vol. 53 (1989), no. 7

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Volume LIIl


November 1989


No. 7


~ ACLU Honors


- Hernandez with


- Highest Award


/ | The life of Aileen Hernandez is truly


one to be honored, admired and


emulated. Her work reflects her


intense commitment to the cutting issues of


half a century of U.S. political life: racial


justice, the rights of labor, women's


equality and peace.


On Sunday, December 10, Hernandez


will be honored with the Earl Warren Civil


Liberties Award at the ACLU-NC 17th


annual Bill of Rights Day Celebration. The


event, which will be held at the Le


Meridien Hotel in San Francisco, is the


culmination of the ACLU-NC Founda-


tion's annual fundraising campaigns.


Congressman Don Edwards - will


present the award to Hernandez. The


keynote speaker will be Ralph Neas,


Executive Director of the Leadership


Conference on Civil Rights, based in


Washington, D.C. The Lola Hanzel


Courageous Advocacy Award | will be


presented to veteran ACLU-NC activist


Frances Strauss.


Earl Warren Award


Each year, for the past sixteen years,


the Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award has


been presented to a person or persons who


have distinguished themselves as


champions in the battle to preserve and


expand civil liberties.


"Aileen Hernandez has dedicated her


entire career to the key civil liberties


issues of our times,' said ACLU-NC


Board Chair H. Lee Halterman. "From her


student days picketing segregated theaters


in Washington, D.C. to her current


leadership against the death penalty in


California, as a policy maker and as a


hands-on activist, Aileen is a fighter for


justice."


Hemandez graduated magna cum


laude from Howard University in 1947,


but interrupted her graduate studies at


New York University to accept the


challenge of the International Ladies


Garment Workers for "young people of


dedication to join union service." She


served the ILGWU for eleven years, as an


organizer of the union's Pacific Coast


- Region and later as the national Education


and Public Relations Director.


She served as assistant chief of the


California Fair Employment Practices


Commission where Hernandez's spirit and


skill caught the eye of national leaders. In


1965 she was appointed by President


Continued on page 7


Teens Do Not Need


Parental Consent for


~ Abortions


rights, the California Court of Appeal


upheld the temporary ban on a


California law that requires parental


consent or a court order for teenagers'


abortions.


The October 12 ruling in American


Academy of Pediatrics v. Van de Kamp,


was applauded by attorneys for the


ACLU-NC and the Adolescent Health


Care Project of the National Center for


Youth Law (NYCL) who originally filed


the suit in 1987.


ACLU-NC staff attorney Margaret


Crosby was especially pleased that the


Court reaffirmed that the California


Constitution guarantees the the right to


abortion and the right to privacy for


I n a major victory for reproductive


minors, independent of the federal


Constitution. "That should be very


reassuring to California women after the


U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Webster v.


Reproductive Health Services," Crosby


said.


The challenged law - which requires


teenagers to obtain parental consent or a


court order before they can get an abortion


- was passed by the state Legislature and


signed by the Governor in 1987. Although


it was to go into effect on January 1, 1988,


the legal challenge prevented that and,


because of court orders, the law has never


. gone into effect.


The unanimous Court of Appeal


decision, written by Justice William Stein,


Continued on page 3


Honoree Aileen Hernandez speaking at a NOW conference in Los Angeles in 1972;


Hernandez was the second President of NOW and later served as Chair of its


Advisory Council.


Courtesy of Hernandez Associates


Elaine Elinson


aclu news


november 1989


In a trial currently underway in U.S.


District Court in Sacramento, eight


inmates at the California Medical Facility


in Vacaville (CMF), are challenging


prison conditions which they charge are


so bad as to constitute cruel and unusual


punishment.


The ACLU-NC_ is __ representing


HIV-positive inmates who have been


segregated in the prison's "AIDS wing."


Northern California male prisoners with


AIDS, and most whom the Department of


Corrections has identified as infected with


HIV (the virus which causes AIDS) are


housed at CMF.


There are approximately 130 inmates


on the AIDS wing, officially called the


Special Program Unit.


One of them, James Haynes Camarillo,


testified at the trial on October 2. His


eloquent and _ profoundly personal


testimony brought many in the courtroom


to tears. Below are excerpts from


Camarillo' s testimony.


denied to learn a trade. I'm


denied work. I mean, you have


some jobs down there, but - you know,


really they don't amount to nothing."


Camarillo and the other HIV-infected


inmates sent prison officials two petitions


asking equal access to job training and


programs. Both petitions were denied.


Their requests for


Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous


programs also fell on deaf ears.


"T wouldn't really call it teaching,"


Camarillo said of the "special" courses


offered to HIV inmates. "[The teacher]


drops off a book and then comes back next


week to check up on you.


6 y 'm denied an education. I'm


No college classes


"T have six college units. I would like


to get on with my college education, but


I'm denied that," he said. Special Program


inmates can not take courses higher than


basic education and preparation for the


GED exam. Camarillo took college


courses in creative writing and accounting


before the ban took effect.


Camarillo testified that he and other


ACLU Board


Officers


The following have been elected as the


new officers of the ACLU-NC Board of


Directors: H. Lee Halterman, Chair; Tom


Lockard, Treasurer; Vice-chairs: Lori


-Bannai (Chair, Legislative Committee),


Marsha Berzon (Chair, Legal Committee),


Milton Estes (Chair, Development


Committee), Dick Grosboll (Chair, Field


Committee). These officers will be joined


on the Executive Committee by Marlene


De Lancie, Joanne Lewis, Jack Londen,


Nancy Pemberton, Margaret Russell,


Eileen Siedman, and Beverly Tucker.


Pemberton will also serve as_ the


ACLU-NC affiliate representative to the


national ACLU Board of Directors.


Alcoholics |


Inmate's Trial Testimony


"Why not Let Me Go on with My Life?"


CMF inmate James Camarillo transformed a dark closet and some discarded books into a "satellite" law library for the AIDS


Wing at the prison.


Darcy Padilla/courtesy of J. Camarillo


inmates signed up for classes in the spring


of 1989, but were put out of the program


on the first day. "I was waiting at the gate


along with some other people to get


escorted. And word came in, `You guys


from the AIDS unit can't go,' "


Camarillo filed an administrative


appeal for himself and four others. The


appeal was denied.


Camarillo told the court that HIV


inmates are allowed in the main library


only once a week for two to three hours.


- They are always segregated. "We get to


the library under escort down there, they


throw everyone out... They tell everyone,


"You can't go in there unless you got


"AIDS =


The use of the library is far from equal.


"We can't check out books. We can't


check nothing to go outside the library and


bring back like the mainline does. You


can't check them out and take them with


you. So what are you going to do, read a


novel in three hours?"


Despite his lack of formal education


beyond high school, Camarillo is the clerk


for the AIDS wing "satellite" law library.


`When I first started, I had a light bulb to


screw in and a cord to pull. It was just a


dirty little closet. A lot of stuff we get in


there is dated, it's stuff the main prison


library doesn't want."


The Department segregation policy


even covers exercise. On the one day a


week that HIV inmates are allowed into


the mainline gym, "It's without the


mainline inmates, it's always us


segregated down there." The AIDS wing


also has a segregated exercise yard, with


only minimal facilities.


No AIDS counseling


Camarillo was told on his birthday that


he was HIV positive. The prison medical


staff who gave him the news did not


provide counseling. He has received none


since.


"T've seen a pamphlet laying around


and you pick it up and read it if you want


to hear about it. There wasn't any AIDS


education at all." p


Camarillo said he helped run AIDS


education seminars for mainline and


newly arrived inmates for five months, but


usually without supervision by CMF


medical staff.


The prison policy


requires HIV


inmates to be escorted if they leave the |


AIDS wing. The scarcity of escorts caused


Camarillo to miss several appointments


with a prison psychologist. The doctor


decided he could not set aside time for an


inmate who often could not come, so he (c)


discontinued treatment.


According to Camarillo, it is the


combination of idleness and isolation in a


confined space with people who are very


sick which makes life on the AIDS wing


so difficult.


"You feel like you're on a shelf. And


what I mean by that is, like in San


Quentin, when you're sentenced to death,


youre on the shelf.' That's the


terminology they use.


"T see a lot of hurt and pain... and a lot


of people suffering and a lot of people


give up. I see this guy who is healthy and,


two weeks later, gone. And you wonder, is


that going to be me?


"Tt's a lot of hurt sitting there watching


people die and deteriorate and just


- that's all - you're exposed to that 24


hours a day." oe


Camarillo says mainline inmates do


not object to full integration. "The whole


institution attitude has changed. We're


accepted now." But he knows mainline


inmates who won't take the HIV test


"because of the segregation."


Camarillo scoffs at the Department's


argument that it needs to segregate to


provide medical care. "You'd think I'm


hooked to a machine five times a day or


something. But I just get a plastic bag with


five vitamins in it.


"Why should I be denied to better


myself, to get on with my life? The state


provides various programs to assist you,


and I'm denied all that. And it hurts a lot.


It hurts psychologically a lot."


Research for this article was done by


ACLU-NC Public Information Department


intern Paul Stein.


aclu news


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September and November-December.


Published by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California


H. Lee Halterman, Chairperson


Dorothy Ehrlich, Executive Director


Elaine Elinson, Editor


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(415) 621-2488


Membership $20 and up, of which 50 cents is for a subscription to the aclu news and


50 cents is for the national ACLU-bi-monthly publication, Civil Liberties.


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aclu news


november 1989 3


Court Halts ``Invasive" Searches of Prison Visitors


isitors to inmates at California


V prisons will no longer have to


endure "abhorrent" invasions of


their privacy, as a result of a Marin


County Superior Court order issued on


September 12.


The ruling followed a month-long trial


in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU-NC and


the Prison Law Office against the


California Department of Corrections


challenging random searches of inmates'


visitors and their cars in prison parking


lots.


Judge Robert. H. Breiner's injunction


forbids dog searches of visitors' cars


without written consent, and requires the


CDC to inform visitors of their right to


leave if they do not wish to be searched. It


also forbids officers from allowing their


dogs to "approach, much less sniff," any


visitor.


"The treatment of some visitors ... has


bordered on the abhorrent," wrote Judge


Breiner. He rebuked CDC personnel for


"acting without thinking, ignoring `the


sensibilities of wives, mothers, and


children, damaging visitors' personal


dignity, and forgetting basic rules of


courtesy and respect."


The case was tried by Prison Law


Office attorney Donald Specter,


ACLU-NC cooperating attorneys Richard


Goff, Jon Hayden, Richard DeNatale, and


Jo Kerlinsky of Heller, Ehrman, White and


McAuliffe, and ACLU-NC staff attorney


Alan Schlosser. The massive amount of


testimony and documentation for the trial


was organized by legal assistants Monica


Zukow and Craig Hennen, also of Heller,


Ehrman.


"Visitors are free citizens and can't be


treated like prisoners, whose rights are


diminished by their incarceration."


"The case originated because armed


guards and police dogs subjected prison


visitors, including children, to a


frightening, humiliating, and blatantly


excessive invasion of personal liberty,"


said Goll In domg so, the CDC


obstructed and deterred prison visits, and


indeed, undermined the values which visits


are intended to foster."


From now on, the dogs must be kept 20


feet from visitors at all times.


The judge also warned prison guards


"against reading visitors' private mail and


legal papers and rifling through personal


belongings.


Major victory


Specter called the ruling a "major


victory" for prison visitors. "It reinforces


the notion that prison visitors are free


citizens and can't be treated like prisoners,


whose rights are diminished by their


incarceration," he said.


The suit charged that the CDC's search


policy, initiated in 1985, violates the


Fourth Amendment and is unnecessary for


prison security, as all visitors are already


subject to a metal detector screening and


an examination of their personal


belongings as


buildings.


Judge Breiner, however, refused to


require that such searches must be


supported by individualized suspicion that


the person possesses contraband.


"Weighing the need for the search


program to combat the serious drug


problem in the state prisons, the balance


ults in its favor against the invasions of


they enter the prison


privacy of the visitors," he wrote, as long


as the Department adheres to the


restrictions imposed by his injunctive


~ order.


- "We are considering a further appeal,


and right now we are fighting over the


terms of the permanent injunction," said


Specter. A hearing was held on November


1 to finalize the details of the injunction.


Constitutionally, an administrative


search must be no more intrusive than


necessary, and the suit brought to light


many abuses of CDC guards. Unwarranted


strip searches, intimidation, damage to


visitors' cars and personal property by


police dogs, and marathon delays all serve


to harass and discourage visitors.


"This decision, although limited, will


encourage people to continue visiting and


maintain firm relationships with their


loved ones inside the walls," said


Schlosser.


As a result of the decision, parking lot


signs warning of "routine searches" no


longer sufficiently imply consent to dog


and strip searches. Visitors must be |


informed of a dog search and submit


written consent prior to being searched.


Visitors must also be informed of their


right to leave if they do not wish to be


searched.


To eliminate delays that have lasted up


to four hours, Judge Breiner set a 20


minute limit on all searches.


Law enforcement


"At some institutions the goal


became one in which law enforcement


became an important objective of the


search team," wrote Judge Breiner.


To remedy this he ruled that DMV


violations discovered by guards are not to


be reported, and that the discovery of


contraband not intended for smuggling is


not grounds to deny visitation. He also


forbade local police from taking part in the


searches.


Earlier in the case, in May 1986, a


preliminary injunction was _ issued


requiring the CDC to inform visitors of


their right to leave if they did not wish to


be searched.


The suit came to trial on April 7 of this


year and ran through May 11; the trial


included testimony from several prisoners'


wives who had been harassed during the


parking lot searches.


Parental Consent ...


Continued from page |


states, "The state Constitution is a


document of independent force, and the


rights defined therein are not mirror


images of federal counterparts.


The state Constitution, Stein wrote,


"provides that the right of privacy is


guaranteed to all persons."


Noting that the right to choose an


abortion cannot be infringed without a


compelling state interest, the Court stated


that the groups challenging the law had


already presented extensive evidence to


refute the state's claim of a compelling


interest. "There was evidence that in


reducing the ability of a minor to make her


own decision in the matter, [the law] will


cause increased stress and depression.


"There was evidence that most minors


are very frightened of court proceedings


and that such proceedings cause additional


stress and anxiety. There was evidence


that [the law] will cause minors to delay


making a choice whether to have an


abortion...and evidence that abortions


performed later in pregnancy are attended


with increased health risks," the Court


found.


The case will now go to trial in San


Francisco Superior Court at a _ yet


unscheduled date; the injunction will stay


in effect at least until a final ruling in the


trial. On October 23, defendant Attorney


General John Van De Kamp announced


that he will not appeal the ruling to the


California Supreme Court but will accept


the appellate court's decision and allow


the case to proceed to trial.


Walt Handelsman/The Scranton Times


AU ALGO


Cooperating attorney Linda Shostak of


Morrison and Foerster, who argued the case


before the Court of Appeal in July, said,


"This ruling puts the state to a heavy


burden of proof to support the law at trial.


And, until it can do that, teenagers can


continue to get abortions on a confidential


basis."


According to the most recent statistics


available (1985), about 34,000 teenagers


aged 17 and under have abortions in


California each year. California has the


second highest pregnancy rate for


teenagers and one of the highest abortion


rates for this age group.


According to NYCL attorney Abigail


English, "Evidence from Massachusetts,


Minnesota and other states where similar


laws have been enforced clearly show the


devastating impact on teenagers.


"These laws significantly increase


health risks to minors and punish young


women for becoming pregnant. They do


not promote family harmony, improve


parent-child communication, or help with


the teenager's decision-making process,"


she said.


Harmful impact on teens


These charges are verified by over 20


declarations included in the lawsuit from


judges who were involved in the judicial


bypass proceedings, health researchers,


psychologists, social workers, doctors and


nurses who provide counseling and


abortions to teenagers in states where the


parental consent laws are in effect.


For example, a Minnesota nurse stated


that minors would skip school and travel a


great distance - often in unsafe conditions


and sleeping in the street or in a car - to


have their petitions heard in another county


where they would not be known. She told


of a teenager whose parents beat up her


boyfriend in an abortion clinic and later


kicked her out the home.


Although new to California, parental


notification and consent statutes have been


enacted in about 14 other states (in another


dozen states, the laws exist but have also


been enjoined). Two ACLU challenges to


such laws - one from Minnesota and one


from Illinois - will be argued before the


U.S. Supreme Court this term.


aclu news


november 1989


Vietnamese Fishermen Fight Ban on Boats


undreds of Vietnamese fishermen


H: northem California are again


able to ply their trade as a result of


an emergency federal court order issued on


November 7. The fishermen had been


detained and cited by the Coast Guard for


allegedly violating a 200-year old statute


which effectively bars non-citizens from


commercial fishing.


On September 27, Vietnamese


Fishermen Association of America and six


individual fishermen filed a lawsuit in U.S.


District Court charging that the federal


statutes which bar non-citizens from


piloting and owning vessels over 5 tons


(approximately 35 feet long), deprives


them not only of their civil rights, but of


`their livelihoods as well.


__ The fishermen are being represented by


ACLU-NC staff attorney Ed Chen; Asian


Law Caucus attorney Dennis Hayashi;


Alan W. Spearer and Carl Blumenstein of


Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady,


Robertson and Falk; and Michael G. Lee of


Minami, Lew, Tamaki and Lee.


Although Judge William Orrick


initially issued a Temporary Restraining


Order (TRO) the day after the suit was


filed prohibiting the Coast Guard from


enforcing the antiquated law, on October


13, the TRO was lifted and an injunction


was denied after a hearing before U.S.


District Court Judge William Schwarzer.


Judge Schwarzer's ruling effectively kept


the fishermen from fishing for two weeks.


When attorneys appealed Judge


Schwarzer's ruling the Ninth Circuit Court


of Appeals issued its emergency order


enjoining the Coast Guard from enforcing


the law while the court considers the


appeal.


Equal protection


The attorneys charge that the


citizenship requirement - _~ which


originated in 1796 as a means of ensuring


that large private boats could be mobilized


to defend the United States from sea attack


- 1S unconstitutional because it violates


the fishermen's right to equal protection


under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S.


Constitution.


"The Fifth


Amendment bars


Vietnamese fisherman Hai Le, skipper of the Romance II.


Richard Gordon


citizenship to pilot or own


fishing vessels. If this law is not


enjoined, I believe that many of


the Association members will be


forced out of the fishing


industry."


"The Coast Guard's actions


have had a chilling effect on the


fishermen and their activities,"


said Chen. "It deprives the


fishermen and their families of


their livelihood and primary


means of support for no good


reason. This case raises


important questions about the


right os resident aliens to be free


from discrimination by the


federal government."


Attorney Blumenstein added,


"This outright discrimination


advances no national interest


and only succeeds in


economically and __ socially


displacing hardworking,


tax-paying members of the


community."


Hayashi said, "This case is


significant in light of the


struggle against rising


anti-Asian sentiment," noting


that Vietnamese fisherman had


previously been subject to


harassment in Texas and


southern California."


Zeke Grader, President of the


Pacific Coast Federation of


Fishermen's Associations, said


he had not heard of the law


being enforced for a long time.


"The law was kind of a joke.


Then with the Vietnamese, they


discrimination against non-citizens and


resident aliens," Hayashi explained.


The Coast Guard began citing


fishermen, many of whom have been


fishing since the early 1980's, in January


of this year, The fishermen in the


Association are permanent residents who


are refugees from Vietnam. Most have


applied for citizenship, but that process


takes years to complete.


On September 16, members of the


Coast Guard boarded several boats piloted


by Vietnamese, told them to cease fishing


and return to port immediately. Some of


the fishermen were threatened with seizure


of their documents and licenses if caught


fishing again, which would effectively


prohibit them from using their boats. At


least 80 Vietnamese-operated boats were


cited.


According to Chieu Pham, President of


the Association, "Until this year, the Coast


Guard has never charged any of our


members for violating laws requiring U.S.


decided to enforce it," he said.


As a result of the Ninth Circuit order,


the fishermen will be allowed to pilot their


vessels and engage in commercial fishing


at least for the next several months.


According to Chen, the Appeal Court is not


expected to hear arguments in the case


until early 1990.


Defendants in the lawsuit are Admiral


Paul Yost, Commandant of the U.S. Coast


Guard and Rear Admiral J.W. Kime,


Commander of the Eleventh Coast Guard


District.


Horsewoman Wins Final Round


fter more than a decade of fighting


Ae all-male preserve of the


ounted Patrol in Woodside,


equestrienne Sonya Sokolow has _ been


vindicated by a state Court of Appeal


judgment in her favor. In August, the


appellate court ruled that Sokolow's


ACLU-NC attorneys are entitled to


attorney's fees for the lengthy court battle


challenging sex discrimination by the San


Mateo Sheriff's Department.


In 1986, San Mateo Superior Court


ruled that the all-male Mounted Patrol


cannot exclude women from membership


as long as it maintained a "symbiotic"


relationship with the Sheriff's Department.


The superior court, agreeing with


arguments from ACLU-NC cooperating


attomey Leigh Ann _ Huntington of


Morgenstein and Jubelirer, ruled that the


Mounted Patrol's policy and practice of


limiting its membership to men violated


the equal protection guarantees of the


California Constitution and the Fourteenth


Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.


"Apart from her sex, Ms. Sokolow is fully


qualified for membership in the Mounted


Patrol," the court stated.


Close relationship


Prior to the 1986 ruling, the Sheriff's


Department maintained a close relationship


with the Patrol by deputizing all Patrol


members, assigning a salaried Sheriff's


Department employee to supervise training


of members of the Patrol in search-and-


rescue techniques, conducting security


checks on candidates for Patrol member-


ship and calling on the Patrol to assist in


searching for lost persons. Patrol members


wore insignias of the Department on their


uniforms; and the Sheriff was honorary


Commander-in-Chief of the Patrol.


Following the superior court ruling, the


Mounted Patrol decided to sever its ties


with the Sheriff's Department rather than


admit Sokolow - or any other woman -


to membership.


The trial court, however, refused to


award attorney's fees to Sokolow


determining that despite its decision,


Sokolow "did not prevail" as she was not


admitted to the Patrol.


With its August ruling, the appellate


court reversed that decision, determining


that Sokolow was "unequivocally the


prevailing party under both federal and


State _ Statutes. [She] successfully


established that...the Patrol's discrimina-


tory membership policy constituted state


action in violation of the equal protection


clauses of the state and _ federal


Constitutions....


"Even though Sokolow did not achieve


an order forcing the Patrol to admit her,


she did [obtain] severance of the County's


significant involvement with the Patrol as


well as ending the Patrol's informal


`monopoly' on equestrian search and


rescue in the Country and opening up the


opportunity to engage in mounted search


and rescue to any qualified person


regardless of sex," the appeal court


concluded.


Sokolow, an accomplished horsewom-


an who belongs to four equestrian clubs,


was pleased with the ruling. "The County


should have changed its position a long


time ago, but instead it continued to spend


taxpayers money on a so-called private


organization, the Mounted Patrol, and, in


doing so, violated my constitutional rights.


"People should be aware that their tax


dollars were spent in this way - and that


if the County or the Mounted Patrol had


backed down, they could have saved the


taxpayers the legal fees incurred by


challenging their discriminatory policy,"


Sokolow added.


he Human Costs of Employer


` Sanctions, a new report by the


ACLU and the Mexican American


Legal Defense and Education Fund


(MALDEF) on the impact' of the


Immigration Act was released at


simultaneous press conferences around


the country on November 6, the law's


third anniversary.


The 118-page report reveals


discrimination against the Hispanic


community caused by the Immigration


Reform and Control Act (IRCA).


Speaking at the San Francisco press


conference, Manuel Romero, Regional


Counsel of MALDEF, said, "It is clear


that this law is the source of increased


employment discrimination _ against


`foreign-looking' and `foreign-sounding'


people. It is time to realistically assess the


financial and human costs of IRCA. At


the very least, we must work to minimize


its discriminatory effects against Latino


and Asian workers."


Signed into law on November 6, 1986,


IRCA makes it illegal for employers to


hire undocumented workers and


establishes procedures for employers to


verify the work authorizations of all


newly-hired employees. Employers who


fail to properly verify work authorizations


or who knowingly hire undocumented


workers may face fines and _ other


penalties. 7


The Human Costs of Employer


Sanctions documents the experiences of


individuals who have suffered various


kinds of discrimination under employer


sanctions. It contains compelling personal


histories of workers who have suffered


discrimination in hiring, discharge and


conditions of employment because of the


way the law has been implemented. The


case histories were compiled California,


Texas, New York, Chicago, and


Washington, D.C.


Frontline enforcers


"The ACLU and MALDEF opposed


the law when it was first being debated


because it was obvious that a


discriminatory impact was being built into


aclu news


november 1989 5


ACLU, MALDEF Release


- Report on Immigration Act


the system," said ACLU-NC staff counsel


Alan Schlosser. "The law puts employers


on the frontlines of enforcing this complex


law, and yet it failed to put resources into


educating employers and the public about


what the law requires.


"The Immigration and Naturalization


Service (INS) has spent less than $60,000


to educate employers about


discrimination. Rather, the INS continues


to put its energy and zeal into enforcement


- and we have seen an increase in raids


here in San Francisco, in San Rafael, in


San Jose, and the East Bay. The result of


such raids is that employers take up more


discriminatory practices. No wonder 16


percent of all employers admit to


implementing discriminatory practices


since the passage of IRCA. This impacts


the livelihood of a large segment of the


work force," Schlosser added.


Romero noted that the discriminatory


The law has had a discriminatory impact on Latino and Asian workers.


f


he ACLU-NC_ mourns _ the


i untimely death of former Board


of Directors member Judy


Newman who died on October 5.


Newman was praised by ACLU-NC


Executive Director Dorothy Ehrlich as a


"dedicated civil libertarian who had a


lifelong commitment to anti-war,


anti-military and anti-draft work."


A New York native and former


professional ballerina, Newman came to


the ACLU-NC in 1980 through her


anti-draft work. When President Jimmy


Carter announced the resumption of


draft registration, Newman, then the


mother of two teenage sons, helped


found San Francisco Parents and Friends


Against the Draft.


She was also a member of CARD, a


national anti-draft coalition of which the


ACLU was also a member.


Newman became a familiar figure


around the ACLU-NC office as she


worked to educate and mobilize ACLU


.


Judy Newman


members about the civil liberties


violations of draft registration.


Newman's "brainchild" - a postcard |


`


campaign against draft registration -


had a national impact. A full-page ad


"How to Register Against the Draft"


appeared in newspapers across the


country and was distributed through a


nationwide network of anti-draft, civil


liberties, student and parent


organizations during the initial two-week


registration period in 1980. The ad,


which brought a tremendous response,


allowed everybody - of any age, male


or female - to "register against the


draft."


Newman was elected to the Board of


Directors of the ACLU-NC; she chaired


the Anti-Draft Working Group and also


served on the Nominating and Field


Committees. Most recently, she was


active in the Pro-Choice Action


Campaign. She was also Co-chair of the


Board of CCCO, the Central Committee


for Conscientious Objectors, and an


editor of their newsletter The Objector.


Newman leaves her husband, James


Newman, and two adult sons, Eric and


Daniel. :


Lawrence Frank


effects have been felt by people who


should not have been affected by the law,


including U.S. citizens, legal permanent


residents and temporary residents. The


report includes recommendations to the


GAO, which is preparing its third and


final report to Congress on employer


sanctions. If the GAO finds that IRCA has


caused discrimination, Congress may


repeal the law's employer sanctions


provisions.


Specifically, Human Costs of


Employer Sanctions asks the GAO to


conduct' a comprehensive


evaluation of the law, to broadly define


IRCA-related discrimination to include


any discriminatory practices that violate


other federal or state laws, and to consider


all discriminatory practices based on the


9. form to be IRCA-related


discrimination. Ultimately, the report asks


the GAO to conduct further studies if it


cannot determine if "widespread


discrimination" has occurred in 1989.


Increased funding


The report also calls for an increase in


appropriations for the Office of Special


Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair


Employment Practices, the government


agency charged with investigating and


monitoring charges of IRCA-related


and fair -


employment discrimination. Romero said


that the Special Counsel has only one


office in Washington, D.C., which makes


it difficult to monitor abuses in areas


where they mostly occur, such as Texas


and California.


The report also calls for the


implementation of a comprehensive public


education campaign on IRCA's


nondiscrimination provisions, and the


provision of | work authorization


documents by the INS in a timely and


efficient manner.


Lina Avidan, author of a report on San


Francisco businesses for the Coalition for


Immigrant Rights and Services, said that


"the overwhelming majority of Bay Area


employers have discriminatory practices."


Their study showed that SO percent of


employers in San Francisco feel that the


INS's documentation requirements make


it riskier to hire people who speak limited


English. "A large proportion feel it is


riskier to hire Latinos (40%) and Asians


(39%), Avidan noted.


Cathi Tactaquin of the National


Network for Immigrant and Refugee


Rights announced that, based on the


ACLU/MALDEF report and other studies


with similar findings, the Coalition was


launching a letter writing campaign to


Congress asking for the repeal of the


employer sanctions provisions.


aclu news


november 1989


Images from the


March Against State Killing


The statewide mobilization against


the death penalty, the March Against


State Killing, had carried its message


from Sacramento to Vallejo when the


earthquake struck on October 17.


The marchers. called' off the


remainder of the march (through the


East Bay and San Francisco) but


reunited at the planned vigil in front of


Karen Moise


Bill Feretti


San Quentin Prison on October 22.


Three hundred people gathered for


the vigil, where they had a moment of


silence for the victims of the earthquake


and collected a truckload of food and


blankets for earthquake relief.


Numerous speakers, including Isidro


Gali from American Indians and the


Death Penalty and Leigh Dingerson


from the National Coalition to Abolish


the Death Penalty pictured above,


denounced the U.S. Supreme Court's


recent decisions allowing the execution


of minors and the mentally retarded and


called for renewed efforts to prevent the


resumption of capital punishment in


California.


The March Against State Killing,


which was endorsed by 140


organizations including the ACLU-NC,


-. Set out on October 13 from the steps of


the state Capitol in Sacramento.


Marchers, who included American


Indians and the Death Penalty with


traditional drums, Japanese Buddhist


monks, families of prisoners on Death


Row and families of murder victims,


walked about 15 miles a day through


Davis, Dixon, Vacaville, and Fairfield.


At each stop, they were hosted by local


supporters and held informative rallies


against capital punishment.


The march attracted national


attention and widespread press coverage


A Will to Give to the ACLU


or more than half a century, the


ACLU of Northern California has


fought to defend the Constitution


and the Bill of Rights. Through the pages


of history - redbaiting, vigilantes, WWII


internment camps, HUAC, the Free


Speech Movement, Vietnam, civil rights,


the fight for legal abortion, gay rights and


more - the ACLU has pioneers the fight


for individual lliberties.


_ You can do something now to insure


that the ACLU will continue to fight -


and win - ten, twenty, and fifty years


from now, through a simple addition to


your will.


Every year, thoughtful civil libertarians


have, through their bequests, provided


important support for the ACLU. In 1988,


bequests from our supporters contributed


$75,000 for the work of the ACLU


Foundation.


Making a bequest is simple: you need


only specify a dollar gift or a portion of


your estate for the American Civil


-Liberties Union Foundation of Northern


California.


If you need information about writing a


will or want additional information,


consult your attorney or contact Martha


Kegel, Bequests, ACLU Foundation of


Northern California, 1663 Mission


Street, Suite 460, San Francisco 94103.


from ABC and NBC network news,


National Public Radio, Reuters and


other U.S. and international media.


The March was organized by Death


Penalty Focus, a statewide organization


committed to ending the death penalty


in California. For information on


future Death Penalty Focus activities,


please contact them at PO Box 806, San


Francisco, CA 94101 or call 415/255-


$100.


Karen Moise


Bill Feretti


aclu news


november 1989 7


Bill of Rights Day ...


Continued from page |


Lyndon Johnson as the only woman


Commissioner of the newly created United


States Equal Employment Opportunity


Commission. The Commission was


established under Title VII of the historic '


Civil Rights Act of 1964.


President of NOW


In 1971, Hemandez was. elected


President of the National Organization for


Women (NOW). During her tenure, she


helped lead an International Feminist


Planning Conference in Boston which


brought together women from 30 countries


and led to the International Women's Year


Conference in Mexico City almost a


decade later.


A long-time activist for peace,


Hernandez always had an internationalist


perspective. An exchange student in


Norway in 1947, she also traveled


extensively in Latin America in 1960 as a


labor education specialist for trade unions


in Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Peru,


Argentina, and Uruguay, lecturing in


Spanish and English. In 1975, at the


invitation of the U.S. State Department,


she traveled to Germany for a series of


lectures and conferences on the situation


of minorities in the U.S. A handbook for


high school teachers in Germany now


includes a chapter by Hernandez entitled


"On Being a Black Woman in the United


States." In 1981, she joined a foundation


sponsored Commission to South Africa to


investigate apartheid and its relation to


U.S. policy; the Commission issued a


widely acclaimed report South Africa:


Time Running Out.


Throughout the tapestry of her life,


Hernandez has woven into her work a


deep commitment to civil liberties.


Currently the Vice-Chair of the National


Advisory Council of the national ACLU,


Hernandez was Mistress of Ceremonies


for the first ACLU-NC Bill of Rights Day


Celebration in 1973. She recalls, "I


remember that the naming of the Earl


Warren Award was. not without


controversy, starting a dialogue which was


to culminate ten years later in the joint


awards to Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred


Korematsu and Minoru Yasui.


"Many ACLU members will remember


the eloquence of Edison Uno in expressing


his concern about the role of Earl Warren


in the internment of Japanese - a contrast


with his later role as Chief Justice. The


right of Edison to express his opinion


Voices for Choice


Fran Strauss (1.), Co-chair of the


Student Outreach Committee and


Executive Director Dorothy Ehrlich


were part of the lively ACLU-NC


contingent at the October 15 pro-choice


march and rally in San Francisco.


Over 60,000 people participated in


the largest pro-choice demonstration


ever held in northern California. The


San Francisco march and rally, orga-


nized by NOW and the Bay Area


Pro-Choice Coalition, culminated a


week of reproductive rights victories: a


Congressional vote (later vetoed by


President Bush) to allow Medicaid


funding for abortions for victims of rape


and incest; the Florida Legislature's


rejection of the Governor's proposed


restrictions on abortion; and _ the


California Court of Appeal ruling up-


holding a ban on the law requiring


parental consent for teen abortions.


A Civic Center rally led by spirited


speakers and entertainment invigorated


the enthusiastic crowd who shouted that


there would be "No turning back on a


woman's right to choose." Speakers


included Norma McCorvey, the original


"Roe" in Roe v. Wade, U.S. Representa-


tives Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi,


and two leaders of the ACLU-NC


Pro-Choice Action Campaign, Dick


Grosboll and Ann Daniels.


Business was brisk at the ACLU-NC


table where buttons stating `Another


Card-Carrying ACLU Member for


CHOICE" were sold and demonstrators


signed up to become active in the ACLU


Pro-Choice Action Campaign.


The San Francisco demonstration is


part of a national pro-choice mobiliza-


tion which will hold the Mobilization for


Women's Lives on November 12 in


Washington, D.C. The national


mobilization is being organized by an


unprecedented coalition of women's,


religious, civil rights, labor and health


organizations. National ACLU


Executive Director Ira _ Glasser


announced at a September press


conference that "the 53 affiliates and


275,000 members of the ACLU support


the Mobilization and _ will commit


substantial resources to the effort."


Photo Credit: Totoy Rocamora


caused Mr. Warren to reassess his role


and to make a public declaration that he


believed the internment to be wrong.


"The nation has also recognized the


wrongness of the action and revisiting


Executive Order 9066 has alerted a new


generation of Americans to __ the


importance of our Bill of Rights,"


Hernandez says.


As Chair of the Education Committee


of Death Penalty Focus, the statewide


coalition against capital punishment,


Hernandez has raised her eloquent voice


in the media, in public forums, and on the


recent Sacramento-to-San Quentin march


against the death penalty. "The


forcefulness of her arguments and the


clarity of her commitment has mobilized


many Californians to understand the


injustice of the ultimate punishment," said


ACLU-NC Executive Director Dorothy


Ehrlich.


Now the President of her own urban


consulting firm, Aileen C. Hernandez


Associates based in San _ Francisco,


Hernandez's outstanding leadership in the


fight for racial and social justice continues


to dominate her agenda.


Though she sits on many national and


statewide boards, Hernandez is still the


consummate activist: her days are filled


with business of organizing - phone


calls, meetings, public speaking and - as


in October's massive pro-choice


demonstration - marching with familiar


picket signs and banners.


Keynote Speaker


Keynote speaker Ralph Neas's tenure


as Executive Director of the Leadership


Conference on Civil Rights began almost


simultaneously with the beginning of the


Reagan Administration - and his work


was cut out for him. There has probably


been no more challenging era for those


who defend civil rights.


As coordinator of the efforts of nearly


200 national organizations in the civil


rights coalition with respect to advocacy


before the legislative and executive


branches of the federal government, Neas


has played a major role in the crucial


political struggles of the last decade.


He worked on_ the (c) successful


campaigns to enact the 1982 Voting


Rights Act Extension, the 1988 Civil


Rights Restoration Act granting an


official apology and funds to Japanese


Americans who were interned during


World War II, and the Fair Housing


Amendments Act of 1988. He was also


instrumental in the efforts to defeat the


nomination of William Bradford


Reynolds as Associate Attorney General


in 1985 and the nomination of Robert


Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987.


Even though Neas_ outlasted the


Reagan Presidency, he still finds himself


fighting the Reagan legacy: he is currently


in the forefront of an effort in Congress to |


pass an omnibus civil rights bill which


will address the major setbacks in


employment discrimination dealt by the


the U.S. Supreme Court during its last


term.


The Bill of Rights Day Celebration


will be held at the Le Meridien Hotel in


San Francisco on Sunday, December


10. The program begins at 4:30 PM


(refreshments and no-host bar at 3:30


PM). Tickets for the event are $12.00


and are available from the ACLU-NC.


Cal 415/621-2493 or send in the coupon


below. :


NOTE: The Le Meridien Hotel is


easily accessible by BART. Take the


Montgomery Street exit.


aclu news


november 1989


`Taking Liberties"


A monthly radio program on civil liberties


Wednesday,


November 29 at


7:00 PM


KPFA 94.1 FM


When Racism Dresses in Speech's


Clothing: Reconciling the First and


Fourteenth Amendments by Stanford


University Law Professor Charles


Lawrence. This provocative presentation


by an eminent legal scholar was taped at


the national ACLU Biennial Conference


in Madison, Wisconsin in June.


"Taking Liberties", a new radio


series on KPFA 94.1 FM explores how


the Bill of Rights affects our everyday


lives.


The monthly program, hosted by


ACLU-NC Public Information Director


Elaine Elinson, includes expert guests on


drug testing, English Only laws,


reproductive rights, the rise in racism on


campuses, school censorship and other


cutting edge civil liberties questions. It


also features a special section with civil


liberties news updates and information


on how listeners can make their voices


heard on crucial civil liberties issues.


Tune your radio dial to "Taking


Liberties"!


ACLU Activists Reach


Out to Students


receiving an extra dose of civil


liberties with their education this


year, thanks to the efforts of the newly


organized Student Outreach Committee of


the ACLU-NC.


Targeted as a priority by the Field


Committee, the Student Outreach


Committee launched its work at the


ACLU-NC Annual Conference in August


with a workshop, led by Mary Gill of the


S tudents in northern California are


constitutional


Davis added.


late thought, provoke discussion,


above all, to educate. Our purpose is to


examine liberty," Davis said.


work on


Sacramento, North Peninsula, Sonoma,


San Francisco and Marin, has already sent


out over 150 letters to educators asking


them to invite an ACLU speaker into their


issues," Co-Chair Harry


"Our purpose is to stimu-


and


The Committee, which is focusing its


schools in the East Bay,


classrooms. The program will


BY MEYER FOR THE DAN FRANCISCO) HRONIC E


expand to other ACLU-NC


Chapter areas in the next year.


A speaker training session


will be held on November 18 at


the ACLU-NC office in San


Francisco (see Field Program


Calendar, p. 8). The training will


be led by former ACLU-NC


Board member Bernice Biggs of


San Francisco State University,


with presentations by Chapter


leaders who have already


launched the high - school


speaking program in their areas.


Speakers and their student


audiences will be armed with a


new booklet just published by the


Sacramento Chapter and Steve Fabian of


the Sonoma Chapter, on how to speak to


students on civil liberties.


"As we near the Bicentennial of the


Bill of Rights, the ACLU-NC's student


Outreach program will help familiarize


high school students. with their basic


document of our republic - and their


constitutional _ rights," explained


Committee Co-Chair Fran Strauss.


"Our roster of speakers is composed of


teachers, lawyers, and other ACLU


members, all volunteers who are willing


and able to make classroom presentations


on the historical framework of the Bill of


Rights, the Constitution and current


welcomes


students and teachers of all grade levels.


If you would like to participate, or


would like an ACLU-NC speaker in


your classroom, please contact Michael


Alderson at the ACLU-NC, 415/621-


2493.


the ACLU-NC entitled "Kids


Have Rights Too...But What Are They?"


The booklet, written in an easy-to-read


question and answer format by staff


attorney Alan Schlosser


Information


addresses topics ranging from censorship


to locker searches, and from school prayer


to abortion rights for teenagers.


and Public


Director Elaine Elinson,


The Student Outreach Committee


new members, especially


Field Program Monthly


Meetings


Chapter |


Meetings


(Chapter meetings are open to all interested


members. Contact the chapter activist listed


for your area.)


B-A-R-K (Berkeley - Albany - Richmond -


Kensington) Chapter Meeting: (Usually


fourth Thursday) Members are encouraged to


join the Chapter Board, help staff the hotline,


and organize activities in the Berkeley area.


Contact Tom Sarbaugh 415/848-6267 (day)


or Florence Piliavin 415/848-5195 (eve.).


Earl Warren (Oakland/Alameda County)


Chapter Meeting: (Usually - second


Wednesday) Attend urgent Strategy Session


for improving the Oakland Citizen's


Complaint Board with ACLU-NC Police


Practices Project Director, John Crew, on


Tuesday, November 7th, 7:30 p.m.. Regular


Chapter meeting November 8th. December


meeting to be -determined. Contact Abe


Feinberg, 415/451-1122.


Fresno Chapter Meeting: (Usually third


Monday) Attention Fresno-area_ members:


The Fresno Chapter has a new hotline num-


ber, 209/225-7380, and a new meeting date,


now the third Monday. New members always


welcome! For more information, please con-


`tact Mindy Rose, 209/486-7735.


Gay Rights Chapter Meeting: (Now first


Thursday, but watch for possible change in


January) Meet Thursday, December 7, 7:00


p.m. at the ACLU-NC office, 1663 Mission


Street, Suite 460, San Francisco. Look for the


Chapter Table at the ACLU-NC Bill of


Rights Day Celebration, Sunday, December


10, Le Meridien Hotel. Volunteers needed for


Bill of Rights Campaign fundraising by


phone, date to be determined. Please contact


Mark Hartman if you can help, 548-6447.


For further information, Contact Doug


Warner, 415/621-3900


Marin County Chapter Meeting: (Usually


third Monday) Meet November 20 and


December 18, 7:30 p.m., at RoundTable


Pizza, Strawberry Shopping Center, Mill


Valley. New members always welcome.


Volunteers needed for the Bill of Rights


Campaign fundraising by phone' on


November 15, call Deborah Doctor for de-


tails at 331-6213. For general information,


contact Jerry Ellersdorfer, 383-1074.


Mid-Peninsula (Palo Alto area) Chapter


Meeting: (Usually fourth Wednesday) Meet


Wednesday, November 22, 8:00 pm, All


Saints Episcopal Church, 555 Waverly,


Room 15, Palo Alto, for installation of new


Board. For more information, contact Harry


Anisgard, 415/856-9186 or Leona Billings,


415/326-0926.


Monterey Chapter Meeting: (First Tuesday


of the month) Meet Tuesday, December 5,


7:30 p.m., Monterey Library, Pacific and


Jefferson Streets, Monterey. Annual meeting


to be scheduled. For information, contact


Richard Criley, 408/624-7562.


Mt. Diablo (Contra Costa County)


Chapter Meeting: Meet November 30. Save


the date: December 14 Potluck Dinner 6:30


p.m. For meeting place and more informa-


tion, contact Mildred Starkie, 934-0557.


North Peninsula (San Mateo area)


Chapter Meeting: (Usually third Monday)


Meet November 20, 7:30 p.m. Bank of


America, Third and El] Camino, San Mateo.


Contact Emily Skolnick, 340-9834.


Sacramento Valley Chapter Meeting:


(Usually second Wednesday) There will be


no December meeting. January meeting to be


determined. For Information, contact Joe


Gunterman, 916/447-8053.


San Francisco Chapter Meeting: (Usually


fourth Monday) Meet November 27, 6:00


p-m., ACLU office, 1663 Mission Street,


Suite 460, San Francisco. No December


meeting. Contact Marion Standish, 415/863-


320)


Santa Clara Valley Chapter Meeting:


(Meeting days to be determined) All ACLU


members in the Santa Clara Valley area are


encouraged to attend! For date and time, con-


tact Christine Beraldo, 408/554-9478.


Santa Cruz County Chapter Meeting:


(Now fourth Monday) There will be no


November meeting. December meeting date


to be determined. Watch for announcement


of our January meeting with guest speaker


Jessica Mitford. Members urgently needed


to serve on Chapter Board, staff hotline, help


plan chapter activities in the Santa Cruz area.


Contact Bob Taren, 408/429-9880.


Shasta County Organizing Committee: A


new ACLU-NC Chapter is forming.


November and December meeting dates to be


determined. All interested members in the


Shasta County area are invited to attend, call


for date and time. For more information,


contact: 916/241-7725.


Sonoma County Chapter Meeting: (Third


Thursday of the month) November 16, 7:30


p-m., Roseland Community Law Office,


1680 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa. Save the


date: Annual Meeting Dinner, January 19.


All members welcome. Contact Judy


McCann, 707/829-5668.


Yolo County Chapter Meeting: (Third


Thursday of the month) Meet Thursday,


November 16. For more information, con-


tact Doug Powers, 916/756-8274.


Field


Committee


Meetings


(All Field Committee Meetings listed below


will be held at the ACLU-NC Office, 1663


Mission Street, #460, San Francisco. Please


RSVP for all meetings at least one day before


the meeting is scheduled. To RSVP, or for


more information, contact Michael Alderson


415/621-2493.)


Student Outreach Committee: (Usually


third Saturday) Speakers Training with


Bernice Biggs on November 18, from 10


a.m. to 12 noon. Attention Teachers: We


need the participation of teachers (all grade


levels, all kinds of schools) in the ACLU


Student Outreach Committee. Please come to


a meeting, or call Michael Alderson at the


ACLU-NC office for more information.


Pro-Choice Action Campaign: (Usually


third Tuesday) Meet Tuesday, November 21,


6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Save the date:


January 22, 1990! We will be discussing


plans to commemorate the anniversary of


Roe v. Wade with a day of activities in


Sacramento.


Death Penalty Action Campaign: (Usually


third Saturday of alternating months) Meet


Saturday, November 18, 12:00 noon to 1:30


p-m. Evaluate the March Against State


Killing and discuss plans for future lobbying


and legislative action.


Field Committee: The next general meeting


of the Field Committee is January 11 (1990),


6 p.m. at the ACLU-NC office.


Page: of 8