Immigrants at the Town Hall meeting at the Elmhurst-Jackson Heights Senior Center in Queens, New York, on Sept. 16. (Photos: Ganesh S. Lakshman)

Immigrants gathered at a Town Hall meeting in Queens, New York, on Sept. 16 to discuss their experiences and concerns in post-September 11 America. Held at the Elmhurst-Jackson Heights Seniors Center, the meeting lasted about 3 hours. The approximately 200 people included Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Chinese and Hispanic immigrants. Sikhs and Muslims made up the majority among the immigrants from India.

The meeting was organized by a coalition of immigrant and civil rights groups led by New Immigrant Community Development (NICE) and had a panel of experts to address the concerns of the communities.

City Council members David Weprin, Hiram Monserrate, Peter Vallone Jr., and Eric Gioia wre present themselves. NYC Immigrant Commissioner Sayu Bhojwani and State Senator John Sabini were represented by their aides.

The panel included Adem Carrol of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Expert on Detentions; Moe Razvi of the Council of Pakistan Organization (COPO), Expert on Special Registrations; Udi Ofer of New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Expert on Civil Rights; Deepa Iyer of South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT), Expert on Hate Crimes; Anna Maria Archila of Latin American Integration Center (LAIC), Expert on Youth Issues; Chaumtoli Huq of Manhattan Legal Services Incorporated, Expert on Labor Rights, Sulieka Cabrera of Institute for Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, Expert on Seniors; and Cheryl Wertz of NICE, Expert on Government Access and Legislation.

Spanish, Chinese, Punjabi and Urdu interpreter services for immigrants who could not speak English was made available.

NICE executive director Bryan Pu-Folkes initiated the proceedings. “New York City is close to 40 percent foreign born, many council districts are two-thirds foreign born, and yet immigrant needs are largely overlooked and neglected,” he said and threw the floorfor immigrants to testify their experiences.

Dalveer Kaur

Dalveer Kaur of United Sikhs said the first hate crime incident after 9/11 was on a Sikh. “Since then, on the assumption that Sikhs are linked to Osama bin Laden because they wear turbans, many members of the community have been killed shot, assaulted and beaten up. And in almost all the cases, the perpetrators got away. The ignorant mainstream America has to be educated on a large scale about Sikh religion, customs, and that of other peoples and regions,” she said.

Hardev Sahai

Hardev Sahai, speaking on behalf of Sikhs and Punjabis, said all communities should jointly fight hate crime and ensure that the guilty are brought to book. He said the hair was very important to Sikhs and that there should be a big campaign to spread awareness of various religions and cultures.

Amarjit Singh

Amarjit Singh, who was working in the basement of the twin towers when the terrorists struck on Sept. 11, said he was trampled upon by people who were fleeing the buildings, and was injured on his right shoulder and arm. “The authorities examined me and diagnosed by problem as arthiritis, and paid me a nominal amount each week which touched a maximum of $ 187. Now I am being paid $95 a week. I want my benefits, I want justice,” he said.

Lizi Rehman

Lizi Rehman said she and her family have been targeted since 9/11 because they were Muslims. “My husband was mugged about 5 times, and we have every reason to believe that the incidents happened because of our skin and that robbery was not the motive.”

Tanmoy Saha

Tanmoy Saha said he experienced racial discrimination and isolation when he joined a public school in New York.

“We need to stop discrimination at the roots by educating children in schools about different countries, religions and people,” he said. Angela Perez, another teenager, stressed on the need for all immigrant communities to unite.

Faiz Khan

Faiz Khan said the incidents of hate crime were the outcome of the immigration policies of the Bush administration, especially with regard to special registration. As citizens, they should come out and vote in strength if their voices should be heard, he said.

Tamina Begum

Tamina Begum said she had come to the country with a lot of dreams and hope. “However, after 9/11, our lives have become hell. I could not move out of my home for 2 months, and when I do go out, I am subjected to all kinds of verbal abuses,” she said.

Jamal Abbadi

Jamal Abbadi said his dream is to be judged by the content of his character and not by his skin. “New York is a city of immigrants and one set of immigrants should not be discriminated against just because of their skin,” he said.

Shiela Mirza

Shiela Mirza of Pakistani origin, now activist of Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), said she was beaten up by four boys in her school and continuously humiliated by them because of her skin. “Neither school authorities nor police took any action against them,” she said.