Dear Editor,
I write to applaud Guyanese for their contribution to the economic growth and development of the town of Schenectady in upstate New York. A large Guyanese community of thousands thrives in the town that was virtually abandoned by local residents two decades ago. Guyanese have brought new life and vigour to the small town, four hours driving from NY, in less than a decade serving as a model of settlement for other ethnic communities to emulate in America.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Schenectady was a dumping ground for pollutants from smokestack and other industries and when virtually no further damage could be done, they packed up and left. Various industrial plants did untold damage to the town. Toxic waste littered the waterways. Garbage was all over the place. The air quality was poor leading to a high incidence of ailments. Unemployment for the town was among the highest in the state and the nation during the early 1990s. Local people moved out in massive numbers to avoid the dangers posed to their lives by the toxic waste as well as in search of living wages. The NY state and federal governments gave up on the town; help was not forthcoming as politicians felt it was throwing away money. Although the state government had won lawsuits against industrial polluters mandating them to clean up the town, not much had been done to repair the environment to attract new residents and businesses. But its Republican Mayor of Polish descent did not give up and sought a creative solution to bring new life to his town.
During the 1990s he learned about the productivity of the Guyanese community in Richmond Hill and how they had transformed the decrepit area to one of the most prized real estate areas in America. The Mayor made visits to Richmond Hill and met with Guyanese community leaders inviting them to visit his town with a view to settling. He wooed them announcing incentives for them to move over to Schenectady promising a transformation of his town with good infrastructure and low cost real estate. He also promised an injection of money from the state which would create jobs, which once they moved into the town would become self-sustaining. He also pointed out that the distance between his town and Queens was not far. The mayor began to team up with Guyanese real estate developers and prospectors from Queens urging them to purchase abandoned properties at bargain prices from their owners as well as from the city which possessed properties that were behind in taxes. Hundreds of real estate agents visited and made purchases. And recent Guyanese immigrants who could not afford to purchase high-priced homes in Queens instantly bought homes at bargain prices in Schenectady where they sold for less than a quarter of the price in Richmond Hill. Real estate developers made a killing from the boom. Thousands of Guyanese moved to Schenectady as home owners brought new life to it. Even Guyanese pensioners bought homes at a time when indigent pensioners were selling to make ends meet. The entire town was quickly transformed in a few years with these ‘new’ immigrants who spruced up their neighbourhoods. Parts of the town still remain dilapidated but where Guyanese are settled, there is progress and prosperity.
But soon, their prominence and progress became a source of jealousy among the less well-off people who remained, especially other minorities who had difficulty making payments on their mortgages and rents. Some homeowners had problems obtaining rent from their tenants from other minority groups, not dissimilar to their experience in Queens. Also, some Guyanese began to complain of discrimination at the hands of police officers who issued a lot of summonses for traffic offences to raise funds for the town. A Guyanese sued the town for $1.5M alleging discrimination, but the judge threw out the case. Discrimination is not so pronounced as in Howard Beach. Overall, it has been a positive experience.
Schenectady is back in the news, but this time not for its toxicity and abandonment but for its recovery and prosperity. The town is the subject of news reports in major publications and TV broadcasts. Recently, US News & World Report carried a special on how the town was transformed; Guyanese have left their imprint there as they have in Richmond Hill. The New York Times and NY Newsday also carried special reports on how Guyanese have helped to rebuild Schenectady.
Industries are returning to the town. The cleaning up of the environment is moving apace. Most Guyanese have found employment although income is somewhat lower than in other parts of the state. The tax coffers are growing by leaps and bounds with Guyanese contributions. Schools are doing well and Guyanese students are out-performing the locals. Property values have gone up almost doubling from just a few years ago. Although housing prices have dropped around the nation, Schenectady has not been as badly hurt as elsewhere, like Florida. Foreclosures are not nearly what they were during the 1980s and 1990s. Compared with Richmond Hill, few Guyanese foreclose on their property in Schenectady because of lower mortgage payments. Some Guyanese moved out of Schenectady to more prized cities in Florida but the thousands who remain are thriving. Their lifestyle is not much different from that of Guyanese in Richmond Hill. I am told they have several stores selling Guyanese products. They have several temples, a masjid and there are pandits and moulvis to meet the spiritual needs of the residents. They even hold concerts and observe the independence day of Guyana as well as India. There are also Guyanese real estate offices in the town to meet their needs. Politicians visit them and woo them for elective office.
The Guyanese community has done extremely well in Schenectady. They worked brutally hard and have met with success. As they have done to other slum parts of America where they have settled as communities, Guyanese have transformed Schenectady into a thriving town.
Yours faithfully
Vishnu Bisram
