Established by ordinance in 2005, the Plainfield Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs had no members until 2010. Five members were named in June 2010. Since then, not much has been heard from the commission nor has it held any recent public meetings.
There are other groups that address some of the same needs, such as El Centro Hispanoamericano and Angels for Action.
The latter even had an overlap of members with the commission. But as an official commission of the City of Plainfield, PACHA could have had a direct link to the administration and governing body, as described in this section of the ordinance creating it:
(a) It shall be the duty of the Commission to advise the Mayor and City Council on the needs, concerns, accomplishments and contributions of the Hispanic community as well as the impact of legislation or the lack thereof and its effect on the Hispanic community.
(b) The Commission shall elicit input from the Hispanic community by visiting community centers, meeting with community leaders, attending and sponsoring community meetings and taking any other actions it deems necessary to carry out its purposes. The Commission shall report to the Mayor and City Council on its findings and recommendations a minimum of once a year.
(c) In addition, the Commission shall:
(1) Identify key departments within city government which interact with the Hispanic community and work with Administration officials through the City Administrator to explore ways to improve and expand services through greater participation of qualified Hispanics in policymaking positions;
(2) Foster improved communications between the Mayor, Administration, the City Council and the Hispanic community by utilizing available resources more effectively;
(3) Identify and analyze important issues and recommend strategies for responding to them in ways that encourages and support the continued development of Plainfield's Hispanic community.
(4) Educate Hispanic residents about opportunities to serve the community, recruit and support Hispanic residents to become actively involved in the City's boards, commissions and political bodies.
Many months have passed without any communication from or attention paid to PACHA. Meanwhile, the 2010 Census revealed that the Hispanic population in Plainfield has increased to 40 percent. Isn't that reason enough to try to revive the commission? The Spanish-speaking community is vibrant and productive across the city, as one can see by the many Latino-owned enterprises and the surge in home ownership. But where is the interface with other populations in the city and with City Hall?
As noted in this Plaintalker post, the Rutgers School of Business sees engagement of Latinos' "people power" as key to the long-desired economic resurgence of Plainfield. But one can also see in the comments on this post a range of emotions that needs to be addressed before true partnership can take place.
As much as Plainfielders vaunt our love of diversity, sometimes there is a casual dismissal of "the other" in public discourse or on the streets. Lines drawn to distinguish one population from another can become a tangled web of misunderstanding and prejudice that leads to disdain or even hatred. If reviving PACHA could help prevent even one tragic story like that of Manuel Moscoso, it would be worth the effort.
--Bernice
Bernice,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this post. I had asked to be council liaison to PACHA when I first came on the city council last year, as I was a strong supporter of it during its original inception by Ray Blanco back in 2004-2005. I took months to even find out who was still a commissioner, as the names and titles shifted, some had resigned, and it seemed that "politics" and in-fighting had intruded onto the commission. The group had not legally advertised its meetings--there were only minutes for a few months from 2010. I sent out several emails last year in an attempt to meet with the group--I had one meeting with the putative chair, which went well, but there was absolutely no follow-up from the administration. As a liaison, my role is limited--I would like nothing more than to see this commission revived, but the administration has not had the will to do it.
Rebecca
Just read the Courier's account of the forum held earlier this week --- Officer Passcarelli makes the point that here in the US local police are not part of the federal government. The truth is that because of the Secure Communities Program, local police have been "deputized" to enforce federal immigration policy. Since Christie signed up, local police in New Jersey are now obligated to run fingerprints of anyone picked up by the police "suspected of being undocumented" through the FBI and Homeland Security Department databases and to put the individuals directly into the deportation system where due process hardly exists. Immigrants and those concerned with violence in our communities have every reason to be concerned. How can people who are often the victims or witnesses to crimes go to the police if they fear, rightfully or wrongly, their efforts may result in their deportation?
ReplyDeleteJust another point -- based on her comments, it would probably be a good idea for the Mayor to familiarize herself with what is required on the part of local law enforcement agencies under the Secure Communities Program. In effect, local police ARE required to report people suspected of being undocumented into the deportation system. The comments made at the forum the other night as reported in the press dont seem very reassuring to the immigrant community which is VERY aware of Secure Communities requirements.
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