There was concern when Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed to the U.S. Senate that she would have little understanding of the problems facing the city and even less sympathy. Unlike her predecessor, current U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton, who came to the city as an outsider but a known quantity, most residents of the Big Apple knew little or nothing of Gillibrand.
Gillibrand took a major step in the right direction when she came to Flushing last week to advocate for immigration reform. There is no urban center in America more affected by the flood of immigrants. The senator was the keynote speaker at the annual Asianâ„Pacific Heritage Month celebration at Flushing Library.
While in Flushing, she met with City Councilman John Liu, Borough President Helen Marshall, state Sen. Toby Stavisky and state Assemblywoman Grace Meng. They explained to her some of the problems facing the borough and its new immigrants. High on the list was the up−to−eight−years it takes aliens to get permission to bring their families here and the poverty rate in the state’s Asian−American communities.
She promised to support reforms that will ease the path to citizenship. She said the Dream Act is a sign the country is moving in the right direction.
Is this the same woman who previously had taken a tough stand on immigration? The fact she can change her positions on key issues when she has a chance to learn about an issue is a sign of character.
Gillibrand said she now understands she represents a broader constituency. Politically, she had little to gain from this trip to Flushing. The immigrant population she spoke to has yet to become a powerful voting bloc, although it may be in the future.
Like most city voters, we were skeptical of the new senator. The fact she was handpicked by Gov. David Paterson was hardly a point in her favor. We feared she would be indifferent to the problems faced by the city.
We now have reason to believe we were wrong. The more she travels throughout the state, the more, we hope, she will come to see the important role New York City plays in the state and the important role immigrants play in this city.
