By Michael V. Cusenza
Mayor Adams on Thursday hosted a reception at Gracie Mansion to celebrate Bangladeshi heritage.
Hizzoner praised the Bangladeshi community for its work ethic and pursuit of the American Dream.
“Come to the country, may not understand the language, work hard, may leave family members home, then eventually find a way to bring them over, open a small business, make sure their children enroll in school so they can take the next step in the journey. If I were to give you that description, you would have a difficult time telling me what immigrant group I’m talking about, because it is the journey and the story of every immigrant group,” Adams said. “If you look under the fingernails of every immigrant group, you’ll see the dirt and grime of climbing up the mountain of opportunity one hand at a time to earn their way in this great country we call America. The country is not great because of the monolithic, one way of thinking.”
The mayor later lauded the largest Muslim community in the Big Apple.
“America says, put your country first,” Adams said. “Put your country first and don’t abandon your culture, your dress, your code, your food, your energy. You are encouraged to keep it. You are encouraged to express yourself in the manner that you see fit. And it is welcoming and it’s encouraging.
“But there’s something that happens every once in a while with a particular immigrant group that comes to the country. They start to coalesce and emerge. They start to find their voice and they become stronger. Everyone eventually reached that spot, but then from time to time, you begin to see that there’s something happening in a particular community. That is what I see in the Bangladeshi community.
“You are known wherever your footprint is, you find peace, family, business, faith, commitment. I can go to McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn. I can travel up in the Bronx. I can go out to Queens. I see small businesses and families. I see not breaking the law, but providing support for law enforcement officers. I see your young men and women joining the Police Department so they can become part of our public safety apparatus.
“I see you in your mosques praying and believing in faith. I see the love and nurturing you show your children. I see your strength getting stronger and stronger as you open small businesses and operate your small businesses, building community right among this great city.
“This is an amazing opportunity for the Bangladeshi community. This is your moment to emerge as a powerful voice in the most powerful city in the most powerful country on the globe. You must organize to become stronger and stronger and stronger.
“Your political power is the power,” Adams added. “When you organize and start having people from your community to run for office, you should not be represented by those outside your community. You should be represented by someone from your community. That’s your strength. That’s your power.”
