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Citizens Union Foundation Gotham Gazette

The Citizen

The Citizen /May 01, 2006

Bengali Saris Make Inroads In New York Markets
From Weekly Kotha
Sari, a garment appeals to a sense of beauty and dignity, is traditional for Bengalis. With its growing demand in New York City, various kinds of saris can be found in shops in Jackson Heights.

More undocumented immigrants are filing tax returns despite fears created by recent raids. By using individual taxpayer identification numbers, illegal immigrants are able to file taxes without having social security numbers. In the 2005 tax year, the last for which such data is available, 1.9 million returns were filed with the primary taxpayers using an individual taxpayer number, up 30 percent from 2004. The rise in filings could relate to the proposed immigration reform bill that link amnesty to tax paying, according to a New York Times report.

Few New York City pharmacies translate prescription drug labels from English into other languages, even though 80 percent of those surveyed said they could do it, researchers at New York Academy of Medicine said. "Many New York immigrants face such high-risk gaps in our health-care services when presented with a medication bottle in English," survey lead author, Linda Weiss, said. About 25 percent of New Yorkers cannot speak or read English well.

Mathieu Eugene, once again, became the first Haitian-born member of the City Council when he won last month's special election in Brooklyn's 40th council district. Eugene won in the previous special election but was disqualified for failing to meet legal residency requirements.

These stories and others from the Bengali, Chinese, Polish, Russian and Spanish language press via our partner, Voices That Must Be Heard.

Brooklyn's 40th Council District Impasse Shortchanges Community
From Carib News
The biggest losers in controversy over the council seat have been residents of 40th district, which has large Caribbean and immigrant communities. With nobody to negotiate for them during this crucial budget season, the district will get no funding.

Judicial Selection, Diversity And Latinos
From El Diario
According to a report, the percent of Latino judges in New York's state courts, where the Latino community comprises 16 percent of the population, stands at less than 5 percent.

Fly At Your Own Risk
From Russian Bazaar
Most undocumented immigrants are very frightened to fly because they lack proper form of identification, according to the National Immigration Forum.

Undocumented Immigrants And Taxes
From Nowy Dziennik
Many undocumented immigrants pay taxes that help pay the salaries of immigration officers, who then track them down and deport them, argues a Polish newspaper editorial.

Raising African Children in America
From African Abroad
Facing cultural barriers, many African immigrants lost their children to the criminal correction system, foster homes and permanent criminal records.

Helping Children Keep Hispanic Roots
From Hoy
A special curriculum created by a Dominican teacher at Kingsbridge High School in the Bronx allows many kids to to learn more about their Latino roots.

Health Department Distributes Sanitation Guides In Chinese
From Sing Tao Daily
Department of Sanitation officials said Chinese brochures would be given to Chinese businesses and residents to help them understand sanitation regulations and avoid getting tickets.

Dangerous Housing Conditions In Harlem
From Diario de Mexico
A building collapse in Harlem, where the largest Latino populations in the city live, has placed residents on alert because of the poor state of older residential buildings in the area.