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President Juan Demostenes Arosemena1879-1939
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Although there was no outwardly organized movement to maintain Westindian children segregated in Panama public schools many Westindian parents were reacting in fear of what could occur during those trying times of racial tensions, which seemed to run in cycles, and they would keep their families locked up inside their areas of control.
The Spanish neighborhood residents were not apathetic to the conditions of their Westindian neighbors, however, and some lent their assistance by their attitude. The print media, the same print media that behaved as though they operated in a foreign country where those Panamanian political antics did not touch them at all picked up and printed some favorable comments by several Spanish citizens. One such comment synthesized the citizenry that favored the inclusion of Westindian children in the public schools.
“It is cruel and anti-democratic to have in the Capital City of our country a system such as is hateful practised on the Canal Zone, in our primary schools which should be centers to reinforce the defense of democratic principles.”
It had been a hard battle for the leaders of the Westindian Community since the year of 1932, days of active involvement in Panamanian politics. It was during the presidential candidacy of Harmodio Arias who supported and defended Westindians during the imposed registration tax and reentry permit then called for in the 1941 Constitution reform.
The alien registration tax was scrupulously enforced in the case of the Westindians whereas the other, primarily the European, aliens living in Panama were generally overlooked when it came to paying this tax. By the same token, the unreasonable assumption that Westindians were channeling most of their earnings on the Canal Zone to their homes and families in the West Indies, fueled the “re-entry permit” that required them to pay for a “paz y salvo” to reenter Panama whenever they left the country to travel. It was just another harassment device in the long series of requirements imposed on the Westindians.
Another outspoken advocate was Mr. Claudio Harrison, a committed defender of his people who had been involved in the fight for Criollo Westindian rights as citizens since the early 1920′s. Harrison was also the first man from the Westindian community to line up votes for Harmodio Arias’ campaign. It seemed as though the Westindian community had been making some progress since the 30’s as they became involved, for instance, in the 1936 presidential race in their support of presidential candidate, Juan Demostenes Arosemena.
When Arosemena finally won the presidency he appointed Claudio Harrison District Court Judge. In the City and Province of Colon, a Black man from the Westindian community would become another “first” in the person of Mr. Desmond Bryant who was appointed Inspector of Schools.
Nevertheless, the outward harassment of Panamanian born Westindians would continue as the historic period of 1941, when the National Assembly passed the new Constitution with laws specifically aimed at restricting Westindian born citizens from having any rights as citizens in the country of their birth, was followed by the1946 Constitution’s “reform” that never addressed these violations of their humanity.
As we have seen through all of these cycles the laws proposed since the early 1930′s would find nesting grounds in the 1941 Constitution and persist during the latter part of the decade with renewed vigor without ever having addressed the basic affront to Westindians of their basic rights as Panamanian citizens.
Getting a little ahead of myself here I would add that the 1972 Constitution, which superseded the 1946 Constitution and is the legal basis of Panamanian governance today, continues to conveniently skip over this dark and cruel travesty of justice committed against the Panamanians of Westindian descent.
This story continues.
