On January 25, 2012, the Committee on Immigration of the New York City Council held a hearing on Resolution 1096 calling upon the Department of Homeland Security to create a Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program. The Resolution, introduced by Haitian-American Councilor Mathieu Eugene, would benefit Haitians recovering from the January 12, 2010 earthquake by allowing Haitians with approved family-sponsored immigrant visa petitions to come to the United States.

Following is the statement that was delivered at the hearing on behalf of the Haitian-Americans United for Progress (HAUP)

My name is Jocelyn McCalla and I am pleased to testify today before this Committee on Resolution No. 1096, on behalf of the Haitian-Americans United for Progress (HAUP).

HAUP was founded 37 years ago by Haitian-American community leaders and advocates to help resettle and integrate Haitian asylum-seekers and immigrants in New York City. These leaders included the Most Rev. Guy Sansaricq, auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn and Ms. Carolle Berotte Joseph who is currently serving as President of Bronx Community College.

HAUP is located in Cambria Heights which is home to the largest Haitian-American enclave outside of Brooklyn. While HAUP began as a volunteer-based organization focused initially on responding to the needs of Haitian immigrants and refugees, it has since expanded and offers its multitude of services to newcomers and citizens alike. Under the leadership of Executive Director Elsie Saint-Louis, HAUP has risen to serve annually some 15,000 people who come to us from Cambria Heights proper as well as from Queens Village, Jamaica, Springfield Gardens and Laurelton. We provide services to clients in Brooklyn through our ambulatory programs. Residents of Elmont and Hempstead on Long Island also seek our services and support, since we are located so close to the border with Nassau County.

Regarding Resolution 1096

The Obama Administration responded remarkably fast and aggressively to the major catastrophe that hit Haiti some two years ago on January 12, 2010. The United States deployed thousands of troops to support the actions of a government that had literally collapsed, and to facilitate the relief and recovery response that poured from all over the world into Haiti. Stateside, it promptly granted Temporary Protected Status to Haitian non-immigrants who were in the United States at the time. Last year, the Administration extended TPS for this class and broadened it to include Haitians who had hurriedly joined their relatives after the earthquake because their livelihood had been destroyed. Most recently, the Administration has decided to allow Haitians to take part in the guest worker programs that U.S. growers and farmers use to ensure that they have sufficient legal labor to bring in the harvest.

Yet there’s one more step that the Administration could have taken and which – as Res. 1096 notes – it has not taken: it has not speeded up the family reunification process for Haitian immigrants who are already in the pipeline. These Haitians could be paroled and safely reunited with their relative sponsors in the United States while awaiting their final immigrant visa interviews. Such a program already exists for Cuban nationals. Failure to establish it for Haitians raises issues of double-standards.

HAUP supports the Resolution and urges the Committee on Immigration and the entire NY City Council to approve it. Such an action would send a very strong signal to the Obama Administration that this great city – which has one of the most diverse and productive immigrant populations in the United States – supports a Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program

Haitian Reality Today

Haiti’s recovery barely got off the ground in 2010, in spite of the close to $10 billion pledged at the March 2010 International Donors Conference, and the commitment to hasten efforts to build Haiti back better. As time went by, frustrations with political management of Haitian affairs and of the recovery efforts led both Haitians and their international allies to turn to electoral politics. These turned out to be highly controversial; a disaster was only averted by heavy-handed management of the process by the US and its key allies. Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, remains home to more than half a million internally displaced earthquake refugees. Many have returned to homes that are unsafe.

While the United States and its allies have done much in the past year to support Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction, economic growth and political stability remain a dream deferred. We hope that Haiti’s new President and legislature will provide the leadership necessary to allow for growth and prosperity. Most observers however agree that real economic progress is years away. Meanwhile, Haiti remains vulnerable to the vagaries of nature (floods, tropical storms, hurricanes) and societal misfortunes (health emergencies such as cholera outbreaks, malnutrition, increased commodities and food costs due to world price fluctuations).

Conclusion

Haitian-Americans United for Progress resolutely supports the adoption of Res. 1096. We are prepared to offer support to the beneficiaries of a Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program once it is promulgated. We can help ease resettlement woes for the newcomers, and assist their relatives who are either resident or citizens with the inevitable questions that arise in such situations. In short, we believe that this is the right thing to do and we urge the Committee and the Council to adopt the resolution unanimously.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano joined by members of the Haitian-Americans United for Progress (HAUP) and Kompa Guide at an event commemorating the 208^th Anniversary of Haiti’s Independence. The ceremony also honored the lives of tens of thousands of Haitians that died during an earthquake on January 12, 2010.

“When Haiti declared its freedom, Haitians made history, setting a precedent as the second country to declare independence in Latin America and creating the first post-colonial black-led nation in the world.  Today, we continue to see the courage of that struggle reflected in Haiti’s response to the devastating earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010,” said County Executive Mangano.  “Despite all Haiti has endured throughout their history, Haitians have shown an unwavering strength, will, and passion to forge ahead and build a more prosperous nation.  I salute the many contributions that Haitian-Americans have made to the culture and prosperity here in Nassau County and I wish all Haitians a happy Independence Day and hope that 2012 is a year filled with peace and progress.”

The event was moderated by Haitian-American poet/performer Michèle Voltaire Marcelin whose writings and performances in English, French, and Creole are praised and sought after.  Haitian music, dance performances and gourmet meals illustrative of Haitian cuisine were also offered to guests.

“Haiti Day on January 11^th shed light on the growing contributions of Haitians to Nassau County’s diversity and economic development.  We are delighted to partner with Mr. Mangano in celebrating Haiti’s Independence and we look forward to a successful partnership,” said Elsie Saint Louis Accilien, Executive Director, The Haitian Americans United for Progress, Inc. (HAUP).

Gina Faustin, Executive Producer of Kompa Guide, added, “Many Haitian families including the Faustins settled in Nassau County in the early 1950′s and have been in integral part of its evolution, and richness. Haiti’s Independence Celebration will raise awareness to this remarkable population.”

Haitian-Americans United for Progress (HAUP) is one of the largest not-for-profit community-based organizations in the greater Cambria Heights area and Nassau County, serving approximately 15,000 people a year through a variety of programs and services that range from after-school and youth programs to remedial care for the elderly and the mentally-disabled.  HAUP has risen from its inception 35 years ago as a small volunteer-based Haitian refugee and immigrant mutual assistance association into a service agency that reaches out to the broader community of immigrants and native-born Americans.  HAUP is dedicated to providing a supportive environment through education, training, culture, networking opportunities, and other support services, that allow members of the community to successfully adapt and thrive.

Faustin is a Haiti booster par excellence, promoting it as a travel destination along with its unique music, culinary offerings and and culture.

Next January 11, Kompa Guide will partner with HAUP to celebrate Haiti’s Independence, honor the memory of the 2010 earthquake victims, and pay tribute to all those who rallied to Haiti’s side at a time of extreme need.

The event, organized in cooperation with the office of County Executive Edward Mangano, will be held on January 11, 2012 from 6 pm to 9 pm at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building in Mineola. It will be free and open to the public.

HAUP’s event will feature and be moderated by Haitian-American poet/performer Michèle Voltaire Marcelin whose writings and performances in English, French, and Creole are much praised and sought after. Haitian music, dance performances and gourmet meals illustrative of Haitian cuisine will be offered to the 250 or more assembled guests, community and business leaders, and officials from Nassau County.

The Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative building in Mineola, Nassau County is an excellent venue for the festive event that aims to highlight the Haitian presence in Nassau County. Indeed, many Haitian professionals (physicians, teachers, engineers, architects, nurses, financial services executives, realtors and lawyers) have made the county their home. The recent election of Haitian-American Carrie Solages is testament to their growing presence and impact on local developments.

This past May, President Barack Obama yielded to our pleas on behalf of our Haitian brothers and sisters victimized by last year’s earthquake: he extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to a broader group of Haitians and renewed its benefits to those already qualified for another 18 months. His decision to extend the eligibility cut-off date by a year from January 12, 2010 to January 12, 2011 brings joy and comfort to the thousands of Haitians who sought refugee with family and friends immediately after the quake because their homes and their livelihood had been destroyed.

TPS benefits both Haiti and the United States. It reduces the burden on Haiti of feeding and caring for the Haitians who would otherwise be subject to deportation from the US. TPS does not add to the US deficit, yet extends the President’s commitment to a vibrant and productive Haiti through bilateral and multilateral assistance.

While the United States and its allies have done much in the past year to support Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction, economic growth and political stability remain a dream deferred. We hope that Haiti’s new President and legislature will provide the leadership necessary to allow for growth and prosperity. Most observers however agree that real economic progress is years away. Meanwhile, Haiti remains vulnerable to the vagaries of nature (floods, tropical storms, hurricanes) and societal misfortunes (health emergencies such as cholera outbreaks, malnutrition, increased commodities and food costs due to world price fluctuations).

This is why we have deepened our commitments to our community and the people of Haiti by exploring more organic ways for increasing our impact there while getting ready for the inevitable emergencies caused by hurricanes and tropical storms.

Meanwhile, we once again celebrated a Haiti baseball day with the NY Mets this year. We did all of this while continuing to provide the services that individual, corporate, state and city of New York grants have consistently supported. We are thankful for a staff and donors who go beyond the call of duty to ensure service delivery that consistently earns praise and recognition across the city.

Because we did not stand still, because you hit the ground running with us, we performed miracles big and small this year. Together we can achieve even more miracles for our community in the future.

We hope that you will make our 36^th Anniversary Gala an extra special one this year by partnering with us and the circle of leaders who have already helped us realize much of our dream. We are once again offering attractive platinum, gold, silver and bronze sponsorship packages that will reflect well on you and your constituents. Naturally, your sponsorship will automatically entitle you to membership in our leadership circle which, in addition to intimate private gatherings twice a year, provides you with special news briefs and opportunities for enhanced exposure.

Our gala event will be held at Antun’s, in Queens Village on October 8, 2011. In addition to celebrating our 36^th year of service to an ever-growing community, we hope that we will be able to announce that, thanks to your generosity, support and partnership, we are well on our way to building HAUP to strengthen hope!

Gratefully yours,

Elsie Saint-Louis Accilien
Executive Director

P.S.: I truly believe that together we can achieve miracles for our community. We have made much progress since we set out to build community through dedicated and appropriate service. Your support will bring us yet closer to our goals. I am counting on your partnership. Please act now!

According to the announcement released by the City University of New York, “Dr. Berotte Joseph, whose career in higher education spans more than 35 years, has been president of Massachusetts Bay Community College, located in Wellesley Hills, Mass., since 2005. Her appointment as the President of Bronx Community College marks her return to CUNY, where she served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Hostos Community College in the Bronx after having been a faculty member at City College for over 20 years. Prior to becoming president of MassBay, she was Chief Academic Officer and Dean of Academic Affairs at Dutchess Community College of The State University of New York. A prominent authority in the field of sociolinguistics, she is the co-editor, with professor Arthur Spears of City College, of the groundbreaking book, “The Haitian Creole Language: History, Structure, Use and Education,” which was published last year.”

The event also paid tribute to the work of the Haitian Bilingual Education and Technical Assistance Center (HABETAC) which, along with all the other New York State Funded BETAC, will close its doors on June 30 because of the budget axe.

HABETAC was created in 1993 through an endeavor of the City College of New York (CUNY) under the leadership of Dr. Carole Berotte Joseph, Carmen Perez Hogan at the New York State Education Department, and Haitian community members and educators. Its purpose was to address the unmet educational needs and concerns of Haitian students and their families.

Three retiring Haitian-American educators and school professionals, amongst them Yolène Ambroise, were recognized.

HAUP is delighted to have co-sponsored the event which was held in a festive atmosphere punctuated by performances from Buyu Ambroise and his band,  laughter and dancing to konpa.

In the last three weeks, while attending to the concerns of our constituents, providing accurate information and reassurances when possible, we have taken pain to inform public opinion and welcome the many gestures of care and solidarity of friends and neighbors.

On January 18, The local Asian American leadership, joined by local black, white and Hispanic leaders, welcomed Elsie Accilien, executive director of Haitian Americans United for Progress, a Cambria Heights nonprofit aimed at helping New York City’s Haitian-American and other immigrant communities, to the event by donating more than $3,000 to charities working to help the people of Haiti. You can read the rest of the story here.

http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/01/21/queens/queenspiirwks01202010.txt

On January 27 and 28, Ms. Accilien provided answers to questions posed by the readers of the New York Times. The questions and answers can can be found here through this link: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/answers-about-new-yorks-response-to-haitis-earthquake/

NY1 broadcast a story on a Haitian orphanage supported by HAUP.  You can read the story here http://www.ny1.com/8-queens-news-content/top_stories/112356/orphanage-director-plans-return-to-haiti

Accilien was quoted in “Three Steps to Making Smart Haiti Donations,” an article published by the NYT about the right way to help Haiti. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/nyregion/24critic.html 

We would appreciate your feedback on the actions we have taken and the guidance we have  provided so far. Please do not hesitate to get in touch.

HAUP will hold a Haiti Relief Service Fair at Sacred Heart School in Cambria Heights, NY.  The 6 hour fair which starts at 10 AM and ends at 4 PM will address the concerns of community residents.

There will be free counseling to Haitians on applying for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a benefit which the Obama administration triggered in response to the quake, as well as other immigration counseling. Questions regarding adoptions, entitlements, and available community resources will be handled by trained and qualified personnel at the fair. For children, there will be a fun zone where they can play.

Sacred Heart School is located at 115-50 221st street in Cambria Heights. Please call 718.527.3776 ext 17 to speak to Warren or Sophia for additional information.

Statement of Haitian-Americans United for Progress

New York, January 14, 2009 – Haiti suffered a major blow when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, the capital city and several other cities to south and west late Tuesday afternoon. The death toll is not yet known but the images coming out of Haiti foretell of the need for reconstruction efforts that will test the will and generosity of people the world over.

HAUP has taken several steps to respond to the immediate emergency. The non-profit organization has joined forces with New York City and New York State elected officials to build support for the relief efforts. We are urging all people of good will to provide monetary support to charities that have proven themselves in Haiti emergency responses in the past as well as in other similar emergencies. These charities include the International Red Cross and World Relief. We do not and will not collect food, clothing and other similar donations. Monetary donations are the only donations that we will allow at this point in time.

Moreover, we are very much aware that beyond the immediate emergency the rebuilding efforts will take time and will require of Haitian-Americans and of friends of Haiti a sustained commitment. Such commitments can and should take the form of volunteering time and expertise as well as providing monetary support. HAUP will plan for such efforts and urges all people of good will, and in particular Haitian-Americans to commit to such efforts.

Through years of facing natural and man-made calamity, Haitians have shown a remarkable resilience. We expect that this time will not be different. Though the loss of lives may be much greater and the emotional and physical aftershocks live with them for quite a long time, we believe that a renewed and stronger Haiti can and will emerge in the not-too-distant future. Key to Haiti’s revival however will be the support of individuals and groups to these efforts.

HAUP will take steps to take part in the rebuilding effort, including managing, training and deploying volunteers, offering tangible assistance and working with lawmakers and policymakers stateside to ensure that these efforts are a success. We look forward to working with the leaders of the NY City Council and the NY State Legislature, with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and with the Obama Administration to make the dream of building Haiti back better a reality.

The Committees on Civil Rights and Immigration of the New York City Council held a joint hearing on  November 19 to discuss the city’s efforts to ensure a higher count next year when the census is carried out, and to vote on two resolutions which expressed the sentiment of the City’s elected leaders that persons incarcerated  in far away places should be added to the count of the community that they lived in prior to being thrown in jail. The Haitian-Americans United for Progress was invited to testify. Following are the relevant parts of the testimony.

Ensuring that New York City’s Hard to Count Populations Are Identified
and Encouraged to Participate in the 2010 Census

Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued Executive Order No. 127 five months ago to emphasize the city’s determination to ensure that the 2010 census reflects more accurately the city’s population size. It is an open secret that in the past New York City may have lost its fair share of federal dollars because the census count has regularly failed to reach the hard-to-count populations in the city. The Census 2000 response rate for New York City was 55 percent, well below the national average of 67 percent. Given that a lower than average response rate deeply affects the quality of life in our communities, we wholeheartedly subscribe to plans and campaigns that aim to get residents of our great city to provide information to the census either via mail or when the census workers come knocking at their doors.

Everyone who is involved with the census count understands that networking and extensive cooperation are essential to the success of this effort. The cooperation of our group, the Haitian-Americans United for Progress (HAUP) is a given. In recent weeks, we have welcomed to our offices several Census district leaders to whom we have provided information about the communities that we serve in Queens and Brooklyn and with whom we have shared outreach strategies. We believe that the Haitian immigrant communities – which are concentrated in the Greater Cambria Heights area of Queens and in East Flatbush, and Crown Heights in Brooklyn – fit the definition of hard-to-count communities, because of language barriers, the level of misunderstanding that may exist as to where the information collected ends up, and doubts as to whether it will lead to positive difference in their lives. These obstacles can be overcome when confidence is built up through trusted institutions like HAUP.

Yet as we all know, trust does not spring eternal. It must be constantly nurtured and gained. We have gained much experience in doing just that through our 34 years of service delivery to our communities. It bears emphasizing that in this particular instance, trust is built and gained through a significant grassroots effort, which may be carried out via a combined volunteer and paid staff effort. In other words, it takes resources. Yet resources are woefully absent from the mix. Given the urgency of the hour and the benefits to the City of ensuring a higher than average census count, we strongly recommend that the City address this issue immediately. HAUP is prepared to help as much as possible, yet just like many other civic-minded organizations we have had to tighten our belts because of the recessionary squeeze. Providing resources to organizations like ours so that we can be involved in the grassroots efforts to get our communities to come out for the census is an investment that will be well worth it.

On Proposed Resolutions

Both of the resolutions before the Committees – proposed resolution 190-A referring to the legal residency of prisoners, and the resolution proposed by Council Member Seabrook – make sense.

Conclusion

We strongly recommend that there be closer consultation and cooperation with community-based organizations like HAUP which remains on the front line of efforts to ensure the smooth integration of new Americans of Haitian origin as well as those hailing from other nationalities. Our role as advocates and facilitators for the community members who seek our services makes us ideal partners with the city agencies that seek to develop winning strategies and plans. We know intimately the issues that they face. We can walk them through the system when the system itself remains unresponsive. If we are unable to do so, our failure is simply due to the lack of resources on hand. A stronger partnership with HAUP and other agencies like it should result in a greater capacity to deliver meaningful services to our constituents and empower them to take a more active part in the City’s well-being. That includes ensuring a high census count in hard-to-count communities.

On October 10,  Haitian-Americans United for Progress (HAUP) celebrated 34 years of service to the Greater Cambria Heights Community, in particular the Haitian refugees and immigrants who made Queens and Brooklyn their permanent home after emigrating from their homeland.

Guests came by the hundreds to the annual gala celebration which is traditionally held at Antun’s in Queens Village. Key officials from the City and State of New York came to recognize HAUP’s leadership role throughout these years, pledge their continuing support and urge the organization’s constituents to do the same.

Thanks to HAUP’s sustained efforts over the years, NY City and State agencies have collectively pledged some $3,500,000 towards the hard and soft costs of a new building to replace present facilities which have reached the end of their useful life.

There remains just $150,000 left to be raised to cover the soft costs. It is an achievement that the Haitian community can be proud of, yet it cannot remain passively on the sidelines waiting for some other angel to bestow its blessings in the community center. “We are our own angels,” said Elsie Accilien, Executive Director, adding:

“Our friends in City and State governments have done their part to help us achieve this milestone. They are now looking to us for the very last push. Just 1,500 donors contributing $100 each are needed to get us to the finish line.”