CaribbeanAmericanPassport March 2012

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FREE

N E W S M A G A Z I N EN E W S M A G A Z I N EN E W S M A G A Z I N EN E W S M A G A Z I N EN E W S M A G A Z I N E

Queen’s College Alumni Wale Omawale, Candidate for Orange CountyProperty Appraiser Rick Singh & Anything Guyanese Facebook GroupFounder Lloyd Phillips. Photos Courtesy Caribbean American Passport NewsMagazine

Candidate Rick Singh meetsCandidate Rick Singh meetsCandidate Rick Singh meetsCandidate Rick Singh meetsCandidate Rick Singh meetsthe Community at CAPthe Community at CAPthe Community at CAPthe Community at CAPthe Community at CAP

News Magazine’s Meet theNews Magazine’s Meet theNews Magazine’s Meet theNews Magazine’s Meet theNews Magazine’s Meet theCandidate SeriesCandidate SeriesCandidate SeriesCandidate SeriesCandidate Series

Prince HarryPrince HarryPrince HarryPrince HarryPrince Harryraces Usainraces Usainraces Usainraces Usainraces Usain

Bolt in JamaicaBolt in JamaicaBolt in JamaicaBolt in JamaicaBolt in JamaicaKINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) It wasn’t

much of a race, but then it reallycouldn’t have been as the world’s fastestman and Britain’s Prince Harry met up ona track Tuesday in the Jamaican capital.

The prince got off to a false start and was

PhagwahPhagwahPhagwahPhagwahPhagwahCitrus Bowl,Citrus Bowl,Citrus Bowl,Citrus Bowl,Citrus Bowl,March 18thMarch 18thMarch 18thMarch 18thMarch 18th

PPPPP hagwah has been re-scheduled to SundayMarch 18th 2012.

Admission is FREE for ev-eryone 11:00AM-7PM!

At the Citrus Bowl located1610 Church Street Or-lando, FL.

Enjoy music and singersfrom FL, NY, & GA

Diya International, NachVedha Dance Group,Vashnie Dance Academy,and Maya Dance Studio.

Vendors will have food,drinks, fashion, games andprizes.

Bring the whole familyand enjoy a beautiful dayof Phagwah!

For more info contact:Hari Singh 321-662-1887.

Consul General of Trinidad &Tobago, Dr. Anil Ramnanan.

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GGR Marketing & Public Relations1230 Hillcrest Street, Orlando, FL 32803

407-427-1800 • [email protected] Media Information email: [email protected]

Copyright (C) 2010 GGR Marketing & Public Relations. All rights reserved.

L I F E S T Y L E

Guenet Gittens-Roberts,

Publisher/Editor

Publisher ........................................................... Guenet Gittens-RobertsEditor .............................................................................Audrey JohnsonContributing Writers: ..................................................... Natasha Gittens........................................................................................ Phillip Browne

. .................................. ................................................... Roger Caldwell................................................................................ Nouchelle Hastings

Contributing Photographers ............................................ Dilia CastilloDistribution.................................................................... Samuel Roberts

ubscribe to Caribbean American

Passport News Magazine today.

Get the news delivered directly to

your door each month!

For a limited time we are offering a one year subscription

to CAP News Magazine at $25.00. This will also provide

you with discounted admission to events, coupons for

shopping at your favorite stores as well as updates on

caribbean events coming up in our community.

This Christmas Season give the gift of a subscription to

CAP NewsMagazine to someone and we will personalize a

card to them from you in that gift package.

Name ______________________________________ Date ___________

St. Address __________________________________________________

State _____ City _____________________________ Zip _______ ______

Phone ___________________ Email ______________________________

Signature ____________________________________________________

Please mail this subsciption with your check or money order to

Caribbean American Passport News Magazine 1230 Hillcrest

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! Yes this is a gift subscription from:

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I was married at 20 with my daughter at 21 and a son at 23and I’ve always believed that if you have children and couldafford to stay home with them – then they need it espe-

cially in the early years of their life. So I stayed home studiedand worked around a family schedule…which meant that inthe evenings I did most of what I needed to do after Sam, myhusband had come home from work. I did this until my chil-dren went to middle school.

At that time, of course, they wanted more space, but still atten-tion – so it worked perfectly with me becoming more active,doing more outside of home and them having responsibilitiesfor chores and getting themselves ready for their active sportslives. I was in Real Estate and looking back that was the easi-est money I ever made – while leaving enough time for a per-son to maintain a flexible schedule for family and friends…even though at the time I felt imposed upon when I had tocheck my computer during vacations.

Then the economy toppled - real estate agents, mortgage bro-kers – an entire industry, lifestyle and people vanished. Peoplestarted losing jobs and there was no work to be found. I had todig deep to find what I could build upon to make money. Luck-ily nothing was really making money, so I had to choose to dosomething I loved as well, so that I’d want to do it. My rootswere based in advertising and marketing, as I’d worked with myparents in their company in Guyana. The company was NCEScreen Printers Ltd., where I was trained from the age of 16 tocreate marketing plans and to find local products that we couldprint on. We had a garment company, so if we couldn’t find t-shirts in the colors that we needed – we bought the fabric andsewed the t-shirts and then printed them. As a result I knewgraphic design, I knew how to sew, I knew to create marketingproposals and from my experience in Orlando, I had volun-

teered and knew the Caribbean Community.

Two years and Caribbean American Passport NewsMagazine later– I have to tell you - As a woman it’s hard to start a business whenyou have a young family, my father proud as he was of the news-paper, kept calling from Guyana to tell me that 20 great businesswomen aren’t worth one good mother, and that I shouldn’t forgetthat family comes first while I build the business. I have notworked as hard in my life as I have these last 18 months or beenabsent as much from my family as I have. I’ve lost a chunk ofmy friends because I don’t have the time to hang out and talk.However, I know that if you aren’t willing to sacrifice somethingto build your business – you might as well not even do it, becauseyou won’t do it well. I used to love reading – that’s now dwindledfrom 1 book a week to 1 book maybe every three months. Thetime I do have is limited to family and business with my friendsnow being mainly the people I really like that I do business with.As a woman, who was naturally inclined to listen to people ex-pound on their problems, one of the hardest things has been tosay to those same people – I don’t have the time…I can’t. Someday, friends will be back in the picture – but that’s a sacrifice Iknow I had to make as a woman to build my business.

I recently attended a women’s summit the Women of Power Sum-mit, at the Ritz Carlton, organized by Black Enterprise Maga-zine. Women of Power were present from every industry - Con-struction to Cosmetics. As business women we need to attendthese types of events. They validate the sacrifices we make,they know us - and when you leave you are empowered. I leftwith the knowledge that - there are more women like me whodon’t follow the rules and are “wantonly unsupervisable” notgreat candidates for anyone who wants to put us in a box. Butwe are entrepreneurs, willing to fight and sacrifice while we workhard at your own business – and that we’re not alone. When-ever I think of complaining about my schedule, I think aboutthose women and a friend who said – you chose what you’redoing – if you whine, I’ll just give you cheese to go with it…causethat’s the only thing you have time for.

This month as we celebrate Women’s History , take a few minutesto get motivated by the Women of Power Summit videos at http://www.blackenterprise.com/events/women-of-power-summit.

While on the Black Enterprise Magazine website check out theEntrepreneur’s Summit in Chicago – May 23rd – 26th, 2012.We’re putting together a team to attend. On the first day thatI attended the Women of Power Summit, I was told by the teamorganizing the event that Earl Graves, the founder of the Maga-zine was of Caribbean Heritage, Barbados to be exact….mythoughts – “I was already happy to be here, this news is justIcing on the Cake!” We will be working to bring you moreinformation about the many events they do to help you tobuild your business and yourself as a professional.

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You Are Invited to Attend:Meet the Candidate Series byCaribbean-American Passport

- Jerry Demings -Candidate for Orange County Sheriff

Sunday April 15th, 2012 from 4 pm - 6 pm

You’re Invited!Please join Ralph Bowen, Caribbean American

Passport NewsMagazine & Singh’s Restaurant & Bar

for a

Campaign Fundraising Reception for

Orange County Sheriff

Jerry Demings

April 15, 2012, 4:00 pm– Singh’s Restaurant & Bar, International Drive Location –

7000 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando, Fl. 32819

Food & Drinks will be on sale

To play a role in this event, please contact

Ralph Bowen, 321-356-1499 or

Guenet Gittens-Roberts, 407-427-1800

For more information:

http://capmagazinemeetthecandidate.eventbrite.com

Please make checks payable to: “Jerry Demings Campaign”

Contributions are limited to $500 per person or corporate entity.

No foreign national payments are accepted.

The purchase of a ticket for, or contribution to, the campaign fundraiser is a contribution to the campaign of Jerry Demings.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Jerry Demings, Democrat, for Orange County Sheriff 2012 Campaign.

Contributions to the Jerry Demings Campaign are not deductible for Federal income tax purposes.

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By Roger Caldwell

The presidential election of 2012 will be determined bywhich candidate wins the most votes, and which candi-date raises the most money. It’s a different world in poli-

tics, when Super PACs were added to the equation. With SuperPACs rich donors can contribute millions of dollars to a candi-date without disclosing their name or their company’s name.The wealthy Republicans can contribute millions of dollarsunder a PAC, and create negative advertisements to defeat Presi-dent Obama.

This 2012 election will be a nasty and dirty fight, and theRepublicans have decided that their only goal is to defeat thepresident. In 2008, President Obama was able to raise moremoney than the Republi-cans, and in 2012 they arenot going to let that hap-pen again. President Obamawas able to beat the Repub-licans because he raised hismoney on the internet, and$25 pledges from grass-roots citizens.

The Republicans have beenconsistent with their soundbites attacking thepresident’s initiatives, and attimes if you listen longenough they appear to beright. Many of the indepen-dents have switched sides,and many of the conservative Democrats are also switchingsides. This election will not be a cake walk and everyone willhave to reach in their pocket and donate their few extra dol-lars to the president’s campaign.

Bill Maher, the host of HBO’s talk show “Real Time” is doingmore than talking. He has reached down in his bank accountand gave a gift of $1 million to a Super Pac that supports thepresident’s reelection campaign. Maher has always supportedthe president, but at times some of his political satire has at-

tacked the president’s decisions, and he appeared to be angrywith the president.

Maher admits that at times he does not agree with the direc-tion that the administration is going, and the president hasnot been at his best during his first term. But based on thealternative, he feels the president is the only choice.

“After watching the Republican field and the 20 debates they’vehad, I fear Santorum and Romney. They live in a bubble ofinsanity, half the country is nuts, and Obama could very welllose,” says Maher. He believes that many of President Obama’ssupporters are complacent and they think the president hasthe election won.

Maher thinks that this will be a much closer race than the onein 2008. Based on his study of American politics, there are 12competitive states that will determine if the president will bevictorious. “For years I’ve never done anything overtly politi-cal for either party. But c’mon. Who’s kidding who at this point?It’s not even close....I decided to put my money where my mouthis,” said Maher.

Many of the liberals are talking but he believes that they willhave to get into thegame by putting upmoney. Maher be-lieves that the wealthyRepublicans are writ-ing checks and thewealthy Democratswill also have to beginto write checks. If theDemocrats do notwrite checks the Re-publicans will outspend the Democrats,and the presidentstands a good chanceof losing.

Maher is telling howhe truly feels about the election of 2012. He is fearful about theoutcome of this election and supporters of president can nottake anything for granted. With all the new regulations andlaws with voting, all of Obama’s supporters will have to be onpoint, and get out the vote to win.

Maher is hoping that his donations will nudge liberals with farfatter checkbooks than his to contribute. Nevertheless, Maheris leading by example and everyone who supports the presi-dent needs to write a check, because this fight is for our future.

Bill Maher Gives President ObamaBill Maher Gives President ObamaBill Maher Gives President ObamaBill Maher Gives President ObamaBill Maher Gives President Obama$1 Million for Campaign$1 Million for Campaign$1 Million for Campaign$1 Million for Campaign$1 Million for Campaign

“After watching theRepublican field and the20 debates they’ve had,

I fear Santorum andRomney. They live in a

bubble of insanity, half thecountry is nuts, and Obama

could very well lose . “

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BRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLICBRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLICBRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLICBRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLICBRYAN AND GARY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A PUBLICF O R U M F O R S O M E O F T H E M O S T P R O VF O R U M F O R S O M E O F T H E M O S T P R O VF O R U M F O R S O M E O F T H E M O S T P R O VF O R U M F O R S O M E O F T H E M O S T P R O VF O R U M F O R S O M E O F T H E M O S T P R O VOOOOO C A T I V E A N DC A T I V E A N DC A T I V E A N DC A T I V E A N DC A T I V E A N DTHOUGHT PROVOKING TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAYTHOUGHT PROVOKING TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAYTHOUGHT PROVOKING TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAYTHOUGHT PROVOKING TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAYTHOUGHT PROVOKING TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH EVERYDAYLIFE. TODAY THEY’RE ASKING THE QUESTION: WHAT WOULDLIFE. TODAY THEY’RE ASKING THE QUESTION: WHAT WOULDLIFE. TODAY THEY’RE ASKING THE QUESTION: WHAT WOULDLIFE. TODAY THEY’RE ASKING THE QUESTION: WHAT WOULDLIFE. TODAY THEY’RE ASKING THE QUESTION: WHAT WOULDYOU DO FOR LOVE?YOU DO FOR LOVE?YOU DO FOR LOVE?YOU DO FOR LOVE?YOU DO FOR LOVE?

Bryan

Gary

GARY: Bryan would you do anything for LOVE?BRYAN: Of course wouldn’t you?GARY: Yeah Right!!! What exactly would you do for LOVE?BRYAN: I’d climb the highest mountain or swim thedeepest sea. I might have to get swimming lessons, butonce that was done, I would do it.GARY: Next you’re gonna tell me that you would go to helland back, RIGHT???BRYAN: Well If I knew there was definitely a way backfrom HELL, then yeah I would go to hell and back. Sofor now I’ll just let you go first & &LOLGARY: So then you wouldn’t do anything for love? Wouldyou take a bullet for the one you LOVE?

BRYAN: Of course, I wouldbring it all the way to theends of the earth and backif that’s what I had to do.GARY: I meant if her lifedepended on it. If someonewas shooting at her &Wouldn’t you stand in herplace and take the bullet?BRYAN: LOL, HELL NO. Ilove her, but til death wewould have to part. Now ifthe bullet was going in myhand or leg, then MAYBE.If you’re asking would I

give my life . . . HELL NO.GARY: That’s the Bryan that I know, I knew he would comeout eventually.BRYAN: What are you telling me Gary? That you would

give up your life for the oneyou LOVE? Is that reallywhat you’re telling me?GARY: In all honesty Bryan, Iwould have to think long andhard about that one.BRYAN: Look they say foolfall in LOVE, but I’m noFOOL. I won’t DIE for LOVE.That’s what you see crazypeople doing in movies. Notin real life.GARY: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah &.Iwonder what our readerswould say. What Would YouDo for LOVE?

LIFE IS A JOURNEY THAT’S FULL OF UPS ANDDOWNS, TWISTS AND TURNS, SUCCESSES AND FAIL-

URES, AND A LOT OF THINGS IN BETWEEN. SO WHATWOULD YOU DO IF FACED WITH THIS QUESTION? E-

MAIL US AT [email protected] .

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Poster Contest announcedPoster Contest announcedPoster Contest announcedPoster Contest announcedPoster Contest announcedfor Anancy Festivalfor Anancy Festivalfor Anancy Festivalfor Anancy Festivalfor Anancy Festival

Break Away Moments will be hosting a Poster Contest inconjunction with its presentation of Anansy Festivalbeing held on June 9, 2012 at The Princess Theater in

Sanford, FL.

The Anancy Festival is a celebration of Caribbean culturalheritage and designed with particular appeal to children andteenagers curious about the Caribbean. Anancy (or Anansi)is the West African trickster hero of numerous folk tales thatare popular across the Caribbean. This clever and connivingcharacter is familiar to millions of people around the worldand an appropriate icon for the festival’s blend of Caribbeanculture on a platform geared for children and adolescents.

June 9th, enjoy a promotional display of abundant AnansyFables/Storybooks along with a variety of Jamaican andCaribbean cultural books offered by DARE BOOKS locatedin Longwood.

View the posters created for theBreak Away Moments Poster Contest:

The theme for the poster contest is:The theme for the poster contest is:The theme for the poster contest is:The theme for the poster contest is:The theme for the poster contest is:‘THE CARIBBEAN . . . A PARADISE‘THE CARIBBEAN . . . A PARADISE‘THE CARIBBEAN . . . A PARADISE‘THE CARIBBEAN . . . A PARADISE‘THE CARIBBEAN . . . A PARADISEREGION ALIVE WITH CULTURE’REGION ALIVE WITH CULTURE’REGION ALIVE WITH CULTURE’REGION ALIVE WITH CULTURE’REGION ALIVE WITH CULTURE’

Criteria for poster must include the following:

1. Poster must depict a Caribbean cultural essence2. Poster should incorporate a positive reflection of the Carib-

bean and/or its people, geography, tourism, craft, ethnicfood, flora & fauna

3. Poster should demonstrate a sense of ingenuity and creativity4. Contestants should be 18 yrs or older

Prize offered: $100 to winnerPrize offered: $100 to winnerPrize offered: $100 to winnerPrize offered: $100 to winnerPrize offered: $100 to winnerAll posters entered meeting the established criteria

will be showcased at the Anansy Festival event.

Judging will be done by Ricky Neath of YardMedia.comwhose artwork will also be on display

The Winner will be awarded at the end of the perfor-mances affiliated with the ‘Anansy Festival’ event

This Poster Contest is meant to promote the interestof the Caribbean with a focus on the culture and

vibrancy which the region has to offer.

Event Admission is FREE to children under the age of2yrs, Children over 2yrs up to 18yrs is $3 and Adults $5

College students with Student ID will be $3

For more information:Contact Sandy Isaacs at (407) 272-7522

or email [email protected]

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LEADING LADIES BEHIND THE SCENES

Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”Nouchelle Hastings: “Girl What Do You Bring to the Table?”

Welcome to my column on Leading Ladies behind the Scenes. Our column will introduce you to leadingladies who have branded their own recognition and blazed their own trails. These ladies work behindthe scenes but manage the front line with high impact results. You might have heard their names oradmired their work, but never met them up close and personal. Our column will give you the chance tomeet these ladies so you can place a face with the name and their trendsetting work in our community,various organizations and in business. Thank you for celebrating their value with us.

M any people have putEarline in a box theythink she only prepares

obituaries and hands out tissue togrieving families. You are notalone I used to think the same thinguntil our worlds collided with col-laboration.

Do you remember the televisioncartoon, Dastardly and Muttleyin Their Flying Machines? They

were always chasing Yankee Doodle Pigeon, which is wherethe show actually gets itstheme song.....”Stop thatpigeon” This is what a dayin the life of Earline willremind you of - grab her,nab, but stop that pigeonnow. As with the cartoon it never happens and you guessedit, you cannot stop Earline.

Earline who learned sign language afterher son was born deaf, is an amazingstory of triumph; a self-made and pro-claimed enthusiast for life and business.

While we have all come to know and re-spect the first name to call when you havelost a loved one is JAB Designs, the worldhas learned a new story and although it’splagued by silence, it’s a loud testimony.Can you hear it? It’s the story of how ourdeaf and their families are finding newsuccess in life and society through theprograms and advocacy of Earline andGHA for over fifteen years.

God’s Hands Agency Inc., is the onlyChristian-based organization that pro-vides family and community support ser-

Women’s History Month: Earline Blumhagen, founder ofWomen’s History Month: Earline Blumhagen, founder ofWomen’s History Month: Earline Blumhagen, founder ofWomen’s History Month: Earline Blumhagen, founder ofWomen’s History Month: Earline Blumhagen, founder ofGod’s Hands Agency and Partner of JAB DesignsGod’s Hands Agency and Partner of JAB DesignsGod’s Hands Agency and Partner of JAB DesignsGod’s Hands Agency and Partner of JAB DesignsGod’s Hands Agency and Partner of JAB Designs

Earline Blumhagen eating at diner while on the road..

vices and language learning opportunities to and for the180,000 Deaf and their families here in Central Florida. Westrive in everything we do to bring awareness to the facts, i.e.,there is no unintentional learning for Deaf children, most Deafpeople CANNOT read lips (speech) (contrary to popular be-lief), and yet the Deaf CAN succeed, given an opportunity, be-cause with God ALL things are possible.

Speaking of possibilities, the slogan “Where Every Event Makesthe Mission Possible” is the tag-line for all that GHA does. Eventslike the amazing undertaking of the first ever Mission PossibleTour which was done under the umbrella of WiFi Pedalers. TheMission Tour on the Mississippi River Trail took Earline and

her husband JAB over 2,222miles, 42 bridges and 3months to complete in theirquest for deaf advocacy andequality in services and eco-nomic opportunities. And

they are doing it again in parts which began Tour # 2 Novem-ber 20th, a 2-week, 400-mile tour in northeast and CentralFlorida. Follow their blogs at www.wifipedalers.com because

the Yankee Doodle Pigeon is on the rise.

As a wife, mother of three and grand-mother of one, Earline knows the im-portance of patience and compassion.This is exemplary in her support as ateacher, interpreter for the deaf dealingwith the legal system, domestic issuesand the day to day struggles that comewith being deaf. Now she is taking it toa whole new level as she recently gradu-ated as a Partner in Policymaking(ww.fddc.org/about/partners- in-policymaking). Advocacy will have tobe redefined. This is why Earline is ourchoice and First Leading Lady to meetduring Women’s History and HeritageMonth. Get to know her better atwww.godshandsagency.com

“Blindness separates you from things; Deafnessseparates you from people.”

- Helen Keller

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By Audrey Johnson, EditorCaribbean American Passport News Magazine

Dr. Anil Ramnanan, Consul General of Trinidad and To-bago, was the featured speaker at the first Meet theCandidate Series held by Caribbean American Pass-

port Newspaper for the Rick Singh Campaign for OrangeCounty Proper Appraiser. This event, dubbed the CaribbeanAll Star event was held at the Majestic Event Center, in part-nership with the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerceof Florida and hosted by Caribbean American reporter withFox News, Jennifer Bisram.

Focusing on “Political Empowerment of the Caribbean Com-munity” the Consul General pointed to the glaring lack of realpolitical involvement of Caribbean nationals in the US politicalprocess. He outlined the financial achievements and successesthat Caribbean Nationals have obtained in the US, driven hesaid, by their spirit of hard work and industriousness. However,he wondered why the same level of achievements were not be-ing accomplished in the area of politics.

Dr. Ramnanan said that although this is the seventh year sinceCongress adopted a resolution establishing Caribbean Heri-tage Month, and even though our people have died in defenseof this country, “we remain a bloc that is largely ignored anddismissed” by the larger society, both public and private sector.Stating that political involvement enhances the respect of ourbirth nations and could facilitate growth in such sectors astrade, business, cultural exchanges and tourism, the ConsulGeneral challenged the Caribbean Community to becomeAmerican citizens and step into the political arena, in order todraw more attention to the impact of this community on thenation as a whole.

While congratulating and complimenting Rick Singh on hisdecision to step up to the political plate, he also called for a

Caribbean Identity on the national census, which he said willdefine the economic and political empowerment story moreeffectively “in numbers that matter”.

The man of the moment, Rick Singh, of Guyanese background,is the only State-Certified Appraiser in the race for OrangeCounty Property Appraiser and the first Caribbean Americanto run for this office in Central Florida. In his remarks, hestated that Caribbean Americans are the least represented sec-tion in the political process. The reason, he emphasized, is notbecause they are lazy, but because the most qualified amongthem are reluctant to step up and become involved in the po-litical process. He said he accepted the challenge to serve whenhe realized that politicians are least concerned with the plightof small business owners in the County. In his opinion, the USwas built on the backs of small business owners, like many ofthose from Caribbean backgrounds.

Mr. Singh noted that Caribbean Americans may be educated,independent, and philanthropic, but all of that is of very littleeffect if they have no significant political representation in theirhost country. In his passionate manner, he emphasized that“freedom and success mean having the courage to be whatyou were meant to be”.

This Meet the Candidate Series sponsored by Caribbean Ameri-can Passport News-magazine, was very well attended by localrepresentatives from various countries from the caribbean re-gion. There was also a special guest appearance by CharlesMattocks, local chef and nephew of Reggae Superstar Bob Marley.Mr. Mattocks is currently a spokesperson for the American Dia-betes Association and is conducting a Mall Tour to address thedebilitating effects of uncontrolled Diabetes.

Sponsors for the event included the Caribbean AmericanChamber of Commerce of Florida, Majestic Event Center andSingh’s Restaurant & Bar who sponsored the food for the event.

Caribbean American Candidate Rick SinghCaribbean American Candidate Rick SinghCaribbean American Candidate Rick SinghCaribbean American Candidate Rick SinghCaribbean American Candidate Rick Singhmeets the Community at CAP Newsmeets the Community at CAP Newsmeets the Community at CAP Newsmeets the Community at CAP Newsmeets the Community at CAP News

Magazine’s Meet the Candidate SeriesMagazine’s Meet the Candidate SeriesMagazine’s Meet the Candidate SeriesMagazine’s Meet the Candidate SeriesMagazine’s Meet the Candidate SeriesT& T Consul General, urges Caribbean Nationals toT& T Consul General, urges Caribbean Nationals toT& T Consul General, urges Caribbean Nationals toT& T Consul General, urges Caribbean Nationals toT& T Consul General, urges Caribbean Nationals toparticipate more fully in America’s political arenaparticipate more fully in America’s political arenaparticipate more fully in America’s political arenaparticipate more fully in America’s political arenaparticipate more fully in America’s political arena

— Continued on page 23 —

1 01 01 01 01 0

Black History Month Recognition

Unity in Uniform, Inc. a not-for-profit 501c(3) organizationin Orlando, Florida celebrated last month’s Black History

Month with the announcement of 3 scholarships. The schol-arships in honor of Lieutenant Timothy Jackson Scholarship,Chief Bessie Hudson and Engineer Willie Green were unveiledon February 27, 2012 at the City of Orlando’s Council Meetingheld at 400 S. Orange Avenue (City Hall). They also recognizedthe scholarship recipients for two of the three awards.

The scholarship opportunities support individuals pursuingeducation in the Emergency Services, Nursing and otherHealthcare fields. “Unity In Uniform” is representative of a di-verse group of firefighters from Central Florida region. Thisincludes members from Orlando Fire Department, OrangeCounty Fire Rescue, Maitland Fire Department, Sanford FireDepartment, Orlando International Airport Fire Rescue, etc.Nurses and educators employed within Orlando Health, FloridaHospital, Health Central, Keiser University and other uniformedprofessionals from within our community are also a vital partof this organization. Our motto is “Helping Hands”. As nurses,firefighters and other uniformed professionals in CentralFlorida, we seek to provide educational opportunities for youthsand adults within the Central Florida community.

Members of the Executive Board that were in attendance in-cluded the Chairman, Dr. Winston Warren of Daytona StateCollege, Vice-Chairman Maurice Mascoe, MD, Director of Emer-gency Medicine at Health Central Hospital, Executive DirectorHezedean Smith, Chief Officer at Orlando Fire Department,Associate Director Stacey Brown, Educator at Orlando Health,Secretary Jennifer Klinger, Engineer at Orlando Fire Depart-ment and Treasurer Ian Davis, a Chief Officer at Orlando FireDepartment. The families of the first 6 Black Firefighters hiredby the City of Orlando in 1968 were in attendance along withother members of Unity in Uniform.

2012 Chief Bessie Hudson Scholarship

For many years, obstacles sat squarely in front of BessieHudson. Her parents parted ways when she was a girl.

Before she was a teenager, she helped support her family byworking in the field. She was a teen mother and wife. Shelearned she had a fear of heights while working a job thatincluded climbing a 117-foot ladder. Those are hardly the idealpillars of a ground-breaking career, yet that’s exactly what BessieHudson has overcome. Seventeen years after her historic hire atOrange County Fire Rescue, Hudson was promoted to BattalionChief, the highest rank of any Black woman ever at the depart-ment. Bessie Hudson has made history for being named thefirst Black female Battalion Chief of Orange County Fire Rescuein Orlando, Florida that came up through the ranks. During hernearly 20 years of firefighting, Chief Hudson has overcome someserious obstacles of racism and cultural differences, but alwaysended up on top. She has been at the forefront of the BreastCancer Awareness and other fundraising endeavors from thevery beginning of Unity in Uniform and in her honor we areproud to dedicate the 2012 Scholarship Award in recognition ofher service to the community and fire department.

On June 10, 1968 the City of Orlando Fire Departmenthired 14 new firefighters.

Unity in Uniform acknowledged the contributions of Timo-thy Jackson, Willie Green, Davell Davis, Jimmie Hawkins,

Harley Leak and Samuel Williams for their service to the com-munity and the Orlando Fire Department. Last year, a Memo-rial was unveiled in honor of the City’s first 6 Black Firefighters.The leadership of the Orlando Fire Department was recognizedin making that endeavor a reality.

Lieutenant Timothy Jackson Scholarship

Lieutenant Timothy Jackson worked for the Orlando Fire De-partment and served this community from 1968-77. Lieu-

tenant Timothy Jackson’s illness required him to leave the firedepartment early and he passed away from Cancer in May of1977. Lieutenant Jackson was among the first 6 Blackfirefighters hired by the department in 1968. It is with muchrespect and an obligation to one of the Trailblazers that UnityIn Uniform dedicated the 2011 Scholarship Award to Lieuten-ant Timothy Jackson’s service to the City of Orlando. His fam-ily received the award in honor of his services.

Recipient: Anderson Brown, Jr.Lieutenant Timothy Jackson Scholarship

Age - 18 years old and a gradu-ate of Central Florida Prepa-

ratory School, Orlando in 2011.Played football and mentoredyoung kids at his school. Graduatedwith a 3.1 GPA and subsequentlyenrolled in Valencia College’s EMTProgram. He has been involved inthe OFD Explorer for the past yearand actively participates in trainingevolutions and ride-alongs. His goalis to become a Firefighter and ulti-mately get hired with the OrlandoFire Department. BJ as he is affec-tionately known comes from a stricthome. His father is a Probation

Officer with the State of Florida, Osceola County.

Recipient: Katy Christman2012 Chief Bessie Hudson Scholarship

Katy is currently enrolled in the Paramedic program at

Daytona State College. She isactively involved in the DeltonaFire Explorer’s Program and hascontributed over 140 hours incommunity service. She is cur-rently employed with the Cityof Deltona Fire Department.Her goal is to continue servingthe community while enhanc-ing her abilities to provideemergency medical care to vic-tims that need help. She hascommitted to further contribute

to the mission and objectives of Unity in Uniform.

2012 Engineer Willie Green Scholarship

Engineer Willie Green worked for the Orlando Fire Depart-ment and served this community from 1968-1986. Engi-

neer Green was among the first 6 Black firefighters hired bythe department in 1968. Shortly after retirement, he succumbedto his illness, dying of lung cancer in 1987 at the age of 44. Itis with much respect and an obligation to one of the Trailblaz-ers that Unity In Uniform dedicated the 2012 Scholarship Awardto Engineer Willie Green’s service to the City of Orlando. Thescholarship recipient will be determined in October 2012 afterthe 3rd Alarm Scholarship fundraiser event. Willie Green’s fam-ily was on hand to receive the acknowledgement and award.

Please contact Roderick Waisome, Informatics Manager forinformation about advertising your company/logo on ourwebsite. To be involved as a Corporate Sponsors or a member,please contact them at (321) 800-8838, email:[email protected] or visit www.unityinuniform.org.

1 11 11 11 11 1

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Guyanese Association (GACACF) celebratesGuyanese Association (GACACF) celebratesGuyanese Association (GACACF) celebratesGuyanese Association (GACACF) celebratesGuyanese Association (GACACF) celebratesGuyana's 42nd Anniversary as a RepublicGuyana's 42nd Anniversary as a RepublicGuyana's 42nd Anniversary as a RepublicGuyana's 42nd Anniversary as a RepublicGuyana's 42nd Anniversary as a Republic

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1 41 41 41 41 4

T

he highly regarded lifestyle TV show“OCEAN Style” has inked a distribu-tion deal with New Media Buys to

distribute its 30 minute lifestyle show acrossthe US. The deal will see the show, whichurges viewers to ‘dive in to the good life inthe Caribbean’, broadcast in up to 43 Mil-lion Over the Air Household across the USvia 200 different channels in all 211 TV mar-kets and some 15 Million Cable Households.

The multi-faceted deal was con-cluded at the famedFontainebleau Hotel in SouthBeach during NAPTE betweenOCEAN Style Executive Pro-ducer Douglas Gordon andNew Media Buys/OmniverseOne World Television CEO Jason DeMeo. Thedeal includes options for additional interna-tional distribution and domestic sponsorship.

The show hasbeen very wellreceived havingalready beenbroadcast into20 plus coun-tries interna-tionally. Gor-don com-mented “Theresponse to theprogram hasbeen phenom-enal. All totalwe have inkeddeals that havetaken OCEANStyle globallyinto over 100Million households including our previousDirecTV and Sky distribution deals. This isby far our most significant transaction as itputs the show front and center into the lu-crative US households that translate muchmore directly to advertising dollars.We are working assiduously to sharethe news and opportunity with ourvalued advertising partners to en-sure that they have first stab atreaching this market.”

“I’m excited to be another piece tothe puzzle bringing Ocean Style tothe next level. I truly believe it’s timefor Ocean Style and Executive Pro-ducer Douglas Gordon to announceto the world what I would call thebest-hidden secret in Fashion,Lifestyle, and Entertaining Televi-sion. In addition to our traditionaldistribution we’re especially excitedabout the Omniverse One WorldTelevision set top box and our de-vice agnostic media platforms in-cluding an Ocean Style Androidapp, Ocean Style Omniverse Advanced Me-dia Platform, and distribution via OmniverseOne World Television empowering viewers towatch Live and or Video on Demand. It’s thistype of advance media that’s necessary toreach as many people as possible during this

mass market shift not only here in the USbut around the world.” said DeMeo.

There’s an APP for That

The partnership will also put OCEAN Stylewhich is comprised of - OCEAN Style Maga-zine and OCEAN STYLE TV, a 30-minute showmixing luxury travel destinations, fashionupdates and lifestyle events - on to all an-droid operating systems which now boasts

more than 200 million downloads allowingadvertisers the additional benefit of tradi-tional media via TV and new media throughbanner spots in the rapidly exploding ad-vanced media space, which currently enjoys80 million active daily users via advancedmedia platforms.The first season of the show which is hostedand Produced by LA-based Chie Davis fea-tures many of the Caribbean’s leading luxurydestinations and brands including Sandalsand Beaches Resorts, Half Moon, The TryallClub, Audi, Hublot, Revlon, Custo Barcelonaand First Citizens Bank. Additionally theycover a number of high end fashion andlifestyle events including New York FashionWeek, Caribbean Fashion Week and OCEANStyle’s own annual celebrity golf tournamentand Fashion Showcase. The show also fea-tures a number of celebrity interviews andfeatures including golf legend Greg Norman,businessman Eric Trump, former heavy-weight champion Lennox Lewis, actressVictoria Rowell, celebrity stylist Phillip Blochand Essence Magazine Editor in ChiefConstance White, amongst others.

Gordon continued, “We welcome the oppor-tunity to workwith Jason andhis team. Theyhave been en-thusiastic part-ners in this pro-cess and have acompelling longterm strategy forthe show thatwe look forwardto seeing cometo light. It is atestament to thework that hasbeen done byChie Davis andthe rest of ourteam to dateand we look for-ward to continu-

ing to raise the bar in the future seasons.”

The syndication will put the show into all211 TV markets including the prime marketsof New York and the Tri-State area, Miami,Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago.

OCEAN Style Secures US National TVOCEAN Style Secures US National TVOCEAN Style Secures US National TVOCEAN Style Secures US National TVOCEAN Style Secures US National TVSyndication Deal with New Media BuysSyndication Deal with New Media BuysSyndication Deal with New Media BuysSyndication Deal with New Media BuysSyndication Deal with New Media Buysand Omniverse One World Televisionand Omniverse One World Televisionand Omniverse One World Televisionand Omniverse One World Televisionand Omniverse One World Television

Executive ProducerDouglas Gordon

Deal will see Caribbean Luxury Lifestyleshow distributed into all 211 US marketsreaching up to 43 Million Households.

1 51 51 51 51 5New Site, New Look. Post your Events & your Business for Free on CaribbeanFinder.com

The Greater Haitian American Chamber of Commerce(GHACC) would like to see more of our Caribbean brothers and sisters become U.S. Citizens. This is an important

final step in the immigration process.

There are many misconceptions and missed opportunities aboutbecoming a U.S. Citi-zen. Most of us inDiaspora alwaysdream of returninghome. However, 30years go by, we havechildren and eventu-ally grand-children that are born here and we still dream ofreturning home. Dreaming of one day returning “HOME”should not hinder us from becoming a U.S. Citizen.

One of the greatest pitfalls of not becoming a U.S. Citizen isthat when someone is convicted of a crime and he/she onlyhas a “Green Card”, he/she becomes automatically subject todeportation proceedings and possible removal from the UnitedStates. A U.S. Citizen never has to worry about being deported.

Becoming a U.S. Citizen also means you can sponsor certain familymembers to become a Lawful Permanent Resident. Also, everyother year, the government raises the filing fees for most of the

applications. Filing for naturalization used to cost $50 at one time.Now the filing fee is $680 and will likely go up in the near future.

Please do not forget that this is a presidential election year. Be-coming a U.S. Citizen certainly means that you can vote. Fouryears ago, many of us felt so much pride to vote for the first Afri-

can-American to be-come President of theUnited States. Exerciseyour right to vote!

For all these reasons,GHACC invites to come

to our Citizenship Drive on May 12th 2012 and file your Citizenshipapplication. We will also have a Voter Registration Drive that day.

All of this will take place at the Magic Mall. We ask that youbring your Passport, your Green Card and your Driver’s License.We will have volunteers ready to help you draft the applica-tion Free of Charge. Several locations in Central Florida alsooffer free civic classes to help you pass the naturalization exam.We will also make that information available for you.

If you would like more information or to schedule an interviewwith Jackson Marcelin, Esq., please call Katiana LaGuerre at321-287-8119 or at [email protected].

More of the Diaspora should be filingMore of the Diaspora should be filingMore of the Diaspora should be filingMore of the Diaspora should be filingMore of the Diaspora should be filingfor U.S. citizenshipfor U.S. citizenshipfor U.S. citizenshipfor U.S. citizenshipfor U.S. citizenship

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN FILING FOR NATURALIZATIONWITH THE IMMIGRATION SERVICE USED TO COST $50. NOWIT COSTS $680 TO FILE YOUR CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION.

1 61 61 61 61 6 Jonathon Brown 407-421-0253.Jonathon Brown

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Laparkan Trading is among the sponsors of the Third An-nual Linkage Music Awards honoring outstanding Jamai-

can artistes who have helped to propel reggae music on theworld stage.

The awards ceremony, to be held on Sunday, March 11, at theMacedonia Center in Mount Vernon, New York, will honor anumber of leading reggae artistes including Marcia Griffiths,Beres Hammond, Denroy Morgan, Wayne Wonder, Sanchezand Ken Boothe, said founder of the Awards Show Dexter ‘Link-age’ Blake. A number of top artistes have also been nominatedfor awards in various categories.

General Manager of Laparkan Shipping Jamaica, Ms. MargueriteTaylor says Laparkan is pleased to be among the sponsors of theawards especially as Jamaica celebrates its 50th anniversary ofIndependence this year. Taylor said the company is also honored

Laparkan Shipping is moving its Miami warehousing op-erations to its new 166,000 square-foot state of the art fa-

cility, effective Monday, March 12, the company’s chairmanand chief executive officer, Glen Khan announced, he also wenton to say that as off March 12th, all cargo will be delivered tothe new warehouse.

Khan said the move to the new warehouse, located at 3775NW 77th Street, is intended to better serve the company’s ex-panding customer base which includes personal effects ship-pers, commercial entities, government and non-government

LAPARKAN AMONG SPONSORS OF LINKAGE MUSIC AWARDSLAPARKAN AMONG SPONSORS OF LINKAGE MUSIC AWARDSLAPARKAN AMONG SPONSORS OF LINKAGE MUSIC AWARDSLAPARKAN AMONG SPONSORS OF LINKAGE MUSIC AWARDSLAPARKAN AMONG SPONSORS OF LINKAGE MUSIC AWARDSto be invited to be one of the presenters at the awards ceremony.

“Reggae has evolved as one of the leading music forms glo-bally and this is testimony to the creativity and great talent ofour Jamaican artistes, some of whom will be honored duringthis event,” Taylor said.

Taylor pointed out that reggae music along with the steel pan,which was invented in Trinidad and Tobago in the 20th cen-tury and West Indies cricket “have over the years helped topositively propel the Caribbean on the world stage.”

Among the nominees for awards this year are Romain Virgo,Mavado, I-Octane, Kip Rich, Beres Hammond, Tony Matterhornand Laza Morgan. Virgo made international headlines last yearwhen he became the first reggae artiste to perform at the Coun-try Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee.

LAPARKAN MOVES TO NEW MIAMI WAREHOUSELAPARKAN MOVES TO NEW MIAMI WAREHOUSELAPARKAN MOVES TO NEW MIAMI WAREHOUSELAPARKAN MOVES TO NEW MIAMI WAREHOUSELAPARKAN MOVES TO NEW MIAMI WAREHOUSEagencies and international donor organizations.

The new facility also houses the Disaster Emergency Relief Cen-ter which serves as a pre-positioning and staging area for emer-gency relief supplies needed in the event of a natural disasterin the State of Florida and/or countries in the Caribbean basin.Laparkan donated a section of this facility following the Haitiearthquake in January 2010 as a relief center, and workingwith the Americas Relief Team (ART) has transformed it into apermanent center to facilitate an immediate response in theevent of a natural disaster.

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At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, the CentralFlorida Association for Women Lawyers (“CFAWL”) willpresent its Spring Fashion Soirée: Runway for Justice, a

high-end fashion runway show sponsored by NEIMANMARCUS. This event will benefit - A Place for Children andCFAWL’s inaugural scholarship fund, and serve as CFAWL’sannual Professional Women’s Exchange (“PWE”).

This will not be your average fashion show. Guests and sup-porters will be treated to a night of private shopping, a silentauction, wonderful door prizes and delicious delicacies. Theywill also enjoy the most cutting edge fashion show this spring.

The main focus of this event is to raise $10,000 for A Place forChildren. A Place for Children is a free daycare service locatedinside the Orange County Courthouse. The facility operateswithout any public funding, and provides a place where chil-dren can stay without being subjected to court business that isoften not in the best interest of a child to witness.

This event will also showcase CFAWL’s annual PWE and itsinaugural scholarship fund. CFAWL is devoted to actively pro-moting the advancement of women in the legal profession andexpanding the leadership role of its members in the commu-nity at large. The purpose of PWE is to encourage networking,support and growth among Orlando’s professional women andwomen owned businesses.

For more information about this event contact Committee ChairConti Moore at [email protected] or visit http://www.cfawl.org/runway-for-justice. Tickets can be purchased online at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/222406.

CFAWL Spring Fashion SoiréeCFAWL Spring Fashion SoiréeCFAWL Spring Fashion SoiréeCFAWL Spring Fashion SoiréeCFAWL Spring Fashion SoiréeRunway for JusticeRunway for JusticeRunway for JusticeRunway for JusticeRunway for Justice

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Award-winning Caribbean airline announces twice-weekly flights from Miami, FL to Georgetown, Guyana.

With a reputation of excellence that spans more than 50 years,Surinam Airways recently expanded their services to includenon-stop flights between Miami, Florida and Georgetown,Guyana. The move marks the tenth international route for theairline that provides at least once-weekly service to eight dif-ferent Caribbean and European cities.

“In adding flights between Miami and Georgetown, we saw an op-portunity to give our travel clients even greater access to SouthAmerica,” said Mr. Fitzjim, Manager North America at Surinam Air-

New Year, New Route for Surinam AirwaysNew Year, New Route for Surinam AirwaysNew Year, New Route for Surinam AirwaysNew Year, New Route for Surinam AirwaysNew Year, New Route for Surinam Airwaysways. “Now, travelers may choose two different direct flights to coastalSouth American cities - Paramaribo and, of course, Georgetown.”

The new flights are scheduled to run once a day, each way onTuesdays and Saturdays, departing from Miami InternationalAirport (MIA) or Cheddi Jagan International Airport inGuyana (GEO). Passengers can choose from economy class orthe airline’s signature business class that includes dedicatedcheck-in, private airport lounges, priority booking and bag-gage retrieval, and complimentary champagne upon take off.

For more information from Surinam Airways call 305 599 1196or email [email protected]

In most instances, it takes an encounter with a life-alteringevent, such as a debilitating illness, to bring about pro-found changes in our lives. Such was the case with Carib-

bean Frozen Foods (CFF) Representative Vittel Smart, whose com-pany took advantage of his near-miss witha heart attack to develop the recipe forheart-healthy Jamaican patties.

Although involved in sales and market-ing of patties for many years with SmartFoods Distributors, Inc., Mr. Smart didnot focus on health concerns in the in-dustry. His concern was primarily thetaste and competitiveness of the prod-uct, and giving the consumers the fla-vors to which they had become accus-tomed. However, his own experiencespropelled him to recommend significantchanges in the company’s patty busi-ness, and now CFF, which is the sales andmarketing wing of Smart Foods, has in-troduced customers to a healthier version of the Jamaican fastfood staple, and the market appears to be receptive. Improve-

ments to the product include the elimination of saturated fats,addition of certain ingredients containing vitamins essential toheart health, formation of blood cells and support energy andnervous system functions. Cholesterol levels from fats, trans-fat

and sodium levels were lowered by CFFin the formulation of what they considerto be a healthier product.

The company estimates that it has dis-tributed some six million patties annu-ally from its production plant in Miami.Beef patties-mild and spicy, jerk chicken,curry chicken, and vegetables, whichinclude carrots, cabbage and celery, areavailable from such markets as Publix,Walmart, Super Target, Sedanos, U-Saveand many others throughout the Stateof Florida, the East Coast as well as na-tionally. According to Mr. Smart, thecompany “is proud to be the leadingadvocate for the production of healthier

Jamaican patties”,- now known as the “Smart Patty” and toutedto be the “healthier alternative”.

Give your heart a healthy Jamaican pattyGive your heart a healthy Jamaican pattyGive your heart a healthy Jamaican pattyGive your heart a healthy Jamaican pattyGive your heart a healthy Jamaican pattybreak says representative Vittel Smartbreak says representative Vittel Smartbreak says representative Vittel Smartbreak says representative Vittel Smartbreak says representative Vittel Smart

Vittel Smart in front of a display of Heart HealthyPatties with Playwright Debra Ehrhardt

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It is that time of year again . . . to pay your dues to Uncle Sam! But besides just being the only certainty along

with death (as the adage goes), taxes canalso be necessary for your immigrationstatus. Let us explore how paying, ornot paying, your taxes can affect yourstatus in the United States.

When applying for Citizenship. Howyou treat your tax obligations can affectyour eligibility for naturalization. Spe-cifically, when applying for naturaliza-

tion, one must demonstrate good moral character. The regula-tions provide that someone who avoids paying taxes lacks goodmoral character. Therefore, if you are applying for naturaliza-tion, you should not be delinquent on your taxes. If you arebehind on your tax obligations, then you should enter into an“offer in compromise” with the IRS, which is basically a pay-ment plan. At the naturalization interview, you can present theletter from IRS confirming the payment plan.

Another tax issue that comes up in the naturalization context ispaying taxes as a “non-resident.” Often, applicants spend a sub-stantial amount of time abroad in their country of birth or deriveincome from there. As a result, the person may file tax returnswith the IRS as a non-resident. However, to be eligible for natu-ralization, one must establish that he or she has been continuouslyresiding in the U.S. Filing tax returns as a non-resi-dent leads the United States and Citizenship and Im-migration Service (“USCIS”) to believe that you havenot continuously resided in the U.S., or have aban-doned your residency. Therefore, if at all possible, oneshould not file as a non-resident.

If you are a Permanent Resident. As noted above, filing taxeswith the IRS as a non-resident or filing in a foreign country canlead the government to believe that a permanent resident hasabandoned his or her residency. Consider one scenario: A law-ful permanent resident returns to the U.S. after an extended tripabroad. Upon entry, the U.S. Customs and Border Protectionquestions the person whether he or she has earned income abroadand filed taxes there. If the CBP determines that as a result offiling taxes abroad, he or she has been residing there, then it canrefer the person to Immigration Court for removal proceedings.The person will have to convince the Immigration Judge that heor she did not intend to abandon U.S. residence.

When filing a Marriage Petition. If you are filing for perma-nent residence based on your marriage to a U.S. citizen or a per-manent resident, you must prove that the marriage is bona fide,i.e. to establish a marital life together and not just to get a greencard. As part of the evidence, the USCIS will review your taxreturns to confirm that they were filed jointly.

Similarly, if you are filing a petition to convert your two-yeargreen card to a 10 year card, you must again establish the bonafides of your marriage. Once again, the USCIS will want to seethat you filed taxes jointly with your spouse.

Your TAXES and IMMIGRATION ConsequencesYour TAXES and IMMIGRATION ConsequencesYour TAXES and IMMIGRATION ConsequencesYour TAXES and IMMIGRATION ConsequencesYour TAXES and IMMIGRATION ConsequencesBy Shahzad Ahmed, Attorney at Law

When filing any petition. In general, when filing an immigra-tion petition, the sponsor or the joint sponsor must show that heor she makes income at least 125% of the poverty guidelines.To determine this, the USCIS looks at the sponsor’s tax returnsfor the last 3 years. This illustrates that it is important not onlyfor the immigrant, but the sponsor to file taxes.

If you have no legal status in the U.S. What if you have no legalstatus? Should you take advantage and forego your tax obligations?To the contrary, my opinion is to pay your taxes for the followingreasons. You may become eligible for certain immigration benefitsin the future, which require showing good moral character or attain-ing favorable discretion of the Immigration Judge or the USCIS. Forexample, if an illegal immigrant is placed in deportation proceedings,he or she may be eligible for Cancellation of Removal, which re-quires showing that the person has resided in the U.S. for 10 yearsand that he has had good moral character throughout those years.Having filed tax returns for those years can help establish both ofthese requirements.

Similarly, if Congress does pass the Immigration Reform we havebeen anxiously awaiting, then the undocumented immigrant maybe required to prove physical presence and good moral charac-ter. Having filed tax returns may help prove these requirements.

If you do not have a social security number and wish to filetaxes, you can obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)from the IRS to file your taxes.

So don’t delay fil-ing your taxes, seeyour CPA today!While the old ad-age lumps up death

and taxes within the same phrase, the latter one does not have tobe dreaded. Rather, it may be the most important thing you do inplanning for your or your loved one’s immigration status.

Filing a False Tax Return May Result in Deportation. In itsdecision, Kawashima v. Holder, , S. Ct. Dkt. No. 10-577 (U.S. 2/21/12), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that willfully preparingand subscribing a false tax return constituted a crime of fraud ordeceit under the aggravated felony statute of the Immigrationand Nationality Act. Thus an alien convicted for this violationunder 28 USC § 7206(1) is subject to deportation if the loss tothe government is in excess of $10,000.

The aliens in this case were a Japanese couple who had beenlawful permanent residents of the U.S. since 1984. The hus-band pled guilty to willfully preparing and subscribing a false taxreturn while his wife pled guilty to aiding and assisting in same.These convictions led to their removal proceedings.

This case is an example of how even lawful permanent residentsmust be careful in maintaining their status in the United Statesand abide by the law, or otherwise risk deportation.

The opinions in this column are not meant to be tax or financial advice.For tax advice, please consult with your Certified Public Accountant.

Filing a False Tax ReturnMay Result in Deportation.

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“I think they (West IndiesCricket Board - WICB) are veryrude and if anything they oweme and Jamaica an apology.”

- Hon. Portia Simpson Miller,Prime Minister of Jamaica

(CMC)

“My impact in the Bahamascan be measured by when(you) land in our country atthe airport and you call myname, they will let you in.”

- Dr. Myles Munroe,President, Bahamas Faith

Ministries International (JoyOnline)

“Well my husband and I just got back from celebrating our one-year anniversary and we went to St. Lucia and it was so beauti-ful. We stayed at this little place called the Ladera, and it’s basi-cally three walls, and the fourth invisible wall is overlookinglike a rainforest in the grand pitons. It’s really, really beautiful!”

- Kellie Pickler, American country music artist (Fox News)

“We are adding BookDirect(tm) to our Aruba.com website togreatly enhance the visitor experience and send visitors directlyto our hotels to book. It’s the right solution for Aruba’s hotelindustry and fits our strategy perfectly as we are redesigningAruba.com and moving forward into the future with a focuson digital marketing in order to align with the consumer de-mand for simple and direct online bookings.”

- Jim Hepple, President and CEO,Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association.

“Vocational training is the primary initiative for Yéle Haiti in2012. HEAT (Hospitality Education and Training) has beendesigned to expose students with an in-depth knowledge asto how hotels work. This training enables them to be better

Prime Minister of Jamaica,

prepared for understanding what high-level customer servicemeans and enter the industry with some experience. The pro-gram helps provide much-needed job training in Haiti - vitalfor the country’s rebuilding - while significantly improvingservice standards in a growing tourist destination like Jacmel.”

- Derek Johnson, CEO, Yéle Haiti

“Mobile phone vouchers create additional security and conveniencehere in Haiti, especially for women, who might feel more vulner-able when carrying large sums of money. With safer housing con-ditions, this initiative will also encourage the permanent return ofcamp residents to their neighborhoods and repaired homes.”

- Jessica Faieta, Senior Country Director, UNDP Haiti

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Guyana Karate to beGuyana Karate to beGuyana Karate to beGuyana Karate to beGuyana Karate to berepresented at USArepresented at USArepresented at USArepresented at USArepresented at USA

Premier EventPremier EventPremier EventPremier EventPremier EventRicky Jagnarain, President

of the Guyana Karate As-sociation (GKA) will representGuyana ( as referee) at theSuper Show Karate Tourna-ment put on by the UnitedStates Speciality Sports Asso-ciation (USSSA) National Ka-rate Program.

Sensei Jagnarain, holds a 5th De-gree Black Belt from the WorldUnited Karate Organization(WUKO) and an ‘A’ Class refereelicense form the USSSA Karateand the Trinidad and Tobago Ka-rate Federation (TTKF). GKA isthe WUKO and USSSA Karatemember to Guyana.

Many Guyanese karatekasfrom Florida, New York andGuyana are expected to behere for the event. It takes place at Orange County Conven-tion Center on April 27th and 28th.

about 50 meters down the track as Usain Bolt bent over withlaughter. The Olympic medalist then jogged up to Harry, mak-ing one of his signature skyward points for a crowd of onlook-ers at the University of the West Indies in the Jamaican capital.

Later, the two exchanged pleasantries and talked about run-ning for an audience made up mostly of university students,including many athletes. The prince noted Jamaica’s inter-national reputation as a track and field powerhouse and saidit was impressive for a small nation of nearly 3 million.

“Don’t go running off to America, because you’ve got talentyour country needs,” he told the crowd.

Harry is touring the Caribbean as part of a Diamond Jubileetour in honor of Queen Elizabeth II as she celebrates 60 yearson the throne. The 27-year-old prince , who made earlier stopsin the Bahamas and Belize, arrived by private jet and receiveda 21-gun salute from members of the Jamaica Defense Force.

His visit comes as the new prime minister, Portia SimpsonMiller, has called anew for the severing of ties with the Britishmonarchy. Jamaica has been independent from Britain since1962 but still recognizes the queen of England as the titularhead of state.

Simpson Miller, who was scheduled to have lunch with PrinceHarry during the visit, has professed admiration for the queen,but said political change is necessary to eliminate the ves-tiges of colonialism.

“I think the fact that August coming will be 50 years since wehave gained our independence, that it’s time for us to severthe ties,” she said Thursday in an interview with The Associ-ated Press.

At the track stadium, though, there was nothing but enthusi-asm for the prince. University students waved enthusiasticallyand cheered for him, calling for him to come out of his mo-torcade. “It’s the first time I have ever been this close to roy-alty,” 23-year-old medical student Shikera Fearon said as theprince pulled away.

Prince Harry racesPrince Harry racesPrince Harry racesPrince Harry racesPrince Harry racesUsain Bolt in JamaicaUsain Bolt in JamaicaUsain Bolt in JamaicaUsain Bolt in JamaicaUsain Bolt in Jamaica

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Caribbean CoachesCaribbean CoachesCaribbean CoachesCaribbean CoachesCaribbean Coachesdominate the U-18 Disneydominate the U-18 Disneydominate the U-18 Disneydominate the U-18 Disneydominate the U-18 DisneyField Hockey ShowcaseField Hockey ShowcaseField Hockey ShowcaseField Hockey ShowcaseField Hockey Showcase

The Disney Field Hockey Showcase is one of the USA FieldHockey’s premier events, girls from across the nation and

in some cases across the world compete and showcase their skillsin the U-18 and U-16 divisions. This tournament is considered aproving ground of the girls’ field hockey program. It is the ulti-mate place for top field hockey clubs to be seen by hundreds ofcollege coaches looking for great field hockey talent. There isalso an open registration forum for teams and players fromaround the world, so that individual players looking to join aShowcase team are able to sign up for the guest player pool andare given the opportunity to showcase their skills to collegecoaches and other teams from around the nation.

This year the Spirit Eagles U-18 girls team coached by MarkWaldron and Kesley Stephenson came to the tournament with

a mission.Spirit EaglesField HockeyClub (SEG) isthe largestmost respectedfield hockeyclub andtraining pro-gram in thenation. SEGhas trainingsites across NJwhich includeRutgers Uni-

versity, The Holmdel School, The Pingry School and The PeddieSchool to name a few. They are the leaders in teaching the gameof field hockey in the New Jersey, New York and Connecticut tri-state area. The program is run by head coach Bobby Issar, whocomes from a long history of National USA players; Bobby be-lieves that winners are made not born and this is the belief thathe has instilled in his coaches and players alike.

This year Caribbean Coaches - Mark Waldron from Guyanaand Kesley Stephenson from Jamaica, came to Disney on amission....dominate their division and take home the winningtrophy...and that they did. Their SEG U-18 girls team played

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Entertainment was sponsoredby InSession Band DJ Al,dancer Aklima Khan-Mahadeo and singer Kham-elian to a very receptive au-dience. Publisher of Carib-bean American Passport &new President of the Carib-bean American Chamber -Guenet Gittens-Roberts saidshe was pleased with the col-lective effort of the Carib-bean Community to be in-volved in the election processand looks forward to work-ing to highlight the achieve-ments of more Caribbean Can-didates along the way to theelection in November, whilegetting the message acrossthat we as a communityshould become citizens, reg-ister and vote in November.

Meet theMeet theMeet theMeet theMeet theCandidateCandidateCandidateCandidateCandidate

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CaribbeanCaribbeanCaribbeanCaribbeanCaribbeanCoachesCoachesCoachesCoachesCoaches

the entire tournament unde-feated and took home theprestigious U-18 girls divisiontrophy after a close finalgame that saw the leadchange four times before theend of regulation; the gameended in a 2 - 2 tie and thefinal results would be decidedby penalty flicks. Thecoaches showed no signs ofconcern, as they explainedthat they had one of the bestgoalkeepers in the nation.After a nail biting round of 5penalty flicks from each teamthe results were decided.... theCaribbean coached teamshowcased their field hockeytalents and walked away withthe title of U-18 undefeatedchampions for 2012. For moreon local field hockey in thegreater Florida or Orlandoarea contact Central FloridaField Hockey Association at407-810-6435.

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CaribbeanAmericanPassport March 2012

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