On June 2, 2025, Congresswoman Grace Meng, D-NY, introduced a resolution for the Congressional Record, paying tribute to Caribbean-Indian community leader Ashook Ramsaran, a resident of her Sixth Congressional District, Queens, possibly the most diverse county in the nation.
“Mr. Ramsaran has been a resident of Queens, New York, since emigrating from Guyana (formerly British Guiana) in 1968. He is the third generation of Indian indentured laborers who worked on British sugar cane plantations after the emancipation of enslaved people in British colonies in 1834. His great grandfather, Pooriye, arrived in Guyana in 1853 aboard the ship Adelaide, and his great grandmother, Radhah, arrived in 1860 aboard the ship Colgrain. His family faced significant struggles and persevered under extremely harsh conditions on the plantations. Throughout the generations, they worked tirelessly to build a better life in Guyana rather than return to poverty in India,” the resolution reads.
It goes on to give the life journey of Ramsaran through primary school to his move to the United States and up to the present time. Married to Camille, Ramsaran moved to the US seeking higher education and a better life for his family. “
He embodied the American dream with courage, determination, and a commitment to succeed,” the Resolution says, as it goes on to describe his life in US, and how he built the fortunes of his family by attaining a number degrees, and facing the challenges of racism. “With remarkable resilience, he exceeded expectations, purchased a home, quickly advanced to prominent positions in major companies, funded his children’s college education, and established a successful engineering firm in Queens, New York. He has become a role model for his immediate and extended family, as well as for others in his community,” the Resolution says.
It describes Ramsaran’s numerous positions in civic and community organizations, including: Executive Vice-President of the Queens Civic Congress (QCC); Chair of the Community Advisory Council for NY Presbyterian Hospital/ Queens (NYP/Q); President of the Indian Diaspora Council International (IDC); Past President of GOPIO International (2011 to 2016), etc.
Ramsaran is also a Member of the District 24 AM Weprin South Asian Advisory Panel (SAAP); Member of the Queens Borough President’s Census 2020 Committee; Member of the Queens Borough President’s Civic Engagement Committee; and Delegate to the Queens Borough President’s General Assembly (QGA).
He has led landmarking initiatives including the Brinckerhoff Colonial Dutch Cemetery (1713), and he has facilitated street-namings such as Little Guyana Avenue, Don Capalbi Way (in honor of an exceptional civic leader), Old Towne of Flushing Burial Ground Lane (a historic cemetery for African Americans and Native Americans), Brinckerhoff Memorial Way, and others that honor civic and religious leaders.
Additionally, he has established memorials to commemorate Indian indentureship in various British colonies from 1828 to 1917, including the Kolkata Memorial in India and Indian Arrival Monuments in Guyana. Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, and other locations.
Related posts:
“Each Indian immigrant in my jurisdiction contributes to its richness”: Melinda Katz
NY City Council co-names streets recognizing contributions of South Asians in Queens
Ramsaran appointed Chair of New York Presbyterian Hospital Queens Community Advisory Council
In Guyana, Prime Minister Modi pays homage to Indians brought as indentured labor
