Net Neutrality & Social Justice for NYC’s Immigrant Communities

New York City is home to more than 3.5 million immigrants, about 1.8 million of whom either have limited or no knowledge of English and whose primary source of information is ethnic and community media in their own languages. This is one of the reasons for the mushrooming growth of this media sector in this part of the country. Today, there are more than 350 ethnic and community publications that come out of New York, including 26 foreign-language dailies. Print and electronic media are thus an integral part of the lives of immigrant New Yorkers.

We at the New York Community Media Alliance are working very closely with this media sector to catch up with the emerging technology curve in the information sector. We have been organizing training sessions for more efficient use of Web-based tools for reporting and have been encouraging publications in this sector to better organize their Web presence. And we believe that Network Neutrality demands an open and free Internet that fosters competition and innovation, and gives people access to the content and services of their choice.

However, there is a lack of awareness about Net Neutrality among immigrant communities. The Federal Communications Commission and advocacy groups have largely failed to connect with these communities on the subject. The level of understanding about Net Neutrality in these communities is far below the mark.

We feel that there are social justice implications for these communities when they cannot connect the dots between their realities and access to the Internet. For example, what does it mean if Skype is no longer available at a low cost? And what does it mean for the academic success of students who lack Internet access? Also, what does it mean if news from a home country can only be accessed through the Internet and is no longer available because it is no longer affordable to go online? These are not simple questions. These are the possibilities that will adversely impact immigrant communities if Net Neutrality is lost.

Net Neutrality is the beginning of a larger conversation on the future of the Internet. The larger goal is affordable and open Internet access for everyone, everywhere. Net Neutrality recognizes that the Internet is an essential infrastructure for economic, social and political activity and not just a private commodity to be controlled by corporations.

That’s why we not only support the calls for new FCC regulations to break the monopoly of a few companies, but also want more serious efforts to create greater understanding of Net Neutrality. We appreciate and support the New York City Council’s resolution that calls on the FCC to codify strong Net Neutrality principles in order to ensure that the Internet will continue to foster innovation, increase competition, and spur economic growth, as well as make the Internet faster and more affordable for all.

We feel that Net Neutrality is the benchmark for the free flow of information and must be protected.

Jehangir Khattak is the communications manager for the New York Community Media Alliance. This post was originally testimony in support of the New York City Council's proposed Net Neutrality resolution.