“I was looking forward to meeting him, and when he got there, I thought he gave a good speech,” Fidelia said. She said she discussed the possibility of bringing sustainable development to Haiti to combat extreme poverty with Bernard. They were very happy to hear from him and share their issues.”Īstrid Fidelia, who was born in Haiti but now lives in Islip, attended the forum. I was very happy to see the diversity in the crowd. “I was very happy to hear the community was very engaged. “I was pleased with the turnout,” Solages said. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on immigration issues and hopes to have more open forums like the one with Bernard in the future.

Solages said she has worked closely with U.S. Bernard also recently made a stop in Brooklyn, which she said has the largest concentration of Haitian-American people in New York. His efforts include forums across Long Island and New York City. Solages said Bernard’s vision is to create a “new experience” for Haitian-Americans, and to be more accessible to hear people’s concerns. “It’s important to know that the people who are handling those issues are accessible and able to come to our community and talk to us.” “It was very important because frequently I get not only people who call my office about state issues, but also about immigration and how to access visas to Haiti,” said Solages. Most notably, they discussed the troubles Haitian-Americans have with securing visas to return to Haiti.Īssemblywoman Michaelle Solages (D-Valley Stream), who hosted the event, said she often receives calls about this issue from her constituents. 25 to meet New York’s newly-appointed Consulate-General of Haiti Peter Helder Bernard and discuss issues Haitian-Americans face after immigrating to the U.S.Īfter speaking in English and Creole for 15 to 20 minutes, Bernard fielded questions and concerns from those in attendance. About 60 people attended a forum at the Elmont Public Library on Aug.

Astrid fidelia