PRESENTS:
City & State’s SOMOS
KICKOFF COCKTAIL FRIDAY MARCH 20
SOMOS
EL FUTURO A
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S P R I N G C O N F E R E N C E 20 1 5 THE SYSTEMATIC EXCLUSION OF LATINOS By Gerson Borrero
CUOMO’S CUBA By Jon Lentz
Perspectives: CARL HEASTIE, THOMAS DINAPOLI, MARCOS CRESPO, MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
@CIT YANDSTATENY
Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc. Congratulates Hon. Marcos A. Crespo Chairman New York State Assembly Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force and
Cesar Astralaga Chairman Somos el Futuro, Inc.
www.HITN.org CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CABLE OR SATELLITE PROVIDER FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE TO FIND HITN TV
CONTENTS SOMOS: ALBANY Special Issue — March 2015 4
WELCOME LETTER FROM HON. MARCOS CRESPO
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EDITOR’S NOTE FROM GERSON BORRERO
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WEEKEND PROGRAM
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STATE SENATE NEEDS TO STEP UP FOR THE DREAM ACT
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by Hon. Thomas DiNapoli
NY: OPEN FOR BUSINESS OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION?
Director of Marketing Samantha Diliberti sdiliberti@cityandstateny.com Distribution Czar Dylan Forsberg EDITORIAL Executive Editor Michael Johnson mjohnson@cityandstateny.com Editor-at-Large Gerson Borrero gborrero@cityandstateny.com Senior Correspondent Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com
NEED NOT APPLY: LACK OF LATINO EMPLOYMENT IN GOVERNMENT
Digital Editor/Reporter Wilder Fleming wfleming@cityandstateny.com
CUOMO’S CUBA: A REPORTER’S OBSERVATIONS FROM HAVANA
by Jon Lentz
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Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@cityandstateny.com
by Hon. Felix Ortiz
by Gerson Borrero
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Publisher Andrew A. Holt aholt@cityandstateny.com
Business Development Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com
OPENING THE DOORS OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
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PUBLISHING
SOMOS UNO
by Hon. Carl Heastie
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President/CEO Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com
Director of Events Jasmin Freeman jfreeman@cityandstateny.com
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE PUERTO RICAN/ HISPANIC TASK FORCE
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CITY AND STATE, LLC Chairman Steve Farbman
by Claritza Suarez
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61 Broadway, Suite 2235 New York, NY 10006 Editorial (212) 894-5417 General (646) 517-2740 Advertising (212)-894-5422 info@cityandstateny.com
SOMOS AS A VEHICLE FOR CHANGE
by Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito
AGENCIES DISCONNECTED FROM HISPANICS
by Hon. Marcos Crespo
THE ROAD FOR DREAMERS: A Q&A WITH NATALIA ARISTIZABAL
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Albany Reporter Ashley Hupfl ahupfl@cityandstateny.com Staff Reporter Sarina Trangle strangle@cityandstateny.com PRODUCTION Art Director Guillaume Federighi gfederighi@cityandstateny.com Graphic Designer Michelle Yang myang@cityandstateny.com Marketing Graphic Designer Charles Flores, cflores@cityandstateny.com Web Manager Lydia Eck, leck@cityandstateny.com Illustrator Danilo Agutoli City & State is published twice monthly. Copyright ©2015, City and State NY, LLC
MARCH 2015
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WELCOME LETTER
MARCOS A. CRESPO Chairman, Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force March 2015 Bienvenidos,
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s the newly appointed Chairman of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, it is truly an honor to welcome you to the 28th SOMOS Conference. Our theme this year is: Somos Now! Leading a new generation of change, opportunity, progress and success. Since its inception, The Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force and the Somos El Futuro Conference have brought together legislators, community partners, business, labor, student and other leaders to tackle issues impacting our communities and to celebrate our culture and achievements. SOMOS, through the Angelo Del Toro Youth Leadership Institute, has also been a driving force for educational outcomes by empowering youth to aim high, reach their academic and professional potential, enhance their leadership skills and support them through generous scholarships on their path to a higher education. This effort will be furthered through our creation of a new Graduate Students Mentorship Program which we will launch later this year. At a time when our population and economic impact continue to grow, we cannot lose sight of the challenges that remain. Poverty and poor health outcomes still plague many Latino communities, underrepresentation in government and corporate boards threaten to undermine our needs, and income inequality poses a threat to our future. This conference serves as a platform to collaboratively address these concerns, to create new partnerships and collective efforts that will bring about solutions for the short and long term vision of progress. We have for long referred to this conference as Somos el Futuro, while that remains true, I hope we can collectively realize that that future is now. Your participation this weekend honors us. The legacy of our pioneers and champions is clear: they fought for opportunities and achieved them. We now must be worthy of their sacrifice by bringing about a new level of success and progress. Gracias por su participación y que Dios les bendiga.
Marcos A. Crespo NYS Assembly
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Teachers and Collective Bargaining are Not the Problem in Our Schools, They’re Part of the Solution by Mario Cilento, President of the New York State AFL-CIO
As we gather for the 2015 Somos el Futuro Spring Conference, we must engage our elected officials on the issues important to New York’s Hispanic communities as well as all New Yorkers. One of those issues is the future of public education in our state. The New York State AFL-CIO is vehemently opposed to the Executive Budget proposal in S2010/A3010 on education reform. It ignores the real difficulties that our public schools face and instead places blame squarely on the shoulders of the professional women and men who have dedicated their lives to the welfare, nurturing and betterment of our children. This is evident throughout the education proposal but nowhere is it clearer than in the plan to allow for the negating of collective bargaining agreements in so-called “underperforming” public schools and a dramatic erosion of due process for our teachers when it comes to discipline. These proposals single out school employees, including teachers, administrative, operational and support staff, and also suggest that union representation is somehow responsible for the myriad of problems that frustrate our teachers across the state every day. The proposal ignores poverty, malnutrition, substance abuse, developmental and behavioral issues and many of the other issues caused by socio-economic circumstances. No matter if in a city or a rural area, if these issues are present and particularly if they are persistent, you can guarantee they will interfere with a child’s ability to learn. The state testing and evaluation process can never account for these issues and to hold individual teachers and the entire collective bargaining process responsible only exacerbates the problem. We urge our elected officials to treat teachers as partners in improving our schools, and to work toward real solutions that actually make all our public schools, and in turn all our children, the best they can be.
For more information on the New York State AFL-CO, visit www.nysaflcio.org MARCH 2015
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EDITOR’S NOTE
GERSON BORRERO EDITOR-AT-LARGE
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remember every SOMOS conference since the very first one in 1988. I have attended many, though not all. And let’s face it, some of them have turned into what professor and longtime community activist Howard Jordan described as “one of the many conferences where baile, botella, y barraja (dancing, drinking and gambling) are the unofficial agenda,” in his essay published on October 24, 2014 in City & State. Over the years, I’ve reported—at times with praise but more often with criticism—on Assembly Members Angelo Del Toro, Héctor Díaz, Roberto Ramírez, Peter Rivera, Carmen Arroyo and Félix Ortiz. At one point or another over the course of the last 28 years, each of them has served as chair of the New York State Assembly & Senate Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force. Today, what I can say with confidence
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is that they’ve all had good intentions, though some have fallen short as leaders. At times, a few of them had no clue—lo que estaban haciendo—but they were so sure they did. Some lacked vision and at times resorted to what I like to call the listo/a complex—that public insistence, stemming out of insecurity, that you are smarter and savvier than everyone else—while losing sight of the broader mission to empower Latinos. Admittedly, there have been a few over the years who have achieved positive outcomes for our community. As time goes on, age sets in. We all get old. Institutions aren’t immune to the aging process, and in some cases this process can be beneficial. Today, we’re witnessing the beginning of a new era. Newly-minted Chair Marcos Crespo seems to understand that he’s been handed a canvas with an unfinished painting that could turn out to be a masterpiece. Recently, Crespo was asked about his first foray into the conference that he now leads. “I only heard of SOMOS when I was a 23 year-old intern in the Assembly and attended as such. So I did not have an opinion about it beforehand. But that first year I was truly impressed to see so many Latinos from various industries come together to discuss issues. I’ve always respected the opportunity the conference provides,” Crespo responded in writing. Crespo was just seven years old when the first SOMOS conference took place. Twenty-eight years ago, that Puerto Rican kid born in Guayama, who also lived in Perú for three years with his father, probably never imagined he would wind up in Albany as an elected member of the state legislature and chair of the influential Task Force.
With time, sometimes things do change. Time has given Latinos in New York one of those rare opportunities. We’re witnessing a generational change among Latino politicians. Some of the new players are not much better than their predecessors. Others, like Crespo, seem to be on the right track. They’re respectful of the achievements of their elders and are looking to build on the good that has been achieved. In this special edition of City & State you’ll read various op-eds from legislators as well as the top financial overseer of our state. Speaker Carl Heastie addresses issues of education, housing and the low-wage workforce - all important issues to Latinos. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, in his op-ed “Opening the Doors of Economic Opportunity,” explains how the state’s future economic success is tied to the growth of the Latino population—the fastest growing population in the state. The way this year’s Spring SOMOS Conference has been organized, including the workshop themes, pays specific attention to intertwined policy issues of importance. Looking to the future, Assemblyman Crespo argues in an op-ed that lip service and speeches are no longer good enough for the Latino community, calling for more presence of Hispanics in the state workforce. While there are those who believe that the only thing that changes is the weather, I’m sensing a wind of change that might affect the political climate, which in turn could bring some substantive progress towards empowering Latinos while benefiting the Empire State. Excelsior! ¡Pa’lante! CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
KICKOFF COCKTAIL RECEPTION Friday, March 20th • Albany Hilton Grand Ballroom • 7PM - 11PM
Featured remarks from NYS Assembly Speaker, CARL HEASTIE
Featured remarks from NYS Assemblyman & Somos el Futuro Chair, MARCOS CRESPO
ENTER TO WIN! $250 FLIGHT CERTIFICATE NAME ORGANIZATION EMAIL PHONE CONTEST RULES: complete the above form and hand it in at City & State’s SOMOS Kickoff Cocktail before 9:00pm. Listen for the winner’s name to be announced at 10:30pm. Winner must be present with photo ID to accept the certificate.
SOMOS 28TH ANNUAL SPRING COFERENCE MARCH 20-22, 2015 FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015 9:00am - 5:00pm
Conference Registration/Check in
South Concourse
Empire State Plaza
10:00am - 5:00pm
Exhibit Booths
South Concourse
Empire State Plaza
10:00am - 11:30pm
Senior Summit
Meeting Room 6
Empire State Plaza
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Senior Luncheon (Hosted by: NYS Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. and NYS Assemblyman Victor Pichardo)
Convention Hall
Empire State Plaza
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Bienvenida/Welcome Reception (Sponsored by: NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman)
Rotunda
Albany City Hall
Grand Ballroom
Hilton Albany
7:00pm - 11:00pm
Kickoff Reception (Co-sponsored by: Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.)
7:30pm - 8:30pm
HUB Interviews
SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2015 8:00am - 5:00pm
Conference Registration/Check in
South Concourse
Empire State Plaza
8:00am - 9:30pm
Labor Breakfast
Hart Lounge
Empire State Plaza
10:00am - 4:00pm
Exhibit Booths
South Concourse
Empire State Plaza
South Concourse
Empire State Plaza
10:00am - 1:00pm
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HUB Interviews
10:30am - 12:00pm
1st Session of Legislative Forums
Meeting Rooms
Empire State Plaza
11:00am - 2:00pm
Speaker Heastie’s Open House
Speaker’s Conference Room 932
Legislative Office Builiding
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12:00pm - 2:00pm
Entre Nosotras Luncheon (Ticketed Event)
Hart Lounge
Empire State Plaza
12:00pm - 2:00pm
CUNY/SUNY Luncheon (Ticketed Event)
Albany Room
Empire State Plaza
2:00pm - 3:30pm
2nd Session of Legislative Forums
Meeting Rooms
Empire State Plaza
2:00pm - 5:00pm
CUNY/SUNY Model Senate Session
Senate Chamber
Capitol Building
4:30pm - 6:00pm
13th Annual Dominican Legislative Reception
Senate Dem Conference Room Capitol Building
4:30pm - 6:00pm
Public Employees Federation Reception
Meeting Room 6
Empire State Plaza
5:30pm - 7:00pm
El Batey
Hart Lounge Base
Empire State Plaza
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Chairmen’s VIP Reception (Ticketed Event, Sponsored by: NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli)
Hart Lounge
Empire State Plaza
7:30pm - 10:00pm
Dinner Gala (Ticketed Event- Doors Open at 7pm)
Convention Hall
Empire State Plaza
11:00pm - 3:00am
Celebration of Upstate & Suburban Latinos (Sponsored by: Davita Kidney Care)
Grand Ballroom
Hilton Albany
12:00am - 3:00am
Midnight Karaoke
Hudson
Hilton Albany
SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2015
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10:00am - 12:00pm
La Despedida Brunch
Hart Lounge
Empire State Plaza
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Youth Luncheon
Concourse
Empire State Plaza
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Youth Leadership Mock Session
Assembly Chamber
Capitol Building
MARCH 2015
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PERSPECTIVES
STATE SENATE NEEDS TO STEP UP FOR THE DREAM ACT
CLARITZA SUAREZ
T
he state Assembly recently passed the DREAM Act, a bill that would make sure that young people like me can go to college and pursue their dreams. This is great news, but it’s not the first time the DREAM has passed the Assembly, so the big question for me and other DREAMers is: will the Republican-controlled Senate finally stand up for us and stand on the right side of history? The DREAM Act would open up the path to higher education for undocumented immigrant students like me by letting us apply for the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and get financial aid for college—provided we meet the rest of the TAP requirements, such as keeping good grades. I’m a high school sophomore at Brentwood High School on Long Island. Without DREAM, I will not be able to
CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
afford a college education. DREAM passing would make a huge difference to me, because I know that a better life depends on a better education. The DREAM Act would let me keep going with that education so that I can fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse and taking care of my community. When my parents brought us here from Honduras, they did it because they wanted a better life for us all. Now, my parents work hard—my mother in a factory, my father in restaurants—and they want what every parent wants for their children: a chance to have more opportunities than they had. The Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblyman Francisco Moya, has taken the first step this legislative session towards making my family’s dream a reality. DREAMers are grateful for their leadership in passing a bill that would be life changing for us and our families. Now we need the state Senate to follow the Assembly’s lead. We have heard various arguments against DREAM; none of them are convincing. On the Assembly floor, several Republican Assemblymembers argued that the DREAMers would be taking money away from other New York students. But this is false. Any other New York student who meets the requirements for TAP, including
maintaining good grades and earning a family income below a certain level, can receive this benefit. Other opponents have argued that DREAM is a drain of resources, but the facts tell a different story. A 2014 state comptroller report found that it would bring significant benefits to our economy, by increasing our skilled workforce and expanding the state’s tax base. A similar analysis of the federal DREAM Act tells the same story: tapping the potential of young people like me can bring in billions of dollars to our state economy. What I’ve learned in school shows me that history sides against those who stand in the way of inclusion and human rights. It was true for women’s rights, it was true in the fight against segregation, and it will be true in the struggle for an equal education for students like me. Americans will not forget who was on the wrong side of this fight. And, one day, when undocumented students like me win a path to citizenship and the right to vote, neither will we. The state Senate needs to pass the bill and allow students like me, hungry to learn, to continue studying so we can realize our dreams.
Claritza Suarez is a sophomore at Brentwood High School and a member of Make the Road New York’s Youth Power Project. MARCH 2015
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PERSPECTIVES
SOMOS UNO — WE ARE ONE
CARL HEASTIE NYS Assembly Speaker
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s the newly elected Speaker of
the New York State Assembly, I am honored to welcome Latino leaders and activists from across the state to the Somos el Futuro 28th Annual Spring Conference, which is an opportunity to explore new ideas and make positive changes in the Latino community. My goal as Speaker is to focus on improving the educational, social and economic prospects of all New Yorkers. I am committed to working with my colleagues to put families first by strengthening education through our Families First Budget, building pathways to higher education, expanding affordable housing and ensuring that every New Yorker has the support they need to
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climb the economic ladder to success. In our recently unveiled budget proposal, we call for a meaningful investment in our children’s future by earmarking nearly $24 billion in support of public education, the largest increase since the Great Recession. Included is $10 million in new funding for English language learners and $835 million for quality full-day pre-kindergarten. Higher education is the most direct path to greater lifetime earnings and economic success. Unfortunately, many New Yorkers cannot bear the financial burden that comes with an advanced degree. The Families First budget provides critical funding to the Higher Education Road to Success proposal which funds innovative new and existing programs to make college more affordable, including increasing support for Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) awards and commits more than $20 million to Opportunity Programs. These investments will go a long way to empower young men and women in our communities to pursue and achieve their goals. I am proud that for the third consecutive year the Assembly Majority passed the DREAM Act which would provide immigrant youth with access to TAP and the state’s educational opportunity programs, including the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), Educational Opportunity
Program (EOP), Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP) and the opportunity programs available at community colleges. The Assembly recognizes that the affordable housing crisis has been a significant obstacle to promoting stability for New York’s families. Last year, thousands of families who were unable to remain in their homes turned to shelters. The Families First budget provides more than $600 million for affordable housing programs, homelessness prevention and supportive housing services. With growing numbers of New Yorkers employed in low-wage sectors, it is becoming harder than ever for working families to achieve financial stability let alone pursue paths to economic freedom. The Families First budget would raise the minimum wage to put more income into the hands of over a million workers statewide and dedicates more than $50 million to increase access to safe, reliable, quality childcare and after-school programs to support working parents. These proposals are a first step. I look forward to partnering with our SOMOS leaders to ensure that these priorities remain at the forefront of our legislative agenda. This year as we gather to reflect on our accomplishments, let us also renew our commitment to create a better New York for all of our citizens. Somos uno (we are one). CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE PUERTO RICAN & HISPANIC TASK FORCE
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MARCOS CRESPO Chairman, Assemblymember
FÉLIX W. ORTIZ Assistant Speaker, Assemblymember
CARMEN ARROYO Assemblymember
FRANCISCO MOYA Assemblymember
MARITZA DAVILA Assemblymember
VICTOR PICHARDO Assemblymember
PHILIP RAMOS Assemblymember
JOSÉ RIVERA Assemblymember
ROBERT J. RODRIGUEZ Assemblymember
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NILY ROZIC Assemblymember
LUIS SEPÚLVEDA Assemblymember
MICHAELLE SOLAGES Assemblymember
RUBÉN DÍAZ Senator
MARTIN DILAN Senator
ADRIANO ESPAILLAT Senator
JOSÉ PERALTA Senator
GUSTAVO RIVERA Senator
JOSÉ SERRANO Senator
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PERSPECTIVES
OPENING THE DOORS OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
THOMAS P. DINAPOLI New York State Comptroller
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s New York State’s chief fiscal officer, it is my job to safeguard taxpayers’ dollars and advocate for policies that address our pressing economic and budget challenges. The economy is the single most important driver of our state government’s ability to provide resources for the essential services New Yorkers need. Thankfully, our economy is now regaining momentum after the Great Recession of 2008-09. Part of our economic resurgence is due to international immigration. New Yorkers recognize that we gain economically from international migration – with a statewide net total of 485,000 residents added just from 2010 to 2014 due to immigration. For native-born and new Americans alike, economic opportunity has always started with education. Across the state, the demand for higher-skilled workers is increasing. The unemployment rate
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in the downstate region for people with only a high school diploma averaged 10.5 percent through November 2013, compared with 7.3 percent for those with an associate’s degree and 5.7 percent for those with a bachelor’s degree. Want more proof? The median wage for workers with a bachelor’s degree was 85 percent higher than those with only a high school diploma. As the numbers show, New York needs the best educated workforce possible so that we can continue to attract employers that create well-paying jobs that help strengthen our economy. This is why I have strongly urged lawmakers to pass the New York State Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act). This program would invest an additional $20 million into the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) in order to increase access to financial aid for undocumented students. Today, approximately 8,300 such students attend public institutions of higher education throughout New York. Some of these students, however, are unable to attend college full-time or fail to graduate simply because the cost is beyond their means. The price tag of college also prevents many low-income undocumented high school graduates from ever enrolling. In the coming decades, the influence of immigrants will only grow. The number of New York residents of Hispanic descent rose by 18 percent from 2003 to 2013, and New Yorkers of Latino descent are
making an indelible mark on society, rising to the highest levels of politics and business. The number of Hispanic-owned businesses is climbing sharply in New York. From 2002 to 2007, for example, Hispanic-owned firms grew by 44 percent compared to 15 percent growth by non-Hispanic owned businesses. The National Council of La Raza estimates Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the American workforce and by 2050 one in three working Americans will be Hispanic. But we must bear in mind that Hispanics also endure higher unemployment levels compared to other workers. Poverty continues to hit the Latino population harder than others. And Hispanics are disproportionately employed in service and support occupations – jobs that are undeniably lower paying than management and professional occupations. This year’s SOMOS Albany conference is focused on extending influence and power to the next generation of Latinos. My hope is this event helps drive home the message in Albany: the doors of opportunity are predicated on a quality education from kindergarten to college. More than ever, we need to help young Latinos take the next step towards economic success. The prospect of financial aid will likely encourage more undocumented students to graduate from high school and enroll in college. CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
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PERSPECTIVES
NEW YORK: OPEN FOR BUSINESS OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION?
FÉLIX W. ORTIZ Assistant Speaker, Assemblyman
L
ast year, as Chair of the Cities Committee, I listened to New York State’s mayors’ concerns over the need to repair New York’s decaying infrastructure. As a result of those meetings, my $2 billion dollar Urban Restoration Bond Act (A3503) was introduced. In addition to committing part of the State’s $5.4 billion surplus generated from settlement monies from major financial institutions, the Act would help ensure that New York can improve its crumbling infrastructure while simultaneously improving job growth opportunities. The bricks and mortar of our communities include the buildings where we live and work, the pipes that carry our water and the roads and tunnels that get us to work. Neglected repairs make life harder and add public health and safety risks. Recent exploding manhole covers in
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Brooklyn are a horrifying and dangerous example of the needed urgency to act. The prospects for positive movement on infrastructure in New York this year are very good. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing the state spend $3 billion for infrastructure upgrades, including $1.3 billion for the Thruway and Tappan Zee Bridge. Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced new ferry service from Manhattan to Red Hook, which will improve transportation options for residents and businesses in my district. Working with our Washington and regional port authorities, we are also looking for ways to build a rail freight tunnel from New Jersey to Brooklyn and enable more economic development for our borough. Indeed, this is the right time to invest in New York’s infrastructure. Rebuilding our roads and developing new transportation opportunities through ferry service, freight tunnels, bridges and high-speed rail help generate jobs and a robust economy. According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), “infrastructure investments deliver a big job-creation bang for each dollar spent—far greater than most tax cuts.” Rebuilding New York’s infrastructure both improves our quality of life and creates thousands of job opportunities, including for many Hispanics. EPI’s studies show that a large share of the construction jobs generated from infrastructure investment would go to Hispanic and African American workers. And, this is the right time to implement infrastructure projects informed by local
community participation. We can—and must—learn from past experience, including that of the Sunset Park neighborhood in my district. When the Gowanus Expressway was built over 70 years ago, it cut the Sunset Park community in half, causing many residents to move away. It did not—and does not—have to be that way. Now, with the Gowanus Expressway rebuilding, the project should help strengthen the community, especially given the greater number of schools and housing along the route in Sunset Park. The state Transportation Department can and should work with the community to ensure proper lighting under the elevated highway, helping to improve the environment and to ensure public safety. Our families, businesses, workers and visitors deserve to know that New York’s roads, bridges and tunnels are properly maintained. Putting off the needed investments for infrastructure improvements not only risks public safety but delays the benefits expected for better quality of life, economic gains, and community vitality. The time is now. Investing in infrastructure in New York City and New York State—and involving local communities in those projects—will pay dividends for all New Yorkers for years to come. If we don’t commit to the needed repairs now, we stand to lose not only economic opportunities but the foundation of our communities. CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
Somos el Futuro would like to thank everyone who participated in the Spring 2015 Conference. In particular, we would like to thank the new Chairman of the New York State Assembly and Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force Assemblyman Marcos Crespo and our sponsors: the Greater New York Hospital Association, District Council 37, Time Warner Cable, Acacia Network, Inc., ConEdison, Herbalife, Verizon, AbbVie, Altria Client Services, AstraZeneca, AT&T, Battery Park City Authority, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bronx Lebanon Hospital, Cablevision, Davita, Eisai, Inc., Guardian, the Institute for the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, Intuit, MillerCoors, Montefiore Medical Center, the New York City LCLAA, the New York Yankees, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the New York State Comptroller, Otsuka America, Pfizer, the State University of New York, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, Walison Corp., WellCare, Central Medical Services of Westrock PC, and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLC. We appreciate your support of this organization and the Hispanic community. www.somosnewyork.org
MARCH 2015
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NEED NOT APPLY
THE SYSTEMIC EXCLUSION OF LATINOS FROM THE CITY AND STATE GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE
GERSON BORRERO
D
uring a recent City & State TV interview with political scientist Angelo Falcón, he discussed the lack of Latinos in the novice administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio. He told us in that conversation that the mayor had a promising start. “In January of last year, about 26 percent of his appointments were Latinos. I said that’s tremendous,” Falcón said. “But as we looked at it as recently as last month, that went down to 11 percent.” Falcón ravaged Mayor de Blasio, saying his administration’s record with Latinos is among the worst. While the mayor and most of his senior advisors and staff may deem Falcón’s unvarnished comments as personal, over-the-top or even offensive, the record proves that they’re not. Falcón has reviewed all mayors using the same approach, letting his research serve as the platform and mic to denounce their exclusion of Latinos in their administrations. When asked how Mayor de Blasio
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compared with Mayor David Dinkins, whom de Blasio worked for, Falcón slammed the first New York City African American mayor. “Dinkins also didn’t have a good record with bringing in Latinos.” Falcón continued, “Contrary to the urban legend of the gorgeous mosaic, Latinos are very dissatisfied with the Dinkins administration, especially towards the end.” In fact, the current City Hall occupant is the fifth mayor that political scientist Falcón has used his research to, in effect, point to the systemic exclusion of Latinos from the municipal workforce. mayor Edward Koch was the first to be scrutinized by Falcón. The nonprofit and nonpartisan organization was then known as the Institute for Puerto Rican Policy (IPR). The name was changed in November 2005 to the National Institute for Latino Policy, with the ever-watchful Falcón still at the helm. It was Falcón’s guerrilla research that drove Koch to, on one occasion, throw Falcón out of his office. The mayor had asked him to come to City Hall to brief him. Mayor Koch listened, but after being flustered by the incessant hammering of the numbers, Koch told Falcón that the meeting was over and told him “goodbye”. I was a witness to the entire meeting. Full disclosure is due here. At the time, I served as vice president of the IPR. So, I can tell you Ed Koch was feisty and didn’t take crap from anyone. The abrupt and somewhat harsh ending to the conversation had a “don’t let the door hit your nalgas” tone. That didn’t discourage Falcón and the incident still makes me smile. The numbers from the reports about
the lack of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in the administration moved Koch to create the first ever Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Committee. After 33 years of being presented with verifiable research of the underrepresentation of Latinos in state and municipal government, one would think that the hiring of the fastest growing segment of the population would be a given for any mayor or governor. If you’ve made that assumption then you have not been reading the copious reports by Angelo Falcón that document the systemic exclusion of Latinos from the ranks of New York’s civil service apparatus. He has examined the hiring practices of Latinos and the policies of five governors and five New York City mayors. Falcón’s first report was issued in 1982. It found that under Gov. Mario Cuomo there was extreme underrepresentation of Latinos in the government work force. That report generated a lot of media, political and community attention. Falcón had found that, although Latinos—majority of which were Puerto Rican in those years—were 10 percent of the state’s population, the group represented less than three percent of state government workers. That report clearly demonstrated that Latinos were the most underrepresented group in the state. The Mario Cuomo administration made some attempts to remedy the situation. Cuomo had his Civil Service Commissioner Karen Burstein meet with Falcón. Some of the elected Latino officials—all were Puerto Rican—didn’t stay dormant. However, most didn’t pressure the Cuomo
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administration enough to enact change. There were a few listos (opportunists) who got appointed and made headways for themselves. Tonio Burgos, who was then a key and trusted aide to Mario Cuomo, and the top ranking Puerto Rican with access can tell you some of those who benefitted from the reports. Then came the 12 years of Gov. George Pataki. Things didn’t improve for Latinos under the republican governor. Falcón continued undeterred. Mayor de Blasio and some in his administration may think that Falcón will eventually get tired of hammering at the lack of Latinos in his “progressive” ranks. That may be a mistake. That’s what mayors Dinkins, Giuliani and Bloomberg were counting on. Falcón plowed through the critics who said that the mayors were all trying or that their administrations had just
begun and needed time. Just like what de Blasio and his defenders are saying now. At the state level governors Pataki, Spitzer, and Paterson also thought Falcón would go away. They were wrong. Falcón keeps going back to review the numbers, update the reports and widely distribute the results. It’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo who’s now under the piercing research of Falcón. According to Falcón the numbers of Latinos in New York State government are even worse now than when the father of the current governor occupied the second floor. Falcón is already crunching numbers that will reflect how under four Democrats and one Republican, Latinos are still excluded from the Empire State workforce. The current Cuomo administration will be hard pressed to justify why, after knowing of the shut door, they’ve not made
Tel: 718.991.1700 CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
progress. Governor Andrew Cuomo knows of Falcón’s work since his father was the first governor, who the researcher focused on. Back in the Big Apple Mayor de Blasio may officially ignore the NILP’s reports but Falcón’s sustained tracking has had an impact. As of this writing several sources have indicated that de Blasio, who has refused to meet with either Falcón or a group of activists and professionals that has been formed that goes by the name the Campaign for Fair Latino Representation (www.LatinoRepresentation.org), will soon be convening a meeting with Latino leaders to discuss their community’s concerns and issues. Falcón was asked if he was aware of the de Blasio meeting and if he had been invited. He responded, “Not yet” . . . and then chuckled.
www.walison.com MARCH 2015
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DISPATCHES
CUOMO’S CUBA
CUBANS HOPE NEW TRADE WITH THE U.S. EASES WIDESPREAD SHORTAGES BY JON LENTZ
W
hen Gov. Andrew Cuomo
visits Cuba on a trade mission next month, he will see a country crippled by the U.S. trade embargo and a population optimistic that improved relations with their powerful neighbor to the north will ease their plight. The signs of shortage in the island nation are hard to miss. Many buildings in Havana, Cuba’s capital, are literally crumbling. Taxi drivers convey passengers along the city’s pothole-ridden streets in 1950s-era Fords, Buicks and Chevrolets. Outside the city center and in rural areas, many Cuban
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travelers clamber onto crowded old trucks or simply try to hitch rides. Even for those who receive remittances from American relatives or benefit from a lucrative tourism gig, there is not much to buy. Large stores that appear to have changed little in decades have a limited assortment of products and lots of empty shelves. On one Havana street, a line of Cubans lingered outside a state-run telecommunications storefront on one side, while another crowd of locals waited to get their rations of eggs and other staples on the other side. The state provides universal
healthcare and education, but Cubans say that their paltry wages still make it hard to get by. So when President Barack Obama made a surprise announcement in December that he would move toward normalizing relations and expanding trade with the Communist country, Cubans cheered the news. New trade missions, such as Cuomo’s, are bolstering those hopes—even if questions about New York’s governor drew only blank stares from a number of Cubans. “We are hoping that the negotiations
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ANNE DENES AND JON LENTZ
Cubans going about their business in Havana earlier this month.
between Cuba and the U.S. government go well,” Orestes Leon, an 83-year-old who makes balloon animals in Havana’s Parque Central, told City & State. “There are many needs here, a lot of hunger, and the food is very bad.” Another local only gave his name as Roberto, saying that he feared that he or his family would get into trouble with the police if he was seen speaking with an American reporter. Roberto, 33, bemoaned the lack of food, clothing and other products in his country and complained that the economy lags behind
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other countries. “The Cuban people need the change,” he said. “In Cuba, it is not possible to get anything, unlike in other parts of the world. In Cuba, the people only eat chicken and pork. Every shop has nothing. The people work and work, and they get nothing.” Yet despite the economic challenges, other Cubans staunchly defend the leadership of Fidel Castro and his brother Raul, who took over in 2006. A university student named Carlos, who also declined to give his last name, said that his government makes it “easy” for people, thanks to free
healthcare and other services. By contrast, the United States has “the most terrorists in the world,” Carlos claimed. “I think the improving relations with the United States will be good for us,” Carlos added. “We have the right to live in peace with them. We need them to respect our government.”
Senior Correspondent Jon Lentz traveled to Cuba earlier this month to interview residents about the normalizing of relations with the U.S. ahead of Cuomo’s trade mission.
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PERSPECTIVES
SOMOS AS A VEHICLE FOR CHANGE
MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO Speaker, New York City Council
S
OMOS is an opportunity for lawmakers, activists, and concerned citizens from across the state to re-commit ourselves to building communities that uplift everyone who calls New York “home”. Whether we’re pushing for economic growth, fighting for social justice, or securing the resources needed to combat inequality, SOMOS is a powerful platform through which we can raise awareness and support for the crucial issues impacting New Yorkers. The Latino community is an integral part of the diversity that positions New York at the forefront of these important conversations—and SOMOS serves as a vehicle through which we can harness the power of our leaders, thinkers, and scholars to engage and address needs of a community that are too often ignored. In New York City, we are making great strides to craft policies that reflect our diversity and address widening gaps in socioeconomic equality. We
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believe in a city that creates and fosters opportunities for success, shelters its homeless, and offers legal help for those navigating our complex courts system alone. We believe in livable vibrant neighborhoods that are affordable to the families that help make our city so exceptional and in a city where no one is left behind. Though we have come so far, there is still more for us to accomplish. In my recent State of the City address, I proposed key reforms to begin tackling these issues head-on. The New York City Council is pushing for reforms to make New York friendlier for small businesses and workers alike, including increased protections, resources, and tools that employers and employees can utilize to ensure a better workplace. Our current statewide minimum wage is $8 dollars – higher than ever before, but we can and should do better. The Council is fighting to raise the state minimum wage and for Albany to grant NYC local control over its minimum wage. It makes sense for workers, it makes sense for the middle class, and it makes sense for us. The Council is also seeking authority to enforce the state’s labor laws, working to ensure our workers are receiving fair wages and working conditions, and asking the state to establish paid family leave. With NYC workers losing over $1 billion each year to wage theft, there is no time to waste. At SOMOS, we must call attention to the dire needs of New Yorkers living in NYCHA which is facing an $18 billion deficit between what they will receive
in federal capital funding and what its buildings and infrastructure require through 2015. Through the combined efforts of the Council, the mayor and the borough presidents, the city plans to commit $225 million for essential infrastructural repairs. The Council calls upon the state to show commitment to the restoration and maintenance of the public housing stock by matching the city’s capital contribution and to show its commitment to the over 400,000 New York State residents that call NYCHA home. Finally, we once again call on the state to enact the long-awaited DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for qualifying undocumented youth who complete a college degree or two years of military service. New York City has become a national leader in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform by funding free legal representation to the children who cross our borders daily seeking protection and significantly limiting the city’s cooperation with the federal government’s dragnet deportation efforts. New York State has a historic opportunity to stand up for justice, for opportunity, and to recognize the strength and potential within these young people. They represent the path forward for our country—and an investment in them is an investment in our bright future. The Latino community is a dominant force in the movement to catalyze meaningful socioeconomic justice. Somos el Futuro—we are the future. And that is exactly what we are here to say. CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
HUNTER COLLEGE PRESENTS
Bronx March, East Harlem, NY, 1969
Hiram Maristany has been deeply involved in the growth of the Puerto Rican arts movement in New York. In an innovative exhibition at Hunter’s East Harlem Gallery, Maristany’s photographs serve as a point of focus – the ”anchor.” Over the next three months, the exhibition grows as six other artists – Nicole Cohen, Selena Kimball, Miguel Luciano, Steven Perez, Saul Williams and Caroline Woolard -respond to Maristany’s work, bridging East Harlem’s past and present. At the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, 2180 3rd Avenue.
MARCH 25-JUNE 13, 2015 OPENING RECEPTION, MARCH 25, 6-9 PM. With Projects Unveiling Through June 13 To RSVP for opening reception, please email: spevents@hunter.cuny.edu or call 212.772.4007
PERSPECTIVES
AGENCIES DISCONNECTED FROM HISPANICS
T
MARCOS CRESPO NYS Assemblyman he Hispanic community in
New York State continues to face both opportunities and challenges in the first decades of the 21st century. Its size has increased significantly in both absolute and relative terms. Political leadership and economic success have continued to grow as the community has developed. At the same time, the difficult economic challenges facing the state often impact this community in extremely negative ways. Workforce participation, income dynamics, educational issues and upward mobility remain issues critical to the economic success of Hispanics and other minorities. Loss of potential income for an entire community as per their clear underrepresentation in the New York State government workforce is a real factor for Hispanics in their attempts to enter the Civil Service System. Failed promises of providing equal employment opportunity by a continuous list of administrations have been covered up by skewed statistics and lack of access
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to government data and administrative initiative that have cost Hispanics jobs and deprived communities of millions of dollars in yearly income. Hispanics are proportionately the most underrepresented ethnic group in our state’s government agencies. At their present rate of workforce participation, it will take over 150 years for Hispanics to reach parity with their 18.3% of the state’s population. In 2004, 16% of the state’s population was Hispanic but accounted for only 3.8% or 6,515 out of the 169,571 jobs in the government workforce. In 2014, 18% of the state’s population was Hispanic but accounted for only 4.7% or 6,142 out of the 131, 800 jobs in the government workforce. While percentage wise there appears to be an increase, in real numbers, Hispanic state government workers have lost almost 400 jobs over the past decade - when their workforce participation rates and demographic growth are tremendous. The trend to downsize government by the current administration to provide savings for the state has not provided savings but has only created a situation where both Hispanics and other minorities remain tremendously underrepresented in the New York State government workforce. This at a time when Hispanics and other minorities represent almost 10 million of the nearly 20 million inhabitants. While 1 in 3 New Yorkers are Hispanic, African American or Asian, there is a total disconnect from this
reality throughout state agencies. In top administrative and policymaking positions, Hispanics and African Americans are almost nonexistent. Concurrently, as the state government workforce ages out of the system, the Department of Civil Service’s practices and behavior need to be reviewed. This underrepresentation is unacceptable considering the explosion of growth within these communities and old excuses, such as blaming the limited geographic distribution of minorities for their underrepresentation in state government jobs, no longer hold any truth. Hispanic communities throughout New York have faced triple digit growth in upstate communities and there are more minorities in and around upstate cities than ever before. This problem is of tremendous importance to the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force and is one that will be the focus of hearings and legislation as the Task Force moves to address the terrible discrepancies and obstacles faced by the Hispanic worker in entering public service in New York State. This is not just about 131,000 state government jobs. The Department of Civil Service controls 500,000 municipal level jobs at local government levels. The data on diversity at that level is even more troubling. The Assembly Puerto Rican/ Hispanic Task force will begin to focus on this problem as it highlights economic development obstacles that impact every aspect of life for our communities. CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
PERSPECTIVES
THE ROAD FOR DREAMERS
F
ollowing the recent passage of the DREAM Act in the state Assembly, a bill that would let undocumented students qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program or TAP, Natalia Aristizabal of Make the Road New York sat down for a City & State TV interview to discuss the future of the bill. The below interview has been edited for space and clarity.
C&S: The Assembly passed the bill once again this year and you were in the chamber. There were arguments made by Assembly Republicans that you took issue with. NA: I was amazed by how much untruth was being told in the chamber by the opposition. I mainly would like to clarify that this program does not take away from folks who currently benefit from it. It’s a program that estimates how many people can qualify per year, and then money is allocated. So this will really only expand the criteria of who can qualify for it. It’s not going to kick out someone who is currently benefitting from it. C&S: The Republicans have argued that any money spent on undocumented immigrants —people who are not citizens of New York — is money that could be spent elsewhere. What’s your response to that argument? NA: I think it’s a shortsighted vision. I believe most politicians to also be businessmen, and they have been — intentionally or not — contributing to the CIT YANDSTATENY.COM
K-12 education of these young people. Supporting their access to a college education will make them more prepared for the work field, which will mean that they will have a higher income. And the revenue that the state will have in exchange for this, in the long run, is actually greater. C&S: Do you think that passing the DREAM Act as a part of the larger budget is the best route to getting this passed this year? NA: I think that’s an interesting route and we have to thank Governor Cuomo for including it in the budget. I think it’s a little bit problematic because it’s tied to a tax credit, and now to all of TAP, so it makes it an interesting dynamic. I believe that the DREAM Act is a good idea on its own and will bring enough revenue to the state that it should be considered on
its own. I, ideally, would like to see what happened in the Assembly happen in the Senate. We saw the bill pass on its own. We saw the support. It would be amazing if the Senate would be courageous enough to take on this issue and pass it on its own, but we have to see what happens in Albany. C&S: Would it be a bigger win for Latino rights, or just minority rights in general, if this bill was brought up and passed on its own merits instead of just stuffed into the larger budget? NA: Absolutely, it would be a bigger win. It would mean that the Republicans have understood that supporting young people to go to college and increasing revenue for New York is a smarter move. It would mean that there is a commitment to the immigrant community. MARCH 2015
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SOMOS: PUERTO RICO NOVEMBER 2015
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
Want to partner with for our Road to SOMOS? Ask us about it.
Contact Andrew Holt: Aholt@CityandStateNY.com or 212.894.5422
Editor Borrero with Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins at C&S TV Hub in Puerto Rico