Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams Delivers Remarks at the Hisapnic and LatinX Heritage Month Celebration

September 15, 2022

Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, Department of the Aging: (Speaks in Spanish.)

Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: Good evening. Welcome to the Hispanic Heritage celebration at Gracie Mansion. Esta casa es su casa. It's great to see many... (Speaks in Spanish.) It's great to see you. (Speaks in Spanish.)

We are very, very happy that you're here with us. New York has always been the home of immigrant communities for centuries, and now it is the home of many, many Latinos. As we said earlier, first it was Puerto Ricans, then it was Dominicans, and now the Latino community represents many, many countries in Central and South America.

We are really proud of the work that the Latino community does. We work every day. We serve our community. We start businesses. We love New York and New York loves us.

I am really proud today to say that Latinos are a force in New York. Make sure that our voices are heard, but not tonight, guys. You've got to listen up a little bit. Alright? (Speaks in Spanish.) You are a force. Make sure that you use the numbers and make sure that you are a political force also. You've got to make sure that our children, our uncles, our aunts all go out and register to vote. That is how we get leaders like our Mayor Eric Adams who welcomes Latinos in New York.

But I'm going to tell you something. It is because of Mayor Adams that we have individuals in this administration like Manuel Castro, our commissioner of Immigration. Give it up for Manuel. Manuel has been an advocate in New York well before he became commissioner, well before. He has served on many Latino boards. He led the advocacy campaign for New York Immigration Coalition and he also now serves as a board member.

Prior to becoming commissioner, he was also executive director of the Immigration Community Empowerment. Now he brings all of that knowledge to serve as commissioner and how blessed is New York to have him as commissioner during this challenging time for Latinos. So let me tell you mi gente, give it up, give a good shout out to our commission of Immigration, Manuel Castro.

Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs: (Speaks in Spanish.) My name is Manuel Castro and I'm the commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. It is my honor to be here tonight to welcome you to our Hispanic Heritage celebration at Gracie Mansion. And to introduce to you nuestra alcalde Mayor Eric Adams.

But first I'd like to acknowledge our fellow Latinos and leadership here tonight. Maybe not here, but in our administration. Of course, Commissionada Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, Comissionado Ydanis Rodriguez, Comissionado Louis Molina, Comissionada Vilda Mayuga, Comissionado Adolfo Carrión, Comissionada Annabel Palma. And a very special shout out to chaplain Dr. Ingrid Lewis, chief advisor to the mayor and proud Panamanian-American. (Speaks in Spanish.)

Of course, we are here to celebrate our Latino roots but also remember the work we have done over the past years, very difficult years, and the work still ahead of us. And how we do this work, for me, it starts with the mayor's directive to lead from the front. And from day one, Mayor Eric Adams has demonstrated that he will be on the front line with us.

So for that reason, on the first day that asylum seekers began to arrive to Port Authority from the Mexican-US border sent by Governor Abbott, I and my team showed up at Port Authority to welcome these families and individuals, to support them through their journeys, and to make sure that they know we're different from Texas. And that we are here to support them (Speaks in Spanish.) Unfortunately, and I will never forget this, the first asylum seeker that I met with all hopes and with all dreams that I know we can all empathize with, standing at Port Authority, he asked me, "And how do I get to Portland, Oregon? How do I get to Portland, Oregon from here?" And there, I knew that Governor Abbott was taking advantage of these asylum seekers.

I'll never forget that on that same night, I invited Mayor Eric Adams to join me for the next bus that was arriving from the border. He agreed without hesitation. When he joined me, he met a mother with a five year old who had traveled 50 hours from the border after having crossed so many borders and having gone through such a difficult journey. He met that family with compassion and with those values that we all cherish.

And that five-year-old, the same age as I was when I crossed the Mexico-US border with my mother. I will never forget that. Because you all know that the mayor didn't have to come that first day. You all know that the mayor could have waited weeks, could have waited months. But he understood that this was about human dignity. He understood that this was to fight and protect for the values that make our city and our country the beacon of hope for so many in the world. And for that, I thank Mayor Eric Adams. So, to my Latinos here tonight and across New York City, know that in Mayor Eric Adams, you have un campión, a champion for our communities who will fight for us against those who insist on spreading hate and fear toward our Latino and immigrant communities. 

And finally, I am incredibly proud to serve in this administration under the leadership of Mayor Eric Adams. That will end together, we will show the country and the world what it's truly like to lead with compassion and conviction. And so with that — And I know the mayor is meeting some of his fans. And with that, please join me in welcoming (speaks in Spanish), the mayor of the city of New York, Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Hola, mi gente. Let me tell you, when you do an analysis of my success, my success of becoming the mayor of the City of New York is because of this community. I will never, never, never forget hanging out with some of you in Washington Heights, hanging out in the Bronx, hanging out in Queens, hanging out in Manhattan. I'll never forget that when people thought it was impossible, you came out over and over and over again. 

And that is why when I took office, I did not forget the people who brought me to the dance. They are dancing with me as the mayor of the City of New York. My commissioner of Aging, we have known each other for so long. We have soldiered together. A dreamer, a dreamer in the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. That's how much Commissioner Castro is a dreamer. That is how God works.

During the time that we needed someone to help people who are going through a lot, we have a commissioner who has gone through a lot in Commissioner Castro. And as we deal with the challenges of our brothers and sisters who have fallen off the wrong direction and committed crimes, we needed a commissioner who had the compassion to understand that because you broke the law, you should not be treated in an undignified manner. That is why I have Commissioner Molina, the first Latino to become the commissioner in the Department of Corrections.

You look around my administration and you see yourselves, because I am you. I am the first mayor that has come from you. 

I came from you. We are the same. It didn't stop there. When I needed a marshal, a sheriff, where did I look? I looked to the Spanish-speaking community and appointed Sheriff Miranda who's in the back. You look all over my administration and you see people who have weathered and fought so hard and so long for you. 

This is our moment. This is our time. We're going to go into the communities that have been ignored and abandoned for so many years and fight on your behalf. So don't listen to all the noise. Don't listen to all the distraction. When the haters attempt to say, "We are not going to be focused," all you have to say: "We know Eric and Eric knows us." That's what you need to say.

And so tonight, as we lift up the Hispanic community, as we acknowledge your successes, you pick a country in the Spanish-speaking community and you'll see I've been there. I don't care if it's Peru, if it's DR, if it's Puerto Rico, if it's in Venezuela. If it's in any of the countries where my Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters come from, I know you because I visit your homelands. 

And so when you hear this noise of telling people to go back to their countries, we all came from somewhere. So if someone ever says, "Go back to your country," you tell them you will when they go back to theirs. Because everybody came from somewhere, no one was here automatically. 

So let me end with this. Let me end with this. Saturday, Commissioner Castro, I was in the Bronx. Standing to the right of me was a young man. He was holding his two children and his wife was standing next to him. He did not speak English. 

So the translator came over to me and stated that this young man was thrown out of Texas. Treated unfairly, placed on a bus and traveled 45 hours without medical care, food for his children. He stated that he was afraid. And then the bus pulled into the Port Authority. And when he stepped off the bus, the first thing he saw was the mayor of the City of New York saying, "We're going to be here for you." He said, "I heard that the mayor was going to be at this event. I wanted to come here and tell him thank you."

Those two babies are no different than my son. These are human beings. We are obligated to be there for each other. And it's going to be tough. Let's not kid ourselves. It's going to be tough. It's going to be challenging. But history is going to be kind to us as a city. Because instead of giving in to our fears, we stood up to who we are.

And you cannot call yourselves a Christian if you don't act like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John would be with the people who are seeking housing right now. They would be with the people who are hurting right now. That's why we're doing what we're doing. 

We need each other during this moment. You know that more than I. I want to thank you not only for your support, for what you have done, for what you are doing, and what we will do in the future. This city is our city. Gracie Mansion is your mansion. I leave you with just one word. Mi casa, su casa.

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