Transcript: Mayor Adams Delivers Remarks at Flag-Raising Ceremony for Pakistan

August 16, 2023

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thank you so much. And just so important to be here at this flag raising and the flag raisings that we have been doing, really focusing on my comments are the same. Being the mayor of the city of New York must be substantive and it must be symbolic. And the substantive are the appointments that we've made of bringing those Muslims and Pakistanian talent into our administration. And it's clear when you look across this administration, it is probably the most diverse administration in the history of this city. So much great talent has remained on the bench for far too long and bringing that diversity to the table as we reflect on the delivery of goods and services and sent a good message to the young people who are here that they can see themselves in the communities. And you look across the spectrum from our law enforcement to our commissioners, to our senior advisors, to the entire team.

You see yourselves in this administration, but there's also something else that's significant about the American's experience and American dream. We sit under the flag of freedom because men and women water that freedom with their blood. I saw that years ago when young Wenjian Liu was slain as a police officer and it just sent a message to the Chinese community that their young men, their children are part of defending this American experience that we are all the benefit of that freedom, that tree, that representation of how we sit in the shade of freedom. And the same is for Adeed. I see Adeed posters here, young man, shot and killed, a police officer. When you see someone from your community that is in defense of the American dream, that gives you the right to state that you are as American as any other American. The beauty of this country, your ability to be protected by this country does not start by the number of days and number of years, the number of generations you are here.

It starts day one. And no one says it better than New York City. We understand the power of our diversity. We understand that is our secret weapon that people come from all over the globe and say they want to be part of the American experience. And nothing is more American than New York City with the level of diversity that we see. And so raising the flag here today, raising the flag of the Korean community a few days ago, raising the flag of the Bolivian community, raising the flag of all of these communities is a symbol of how we come together and show all how do we live together as one. So I'm proud to be here with a community that I am not new to. I am an old friend. Ahsan was one of the first people that helped me organize my run for president and for mayor.

Many of you, when I see you, we have been together for so many years fighting on behalf of fighting against those with Islamophobia, fighting against those who want to attack those who wear hijabs, kufi, yamakas, turbans. We have been standing side by side. When you do a reflection of what we are doing, and this is a continuation of what we're doing by raising the flag. We first raised the flag of the Pakistanian community last year when I became mayor and so many others. For the first time flags went up when I became mayor. You are seeing that the city is now stating that the city is open to everyone. This is not a monolithic city. We don't all go to one place, to Russia. We don't all go to one place to eat, one place to raise our children. We don't all dress the same.

We don't all walk the same. We don't all talk the same. But this is an ability to learn from each other because we're going to find the answers to global problems is to use the global experience that is locally in your city. So I thank you for allowing me to participate in these flag raising. I get so much out of them. I get an opportunity to really cross pollinate the greatness of this city and what we have to offer. So Happy Independence Day to an amazing country. 76 years. We know New York City is the Islamabad of America. We have one of the largest Pakistanian communities right here in New York. So happy Independence Day to you all. Thank you very much.

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