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An Interview with PAULINE VELAZQUEZ
by Cathy Carballeira, LCSW
Pauline, you are the consummate advocate! Let’s talk about what hats you have worn and what roles you have played over your career as a social worker.
What was it like growing up in Puerto Rico?
My mother was an espiritista. She dragged me around with her everywhere! She had a special gift — she had visions and was able to see things that were going to happen to people. She practiced what people nowadays call “white magic.” She would take care of people and cure them of illnesses, which she believed had a spiritual rather than a physical cause, and she was very political — she was even on the Board of Elections. People would come to the house and say, “Can I have some money for food?” and she would say, “I have no money for you but come upstairs and I will feed you.” We had a small apartment in the city and people would come and stay with us all the time.
I remember exactly the day I came to the US. My mother put me in an airplane and sent me here by myself. My sister was waiting for me with my 2 nieces and we were a beautiful family and they enrolled me in PS 11. The first day, I comprehended that the teacher asked the only Spanish speaking girl in the class to help me and she turned her head around and pretended that she did not know how to speak English. At that moment, I told myself I was going to learn English! It took me a little bit longer. I chose to stay back one year in high school but I was the only one of my cohort that finished HS and continued to college and graduate school.
When did you become a social worker and why?
I think I was born a Social Worker! Ever since I was a little girl I was doing things for people in need. When I was a child in Santurce, Puerto Rico, I would collect money in the street for people who lived alone and died and did not have money to be buried-old people without families. I thought they should be treated like everyone else and get a proper burial rather than be buried in Potter’s Field. I was doing advocacy without realizing it. I saw a lot of injustice and not being a person with an education, I found I had very limited status in the community so I decided to further my education so I could be a better role model for women, young people and Latinos. I worked as a paraprofessional for years.
When I worked for Brentwood School district as a truant officer, I was always getting into trouble with my supervisor. They threw out one family because they missed 2-3 days of school. I found out that there were only 2 pairs of pants for all the children in the family and they had to share them, so each child could only go to school for 2 days a week. I made them take the family back!
Then I worked in bilingual education in Suffolk Community College. They had a life experience program that was specifically for Latinos. They gave me sufficient credits to go to college because I was so highly recommended by my high school. I did everything at Stony Brook University — my BSW and MSW. I met a group of Latino social workers there including Sonia Palacio Grottola and Debbie Valenzuela and this is how NAPRHSW began — along with Bill Larregui and Jose Fernandez. Most were professionals, even past principals. I was very honored to be with such excellent Hispanic social workers and I was treated with respect. I had a lot of interesting jobs and a lot of firsts.
How do you see your political advocacy as being productive?
Because of my knowledge of the relationship and the understanding of the political people that I know, I had the opportunity to advocate on behalf of issues that affect social workers and visit and lobby around housing, aging, mental health disparities issues. Only 5 years ago, I began working with NASW — they needed a division rep and I was asked because of my reputation as a leader in the community.
I also had the opportunity to put forward a program called, “Walk a Mile In my Shoes” to get elected officials and match them with welfare recipients who in turn exchanged information. The politician will educate the welfare person about what they do in their position, and the welfare person will educate the politician about their particular needs — that they need housing or an education, for instance. I matched Vivian Valoria Fisher with a welfare recipient who was not born in this country and she could not get food stamps for herself and her 7 year old child. So Vivian accompanied the mother to DSS and asked her to follow procedure. She was told in an arrogant way that they recognized her and had told her before that she was not eligible for food stamps. At that point, the legislator stood up and did not introduce herself at first but said to the worker, “May I assist this client? Apparently you did not understand what she was asking you,” and the worker asked, “And who are you?” and the politician introduced herself and asked to request to speak to the supervisor. In five minutes, the woman had food stamps in her hand.
What work are you doing now and with what population?
Right now after my short retirement from the Suffolk County Office for the Aging for 18 years, I was volunteering at Pronto where I am now employed 4 days and I am working for the entire community that is in need of services — low income people in need of housing, food and clothing.
What is the hardest part about advocating for your clients’ needs?
When they request help for certain items that are not covered financially — such as diapers — it is very difficult to have to say, “I am sorry I cannot help you We don’t have the funds.” Another thing I am observing now is the trouble we are having with certain school districts not accepting children in schools without affidavits — it’s immigration discrimination — very frustrating, especially when you hear the rhetoric of “No child will be left behind.” School districts are becoming more stringent when an undocumented child comes in and we know that the federal law states all children must be educated and they make them jump through hoops to accept the documentation — one child went for a whole year and was unable to get to school.
Give me an example of a particularly difficult situation and how you acted on your client’s best interests to get them what they needed.
I worked to defeat the English Only bills. There are very poor services for the elderly especially housing. Homelessness is a huge problem — not only among undocumented people but American citizens in shelters, people with AIDS with no services — there is nothing you can do. They are not eligible for food stamps, the clients claim.
I am very proud of the Pauline Velazqeuz Bill #4939 signed into law 1995, which allows seniors to save for their tax bill and not be penalized by losing their SSI benefits. As chair of the Nassau/Suffolk Hispanic Task Force since 1992, we gather information concerning the needs of the Hispanic Community which are then presented to our elected officials at the local and state levels. I have been honored by Governor Pataki with the “Community Service Award for Selfless Commitment to Human Life and the Advancement of the Puerto Rican Community.” I have been invited to attend the White House Conference on Aging; Gov. Cuomo also gave me an award and I am very proud of the Hispanic Leadership Award, “Social Worker of the Year” (NAPRHSW), and the fact that I have 6 children and 16 grandchildren!
I will also mention your other awards, Pauline, including the NY State Assembly Service Award, 1994; the Special Service Leadership Award for Elder Abuse, Suffolk County Task Force on Family Violence; the Certificate for Honor for Services on the Child Abuse Hotline, Suffolk County, and that you were recognized in the Winner’s Circle, in Newsday for your dedication and commitment to the Hispanic community. And of course, the Latina Women Hall of Fame!
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