Kris Gounden refers to growing up in Ozone Park/Richmond Hill battling racism in the 1970’s
March 24, 2008
It has been difficult to go thru the past but I guess people really have no clue of how much our people put up with to live in ozone park/ Richmond Hill. There is a local civic organization that meets at 101 Avenue and Lefferts blvd. I am told there are quite a few West Indians that attend these meetings. Its kind of ironic that the same place many West Indians were beaten and arrested (for nothing other than being West Indians!). It was never reported or given any press time. We just knew the places we couldn’t go because we would get “jumped”.
Being “jumped” is a term that minorities use in ozone park to describe the Caucasians ganging (beating) up on a couple of minorities. Yes I can still remember being “jumped” in Howard beach when we were bussed in the 1970’s. It was the Indians, Puerto Ricans, and African Americans against the Howard Beach types. These were teenagers beating up on elementary school kids. My friend at the time was a red head Puerto Rican (I used to help him with homework, so he looked out for me) who put up a good fight. I can go on, but its better to make a point.
West Indians put up with a lot of discrimination from the community and the NYPD! EVERY West Indian should know the history of the NYPD with West Indians. Why? Because it’s happening all over again! Yes, the same (and only) NYPD 106pct that was disbanded in the 1980’s for police brutality-harassment-discrimination against (you guessed it) West Indians (minorities). Ozone Park/Richmond Hill was not given to us, people earned the right to be here with all the same things my family and me are facing here in Howard Beach. Now why would I move here? Because this is my community, this is where I spent all my life; this is where other minorities have migrated to in the past 32 years after we came to Ozone Park. We never ran away when things got rough, we always maintained our sanity and hoped things would get better. I refuse to believe I am the only minority that’s willing to stand up!
Kris Gounden
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3 Responses to “Kris Gounden refers to growing up in Ozone Park/Richmond Hill battling racism in the 1970’s”
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Too many people only speak when no one is listening.
Exactly,,,West Indians do not believe that organization and shared voice does anything,,,It’s the same mentality of “my vote does not matter.”
kris stop using the term minority. Africans & East Indian outnumber Europeans on the planet. America is not the world.
anyhow keep up the good fight. remember they make the rules and when it comes to everyone else, they will change them in the middle of the game