Celebrating Immigrant Heritage Week at Gracie Mansion By Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger
Videos and Interviews by Maxine Nolan Photo Credit: George Whylie
New York City has been shaped over the centuries by the immigrants who have migrated here, settled in this great city and called it their home.
We celebrate 2011 Immigrant Heritage Week which was first created in 2004 by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and continues from April 11th through the 17th. Not many people know but April 17th is the day when more immigrants entered through Ellis Island than any other day in this city’s history. There is no better way to kick off this traditional celebration week then with a breakfast reception at Gracie Mansion. Many distinguished guests were present with their roots all over the globe and proudly call New York City their home.
Mayor Bloomberg led the festivities and expressed his strong belief in fixing our broken immigration system through Partnership for a New American Economy of which he is one of the leaders in this crucial initiative.
Some of the key takeaways of the morning included:
Sensible Immigration Reform needs to be the top priority
We must all welcome Immigrant Entrepreneurs and encourage them to open and grow their businesses throughout the city
Immigrants should be connected to their city governments and get more involved in their communities
On a lighter note, the day also signified ‘Poem in your Pocket Day’ for all New Yorkers. Together with the assistance of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Fatima Shama, Mayor Bloomberg chose a multi-lingual poem to read and share with his audience.
Copies of the poem were transferred to a bookmark that was handed out to all attendees as they left as a sort of remembrance of the day.
American Dreamer Awards were announced at the reception. These awards go out to those with significant accomplishments and contributions to better the lives of immigrants and their communities in New York City. Honorees were as follows:
Ambassador Award – SJ Jung, President of the MinKwon Center for Community Action, is being honored for over 20 years of service as an advocate, bridge-builder and leader, fighting to improve the quality of life for Flushing residents and all New Yorkers. As a member of the Board of Directors to the New York Immigration Coalition, he has advocated for immigration reform. His life’s work, assisting the diverse communities of New York, has led him to be part of an initiative seeking to promote ongoing dialogue between immigrants and the African-American community.
Community Builder Award – Dr. Purnima Naik, Director of Health Education at the Morris Heights Health Center in the Bronx, is being honored for her work with newly arrived immigrant women from Bangladesh. Although she does not speak Bengali and comes from a different cultural and religious background, she created the Bangladeshi Women’s Group in 2006. The Group discusses a variety of topics including the importance of calling 311 and 911 as well as basic education regarding diabetes and even eye diseases.
Business Leader Award – Quenia Abreu, President and CEO of the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce, is being honored for creating opportunities for immigrants to become economically empowered individuals through business ownership, microenterprise and self-employment. As an immigrant herself, she understands the verbal and cultural challenges immigrants face when starting businesses but also the lack of financial resources and support systems necessary to launch and grow a successful business. Through her efforts, the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce has provided business assistance to over 10,000 members, secured more than 15 million dollars in capital and 30 million dollars in procurement contracts as well as assisted in the development of more than 3,000 new businesses.
Visionary Award – Rene Buch, Founder of El Repertorio Español, is being honored for his driving passion to give audience members the opportunity to appreciate the excitement and magic of live theater, seeking to teach them about the riches of their cultural heritage and providing a space where the Latino experience can be presented. Founded in 1968, El Repertorio Español has become the most active Latino performing arts organization in the nation and serves over 40,000 patrons each year in theatre, opera, visual and fine arts. Through his efforts, he has introduced a broad audience to great theater, master playwrights and has created a strong and respected organization with an outstanding ensemble of actors.
New York’s Uniform Award – Detective Roberto Diaz, Hispanic Liaison to the NYPD’s New Immigrant Outreach Unit, is being honored for his work in the Unit, where he builds and maintains relationships with leaders and organizations in newly arrived immigrant communities. As part of the New Immigrant Outreach Unit, his aim is to reduce the anxiety felt by the various Hispanic communities of the City by establishing open lines of communication and encouraging dialogue resulting in a higher crime solving rate.
< Mayor Bloomberg encouraged participation to tell ‘What’s Your Story’ specifically focusing on immigrant stories of New Yorkers through StoryCorps and the Queens, Brooklyn and New York Public Libraries in order to record stories for Immigrant Heritage Week as part of the One NYC One Nation Initiative. It also gives families an opportunity to reflect back on how far they have come and how they have truly fulfilled their dreams.
Pure Fame Media conducted interviews with some of the notable guests. Jorge Heranadez and Francisco Sanchez Robles were representing Mexico and were honored to be able to attend on behalf of their country. Bobby Digi-CEO-Island Voice and Founder of the African Heritage Parade on Staten Island expressed his belief that we must highlight immigrant communities and celebrate the rich heritage and work to revitalize the communities. Clarisse Meforso Hall, MPH and Founder/Executive Director of African Hope Committee was also honored to be able to attend and spread the word. Rev. Terry Lee sent out a personal invitation to come together this May and travel to Washington to pray on the White House lawn for our military, reform and what immigration stands for. We must all pray together and stay together. This prayer event was started back in 1998.
It was a very successful and uplifting morning. New York is known for all the multitude of cultures that come together and this is a very important week to show our gratitude to all the immigrants who have made New York City the great city that it is.
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