By Stephen Witt (Special from Our Time Press)
Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke said last week that President Barack Obama’s executive order to legalize some four million undocumented immigrants will have no impact on jobs, housing and contracts let out to traditional African-Americans who played a major role in building this country as former slaves.
Their comments came as Jeffries and Clarke, who co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Task Force on Immigration Reform, led a bevy of the borough’s elected officials – many coming from Brooklyn’s large Caribbean neighborhoods – to praise Obama’s initiative, and to blast Republican’s for denouncing it.
“The African-American community has consistently and strongly expressed support for immigration reform,” said Jeffries. “We are the community that always helped bring to life the American dream for everyone. We were behind pushing for the abolition of slavery. We were behind the civil rights act. We were behind the voting rights act. We were behind the Fair Housing Act. We believe in the great diversity of America and giving everyone an equal opportunity to succeed. That is why in every single poll taken the African-American community has expressed strong support for comprehensive immigration reform.”
Jeffries said he also sees Obama continuing to do more for the traditional African-American community and pointed toward the president’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative unveiled earlier this year which puts resources into improving the conditions for young men and boys of color.
“I think in the next two years you’ll see the president continue to put a lot of energy and activity and resources into My Brother’s Keeper,” said Jeffries. “It’s been well received in the district I represent and as he indicated, it both a moral and economic imperative that as a country to help make sure every single African-American male and boy of color has the opportunity to succeed in our county.”
Jeffries insisted helping the plight of traditional African-Americans and the millions of undocumented law-abiding immigrants are not mutually exclusive.
“A rising tide lifts all boats, and New York City has always been a diverse place and has made us the greatest city in the world. So the president’s order to redirect resources in helping keep families together without fear of deportation is a great thing for everybody,” he said.
Clarke, whose parents are from Jamaica, said if there was a major rift between proponents of immigration reform and those fighting to better the plight of traditional African-Americans it would have already come to light.
“There’s a symbiotic relationship among all immigrants,” said Clarke. “We all recognize the economic struggle of the nation in which we live and we do everything we can to provide opportunities. Now it’s up to those of us in government to create avenues for contracting and eliminate discrimination in contracting. It is up to us to demand that opportunities be created for small businesses to expand so they can hire those who are immigrants and those who are not immigrants
“There’s a lot that we can point the finger at and blame other human beings for the dynamics we’ve created as a society that continues to tolerate discrimination, bias and racism, but at end of day we all live in this society, and this (immigration) has never been an issue that has divided this community,” she added.
Joining Jeffries and Clarke were State Senator Kevin Parker, Assemblyman Walter Mosley, Assemblyman N. Nick Perry, Councilman Mathieu Eugene, Assemblywoman-elect Rodneyse Bichotte, Assemblywoman-elect Jo Anne Simon, Assemblywoman-elect Latrice Monique Walker and Working Families Party co-founder Bertha Lewis.
Eugene, a Haitian-American, said he has always acknowledged the strong role African-Americans have played in social justice including immigration reform not only in this country but throughout the world.
“African-Americans have given their lives fighting for social justice,” said Eugene. “And I always tell everyone that I wouldn’t be where I am had it not been for the African-Americans that laid the groundwork. I stand on their shoulders.”
