Blakeman Criticizes NYC Immigrant Enclave Map for Omitting Historical Communities
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has publicly criticized New York City's recently released 'Immigrant Enclaves' map, stating it neglects historical immigrant groups. Speaking from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, a prominent Italian cultural hub, Blakeman asserted that Italian, Irish, Polish, Jewish, and German communities are being 'left behind' by Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The controversy stems from the map's omission of the city's two Little Italy neighborhoods, one on Arthur Avenue and another in Lower Manhattan. Blakeman views this as an 'attack' on the immigrants who were foundational to the city, state, and country, arguing that their achievements are not being recognized. Mayor Mamdani acknowledged the map's shortcomings, promising 'additional changes' to include Little Italy in future versions, and attempted to attribute the error to former Mayor Eric Adams. However, critics, including the City Council Italian Caucus, have already labeled the map as 'incomplete at...