The Garifuna Legacy in New York City

The Garifuna Legacy in New York City
By: Jose Francisco Avila
Did you know that Garinagu may have been in the USA since the 1800s? Although there is no official record of when
the first Garinagu arrived in North America, a New York City theater playbill revealed that Garifunas may have
migrated during the nineteenth century. The playbill was for an 1823 play about Garifuna hero Joseph Chatoyer.
Playwright William Henry Brown was believed to be a Garifuna from St. Vincent. His play, The Drama of King
Shotoway, a play which is recognized as the first black drama of the American Theatre, which has as its subject the
1795 Black Caribs Insurrection in the Island of Saint Vincent, led by the Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer. Brown's
play was staged at the African Grove Theatre, which was located at the corners of Mercer and Bleecker streets.
Founded in 1821, it was the first African American theater, according to the program.1
New York City is home to the largest Black Caribs (Garifunas) population outside of Honduras in Central America, an
estimated 200,000 live in the South Bronx, Brownsville and East New York of Brooklyn, and on Manhattan's Upper
West Side. In 2009, the Garifuna Community of New York City will celebrate some key milestones, among them the
186th anniversary of the Drama of King Shotoway.
In addition, it will celebrate the 63rd anniversary of the Carib American Association, Inc., the 50th anniversary of the
Fenix Social Club, Inc and the 20th anniversary of Mujeres Garinagu en Marcha (MUGAMA), Inc. and Organización
de Damas Limoneñas en New York, Inc. both in March, as well as commemoration the 19th Anniversary of the
Happy Land Social Club Fire, where the majority of the victims were Garifunas. These milestones, along with the
special observance of the 214th anniversary of the death of the Paramount Garifuna Chief Joseph Chatoyer on March
14 1795 and the 212th anniversary of the exile of the Garifuna people from St Vincent to Balliceaux in February
1797and their subsequent exile on March 11th, 1797, to Central America where they arrived to the island of Roatan
on April 12th, 1797, are reminders of the survival of the Garifuna Heritage and Culture in the Western Hemisphere.
Therefore, the Garifuna Coalition has submitted a proposal to the Honorable David A. Paterson, Governor of the
state of New York, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Bronx Brought President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. and
Mayor Michael Bloomberg to issue a proclamation designating March 11th - April 12th of each year as Garifuna
American Heritage Month in New York State and New York City beginning in 2009.
Although Garifunas have been migrating to the United States in search of a better life since the 1930s (1800?), the
community was virtually obscured in New York until the Happy Land Social Club fire on March 25th, 1990. Fifty nine
of the Happy Land victims were Hondurans. More than 70 percent of the Honduran victims were also of Garifuna
descent. The proclamation of Garifuna Heritage Month will serve as a reminder that the Garifuna American legacy
and history are inextricably linked to New York City, New York State and the United States of America.
Garifuna American Heritage Month, will celebrate the great contributions of Garifuna Americans to the fabric of New
York State and New York City, and will pay tribute to the common culture and bonds of friendship that unite the
United States and the Garifunas’ countries of origin (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and St. Vincent and
the Grenadines). The proposal is an integral part of the Garifuna Coalition USA, Inc.’s efforts to promote the selfdetermination and unification of the New York Garifuna community through grassroots organizing and community
building.
Unlike more established immigrant groups in the city, the Garifunas had not been able to establish any landmarks of
their presence. Over the years, they had often gathered in small civic groups, but those have tended to dissolve more
quickly and easily than they have formed.
However, over the past twenty years, the Garifuna Immigrant Community in New York City has made strides in its
development efforts. Starting with the first modern nonprofit Garifuna organization, Garifuna Women Pro Education,
Inc. MUGAMA, founded in March 1989; this organization represents a new trend in Garifuna organizational activity by
becoming the first to receive 501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the IRS and was followed by the Evangelical Garifuna
1 http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Garifuna-Americans.html
Church Inc., Hondurans Against Aids Inc. Garifuna Coalition USA Inc. and United Garifuna Association Inc. These
organizations represent 35% of the Central American 501(c)(3) Nonprofits in New York State and 45% of those
located in the 5 boroughs of New York City. Not-for-profit corporations are formed for any one or more of the
following non-business purposes: charitable, educational, religious, scientific, literary, and cultural.
In addition to the Nonprofit sector, the Garifuna Community’s development is reflected in the mass media industry
where Murphy Valentine and Cesar Arzu have been broadcasting Centro America show on Bronxnet for the past 15
years, they also became one of the first producers to broadcast a live show, Honduras New York and the first to
broadcast their shows over the Internet thought their Garifuna Link website and the Garifuna Link group connect
Garifuna across the world!. Their pioneering efforts have led to the development of other Garifuna TV shows, such as
Wabagari, which is produced by German Cayetano, World Music, produced by Raul Arzu and Ministerio Linaje
Escojido, produced by Reverend Sonia Fernandez. In addition, there’s the Labuga.com website which is hosted by
Martin Bermudez. More recently, Jorge Gonzalez, Balloy Fernandez, Luis Martinez and Oscar Sacasa have
introduced Garifuna Movement magazine with the purpose of documenting the strides that Garifunas are making not
only in their homelands but also here in their adopted home.
Those strides have included entrepreneurial efforts such as the following Domestic Business Corporations are
registered in New York State: Garifuna Enterprises, Inc., which was incorporated by Raymond Martinez in 1998 and
is now inactive; the same is true of Garifuna Construction, Inc. and Garifuna Contracting, Inc., among the actives are:
Garifuna Properties, LLC, Garifuna Star Restaurant Corp., Lanichuga Garifuna Restaurant Corp., Victoria Honduras
Cargo, and Labuga Puerto Barrios Shipping Cargo, Inc., which are all listed as Domestic Business Corporations.
Also included in the business category but as partnership, is the New Horizon Investment Club, which was formed by
ten Garifunas to poll their financial resources as a collective investment vehicle to increase efficiency of the capital
and have invested in the stock market, as well as ventured into real estate; currently, they have developed a formal
import and distribution channel for cassava and other products. It has been said that without economic power, there’s
no political power.
Political engagement has been the most underdeveloped area for Garifunas. Although Garifuna immigrants have
kept their culture alive they seem to show a different view on American politics. Even when they achieved citizenship,
many didn’t even think about voting or getting involved in politics. This is also demonstrated by many Garifunas
involvement in local committees during national elections in their country of origin but not in the local or state
elections in New York City. However, great strides have been made recently towards including the Garifuna
Immigrant Community into the civic process of New York City. This can be demonstrated by the empowerment of
individuals and organizations who seek the skills they need to effect change in their own communities and the pursuit
of a common agenda. Examples such as the voter registration campaigns developed by various organizations, as
well as efforts to motivate Garifunas to apply for membership in local Community Boards and more prominently by
Jerry Castro’s decision to create an exploratory committee to run for office in the State of New York, thus becoming
the first Garifuna-American to seek such position within the 50 states of the United States2. Civic participation is a
requirement for full inclusion and participation in all city and state programs.
2009 will mark the 186th Anniversary of The Drama of King Shotaway, which had as its subject the 1795 Black Caribs
Insurrection in the Island of Saint Vincent, led by the Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer. 211 years ago, everybody
wondered if the Garifunas were going to survive as a people and live a long healthy life, however, not only have they
survived but will be returning to their homeland St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Yurumein!), during Vincy
Homecoming 2009-The Garifuna Reunion, which is scheduled for July 18th – 25th.
The Garifunas journey has been long, while there’s no questions that great strides have been made over the past
twenty years, it is also true that much remains to be done and the hope is that the Garifuna Heritage Month and the
Garifuna Reunion, will motivate Garifunas in all the different sectors (social, nonprofit, business, civic and cultural) to
build ongoing, permanent relationships for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the benefit of the Garifuna
Immigrant Community of New York City that will ascertain the necessary change to keep it moving forward to fulfill
the promise of a bright future in 2009 and beyond. Happy New Year!
2 Garifuna-American announces committee to run for office in New York State Press Release, May 20, 2008
January- Fermin Arzu press conference
Enero – Conferencia de prensa cas Fermin Arzu
March – 18th Anniversary of the Happy Land Social Club Fire
Marzo - 18 anniversario del incendion en el Club Social Happy Land
February – Garifuna Coalition meeting with Garifuna Young Professionals
Febrero- Reunión de la Coalición Garifuna con los jóvenes Garifunas
April – First Annual Garifuna Symposium
Abril – Primer Simposio Garifuna
June – Garifuna Coalition meet with SVG Consul Cozier
May – First anniversary of Fermin Arzu’s shooting
Mayo – Primer aniversario del asesinato de Fermín Arzu
Junio – Reunión de la Coalición Garifuna con el Cónsul de SVG Cozier
July – Special rception for Dionisia “Ms Nicha” Amaya
Julio – Recepción especial para Doña Dionisia Amaya
August – Meeting with SVG Ambassador LA Celia Prince
Agosto – Reunion con la Embajadora de SVG La Celia Prince
October – Mayor Michael Bloomberg with Jerry Castro
Octubre – El alcalde municipal Michael Bloomberg con Jerry Castro
September - International Honduran and Central American Parade
Septiembre - Desfile Internacional Hondureño y Centroamericano
November 15th – Noviembre 15
November 4th – Garifunas celebrate election night
Noviembre 4 – Garifuna celebran las elecciones