Calvin Yohannan testifies on resolutions
Calvin Yohannan, board member of Boricuas Unidos en la Diaspora, testifies in support of Resolutions 494, 27, and 28. He connects the Puerto Rican diaspora's history to the island's colonial status.
Gracias.
Gracias, Tony.
Calvin.
You may begin.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
My name is Calvin Yohanan.
I live in Brooklyn and I'm a board member of Boricuas Unidos en la Diaspora or BUDPR, a national organization advocating for Puerto Rico's sovereignty and independence.
I'm here today in support of Resolutions 494, 27, and 28.
My mother is a New Yorker from the Bronx.
Her parents raised on the island and like so many Puerto Rican families, ours came to New York through a migration shaped by colonialism, economic displacement, and limited opportunity in Puerto Rico.
My abuelo drove subway cars and worked as the tower man for the MTA.
Puerto Ricans did not just move to the city, they helped build it and quite literally kept it moving while carrying Puerto Rico with them.
The Puerto Rican diaspora in New York is not separate from Puerto Rico's colonial history.
In many ways, it is a product of it.
That is why these resolutions matter.
Project Decencia, Abusive Debt Practices, and Unelected Fiscal Oversight and Management Board may seem like separate issues, but they reflect the same problem.
Puerto Ricans repeatedly having major decisions about their land, economy, and future made by institutions that are not accountable to them.
Resolution 494 recognizes the threat of large-scale development that puts outside interests ahead of Puerto Rican communities.
Resolution 27 addresses harmful debt practices.
while Resolution 28 challenges an unelected fiscal board with extraordinary power over Puerto Rico's economy and public institutions.
New York City should take a clear stand.
Our families did not stop caring about Puerto Rico when they moved here.
On behalf of myself and as a member of Bud PR, I respectfully urge the council to pass resolutions 494, 27, and 28 and stand with Puerto Ricans demanding democratic control, dignity, and an end to colonial rule.
Thank you.