L-R: Neal Shapiro, Fatima Shama, Tiffeny Forrest, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Tisa Chang, Gonzalo Mercado, Yanki Tshering and Roger Montesano
By Isseu Diouf Campbell
Immigrant Heritage Week, an annual celebration honoring the experiences and contributions of immigrants living in New York City, kicked off on April 17, 2012 with a reception at Gracie Mansion in Manhattan.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and city Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Fatima Shama were joined at the reception by city Comptroller John Liu; Laurie Tisch, president and founder of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund; and Neal Shapiro, president and CEO of Public Broadcasting System station WNET/Thireteen. The ninth annual citywide celebration runs through April 24.
During the reception, the mayor announced the 2012 recipients of the American Dreamer Awards, presented to New Yorkers and institutions dedicated to improving the lives of immigrant communities across the city.
The honorees are:
– Visionary Award: Tisa Chang, artist director of the Pan Asian Repertory Theater
– Community Builder Award: The YMCA of Greater New York/Harlem
– Ambassador Award: Gonzalo Mercado, executive director of El Centro del Immigrante
– New York’s Uniform Award: Roger Montesano, community affairs director for the New York City Fire Department
– Business Leader Award: Yanki Tshering, executive director of the Business Center for New Americans
This year’s Immigrant Heritage Week will focus on showcasing the immigrant experience and will feature five free film screenings, one in each borough. For a schedule of events, visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/imm/html/initiatives/ihw.shtml.
In addition, WNET/Thirteen has partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to produce the “Celebrating the Stories of Our Community” campaign – featuring special on-air programming, interviews and the opportunity for immigrants to contribute their personal stories to the initiative’s website. Visit www.thirteen.org/community-stories for a program schedule and the “Share Your Story” section.
Photos of the event
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