September 11th: Remembering the Helpers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2021
Press contacts:
Sarai Bejarano | Manager of Traditional & Digital Media | [email protected] | 212-739-7581
September 11th: Remembering the Helpers
LatinoJustice Statement on the 20th Anniversary of Sept. 11th
NEW YORK, NY — Today LatinoJustice PRLDEF commemorates the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and honors the bravery and resilience of the survivors, first responders, and loved ones of the almost 3,000 victims lost due to the terrorist attacks that transpired that day. We also acknowledge the service and sacrifice of the cleanup crews at Ground Zero, many of whom were low wage workers from immigrant and Latino communities.
In the weeks that followed, we witnessed up close the grief and devastation of those tasked to rescue, recover, and clean up at Ground Zero and who were not provided proper safety equipment or adequate care. In response, LatinoJustice, then the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, created Proyecto Ayuda to advocate for service workers' rights.
"We provided free case management and workshops and advocated to secure disaster aid for many neglected undocumented, non-English proficient immigrant cleanup service providers," said Jackson Chin LatinoJustice Senior Counsel and Legal Manager of Proyecto Ayuda. "Two decades later, we still see countless of those communities still afflicted by their sacrifice."
The project helped close to 250 workers and their families apply to Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance programs.
“Today, just as in the wake of the tragedy, we are committed to advocate for and protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities - immigrant, undocumented, and low-wage workers," said Lourdes M. Rosado LatinoJustice PRLDEF President and General Counsel. "9/11 had collateral consequences which subjected many in those communities to excessive policing, anti-immigrant sentiment, and exposure to worker rights violation and economic vulnerabilities. LatinoJustice is proud of its swift action in assisting those communities in their time of need and continues to serve with the same steadfast commitment to protecting and advocating for economic, immigrant and criminal justice rights."
We will always uphold the worth of the people lost that day and that of those who helped our city recover.
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About LatinoJustice
LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For nearly 50 years, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has acted as an advocate against injustices throughout the country. To learn more about LatinoJustice, visit www.LatinoJustice.org