Connecticut
Connecticut Celebrates Immigrants At 25th Annual Ceremony | CT News Junkie
HARTFORD, CT – Connecticut’s political leaders and activists joined immigrants and their families to celebrate the contributions of foreign-born residents at the state Capitol Wednesday.
The 25th annual Immigrant Day celebration was hosted by the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition (CIRC), a network of organizations committed to protecting the rights and economic development of refugee and immigrant communities in Connecticut. As part of the ceremony, eight immigrants received Immigrant of the Year, which honors individuals whose contributions have uplifted their communities and enrich the fabric of Connecticut.
“Today we acknowledge the contributions of immigrants in every sector of life: healthcare, business, education, culture, arts, refugee resettlement services, and more,” said Dana Bucin, CIRC board member and an immigration attorney. “But, at the same time, while we celebrate, we also have to acknowledge the dire need for immigration reform in this country, the dire need of helping immigrants achieve the American dream, whether they came here legally or in unfortunate circumstances that made them undocumented. Becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States is something that we need to help immigrants achieve and that is not easy, especially these days.”
State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, who immigrated to the United States with his parents from Taiwan, said Connecticut must remain welcoming and engaged with immigrant populations who are facing serious challenges.
“We as immigrants, who love and risk coming into this country, are very much in the midst of a very tumultuous time,” he said. “And I think it’s really important to remind all of us in this State Capitol of Connecticut, the people’s building, that this country and this state were built by immigrants. It is important for us to recognize the passion, the commitment and the sacrifices that have been made by immigrants that have made this country.”
Gov. Ned Lamont also addressed the gathering, saying the United States has not always lived up to its ideals and citing the country’s history of laws targeting immigrants. He also referenced the voyage of the St. Louis, a ship carrying hundreds of Jews fleeing Nazi Germany which was denied entry to the United States. The ship returned to Europe, where over 250 of the ship’s 937 passengers were killed in the Holocaust.
“That story is just a reminder to me what it means for America to be a home for refugees, and to be a beacon of hope for immigrants around the world,” he said. “Come to this country. We want you here. We need you here.”
The keynote for the event was delivered by Karim Ismaili, president of Eastern Connecticut State University and a first generation immigrant himself. Born to a Pakistani father and a Kenyan mother, his family fled Kenya to the United Kingdom in the 1970’s due to political unrest and anti-South Asian prejudice. His family also faced harassment and danger in London, and eventually received a humanitarian visa to settle in Canada.
“One day, we were in London. The next, we were in Vancouver, unable to know if we would ever go back,” he said. “Canada became our refuge, and through it all, my mother instilled in us the values that shaped who we are: respect for others, compassion, a commitment to hard work, and a deep belief in the power of education.”
Ismaili, like many Eastern CT students, is a first-generation college student.
“And like many of them, my journey has profoundly shaped the person I’ve become,” he said.
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Police are investigating after finding human remains at a construction site in Greenwich last week.
The police department said that during a normal workday at a construction site in northern Greenwich, workers found what appeared to be human remains after soil was disturbed by an excavator.
The remains were carefully collected from the scene, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner took custody of the bones, police said.
Investigators said the remains appear to be of a considerable age.
Connecticut State Police is also assisting with the investigation.
A motorcyclist in Hebron has died after a crash along Burnt Hill Road and Cone Road, state police said.
The Connecticut State Police responded to the accident at approximately 5:25 p.m. after a dirt bike struck a rocky embankment.
According to authorities, the operator of the motorcycle failed to negotiate an “S” shaped curves in the roadway before loosing control.
The victim was originally transported via LifeStar to the hospital with reported serious injuries, authorities said.
The driver was then later pronounced dead at Marlborough Middlesex Clinic, state police said.
Anyone who may have witnessed this accident, or who may have information is asked to contact the Connecticut State Police.
A driver was rescued from a crash in Wolcott early Saturday morning and serious injuries have been reported.
Officers received a report of an accident on Beach Road around 3 a.m. Once there, police said they found a vehicle had hit a tree.
An occupant of the home where the vehicle crashed pulled the driver out of the car before the car caught on fire, according to police.
The driver was transported to the hospital to be treated for very serious injuries.
No other occupants were in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
The crash remains under investigation by the Naugatuck Valley Regional Collision Reconstruction Team.
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