Sunset Park

Menchaca expands services to Sunset Park Asians

Lawmaker working with Chinese-American Planning Council

April 12, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Photo courtesy of Carlos Menchaca’s office
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Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, whose district includes a large section of Sunset Park’s growing Asian-American community, has expanded the constituent services arm of his office to provide additional help to that segment of the population.

Menchaca (D-Sunset Park-Red Hook), who is running for his second term representing the 38th Council District, came to the offices of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) at 4101 Eighth Ave. recently to announce a new partnership between his office and the organization.

Under a program that began earlier this month, Menchaca has set up a satellite office at the CPC, where members of his staff will be on hand every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to assist residents with immigration assistance, housing services, education, attorney referrals and any municipal-related issues.

 
The days and hours of service may be expanded depending on the needs of the community, Menchaca said.

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Kaden Sun, Menchaca’s Asian-American Affairs director, will be heading up the new effort.

“City services must meet the needs of constituents in their communities and at places that are both accessible and welcoming. CPC’s Brooklyn Community Center is the perfect setting to expand my office’s work serving residents in Sunset Park. I thank CPC’s leadership for their generosity and I look forward to a long and successful partnership,” Menchaca said in a statement.

Menchaca, who was elected to the City Council in 2013, is chairman of the Committee on Immigration.

Wayne Ho, president and CEO of the CPC, said he is pleased with the new partnership.

“I am excited about hosting a satellite site at our Brooklyn Community Center for Councilman Carlos Menchaca.  This partnership will connect families to important city resources, and CPC looks forward to working with his office to ensure we can offer the very best services to our diverse Brooklyn communities,” Ho said.

The move by Menchaca represented a signal of the growing political clout of Sunset Park’s Asian-American community.

In terms of population, Sunset Park is New York City’s largest Chinatown, larger even than the famous Chinatown in Lower Manhattan, according to a 2011 article in the Daily News

Between the years 2000 and 2010, Sunset Park experienced a dramatic 71 percent jump in the number of Chinese living in the community.

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Photo:

Councilmember Carlos Menchaca (center) and Asian community leaders. Pictured with Menchaca are: Steve Mei, director of Brooklyn Community Services for the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC);  Kaden Sun, Asian-American affairs director for Menchaca’s district; Wayne Ho, CPC president and CEO; and Wai Yee Chan, director of CPC Queens community services (left to right).


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