DOZENS of Guyanese-Americans joined hundreds of other Democrats from Queens in a spectacular banquet, dinner and dance held by the Queens Ridgewood Democratic Club to celebrate its 103rd. anniversary last week. Attendees paid $75 each to attend the posh event held at Ricardo’s in Astoria in the heart of the Greek and Guyanese-American communities.
Ashook Ramsaran, a Berbician and president of GOPIO International, paid the cost for two tables and had among his guests a number of young Guyanese students and professionals to introduce them to the Who’s Who in New York politics.  Several prominent city and state politicians were present at the gala event.
The evening’s highlights included honour and recognition for several prominent club members and community advocates with special awards for their contributions to various aspects of life in the borough or the city.  A very prominent Jewish-American advocate for Guyanese Americans and Richmond Hill, Richie Lipkowitz, was honoured amidst loud cheers from the Guyanese attendees for his many years of service to Democrats and in support of Guyanese.  Lipkowitz praised Guyanese-Americans for their immense contributions to life in Queens and adding to the cultural mosaic.
Guyanese-American community leaders have been working with New York City’s politicians to obtain essential services for their community. Recently the community worked closely together garnering support and advancing redistricting plans for political empowerment for Guyanese and other minority Americans. Also, several Guyanese community leaders volunteered their time on the political campaigns of elected officials.  The next election cycle is in June (Primaries to select candidates) and November (general elections to choose the office holder). Guyanese community leaders and political advocates are lining up behind preferred candidates and cutting deals for essential services for their communities.
GOPIO President Ashook Ramsaran believes that, despite the many remarkable economic, professional and academic achievements of the Guyanese community in New York, political empowerment has eluded them and is the next logical step for more economic progress as the Guyanese community becomes more established in the New York region. Said Ramsaran, “The Guyanese community is sufficiently large enough to elect at least one of their own to one seat at the state level and one seat at the municipal level. Learning the steps towards political empowerment is necessary and Guyanese becoming known in the established political circles is an important step in the process.  It is for this reason I encourage youngsters to attend political events and socialise with leading policy makers”.
Community activist Vishnu Mahadeo praised the Guyanese-American attendance at the Democratic event.  But he said more needs to be done by other ethnic groups to encourage greater involvement of Guyanese in political affairs.  He said there were four packed tables of Guyanese and South Asians at the event but there was little outreach to them from others groups except from  Richie Lipkowitz.  He also pointed out that Uma Mysorekar is a Democratic District Leader and brought a huge contingent to the celebration and yet there was no recognition of her presence,but  other leaders and political officials were recognised.
Mahadeo feels Guyanese “need to form our own Democratic and Republican clubs to get attention and earn prominence. We need to motivate our folk to vote at any and all elections in order to gain the attention of Democratic leaders”.