Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live On Alofoke FM 99.3 FM Radio Show

August 31, 2023

Translator: We have here today the mayor of the greatest city in the United States of America, Eric Adams. For the first time… Sir, they all saying thank you and they all saying that you are big enough of hope for them, and they appreciate that you are here, sir.

Mayor Adams: I always like to say that my family is from Alabama, but I'm Dominican baby

Translator: Where that sentiment goes inside you, came inside you. What is the first time that you were in contact with the Dominican community and you believe yourself that you're a Dominican?

Mayor Adams: Well, when you look at the journey that I've had in my life, you were able to see how much the Dominican community has played such a role in me. Again, when I got elected to state senator, when I became the first Black [Brooklyn] borough president, and then when I became mayor, and then it did gave me a great deal of pride that [109] mayors did not find it respectable to appoint a Dominican as a deputy mayor. I'm the first mayor to do so. And Deputy Mayor Almanzar, who's the first Dominican American to be deputy mayor.

Translator: Can you describe sir, the plans that you have for the city and how that you would describe New York City right now and the challenges that you face looking into the future?

Mayor Adams: Well, number one, in order to see how far we've come, we have to see where we were. January 1, 2022, when I became mayor, crime was going in the wrong direction. We were coming out of Covid. We were having a real economic challenge that we were facing. And it was clear I had to place our city on the pathway of recovery. So we're seeing a decrease in crime in the city, homicide shootings, something that the Dominican community talks about all the time, the violence, and we are really turning around. Jobs have recovered. We're watching the real economic recovery of the city and the diversity of the city that could be in government to lead us in the right direction.

Translator: He's saying, sir, that he knows and everybody knows that the City of New York is good to the immigrants and it's good to the people that seek help, how the asylum seeker situation has affected the city and how your administration is dealing with that?

Mayor Adams: When you think about America, the reason that we are successful is that everyone that comes here, they have a right to work. And that is how you experience the American dream, if you have the right to work. This group of asylum seekers are not given that right to work, and that is harming our city. And they're saying like all of our parents and grandparents have said, we don't want anything for free. We don't want you giving us anything for free. We just want to work. And I think that's the greatest insult that we're giving the asylum seekers, not giving them the right to work.

Translator: What are the measures that you're taking sir, as a mayor to work with the federal government for that to be possible?

Mayor Adams: Well, it is not only what we are doing, but this is a powerful station. You have millions and millions of viewers, very few stations could do this. Having you partner with us and raising the voice with Senator Sepúlveda, who's here. First Dominican congressperson, Congressman Espaillat. By having you and your powerful voice send a message to Washington, D.C. that people should have the right to work is going to help us greatly. And what's powerful, the first place I visited after become mayor was the Dominican Republic. And when I saw what you're doing in DR, the power that you have on how you are using this new form of communication, you could change the direction of not only who are going to be the mayors of the future, but who's the president of the future. The Spanish-speaking vote is the power in this country. And you are waking up that power.

Translator: He's saying that for all those young people that are arriving, that they don't have a work, they don't have a job, they're not allowed to work that if you have an advice to them, a message to them that is viable or what they can do?

Mayor Adams: Well first, nothing is more important than staying focused. My journey is their journey. As a young man, I'm dyslexic. I was arrested as a child. People rejected me. And I'm saying to them, if you could go from being dyslexic, rejected, dyslexic and get elected to be the mayor of the city of New York, anything is possible. Here in America, everything is possible. Just don't give up. You got a mayor that identifies with them. I stayed in a shelter with them. I talk with them, I'm with them. One of them is the mayor of the city of New York, and I support you.

Translator: There are special programs for the people that are immigrants that are on the street and having problems on the daily basis?

Mayor Adams: Yes, we are providing a lot of service, but in addition to that, while they're waiting to get the right to work, we're helping them fill out the documents, but we're also doing English-speaking classes for them. We're also teaching them some of the trades and some of the skills. So when we finally get to the point that they can work, they can fall right into the job.

Translator: He says that the police have new training and if there are new tools for the police that you've implemented. Because we see that sometimes some people try to tackle the police or to confront the police. And we were not seeing that in the past in New York that if there are any training or any tools that you've given the police to attend this problem?

Mayor Adams: Yes, and listen, we have the first [Latino] police commissioner in the history of this city in Eddie Caban, he comes from the community. He understands the community. But in addition to that, we have the largest Dominican police association in this city and they are feeding into how do we recruit young brothers and sisters from the Dominican community to come into government. If we want the police to be and act a certain way, then it needs to come from the community, be part of that. And our Dominican police organizations are extremely front and center, [inaudible] so important for us. And two, of the young people we lost, two officers, young men we lost come from this community. And that's why it's so important for us to make sure our city's safe, our streets are safe, our young people are safe.

Translator: The scooters are getting into the city. How the scooters, they want to know about the scooters, sir. Sir, can you translate to the mayor?

State Senator Luis Sepúlveda: I just proposed legislation to limit the amount of sales. I proposed legislation to limit the amount of sales and accessibility to moped and scooters. As a result of a meeting from the precinct.

Translator: How'd they get in, sir?

Mayor Adams: And was so interesting. I just left a senior center and the top question the seniors had is what are we going to do about all of these illegal scooters? So everyone is concerned about these illegal scooters. We need to stop them from coming in and we need to stop them from being sold. And that's why Senator Sepúlveda is on point with you.

Translator: Yeah, thank you. He said that they're surprised that even from Dominican Republic, they're bringing those vehicles here. Thank you so much. Anything else that you want to comment and say?

Mayor Adams: I love her Instagram account.

Translator: He's saying that, how you found Vitaly on Instagram, sir.

Mayor Adams: Listen, I went and bought everyone I know the shampoo that you had.

Translator: This is a new beer from Dominican Republic. He said, actually he's one of the owners. It's something that they're being an entrepreneur producing that beer. It's called La Republica. The Republic. And he wants you to taste it when you have a chance and send your comments.

Mayor Adams: And the beauty of what he's doing is that he is understanding the power of the Dominican dollar. If we buy beer, why can't we buy it from the Dominican Republic? If we buy sneakers, if we buy food, if we buy things, that's the power of what this station is about. And I really appreciate it.

Translator: Then he says, sir, that if by any chance you're married to a Dominican?

Mayor Adams: No, I'm not a married man.

Translator: You're not married, sir.

Mayor Adams: No.

Translator: No, he's not married.

Mayor Adams: I'm married to the city.

Translator: That is it. Well, if you love that much, the Dominican culture and Dominican people, why not marry a Dominican?

Mayor Adams: I'm married to the city, where you have the largest Dominican population.

Translator: Sir, they said that your wife is in charge then [Police Commissioner Caban]. [Laughter] Mayor, any message and from the team. I know that they want to say thank you. Thank you for the police department that have done a great job here. Thank you for being open to be diverse and also thank you sir, because we know that you guys wanted to see things like this well done. And with your leadership, sir, and the leadership of Senator Sepúlveda, the assembly member, Al Taylor, is also here and the support that the commissioner of the police give us, we made this possible. Thank you so much, sir.

Mayor Adams: And look at this. It shows how we can celebrate our streets, the senator, my team. When you want to do events like this, it used to be No, no, no. We are a city of yes. We want you to bring that energy and that culture here.