Pontieri's Speech From Ecuador Trip

The following is Mayor Paul Pontieri's speech in Ecuador, which he visited earlier this week.

Mayor Tapia, Provisional Perfect, other Authorities and the wonderful people of Gualaceo…thank-you for your hospitality….it has been a wonderful trip.

With me today is Deputy Mayor Stephen McGiff, we come here not to talk about the past, but acknowledge it and look to the future.  Patchogue and Gualaceo are linked in name by a tragedy, but connected by families and friends...

 One hundred and fifteen years ago my grandparents immigrated from Calabria, Italy to Patchogue…Their families came to Patchogue for many of the same reasons many of your family members now go to Patchogue…for jobs and a chance for a "better life"…For my family Patchogue gave them that chance…

 When the Ambassador from Ecuador visited Patchogue, after the tragedy of Marcelo Lucero….I showed him a picture of my Grandfather and the men who worked for him…my grandfather was a Patron…family members and Italian immigrants came to Patchogue and worked for him in his construction company….they were strong young men with shovels who were building the roads of Patchogue…Not much has changed from now and then…we still have strong men with shovels building roads…Except then they were from Italy, today many are from Ecuador!

 Immigration then as today is about going to and doing what you feel is a right for your family.  The Immigration issue in the United States is a difficult one…there are those who believe we should put up walls and send all the Latino's in the U.S. home…to those who think we should have open boarders and let everyone in..........These are difficult questions that are debated and talked about every day. 

But a Village's responsibility is not to make immigration policy, that is the responsibility of the Federal Government…but rather to make sure that community we live in provides all the residents…documented or undocumented a safe environment to live in…This not always easy we have laws about things such as  how many people can live in a house, what can you can do on your property and  how you take care of your property, owning a car and driving without a license…But, we provide, recreation programs for the children, English language courses, quality educational programs….It is about quality of life…It is about the people and for the people….

 Yes, we have made many changes…our focus is on making our streets safe for all…our governmental forms are bilingual and our recreation programs have been expanded, with bilingual instructors, soccer programs, swimming lessons and  we have bilingual staff in every office.

In villages such as Patchogue and Gualaceo it is about families….Patchogue is a community of families that have been there from the early 1700's to families…and there are the families arriving as we speak…some Italian, some Irish and many Latino and in most cases Ecuadorian…Out of a horrific tragedy has come friendships and a better understanding who we are as an international community.

 So as the United States Celebrates Independence Day on July 4th both Deputy Mayor McGiff and I are honored to be here to celebrate your 186 years of Independence….

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