Comptroller Stringer Releases Haitian Creole Edition Of Immigrant Rights And Services Manual

(New York, NY) – On Monday, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer was joined by Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte, Council Member Mathieu Eugene, and community leaders on a tour of the Flatbush Caton Market to distribute the first copies of a Haitian Creole-language version of the Comptroller’s “Immigrant Rights and Services Manual,” a comprehensive guide to city, state, and federal services.

The 70-page guide has been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Haitian Creole and is being translated into a number of additional languages. The manual outlines the real-life impact of recent legislation and policy changes, such as IDNYC, the new municipal identification card, and Local Laws 58 and 59, which restrict the city’s cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“I am thrilled that the Haitian Creole-speaking community will now have its own edition of my Immigration Rights and Services Manual,” Comptroller Stringer said. “All New Yorkers must have the tools they need to succeed in our city, and this guide is an important resource for our newest residents, providing essential health, legal, social, and education information for all five boroughs. New York has welcomed and celebrated immigrant diversity for more than 100 years, and this manual is an important part of that tradition.”

“I am so happy to see that this manual is now being made available in Haitian Creole”, said Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte. “The information contained within the manual is invaluable and now the Creole speaking constituents in the district will have access to it. Just drawing on my own experience, knowing where to call and where to go to gain access to the resources that you need is so important. I wish such a resource existed when my mother and I needed it most. I applaud the New York City Comptroller Scott for making this resource available.”

“The Comptroller’s immigrant rights and services manual is a phenomenal resource for all new New Yorkers, and now it’s Haitian Creole edition will make it accessible to tens of thousands more,” said Samuel Pierre, Executive Director of the Haitian American Caucus. “The Comptroller has done a great service to the larger Haitian and Creole-speaking communities by offering a Haitian Creole language publication. The Haitian community needs to know what resources are available from the City, state, and federal governments, and the newly translated edition will help thousands who are still learning the English language, but work hard day in and day out without knowing what services they can receive, and what rights they are guaranteed.”

“As a student leader at CUNY, the most diverse institution of higher learning in the United States, I am excited to hear that Haitian-American community will have access to the Comptroller Stringer’s Immigration Rights and Services Manual,” said Emelyn Fernandez, CUNY University Student Senate Vice Chair for International Student Affairs. “I plan to share the information with the Haitian Student Organizations around the University. And I am sure they will be equally excited to receive the news. Equal access to education and the city resources is the first step towards the socioeconomic growth of our immigrant communities.”

The manual includes sections on:

• Language access rights – An overview of how city agencies are required to provide language access under Local Law 73 and Mayor’s Executive Order 120;
• Public benefits – Information on the wide range of public benefits and programs available to immigrants, including the areas of health care, public schools, and housing;
• Immigrants’ rights and protections – A description of workers’ rights (such as prevailing wages and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations), consumer and financial rights, anti-discrimination protections, and the dangers of immigration consultant fraud;
• Voting and civic participation – A summary of how immigrants can become involved in civic life, from filing taxes to attending and joining community boards;
• Resource directory – A list of government agencies, community organizations, and other resources that can help immigrants obtain benefits and services and enforce their rights; and
• Deportation and detention – An in-depth overview of who can be deported and why, including when New York City does and does not cooperate with ICE, and the legal resources and assistance immigrants can access for these proceedings.

To read the Haitian Creole version of the manual, please click here.

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