Celebrate Immigrants: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow and Especially on September 25th

by Judy Silberstein

Elaine Chapnick, Beatriz Serrano, and Diana Marszalek put finishing touches on plans for the Hispanic Resource Center Celebration of Immigrants to be held on September 25 at the Emelin.

( August 28, 2002) Don’t be fooled by its name. The Hispanic Resource Center wants the community to know it serves immigrants from any country no matter what language they speak. To underscore this point, the three year old HRC is organizing what it believes to be a first - a "Celebration of Immigrants: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" - to be held at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 25th at the Emelin Theatre, Mamaroneck.

HRC President Beatriz Serrano reported, “The purpose of the program is to honor immigrants from many countries for their contributions.” “We welcome people,” said Supervisor Valerie O’Keeffe, “and when they get here we encourage them and educate them so they know how things work and can become good residents. The vitality of people from other countries is what helps make us tick.”

The Hispanic Resource Center is an outgrowth of another organization, the Local Summit. Some years back, social workers Martha Lopez and Olga Ochoa reported to the Summit on a variety of difficulties facing newly arrived residents from Spanish speaking countries. Young men congregating on street corners, as in the custom in many Central American countries, were running into conflict with other residents and police. Others needed help seeking safe employment or affordable health care. For the last three years, the Hispanic Resource Center has been helping the newest members of the community navigate these and other roadblocks. Although most clients are Hispanic, the Center recently helped an Israeli family when the father was unable to join them from their war-torn home country.

The Celebration of Immigrants will include: two original videos on local immigrants, a historical presentation on our local tradition of absorbing immigrants, music by a Mamaroneck High School choral group and a special showing of Charlie Chaplin's 1917 silent film classic "The Immigrants" with live piano accompaniment by Ben Model.

For the first video, board member Diana Marszlek interviewed a number of established local immigrants, including a mystery municipal trustee who relates an inspiring personal immigrant story. The other video follows Harold Lasso, executive director of the Hispanic Resource Center, as he works with day laborers in Columbus Park and meets with immigrant families and individuals around town.

A number of local organizations are supporting the Celebration effort, including the libraries in Larchmont and Mamaroneck where there will be special reading sections on immigrants and immigration to coincide with the event. Officials in the Villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck and the Town of Mamaroneck will be declaring September 25th "Celebration of Immigrants Day."

Proceeds from ticket sales and other contributions will help fund the Hispanic Resource Center's integration of new immigrants. The Center is located at the Community Action Program Center at 134 Center Avenue in Mamaroneck.

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