By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 1, 2020: A third Caribbean born immigrant has been named to the Joe Biden administration as part of an all-female White House senior communications team.
Martinique-born, Haitian roots political campaign organizer, activist, political commentator, author, and lecturer in international and public affairs at Columbia University, Karine Jean Pierre, will be the principal deputy press secretary.
She is a proud member of the LGBTQ community who previously served as the chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org.
Jean Pierre served as the chief of staff to then Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris, whose roots also extend to the Caribbean through her Jamaican father.
The 43-year-old last night tweeted: I am profoundly honored to be the Principal Deputy Press Secretary for @JoeBiden. I am especially thrilled to work alongside @jrpsaki whose leadership and stellar instincts will ensure we are positioned to effectively communicate the Biden-Harris agenda to all Americans.”
Jean Pierre was raised in Queens, New York by Haitian immigrant parents and received her MPA from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University in 2003.
She later joined the Columbia University faculty in 2014, where she is a lecturer in international and public affairs. Jean-Pierre lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her partner, CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, and their daughter.
Other Caribbean immigrants already named to the Biden administration are Dominican Republic-born immigrant, Julissa Reynoso Pantaleon, who has been named the Chief-of-Staff to Dr. Jill Biden, and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security nominee, Havana, Cuba-born Alejandro Mayorkas.
Meanwhile, Pili Tobar, who will serve as the deputy White House communications director, was born in Guatemala and moved to the US only in 2004, when she earned a Bachelor’s degree. She is a former immigrant advocate with the group America’s Voice.
