 |
“I think someday a Bangladeshi American will be the President of United States of America,” said Daniel Dromm, the council member, also chairperson of the immigration committee of New York City Council.
Daniel Dromm was talking to banglanews24.com at his office in Jackson Heights, a major concentration of Bangladeshi people in the city.
The council member was also talking about the present and future of the community people, their potentialities, prospects and problems.
To identify the most potential area for the Bangladeshi people, he said, “The new generation people of Bangladesh are doing very well in the schools.”
He appreciated the parents of Bangladeshi community for taking care of their children more at family level.
“I feel the parents have the high expectation with their children that’s why the children are performing well. That’s the wonderful thing with Bangladeshi community,” he said.
Daniel also observed that many people of Bangladesh have come to the country with the hope to live with the American dreams. “The part of dream is to get a good job in the country. But often I find people work here as the cab drivers, food vendors and many others though they had some more prestigious jobs at back home.”
He added: “Sometimes they have to do a job that is less qualitative because they find language difficulties. So, they go for the training. My friend Manjur Chowdhury, right now he is offering courses in accounting and English Language. Those classes are well attended.”
Daniel said, “People want to achieve and want to move forward, they are getting their education, they learn English Language and they are motivated to get a job better than that they have, and that is also a wonderful thing for Bangladeshi community.”
Besides, many Bangladeshis come to this country, some who are teachers, some who are medical professionals, doctors, and some people who involved in the business world, who have done very well in business. “So, it is very industrious community that I can see,” said Daniel Dromm.
Emphasizing on registration as voters by Bangladeshi people he said, “I am the chairperson of the immigration committee of city council and I hear that not only for the Bangladeshi community but from other communities show less interest in voter registration.”
So, far the census is concern, often time the immigrant community is not confident in government official coming to the door, knocking at the door and asking for the information. They are not accustomed to that. That is why they are undercount in terms of the Bangladeshi people who are actually living in the community. “We see growing up Bangladeshi community in the Jackson Heights, Astoria, and I believe there is a tremendous undercount,” the leading online news portal was told.
The council member opined that they don’t understand the importance of participating in the democratic process. All of the funding comes into the community is based on the census numbers.
He also told banglanews: “In my district Queens, some 40 percent is Latino, 20 percent white and other and 40 percent Asian. So, almost, half of the population of the district comes from Asian community and I predict that in future we will have an Asian elected official right here from this district. That will only happen if people go out and registered to vote. So, they must be involved in the system first.”
Dromm said it is very important to South Asian people to get involved in local politics. “I used to do funding organisations. I gave 3500 dollars to Bangladeshi youth Congress so that they could do the English Language classes, accounting classes. I gave money to Chhaya, which is also a south Asian organisation. That funding is given because I know there are a lot of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian people here who need help from this organisations.”
He added: “If you are not registered to vote the elected officials are not going to look into your community, they are not going to pay attention to you community, they need to know that people are registered to vote.”
“There are other ways the Bangladeshi community could participate as well,” he said adding, “We have the community boards, democratic clubs etc. People need to join with all these. Manjur Chowdhury came with us. We put him on the board of directors and he is a member of the board and now Manjur has been elected as the judicial delegate to the Queens county Democratic organisation and he helps selecting Supreme Court judges to New York City.”
Daniel Dromm continued: “That is the beginning and he is the first Bangladeshi elected official form this area. So, in many ways people can involve in the community. Not that you need begin with big elected official. You can start at local level and then move up.”
Daniel Dromm said, “I think Bangladeshi community should emphasis on all three issues--education, business and politics--because we need people who are working in all those areas. We need Bangladeshis who are politically active and we need business owners who can provide employment to people, especially for the children we need the education.”
The businessmen on 73 Street are becoming more politically involved. The Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Association is a recognised organisation. On August 23, all major political persons are going to join the JBBA Mela in Jackson Heights. “Cristin Quinn is going to join, John Liu is going to join, I am going to join, and thus creating a political power is also important,” he said.
Regarding a question on practice of Bangladeshi politics in USA, the council member and long experienced politician said, “It is very hard to get away from the politics of your own country. I am an Irish American and I see the Northern Ireland last week, the violence there. That is very distressing to me, because we want a peace there. So, even though, I am a third or fourth generation American my anxiety as Irish is important.”
He added: “But, my focus is more on the politics of the country where I am now. I think that is vitally important for Bangladeshis who live in this country, raising their children here, they really should focus what is happening here. They have to involve with the issues here so that their children will also get more involved. We could eventually have a Bangladeshi American president of the United States of America.”
Dromm also said, “I do believe that America is a land of hope, political empowerment in this country will also help Bangladeshi people. Joe Crowly is very powerful congressman. He is the chair of the South Asian Committee in Congress. But, he relies on Bangladeshi community here to tell him what is happening in Bangladesh. That’s why they need to know what is happening at home. But, I do think they need to realize more, what is happening here as well.”
Regarding surveillance over the Muslim community he said, “I have a major concern over the issue of surveillance of the Muslim community. I talked on this issue in the department of justice with members of black Latino and Asian caucus office to speak about two issues, the first issue the NYPD’s racial profiling and the issue of surveillance on Muslim community.”
In this connection, while asked about the verdict or 30-year jail of Bangladeshi boy Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, the NYC council member said, “Well, the United States needs to make sure their cities and states are safe, but to do that we don’t want to be in position to entrapping people and getting them caught in sting operation, simply because they are young and they don’t know what they are doing or they are angry, I have a major concern, I feel that the entrapped would not have found themselves go for blow out a something or planting bomb if the FBI hadn’t given them the information or the ability to do something like that. I see almost all of them have low IQ, young people, getting set up by FBI operation and I am wonder what is going on,” said Daniel Dromm.
In response to answer another question, he said, “Unfortunately Muslim have faced much discrimination and prejudice after 9/11 people mistakenly started to think that Islam is a violent religion, But it is not, I know Islam is a religion of tolerance. Here people may not know about the basic learning of Islam.”
He added: “I also know Bangladesh is a moderate country and its not a terrorist state, but people in America go by stereotype and they are afraid of Muslims, put all Muslims into one pot, and you cant do that.”
The politician also observed: “Bangladeshi people, I know all respectful, very peaceful, very welcoming, very cooperative, and they are very good people. I want them to enjoy the freedom that I enjoy here. We have to breakdown those stereotypes, we have to let other people know that the Bangladeshi are Muslim community are good community and are good people. As council member my role is to try to do that as well. I heard many things against Bangladeshi people but I protested, I said that I know these are the people and you cannot put everybody into the same category.
Regarding the immigration, Daniel Dromm, commonly considered as a true friend of Bangladesh community, said, “That is something I have been fighting very very hard. I think the bill the senator Jack Schumar has forwarded is a good bill. And I think the Congress, the house of representative, should move quickly to ensure that we have the comprehensive immigration bill.”
He added: “If we don’t get that, I am terrified the republicans are going to loose the Congress because, American wants this to be done. We have 12 million undocumented immigrants living in this country and we should let them be legitimate tax payers, taken them in the benefits of the society as they are making contribution to our country. Just because they are undocumented, does not mean that they not acknowledged. We should bring them within the system and make them part of the American economy.”
Daniel Dromm said, “We get one undocumented person coming into this office and I have an immigration attorney here and also have contacts with other organizations that can help the community. At my office, it does not matter if you are document or undocumented, if you are a Bangladeshi, white, dark or whatever, we are here to serve the people.”
In response to another query, he said, “Barack Obama has had a very difficult time in his presidency. Everything he wants to do Republicans say him no. But Barack Obama represents the face of change and the face of hope of America.”
Daniel Dromm observed: “America is becoming less and less of white majority country, more and more people living here are people of colour. They are marrying-intermarrying each other. Americans are marrying Bangladeshis, black person marrying a Latino person and an Asian person is marrying a white person. Whatever, that’s the future of this country and that’s the face of this country in future.”
He said, “I don’t think the republican would like to deny that they still are in lot of racial prejudice, but Obama won two times and I think America is finally saying, enough with the racial politics of past, we need to move forward for the future.”
Expressing hope, Daniel Dromm said, “Whoever the next president, may be Hilary but I believe the Democratic Party representing now by Barack Obama who is the face of the future, is the face of hope of United States of America.”
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন