(CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY THEU.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION)
Michael Caputo (MC) >> WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW? HOW ABOUT WAYS TO BRIDGE CULTURAL DIVIDES. LATINO MUSICIAN WILLIE COLON IS A GRAMMY WINNER AND A PIONEER, BUT HIS MUSIC TELLS THE STORY OF LATINOS ARRIVING IN THE BIG CITIES OF THE U.S. HE IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT HIS MUSIC AND HIS MESSAGE.
Julie Phillip (JP) >> AND YOU WILL MEET A ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PROFESSOR WHO TELLS THE STORY OF LIBERIAN REFUGEES SETTLING HERE. FIND OUT HOW IT HELPS HER UNDERSTAND HER OWN STORY.
MC >> STAY HERE FOR "NEED TO KNOW.
VOICE OVER>> Rochester's news magazine since 1997. This is "NEED TO KNOW."
MC >> THANKS FOR JOINING US. I'M MICHAEL CAPUTO. THIS LAND OF MANY CULTURES HAS A GREAT MANY CULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS. AMERICANS STILL GROPE FOR WAYS TO BRIDGE CULTURAL DIVIDES. SOME, HOWEVER, MAKE IT PART OF THEIR LIFE'S WORK. TAKE ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIAN WILLIE COLON. HE HAS WON GRAMMYS. HE IS CREDITED AS BEING A PIONEER IN LATINO MUSIC WHO DEVELOPED THE CHARACTER OF MODERN SALSA. HE’S A PRODUCER, SINGER AND TROMBONIST WHO HAS WORKED WITH EQUALLY TOWERING FIGURES WITH RUBEN BLADES FOR ONE. BUT HIS MUSIC ALSO DOES SOMETHING ELSE, IT TELLS THE STORIES OF LATINOS WHO CAME TO THIS COUNTRY, WHO STRUGGLED TO MAKE A LIFE IN THIS COUNTRY. HE IS A POLITICAL ACTIVIST, AND SOMETIMES POLITICAL CANDIDATE IN NEW YORK. HE EVEN BRIDGES THE POLITICAL PARTY DIVIDE. A WEEK BEFORE HE PLAYS INROCHESTER, WE WELCOME IN MUSICIAN WILLIE COLON. THANKS FOR COMING.
WILLIE COLON (WC) >> THANKS, MICHAEL.
MC >> I HAVE HEARD POLITICS AND MUSIC DO NOT MIX. I WANT TO ASK YOU -- WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU? IS IT THE MUSIC OR THE MESSAGE THAT IT DELIVERS?
WC >> FOR ME, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN INSEPARABLE. IT'S BEEN ONE AND THE SAME. WHEN WHEN WE STARTED -- WHEN I STARTED AS A KID EARLY ON, I WAS ABLE TO RECOGNIZE HOW OUR MUSIC WAS ABLE -- IT HAD ANOTHER REASON FOR BEING. IT HAD AN EFFECT UPON THE COMMUNITY. IT UNIFIED US. IT GOT US TOGETHER AT DANCES.
MC >> ANOTHER REASON FOR BEING, YOU SAY? IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT -- WHEN YOU SIT DOWN AND WRITE, DO YOU WRITE THE MUSIC FIRST? DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHT OF WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY FIRST? WHAT HAPPENS?
WC >> IT DEPENDS ON THE COMPOSITION. I MAY START WITH A MELODY THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, DRIVING ME NUTS AND THEN I WILL WRITE THE LYRICS TO IT, BUT A LOT OF TIMES, IT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, AND THEN I FIND, YOU KNOW -- MOST OF THE
TIME I DO START WITH THE LYRICS. I START A VERSE, YOU KNOW, AND
THINGS THAT I HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW. A COUPLE OF DAYS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE PREMISE FOR A SONG AND BEGAN TO WRITE BEGININNING. IF THE RICH PEOPLE WOULD ONLY REMEMBER THAT ONE DAY THEY HAVE TO DIE, THEY MIGHT LEAVE MORE FOR THE POOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU START FROM THERE, AND FIND, YOU KNOW A PRETTY WAY TO SAY IT.
MC >> YOU STARTED YOUR FIRST RELEASE WHEN YOU WERE 17 YEARS
OLD. YOUR EARLY LYRICS, SOME PEOPLE AT LEAST HAVE WRIT THAN THEY WERE VERY DIRECT, ALMOST STREET-LEVEL KIND OF LYRICS T
SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THE MODERN RAPPER. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT?
WC >> WELL, YEAH. A LOT OF TIMES MY PAST COMES’ BACK TO HAUNT ME. I'M A LOT MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN I WAS THEN, BUT I THINK I WAS ONE OF THE GUYS THAT INVENTED GANGSTA BACK IN THE '60'S. I WAS 16 YEARS OLD, AND MY FIRST ALBUMS CAME OUT, AND WE WERE DRESSING LIKE THE OLD CHICAGO GANGSTERS, YOU KNOW, ON THE COVERS AND STUFF, AND WE KIND OF GOT INTO THAT PERSONA, AND --
MC >> WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE MODERN RAPPER NOW?
WC >> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S – YOU CAN'T KEEP THAT, YOU KNOW – ART IS LIKE A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE A CULTURE IS AT, YOU KNOW, AND YOU REALLY CAN'T SET LIMITS FOR IT. IT'S AN ORGANIC PROCESS, YOU
KNOW, AND KIDS NEED TO HAVE THAT REBELLION AND STUFF LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, REALLY NOW, AS A FATHER OF FOUR, I'M NOT CRAZY ABOUT A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT I HEAR, YOU KNOW, AND I MAY SOUND LIKE AN OLD FOGEY TO THEM, BUT PHILOSOPHICALLY AND
ARTISTICALLY, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT FILLS THAT NEED FOR THEM.
MC >> I'M GOING TO READ SOME TRANSLATED LYRICS. YOU CAN TELL ME HOW WELL I DID WITH THIS. THIS SONG IS PABLO PUEBLO. PABLO TOWN, SHOUT IN THE STREET, THE MISERY AND HUNGER OF THE ALLEY AND THE
PAIN, PABLO TOWN, HIS FOOD IS HOPE. HOPE IS SOMETHING THAT APPARENTLY RUNS THROUGH A LOT OF YOUR MUSIC, THIS LYRIC, THIS
WORD. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "HOPE"?
WC >> WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REASON FOR LIVING, AND A LOT OF TIMES, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE THINGS YOU HAVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING A JOB, JUST, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO HAVE A JOB. A MAN, A LOT OF TIMES VALUES HIMSELF BY WHAT HE IS ABLE TO -- WHAT HE GIVES TO SOCIETY, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR SELF-ESTEEM, SO, PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE HOPE, YOU KNOW, TO THINK THAT THEY CAN
PARTICIPATE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY CAN MAKE IT EVEN
THOUGH THINGS ARE BAD NOW, AND MUSIC DOES THAT A LOT OF TIMES.
IT MAKES THEM FORGET THEMSELVES.
MC >> IN THIS ONE LYRIC, I READ HIS FOOD IS HOPE. IT IS LIKE IT IS THE ONLY THING LEFT IN THIS ONE LYRIC. HOW DO YOU SUSTAIN THAT ANYWAY? TO ME, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING ELSE.
WC >> WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR FAITH, YOU KNOW, AND YOUR FAMILY GIVES YOU HOPE. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO FORWARD FOR YOUR KIDS, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF YOU GIVE THAT UP, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY ALL OVER, SO I THINK WE WANT TO HAVE IT, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT TO KINDLE THAT, YOU KNOW. THAT'S WHY WE'RE STILL AROUND. THAT'S WHY MAN IS STILL HERE, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO CONQUER ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
MC >> DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO THE
MAJORITY CULTURE IN THIS COUNTRY WHAT THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING
LATINO WAS LIKE?
WC >> IT'S TOUGH, YOU KNOW. IF I CAN JUST GIVE THEM AN IDEA
OF WHAT IT'S LIKE, I DON'T THINK THEY ARE EVER GOING TO REALIZE WHAT IT IS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE LATINO TO KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT I CAN TELL THEM WHAT IT'S LIKE. I THINK ON SOME LEVELS WE HAVE SUCCEEDED, YOU KNOW. IN OTHER AREAS, SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO EXPLAIN COLORS TO A BLIND PERSON, BECAUSE HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN IT, YOU KNOW? BUT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A UNIVERSAL TRUTH AND A UNIVERSAL -- WE'RE ALL THE SAME, WE REALLY ARE ALL THE SAME, WHETHER YOU GO DEEP DOWN, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE OUR CHILDREN. WE WANT, YOU KNOW, THE SAME
THINGS. WE LAUGH, WE CRY, AND, YOU KNOW—
MC >> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MUSICAL EFFORTS -- AGAIN, YOUR MUSIC HAS A POLITICAL TONE TO IT. WHAT DO YOU THINK THOSE MUSICAL
EFFORTS LIKE THE LIVE AID THING, THE ROCK THE VOTE THING, THAT
TRY AND ALMOST FUSE MUSIC WITH POLITICAL ACTION. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
WC >> WELL, I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN A COUPLE OF THEM, AND I DO USE
MUSIC SOMETIMES TO GET PEOPLE TO TRY TO GET THEM TO COME OUT AND VOTE, AND BRING UP CERTAIN ISSUES, SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD,
BUT WHEN THE ONLY REASON FOR DOING THESE THINGS IS TO RAISE
MONEY, I START TO ASK MYSELF, WELL, WHY ARE THESE GUYS WITH SO
MANY MILLIONS? WHY DON'T THEY JUST STICK THEIR HAND IN THEIR POCKET INSTEAD OF DOING A CONCERT, BUT I GUESS THEY NEED, ALSO, THE PROMOTION,YOU KNOW, TO MAKE PEOPLE CONSCIOUS OF IT.
MC >> POLITICAL CANDIDATES TALK ABOUT THE LATINO VOTE. THERE IS NO LATINO VOTING BLOCK. LATINOS, AS THE UNITED STATES CHARACTERIZES IT AS CUBANS, AS LATIN AMERICANS, AS MEXICANS.
IT'S ALL OVER THE MAP, YET YOUR MUSIC GOES ACROSS THOSE LINES.
YOU WOULD AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT, RIGHT? THAT YOU'RE POPULAR THROUGHOUT.
WC >> RIGHT.
MC >> IS THERE AN ISSUE THAT COULD BE A DEFINING THING OR A
GALVANIZING THING FOR LATINOS AS THEY ARE DEFINED IN THE U.S. TO
COME TOGETHER?
WC >> YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE HOLYGRAIL RIGHT NOW FOR US.
THERE IS. WE ARE SUCH A DIVERSE GROUP. WE DO -- YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE -- YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE OUR LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL, YOU KNOW, SIMILARITIES, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, BACK HOME.
MC >> WHAT COULD BE THE NEXT STEP?
WC >> THERE'S DISCUSSION. THERE HAS TO BE A CHARISMATIC FIGURE OR SOMETHING WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME BEHIND. SOMEONE THAT COULD COME FORWARD AND KIND OF BRING US TOGETHER.
MC >> BUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAS BEHIND IT THE, YOU KNOW, THE OPPRESSION, THE BASIC LACK OF CIVIL RIGHTS. IT WAS ALMOST AN ISSUE. IT'S HARDER TO DEFINE THAT RIGHT NOW, I WOULD THINK IN THE COMMUNITY, OR MAYBE NOT.
WC >> WELL, THE THING IS WE ARE -- THIS IS THE -- THE LATINOS ARE
NOT A RACE. AN ETHNICITY. WE'RE A CULTURE, SO SOME OF US DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A CIVIL RIGHT’S PROBLEM, AND THE LIGHTER-SKINNED ONES DON'T. THEY CAN PASS. THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF ISSUES. I THINK THERE IS CERTAIN PROBLEMS IN NEW YORK – MY FAMILY CAME OVER IN THE 1920'S. WE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A COUPLE OF GENERATIONS, AND MY CHILDREN, ALSO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THEIR LATIN SURNAME, IN THE SYSTEM, THEY GET TRACKED WITH THE IMMIGRANTS, YOU KNOW, AND SO I'M ABLE TO APPRECIATE HOW THERE IS A DIFFERENT STANDARD FOR JUST ON A DISCERNING, JUST ON A FIRST IMPRESSION BASIS, WITHOUT -- PEOPLE JUST JUMP TO A CONCLUSION, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR IMAGE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE STILL -- THE
LATINO IS STILL IN THE MOVIES TODAY.
HE'S THE BAD GUY. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A GAD GUY, YOU CHOOSE THE LATINO. IF YOU NEED A DRUG DEALER, YOU NEED A KILLER, YOU KNOW, THEY CHOOSE A LATINO AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS THE GOOD GUYS. WE LIKE TO BE -- MAKE THAT STEP AND BECOME THE GOOD GUYS.
MC >> I'VE GOT A FEW SECONDS LEFT, AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU.
YOU WORKED FOR DINKINS AND MARIO CUOMO. NOW YOU ARE BACKING A REPUBLICAN FOR MAYOR. WHAT HAPPENED?
WC >> I RAN FOR PUBLIC ADVOCATE IN NEW YORK, AND --
MC >> AS A DEMOCRAT?
WC >> AS A DEMOCRAT, AND I MET MIKE BLOOMBERG WHILE I WAS RUNNING, AND I LOST, AND HE CALLED ME UP AND ASKED ME TO HELP HIM OUT IF I WANTED TO WORK WITH HIM, AND ITHINK IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT I EVER DID.
MC >> SO YOU DON'T SEE PARTIES?
WC >> NO. I LOOK AT THE -- WHAT THEY WANT
TO GET DONE, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M WITH HIS AGENDA, AND I'M NOT A
STAUNCH, YOU KNOW, REPUBLICAN OR A STAUNCH DEMOCRAT. I WANT TO -- WHOEVER HAS GOT THE RIGHT AGENDA, I'M WILLING TO
WORK WITH THEM.
MC >> MR. COLON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US ON "NEED TO KNOW." WE NEED TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON OTHER REPORTS THAT WE PRODUCE. DO THAT BY E-MAILING US OR
CALLING THE NEED TO KNOW RESPONSE LINE AT 258-0250.
FIRST A HISTORY LESSON. IN THE 1800'S, FREED AMERICAN SLAVES TRAVELED TO THE PROMISED LAND TO SET UP A NEW COLONY, LIBERIA.
IT MEANS LAND OF THE FREE. IT BROUGHT THE CULTURES OF THE
AMERICAN SOUTH. THAT DID NOT GO OVER WELL WITH THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES ALREADY THERE. THESE AMERICAN LIBERIANS SUPPRESSED THE TRIBE UNTIL A COUP IN 1980. AS JULIE PHILIPP REPORTS THAT'S WHEN DANIELLE SMITH FLED LIBERIA TO LIVE WITH HER MOTHER IN NEW
YORK .
JULIE PHILLIP (JP) >> DANIELLE SMITH IS NOW DR. DANIELLE SMITH, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AT ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY. IN THE 25 YEARS SHE HAS BEEN IN AMERICA, SHE WATCHED HER COUNTRY BE TORN APART BY CIVIL WAR. THOUSANDS KILLED, THOUSANDS MORE HOMELESS. SEVERAL HUNDRED REFUGEES HAVE RESETTLED HERE IN ROCHESTER. SMITH HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING THEM FIND A FUTURE. THEY, IN TURN, HAVE HELPED SMITH
FIND A PAST. SHE'S PUTTING IT IN TO WORDS –
DANIELLE SMITH (DS) >>DESPITE RELIGION, DESPITE – DESPITE TRIBAL BACKGROUND, DESPITE ETHNICITY, I DON'T THINK THERE IS A SINGLE FAMILY NOT AFFECTED BY THE DECADES OF CIVIL WAR. EVERY FAMILY HAS LOST A FAMILY MEMBER OR A FRIEND.
JP >> DANIELLE SMITH WAS NOT WITNESS TO THE HORROR IN
LIBERIA , BUT SHE IS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE LIBERIAN REFUGEES
MEET WHEN THEY COME TO ROCHESTER. SHE TAKES THEM TO MEDICAL
APPOINTMENTS, JOB INTERVIEWS AN GROCERY SHOPPING. SHE HELPS THEM LEARN TO READ AND WRITE. THEY CALL HER WHEN THEY NEED A RIDE TO WAL-MART. AS SMITH HELPS THE REFUGEES
SETTLE IN TO THEIR NEW LIVES. SHE LISTENS.
DS >>SO WHILE DRIVING, PEOPLE BEGAN TO TELL THEIR STORIES, SOME OF THE THINGS THEY WENT THROUGH, AND I WOULD ALWAYS SAY, "WOW, YOU HAVE TO WRITE THAT DOWN. WOW, YOU HAVE TO WRITE THAT DOWN," AND I HAVE HEARD SO MANY OF THESE STORIES AN SOMEPLACE ALONG THE WAY, THEY SAID WHY DON'T YOU WRITE THEM DOWN? AND THAT'S WHAT I STARTED DOING. I HAVE A HALFWAY COMPLETED MANUSCRIPT. THIS IS A BOOK, I THINK, THAT
GOES BEYOND THE LIBERIAN EXPERIENCE. IT GOES BEYOND, I THINK, THE
REFUGEE EXPERIENCE. THIS IS A BOOK FOR ALL PEOPLE, JUST EXAMINING THE WILL TO SURVIVE AGAINST TREMENDOUS ODDS THAT WE COULD NOT EVEN IMAGINE. THIS IS A WOMAN, WHO SHE IS IN ROCHESTER, AND SHE IS A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.
THIS IS PART OF HER STORY. WE GOT TO A CHECKPOINT. I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT. THERE WAS A PREGNANT WOMAN, 8 OR 9 MONTHS. WE CAME TO A STANDSTILL. THERE WERE REBELS ARGUING AMONG THEMSELVES WHAT THE CHILD WAS IN THE WOMAN'S STOMACH. THE WOMAN SAID THEY WERE GIRLS AND THE MEN SAID THEY WERE BOYS. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE SAW THEM PUTTING MONEY TOGETHER BETTING. WHILE WE WERE STANDING THERE, THEY TIED HER HANDS AND FEET AND SLASHED HER STOMACH OPEN TRYING
TO FIND OUT WHICH CHILD IT WAS IN HER STOMACH. SHE WAS FIGHTING BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, BUT THEY WERE SO MANY, THEY OVERPOWERED HER AND WE HAD TO STAND AND WATCH AND THEY TOLD US TO CHEER, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, AND CLAP. WE DID NOT WANT TO DO IT, BUT WE HAD TO, AND WE DID IT. THE BABY WAS A GIRL.
AFTER I DID AN INTERVIEW, I'M SO EXHAUSTED AND I KNOW THEY ARE
TOO, BUT WHAT I FIND COMFORTING, WHAT I SEE EMERGING AMONG LIBERIANS WHO HAVE BEEN DISTURBED IS A FEELING OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AS LIBERIANS THAT DID NOT HAPPEN BEFORE IN LIBERIA BECAUSE YOU HAD ALL THESE DIFFERENT ETHNIC DIVISIONS.
Kolako Kamkra (KK) >> I REALLY HATE TO SEE PEOPLE TREATING
OTHER PEOPLE LIKE BAD PEOPLE.
JP >> REFUGEE KOLAKO CAM MARA, A MEMBER OF THE MAN DIN GO TRIBE IS FEATURED ON LIBERIA.COM, A WEB SITE SET UP BY A FORMER R.I.T. STUDENT TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS FOR SMITH'S BOOK. KAMKRA IS ONE OF MANY TRIBAL LIBERIANS WHO AMERICAN LIBERIAN SMITH HAS HELPED. KAMKRA TRUSTS SMITH WITH MEMORIES HE FINDS TOO DISTURBING TO SHARE WITH OTHERS.
KK >> SOMETIMES, THEY WOULD COLLECT YOUNG GIRLS, YOU KNOW, AND SET THEM ON FIRE. IT WAS REALLY TERRIBLE, REALLY. I DON'T WANT TO GO TOO DEEP INTO IT, BECAUSE IT IS JUST BETTER TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT I KNOW AND WHAT I SAW. I DON'T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT IT.
JP >> DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE SORT OF A HEALER IN ALLOWING THEM TO TELL THESE STORIES AND NOT JUST AN AUTHOR?
DS >> I DON'T KNOW, A HEALER. I FEEL MORE LIKE A FRIEND. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK A HEALER, BUT JUST SOMEONE THAT THEY CAN TALK TO, AND EVEN AS ROUGH AS THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN, IT IS A HEALING PROCESS OF WHO I AM AND WHERE I'M FROM.
YEAH, IT'S REALLY MADE ME SEARCH MYSELF, WHERE I STAND, WHAT MY CONTRIBUTIONS ARE, YES. IT DEFINITELY HAS HAD AN IMPACT. THE BOOK MAY BE MORE FOR ME THAN FOR THE REFUGEES THEMSELVES. IT'S -- YEAH. I WORK ON IT ALL THE TIME. I'M ALMOST OBSESSED WITH IT. JUST REALLY REALLY WANT TO TELL THEIR STORIES.
MC >> JOINING US NOW TO BROADEN THE DISCUSSION IS PATRICIA
MCCARTHY, THE DIRECTOR OF REFUGEE IMMIGRATION AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES AT THE CATHOLIC FAMILY SERVICES CENTER IN ROCHESTER. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. DR. SMITH TOLD US, CLEARLY, THAT HER BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS FOR
LIBERIAN REFUGEES. REFUGEES PERIOD. DEFINE WHAT THOSE AREAS. WHAT ARE THOSE STRESSORS?
PATRICIA MCCARTHY (PM) >> WELL, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT EACH YEAR, CATHOLIC FAMILIES CENTER RESETTLES -- WELL, LAST YEAR, ALMOST 500 REFUGEES, AND THEY COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THERE ARE ROUGHLY 12 MILLION REFUGEES CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A
NEW HOME.
MC >> WAR TORN?
PM >> WAR TORN.
MC >> PLACES WHERE THERE IS ABSOLUTE, YOU KNOW, ANARCHY. THESE ARE NOT STABLE PLACES?
PM >> EXACTLY. MANY OF THESE REFUGEES HAVE BEEN IN CAMPS FOR 10, 12 YEARS, SO THE EXPERIENCES ARE DIFFERENT, DEPENDING UPON WHAT PART OF THE WORLD THEY COME FROM, BUT WHAT THEY SHARE IS JUST UPHEAVAL, DISRUPTION OF SIGNIFICANT PROPORTIONS. OFTEN THEY HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN VICTIMS OF TORTURE. THEY HAVE SEEN LOVED ONES MURDERED, OFTEN IN FRONTS OF THEIR EYES. JUST HORRIFIC TRAGEDIES.
MC >> WHAT WILL YOU SEE WHEN THEY COME HERE? I HEARD IT DESCRIBED AS POST TRAUMATIC STRESS. IS THAT BASICALLY WHAT – DO YOU SEE THAT?
PM >> YES. WE DO AND, YOU KNOW, THAT PLAYS OUT IN MANY WAYS, JUST AS IT DOES WITH OUR OWN MILITARY PERSONNEL, WHO ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, CONTEND WITH PTSD. SO, YOU SEE, DEPRESSION. YOU SEE INABILITY TO REALLY COPE IN SOME RESPECTS, AND THAT CONTINUES -- TO BE A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN FOR US. WHAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE,
HOWEVER, IS THE FACT THAT THESE REFUGEES ARE SURVIVORS, AND
WHILE THEY HAVE -- HAD TO CONTEND WITH ALL MANNER OF
HORRIFIC…HORRIFIC EXPERIENCES IN THEIR LIVES, THAT'S THE ONE THING THEY SHARE, AND THEY WANT WHAT WE ALL WANT, WHICH IS A SAFE AND SECURE PLACE TO LIVE AND TO WORK, AND TO RAISE A FAMILY, AND SO, MOST OF THEM MAKE THE TRANSITION.
MC >>ANYBODY WHO COMES HERE, THERE'S ALWAYS A PUSH AND PULL OF I'M GOING TO. I'M IN AMERICA. I NEED TO ASSIMILATE. I NEED TO BE A PART OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY, AND YET I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY CULTURE. HOW DO THESE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS MAKE THAT DIFFICULT FOR FOLKS TO ASSIMULATE AND THEN TO TRY TO KEEP THEIR IDENTITY?
PM >> WELL, TO THE DEGREE THAT PEOPLE ARE AFRAID AND, YOU KNOW, AND COMING FROM BEING IN A REFUGEE CAMP FOR A DECADE, OBVIOUSLY, MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES IS A LITTLE OVERWHELMING, AND SO WE TRY, AT CATHOLIC FAMILY CENTER, TO KIND OF EASE THAT TRANSITION BY PROVIDING SOME BASIC CORE SERVICES TO HELP, BUT, CLEARLY, PEOPLE LIKE DANIELLE SMITH AND
OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE IN AN EXCEPTIONAL POSITION TO HELP SUPPORT, AND HELP THAT ASSIMULATION PROCESS.
MC >> DO YOU GET VOLUNTEERS TO DO THIS?
PM >> WE DO. I WOULD SAY WE NEVER EVER-- WE NEVER HAVE
ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS. IN THE LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, WE RESETTLED 22 SIMALI FAMILIES WITH THE HELP OF AREA CHURCHES, SOME CATHOLIC, SOME PROTESTANT, AND EACH FAMILY THAT HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING PARTNERED WITH A CHURCH TEAM IS IN A MUCH
BETTER POSITION, BECAUSE THOSE CHURCH MEMBERS REALLY HELP WITH
ALL OF THOSE ADJUSTMENT ISSUES OVER OFTEN, YOU KNOW, MONTHS AND SOMETIMES YEARS.
MC >> LET'S PUT YOUR NUMBER ON OUR WEB SITE. I JUST HAVE A FEW SECONDS LEFT. THERE IS A FUNDING THERE, STATE OR FEDERAL?
PM >> WE GET FEDERAL FUNDING FOR BASIC SERVICES, BUT THAT'S ALL
IT PROVIDES FOR IS BASIC SERVICES, SO FOR EVERY $200 THAT WE CAN RAISE LOCALLY, IT HELPS US TO MATCH $800 IN FEDERAL AID.
MC >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE BUSINESS SECTION WITH THE DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE.
JULIE PHILLIP (JP) >> JOINING US AGAIN IN STUDIO IS ELLEN ROSEN, A BUSINESS EDITOR FOR THE DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE. HI, ELLEN.
ELLEN ROSEN (ER) >> HI.
JP >> A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN JOHNSON & JOHNSON AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER THIS WEEK. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
ER>> YES. BASICALLY ONE OF THE ISSUES TO GET ONE OF THESE BIOTECH COMPANIES OFF THE GROUND, TO GET THESE DISCOVERIES OFF THE GROUND, YOU NEED A LOT OF MONEY. WITH FIELDWORK TRIALS IS DIFFICULT TO GET MONEYS IN THE EARLY STAGES. IT'S NOT DIFFICULT TO GET MONEY ONCE IT IS A PROVEN PRODUCT, BUT THAT $100,000 OR SO YOU NEED TO FIND OUT IF SOMETHING IS GOING TO BE PROVEN PRODUCT IS TOUGH TO COME BY. JOHNSON AND JOHNSON IS GOING TO BE PROVIDING -- THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE POOL, BUT THEY WILL PROVIDE THESE KIND OF SMALL LOANS TO OUR RESEARCHERS TO CONTINUE DISCOVERIES TO REALLY GET THEM STARTED.
JP >> WHAT IS IN IT FOR JOHNSON & JOHNSON?
ER >> IF SOMETHING BECOMES A GREAT DISCOVERY, THEY HAVE FIRST RIGHTS OR REFUSAL TO DEVELOP IT AS A PRODUCT OR NOT.
JP >> DO YOU KNOW THE TYPE OF RESEARCH BEING DONE AT THIS MED
CENTER?
ER >> THERE IS A MED ETHICAL ISSUE. IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME CONCERN OF MEDICAL RESEARCH WHEN IT IS FUNDED BY PRIVATE COMPANIES WHETHER OR NOT THE RESEARCH WILL COME OUT TO SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRODUCT. THERE ARE ALSO ISSUES THERE.
JP >> JOHNS HOPKINS AND A COUPLE OF OTHER UNIVERSITIES HAVE ADOPTED POLICIES AND GUIDELINES. HAS THE U OF R STARTED ANYTHING FORMAL LIKE THAT?
ER >> U OF R HAS A AN ETHICAL POLICY IN REGARDS TO THAT. THESE THINGS ARE SO EARLY ON, THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT TRIALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT WHERE ANYTHING MIGHT COME TO MARKET.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN EARLY STAGE, DOES THIS IDEA I HAVE HAVE LEGS.
JP >> CONTROVERSY AT HIGHLAND HOSPITAL THIS WEEK.
ER >> YES, WE HAD A LAWSUIT FILED WITH THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION HAS TAKEN UP A LAWSUIT, FIVE PLAINTIFFS,
MOSTLY WORKING ON THE HOUSEKEEPING STAFF AT HIGHLAND
HOSPITAL. THEY SAY THEY WERE TOLD BY A SUPERVISOR THAT THEY NEED TO SPEAK ENGLISH ONLY ON THE PREMISES.
JP >> APPARENTLY THEY HAVE IN WRITING THEY WERE DISCIPLINED
WHEN THEY DIDN'T.
ER >> THEY SAY THEY ARE RATHER CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY WERE
REFUGEES, HIRED -- IMMIGRANTS, EXCUSE ME, HIRED AND ASSIGNED TO A SPANISH-SPEAKING SUPERVISOR TO FACILITATE ALL OF THIS, AND THEY SAY THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONTROVERSY IS AND THEY FEEL THEIR RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED.
JP >> IT'S GOING THROUGH FEDERAL COURT?
ER >> THE EEOC FEELS THEY DO HAVE A CASE. THEY TAKE ON A VERY SMALL FRACTION OF THESE SUITS THAT ARE BROUGHT. THEY HAVE BROUGHT LAWYERS IN AND THEY THINK THEY HAVE A STRONG CASE HERE.
JP >> FINALLY, ROCHESTER TECH IS UP FOR SALE.
ER >> YES, THE DEVELOPER BRAD COHEN WHO BOUGHT THE PROPERTY FROM EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY FEELS THE TIME IS RIGHT AND MARKET IS GOOD. DEVELOPERS BUY LAND. THEY DON'T BY IT TO OWN IT
FOREVER. THEY BUY IT TO DEVELOP IT AND SELL IT TO THE NEXT GUY FOR A BIG BUCK.
JP >> HE IS LOOKING FOR ONE GUY, RIGHT?
ER >> YES, HE SAYS HE IS LOOKING FOR AN ELEPHANT, NOT A RABBIT, A BIG GUY THAT WILL COME IN, BIG PERSON, BIG COMPANY TO COME IN
AND BUY THE ENTIRE PROPERTY.
JP >> THANKS, ELLEN.
ER >> ABSOLUTELY.
JP >> WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE COVERING, THE ISSUES, THE TOPICS, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT SHOULD BE TACKLED IN THIS FORUM. TELL US BY E-MAILING US AT WXXI.ORG OR CALL OUR RESPONSE LINE AT 258-0250.
MC >> THAT'S OUR REPORT. NEXT WEEK WE HEAR FROM THE LEADING VOICES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER AND ITS MEDICAL CENTER ON HOW THEY WANT TO SPUR ECONOMIC GROWTH. SEE YOU THEN.
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