Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams Hosts and Delivers Remarks at Bangladesh Heritage Month Reception

March 21, 2023

Watch the video here at https://www.youtube.com/live/NbYJ5xkxHY0?feature=share

Mayor Eric Adams: Well said. And Assemblywoman Rajkumar has been a real friend to the people of this city, the state, and this is a significant moment that we acknowledge Bangladeshi heritage today. And when you think about it, she indicated during the '70s that you made your way here to pursue the American dream. It should not have taken 40 years before you made your way to Gracie Mansion, acknowledged for your presence. Like so many other groups, I say over and over again as I see my friend Nabaraj from the Nepalese community and others.

I say it over and over and again. If you ask to describe the group of people I am talking about coming to America, eking out a living, trying to navigate the language and understand the culture, finding their way, oftentimes leaving loved ones back home so you can make it and then bring them here, believing in education, believing in public safety, believing in family. You will have a difficult time talking about what ethnic group I am describing because your journey as Bangladeshi is the same journey as my Haitian brothers and sisters, my African diaspora, my Chinese, my French, my German, my South, my Central America. Our journey is the same. If you look under the fingernails of every ethnic group, you'll see the desire to climb up the mountain one hand at a time to participate in the American dream. That's why we come here because we believe opportunities are here, and when you leave here tonight and you go home and talk about being here and reflect on the '70s, I want you to think about the migrant seekers that are coming here now. They too want to pursue the dream that you will pursue.

They too believe in America. And Yes, it's challenging that we're not getting the federal support that we deserve with 51,000 people coming here, leaving the persecution of the land that they left, but just like you, they look in the eyes of their children, and they hope that one day that they can be a part of this great dream so that their children can wear the uniform of these men and women from the New York City Police Department that are here, that their children can stand up and be like Mir and managing the complexities of this city. They want the same things. That is why they came here. That is what makes us great. There is no other city in this nation that has the Statue of Liberty that sits in this harbor. We are the welcoming mat for everyone.

And I am calling on you to go into the shelters and the HERRCs where they're located and volunteer. Give them some support. Help them as they learn English. Help them as they learn the skills that are needed. Let them know that you see them like you wanted people to see you in the '70s. This is the same journey. We are blessed and I know that it is not the belief in Allah based on being a worthy worshiper, but it's going out and doing the deeds and service that are needed for mankind. This is the greatest moment to show your faith by being there for those who are in need, that includes those who are the victims of violence and those who participate in violence. That includes going to shelters and talking to young people, that includes volunteering in food pantries. That includes being there for those who need clothing, seniors who are living alone. This is our opportunity, as we announced yesterday, We Love New York.

The reason we love New York, because New York is made up of the best stuff on earth, and that's the people, like you, and like me, and like all of us. So I celebrate you, this amazing community, what you do in business, what you do to lift up our families and all the things that are important. We have thousands of jobs that are waiting to be filled. Like Mir, we want you to go into your community and find people who are looking for employment, and let them go into city service. We want to increase the number of Bangladeshi police officers so that we can have supervisors who will increase the numbers of department — of DOT, Department of Sanitation, HPD, all of these services. Don't be an outside spectator as you try to improve this city. We want you to be part of this administration like so many others.

If it is Commissioner Kim, who's the first Korean American to be the commissioner of Small Business Services. If it's Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, the first Filipino to be a deputy mayor, or Meera Joshi, the first Indian to be a deputy mayor, or Sheena Wright, the first African American woman to be the first deputy mayor, or Ingrid Lewis Martin, the first chief advisor. We want to bring you all in because you have not been noticed for so long. I want you to know, I see you. I respect you, but most importantly, I need you.

I need you. And we heard you when you said you wanted a place to worship. We created space for all of the Muslim employees to go for Jumma. We heard you when you stated that you want your children to have halal food. We did a citywide campaign of bringing halal food into our schools. We're hearing you when you talk about your children are dealing with fentanyl and some of the other crises in their overdose. We know we have to tackle that problem. We hear you when you state that the women of your community were being assaulted because they wore hijab. That's why we put in place the Office to Prevent Hate Crimes and bolstered it, and now hate crimes have dropped by almost 70 percent, so we hear you. Now, I want you to hear me.

Cities are made up of agencies. I want every agency to reflect the diversity of this city. When someone walks into an agency, they must see you and they must see themselves. I want you to donate art so we can put it in Gracie Mansion and governmental buildings that's reflective of your culture. I want you to spend time in schools and educate people on the importance of your culture, and I want you to join us with our Breaking bread, Building bonds — a thousand dinners across the city, 10 people at each dinner, all of them coming from a different culture and religious background and doing something we like to say is revolutionary talking to each other. This is our opportunity. This is what Assad and I talked about many years ago, and we are here now. We are the mayor of the City of New York. We are. So let's make this city what we want it to be.

And so Fahad, I want to thank you for sponsoring this event, for coming out. I enjoyed so much the other day being at Masjid Abu Huraira, watching the opening of that beautiful mosque to see the growth in the birth of this community. I want us to continue to do these things as we move forward as a city. You were there for me when I ran for office. I told you then, and I'll tell you now. I'll never forget you. I'll never forget your support. I'll never forget your love. I'll never forget the Bangladeshi community. Thank you very much.

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