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TESTIMONY
Michelle Lima, New York City Culture Curator and Influencer, on the Importance of Arts, Culture, and Public Services for New Yorkers
4:52:51
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4 min
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Michelle Lima, a New York City culture curator and influencer representing 88,000 New Yorkers, presents a testimony advocating for increased support and funding for arts, culture, public libraries, public schools, and social services in NYC.
- She shares her personal story growing up in Elmhurst, Queens as the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrant parents and relying on public libraries and arts programs.
- Lima highlights the critical role of arts and culture in her life, allowing her to pursue her passion as an artist despite economic challenges.
- She emphasizes the struggles faced by artists, CUNY students, families in need of affordable childcare and mental health resources, and the negative impacts of budget cuts.
- Lima urges investment in public services to support New Yorkers, especially low-income communities and families, and advocates for the arts as a vital part of the city's culture and education system.
Michelle Lima
4:52:51
Hello?
4:52:53
My name is Michelle Lima.
4:52:55
I'm fortunate enough to be a New York City culture curator, an influencer representing 88,000 New Yorkers.
4:53:02
I amplify bipoch artists queer creatives, and advertise free resources and gift tickets to low income families with our in cultural events in New York City.
4:53:11
I am affiliated with New York Botanical Garden, Museum of Natural History, The Met, Disney On Broadway, etcetera.
4:53:17
I am an advertiser that loves humanity and cannot be bought.
4:53:21
We native New Yorkers are fighting for the New York City libraries public school and arts and culture.
4:53:27
Without arts and culture in New York City, I would not be standing here before you today.
4:53:32
I hail from the beautiful world's borough that is Elmhurst, Queens, New York City.
4:53:37
I am twenty seven years old.
4:53:38
I am an artist that comes from a working class Ecuadorian family.
4:53:42
My parents are blue collar workers who came to New York City at age eighteen.
4:53:46
They're now US citizens working as construction drivers and homemakers.
4:53:51
That being said, my parents like everyone in New York City are low income and they're stuck in survival mode so much so that there's no time to breathe.
4:54:00
Let alone pick up their head and stand up for their own rights and get involved in politics.
4:54:05
Why doesn't the working class have the day off to vote?
4:54:08
Sounds very sketchy if you if you if you tell me, Anyways, I dealt with childhood neglect because my parents were too busy paying rent, trying to keep our family afloat.
4:54:18
So naturally, when six year old Michelle Lima said I wanted to be an artist I was discouraged.
4:54:24
As the eldest first generation daughter, I was told to be a doctor, a lawyer because arts in the United States Arts in New York City is seen as an important, is seen as unimportant, which is a massive misconception as a broke kid in Queen's I relied on the Queen's library to teach myself to read.
4:54:41
Twelve year old Michelle asked her art teacher who generously gave her unpaid after school time to help me create a portfolio to audition to LaGuardia.
4:54:50
It's a specialized arts high school I was a LaGuardia Visual Arts Students in Lincoln Center.
4:54:55
I worked at the CUNY Hunter Art Gallery.
4:54:57
I've been a CUNY student, and now as a New York City Art in culture curator with a massive New York City following.
4:55:03
I wanna speak up for the people in New York City.
4:55:05
I'm disappointed that my Italian art teacher My art teachers at LaGuardia High School in Lincoln Center had to beg students to take foreign language and art electives, or else those courses would be would face budget cuts despite LaGuardia being one of the most prestigious arts high school in New York in the US.
4:55:21
I volunteered with Trinity Church to help feed homeless New Yorkers who are pushed into who and these are, like, senior citizens mind you.
4:55:27
They were pushed into the streets due to rising costs of living and gentrification.
4:55:32
All they want is a clean park to sit in, but, no, Eric Adams is building more anti homeless architecture, ableist architecture in New York City and the MTA, and they're cutting funding from your public public parks.
4:55:45
My my heart my heart goes out to the CUNY students having studied childhood education and adolescent education at Hunter accounting a baroque, Zekeland School of Business, having worked for CUNY graduates, the special education department.
4:55:58
I have seen firsthand the inequity in CUNY and for the children with intellectual disabilities, with chronic pain, the lack of mental health resources here in New York City, literally 78% of CUNY students are students color from low income backgrounds while that and they balance school and work.
4:56:14
60% of CUNY students are 1st generation students College students just like myself.
4:56:19
58% of community students are women.
4:56:21
93% of community students are New York City residents.
4:56:24
Twelve year old Michelle, Wait.
4:56:26
Alright.
4:56:27
80 2.
4:56:27
Okay.
Justin Brannan
4:56:27
Please conclude.
Michelle Lima
4:56:28
Alright.
4:56:28
Well, I can I keep going?
Justin Brannan
4:56:30
No.
4:56:31
You you 2 you can give me 30 seconds.
Michelle Lima
4:56:33
Okay.
4:56:33
82% of tuning students went to New York City Public Schools.
4:56:37
I am the New York City native that you politicians are affecting.
4:56:40
As an adult, now working full time as an artist and an influencer Ossny Yorkers are tired of New York City art and culture budgets being cut.
4:56:47
My heart hurts for the single parents like my aunt struggling with mental health and being driven to addiction to suicidal ideation due to the lack of affordable childcare after school programs or even pre k, all while her three year old daughter is feeling mad despite being great at math just because she can't read.
4:57:05
Also, my three year old cousin Pete her painting was embarrassed because public schools are being overpopulated And teachers are being underpaid and under supported, and there's long bathroom lines.
Justin Brannan
4:57:16
Okay.
Michelle Lima
4:57:16
My heart
Justin Brannan
4:57:17
thank you.
4:57:18
Okay.