Each year, on 9/11, I reminisce about the World Trade Center and the surrounding area of downtown New York City. I thoroughly enjoyed the splendid WTC and its pulsating neighborhood a few decades ago. Life was interesting and exciting, watching people from everywhere on Earth on the move and mingling downtown near the New York Stock Exchange and the famous financial district across the street. The Staten Island ferry, South Seaport, and New York City Hall were nearby. The area was the busiest place in all of New York. The Cable News Network CNN had a studio on the first floor of the World Trade Center. At all times during the day, through their enormous glass windows, one could see their news anchors and reporters at work and all kinds of people entering or leaving the studio. It was exhilarating for this young Caribbean Islander, who had spent less than a decade on the U.S. mainland, to be witnessing and partaking in the extraordinary commotion.
The top of WTC was spectacular. ABC Studios chose me as a rising Latino Community Leader and State Labor Department executive to participate in their FCC-required annual ascertainment. They invited me to tour their studios in Midtown and later to the Windows of the World Restaurant on top of Building One, North Tower, for a conversation and generous dinner. It was a thrilling experience watching the sun slowly setting over the sprawling city of Manhattan. I returned there several times to recreate that first experience’s magic.
My New York State Department of Labor office was in the World Trade Center. Each day, I took two sets of elevators to get to my office, which was located on the 87th floor of Building Two of the massive skyscrapers. Gov. Mario M. Cuomo had his office in the same building. It was an incredibly tall edifice that swayed gently, and you felt an odd sensation like being in a sailboat docked at the harbor. As I sat in my office, I looked behind me and slightly pulled the maroon-colored curtain to check the view, and there, through the cumulus clouds, I could see the Statue of Liberty in the distance as if the famous lady of the harbor were waving and beckoning me. Below my window was a breathtaking bird’s eye view. People on the ground looked like tiny dots moving about. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought of one day sitting here, much less working in an environment with this incredible view and vitality.
On the first floor of the WTC, I enjoyed meeting Justin Moorhead, a “homeboy” from the USVI, for coffee a few times. He worked in the other WTC tower for a prestigious brokerage firm. We usually reminisced about our Caribbean homeland or talked about politics. Justin later served as a deputy mayor of economic development for the City of Philadelphia. He always impressed me as a brilliant man who knew much about politics, finance, and economics.
Having lunch near the WTC was always an adventure. I learned to speak Mandarin. That’s not true, but for a couple of hours, I fibbed and told a dear friend I did. I frequently ate at a nearby Chinese Cuban (Chino Latino Cubano) restaurant, where the food was excellent and affordable. To this special hole-in-the-wall place, I invited my friend Sandy, who was a cultural diversity consultant who took pride in promoting workplace diversity and helping people to get along, respecting one another, cherishing differences, and avoiding the pitfalls of bigotry and discrimination, which often cause employees to quit jobs and to sue employers for inequity and tolerating hostile work environments.
As we entered the restaurant, the Chinese host dashed towards me, happily shook my hand, and spoke rapidly in Spanish. He knew me as a regular customer, and we always chatted briefly when I came to the restaurant. Sandy seemed surprised (actually, she looked shocked!) about the excited, fast-paced, warm, animated conversation between me and the Chinese fellow. He hadn’t seen me in a while and had much to say. So, I mischievously told the Chinese host to speak to me in his language and let me respond in gibberish to convince my friend I was communicating in his language.
So, he playfully obliged, as I laughed like a maniac. I had no idea what he was saying, but I played along and spoke back to him in rapidly disguised Spanish.
Sandy asked me what language we were speaking, and I said Mandarin.
“Holy moly. Where did you learn it?” asked Sandy.
I told her it was top secret and that I would try explaining it later. She watched me surprised and suspiciously, as if I were hiding some complicated, colossal secret.
The food at the restaurant was also a massive fascination for her. It was a fusion of Chinese and Latin Cuban cuisine. So, I asked Sandy what she thought of this fusion of cuisines and cultures. All she kept saying was, “Oh my God. Oh my God. This is delicious. This is incredible. What a wonderful experience! I can use this in my cultural diversity classes.”
OK, Sandy, please do me a favor and don’t tell anyone you have heard me speak in Mandarin. I was hoping that by now, she would have figured out my silly, playful ruse. But she didn’t. Our lunchtime was quickly evaporating. We hurriedly went back to the office. As I was saying adios to Sandy, I said: “I hope you liked my Mandarin Spanish,” I quickly left and ran to my late meeting. I felt guilty later and called her to explain what I did. She hung up!
Sandy appeared irked for a few days, and then she called me and, in a stern voice, said she had called the FBI about my suspicious conduct. She hung up again. Of course, like me, she lied too. Since that date, Sandy and I have laughed dozens of times about her gullibility and my silly Mandarin ruse.
Every year on 9/11, I think about the madness and hatred of the extreme zealots who destroyed the original magnificent towers. But more importantly, I will never forget the WTC, a fantastic place where I witnessed people of all languages, cultures, races, and creeds peacefully interacting and interchanging daily. It was also where I learned, up close, about the tempestuous and evolving world of politics, the volatility of daily trading on the stock exchange, and so much more about the exciting and complex human experience. I will always treasure my sweet memories of the people, events, and rewarding work at the NYS Department of Labor. And nothing will ever erase the majestic icon of the throbbing New York megapolis — the World Trade Center.
— Carmelo Rivera is a seasoned public affairs and human resources consultant. His professional journey includes significant roles at various organizations, including the USVI, and a tenure at the World Trade Center before the tragic events of September 11.
Rivera, who resides in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Nilsa Belardo, has a deep connection to St. Croix. As the proud father of four and stepfather of three successful young adults, he envisions a grander and more vibrant paradise for his beloved island. He sees St. Croix as a perfect human mosaic of the Caribbean with endless possibilities.
Throughout his career, Rivera has held key leadership roles. He has worked at the HOVENSA refinery for Turner St. Croix Maintenance, Inc. as head of Public Affairs, HR, and Labor Relations. He is a former University of the Virgin Islands HR and Business Instructor, a former USVI Department of Labor Commissioner, and Acting Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources. He served as President of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce and as Chairman of the Health and Hospital Services Corporation. In the State of New York, he served as an Assistant Commissioner of Labor at the WTC office and in other public service leadership capacities. He created and hosted the first Latino television community affairs talk show in Albany, N.Y., at a local ABC affiliate.
