July Edition 2009 Part 1

1. FREE!
Florida’s Caribbean Sun
NEWS YOU CAN USE! Vol. 6 No. 7 ● July 2009
New Organization will protect, promote
interest of Caribbean owned small business
Expo participants want problems addressed, timely provision of information
A new organization has been set up in Washington, DC to promote and pro-
tect the interest of small and medium size Caribbean owned businesses across the United
States and in the Caribbean basin region, it was announced during the closing session of the
The announcement was made by former US Assistant Secretary of Labor Debbie Misir
who is a director of the newly incorporated body, known as the US/Caribbean Basin Re-
source Network. Misir was among members of a panel assessing the deliberations of the
fourth annual Caribbean American Business Expo and Conference, held last month in Orlando. – Continued on page 16 –
USAID’s James Goggin cuts the ribbon to open the Expo. Veteran US Ambassador Harriet Elam Thomas has the attention of this group.
Photos by Chantal Boodhoo
New legislation will provide for jailing immigration “specialists”
N ew legislation has been introduced in Congress which, if passed, will provide for up to five years imprisonment for
persons who collect money or anything of value from undocumented immigrants claiming that they could help
regularize their immigration status.
The Immigration Fraud Prevention Act of 2009, developed by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York and Senator
Dianne Feinstein establishes immigration fraud as a federal crime. “The United States cannot allow our nation’s immi-
grants to be preyed upon by corrupt ‘immigration specialists’. Unfortunately, a growing number of fraudulent ‘immigra-
tion specialists’ are preying on immigrants and citizens alike who retain their services. They promise to help immigrants
navigate the system only to charge exorbitant fees and file bogus paperwork,” Congresswoman Clarke told Caribbean
Sun during a briefing on Capitol Hill recently.
The goal of the new act is to create a new crime to penalize those who engage in schemes to defraud persons seeking legal
counsel or assistance in connection with federal immigration laws.
The Act establishes a new section in the fraud offenses of the criminal code which would make it a federal crime to
“wilfully and knowingly defraud or obtain or receive money or anything else of value from any person by false or
fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises.”
Persons committing such crimes would face a fine, imprisonment of not more than five years, or both.
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (center) with
The proposed legislation also authorizes the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to investigate FL State Rep. Hazel Rogers and ICS
individuals suspected of committing such crimes. President Claire Nelson
Caribbean American leaders Caribbean nationals urged
meet in Washington to be counted in
2010 census
C aribbean nationals residing in the United States, regardless of their immigration sta-
tus, are being encouraged to be counted in the 2010 census. It is important that every
Caribbean resident in the United States be counted “so that collectively we can be consid-
ered as a force in American society and receive benefits like other immigrant groups,” say
Caribbean American community leaders.
The 2010 census formed part of a briefing at the White House and on Capitol Hill last month
in which Caribbean Sun publisher Wesley Kirton participated. The briefings were organized
by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) and a high powered team from the Department of
Commerce, which conducts the census, briefed Caribbean American business and commu-
nity leaders at the White House. The team pointed out the importance of every resident being
counted and assured that all information collected remained confidential by law. The infor-
mation collected will not be shared with any other government agencies or departments.
Several Caribbean American organizations, including the Institute of Caribbean Studies
and CaribID have launched campaigns to inform and educate Caribbean nationals about
the importance of participating in the Census. There is also an effort to have a separate box
for Caribbean nationals on the census form but this will not be possible in time for next
White House Associate Director, Michael Barnes (center) welcomes Florida March when the census will begin. This box will be included in the 2020 census, if a bill
businessman Tem Kudakwashe and his wife Violet to the briefing currently before Congress, is passed.
Florida’s Caribbean Sun – See story on page 24 – – Continued on page 13 – 1

2. 2 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

3. E D I T O R I A L
How can we ask for better
treatment when worse is
happening at home?
We at Caribbean Sun have been following the news reports about the depor-
tation of Guyanese and other Caribbean nationals from Barbados and
Trinidad and Tobago. While we accept that these and any other countries
have the right to manage their immigration policies in the best interest of
their people, we find it quite interesting that such immigration policies are
being pursued against Caribbean nationals resident in Caribbean countries
while the Caribbean Diaspora is actively engaged in lobbying the US for com-
prehensive immigration reform which seeks a “ kinder, gentler” approach to
dealing with the issue of deportation.
Just last month there was a White House briefing organized by the Institute
of Caribbean Studies (ICS) on a range of issues affecting the Caribbean re-
gion and the Caribbean Diaspora including immigration reform and the is-
sue of deportation. The White House team included Valerie Jarret, senior
adviser and assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and pub-
lic engagement. Caribbean American community leaders got a sympathetic
ear and there seemed to be recognition that the deportation policy needs to
be revisited.
The issue of immigration reform was also raised during briefings on Capitol
Hill last month and indeed one Member of Congress pointed to the need for
the Caribbean to get its act together in a veiled reference to what is currently
taking place in Barbados.
Our simple question is how are Caribbean Americans to successfully seek
better treatment of our Caribbean (including Trinis and Bajans) undocu-
mented residents here in America if in fact what is happening in the region is
just as bad or worse than that which we are seeking to correct in the US?
We must not return to the days of coups
As Caribbean Sun was going to press we learnt of the removal from office of
the legitimately elected president of Honduras and his forced exile. We vehe-
mently condemn this coup and call on the international community to take
concerted action to ensure that this recklessness by sections of the Honduran
Subscribe
military is not successful and that President Zelaya returns to his country to
carry on his responsibilities as head-of-state.
This is a real opportunity for the organization of American States (OAS) to ____________________________________________________________________________
demonstrate that it is not a “talk shop” but a hemispheric organization Name
with the political will to ensure respect for its Charter. This coup must be
overturned. We in this hemisphere cannot return to the dark days of the
____________________________________________________________________________
Title SPECIAL
past when military coups were allowed to succeed bringing with them ruth- ____________________________________________________________________________
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less dictators.
____________________________________________________________________________
Address ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
Regardless of what wrongs President Zelaya might have done, he is the legiti-
mately elected president of Honduras and cannot be removed from office
____________________________________________________________________________
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RATES - 12 ISSUES
other than by a legitimate process which allows the people of Honduras to so
decide. His holding of a referendum to determine whether the people of Hon-
____________________________________________________________________________
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duras wished to change the Constitution of their country to address the issue ____________________________________________________________________________
of term limits for the presidency, cannot be and is not illegal. He was asking Email
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OROR EMAIL: INFO@HEMISPHERICVENTURES.COM
EMAIL: INFO@HEMISPHERICVENTURES.COM
We cannot and must not return to the days of coups in the Americas!
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Florida’s Caribbean Sun 3

4. 4 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

5. Talks underway Derek Walcott,
about pre-clearance Rex Nettleford
for entering the US among honorees
Talks are underway between Tourism Ministers of the Caribbean and the United Scores of Caribbean nationals flocked to the Miramar Cultural Center recently to honor
States State Department, for the placement of pre-clearance facilities in the region, two distinguished Caribbean legends, Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott of St. Lucia and
which will allow for quicker and easier immigration clearance for American visitors Professor Emeritus Rex Nettleford of Jamaica, at the first annual Caribbean American
to the Caribbean. Heritage Commemorative Gala.
Under the distinguished patronage of the Caribbean Consular Corp, the event honored
...if approved, the measure will go a far way in improving the outstanding Caribbean nationals who have contributed to the development of the Region’s
turnaround time for aircraft entering the Caribbean. In addi- culture and heritage across
the Diaspora.
tion, he said, airlines would be able to avoid the heavy tax they
currently pay, as well as make the Caribbean a more afford- Both were presented with
the Caribbean American
able vacation destination... Book and Art Fair Heritage
awards by Consuls Gen-
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, made the announcement at a reception hosted eral of St. Lucia, Mr. Kent
by the Washington Post newspaper at its Washington DC U.S.A headquarters recently, for Hippolyte and Mrs. Sandra
delegates attending the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s 2nd annual tourism summit. Grant Griffiths of Jamaica,
respectively.
He said that, if approved, the measure will go a far way in improving the turnaround time
for aircraft entering the Caribbean. In addition, he said, airlines would be able to avoid the Other awardees included
heavy tax they currently pay, as well as make the Caribbean a more affordable vacation Jamaica’s cultural ambas-
destination for American visitors. sador, Mrs. Norma Darby
of the Jamaica Folk Revue,
Minister Bartlett, who was the keynote speaker, told the delegates that the discussion with and Belizean author, Ms.
Awardees at the Caribbean American Heritage Zell Edgell.
the State Department also focused on amendments to existing duty- free policies, which
Commemorative Gala held recently at the Miramar
placed most Caribbean destinations at a competitive disadvantage.
Cultural Center. Professor Emeritus of Jamaica, Hon. Two awards - Caribbean
Rex Nettleford, O.J.,(L) Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott Cultural Award and Carib-
He noted that visitors to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands enjoy a duty-
of St. Lucia (R). Sharing in the moment was Jamaica’s bean Media award were
free allowance of US$1,000, while visitors to other Caribbean nations are allowed only
Consul General Sandra Grant Griffiths (center). presented posthumously to
US$500. He informed that Jamaica is now looking at amending the duty-free laws to
allow incoming passengers to purchase duty-free items. Mr. Selman Lewis (1948-
2008) of Trinidad, and Mr. Clint O’Neil (1944-2004) of Jamaica.
The Tourism Minister, in the meantime, said that the two-day tourism summit was “very
successful”, noting that the meetings with representatives from the World Bank and Inter- Selman Lewis was founder of the Miami Carnival now celebrating its 25-year, and has
American Development Bank, regarding financing tourism projects in the Caribbean, were been acclaimed one of the largest Caribbean celebrations in the USA.
fruitful.
Known as the reggae ambassador, Clint O’Neil was responsible for popularizing that genre
He pointed out that the Caribbean as a tourist destination needs to take a serious look at re- of music on airwaves across the Diaspora while pioneering Caribbean broadcasting in
defining itself to meet the emerging global economic challenges. South Florida. (South Florida Caribbean News).
Florida’s Caribbean Sun 5

6. Caribbean nations
need not play role
of supplicant
The nations of the Caribbean, while not
equal to the United States in size, power
and influence need not play the role of
supplicant but should adopt a unified ap-
proach to engaging the new Administra-
tion of President Barack Obama in order
to ensure positive results.
This was the message delivered to partici-
pants in the fourth annual Caribbean
American Business Expo and Conference
by veteran United States diplomat Ambas-
sador Harriet Elam Thomas. Ambassador
Thomas was the guest of honor and key-
note speaker at a plenary luncheon of the
conference. The luncheon was sponsored
by Caribbean Supercenter supermarket.
Speaking on the subject “Strategies for
Engaging the new Administration of Presi-
dent Barack Obama” the ambassador iden-
tified four pillars- a unified approach, re-
spect for indigenous talent, strategic plan- Ambassador Harriet Elam Thomas
ning and the clear identification of mu-
tual interests-upon which Caribbean nations and the Diaspora should build their efforts
for successfully engaging the new administration,
Ambasador Thomas pointed out that “the new face of America has the opportunity and the
ability to engage adversaries and to bridge divisions” and that with the election of a uniquely
multicultural president “now is the chance for the US to improve its global image and
from there its security.”
Against this background, the ambassador said, there is scope for the Caribbean, as neigh-
bors, partners and friends of the United States, to work with the new administration “to
meet the common challenges we face.” She said that the Caribbean Diaspora had a piv-
otal role to play in engagement with the new administration.
While navigating the various US government agencies is daunting, Thomas said any such
effort “should tap into the valuable resources of the well informed, well placed Caribbean
American leaders in the US.”
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6 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

7. Florida’s Caribbean Sun 7

8. QC Alumni
Association formed
in Central Florida
Fund-raising brunch July 19
A new chapter of the Queen’s College Alumni Association has been formed in Central Florida.
The Queen’s College Alumni Association of Central Florida (QCAACF) was established
on May 15, 2009 as a non-profit organization. The main purposes of the Organization are
“to help assure the stability of Queen’s College which contributes to academic excellence
in Guyana, to provide financial and other forms of material assistance to Queen’s College
of Guyana and to provide material assistance and counsel to Guyanese students in the
United States”, a press release from the new association said.
The first elected officers of the Organization are Paul Daly (President), Omawale Omawale
(Vice President), Roger Zitman (Secretary), Rene Sumner (Treasurer), with Tommy Smith
and Andre Pestano as committee members. The chapter, which is inviting membership
from all former QC students living in Central Florida, is a member of the International
Committee of the Queen’s College Alumni Associations (ICQC) that currently has other
branches in Toronto, New York, UK, South Florida and Guyana (QC Old Students Asso-
ciation www.qcosa.org.gy
QCAACF plans to be represented at the next annual business meeting of ICQC to be held in
Guyana, October 30, 2009. The occasion will also be marked by a reunion celebrating the
165th anniversary of the founding of the school. More information on ICQC can be ob-
tained through the web site www.icqconline.net. Notable recent contributions to the school
from ICQC chapters include The Vernley Ward Scholarship and a computer laboratory.
The QCAACF’s first fund-raiser will be a brunch to be held on Sunday July 19th (11.00 am
to 2.00 pm) at Sunquest Plaza, 1044 Plaza Drive, Kissimmee Florida 34743. The cost of the
brunch is $20 and will feature a wide selection of West Indian dishes. A warm invitation is
extend to all West Indians, their families and friends to enjoy the brunch and help support the
illustrious Guyanese and West Indian tradition represented by Queen’s College.
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8 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

9. Diaspora contributing to US,
Caribbean Development
Address to Florida Caribbean Business Expo and Conference
Official Opening Ceremony, June 10th, 2009
By Claremont Kirton, Head of the Department of Economics, education (18.6%), retail trades (12.2%) and manufacturing (6.2%).
University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica Current projections indicate that there will be a labour shortage in several industries (includ-
ing manufacturing) in the US by 2010. Immigrant labour is expected to provide a solution to
Chairperson: Ms. Ann-Marie de Goveia, Assistant to the Dean, College of Business, UCF these labour shortages especially, but not exclusively, in the lower-skilled and semi-skilled
Mr. Wesley Kirton, Executive Chairman, Caribbean American Business Expo jobs. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has reported that by 2020,
new immigrants would fill 10 million new jobs in manufacturing, representing the principal
Orange County Sheriff, Jerry Demings
source of skilled workers in this sector. These would include technical specialists and ter-
Representative of the Mayor, Mr. Reginald McGill, Director, Constituency Services tiary-educated managers. Immigrants will also be able to access new jobs in other areas such
Dr. Arlington Chesney, Executive Director, Caribbean Agriculture Research and Devel- as agriculture, construction, health care and the hospitality industry.
opment Institute (CARDI)
Another benefit for the host country is that immigrants establish their own micro- and
Mr. George Rodon, Chief of Staff, Office of the Orange Country Mayor, Honourable small businesses which generate income not only for themselves, but also create employ-
Richard Crotty ment in various economic sectors. A recent study by the Employment Policy Foundation
Mr. Michael Schiffhauer, Director of Field Operations, Enterprise Florida Inc, Represent- reports that without the contribution of immigrants, the current output of commodities and
ing Governor Charlie Crist services in the US would be reduced by US $1 trillion.
Mr. Alonzo Fulgham, Acting Administrator, USAID Immigrants contribute to the US economy through their tax payments, which enhance
Mr. Keith Gooden, Expo Executive Director government revenues. They also purchase commodity and services domestically which,
given the large number of immigrants residing in the US, contributes to revenue growth in
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. both the public and private sectors. In essence, Caribbean migrants continue to play an
important role in the growth and development of the US economy, and more specifically
I am honoured to represent the University of the West Indies at this most important and the State of Florida.
timely Caribbean-American Business Expo and Conference. Our Vice Chancellor, Pro-
fessor E. Nigel Harris sends his best wishes for a suc- Caribbean migrants make a significant con-
cessful event and has asked me to extend apologies tribution to the economic growth and devel-
for his absence. I also bring greetings from our Prin- opment of their individual, source or home
cipal of the UWI Mona Campus, Professor Gordon countries. The main contribution is remit-
Shirley who has given his full support to our pres- tances, which include both financial trans-
ence here as part of UWI’s role in informing the Car- fers and in-kind goods (shipped mainly in
ibbean Diaspora about our activities. barrels) to households in their respective
Caribbean countries. Latest data indicate
As an integral part of our University’s Strategic that over US$2.5 billion is remitted annu-
Plan 2008 – 2012, we are focusing on UWI attain- ally through formal financial channels from
ing three “firsts”: USA to the Caribbean. The top three recipi-
ent countries of remittances from the US are
1. UWI must be the University of first choice for Car- Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica.
ibbean nationals in the region and the Diaspora seeking Remittances from US to Jamaica for Janu-
high quality undergraduate and graduate education. ary – December 2008 amounted to US $1.1
billion (Bank of Jamaica data).
2. UWI must be first in providing new knowledge
through research contributing to Caribbean growth, In addition, Caribbean-born school alumni and profes-
development and transformation. sionals often donate technical equipment and assistance
to aid in the development and support of the health sys-
3. UWI must be the first port of call for Caribbean tems in their home countries. According to a report by
governments as well as private sector interests in the UNECLAC, Jamaican physicians have, on several oc-
region and the wider Diaspora wishing advice and casions, returned home, not only to donate supplies and
technical expertise for policy development, strategic equipment to support the country’s health system, but
planning and programme implementation also to perform critical surgical procedures.
A critical strategic aim of our University is to be- Caribbean migrants returning to or visiting their home
come internationally recognized as a centre of excel- Claremont Kirton country have, to some extent, impacted the tourism
lence in research, knowledge creation and innova- industry. Byron (1994) remarked that “returning mi-
tion on matters related to the Caribbean and its large Diaspora and small-island develop- grants are increasingly attracted to jobs in the tourism sector”. These migrants bring with
ing states internationally. UWI is seeking to strengthen and expand the research activities them the various skills obtained in senior positions in the tourist sector overseas. In many
of our faculties and departments geared towards addressing priority areas aligned to spe- instances, they start their own micro and small enterprises, which provide services for the
cific developmental needs of our Caribbean region and its Diaspora. tourism sector. Caribbean tourism revenues have also increased as a result of migrants
visiting their respective home countries for holidays as well as special occasions such as
In the Department of Economics at Mona, which I chair, we have established a Caribbean religious and national celebrations, as well as family-oriented activities.
Diaspora Economy Research Group (CDERG) comprising faculty members and graduate
students. CDERG has conducted a number of studies on migration related issues, focus- Caribbean migrants contribute to revenue generation in the development and
ing mainly on remittances from various host countries, including US, to the home coun- expansion of the telecommunications sector both in the home and source coun-
tries of the Caribbean region. We recognize how important the Diaspora is for our Carib- tries, as many frequently call their relatives and friends. Survey data, using a
bean development and continue to work in this area. sample of 2,800 immigrants in the USA, report that about 10 % of all Caribbean
migrants surveyed called their homes monthly, 15 % called fortnightly, 25 %
As you are all aware, the United States of America (USA) is an important desti- called weekly, while 30 % called two or more times a week. Almost 30 % of these
nation country for migrants from all over the world. The most recent statistics persons called for periods in excess of 30 minutes.
(Migration Policy Institute, 2006) indicate that there are 35.7 million documented
migrants living in this country. Of these, about 3.5 million (or 10%) are from Nostalgic trade involves the trade of goods from their home country which have some
the Caribbean. The leading source countries from the Caribbean region are Cuba intrinsic value to migrants in the host country. Examples of these include for Jamaica
(28.5% of total documented Caribbean migrants), Dominican Republic (23.5%), include ackee and white rum and sweet bread and flying fish from Barbados. Purchases of
Jamaica (16.7%), Haiti (11.7%) and Guyana (10.2%). nostalgic commodities tend to have a psychological impact on migrants as these support
the feeling of maintaining links with their home country. These purchases also support the
Focusing on the State of Florida, the available data indicate that, as at July growth of businesses in the Caribbean countries as well as in USA. Many migrants at-
2007, the Caribbean-born migrant population was 1.2 million or 42.3% of the tempt to maintain the diets to which they are accustomed at home, consuming products of
2.9 million foreign-born population living in the State. These data indicate that the home country. In a survey of almost 3,000 migrants, of those from Caribbean coun-
the leading Caribbean source countries are Cuba (57% of total Caribbean docu- tries, the majority indicated that they purchase goods from their home country.
mented migrants in Florida), Haiti (17.5%), Jamaica (13.1%), Dominican
Republic (6.1%) and Trinidad and Tobago (3.9%) As I indicated earlier, our Diaspora Economy Research Group in the Department of Eco-
nomics, UWI, Mona (CDERG) has been involved in a number of studies that assess the
In analyzing Caribbean migration to the US, we examine briefly some of the impacts of economic impact of remittances on countries in the Caribbean. We have generated some
migration on both the host or destination country (in this case USA) and the home or very useful results on issues such as the impact of remittances on poverty; the uses of
source countries (Caribbean countries). remittances; and the methods of remittances transfers; and we have provided policy recom-
mendations for Caribbean governments. Understandably, our focus has been on Jamaica,
An important benefit to the US economy arising from the activities of Caribbean migrants although some work has been done on other English-speaking Caribbean countries.
refers to meeting the labour market demands for jobs in specific sectors, such as manufac-
turing and services. Of the top four Caribbean source countries of migrants in Florida In 2006, CDERG conducted an in-depth survey of remittance recipients which focused on
(Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica), on average, 13.3% were employed in the impact of remittances on household behaviour in Jamaica. This generated some im
sales, 6.5% in production and 12.6% in the service industries (US Census Bureau, 2000).
The three main sectors in which Caribbean migrants are employed here in Florida are – Continued on page 26 –
Florida’s Caribbean Sun 9

10. FLORIDA’S 4 CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN TH
Telecoms Engineer Wesley Sadler (R) makes a point to businessman Sylvester UWI Booth at the Expo
Chang and Dr. Mark Kirton, Institute of International Relations, Trinidad and Tobago
Guests at one of the Expo Luncheons George Rodon, Chief of Staff to Mayor
Crotty speaking at the opening ceremony
The Caribbean Supercenter booth Visiting dignitaries with members of the Maya dance group
Panel discussing the Caribbean American Relationship in this era of change Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings addressing
the opening ceremony
10 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

11. BUSINESS EXPO AND C ONFERENCE
Visitors to the expo view the CARDI booth Expo sponsors receive their Certificates of Appreciation
A section of the audience at the opening The Grace Booth
Some members of the team drafting the final conference report USAID Representative for Barbados and
the Eastern Caribbean, James Goggin
delivers the keynote address
Orange County Sheriffs Office Booth Culinary delights sponsored by Golden Krust restaurants
Florida’s Caribbean Sun 11

12. Pledge of
scholarships at
Business Expo
Importance of education
stressed during conference
The importance of preparing a cadre of well trained Caribbean entrepreneurs for the
future was one of the recommendations emerging from the 4th annual Caribbean
American Business Expo and Conference held last month and in keeping with this,
a pledge was made to provide scholarships to suitably qualified young people from
the Caribbean.
The pledge of the first scholarship, made by Jamaican American businessman Karl Chung,
would be for studies by a Caribbean national at the University of the West Indies Mona
Campus in Jamaica and will be named in honor of Mr. Chung’s mother. The criteria for
application for the scholarship is currently being worked out between Mr. Chung and
UWI officials.
And, Mike Singh, president and chief executive officer of Miami-based Telkom Caribe
pledged the provision of 25 scholarships for post graduate training in information and
communication technology management, telecommunication engineering and related fields
at the National Singapore University and Nanyang Technological University, both located
in Singapore.
Singh told the closing session of the expo and conference that the two educational
institutions with which his company has close ties, have pledged to assist the Carib-
bean and that given the intense discussion on the importance of education and train-
ing at the event, he had initiated the process to have 25 scholarships provided over a
five year period.
He said the criteria and modalities for making the pledge a reality would have to be worked
out and perhaps this could be done through a joint effort between the two Singapore insti-
tutions and the University of the West Indies.
Both Chung and Singh were panelists during the expo and conference and used the oppor-
tunity to discuss their initiatives with the University of the West Indies, which was also
represented at the event, held June 10-12, in Orlando.
Telkom Caribe CEO, Mike Singh holds the rapt attention of a group of UCF students
during the recent Expo
12 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

13. Caribbean
nationals urged to
be counted
in 2010 census
–Continued from page 1 –
CaribID has lobbied to get a Caribbean Count bill
in both the House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate. Unfortunately, these bills cannot become law
in time for March 2010, “so we need your help
collectively to urge every Caribbean reader, lis-
tener, viewer, to not just fill out the form but to
write in their country of origin under question 8
while ticking `No Not Hispanic.` It is a simple but
powerful message of change that we can all col-
lectively obtain in a matter of months,” wrote
CaribID’s Felicia Persaud in a recent e-mail com-
munication to media owners.
Strategies for informing and educating Caribbean
nationals in America about the census and the im-
portance of their being counted was the focus of
intense discussion during the Capitol Hill brief-
ings. Advice on which boxes Caribbean Ameri-
cans should check and the need for them to write
in their country of origin, how Caribbean nation-
als of Indian extraction might best identify them-
selves and other key issues were discussed. A pub-
lic education program will soon be launched and
Caribbean Sun will be keeping our readers up to
date on how they can ensure they are counted.
Florida’s Caribbean Sun 13

14. 14 Florida’s Caribbean Sun