MEMBERS of the Guyanese diaspora in New York City will be joining with the Brooklyn Historical Society and the Guyana Modern to examine Guyanese migration to NYC and raise awareness on the population.

This examination will be done through a panel discussion entitled “Brooklyn’s Guyana”.

According to information from the Brooklyn Society, while Brooklyn is widely-known as home to one of the largest Caribbean diasporas in the world, lesser known is the presence of Guyanese-Americans, the fifth largest immigrant population in New York City.

The society will be joining with the Queen’s College of Guyana Alumni Association, New York (QCAANY) Chapter and the Guyana Modern, an online platform that celebrates the vibrant artistic production and culture springing from Guyana and its diasporic communities.

Immediate past president of the QCAANY and co-organiser of the panel, Karen Wharton, told the Guyana Chronicle that the purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the social, economic and political impact of Guyanese migration on Brooklyn.

She explained that there are a number of Guyanese and people of Guyanese heritage who are making great strides, but these strides often go unnoticed.

“Ours is an underrated community,” she posited, and shared: “Hopefully, this discussion will help us realise our collective potential and to raise awareness of our influence in Brooklyn and NYC as a whole.”

The discussion will be led by Grace Aneiza Ali, an assistant professor of Art & Public Policy at New York University (NYU), and will feature three of Guyana’s leading female literary voices to explore the politics and role of migration in Brooklyn’s dynamic community.

These women are Ingrid Griffith, playwright for Demerara Gold; Natalie Hopkinson, author of ‘A Mouth is Always Muzzled’; and Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont, author of ‘The Guyana Contract’.

It is expected that they will reflect on the importance of Guyanese women, who since the 1950s, have been a driving force in migration from the Caribbean to New York City.

Speaking on behalf of the alumni association, Wharton mentioned also, that the QCAANY would be happy to host similar programmes in the future.

The event will be held on Thursday, November 20 at 18:30 hours at the Great Hall of Brooklyn Historical Society’s Brooklyn Heights location, at 128 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn, NY.

Tickets can be purchased in advance or in person at $5 for the general public and free for members.