Campaign for State Senate Reaches Out to Immigrants
In Unprecedented Effort
Honors Two Members of the South Asian Community in Recognition of Indian Independence Day
On a rainy Sunday afternoon, Councilman Joe Addabbo gathered with an intimate group of Richmond Hill residents at the home of Dr. Vijai R. Lilliah. Dr. Lilliah, a practicing psychologist and Executive Director of the Queens Resource and Advocacy Center, had invited the Councilman over to discuss some of the issues facing the South Asian community in Queens today.
“Joe is someone who hears our concerns. He is always there for us and cares about our problems. As an activist I know our community needs a greater voice in local politics, to make sure we get the resources we need. We are a burgeoning community and it’s essential that we have adequate representation in state government. Joe has an outstanding record and we can count on him,” said Dr. Lilliah by way of introduction.
Councilman Addabbo has long been an advocate for the concerns of the immigrant community. Over the last two years, he has allocated 125K to the South Queens Boys & Girls Club for immigration services: visas, citizenship, translation, etc…as well as funding the Hindu Cultural Society, and enlisting the DOE Fund to clean up Liberty Avenue. The Councilman has similarly sponsored legislation to make city services available in multiple languages (according to the NY State Comptroller’s office there are over 138 languages spoken in Queens).
Addressing the intimate group of 15, Councilman Addabbo spoke about the rising cost of living and public safety, called for increased education aid, and expressed the need for increased access to city and state universities for immigrant members of the community
As a Councilman, Joe Addabbo supported the In-state Tuition for Non-citizen Residents bill which allows immigrants living in New York State with a GED or high school diploma, to qualify for the same tuition discount as other in-state residents applying to the CUNY (City University of New York) and SUNY (State University of New York) systems. New York is one of only eight other states that allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates which adds up to a $6,000 savings. On average, college graduates earn 73% more than their peers with only a high school education. With one out of every five residents in New York State born outside of the United States and an estimated 16% living without complete documentation, equal opportunity is that much more important. According to a study by the Urban Institute, immigrants contributed 15% of all New York State’s income tax revenue in 1995, when the immigrant population was substantially lower than it is today. In addition, college graduates contribute 44% more in annual tax revenues than the median high school graduate.
Currently there are an estimated 650,000 undocumented immigrants in New York State in contrast to an estimated 3,000 enrolled in CUNY and SUNY.
“That number is too low. Education is an essential component of the American Dream and it should be available to the thousands of hard working immigrants who make their life in New York City and support our economy. Students from immigrant families have an enormous contribution to make to our city, and we need to recognize their value,” said Councilman Addabbo.
Afterward, the Councilman took questions on a number of issues from how to get a visa to fixing broken street lamps.
“He really listens to people,” said Dr. Taj Rajkumar who is the District Leader in the 31st Assembly District, which covers South Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens, Rosedale, Far Rockaway and Laurelton. “Joe is reaching out to us in our temples and our homes. We’ve never seen an effort like this.”
But the day wasn’t over. After the party disbanded, the Councilman headed to the Bengali Cultural Festival in Ozone Park. Between bites of vegetable samosa, the Councilman shook hands at the Desis Vote booth (an organization co-founded by a member of his staff), encouraging people to get involved in the democratic process.
Speaking to the crowd of 3,000, the Councilman paid homage to the important contributions of the immigrant community to American life: “Immigrants built this country based on the promise of a better life. I will continue to fight to keep that vision alive for the scores of people who have made New York City the vibrant center of culture and democracy that it is. Your voice matters!”
“It was great to have Joe’s support. To him there isn’t a Republican or Democratic, black, brown, or white issue, just issues. He understands the concerns confronting the South Community and we’re going to do everything we can to send him to Albany,” said Shariar Uddin who helped organize the festival.
A few days later, the Councilman was in the thick of things at a special ceremony to commemorate Indian Independence Day at City Hall, where he honored two outstanding members of the community: Harpreet Singh Toor, host of “American Visions” & “World Review” television shows on Jus Punjabi Television, and Naresh Gehi a trial lawyer specializing in immigration matters.
