Interview: Rep. Adriano Espaillat—On the Issues

“First of all, I think we should make [the census] a fun process, where people, families engage in it [together], particularly in hard to count districts and communities.”

Adriano Espaillat (D) represents New York’s 13th congressional district, which covers parts of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Mr. Espaillat was elected in 2016, following the retirement of longtime Congressman Charles Rangel, and, upon taking office, Mr. Espaillat became the first Dominican-American to serve in Congress. While in Congress, Rep. Espaillat has served on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and he has prioritized issues such as housing and immigration. He joins Merion West and John George to discuss the current status of the immigration debates on Capitol Hill, the 2020 census, and his thoughts on National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Congressman, good afternoon. Your office just released a statement in recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month. What does this mean for you?

It’s a month where we highlight our contributions to the nation, our strengths as a community: Central [American], South American, the Caribbean, and we’re spread out all over the country in many different ways. And I think this month highlights our contributions to the nation, our history, our legacy: our art, our culture, and all the good things that we have to share with the rest of the world.

The citizens of New York City understand that housing is always a contentious issue which affects many people. Can you speak about some of your efforts with the Inwood rezoning [a proposal to rezone the neighborhood at the Northern tip of Manhattan for greater real estate development] and the potential impact it would have to the community there?

Yes, I helped do an amicus brief; I joined the law students who tried to stop the zoning. I think it could dramatically change the makeup of the neighborhood, the history of the neighborhood, the legacy of the neighborhood. So I went with the courts to bring relief to the thousands of tenants that are affected by this issue.