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From: tonyw@ubvax.UUCP (Tony Wuersch)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Re: ``they'' vs *US*
Message-ID: <204@ubvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Jun-85 22:58:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: ubvax.204
Posted: Wed Jun 12 22:58:30 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Jun-85 04:38:22 EDT
References: <2515@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: tonyw@ubvax.UUCP (Tony Wuersch)
Organization: Ungermann-Bass, Inc., Santa Clara, Ca.
Lines: 74

I wasn't around reading the net when the Big Dan's case was so hotly
discussed, but I'd appreciate mail about that discussion.  I lived in
Fall River, where the trial and the marches took place, until 1977
when I left for college.  I remember the time, and talks I had with
people back there; it was scary.

Heather Emanuel and Lisa Chabot are right about the tone taken by the
organizers of the march and by the Portuguese community in general.
The woman was Portuguese, not American.  Still she got death threats
and had to move out of New Bedford.  I recall that the penalty was
considered fair and harsh by most of the press.  The judge got a lot
of press credit for running a fair trial.

The Portuguese community there is sort-of a Cuban-style enclave.  Any
Portuguese woman who stays in that community lives a life dominated
by local patriarchy.  However, she can move out.  The moment of
adulthood when a woman decides to join or stay in that community is
a very hard time.  I wish the high schools in Fall River and New
Bedford helped women to make those choices.

The special problem of the trial was that the traditional Portuguese
in Southeastern Mass had political reactions and organizational norms
better fitting the Azores before the end of Portugal's Salazar period
-- a corrupt and vicious dictatorship -- than of the US where they now
live.  Massive emigration from the Azores which reached its height
in the 60's probably gave an impression to many poorer immigrants
that they could succeed in completely transporting their culture, lock
stock and barrel, to the new country.

And then came Big Dan's.

Portuguese stick together against outsiders, and the more traditional
they are, the more they stick together.  Perhaps in Portugal,
politics was both corrupt and deadly serious, so that only by
presenting an united front could a community beat the regime.  In
Fall River I often sensed threats of violence if I pushed an issue
too far.  It's as if people felt they might have to defend their
whole way of life with their fists if necessary.

In my senior year at the Fall River public high school, the administration
tried to impose a discipline code that would reduce a student's grade
for skipping class.  Three days after the announcement, the entire
school walked out, but the organizers of the walkout, mostly business
students -- nearly all Portuguese women, since the men mostly drop out
to work -- remained hidden from the administration.  They never spoke
up once except to show what they could do.

I remember that time vividly because one of my teachers threatened that
if I joined the walkout, he would send nasty letters about me to the
colleges to which I had applied.  So I didn't go.

I suspect the legwork behind organizing the trial march was mostly
done by women -- a mother spoke as if she were one of its leaders.
As in my high school, likely the women acted on principles, in this
case to defend their men.

From living in Fall River, I (surprisingly, perhaps) take a harsher
stance on what happened than many outside.  Women and children are so
oppressed by the traditional structure that schools should provide
external assistance to defend them and help them choose what futures
they want to follow.  But that would amount to an invasion on what
are often considered community prerogatives, local rule, etc..

Fat chance that will happen.

On the other hand, I didn't appreciate getting into fights because I
was willing to argue with people that abortion was ok.  And at the time
of the Big Dan's case, I wouldn't have appreciated getting threatened
by stares if I mentioned the case, as happened to my parents.  People
who want to lead their own lives, free, have to lay low to survive
in Southeastern Mass..  I'm glad I left.

Tony Wuersch  (for now a Californian)
{amd,amdcad}!cae780!ubvax!tonyw