Council Member Julissa Ferrras (left), with Sayu Bhojwani and Council Member Margaret Chin, at a panel concerning immigrant electoral power. (Photo: Jocelyn Gonzales)
New York City today has four Asian-American elected officials, a far cry from only a decade ago. Although the city has elected numerous Latino legislators, no Latino has been elected to citywide or statewide office, unlike other cities and states.
As new generations of immigrants emerge and their children grow up, is New York’s political character changing? Can new communities gain influence in government and society, and help reshape our political leadership?
Just before the election, our parent organization, Milano The New School’s Center for New York City Affairs, hosted a town hall forum on the issue with Sayu Bhojwani, Founding Director, The New American Leaders Project; Margaret Chin, New York City Council Member, District 1; Julissa Ferreras, New York City Council Member, District 21; Jonathan Hicks, Senior Fellow, The DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy at Medger Evers College; and John Mollenkopf, Director, Center for Urban Research, City University of New York.
The panel, on October 19, was moderated by the executive producer of Feet in Two Worlds, John Rudolph.
Watch it here:
The panel was supported by The New York Community Trust, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Sirus Fund, the Milano Foundation and an anonymous donor.
