TESTIMONY
Mohammed Q Amin, Founder and Executive Director of the Caribbean Equality Project, on Support and Challenges for Caribbean LGBTQ Immigrants
4:45:05
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3 min
Mohammed Q Amin calls for increased support for Caribbean LGBTQ immigrants in New York City, addressing their unique challenges.
- Represents the Caribbean Equality Project, advocating for over 4,000 Afro and Indo Caribbean LGBTQ immigrants.
- Highlights issues such as lack of access to culturally responsive legal services, housing and food insecurity, and risks tied to survival sex work.
- Calls on the New York City Council Committee on Immigration to invest in community-driven solutions for legal immigration services.
- Stresses the importance of funding support for organizations like his, as part of the 18% and growing campaign, for a fair and equitable budget to assist vulnerable communities.
Mohammed Q Amin
4:45:05
My name is Mohammed Q Amin.
4:45:06
I am the founder and executive director of the Caribbean quality project.
4:45:10
On behalf of its 4000 plus community members and staff.
4:45:14
Thank you to chair Alexa Avelis and the community on immigration for holding this hearing and providing this opportunity to testify.
4:45:22
Caribbean quality project is a is a New York City based community organization.
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That empowers advocates for and represents afro and Indo Caribbean LGBTQ immigrants.
4:45:32
We mobilized low income undocumented as silam seekers and working class Caribbean LGBTQ communities across New York City on immigration, workers' rights, health care, housing, and civic engagement to build political power through culturally responsive educational programming and advocacy.
4:45:50
New York City is home to the largest Caribbean foreign born population, many of whom who live in Caribbean centric neighborhoods like Richmond Hill and South Ozone parking queens, flatbush and Crown Heights in Brooklyn and Castle Hill, Wakefield, and Sound View in the Bronx.
4:46:06
The Caribbean LGBTQ immigrants we serve face unique challenges and they often do not have access to family and community networks like other immigrant communities.
4:46:16
Many of whom have been abandoned by their biological families and or fleeing prosecution due to anti LGBTQ violence in their home country.
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Many of the barriers, queer Caribbean immigrants encounter every day range from lack of access to culturally responsive immigration legal services to housing and food insecurities.
4:46:37
Also to unable to earn income due to their immigration status and refugee status, many of our communities have been actively engaged in survival sex work, to earn an income, to live, and to afford legal services which disproportionately puts their health and safety in jeopardy.
4:46:55
Immigrants is immigration is and will continue to be an LGBTQ.
4:46:59
Right?
4:46:59
The Caribbean equality project, immigration justice, LGBTQ, immigrant department initiative addresses the service gap for LGBTQ immigrants in New York City newly arrived and existing community members need asylum application, obtaining gender affirming identification through IDNYC, legal name change, housing, clothing, food, financial, and adult literacy, and HIV, and trans health care.
4:47:25
I am calling on the New York City Council Committee on immigration to invest in funding support for community based organizations to prioritize community driven solutions to legal immigration services.
4:47:38
Crivening quality project is a proud member of the 18% and growing campaign, a critical and diverse citywide campaign uniting over 9 over 90 API led serving organizations across New York City to fight for a fair and equitable budget that protects the needs of our most vulnerable communities.
4:47:56
Caribbean Equality Project urges the New York City Council to uplift the collective priorities of the 18% and growing campaign, which includes expanding, API community support initiative to 7,500,000
Marc Valinoti
4:48:08
tax expired.
Mohammed Q Amin
4:48:09
Public nonprofitization fund to 7,500,000 and the access health initiative to 4,000,000.
4:48:15
Thank you for your time today.