Skip to main content

Rep. Meeks' Statement on Immigrant Heritage Month

June 6, 2018

"On this Immigrant Heritage Month, we must not only reflect on the value of immigrants, but our values as a nation of immigrants."

Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Gregory W. Meeks issued the following statement regarding Immigrant Heritage Month:

"With over 150 ethnicities and more languages spoken than anywhere else in the world, Queens is not just the immigrant capital of New York City, it is the world's borough. Diversity is part of the very fabric of our city, woven by generation after generation of immigrants. Their immeasurable contributions to our culture and our economy have allowed New York and our nation to thrive. Evidence of that is Comptroller DiNapoli's recent report, which found that immigrant communities and their entrepreneurial spirit have largely contributed to the economic success of Queens.

"On this Immigrant Heritage Month, we must not only reflect on the value of immigrants, but our values as a nation of immigrants. Despite the hateful rhetoric and repugnant policies of the current White House, New York continues to uphold the ideals commemorated on the Statue of Liberty's plaque, celebrating and protecting all our immigrants from the emboldened hate and bigotry we see today.

"To everyone who sacrificed something to join in our great melting pot, New York stands by you, and is better for it, in every way."

###