As established when the first Summit was held, this event will be held in every and each city that is located in the Upstate area of New York State, by the proximity of the Thruway, between Buffalo and Albany. After the first annual Summit in Buffalo, the Committee decided to continue this event in 2008 with Rochester for the Second one, then Syracuse for 2009, Albany for 2010, and Utica for 2011.
Centro Civico of Amsterdam Inc.
Located in Fulton and Montgomery Counties of Northeastern New York, the mission of Centro Civico of Amsterdam, Inc., a Latino organization, is to educate the community and act as a vehicle for self-sufficiency and growth. We believe that through educating our communities, individuals will reach their fullest potential and achieve unimaginable heights. This continuous education, job training, self-determination, and a better use of limited resources, will only help the men and women of these communities become more self-sufficient and less vulnerable to economic oppression of the very society in which they thrive. Our goal in this effort, being to educate communities that experience injustice, poverty, health deficits, and educational deficits in order to live healthier and longer lives.
History of Fulton and Montgomery Counties
Montgomery County is a rural county with a land area of 409 square miles located to the west of Albany. It stretches from east to west along the Mohawk River. Montgomery County has a population of 48,968 according to the 2005 Census. Amsterdam is the only city with in this vast expanse of terrain. Until the early 1980’s, Amsterdam was a small industrial city with numerous, flourishing textile mills, glove and rug factories and employed nearly 65% of the area residents. These industries attracted many Hispanics, a majority being Costa Rican and Puerto Rican. Families came to the area seeking higher paying jobs to enhance economic stability for their families and education for their children.
Economic changes have occurred in many major cities across New York. However, in Amsterdam, manufacturers moved out of this area or closed their plants entirely; leaving the city and its surrounding towns devastated by the lose of economic stability and the years of hardship that have followed. The unemployment rate and the need for public assistance among Latinos grew due to the inability to find employment once these mills had been closed. Many of the workers lacked higher education, had language barriers, and had limited skills training.
