09/07/2012
On Tuesday, the Districting Commission for New York City released its draft map of the city council districts to be implemented beginning in 2013.
The member organizations of the Asian American Community Coalition on Redistricting and Democracy are disappointed and concerned that the significant public input received by the Commission is not reflected in this draft.
This draft followed a round of five public hearings, one held in each borough of the city, to receive input on how to change the district map. Dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals and community organizations had given statements at these hearings on changes needed for the district lines to adhere to the city charter’s mandate to recognize communities of interest.
This draft was the opportunity for the Commission to show that it was listening during the hearings held in August. But none of our community’s recommendations are reflected in this draft. For key neighborhoods in the Asian American community, such as Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park and Bensonhurst, this draft fails to improve the district lines that are currently dividing communities of interest.
ACCORD recommended at the public hearing for Queens on August 21st that the Districting Commission use this first draft as an opportunity to do more than simply equalize populations. Unfortunately this has not been the case.
In the next round of hearings in October, the city’s residents will be making comments on what is essentially an unchanged configuration. We are concerned because after the Commission’s next draft, there is no chance for the public to comment on those revisions. In contrast, both LATFOR and the 3-judge panel (appointed to draw the Congressional districts) held public hearings for drafts that had already made significant headway towards a final configuration.
ACCORD endorses the Unity Map and calls upon the Districting Commission to adopt it as a fully viable district plan that complies with the federal Voting Rights Act, the city charter’s mandate to recognize communities of interest, and the 1-person 1-vote requirement. The Unity Map reflects the demographic changes in New York City since 2000, and was drafted by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund – a founding member of the ACCORD coalition – in conjunction with several other leading civil rights groups including LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the National Institute for Latino Politics, and the Center for Law and Social Justice based at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn.
We collectively call on the Commission to review our input from the public hearings, as well as our joint statements given August 13th, 16th and 21st at the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens public hearings, respectively.
Representatives of ACCORD’s member organizations have the following comments:
Jerry Vattamala, Staff Attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund: “AALDEF expects to see substantial changes to the Commission’s draft plan. Asian American communities throughout New York City continue to be divided into numerous districts, including Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park, Bensonhurst and Chinatown/Lower East Side. The Unity Map is the best illustration of a configuration that allows New York City’s federally protected minority groups the opportunity to equally participate in the political process. The Commission should use the input received from the public hearings and the Unity Map, to guide them in revising their draft plan to comply with the requirements outlined in the New York City Charter and the federal Voting Rights Act.”
Richard David, Executive Director of the Indo-Caribbean Alliance: “Nothing has changed. These draft lines in Richmond Hill and the surrounding areas ignore the drastic ethnic, economic and social changes we have seen over the last decade. We are now wondering whether this process will empower our residents or move our community forward.”
Bright Limm, Board President & Steering Committee Chair of Korean Americans for Political Advancement: “The preliminary map would needlessly maintain the current division of Fresh Meadows, increase the current division between Bayside and Bayside Hills, and separate the similar neighborhoods of Oakland Gardens and Bayside. None of these divisions is necessary, so at a minimum we expect the Commission to keep these three neighborhoods intact.”
Steven Choi, Executive Director of the MinKwon Center for Community Action:
“We recommended that Bayside no longer be divided, and that Oakland Gardens be included in District 19. This draft does the opposite. More of Oakland Gardens is left out of District 19, and the community of Bayside continues to be divided. This draft was possible without any public hearings. The Commission could have done more than simply correcting for deviations, given the input available. The people have spoken, but who is listening? I think we need to have evidence of that.”
Elizabeth OuYang, President of OCA-NY: “A fair redistricting process not only reflects the Census numbers but the alignment of communities of interest. How could Bensonhurst with the increased Asian American population, particularly of the Chinese American community, ten years later still be divided into 4 districts?”
Steve Chung, President of the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn: “We are extremely disappointed that after all of us raised our voices asking for fairness, Sunset Park and Bensonhurst, two of the city’s largest Asian population neighborhoods, are still divided into five council districts. These divisions severely dilute an already underrepresented population. This continues to undermine our community’s ability to elect a candidate of its choice.”
John Park, Director of Operations & Community Development at YWCA of Queens: “We are shocked that the Districting Commission did not incorporate community testimonies and feedback in their proposed maps. We expect, and urge, that the Commission adopt the lines of the Unity Map that was collectively created by community members and organizations and already adheres to the letter and spirit of the Voting Rights Act. The maps proposed by the Commission, which closely approximates the lines drawn 10 years ago, does not take into account the changes in Asian American neighborhoods and communities over the last 10 years or how they are projected to grow in the next 10. Asian Americans are the fastest growing population in the country, and this is particularly true in New York City where it has exponentially outpaced the growth of any other ethnic minority group. In 2000, 1 in 10 people in New York City was Asian American--today, it’s 1 in 7 . There are boroughs where the Asian American population increased by 38% and even 40% . If these growth rates remain consistent, Asian Americans will likely be the largest ethnic group in Queens within the decade .”
Reference links:
- ACCORD’s statements given at public hearings (on right panel - Public Hearings & Meetings – Choose August 13 Brooklyn, August 16 Manhattan, August 21 Queens): www.nyc.gov/districting
- “Unity” Map: http://aaldef.org/press-releases/press-release/civil-rights-groups-announce-unity-map-for-nyc-council-redistricting-and-94-press-conference.html
- Draft maps by Districting Commission: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dc/html/maps/maps.shtml
- Flow chart of process: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dc/images/features/commission_process_flow_chart_large.gif
