[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 150 (Thursday, December 7, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2146-E2147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        THE IMMIGRANT'S JOURNAL

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2000

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
publication that has been making a significant contribution to the 
immigrant community in Brooklyn--The Immigrant's Journal.
  The Immigrant's Journal is a widely read and widely distributed 
newspaper in New York City, dealing with immigration and related issues 
facing the 2 million immigrants living in New York City. In the pages 
of the Immigrant's Journal, one will find articles on immigration, 
family matters, real estate, the criminal justice system and the 
political system. With the vast array of immigration related 
legislative proposals before Congress, and the multiple problems facing 
immigrants in the processing of their visas, it is indisputable that 
this journal represents an idea whose time has come. Apart from its 
purely informational mission, the Journal seeks to correct and change 
the misleading stereotypes which some native-

[[Page E2147]]

born Americans may have of the immigrant community. It seeks to 
document the positive achievements which immigrants have made in the 
field of entrepreneurial activity, culture, and politics.
  Mr. Speaker, I recall that thirty years ago, many parts of Brooklyn 
were in a state of urban decay and economic stagnation. People were 
moving out of the area, businesses were closing and many homes were 
either abandoned or placed in the market. After the massive influx of 
immigrants in the 1970's, there has been an economic transformation in 
Central Brooklyn. New businesses have been erected, buildings have been 
rehabilitated, and thousands of homes been purchased. The pulsating 
rhythms of reggae and soca have become part of a new musical genre and 
the Labor Day Carnival in Eastern Parkway has become the largest block 
party in North America.
  Caribbean immigrants have not only contributed to entrepreneurial 
activity and culture, they have made a significant contribution to the 
political culture of our city. The first Black Assemblyman in our 
borough, the Honorable Bertram Baker, was from the Caribbean. So were 
our first Black female Congressperson, the Honorable Shirley Chisolm, 
and the dean of political strategists, the Honorable Dr. Wesley 
McHolder. The first Black Borough President of Manhattan, the Hon. 
Hulan Jack was from the Caribbean and the Chief Judge of the Federal 
Court in the southern district, the Hon. Constance Baker Mottley.
  Mr. Speaker, immigrants have made a glorious contribution to the rich 
tapestry and multi-cultural quilt that we call the American heritage. 
It is a story that needs to be told, and this newspaper, the 
Immigrant's Journal, is one of the publications that seek to recount 
this American saga in a clear and eloquent language.

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