QUEENS, NY(TIP): The Indian Diaspora Council International(IDC) organized and coordinated the May 3, 2018 conference session on “Indo-Caribbeans in USA: Achievements, Opportunities & Challenges”whichwas part of 9^thAnnual CLACS Multidisciplinary Symposium on Immigration with the theme “The Rise of Transnational Populism: A Multidisciplinary Approach”.

The symposium was held on May 2-3, 2018 at St. John’s University at the Queens Campus and sponsored by St. John’s University Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) and by the Office of the Provost; the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Lecture Series; Office of Student Affairs; Office of Global Studies; Department of Languages and Literatures; and the Graduate School of Health Sciences at Touro College.

The session on “Indo-Caribbeans in USA: Achievements, Opportunities & Challenges” was chaired by Ashook Ramsaran, president of IDC, who made a presentation on historical background, migration to the USA, achievements, opportunities, challenges, issues of interest and concerns, trends and the future. Dr. Ashford Maharaj, Accounting and Finance professor at Berkeley College, New York, spoke on compliance with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), an important development in U.S. efforts to combat tax evasion by U.S. persons holding accounts and other financial assets offshore. Mr. Vishnu Mahadeo, longtime community advocate spoke about community needs, voter registration, and becoming more proactive to address people’s needs and wellbeing.

In an earlier session on May 3, Dr.Sharla Madho-Khargi, a clinical psychologist; director at a New York state mental health facility, adjunct professor at the City University of New York, andDirector, Community Based Rehabilitation, Indian Diaspora Council International, made a presentation on “Mental Health Challenges in the Caribbean Community (Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica etc)”. This was part of the session on “Serving Increasing Minority Adult Populations in Healthcare Contexts”.

 On May 2, Hon. Kiva Clarke (Consul General, Trinidad & Tobago), spoke at inaugural session “Distinguished Diplomats’ Roundtable Discussion”. Otherdiplomats participating included: Hon. Roseann St. Hill-Billouin (Dep. Consul General, Trinidad & Tobago); Hon. Álvaro Rodrigo Pinilla Romero (Consul General of Bolivia in New York); Hon. Maria Nieto (Consul General of Colombia in New York); Hon. Carlos Castillo (Consul General of Dominican Republic in New York); Hon. Diego Gomez Pickering (Consul General of Mexico in New York); Hon. María Teresa Merino de Hart

(Consul General of Peru in New York)

For more information contact: Ashook Ramsaran at AshookRamsaran@gmail.com  Mobile (USA) +1 917 519 5783

 Indian Diaspora Council International (IDC), established in 1997, is an international non-profit organization with global affiliates and membership in 21 countries with the objective to embrace, engage, and enhance the shared heritage, aspirations, and interests of persons of Indian origin with optimum inclusivity.