US congressman glad to be back in mother's, grandmother's home country

CHAIRMAN of the Congressional Black Caucus in the US Steven Horsford is thrilled to be back in Trinidad and Tobago – the birthplace of his mother and grandmother.

He spoke to Newsday briefly after a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's on Thursday afternoon.

Horsford was part of the delegation that accompanied US House of Representatives' Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to TT for the 45th Caricom heads of government summit.

The summit began on Monday and ended on Wednesday and featured various Caricom and international leaders.

Jeffries said Horsford has "roots" and "close familial ties" in TT so it has been "a very special trip" for him.

With a huge smile on his face, he told Newsday it felt "great to be back and be around TT people." He said his mother and grandmother are from Belmont and this was his third visit to the country.

He was raised in Las Vegas.

He said it felt especially great to be back in the capacity of chairman of the caucus.

His presence here and the related discussions, he said, solidifies "the work we (the US) need to do."

In a 2018 video on his Facebook page, Horsford can be heard saying immigration has "always been about family.

"My mother came to the US at 12 years old from Trinidad with my grandmother. And while my grandmother pursued the American dream and worked hard, my mom went to school. But because of a broken system after my grandmother got sick, my mom ended up overstaying her visa and became undocumented. She's now a legal, permanent resident.

"So when I hear the stories of moms and dreamers and families who are worried about keeping their families together...Know that you are not forgotten. Know that we are fighting for you and your family.

"And one of the reasons I'm running for Congress is because I will never forget where I've come from or what I'm fighting for."

And in addressing the US House of Representatives in June – Caribbean American Heritage Month – he recalled enjoying curry chicken, pepper sauce and pelau in his household when growing up.

He said Caribbean people contributed greatly to the foundation of the US and its success.