New York City lawsuit claims redrawn district map splits up their Asian American neighborhood

AALDEF / TWITTER

Jerry Vattamala of AALDEF announces the lawsuit protesting the redrawn NYC council districts.

Residents of an Asian American neighborhood in Queens, New York say the newly drawn districts for city council dilutes their community influence and takes away their voice in city matters.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) filed a lawsuit Friday against the New York City Districting Commission, the New York City Board of Elections, and the New York State Board of Elections over the city’s adoption of the city council districting map that denies the Asian American community of Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park in Queens any reasonable chance of fair and effective representation.

Despite the protections of the NYC Charter and our warnings throughout the redistricting process, the council map carved up the community and muffled their voices, continuing our city’s painful history of dividing, marginalizing, and disenfranchising communities of color," said said Jerry Vattamala, Democracy Program Director of AALDEF.

“As one of the fastest growing populations in the city, Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park has a thriving Asian American community made up of immigrant and native-born New Yorkers of Guyanese, Punjabi, Trinidadian, Surinamese, and Bengali descent," he said.

"This is an important community whose members contribute to our city every day, and they deserve a reasonable opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.”

AALDEF is suing to defend the rights of the Asian American community in Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park, to enforce the clear and important protections of the New York City Charter, and delay petitioning for the upcoming city council primary election until a district plan is put in place that complies with the Charter and ensures the fair and effective representation of this community.

The lawsuit is filed on behalf of 18 individual petitioners who are all residents of Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park, as well as one community organization, D.R.U.M. (Desis Rising Up and Moving) that has members who reside in Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park.

Historically, this Asian American neighborhood in Queens has been divided up and prevented from electing candidates of their choice by the redistricting process at multiple levels of government, splitting the area into seven state assembly districts and three city council districts.

The plaintiffs say the area’s South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities have historically been divided among several districts at the local, state and federal levels. This past redistricting, they said, spreads the community across three separate districts

"Last year, the New York City Districting Commission divided Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park among three city council Districts. This action was done in violation of the New York City Charter’s mandate that the Districting Commission “ensures the fair and effective representation of racial and language minority groups” to “the maximum extent practicable,” the lawsuit alleges.

“Throughout the redistricting process, we and our neighbors have showed up to urge the Commission to keep our community whole and to preserve Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park as one district," says Jagpreet Singh, Political Director of Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM).

"The council map continues the historic oppression and silencing of our community — but we won’t be quiet. We demand the representation we deserve. We belong here as much as anyone else and should be allowed to take part in the decision making of the city we give so much to,” says Singh.

The plaintiffs said the area’s South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities have historically been divided among several districts at the local, state and federal levels. This past redistricting, they said, spreads the community across three separate districts.

They’re asking the judge for emergency relief to delay petitioning for the upcoming City Council races, due to start next Tuesday, Feb. 28, until a revised redistricting plan that “complies with the Charter” is enacted. Vattamala said he expects to hear from the court before Tuesday, Feb. 28.

“As one of the fastest growing populations in the city, Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park has a thriving Asian American community made up of immigrant and native-born New Yorkers of Guyanese, Punjabi, Trinidadian, Surinamese, and Bengali descent,” Vattamala said.

“Yet despite the protections of the NYC Charter and our warnings throughout the redistricting process, the council map carved up the community and muffled their voices, continuing our city’s painful history of dividing, marginalizing, and disenfranchising communities of color,” he added. 

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