By Alex Davidson
The event, co-sponsored by the New Immigrant Community Empowerment group, or NICE, and Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Jackson Heights), brought together representatives from groups such as the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, Corona Congregational Church and South Asians Against Police Brutality and Racism.
“We want to be proactive and see how we can prevent (hate crimes) in the first place,” said Bryan Pu Folkes of NICE.
Recent hate crimes in Queens include a suspected arson case in December in which a Korean minister's van was destroyed and the November attack against two Pakistani brothers leaving a mosque in Corona.
Queens is the nation's most ethnically diverse county and home to more than 115 nationalities.
Participants at the meeting in Flushing Meadows Corona Park held an open community dialogue to commemorate Martin Luther King Day and to analyze how the civil rights activist used non-violent means to promote understanding among different ethnic groups. They talked about promoting education among young people at borough schools and having more meetings that encourage social justice groups to openly talk about hate crimes and bias attacks.
“I hope that together we can go one big step further and make things happen,” said Partha Bennerjee of New Immigrant Community Empowerment.
One issue that drew a lot of interest at the meeting was the federal government's use of special registration for American and non-American citizens originally from Islamic countries. Since the practice was put into effect following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, more than 85,000 people nationwide have been targeted by the government to register their immigration status and 15,000 of those were deported, said Jaishri Abichandani, director of public events for the Queens Museum of Art.
“Just because special registration has ended does not mean the repression has ended,” Prachi Patankar of South Asians Against Police Brutality and Racism said.
Discussions at the open dialogue also centered around what minority groups can do to work with the artistic community to increase tolerance among borough residents. Several participants called for future meetings to be held to examine the issues of hate crimes among homosexuals and increasing religious as well as cultural awareness.
Pu Folkes outlined the gains ethnic groups have made in the borough and city, citing Monserrate's election as being the first among Latino Americans to represent a city council district in Queens. He said term limits have made the City Council the most diverse it has ever been.
But the general consensus at the meeting was to be consistent and maintain communication among the borough's diverse ethnic and religious groups to decrease the likelihood of hate crime incidents through education.
Bill Hagel, with the umbrella activist group Queens Network for Peace and Justice, echoed this sentiment and said a key to stopping bias attacks is maintaining an open dialogue on issues confronting the borough's minorities.
“It is important that we talk to each other,” Hagel said. “It is important that we share.”
Reach reporter Alex Davidson by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by calling 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
