Adriano Espaillat, a member of the U.S. Congress representing New York’s 13th district, has recently shared his thoughts on Caribbean American Heritage Month and law enforcement anonymity through a series of tweets. Espaillat, who has been serving in Congress since 2017 after succeeding Charles Rangel, took to social media to express his views on these topics.
On June 7, 2025, Espaillat tweeted about the celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month. He highlighted the significant achievements of notable Caribbean Americans such as Shirley Chisholm, Roberto Clemente, Harry Belafonte, and Celia Cruz. In his tweet, he stated: “In June, we celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of Caribbean Americans like Shirley Chisholm, Roberto Clemente, Harry Belafonte, Celia Cruz and many others for their rich contributions to our nation. Happy Caribbean American Heritage Month!”
Following this English-language post, Espaillat reiterated his message in Spanish on June 8, 2025. He emphasized the same sentiments regarding the contributions of Caribbean Americans to the United States: “En junio, celebramos los tremendos logros de caribeños estadounidenses como Shirley Chisholm, Roberto Clemente, Harry Belafonte, Celia Cruz y muchos otros por sus valiosas contribuciones a nuestra nación. ¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Caribeña Estadounidense!”
On June 9, 2025, Espaillat addressed another issue concerning law enforcement practices. He expressed his opinion that members of law enforcement should not be permitted to remain anonymous: “If you’re law enforcement, you shouldn’t be allowed to hide behind anonymity.”
Espaillat was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic in 1954 and currently resides in Manhattan. He graduated from Queens College at City University of New York with a BA in 1978.
