Community leader Dilcia Suarzo described her Garífuna roots and immigrant advocacy

A Spanish-language interview in Rockland County profiles Dilcia Suarzo, who was born and raised in Honduras and is of Garífuna heritage. The speaker said Suarzo is the second of 13 children and that her family’s Garífuna traditions—music, strong family ties and community solidarity—shaped her commitment to helping others.

The interview describes Suarzo’s move to Rockland County at age 19 to join her parents and the difficulty she faced having her Honduran academic credentials recognized. According to the transcript, she restarted college at Rockland Community College, completed a degree and later continued studies at Naiac College. Those experiences, the speaker said, informed her decision to help immigrant families and students navigate the U.S. education system.

The transcript identifies Suarzo as a 45-year Rockland County resident and names her as co-executive director of Proyecto Faro. It says she and her home became welcoming places where families could learn and ask questions, and that she volunteered with immigrant support groups and children’s programs.

An interviewer posed questions asking what Suarzo learned from her Garífuna heritage, how she overcame challenges, and how she has supported the Rockland community. The transcript records those questions but does not include Suarzo’s direct answers in the provided segments.

The record contains no agenda, motions, votes, or formal government actions; it reads as a community-profile interview rather than a civic meeting. The transcript is entirely in Spanish.