New York City Politics: Thoughts on the fall of councilman Miguel Martínez
In the summer of 1992, I was invited to participate in a television panel program and share my views with other guests that included Councilman Guillermo Linares regarding the reasons for and the aftermaths of the 5-day civil riots that had shook Manhattan's largely Dominican Washington Heights area.
Investigations later proved that the "Crack Trade" epidemic mixed with two overworked and highly corrupt police precincts proved too combustible for the overpopulated neighborhood.
I saw the problem differently. When my turn came to speak, I quoted History. I likened the social problem of Dominicans to the bloody Irish immigrant riots in Philadelphia of the 1840's.
Simply said, Dominicans and their children in the United States had started to think of themselves as "Americans" and not as "foreigners" and wanted respect and assimilation.
It also signaled that Dominican New York Politics had begun. We rallied around Guillermo Linares as the first and most visible elected symbol.
I had been serving the New York City Board of Education as a Corporate Volunteer. Speaking to 7th Graders with the purpose of stemming the astonishingly rising high school dropout rate.
However, my message had changed somewhat. I was also telling children that I wanted to return to their neighborhoods in twenty years and see their faces, "Dominican Faces" in Police uniforms patrolling local streets. I also asked them to prompt and ask their parents if they were voting in local New York elections.
At the time, this request was difficult since poor working Dominican families were I felt being preyed upon by selfish political leaders with "Back Home Agendas" collecting monies to support Peña Gómez, Jacobo Majluta or Joaquín Balaguer. This was slow to change, but parents became more locally involved.
New York State Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat was joined by Assemblyman José Peralta. In the New York City Council Ms. Diana Reyna and Miguel Martinez won elected seats. Dominican-Americans also gained elected positions in New Jersey.
The rise of these politicians began when we forgot the PRD, the Reformista and the PLD. All political factions that would not solve our children's issues, nor improve public services in the United States.
As we move forward into the future, Dominican-American politicians should continually pay careful attention to studying American History and the definition of "Public Service".
When Dominican politicians get elected in their country, they assume their position as a personal domain. In fact many make it a "Family Enterprise" and begin by hiring relatives.
In America you are elected to serve the people. You are a Public Servant expected to humbly serve your community and avoid ostentatious flamboyance in the process.
The Dominican-American Political community is still a work in progress and comparatively fragile compared to our Puerto Rican, and Miami/Jersey Cubans. They have achieved Senate and Congressional positions, we must do the same.
Almost 20 years since the riots we see "Dominican and Latino Faces" in Police uniforms patrolling the streets of Washington Heights. Community relations has improved dramatically.
Which brings us to our final "take home" message for our young and future public servants, and that message is that they not be discouraged by the fall of Councilman Miguel Martinez, but instead take faith and remember the Spanish-born American philosopher George Santayana who wrote " Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".
Investigations later proved that the "Crack Trade" epidemic mixed with two overworked and highly corrupt police precincts proved too combustible for the overpopulated neighborhood.
I saw the problem differently. When my turn came to speak, I quoted History. I likened the social problem of Dominicans to the bloody Irish immigrant riots in Philadelphia of the 1840's.
Simply said, Dominicans and their children in the United States had started to think of themselves as "Americans" and not as "foreigners" and wanted respect and assimilation.
It also signaled that Dominican New York Politics had begun. We rallied around Guillermo Linares as the first and most visible elected symbol.
I had been serving the New York City Board of Education as a Corporate Volunteer. Speaking to 7th Graders with the purpose of stemming the astonishingly rising high school dropout rate.
However, my message had changed somewhat. I was also telling children that I wanted to return to their neighborhoods in twenty years and see their faces, "Dominican Faces" in Police uniforms patrolling local streets. I also asked them to prompt and ask their parents if they were voting in local New York elections.
At the time, this request was difficult since poor working Dominican families were I felt being preyed upon by selfish political leaders with "Back Home Agendas" collecting monies to support Peña Gómez, Jacobo Majluta or Joaquín Balaguer. This was slow to change, but parents became more locally involved.
New York State Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat was joined by Assemblyman José Peralta. In the New York City Council Ms. Diana Reyna and Miguel Martinez won elected seats. Dominican-Americans also gained elected positions in New Jersey.
The rise of these politicians began when we forgot the PRD, the Reformista and the PLD. All political factions that would not solve our children's issues, nor improve public services in the United States.
As we move forward into the future, Dominican-American politicians should continually pay careful attention to studying American History and the definition of "Public Service".
When Dominican politicians get elected in their country, they assume their position as a personal domain. In fact many make it a "Family Enterprise" and begin by hiring relatives.
In America you are elected to serve the people. You are a Public Servant expected to humbly serve your community and avoid ostentatious flamboyance in the process.
The Dominican-American Political community is still a work in progress and comparatively fragile compared to our Puerto Rican, and Miami/Jersey Cubans. They have achieved Senate and Congressional positions, we must do the same.
Almost 20 years since the riots we see "Dominican and Latino Faces" in Police uniforms patrolling the streets of Washington Heights. Community relations has improved dramatically.
Which brings us to our final "take home" message for our young and future public servants, and that message is that they not be discouraged by the fall of Councilman Miguel Martinez, but instead take faith and remember the Spanish-born American philosopher George Santayana who wrote " Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".
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