[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 103 (Tuesday, June 18, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E646-E647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING MARIA ANTONIA ``TONITA'' CAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 18, 2024

  Ms VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate Maria 
Antonia ``Tonita'' Cay and the 50th year anniversary of the Caribbean 
Social Club, which stands as the oldest Puerto Rican-owned Latino 
social club in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She has been featured in 
numerous media outlets, publications, and a documentary. In the past 
years, notable artists, filmmakers, and musicians have visited Tonita's 
Caribbean Social Club to experience the unique essence of the rich 
Latino heritage it now represents.
  Tonita, as she is affectionately known, was born on May 10, 1940, in 
Junco, Puerto Rico. She is the second oldest of nine siblings. In 1956, 
during the significant migration of Puerto Ricans to New York City, her 
family settled in the Lower East Side when she was fifteen years old. 
Several years later, she moved to Williamsburg, where there was an 
established and growing Puerto Rican community and employment 
opportunities in the needlework factories that were part of New York's 
bustling garment industry. In addition to working as factory 
seamstress, Tonita began designing, sewing, and selling dresses from 
her home. This home-based business showcased her skills and helped 
support her and fulfill her dream of owning the building she lived in 
as a tenant. This established a foothold in her community and laid the 
foundation for the incorporation of her Caribbean baseball team and 
club in 1973 at 244 Grand Street in Brooklyn. Her courage and 
perseverance defied the societal norms of the time.
  Today, Tonita is one of Los Sures Williamsburg's Puerto Rican 
`Pioneras' and the last women-owned social club. At a time when Puerto 
Ricans and Latinos were politically invisible in Williamsburg, Tonita 
helped elevate our presence and cultural identity by establishing the 
Caribbean Baseball teams, which gathered hundreds of players and their 
families weekly. Players and their families were proud of Roberto 
Clemente and wanted to emanate his game. Tonita's grit contributed to 
more Latino, and women owned social clubs and baseball leagues. During 
the 1970's and 1980's, the Southside of Williamsburg was flushed with 
gathering social clubs for baseball and dominoes. In the 1990's, the 
rising cost of rent and excessive demand on licensing by the city 
imposed significant hardship for many social clubs including Tonita's. 
However, she demonstrated remarkable resilience. Her determination was 
particularly evident when she took on City Hall and won, securing the 
club's place in the community even as Mayor Rudy Giuliani's 
administration cracked down on various venues.
  Tonita's victory was an achievement. Today, her continued legacy of 
community support remains steadfast. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she 
utilized the Caribbean Social Club to provide no cost essential 
assistance and home cooked meals to her neighbors and all who visited. 
The Caribbean Social Club is not only home to Puerto Ricans, but also 
welcoming place for a melting pot of different backgrounds, cultures 
and professions, reflecting Tonita's inclusive and welcoming spirit. 
Maria Antonia Cay and the Caribbean Social Club is the embodiment of 
the American dream. Her business acumen and sense of community has 
contributed greatly to the social and cultural fabric of the Los Sures 
community in Williamsburg.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Maria 
Antonia Cay and the Caribbean Social Club on this special 50th Year 
Anniversary.

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