanwhile it was found that she was dating a college professor. In talking to her about this she mentioned that not only was she dating him she was planning to marry him. I really didn't believe her so I asked her to repeat what she had just stated. She smiled and mentioned that they planned to get married in November and she wanted to work only one week before the planned wedding date. As one can see she only completed her G.E.D. and this has opened many new doors toward her future. Mr. CHAPA. What I want to talk to you about is the actual cases pertaining to poverty, to give you examples. Therefore, the names in these cases are true. It is true. It tells it like it is. Lorenzo T. Sanchez is an average built young man, neat, and talks fairly well. He was somewhat quiet, but seemed genuinely interested. He quit junior high school during the ninth grade to help his parents. R His older sister is a cerebral palsy patient thus adding to the family problems. Since leaving school Lorenzo has only worked as a dishwasher in a local restaurant. He worked 50 and 60 hours per week receiving only $40 per week. This to him was a good sum of money for he and his parents knew no difference. Lorenzo was placed with the Nueces County Park, there he received good work experience and training. He showed the potential to develop into a good worker with more maturity and experience. His family moved from the city taking Lorenzo with them. It was unfortunate that he had to leave for this only added to the fragmented kind of experience he apparently had since leaving school. After a period of a year the family was back as before for the pattern had been set by Lorenzo's father. Lorenzo then again came in seeking help for his father couldn't find a job. After explaining to him that if he is again given a chance he must attend G.E.D. classes in order to re-enroll in the program in addition to attending weekly counseling session. Lorenzo thus completed his G.E.D. and received his diploma. He was then placed in Ŵ.T.I. (a program under NYC). He worked for Hobert-Dayton Sales Agency for 6 months as an electrical appliances helper before being hired full time for $1.75 per hour. The 6-month followup shows that he is still in gainful employment and his hourly wage has moved to $1.85 per hour. Thus is the case of a hard-core poverty youth who applied himself and now he is paying taxes on his wages instead of receiving unemployment wages like his father. Could he have done this without the efforts of the program? I think not. Case No. 2 is Juanita Ortiz. A very thin enrollee dropped out of school during her senior year. Her parents claimed that they needed her to work in order to help the family. However the only job she could find was as a housemaid. Later she worked for a week or two as a clerical assistant. Afterward she was unemployed and unable to find a job. Juanita came to this office for help looking for work and a chance to prove to herself that she could adjust and make something of herself. As she explained, she hated her father for taking her out of school. She mentioned that she had heard of the N.Y.C. program through a friend and she wanted the same chance. On September 3, 1968, Juanita was placed with the preschool program in Portland, Tex., as a teacher's aide. There has been no night school classes for her to attend in her area. Yet she expressed the desire to get ahead. I mentioned to her that she could enter Del Mar Tech yet it was found that she had no transportation. Therefore an agreement was made with the high school, for she was to attend high school classes late in the afternoon so she could work toward her high school diploma. Meanwhile it was found that her family continued working on her to quit and find a full-time job. It was pointed out to her and after many counseling sessions, that it is most important for her to complete her high school if she would like to become a future teacher. After 9 months Juanita completed her required subjects and received regular high school diploma. Out next goal was to get her into College. Her father mentioned that he would not let her leave home, and wanted her to withdraw from the program. Yet she brought out that she wanted to go and this meant she would go against her father's wishes. A serious family feud developed and Mr. Ortiz threw his daughter out of the house. She mentioned that she moved in with an uncle. Plans continued toward her goal and arrangements were made with Texas A&I University for her to enter in September of 1969. By September she and her father withdrew their indifferences and she started on to college with the family's blessings. Yet a permanent placement wasn't her immediate goal. She will become a useful example of what can be done if one has the desire for the future. Let us look ahead for this enrollee and continue to give her praise for she is one of many that the N.Y.C. has helped. You hear of all types of cases, some that make it and some that don't, some that go to jail. True romance. A particular young lady by the name of Elma Lopez from Kingsville, Tex., a small thin very attractive enrollee. After basic interview, Elma was placed with Kingsville Naval Base. There she was placed under the direction of the supply officer as a clerical aide. Toward the first of the summer Elma left her husband and continued on her job and returned to live with her family. When Texas A & I resumed in September of 1969 she was transfered to work under the direction of Dr. Ballard of the Government department. Elma entered a local G.E.D. class under the direction of a local C.A.A. She seemed eager to learn and has expressed a deep interest in starting college at a later date. Meanwhile it was found that she was dating a college professor. In talking to her about this she mentioned that not only was she dating him she was planning to marry him. I really didn't believe her so I asked her to repeat what she had just stated. She smiled and mentioned that they planned to get married in November and she wanted to work only 1 week before the planned wedding date. As one can see she only completed her G.E.D. and this has opened! many new doors toward her future. Senator YARBOROUGH. Do you advocate that we use this program so that students can quit and marry the professor? Mr. CHAPA. My point was just to throw something in to be different. Senator YARBOROUGH. That was different all right. Thank you all very much. Senator YARBOROUGH. The next witnesses are Mr. Richard Gonzales and Mr. Douglas Williams. Mr. Gonzales is the executive director of the Community Action program. Mr. Williams is the program director of the Community Action program. STATEMENT OF RICHARD GONZALES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Mr. GONZALES. I would like at this point to ask that another member of the community come up, instead of Mr. Williams, that they, in turn, might use 1 or 2 minutes of your time and at this time I would like to have them come up. Mr. Williams is in another meeting in Kingsville pertaining to this meeting. Senator YARBOROUGH. Did he have a prepared statement? Mr. GONZALES. No, sir. We had a statement for the community Action program of Nueces County. I want to thank the members of this subcommittee for the opportunity to appear before them. As executive director of the Nueces County Community Action Agency, I have been designated by the executive committee to appear before this committee to, hopefully, make known some of the problems faced by minority groups from this region. A big problem, of course, is the problem of unemployment, but greater still is the problem of underemployment. We have factual information that discounts the 3.8 percent or 4.0 percent of unemployment information data provided by the National Government as well as our State government. Underemployment is a grave problem that no local data gathering agency has done anything about. By this remark, I mean that as long as a person is employed (regardless of underemployment), it is taken for granted that this situation is secured and the data processing agencies of both this State and the Nation continue to report as a safe indicator in the monthly reports issued by these particular agencies. If you will permit me to talk a little about the history of the MexicanAmerican and Negro-American of this county and this region of south Texas, you will perhaps be better able to understand the condition, or should I say, "position" that these groups have been placed into by the other ethnic social groups from this region. I shall start by mentioning that the Mexican-American, by heritage, finds himself in a condition of confusion. He has come to find out that the bus has already left, and he has been left behind. He is told that he is an American and that he should live like an American. This is confusing to him because, by ethnic origin, he is also a person of Mexican or Spanish descent and finds it hard to assimilate or become conditioned to the so-called "American way." The Mexican-American takes great pride in being of Mexican origin, yet the powers to be in the Anglo community continuously take pokes at him in almost forcibly causing him to assimilate into the mainstream of what these powers to be called "the American". As a result of the Mexican-American's refusal to assimilate into this condition he has been made to suffer the consequences by being discriminated upon. This discrimination reaches all aspects of the Mexican-American's way of life, because; 1. He is discriminated upon as an inferior ethnic group (secondary citizen). 2. Because of his language difficulties. 3. Because of the color of his skin. 4. His clannish ways, family traditions. 5. Finally, because of all the aforementioned, he is discriminated against in job opportunities. The level of education is the lowest among all minority groups in America. It is so low, 3.8 to 4.2, that 60 percent of this minority group can only acquire menial labor that, in turn, keeps him underemployed. Businesses practice in action, not by law, that differences exist between the unskilled Anglo and the unskilled Mexican-American or Negro. His children are those dropouts we are becoming so alarmed 40-963 0-70-pt. 1- -38 |