Ydanis Rodriguez
Encyclopedia
Ydanis Rodríguez is currently a Democratic
New York City Council
member from the borough of Manhattan
and the Chair of the Higher Education Committee.
, Ydanis moved from his hometown of Licey al Medio
to New York City
when he was 18 years old. While working as a taxi driver, Rodriguez earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at the City College of New York
. He eventually earned his Master's degree in Bilingual Education at CCNY.. While at CCNY, he was instrumental in organizing the system-wide strike in 1991. . Ydanis was a founding teacher at Gregorio Luperón High School
in 1992, and he continued to teach there for 14 years.
He represents the Council District 10 which encompasses the neighborhoods of Marble Hill
, Inwood and Washington Heights
. In January 2010, he was appointed as the chairman of the Higher Education Committee., and as Chair, Rodríguez has called for more diversity in the faculty of CUNY, more childcare programs for student-parents, and successfully fought to keep CUNY's budget intact during the economic recession.
and Disorderly Conduct
. He was seen by witnesses bleeding from the head as he was placed in a police car. Rodriguez remained in Zuccotti Park
along with about 200 other Occupy Wall Street
protestors that refused to leave after Brookfield Properties asked the Bloomberg administration
to clear the park for a cleaning.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
member from the borough of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and the Chair of the Higher Education Committee.
Early life and background
Born in the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Ydanis moved from his hometown of Licey al Medio
Licey al Medio
Licey al Medio is a municipality of the Santiago province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : Las Palomas....
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when he was 18 years old. While working as a taxi driver, Rodriguez earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
. He eventually earned his Master's degree in Bilingual Education at CCNY.. While at CCNY, he was instrumental in organizing the system-wide strike in 1991. . Ydanis was a founding teacher at Gregorio Luperón High School
Gregorio Luperon High School for Math & Science
The Gregorio Luperón High School for Math & Science is located in District 10 of the borough of Manhattan, New York, USAThe school is named after General Gregorio Luperón a Dominican military and state leader....
in 1992, and he continued to teach there for 14 years.
Political career
After an unsuccessful attempts to run for City Council in 2001 and 2003, Ydanis ran a successful election campaign in 2009. September 2009 he won the Democratic primary election by over 60 percent against seven other candidates.He represents the Council District 10 which encompasses the neighborhoods of Marble Hill
Marble Hill, Manhattan
Marble Hill is the neighborhood which makes up the northernmost part of the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. Although it is politically part of Manhattan and New York County, because of the re-routing of the Harlem River, it is located on the North American mainland contiguous...
, Inwood and Washington Heights
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
. In January 2010, he was appointed as the chairman of the Higher Education Committee., and as Chair, Rodríguez has called for more diversity in the faculty of CUNY, more childcare programs for student-parents, and successfully fought to keep CUNY's budget intact during the economic recession.
Arrest
Ydanis Rodríguez was arrested for a civil disobedience demonstration against the Arizona law requiring police officers to arrest illegal aliens.Poking Incident
Rodríguez was accused of inappropriately poking a female staffer during an argument, prompting the Council's Standards and Ethics Committee to began a investigation of the incident,but decided against any formal punishment.Occupy Wall Street
Early on Tuesday morning, November 15 2011, Rodriguez was arrested for Obstructing government administrationObstructing government administration
A person is guilty of obstructing government administration if the person intentionally interferes by force, violence or intimidation or by any physical act with a public servant performing or purporting to perform an official function.-External links:...
and Disorderly Conduct
Disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
. He was seen by witnesses bleeding from the head as he was placed in a police car. Rodriguez remained in Zuccotti Park
Zuccotti Park
Zuccotti Park, formerly called Liberty Plaza Park, is a publicly accessible park in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is a controlled by Brookfield Properties. The park was created in 1968 by Pittsburgh-based United States Steel, after the property owners negotiated its creation with city...
along with about 200 other Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
protestors that refused to leave after Brookfield Properties asked the Bloomberg administration
Mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg has served as the current and 108th Mayor of New York City since January 1, 2002. He won reelection in 2005 and 2009.-Governing style and legacy:...
to clear the park for a cleaning.
External links
- http://council.nyc.gov/d10/html/members/home.shtml
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=8630613#!/pages/Ydanis-Rodriguez/137998266216647?ref=ts
- http://www.twitter.com/ydanis