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Caitlin Kelly
Politics
United States
New York City
New York
New York, NY

Legislator Profile: Margaret Chin – New York City Council District 1

by Caitlin Kelly
October 13, 2014
New York, NY
Overview of Profiles: Legislator profiles were designed to provide a snapshot of New York legislators, their issues of concern, any legislation they have been integral in passing, and how they might be interested in issues related to dance. This information was gathered through Internet research yielding news articles and through candidate's district and campaign website.
Office held: New York City Council
District: 1
Term: Second
Party: Democratic
Committees and Leadership: Aging (Chair), Education, Small Business, Civil Rights, Women's Issues, Aging, and Public Housing

Office Location: 250 Broadway Ste. 1804 / New York, NY 10007

Phone: 212-788-7259

Email: chin@council.nyc.gov

Focus of 2013 Platform: Affordable housing, infrastructure, worker rights, economic development, education, immigrant issues, police accountability

Vote Results: Ran uncontested (http://www.nytimes.com/projects/elections/2013/general/city-council/results.html)

Concerns as they relate to dance: Dance programs as they may relate to immigrant populations and culture as well as aging populations, as part of social justice or cultural programs, dance therapy programs

Biography:
Margaret Chin was elected to the New York City Council in 2010, as the representative for District 1, lower Manhattan. Margaret is Chair of the Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment and is a member of the Committees on Education, Small Business, Civil Rights, Women's Issues, Aging, and Public Housing. Margaret is a proud member of the Progressive Caucus, and the Women's Caucus. Margaret has twice been elected by her colleagues to serve as an executive member of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus.
Margaret Chin immigrated to the U.S. with her family from Hong Kong in 1963 when she was nine years old. She grew up in NYC Chinatown and attended P.S. 130 and JHS 65. She graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and from the City College of New York (CCNY) with a degree in education. It was at City College through taking Asian Studies courses that Margaret got involved in community organizing. For more than 30 years she has dedicated herself to public service to help immigrants, low income and working families.
Margaret worked for 14 years at LaGuardia Community College's Division of Adult and Continuing Education helping immigrant adults get a college education. Many of her students learned English, got a college degree and built a better life for their families.
For the past 11 years Margaret worked at Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), an organization that she helped to form when she was in college. As the deputy executive director, Margaret led the organization's work in advocacy, community organizing and coalition building. She fought for the preservation and building of affordable housing; better access to government services; equal opportunity and fair treatment, for immigrants, low income and working families. Margaret left her position at AAFE at the end of August 2008 to focus on her City Council Campaign.
In her many years of public service she served on boards of many not-for-profit organizations. Margaret was formerly the Chairperson of the NY Immigration Coalition (NYIC). She was a board member of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD) and chaired the Advocacy Committee. Margaret was a founding member of Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation (CPLDC) and served as the vice-chair of the board. Additionally, Margaret served as chair of the Census Bureau's Race and Ethnicity Advisory Committee on the Asian and Pacific Islander Population for Census 2000. Margaret was a member of Community Board 3 and Community Board 1. Margaret was also one of the founding members of Asian Americans for Equality, where she served as President of the board from 1982 to 1986. In 2003 Margaret was a Fannie Mae Foundation Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
As an advocate for civic participation and voter education, Margaret was elected to the Democratic State Committee for two terms from 1986 to 1990. Margaret ran for City Council in 1991, 1993 and 2001. She fought hard to get bilingual ballots for the Asian community.
Margaret is married to Alan Tung, a public school teacher at P.S. 3 in Greenwich Village. Their son, Kevin, attended public schools and graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and Syracuse University. Margaret's mom is a retired garment worker and still lives in Chinatown.

Source: (http://council.nyc.gov/d1/html/members/biography.shtml)

Interests: Civics, causes of aging and immigrant populations, nonprofits

News Clippings

CB1 passes OWS reso, enforcement issues remain

Traffic signal approved; Tribeca parents rejoice

A month in, O.W.S. and community trying to coexist

After a soldier's death; community wants full investigation

Chinatown Soldier Laid to Rest as Questions Linger About His Death

Op-Ed: "Occupy" Movement a Signal to DC

Living with 9/11: The Politician

Storm spares downtown; volunteer spirit emerges

Displaced Soho Tenants Strategize After Fire

DOT Tour Bus Plans Set for 9/11 Memorial Opening

Pols Salute New Section of Waterfront

Downtown Express Editorial Support the Chinatown BID

Tenants in Chinatown Building Forced to Vacate

Editorial: Amidst Tough Decisions: Saving Firehouses an Easy Choice

Ladder 8 Gets a Little Help from Their Friends

Proposed Rent Hikes Prompt Rally; Debate

Councilmembers Seeks Bloomberg's Support of Rent Stabilization

Another Bus Crash Spurs Pols to Push Bill in Albany

Families, pols security react to Bin Laden death

Making Census of It

Councilmember Chin on 1's Inside City Hall

Council member Chin on Fox's Good Day New York

Lower East Side Residents Host Margaret Chin Celebration

Celebrating Margaret Chin's Victory, Promising a Progressive Tilt in NYC

Chin, Parents Tell DOE New High School Plan is Misguided

The Day After: City Council Member Margaret Chin's Primary Victory

Woman Poised to be First Chinese-American to Represent NY's Chinatown

Margaret Chin Wins Big in Downtown Democratic Council Primary
Margaret Chin (Photo Credit: NYC Council Website)

Margaret Chin
(Photo Credit: NYC Council Website)

Photo © & courtesy of Unknown


NYC Council District 1 map (Credit: <a href='http://council.nyc.gov/d1/html/members/map.shtml' target='_blank'>http://council.nyc.gov/d1/html/members/map.shtml</a>)

NYC Council District 1 map
(Credit: http://council.nyc.gov/d1/html/members/map.shtml)

Photo © & courtesy of Unknown

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