Caribbean American Weekly - Issue 120

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ISSUE 120 VOLUME 20

April 8, 2021

SERVING THE CARIBBEAN AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES!

Marijuana Amnesty: Immigrants, Here’s What You Need to Know Now Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act ....5

BY VICTORIAL FALK, SPECIAL TO CAW

Y

es! Marijuana, also known as cannabis, ganja, weed, pot, reefer, hash, and a whole host of other slang names, is now legal in New York State. On March 30, 2021, the state Senate voted 40-23, and the state Assembly voted 100-49 in favor of the continued on page 17

Yes, All Immigrants Can Get the COVID-19 Vaccine ....7

Biden’s Naturalization Address Speaks Powerfully to Who We Want to Be as a Nation

BY AMERICA’S VOICE

President Joe Biden. Editorial credit: Naresh777 / Shutterstock.com

I

n a new video address to be played at U.S. naturalization ceremonies, President Joe Biden states: “Thank you for choosing us and believing that America is worthy of your aspirations.

Every immigrant comes to America for different circumstances and for different reasons, continued on page 16

No, the Idea of CARICOM is Not Dead ....6

Responsibility and Opportunity to Get Vaccinated ....3

Knowledge is Power when you use it!

Get a FREE Consultation!

Ask the Lawyer:

Call 855-768-8845

Strengthening Jamaican Youth Competencies ....9

Brian Figeroux, Esq., Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association

DA Gonzalez to Dismiss 90 Convictions ....8

You Can Fly! CDC Says for Fully Vaccinated Persons ....24

How to Doom a Relationship from the Start ....23

Child Custody: Best Interests of a Child Standard ....13

Caribbean Travel Marketplace Opens ....2

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CARIBBEAN ROUNDUP Caribbean Consulates Anguilla 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200 Antigua & Barbuda 305 East 47th Street, Suite 6A New York, N.Y. 10020 Tel: 212-541-4117 The Bahamas 231 East 46th Street New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-421-6420 Barbados 820 Second Avenue, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-551-4325 Belize 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-593-0999 Dominica 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400H New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-949-0853 Dominican Republic 1500 Broadway, Suite 410 New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-599-8478 Grenada 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1101 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-599-0301 Guyana 308 West 38th Street New York, N.Y. 10018 Tel: 212-947-5119 Haiti 815 Second Avenue,6th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-697-9767

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Caribbean Travel Marketplace Registration Opens

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IAMI, Florida: Registration has opened for the region’s most anticipated travel trade event, Caribbean Travel Marketplace.

Slated for May 11-14, 2021, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)-hosted event will be virtual this year.

Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General, foresees a dynamic and robust gathering as “the world emerges from COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and the pent-up demand for travel fuels the revival of the Caribbean’s main bread earner, tourism.”

Noting the advantages of a virtual conference, she asserted participants will be able to add more meetings to their schedules from the comfort of their offices, while saving on travel and accommodation expenses.

Ledesma anticipates vibrant exchanges as participants interact with regional and international colleagues in a cyber-setting. The virtual event allows more time to engage with trade, consumer media and influencers; network; and showcase destinations. “Regional stakeholders should avail themselves of this special opportunity to improve their pandemicbattered bottom lines,” she stated.

To accommodate expanded offerings,

Vanessa Ledesmam. Photo: CHTA

Caribbean Travel Marketplace will be held over the course of four days instead of its traditional two-day run. “The virtual format allows us to incorporate other elements to supplement the event without impacting the core appointments,” said Ledesma, who encouraged participants to review the “How to Marketplace” webinar, which guides attendees through the myriad Marketplace offerings.

Pre-conference informational sessions will help attendees gain a better understanding of regional destinations as well as what they should know about the rapidly changing entry requirements and safety protocols.

To spur participation, CHTA has created flexible, affordable registration fees, and would-be attendees are encouraged to take advantage of reduced “Early Arrival” fees that are available until April 12.

In addition to the wide variety of business and networking opportunities available during Marketplace, Ledesma’s team plans to highlight the region’s unique attributes. “This year, we are especially excited to showcase our diverse culture and iconic hospitality. We will use the virtual platform to host a truly memorable gathering which will confirm and reinforce the Caribbean’s position as a leader in the global tourism landscape.”

Caribbean Travel Marketplace will also introduce participants to the association’s membership drive, “CHTA: Forward Together”, which reminds stakeholders why membership in the preeminent trade association is vital for destinations and for the profitability of the private sector, which fuels the Caribbean tourism and hospitality industry. CHTA membership, Ledesma contends, “signals you are a serious player in the most important economic driver the Caribbean has ever seen.” l

Jamaica 767 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-935-9000 Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-838-6887 Montserrat 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200 Panama 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 20th Floor New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-840-2450 St. Kitts & Nevis 414 East 75th Street, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10021 Tel: 212-535-5521 St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th Floor New York, N.Y. 10007 Tel: 212-697-9360 St. Maarten 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 800-786-2278 St. Vincent & The Grenadines 801 Second Avenue, 21st Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-687-4981

26 Court Street, Suite 701, Downtown Brooklyn

Trinidad & Tobago 125 Maiden Lane, 4th Floor New York, N.Y. 10038 Tel: 212-682-7272 For more Consulate information go to www.cawnyc.com/directory

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3

THOUGHTS

Our Responsibility and Opportunity to Get Vaccinated

BY JUMAANE WILLIAMS

J

ust over a week ago, I was filled with gratitude and hope as I was able to receive my COVID-19 vaccination. After a long year of tragedy, of trauma, it’s amazing to have had this opportunity, and to see members of my family and community do the same.

As a public-facing government employee, I became eligible for the vaccine in mid-March. Now, we are about to see the greatest expansion in eligibility and opportunity. New Yorkers aged 30 and up became eligible to register on April 1st, and people over 16 will be eligible beginning on April 6th. It’s critical for ourselves, our families, and our fellow New Yorkers that we all get the vaccine once eligible, whichever is available. I got the Johnson & Johnson dosage – and research shows all three available are safe, effective, and vital for moving through this pandemic. The best one is the one that is most quickly available to you I understand that many people may

Public Advocate Williams. Photo: PA Office

have some degree of hesitancy about being vaccinated, that many people may be nervous. But as someone who was recently able to receive the vaccine, I want to reiterate that every expert, every agency responsible has testified to the safety and efficacy of this vaccine. It’s a miracle of medicine, and we all have to do our part to beat this virus and save lives. It’s not just about protecting ourselves – getting vaccinated helps protect our families, our neighbors, our fellow New Yorkers, and it will help our city, nation, and world recover from the last

year of loss.

We’ve been behind throughout the pandemic, forced to be reactive and responsive, but right now we’re in a place where we know what works, it’s working, we can see the finish line, and we just need to be cautious on the way there – the reopenings that will kick in starting in April are anything but cautious.

Right now, the city is in a race between the vaccines and the variants. It’s neck and neck. My message to New Yorkers is to take the month of April for us to get ahead of the virus. Keep masking up.

Keep social distancing. Keep avoiding unsafe situations. Get vaccinated once you’re eligible, and we CAN get to the finish line, as long as we don’t act like we’re already there.

Nearly 50,000 New Yorkers have died from this pandemic, and in respect for them and in prevention of further loss, we each have to do our part. Social distance, wear a mask, get vaccinated, and we can win this race.l Jumaane Williams is NYC the Public Advocate

TEAM My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. —Hosea 4:6 Publisher I.Q. INC. Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief

Pearl Phillip Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Assistant Editor Marilyn Silverman Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Anvaar Sabirov Contributors Jennine Estes Erin Telesford Janet Howard Mary Campbell Tarsha Gibbons Travis Morales Email info@myiqinc.com Telephone 718-771-0988 Website www.cawnyc.com

UK Variant Now the Dominant COVID19 Strain In US

BY LINDSAY KALTER

T

he highly transmissible and deadly U.K. coronavirus strain, B.1.1.7, is now the most common form of COVID-19 in the United States, said Rochelle Walensky, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Based on our most recent estimates from CDC surveillance, the B.1.1.7 variant is now the most common lineage circulating in the United States,” she said at a Wednesday press briefing. “The virus still has a hold on us, infecting people and putting them in harm’s way, and we

need to remain vigilant.”

The development is mostly consistent with CDC’s predictions. In January, the agency forecasted a takeover by the U.K. variant by March.

Because the strain is so powerful, it has led to a rise in cases among younger populations from activities like youth sports, Walensky said – particularly in states like Michigan where numbers are spiking.

“We are working closely with the state of Michigan and state health officials there. We have CDC teams on the ground working to assess outbreaks at correctional facilities. We’re working to

facilitate increased testing that’s happening on the ground in the context of youth sports. We’re doing more surveillance and sequencing so we can understand what’s happening with B.1.1.7 and variants,” Walensky said.

She added that the CDC is encouraging state officials to send more vaccine doses to areas where rates are especially high.

Walensky also advised that communities where transmission is high should not hold large events or indoor youth sports.

Meanwhile, studies continue to show the long-term effectiveness of COVID19 vaccines, according to top coron-

avirus expert Anthony Fauci, MD. According to a study out this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, antibodies from the Moderna vaccine remained high among 33 adults of varying ages six months after the second dose.

Although the study only looked at Moderna’s vaccine, Fauci said “there’s every reason to believe that similar results will be seen with the Pfizer as well as the J&J.”l

—WebMD Health News Brief

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CIVIL RIGHTS

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Outrage in Georgia: Lawsuit Against New Voter Suppression Law

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coalition of civil rights groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed suit in federal court this week to challenge Georgia’s new voter suppression law – a revival of Jim Crow-era tactics aimed squarely at silencing the voices of people of color, low-income people, students and others in the aftermath of historic voter turnout.

Signed last week by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, SB 202 represents a sweeping – and unconstitutional – repudiation of voter rights in a Southern state with a long history of disenfranchisement, of Black people in particular.

The law was enacted amid demonstrably false claims about “voter fraud” perpetuated by former President Donald Trump and his allies after Trump and two U.S. senators from Georgia were defeated at the polls – the same lies that sparked the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

In some underserved areas, many Georgia voters already wait hours in long lines to vote. The new law, which will make those lines even longer by restricting absentee and curbside voting, goes so far as to criminalize the provision of water or food to voters waiting in those lines.

“Legislators and Governor Kemp

ignored the very obvious lessons from the election in 2020 and runoffs in 2021: Expand safe and secure access to the ballot, codify innovations to voting and provide additional resources to cashstrapped counties,” said Nancy Abudu, deputy legal director for the SPLC. “Instead, to appease conspiracy theorists and amplify deadly lies about past elections, Georgia’s leaders have chosen to pass into law SB 202, which makes it more difficult for every Georgian – but particularly Georgians who are members of historically disenfranchised communities – to vote in a safe, secure and convenient manner and have that vote counted.

“In so doing, the defendants have violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution, and we turn to the federal courts and U.S. Congress to address the incredible harm SB 202 will have on our clients.”

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia by the SPLC, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Georgia, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. (LDF), and law firms WilmerHale and Davis Wright Tremaine. It was brought on behalf of the Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Delta Sigma Theta

Sorority Inc. and SPLC clients Georgia Muslim Voter Project, Women Watch Afrika and Latino Community Fund of Georgia.

The 2020 elections and 2021 runoff were celebrated not just for their turnout, but also for their integrity, as Georgia election officials praised them as safe and secure. But rather than act to expand participation in the political process, Georgia leaders responded by doing what they have many times in the past – by placing burdensome, unjustified and unnecessary restrictions on voters.

The lawsuit, Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church v. Kemp, challenges multiple provisions of SB 202, including: •A ban on mobile voting.

•New, narrow identification requirements for requesting and casting absentee ballots.

•A delayed and compressed period for requesting absentee ballots.

•Restrictions on secure drop boxes.

•Out-of-precinct disqualification of provisional ballots.

•A drastic reduction in early voting in runoff elections.

•A ban on “line warming,” where volunteers provide water and snacks to voters, disproportionately those of color, who wait in needlessly long lines to cast their vote.

These provisions, the lawsuit charges, violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and infringe on Georgians’ rights under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments as well as the First Amendment in terms of the ban on the free distribution of food and water.

“This law is driven by blatant racism, represents politics at its very worst and is clearly illegal,” said Sophia Lakin, deputy director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. “We urge the court to act swiftly to strike it down.”

As the lawsuit describes, the law will be felt disproportionately by voters of color, especially Black voters, many of continued on page 5

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5

CIVIL RIGHTS

AG James Urges U.S. Senate to Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021

Outrage in Georgia/ continued from page 4

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ew York Attorney General Letitia James and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today led a coalition of 10 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Senate to pass H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021. The bill would reform law enforcement agencies nationwide, give state attorneys general clear statutory authority to investigate patterns or practices of unconstitutional policing, and the ability to acquire data regarding use of excessive force by officers.

“Communities all across this country are demanding that their government provide full justice under the law, and they deserve a legal system that holds those who abuse power accountable for their actions,” said Attorney General James. “The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is a critical step toward providing equal protection and public safety to all Americans. Today, I join my fellow attorneys general in strongly urging the Senate to pass this commonsense measure without delay.”

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 is aimed at improving

Editorial credit: Tverdokhlib / Shutterstock.com

accountability and transparency in policing practices and training. The measure was amended to give state attorneys general authority to conduct pattern-or-practice investigations, particularly in the event that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) fails to use its authority to act. The legislation gives state attorneys general authority to issue subpoenas as part of pattern-or-practice investigations and, when necessary, take action in federal district court. The legislation also authorizes appropriations of up to $100 million for a federal grant program to help state attorneys general fund pattern-or-practice investigations during fiscal years 2021 to 2023.

In addition to enabling attorneys general to conduct pattern-or-practice investigations, H.R. 1280 would allow them to acquire data about the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers. Such data would be especially important when identifying law enforcement agencies that have above-average rates of excessive force complaints, which can help identify at-risk law enforcement agencies before a devastating incident occurs Joining Attorneys General James and Raoul in calling on the Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 are the attorneys general of Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.l

whom lack IDs or access to obtaining them; use early and weekend voting, especially on Sundays when churches conduct “Souls to the Polls” events; require access to secure drop boxes; rely on food and water to withstand long voting lines; and are more likely to cast provisional ballots.

Until 2013, Georgia would have been required under the Voting Rights Act to submit the new law to U.S. Justice Department for approval. But that “preclearance” requirement was invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court in Shelby v.

Holder. Since then, numerous states have enacted an array of voter suppression laws.

This new law may be the boldest attempt by any state to restrict voting rights since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted.

“SB 202’s attempt to disenfranchise Black voters in Georgia harkens back to the most shameful days of voter suppression in the decades before the civil rights movement,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, LDF president and director-counsel. “That this law was passed in Georgia, less than a year after the death of one of the state’s greatest heroes, Representative John Lewis, is shameful. In his name, we will fight to strike down this illegal attempt to undo his legacy. Anything less represents a grave threat to the future of our democracy and inherently undermines the notion of equality for all.”l

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continued on page 11 The Law Offices of Figeroux & Associates, 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Brooklyn, NY. Visit www.311bankruptcy.com VISIT WWW.CAWNYC.COM FOR THE LATEST CARIBBEAN NEWS, IMMIGRATION UPDATES, VIEWPOINTS, ENTERTAINMENT & MORE!LIKE US ON FACEBOOK @CAWNYC!

6

CARIBBEAN SPECIAL REPORT

No, the Idea of CARICOM is Not Dead

BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

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amillo Gonsalves is a Caribbean man, and an integrationist. Only deep frustration could have occasioned his decision to publish the commentary on his blogsite. In the event, his remarks prompted a series of questions to me from Johnson Johnrose, a Caribbean journalist of known repute.

I reproduced below the questions he posed and my answers.

Q. Do you agree that the idea of CARICOM – the principle of solidarity, the ethos of all for one, and one for all – has died? Why? A. The ‘idea’ of CARICOM is not dead.

The ‘dream’ of a more perfect union is not lost. The idea and the dream are too basic to our future for them to be abandoned. CARICOM as a whole is extremely rich in natural and human resources, but individual member countries are weak and vulnerable. In the international community, individual countries have little or no bargaining power; only when they act collectively do, they have any strength. Fourteen votes collectively have a modicum of power; one vote, backed by no military might or economic clout, is by itself of little value.

Q. What’s your greatest concern about the future of the movement?

A. That only the demands of survival, resulting from disaster, will cause leaders of the individual countries to recognize that the ‘sovereignty’ to which they cling is only exercised against each other; it is meaningless in the global power theatre where powerful countries and regions dictate their relationships. Leaders should see the disaster looming in Climate Change and its threats to the very existence of islands and mainland territories with low lying coasts, to agriculture, to tourism, and to human habitats. Lack of individual capacity is evident in each country’s inability to respond robustly to pandemics, such as COVID-19. None of them has large enough populations or enough money to compete with richer nations that have bought the available vaccines, depriving the rest of the world.

Q. CARICOM has endured a lot of internal strife but has managed to survive, could it be that the issue of Venezuela’s sovereignty will be what destroys the movement?

A. It is not Venezuela per se that has caused division and conflicting positions in CARICOM. The real cause is dependency. Some CARICOM countries depended on Venezuela for oil and ran up a large debt in deferred payments; others depend on the US and Canada for aid, markets, and help with borrowing. When CARICOM countries recognize that they could be less dependent on external forces and less obliged if they pool their resources and their sovereignty, they will be more independent in their decisions and action. This same argument applies to the cruise ship industry and to foreign airlines which play them off against each other, resulting in less revenues to each of them and greater advantage to the airlines and cruise operators.

Q. Why didn’t Antigua and Barbuda join Trinidad and Tobago in seeking to boycott the OAS until Guaido is removed?

A. Trinidad and Tobago has not boycotted the OAS ‘until Guaido’s representative is removed’. Trinidad and Tobago is an active member of the OAS. Eleven of the 14 independent countries of CARICOM at the OAS do not recognize Guaido or his representative’s legitimacy in the OAS. These 11 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, do not recognize Guaido’s representative or his vote or participation in any decision making in the OAS. Jamaica, The Bahamas and Haiti do deal with Guaido’s representative – this latter point was what motivated Gonsalves’ blog.

Q. How do you feel about CARICOM’s current path?

A. It is not good for the autonomy of individual states in the international community. Such autonomy as they enjoy is being eroded. Economically, unless the leadership – at both the political and business levels – acknowledge that their markets are puny and their production minuscule in global terms, and that integrating their markets and production would strengthen each of them as integral parts of a larger, more competitive unit (in terms of raising money on better term and bargaining for better terms of trade) the current path will weaken each of them still further.

Perhaps the truth is that they all know that, ultimately, they need CARICOM which is why none have left it, and none have chosen to destroy it. It may well be that those who encourage the notion of their own vehicle, keep the engine of the CARICOM bus running because they know that they will need to board it to drive to salvation.

I understand Camillo Gonsalves frustration. I share it. But I also know that we cannot pronounce CARICOM dead. Its lifeblood continues to pump in the veins of Caribbean people everywhere who long for a single region in which they can travel freely on one passport, move to jobs, set up businesses anywhere in the region, just like the people of the 50 states of the United States do.

The imperatives of survival rest not in separateness but in togetherness where the bounty of the region is shared by all in a truly integrated single area, and where, standing together in the international community gives the Caribbean solid meaning. This does not mean giving up national identity; it means recognizing that we can also benefit from a Caribbean identity – just as people from Texas are Texans and Americans, and people from Italy are Italians and Europeans, so too we can be Jamaicans, Barbadians, Antiguans and yet be Caribbean.l Sir Ronald Sanders is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and the Organisation of American States.

New IRS Imposter Scam Targets College Students and Staff

BY ARI LAZARUS FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

I

f you’re a college student, faculty, or staff member, you’re going to want to pay attention to this one. IRS imposters are sending phishing emails to people with “.edu” email addresses, saying they have information about your “tax refund payment.” What do they really want? Your personal information.

Scammers are sending emails with subject lines like, “Tax Refund Payment” or “Recalculation of your tax refund payment.” The email asks you to click a link and submit a form to claim your “refund.”

What happens if you click the link? The website asks for personal information, including your name, Social Security number (SSN), date of birth, prior year’s annual gross income (AGI), driver’s license number, address, and electronic filing PIN. Scammers can use or sell this information for identity theft.

The emails can look really real and include the IRS logo. But no matter what the email looks like or says, one thing stays true: the IRS will not first contact you by email. They will always start by sending you a letter. And, to confirm that it’s really the IRS, you can call them directly at 800-829-1040.

If you clicked a link in one of these emails and shared personal information, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov to get a customized recovery plan based on what information you shared.

If you spotted this scam, the IRS is asking you to forward the email as an attachment to phishing@irs.gov. And tell us too, at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.l

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7

DIASPORA CONCERNS

Yes, All Immigrants Can Get the COVID-19 Vaccine—Even Those Who Are Undocumented Ensuring immigrants get vaccinated should be a priority—over 4 million work in essential services like health care and social service industries. And vaccinating the greatest amount of people will make everyone safer.

BY MELISSA CRUZ

S

ince the start of the pandemic, many immigrants have been left out of federal COVID-19 relief packages. Both undocumented immigrants and some people in mixed-status households have been excluded from stimulus checks, rent assistance, and other financial aid.

This has left some questioning whether they qualify for the most important relief yet: the COVID-19 vaccine.

Equal access to the vaccine Unlike previous aid, the federal government has made clear that anyone— regardless of immigration status—should get the vaccine.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made this clear in a statement released on February 1, just as vaccine production was beginning to ramp up: “DHS and its Federal government partners fully support equal access to the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine distribution sites for undocumented immigrants. …DHS encourages all individuals, regardless of immigration status, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once eligible under local distribution guidelines.”

Though there have been some disinformation campaigns designed to scare undocumented immigrants out of getting the vaccine, people don’t need to be concerned. DHS went on to say that no enforcement operations would be conducted at or near vaccination distribution sites or clinics, consistent with the “sensitive locations” policy.

Flaws in the system Despite vaccines being available to all eligible immigrants, some people are still facing barriers to access.

There have been several cases that have gained national attention where immigrants with vaccine appointments have

been turned away or asked to provide a U.S. government-issued ID. Some have been questioned about their immigration status by vaccination workers.

In all these cases, such actions went against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. The CDC prohibits vaccination workers from turning people away for failure to produce specific identification documents or inquire about immigration status.

Undocumented immigrants are also more likely to be uninsured, so fear of potential cost might be preventing some from getting the vaccine. However, the CDC has made the vaccine available to all people at no cost.

Fighting vaccine hesitancy U.S. health officials are also fighting a certain level of vaccine hesitancy across many groups, including immigrants.

There has been a targeted effort to dispel misinformation about the vaccine among Black immigrant communities, whose history with vaccinations has been marred by racist experimentation.

Advocacy groups are attempting to reach these communities with educational programs led by doctors from their home countries. Likewise, they are offering translators to help get the message about vaccine efficacy and safety across.

Getting the immigrant population vaccinated must be a priority, especially since many were left out of previous COVID-19 relief but were still relied upon to keep our economy moving. We have both a public health and moral obligation to ensure that everyone who wants a vaccine can get one safely and easily.l

New Yorkers:

Double Masking

Offers Even More Protection Against COVID-19

nyc.gov/health/coronavirus VISIT WWW.CAWNYC.COM FOR THE LATEST CARIBBEAN NEWS, IMMIGRATION UPDATES, VIEWPOINTS, ENTERTAINMENT & MORE!LIKE US ON FACEBOOK @CAWNYC!

IN THE NEWS

8

Brooklyn DA to Dismiss 90 Convictions That Relied on Former Narcotics Detective Later Charged with Multiple Perjuries

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rooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on April 7, that his Conviction Review Unit will be asking the Court to vacate and dismiss 27 felony convictions and 63 misdemeanor convictions that were directly based on the work of former undercover New York City Police Department Detective Joseph Franco.

The former detective has been indicted in Manhattan for perjury, official misconduct and other charges in connection with four incidents whereby he allegedly framed numerous individuals for making narcotics transactions. A review by Brooklyn’s CRU did not uncover misconduct, but the District Attorney has lost confidence in cases where the detective was an essential witness, i.e., cases that could not have been prosecuted without him, and is requesting that those convictions be dismissed.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Knowingly and repeatedly framing innocent people obliterates the credibility of any police officer and proving perjury in such circumstances is rare. After a grand jury reviewed the evidence and indicted former Detective Franco, I have lost confidence in his work. His cases in Brooklyn are over a decade old, which limited our ability to reinvestigate them, but I cannot in good faith stand by convictions that principally relied on his testimony. Integrity and credibility are at the heart of the justice system and prerequisites for community trust.”

The District Attorney’s Office today is asking Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D’Emic to vacate 27 felony convictions (plus 13 misdemeanor convictions that were taken in Supreme Court), mostly for criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third or fifth degree, and to dismiss the underlying indictments. It is also asking Criminal

Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez

Former Det. Joseph Franco is awaiting trial in Manhattan; No misconduct was found in Brooklyn, But DA’s Office has lost confidence in cases where he was essential witness Court Judge Keshia Espinal to vacate 50 misdemeanor convictions, mostly for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, and to dismiss the underlying complaints. The dismissals are pursuant to a writ of error coram nobis and the court proceedings are expected to continue over the next few days. In all, 27 felony convictions and 63 misdemeanor convictions will be vacated.

Those cases stemmed from arrests that happened when Det. Franco was assigned to Brooklyn commands, between 2004 and 2011. All but one of the 90 convictions were obtained by way of a guilty plea. Most of those convicted for a felony were sentenced to between six months and a year in jail, with the longest sentence being three years in prison. Most of those convicted for a misdemeanor were sentenced to terms ranging from time served to 90 days in jail.

The Conviction Review Unit reviewed all convictions where Det. Franco was

involved. Cases where he was the primary undercover and his testimony was necessary for a potential hearing or trial were flagged for dismissal. Defense lawyers and the Court have been notified of the new allegations and the dismissals.

In April 2019, a New York County grand jury indicted Det. Franco on 16 counts of first-degree perjury and related charges. In July 2019, a grand jury indicted him on 10 additional counts of first-degree perjury and related charges.

He is awaiting trial on both indictments and was fired from the NYPD in May 2020.

The case review was conducted by Assistant District Attorney Eric Sonnenschein, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Post-Conviction Justice Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Rachel Nash, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hale, Chief of the Post-Conviction Justice Bureau. l

Avoid Payment Scams While Rebuilding Your Finances

BY SANA CHRISS FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

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ver the past year, the Coronavirus created financial problems for many people.

Maybe you’re one of them. As you work to regain your financial footing, scammers will continue to try to steer you off course. Here are a few ways to spot, stop, and report payment scams: •Asked to pay with gift cards? Don’t do it. Gift cards are the most common form of payment people use when losing money to scammers. Scammers often pose as legitimate companies, the government, or someone you know. They tell you to pay with a gift card — but only scammers do that. If you share a photo of the back of a gift card or read the numbers to anyone, your money will be gone.

If anyone asks for payment by gift card, it’s a scam.

•Asked to pay with digital money or cryptocurrency? Think twice. Payments by cryptocurrency are hard to trace and typically can’t be reversed. Once you pay with cryptocurrency, you likely can only get your money back if the person you paid sends it back. If that person is a scammer, you’ll be out of luck.

•Asked to pay by money transfer? Don’t.

Scammers often tell people to send money through money transfer companies like Western Union and MoneyGram, knowing it’s a lot like sending cash. Once you send it, it’s gone.

Typically, there’s no way to reverse the transaction or trace the money. Don’t use money transfer payments with people and companies you don’t know.

If you or someone you know lost money to a scammer, check out some quick steps to try and recover it. And if you’ve spotted a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.govl

Sana Chriss is an Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

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9

ISLAND FOCUS: JAMAICA

IDB Lab Will Strengthen Jamaican Youth Competencies

S

ome 1,200 unemployed and underemployed youth between the ages of 17 and 34, are set to benefit from a special IDB Lab program aimed at strengthening economic opportunities and enhancement of their digital, business, and interpersonal skills. Youth will also access job opportunities through highly practical project-based learning and employability skills enabling them to function as independent workers and social entrepreneurs.

“Jamaica has a plethora of talent which needs to be channeled into productive activities. Strengthening the digital and interpersonal skills of unemployed and underemployed youth with low incomes, as well as aligning them with job opportunities and entrepreneurship, will go a far way in easing the frustration which they are currently experiencing,” said Therese Turner-Jones, IDB Jamaica Country Representative and General Manager for the Caribbean Country Department.

Jamaica, which has made great progress and economic reforms in recent years after a long period of instability, has seen the pandemic undermine much of its economic activity and foreign exchange, mainly from tourism. The impact on

The program will also assist youth with career guidance and preparation services for interviews, self-employment as well as entrepreneurship support such as mentorship. Job placement services will connect beneficiaries with small and medium-sized enterprises. It is expected that the project will be replicated in other Caribbean countries. l

companies, together with rapid technological advancements have made it challenging for some companies to keep pace and provide the requisite training to their workforce. This has aggravated the socioeconomic risk of young people, exacerbated inequalities, and contributed to higher unemployment.

The program will be funded with IDB investment of US $800,000 through a non-refundable technical cooperation. It will be executed by the non-profit entity, The Trust for the Americas, which, in association with Microsoft, Citi and NCB Foundations, will invest more than

US $1,000,000 in financial and in-kind resources.

“We are specially targeting vulnerable communities. Women are undergoing severe challenges and hardship in the wake of the pandemic. We are working to have at least 50 % young women become beneficiaries under the program,” explained Turner-Jones.

The program aims to increase the productivity of SMEs and the sectors that present the greatest challenges and opportunities for innovation. These include tourism, manufacturing, and food processing.

IDB Lab is the innovation laboratory of the IDB Group, the leading source of development finance and know-how for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).Since 1993, IDB Lab has approved over US$2 billion in projects across 26 countries in LAC. The Trust for the Americas is non-profit organization, affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS), established in 1997 to promote publicprivate partnerships. The Trust has implemented projects in 24 countries and has worked with more than 1,000 organizations in the region. Our initiatives seek to promote educational and economic opportunities, as well as government accountability, and transparency.

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If you’re 60 or older, a TLC licensed driver, a home health care aide, a restaurant or delivery worker, a grocery store or bodega worker, you are eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccines are available to eligible New Yorkers at no cost, regardless of insurance or immigration status.

Look for an appointment today!

Visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or call 877-VAX-4NYC to make an appointment at a City-run vaccination site.

Bill de Blasio Mayor Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc Commissioner

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EDUCATION

10

NY Cancels Most Regents Exams in Response to Biden Administration Refusal to Scrap 2021 Standardized Tests

BY REEMA AMIN CHALKBEAT

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ew York is cancelling most spring and summer high school Regents exams.

State education officials approved the move on Monday along with removing the high school exit tests from this year’s graduation requirements, citing the myriad challenges students have faced during the pandemic.

Only Regents exams in Algebra I, English, living environment, and earth science — which are required under federal rules — will be administered this June.

New York and several other states asked the U.S. Department of Education to waive the Regents and other tests for the second year in a row, as students continue to learn through a mix of in-person and virtual learning, with varied access to the internet and devices. But the Biden administration decided to keep standard-

ized exams in place across different grades this year.

In response, New York officials quickly announced plans to cancel Regents exams that are not federally required.

Additionally, students won’t have to pass any Regents exams this school year to earn their diplomas. Instead, students must pass their Regents-based course by the end of this summer to earn credit.

“These changes aim to minimize distress of students, parents, teachers, administrators, in what we know has been an extraordinary year,” said Commissioner Betty Rosa during Monday’s monthly board meeting.

The rules are similar to last year, when all state tests were canceled last spring at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Close to 14% of last year’s seniors who passed a particular course received a Regents waiver in lieu of taking the exam. (Students take Regents starting in eighth grade, so many graduating seniors already had credits from previous courses.)

Not Reflective of What’s Being Learned The news is a victory for advocates who have been pushing to cancel the exams and unlink them from graduation requirements. It may also be a comfort to many New York City high schoolers who don’t feel prepared to take the tests this year.

Most of the city’s public school children have been learning remotely fulltime this year, but even high school students who opted for some in-person classes were forced to learn from home full-time for the past four months after November’s systemwide school building shutdown. While elementary and middle schools have been back in session, high schools won’t be open until March 22.

Changes to this year’s exams were “a relief” for Danielle Johnson, a senior at the prestigious High School of American Studies in the Bronx, who would have needed the English Regents exam to earn her diploma.

Johnson opted for full-time remote learning this year because both she and her mother have health conditions that make them more susceptible to the coronavirus. But spotty internet, feelings of isolation at home as any only child, and her struggle to maintain a consistent schedule has made remote learning tough.

“In relation to what I learned at school, the Regents are not really reflective of what I’m learning consistently,” Johnson said.

While students might welcome the cancellation of exams, some education organizations might find the move be worrisome. Some organizations and federal lawmakers hoped the exams would provide a clearer picture of how students have been learning throughout the pandemic, and are looking for measures to determine whether students are meeting state standards.

Dia Bryant, the interim executive director of Education Trust-New York, an education policy advocacy group, said the state education department’s move meets basic federal requirements, but “it misses the mark for students who have worked hard in their coursework to earn a diploma that truly demonstrates they are prepared for their postsecondary ambitions.”

Cancelling exams last year, she said, meant that high-needs school districts disproportionately relied on exemptions to graduate students, “which raises broader concerns around whether or not our education system is preparing all students for their desired future, whether that be college or the workplace.”

Ed Trust-New York’s former executive director, Ian Rosenblum, is now deputy assistant secretary for K-12 policy and programs for the U.S. Department of Education, and penned the letter to dis-

tricts about the federal decision to keep tests on this year.

The results from this year’s standardized exams, however, may not be reliable or provide useful data points for comparison because many parents may opt their children out, experts warn.

‘People Are Still Dying’ The department is still advocating for a wholesale cancellation of tests this year, Rosa said. Federal officials have 120 days to respond to New York’s exam waiver request from when it was sent last month.

Nan Mead, a Regent who represents New York City, urged federal officials to respond quickly. She pointed to recent conversations with families who feel uncertain about what to expect and are still struggling with the rippling effects of the coronavirus, including one child who is currently out of school because she and her mother are infected with COVID-19.

“For anyone at the federal level who’s listening, people are still getting sick, people are still dying in this pandemic, and it’s really unfortunate that we are still uncertain about the status of this waiver request,” Mead said.

Grades 3-8 math and English assessments will still be required this year under federal rules. Schools will have broad flexibility t in how they administer the exams and will not be held accountable for test results.

It remains unclear how exams for grades 3-8 will be administered. No child will be forced to go into school buildings in order to take a test, Rosa said. In New York City, roughly 70% of students are learning from home.

If federal officials deny the state’s waiver request, New York plans to only offer one of the two testing sessions of the grades 3-8 English exam and one for the math exams, state education officials said Monday. They also would offer only the written portion of the grades 4-8 science tests.

Districts will be receiving some more guidance about testing on Tuesday, Rosa said.l

Correction: This article originally stated students in seventh grade can take Regents exams. Seventh graders can take courses that culminate in Regents exams but are not eligible to earn diploma credit until eighth grade.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Article published on The CITY on March 17, 2021.

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11

EDUCATION

Prepare Your Young Learner with 3-K and Pre-K for All

BY MEISHA ROSS PORTER NYC SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR

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s educators, our job is to prepare our students for a successful, productive life, empowered with the skills they need to chase their dreams—and early childhood programs are where it all begins. That’s why Mayor de Blasio and I are so excited to announce the expansion of 3-K for All to every school district by September, providing 40,000 three-year-olds with free, full-day, high-quality, early childhood education citywide.

These programs are a child’s first step to success throughout the rest of their education and beyond, and I encourage families to explore the 3-K and Pre-K for All options available in their communities and apply. Applications for the 2021–22 school year are open!

As parents and guardians, you know just how quickly our youngest children learn—from birth to age five is a critical period of growth and 90 percent of brain development happens during this time.

Our 3-K and Pre-K for All classrooms are full of joy and discovery, and they

offer the perfect environment for children to learn to problem-solve, ask questions, and explore the world around them as they grow. In addition, our programs are free or low cost, saving families an average of $10,000 a year on childcare costs.

I remember when the South Bronx’s District 7 was one of the first few districts to offer 3-K for All in 2018 and what it meant for so many families in need to have access to free, full-day, high-quality early childhood education for their children.

I want every family to have that kind of support, and we’ve made so much progress expanding early childhood education in every borough over the last three years. Today, all NYC school districts offer pre-K programs, and there is a free, full-day pre-K seat for every fouryear-old child citywide. That means any New York City family with a child born in 2017 can apply to pre-K for the upcoming school year by the new April 19 deadline.

In addition, we are excited to now offer 3-K programs in every school district citywide. All New York City families with children born in 2018 can apply to

3-K for the upcoming school year by the May 28 deadline. There is a 3-K seat for every three-year-old in school districts 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 19, 23, 27, 31, and 32; and we will offer 3-K seats to as many families as possible in the new districts.

Families across the city can still apply to programs in any district, and your child has priority to attend 3-K for All programs in your home district. You can find out your school district by calling 311 or visiting schools.nyc.gov/Find-a-School.

Programs in the new districts will be added to the application throughout April and May. In all school districts, in addition to the free 3-K and Pre-K programs in their communities, families who qualify based on their income and needs also have the opportunity to apply to free or low-cost extended school day and year programs, including Head Start.

Families can apply to 3-K or Pre-K for All for the 2021–22 school year online at MySchools.nyc or over the phone at 718935-2009. The online application is available in ten languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Korean, Haitian Creole, Bengali, Urdu,

and French), and families can submit an application over the phone in over 200 languages. Visit nyc.gov/3k and nyc.gov/prek for more information.

If you are seeking care for your child right now, we encourage you to reach out so we can connect you with a program in your community. Families seeking an open 3-K or pre-K seat for this current school year can call 718-935-2009 or email ES_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov to learn more.

Children who attend 3-K and Pre-K for All programs get a strong start in school and life, and as incoming Schools Chancellor these are the kinds of opportunities I want to build on and create for our students so they can dare to dream and learn. No matter the circumstances, we are here to provide children across New York City with a safe, nurturing learning community each and every day.l

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HOME OWNERSHIP

12

Did You Know: Single Women Are Buying Homes Faster Than Single Men

BY CHRIS TOBIAS

W

ith low interest rates and uncertainty as to where the real estate market will be in the next six months, many people are opting into ownership and investing in a home.

Interestingly, according to the National Association of Realtors, approximately 17 percent of homebuyers in the United States last year were women, which is a much higher percentage than the 7 percent of single men who invested in a home. While the statistics may be interesting enough on their own, here are some of the reasons why women may be opting in.

Single Parent Security The numbers don't lie, and it's a fact that there are a much higher number of single mothers in the United States than fathers, which makes home ownership that much more of a benefit. With low interest rates, it's common sense that many single mothers will be flocking towards the housing market to find stable housing for their family in a market that may fluctuate in the coming months.

Making a Lifestyle Choice The days are long gone of women having to invest in a home when they get married, and for many women being single is a very popular lifestyle choice. This means that many single women are choosing to invest on their own terms and at their own time so that they can reap the benefits of home ownership. As Jessica Lautz of the National Association of Realtors says, "They really value home ownership, and they're willing to give up a lot to have a home of their own."

It's In the Numbers There are certainly more than a few reasons why single women are flocking to the real estate market, but demographics

are changing rapidly. While it was once the case that most people were married, or would marry, more single women are opting out of marriage and opening up a wider market for single-person home purchases. Given the low interest rates and the increasing number of women choosing to be single, purchasing a home offers a solid bet and a financial boon.

Things to Consider There are all kinds of things you will want to consider when buying the real estate that your family will call home. The problem is that far too many get caught up in the small or cosmetic details of the purchase and search that they forget the primary needs of the family in the process.

Keep the following things in mind when considering real estate purchases and you are much more likely to be happy with your decision a few years down the road: size of the property, neighborhood. property value and school district.

Of course there are other common considerations that should be taken into account. Among those are the condition of the home, the number of similar families in the area, and the closeness of the area to other conveniences such as stores, work, and entertainment. All of these things add up to a deep satisfaction in the home you have chosen or growing discontent over the years.

Getting Help With a home offering up the benefit of security and the advantage of being a good financial choice, it's no surprise that increasingly women are turning to home ownership on their own. If you're contemplating purchasing a home of your own, you may want to contact one of our local real estate professionals for more information about opportunities in your area at 888-670-6791.l

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FAMILY MATTERS

13

Child Custody: Best Interests of a Child Standard commonplace considerations made by a court in a child custody matter. These include: •Consideration of which parent historically has been the primary caretaker of a child •Consideration of the physical, emotional, and mental health of the parties •Examination of which parent is more apt to encourage the development of a close relationship between a child and the other parent •Examination of the living situation of each parent

BY JANET HOWARD, 311DIVORCE.COM

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ne of the most challengingChild custody oftentimes proves to be one of the most challenging, contentious aspects of a divorce case. If you are heading towards divorce court and have children, you need to be braced for the challenges that may be in front of you. In this regard, you need to have a basic understanding of the child custody process in a divorce case. This includes understanding the standard used by a court in making child custody decisions.

In all jurisdictions in the United States, courts utilize what is known as the best interests of a child standard.

When considering the best interests of a child standard in a custody case, two important factors must be closely considered: •Basic definition of the best interests of a child •Factors considered by a court in making a child custody determination Basic Definition of the Best Interests of a Child Standard The best interests of a child standard mandates that a court make child cus-

tody and parenting time decisions with a focus on the health and welfare of a minor above all other considerations.

The best interests of a child standard mandates that the court consider the unique facts and circumstances of a particular case when making decisions regarding the custody of a child in a divorce, paternity, and even an adoption case.

The best interests of a child standard do not take a one-size-fits-all or cookie cut-

ter approach to make custody decisions.

Every custody case requires a fresh consideration of applicable facts and circumstances unique to the case.

Factors Considered by a Court in Making a Child Custody Determination As was noted, each child custody matter necessitates a particular examination of the facts and circumstances of the case.

Having said that, there are some more

On a final note, when divorcing parents keep their focus on what is in the best interests of a child in a custody case, tensions can ease somewhat. With lower emotions and better communication between divorcing parents, the best interests of a child tend to be better served.

Ask the Lawyer For a FREE case evaluation, call 855768-8845 or visit www.askthelawyer.us to schedule an appointment.l

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FAMILY MATTERS

14

Child Mental Health: How Acting Out During COVID can be a Coping Mechanism, and What Parents Can do to Help

BY WENDY SIMS-SCHOUTEN THE CONVERSATION

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ver the past decade resilience has become a societal buzzword, both a personality trait to foster and miracle drug that can heal all wounds and right all wrongs. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, it has been the lens through which children and young people’s ability to cope — or not — has been assessed.

As children continue to deal with anxiety about the virus, not to mention school closures and the wider disruptions to daily life, a number of studies are currently underway to track their wellbeing.

Based on parent reports, these studies signal a rise in mental health issues affecting their emotions, behaviour and ability to pay attention. (Young people themselves, it should be noted, highlight issues around stress and wellbeing, but report no change in their behaviour or

ability to pay attention.) Crucially, this impact is being felt equally by children who were already experiencing mental health problems before COVID‐19 and those who were not.

Expectations of resilience Resilience theory is useful for studying how children adapt in the face of life challenges. It refers to the process in which they engage when faced with adversity or trauma, a process which varies over time.

Over four decades of research on resilience shows that what are known as protective factors can indeed buffer a child from harm. These include being looked after in a sensitive and responsive way, having their basic needs met and getting emotional support. The wellbeing of their carers or parents counts too, as does the degree to which they are socially connected to friends and family. All of this increases the chances the child will adapt positively to a difficult situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

But if we live in a culture that wants people to be as resilient as possible, it has been argued that this also comes with an element of self-responsibility. Children are told to “man up” and seek out opportunities and protective factors themselves. They are encouraged to demonstrate “positive” traits. Any coping strategies that fall outside of this are not allowed.

To an extent, this also suggests that the child and their family are expected to be self-sufficient. They are meant to take advantage of whatever opportunities and resources are available to them. One example is the parenting strategy of the seven crucial Cs — competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control — whereby children are told what to do, with conviction, and are held to those high expectations.

Conversely, this culture of resilience means some vulnerable groups of children and young people are at a disadvantage, something that has been especially true during the pandemic.

“Vulnerable” here is not used to suggest any inherent weakness or lack of capacity, instead it refers to children who are adversely impacted by situations and environments to which they are exposed that are beyond their control. When the general culture promotes self-reliance, it is precisely these children and their families who are less likely — or able — to seek help.

This includes children with special educational needs or pre-existing mental health issues, children from deprived areas and those from ethnic minority communities. Research highlights that the risk of psycho-social problems and so-called problem behaviour is especially high in these particular vulnerable groups.

Acting out “Problem behaviour”, as a term, is itself problematic. It implies that the responsibility to address it is largely located within the child themselves. The premise for this thinking is that resilient children and young people who have healthy strategies in place may be less likely to turn to

such troublesome or “bad” behaviour to relieve stress.

However, “bad behaviour”, rebellion and resistance to change can also signify hidden pathways to resilience: in other words, a means — or indeed the only means available to them — to cope with whatever difficulty they’re faced with.

In light of the traumatic experiences and confusion inherent to the pandemic —and particularly the disruptive cycle of lockdowns and school closures — it is important to acknowledge the different ways children have of coping. While some children may adjust and adapt in the face of the lockdown restrictions, others may resist the ongoing changes to lockdown rules and “act out”.

There are a number of things that carers, parents and teachers can do to help.

First, modelling self-compassion as the adult is key. Find a way to release your own emotions and remain calm. It’s about striking a balance between being realistic and honest and telling the child that it is OK to feel worried, and also showing how to let things go. Crucially, think about always seeking connection, namely prioritising relationships and positive networks.

Second, find opportunities for the child to develop a sense of mastery, whether in sport or the arts or at school. Any experience that fosters self‐esteem will provide them with transferable skills, so to speak – tools for dealing with the more difficult situations. It also counterbalances the stress.

Most of all, it is vital to respect the child as an individual. You need to allow them to develop their own unique coping strategies. Sometimes that means realising that resisting change and non-compliance may just be one of the ways that some children cope with the uncertainties associated with the pandemic. They need to know that that is OK – being compassionate, rather than judgemental, is central.l Wendy Sims-Schouten is an Associate Professor Childhood Studies, University of Portsmouth

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15

MONEY MATTERS

Top 5 Mistakes Made When Filing Your Taxes

BY R. PRESSER

T

ax time's right around the corner and it's time to get your records in order and make those year-end appointments with your accountant (or order your favorite tax software.)

Accuracy is key, no matter how you do your taxes, because even your accountant has to rely on the information you give them. Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when filing their taxes. You can avoid a lot of stress and headaches by being careful with these.

1. Wrong Name(s) Remember how you'd get points for just entering your name correctly on the SAT? The same goes for your tax return: make sure your name and your spouse's name have been entered correctly. Accidentally misplacing, adding, or omitting a letter in your name can result in significant delays in processing your tax return.

If you recently changed your name due to marriage, divorce, or other legal name change, you need to report these changes to the Social Security Administration so that your Social Security number is updated. This way, when the IRS matches your Social Security number to your name, there won't be delays.

2. Incorrect Filing Status Your filing status is what determines your eligibility for most tax benefits. For many people, it isn't that hard to figure out the correct filing status to use. However, single parents frequently make the mistake of filing as Single, when they are supposed to use Head of Household to get the benefits it carries. If you are unmarried and caring for an aging parent, you are also likely to be Head of Household and not, Single. Conversely, if your divorce didn't finalize yet, and you don't have any eligible children or parents who could be your dependent, then you're supposed to use Married Filing Separately and not, Single.

Using the wrong filing status can either cause you to lose out on thousands of dollars in benefits you are legally entitled to or put you in hot water for accidentally claiming benefits that don't apply to your filing status.

3. Incorrect Social Security Number Just like with your name, input errors with your Social Security number can set off the IRS's matching program and cause a lot of headaches. Your tax software will automatically populate Social Security number fields once you enter it, so make sure it's entered correctly.

4. Ineligible Dependents Contrary to popular belief, someone doesn't have to be your child who lives with you in order to be claimed as your dependent. For tax benefits like the Earned Income Tax Credit and medical expense deductions, certain people also don't have to be claimed as your dependent in order to use their expenses for these benefits. There are two categories of dependents: qualifying child and qualifying relative. It is possible to have multiple qualifying relative dependents based on their income, residency, and relationship to you. IRS Publication 17 has a full breakdown of who is an eligible dependent.

Regardless of category and relationship, your dependents must have valid Social Security numbers. After the IRS started requiring Social Security numbers in 1992, millions of dependents disappeared from their database (likely back into their dog beds and cat carriers.) However, you might accidentally claim your college-age child who doesn't meet the residency test, or your significant other who you financially support but who earns more than the income limit. Make sure they meet all the criteria outlined in Publication 17.

5. Failure to Report Miscellaneous Income With certain exceptions, almost everything you earn is taxable income. This includes side hustles, freelancing, prizes, and finding money in the street.

While the IRS isn't likely to know about that $5 bill you found in the street, nor enforce any action against you for not including it on your tax return, if you received a 1099 form because you drove for Uber or had a lot of sales through PayPal, then Uncle Sam also got a copy.

If the IRS' matching program detects that you haven't reported your income from all of the 1099s payers have filed on your behalf, it's going to cause a problem. Just because the money isn't reported on a W2 that you receive for your job doesn't mean you don't have to report it and pay taxes.

Most of these tax filing mistakes are simple and easy to catch when checking over your tax return. Always carefully check the numbers that go on your return, whether they're copied or there was math involved, and make sure all names are also spelled correctly. A general rule for reporting your income is that if you receive a form for it, you likely have to report it, but when in doubt, you should check with a tax professional.l

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BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

16

Naturalization Address/ continued from page 1 but you all have one thing in common, courage. The courage it takes to sacrifice and make this journey. The courage to leave your homes, your lives, your loved ones and come to a nation that is more than just a place but rather an idea, an idea that where everyone is created equally and deserves to be treated equally. The idea that we have as a nation and we can define America in one word, possibilities. … Since its founding that very idea has been nurtured, enriched and advanced by the contributions, sacrifices and dreams of immigrants like you … And today you’ve earned a new title, equal that of an American president. The title I’m most proud of — citizen, citizen of the United States of America.

I look forward to standing with you as you embrace your new rights and responsibilities. As you build your lives and legacies here as generations have done before you in this great nation of immigrants.”

These are the values and vision underscoring the Biden administration’s proposed approaches to fixing our dysfunctional immigration system. President Biden has promised reforms that deliver the “rights and responsibilities” of citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants already contributing to the fabric of American communities. And President Biden has promised to trans-

form a border-centric, deportation and deterrence-focused approach to migration from Central America into a regional plan that channels the movement of refugees and migrants into legal channels from the region while addressing the causes that compel out-migration from Central America.

As Caitlin Dickerson spells out in her new piece in The Atlantic, “America Never Wanted the Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses,” our country’s immigration policy has long failed to live up to the ideals inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. She writes: “As the country moves forward from the past four years of harsh immigration policies, it must reckon with a history that stretches back much further, and that conflicts with one of the most frequently repeated American myths. …In moving toward the more inclusive system that some elected officials now say they want, the country would be not returning to traditional American values,

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but establishing new ones.”

According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice: Throughout our history, America has been a magnet for the people from every corner of the world. Immigrants and refugees have made America a better place and stronger nation at every stage of our nation’s development.

Those who want to keep out and kick out immigrants and refugees undermine the very definition of America as a hopeful, proud and confident nation. It’s time to live true to our ideals, move forward with a can-do spirit, and get big things done.

President Biden’s video address on citizenship for new Americans, along with his assertive policy agenda to transform our outdated and broken immigration system, offers hope that we are ready to move closer to an America worthy of immigrants’ aspirations and the welcoming nation we aspire to be.l

Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic

T

he Biden-Harris Administration is announcing six initial actions to address the gun violence public health epidemic. The recent high-profile mass shootings in Boulder – taking the lives of 10 individuals – and Atlanta – taking the lives of eight individuals, including six Asian American women – underscored the relentlessness of this epidemic. Gun violence takes lives and leaves a lasting legacy of trauma in communities every single day in this country, even when it is not on the nightly news.

In fact, cities across the country are in the midst of a historic spike in homicides, violence that disproportionately impacts Black and brown Americans. The President is committed to taking action to reduce all forms of gun violence – community violence, mass shootings, domestic violence, and suicide by firearm.

President Biden is reiterating his call for Congress to pass legislation to reduce gun violence. Last month, a bipartisan coalition in the House passed two bills to close loopholes in the gun background check system. Congress should close those loopholes and go further, including by closing “boyfriend” and stalking loopholes that currently allow people found by the courts to be abusers to possess firearms, banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, repealing gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and investing in evidence-based community violence interventions. Congress should also pass an appropriate national “red flag” law, as well as legislation incentivizing states to pass “red flag” laws of their own.

But this Administration will not wait for Congress to act to take its own steps – fully within the Administration’s authority and the Second Amendment – to save lives. The Administration is announcing the following six initial actions. To read these actions, visit www.caw.nyc The Administration is investing in evidence-based community violence interventions. Community violence interventions are proven strategies for reducing gun violence in urban communities through tools other than incarceration.

Because cities across the country are experiencing a historic spike in homicides, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking a number of steps to prioritize investment in community violence interventions.

The President will nominate David Chipman to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. l

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IMMIGRATION

17

Marijuana Amnesty/ continued from page 1 bill to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in New York state. On March 31, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults in New York state.

New York joins the growing list of states that have legalized recreational marijuana, with Pennsylvania wanting to follow suit. New York joined New Jersey, Arizona, Montana, Alaska, Colorado, Massachusetts, and several other states in making recreational marijuana use legal for adults.

This was a historic move for Governor Cuomo, who signed legislation back in July of 2014, allowing the use of medical marijuana in New York. That law was very restrictive, and patients had to prove they had a qualifying condition before getting prescribed medical marijuana.

The list of qualifying conditions included life-threatening and debilitating diseases such as epilepsy, cancer, AIDS, and other similar types of illnesses. However, this new legislation is much less restrictive and considers recreational use for the first time.

The new law allows adults, age 21years-old and over, to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana for recreational use or 24 grams of concentrated forms of the drug. People with certain marijuanarelated convictions will have their records expunged immediately. This is a big deal for people who may have previously had limited access to employment

due to a criminal record or those who feared that a marijuana-related conviction would negatively affect their immigration status. New York's leading Immigration expert, Brian Figeroux, founding partner of the Law Firm of Figeroux and Associates and Ask the Lawyer Radio Program, warns immigrants that even though the Governor is offering "...amnesty for those of you convicted of marijuana possessions, you still have to do a New York post-conviction Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) 440 motion hearing in New York State to reverse the charge. Immigration court would not recognize that amnesty. They will still look at the crime for your conviction on any drug marijuana-related issues. You are inadmissible if you have more than one marijuana charge. You

need to talk to a lawyer if you want to get your Green Card or become a U.S. citizen. You must speak to an attorney to determine if you qualify for amnesty and whether your case qualifies for a 440 Motion to vacate the judgment. If your case qualifies for a 440 motion hearing, your legalization gets back on track for your Green Card or to become a U.S. citizen."

Mr. Figeroux, a member of AILA (American Immigration Lawyers' Association) and immigration advocate, who has been practicing immigration law for over twenty years, offers free consultations to discuss these issues.

Black communities, who suffered at a much greater rate than their White counterparts due to the criminalization of marijuana, are happy that police officers are no longer able to use the smell of marijuana as justification to stop and search a pedestrian. Governor Cuomo shared his thoughts on social media, "For too long the prohibition of cannabis disproportionately targeted communities of color with harsh prison sentences and after years of hard work, this landmark legislation provides justice for long-marginalized communities, embraces a new industry that will grow the economy, and establishes substantial safety guards for the public." New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio applauded the Governor's actions to pass the marijuana law during recent press conferences. However, New York City Police Commissioner, Dermot Shea, expressed concern over the long-

term effects and impact of legalizing recreational marijuana use on crime.

New Yorkers are now allowed to smoke marijuana in private residences and public areas, wherever smoking tobacco is permitted. People will be allowed to store up to 5 pounds of marijuana at home, but they must make sure it is in a secure place. The law also creates retail licenses, which paves the way for people to earn substantial income by becoming a licensed marijuana dispensary and or delivering marijuana to customers' homes.

However, there are penalties for possessing more than the allowed amount of marijuana and selling the drug without a license. Smoking marijuana where it is not permitted will result in a fine and or mandated community service. Smoking marijuana at work, inside of a school, or inside of a car is not permitted. It remains illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. Although one can smoke marijuana inside a private residence, the landlord has the right to decide whether or not to let you smoke on their property.

Marijuana arrests affect getting a Green Card and applying for U.S. Citizenship.

Find out if you qualify for amnesty and whether your case qualifies for a 440 motion hearing. If you have any questions about the new marijuana law, marijuana-related convictions, or any other legal issue, go to www.AsktheLawyer.us or call (855)768-8845 to schedule a free consultation. l

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JOBS & RECESSION

18

Is Now a Good Time to Start a Real Estate Career?

1. Earn your real estate agent license.

The first thing any prospective real estate agent will need to do is earn his or her real estate license. Your requirements will depend on the state you wish to practice in, but you will need to complete a certain amount of prelicensing education and pass an exam. Take your prelicensing education, and pass the exam as soon as you can to avoid any delays in getting your business up and running.

BY KAPLAN REAL ESTATE EDUCATION

R

eal estate is an exceptionally accessible field of work for selfdriven career changers. Many people looking to switch careers or enter the workforce consider real estate jobs, and for good reason. Starting a new real estate career has a lot of perks, like a flexible schedule, unlimited earning potential, and minimal requirements to get started. It may be the perfect time in your personal life to get started, but is the industry outlook good for prospective real estate agents?

Career Outlook for Real Estate Agents Right Now There’s no need to halt your future plans of a career in real estate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average growth rate for real estate jobs between 2018 and 2028 is projected to grow faster than the average, at 7 percent with the average for all occupations at 5 percent. The demand for real estate agents and brokers is growing steadily, and now is a great time to get a head start on your career goals.

Real estate continues to be a solid choice for investors in the coming year with slow but steady growth anticipated, according to the 2020 U.S. Real Estate Market Outlook report by CBRE. Commercial real estate markets are on the rise due to low interest rates, buoyant economic activity, and strong property fundamentals.

This is good news for prospective real

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estate agents hoping to have a successful career in the near future. However, achieving real estate success depends on more than just good market conditions and steady job growth. New real estate agents will need to tackle a few key things in order to reach their full potential. Read on for tips on how to succeed in real estate this year.

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2. Join the right brokerage.

All new real estate agents will need to work under a brokerage in order to show properties and represent buyers and sellers. Your relationship with the brokerage is a partnership. They give you the support you need to be successful, and you bring in new business. Finding the right brokerage is essential to your success.

You want to partner with a brokerage that can offer you a well-known and established reputation along with the support and resources you need to flourish as an agent.

3. Have a marketing plan.

Much of your success in real estate depends on how effective your marketing is. Your marketing should bring in a steady flow of new, prospective clients and retain established ones. Successful real estate agents leverage different marketing channels, such as social media, local radio, online ads, and more.

If your marketing is working well, you’ll see a dramatic boost in leads and opportunities. Many prospective agents don’t realize the amount of marketing involved in the day-to-day operations of a real estate agent. If you have a marketing plan from the beginning, you’ll be one step ahead.

4. Maximize networking opportunities.

Networking is a big part of your success as a real estate agent. The more people you know, the more opportunities you’ll have to connect with and convert potential clients. To maximize the impact of your networking efforts as a new agent, plot out future networking opportunities, and put them on your calendar.

Seminars for real estate agents, community fairs, and other local events are all prime opportunities to stretch your networking skills. Regularly attending local events will make your business top of mind when community members are looking to buy or sell property.

Now is the perfect time to start a new career as a real estate agent. Get your prelicensing education requirements out of the way, so you can start making your business profitable.l

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19

GENERATIONS

Six Steps to Reduce Caregiver Stress During National Stress Awareness Month

N

EW YORK: Stress doesn’t just affect your mood—it can have long-term health impacts as well if you don’t take steps to manage it constructively. For individuals who face the stressful task of caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, which has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is providing six steps to reduce caregiver stress as part of National Stress Awareness Month (April).

“Finding ways to manage and reduce stress is of paramount importance for every Alzheimer’s caregiver—untreated stress can lead to physical, mental and emotional caregiver burnout,” said Jennifer Reeder, LCSW, AFA’s Director of Educational and Social Services.

“National Stress Awareness Month is a great time for caregivers to make an important investment in self-care by enhancing their stress-coping skills.”

Here are six steps caregivers can take to manage and reduce stress: •Be adaptable and positive. Your attitude influences stress levels for both you and the person you’re caring for. If you can “go with the flow,” and avoid fighting the

current, that will help you both stay relaxed—conversely, becoming aggravated or agitated will increase the chances that your person will as well.

Focus on how to adjust to the situation in a constructive way.

•Deal with what you can control. Some things are totally out of your control, such as the coronavirus pandemic. What is in your power to control is how you respond and react to these outside factors. Concentrating on finding solutions

can help make the problem itself a little less stressful.

•Set realistic goals and go slow.

Everything cannot be resolved at once, nor does it need to be. Don’t hold yourself to unrealistic expectations.

Prioritize, set practical goals, do your best to achieve them, and take things one day at a time.

•Mind your health. Inadequate rest, poor diet and lack of exercise can all exacerbate stress (and cause other health prob-

lems as well). As best you can, make it a priority to get sleep, eat right, drink plenty of water and find ways to be active.

You cannot provide quality care to a loved one if you don’t take care of yourself.

•Clear and refresh your mind. Exercise, yoga, meditating, listening to music or even taking a few deep breaths can all help relax the mind and reduce stress.

Find something that works for you and do it regularly!

•Share your feelings. Disconnecting from your support structure and staying bottled-up increases stress. Whether it’s with a loved one, trusted friend or a professional, don’t be reluctant to talk about your stress, because that can actually help relieve it!

The AFA Helpline is available seven days a week to help provide information and support regarding caregiver stress and other caregiving questions. Connect with a licensed social worker by calling 866-232-8484, web chatting at www.alzfdn.org or sending a text message to 646-586-5283. The web chat and text message features can serve individuals in more than 90 different languages.l

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nHEALTH

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nRELATIONSHIPS

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nHOROSCOPE

She is the First Black Harissa Egg Salad Valedictorian at Her High School in 152 Years

Otitigbe-Dangerfield

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ationwide: Onovu OtitigbeDangerfield, a senior at Albany High School in upstate New York, has made history as the school’s first Black valedictorian since 1868.

“I think that just being able to be valedictorian is an amazing accomplishment,” Onuvu told WNYT. “I’m very privileged to be in that position but to have some historical meaning behind it, to have a position wherein my school there’s a lot of students who look like me, now I’ll have an opportunity to live by that mantra — if you can see it you can be it.”

Aside from having a nearly perfect GPA, she is also very involved in various extra-curricular activities. She is a member of the soccer team, the Select Choir, and the Jazz Improve Band where she plays violin and piano. She is also the

President of the robotics team, President of the Key Club, and the Editor-in-Chief of the school’s online newspaper.

When she’s not at school on weekends, she also goes to work at a nursing home.

She credits all these activities to providing her a broader perspective in life.

“She is definitely a treasure,” said Ellen Hurley Green, who was Onovu’s guidance counselor in middle school. “I’ve been in the district for 30 years and honestly I can’t say I’ve ever seen someone with so much poise, so much grace, and so much humility, along with so much sparkle in everything she does.”

Moreover, Onuvu has been accepted at several universities including Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and Georgia Tech, among others.l —BlackNews

B

oiled eggs, avocado, and harissa are stars in this spicy twist on a classic. Serve on toast or try in lettuce leaves for a refreshing touch.

—Buckwheat Queen, Allrecipes.com Ingredients 1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted 1 teaspoon lime juice 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved 1 tablespoon harissa 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard salt and ground black pepper to taste 10 cornichons, chopped 3 large radishes, diced 1 spring onion, chopped 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

Step 3 Coarsely chop remaining avocado and egg whites. Fold into salad mixture in the bowl, taking care to leave some chunks of avocado. Top with cilantro and paprika before serving.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 357 calories; protein 13g; carbohydrates 14.3g; fat 29.3g; cholesterol 320.6mg; sodium 569.4mg.

General Prep: 15 mins Total: 15 mins Servings: 2 Yield: 2 servingsl

Directions Step 1 Combine 1/2 the avocado and lime juice in a bowl. Mash with a fork. Scoop egg yolks into the bowl. Add harissa, mayonnaise, and mustard. Mix until creamy.

Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2 Add cornichons, radishes, and onion to the bowl. Mix to coat the vegetables.

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22

HEALTH

Unwanted Weight Gain or Weight Loss During the Pandemic? Blame Your Stress Hormones

BY LENA BEGDACHE THE CONVERSATION

I

f you have experienced unwanted weight gain or weight loss during the pandemic, you are not alone.

According to a poll by the American Psychological Association, 61% of U.S. adults reported undesired weight change since the pandemic began.

The results, released in March 2021, showed that during the pandemic, 42% of respondents gained unwanted weight – 29 pounds on average – and nearly 10% of those people gained more than 50 pounds. On the flip side, nearly 18% of Americans said they experienced unwanted weight loss – on average, a loss of 26 pounds.

Another study, published on March 22, 2021, assessed weight change in 269 people from February to June 2020. The researchers found, on average, that people gained a steady 1.5 pounds per month.

I am a nutritional neuroscientist, and my research investigates the relationship

between diet, lifestyle, stress and mental distress such as anxiety and depression.

The common denominator to changes in body weight, especially during a pandemic, is stress. Another poll done by the American Psychological Association in January 2021 found that about 84% of U.S. adults experienced at least one emotion associated with prolonged stress in the prior two weeks.

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The findings about unwanted weight changes make sense in a stressful world, especially in the context of the body’s stress response, better known as the fight-or-flight response.

Fight, flight and food The fight-or-flight response is an innate reaction that evolved as a survival mechanism. It empowers humans to react swiftly to acute stress – like a predator – or adapt to chronic stress – like a food shortage. When faced with stress, the body wants to keep the brain alert. It decreases levels of some hormones and brain chemicals in order to turn down behaviors that won’t help in an urgent situation, and it increases other hormones that will.

When under stress, the body lowers levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and melatonin.

Serotonin regulates emotions, appetite and digestion. So, low levels of serotonin increase anxiety and can change a person’s eating habits. Dopamine – another feel-good neurotransmitter – regulates goal-oriented motivation. Dwindling levels of dopamine can translate into lower motivation to exercise, maintain a healthy lifestyle or perform daily tasks.

When people are under stress, they also produce less of the sleep hormone melatonin, leading to trouble sleeping.

Epinephrine and norepinephrine mediate the physiological changes associated with stress and are elevated in stressful situations. These biochemical changes can cause mood swings, impact a persons’s eating habits, reduce goal-oriented motivation and disrupt a person’s circadian rhythm.

Overall, stress can throw your eating habits and motivation to exercise or eat healthy way out of balance, and this last year has certainly been a stressful one for everyone.

assume that most of the weight changes were due to people gaining or losing body fat.

So why did people gain or lose weight this last year? And what explains the dramatic differences?

Many people find comfort in high-calorie food. That is because chocolate and other sweets can make you happy by boosting serotonin levels in the short term. However, the blood clears the extra sugar very quickly, so the mental boost is extremely short-lived, leading people to eat more. Eating for comfort can be a natural response to stress, but when combined with the lower motivation to exercise and consumption of low-nutrient, calorie-dense food, stress can result in unwanted weight gain.

What about weight loss? In a nutshell, the brain is connected to the gut through a two-way communication system called the vagus nerve. When you are stressed, your body inhibits the signals that travel through the vagus nerve and slows down the digestive process. When this happens, people experience fullness.

The pandemic left many people confined to their homes, bored and with plenty of food and little to distract them.

When adding the stress factor to this scenario, you have a perfect situation for unwanted weight changes. Stress will always be a part of life, but there are things you can do – like practicing positive self-talk – that can help ward off the stress response and some of its unwanted consequences.l Lina Begdache is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Easy calories, low motivation In both of the studies, people self-reported their weight, and the researchers didn’t collect any information about physical activity. But, one can cautiously

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23

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

5 Ways to Doom a Relationship from the Start you - which will probably make you even more needy. As mentioned, if you want a relationship to work, then you have to respect the other person's boundaries.

BY MARY CAMPBELL 311DIVORCE.COM

T

here are countless reasons why relationships fail. For example, you might date someone who turns out to not really be your type.

However, there are certain instances when you never give a prospective partner a chance, because you have set yourself up for failure from the very beginning. Here are five common reasons that some relationships are doomed to fail and how to avoid them.

1. Going in with Low Expectations There are pessimistic people who go through life always expecting things to not work out for them. That's even the case when it comes to dating and relationships. For instance, they might meet a prospective romantic partner, but never really give the relationship a chance because they "know" that it won't work out. Oftentimes, these are people who are unable to let go of the past. Furthermore, they engage in negative thinking which just feeds their pessimism. They end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy: The relationship fails. Therefore, whenever you start to date someone that you really like, give them an honest chance. Let go of past negative experiences from relationships that failed. Embracing positive

thinking can help you overcome pessimism.

2. Having Overly High Expectations While setting the bar too low can doom a relationship, having unrealistic expectations can be just as bad. The perfect couple is only found in one place: The movies! The truth is it isn't uncommon for first dates to feel a bit awkward. In fact, it's very rare to feel "the sparks fly" in the beginning when you are just getting to know someone better. However, that doesn't mean the two of you aren't a good potential match. As mentioned, you have to give someone an honest chance and that chance should include realistic expectations.

3. Being Possessive Possessiveness is another way to doom a relationship. While you might not mean to act controlling, a fear of losing some-

one can make you become possessive toward them. For example, you might want to get serious with a partner, while they prefer to take things slow. You might get angry when they are unable to spend time with you. Unfortunately, possessive behavior like that will only scare away most romantic partners. Therefore, you must be willing to respect your partner's boundaries and feelings in a relationship for it to have a chance to succeed.

4. Acting Too Needy You can also doom a relationship by smothering the other person with too much attention. While your partner might enjoy spending time with you, they won't likely want to spend all of their time with you — at least not in the beginning. Acting needy can be just as bad as being possessive. In many cases, your partner will start to pull away from

5. Unwillingness to Put in the Effort Finally, like most things in life, a good relationship requires a good effort. For example, you have to find time to go out on dates — even if your schedule is busy.

Romantic partners won't like it if you constantly cancel dates with them. You must also put in the effort to get to know someone as well. Furthermore, every relationship has disagreements.

Therefore, you have to find ways to work out those disagreements to prevent them from coming between you and your partner. Since a relationship requires so much time and effort, you should only consider them when you are willing to commit to that amount of time and effort.

In short, if you want to avoid setting yourself up for failure when it comes to dating and relationships, you need to have realistic expectations. You must also respect personal boundaries and the feelings of your partner. Make sure that you are ready to put in the time and effort needed to make a relationship work.

Embracing positive thinking can go a long way in helping you avoid these common dating mistakes.l

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24

TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE

You Can Fly! CDC Says Fully Vaccinated People Can Travel Safely Within the US

BY WILLIAM PETRI, THE CONVERSATION

I

t’s OK for fully vaccinated people to travel domestically again without quarantining, so long as they wear a mask and maintain social distancing guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced April 2, 2021 in its updated guidelines for travel.

The agency advises that people still wash or sanitize their hands frequently when traveling. The guidelines also provide guidance for other modes of transportation other than air travel, and are for domestic travel. The CDC recommends delaying international travel for fully vaccinated people.

The agency also advises delaying domestic travel for those who are not fully vaccinated. And, the updated travel guidance comes only days after CDC Director Rochelle Walensky reminded people that mask-wearing is still essential and that the U.S. is not out of danger.

Fully vaccinated means that two weeks have passed since people have received the full dose of vaccine. That is two shots for those who have been vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. For those who have been vaccinated with the

Johnson & Johnson vaccine, that is one shot. Studies have shown that it takes the body two weeks to develop the full immune response to the vaccine, regardless of which vaccine they receive.

More than 50 million people have been fully vaccinated, and more than 100 million people in the U.S. have had at least one dose of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines as of April 2, 2021. Evidence continues to show that vaccination with the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines offers very high levels of protection against the coronavirus.

And, research is showing that the risk of vaccinated people spreading the disease to others is low. However, there is still a small risk that vaccinated people could

transmit the disease to others.

While this is good news to those who want to travel – as well as the airline industry and tourist destinations – people are still confused about what they can and cannot safely do. As an infectious disease doctor, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from my patients as well as my friends and family about what someone is allowed to do once vaccinated. Do vaccinated people need to wear masks, socially distance and avoid travel?

If you are fully vaccinated – that is, if you are more than two weeks out from receiving both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson – you can visit other fully vaccinated people without socially distancing or wearing masks, according to the CDC guidelines. You can even visit indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease without wearing masks or physically distancing.

The CDC does suggest you be tested if you develop symptoms that could be COVID-19. You should then stay isolated until you are shown to be uninfected.

If you are fully vaccinated, you should still avoid social settings that include

multiple unvaccinated households. And, you should avoid medium to large crowds because of the increased risk.

You also should continue to wear a well-fitted mask, wash your hands frequently and maintain physical distance when outside the home. Worshiping indoors at a synagogue, mosque or church is still not advisable unless all attending are vaccinated.

With regard to the new guidelines, the CDC says that vaccinated people should still monitor themselves before and after travel and wash or sanitize their hands frequently.

So in the face of continued pandemic transmission and new viral variants, we all need to remain vigilant and observe good health practices even after being vaccinated. However, it is very good news that we can prudently lift some of the restrictions that have so limited our ability to be with loved ones. This is especially good news for seniors who are particularly vulnerable to the downside of isolation – and the loved ones who are keen to visit them.l William Petri is a Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia

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26

CONVERSATIONS

Women Face A Myriad Of Injustices; Can A Better World Emerge? sections. They also have the greatest burden of illness, highest rates of skipping needed healthcare because of cost, difficulty affording healthcare, and are least satisfied with quality of care they receive. One in three women in the U.S. report having emotional distress. Clearly, we need to transform the U.S. healthcare experience, quickly, into one that cares about women’s health.

BY ANDI SIMON, Ph.D.

W

hat does it say about our culture when moms and their children are facing unbearable pain and trauma during the pandemic?

This crisis has simply amplified the way women in the U.S. are undervalued, or not valued at all. While it is widely known that America lags far behind all other industrialized countries in paid maternity leave, appropriate childcare and suitable work/life balance for mothers, the challenges of the current public health crisis have brought to the fore just how bad we are as a country, a society, and a culture. Why, we must ask, do mothers have to disproportionately bear the burden of household work, caring for their children and at times their parents, all the while earning 18% less than men, often with little or no employer or spousal support?

How can this be? What are we missing in this story?

As a corporate anthropologist and a professional woman who worked from the time my daughters were three weeks old (no paid leave then either), I have gotten

past the anger and frustration and have, like many women I suspect, accepted this as just the way it is. But does it have to be?

Before the pandemic, women made up more than half the work force (58%), the first time in a very long time. Yet 40% of children are born to single mothers, at the same time that the role of men as fathers and co-caregivers has shifted, as has their role in the workplace. Only 69.6% of men are employed full-time, and 6.3% are unemployed (5.9 million), as of February 2021. The academic dropout

rate for men is 20% higher than for women—6.2% don’t complete high school and 58% who start college don’t complete a four-year program (48% at private institutions).

During the pandemic, 10 million jobs have been lost, over half of which were held by women, often women of color. In December 2020 alone, 140,000 jobs were eliminated, all of them held by women.

Women, on the other hand, have generated most of the new jobs since the 2008 recession.

Before the pandemic, they were owning and running 40% of the businesses in the U.S. Many of these businesses were second incomes; others were necessity businesses, from hair salons to solopreneurs, trying to thrive in a gig economy that since 2019 has grown to a third of the workforce.

To add one more injustice, our healthcare system is among the world’s worst for women.

U.S. women have the highest maternal mortality rate among 11 developed countries, and one of the highest rates of C-

When, we ponder, will men who have the power to change our society get wise to the pain they are creating for women and do something to change it?

When you add it all up, women seem like superheroes. They attempt to achieve work-life balance. They worry about childcare and parent care. They try to build careers and grow businesses, often with family and friends as the major source of funding. They bear and raise children and stive to provide healthy, safe environments for them, sometimes with little or no help. Is this as good as it gets?

I venture to guess that no, it can get better. It will get better. It must get better.

How? By all of us, women and men, fighting for a new normal that is far better than the one that used to be, or that we find ourselves in now. And, by refusing to accept defeat.l Andi Simon, Ph.D., author of Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business, is an international leader in the emerging field of corporate anthropology .She has been on Good Morning, America and Bloomberg, and is widely published in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Business Week, Becker’s, and American Banker, among others.

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