Celebrating Caribbean-American Heritage Month: Meet Sherry Samaroo, Business Analyst 

Living in New York City for more than 20 years, NYCHA employee Sherry Samaroo never feels too far removed from her native Trinidad and Tobago. 

Ms. Samaroo emigrated from the Caribbean island nation as a young adult to pursue higher education, but she continues to make regular trips back to visit with family. In her adopted home of New York, she makes sure to get her fill of her beloved Caribbean food, culture, and traditions.  

“I try to keep that foundation that I was brought up in as a Trinidadian sacred,” said Ms. Samaroo, a Business Analyst in the Lead Hazard Control Department. “It’s important for me because I always want to stay true to myself as to who I am and all the things that I learned as a kid growing up on the islands.” 

Home to one of the largest Caribbean diasporas in the world, New York City joins communities across the U.S. every June to recognize the rich and vibrant Caribbean culture. Caribbean-American Heritage Month celebrates the heritage, traditions, and contributions of people of Caribbean descent living in America. 

For Ms. Samaroo, the annual recognition is a fitting time to pay tribute to the sacrifices and achievements of fellow Caribbean immigrants, both past and present.  

“I think it’s so important that we have this heritage month to highlight the people and the things they’ve done, not just now, but centuries ago,” she said. 

Ms. Samaroo first joined the NYCHA workforce more than two years ago. After previously working as an asset manager for a property management company, she saw an opportunity to serve the community with her role at the Authority. 

“I like to make sure people are well taken care of, so I try to be a good customer service person,” she explained. “I try to think about others in any way I can and treat them the way I would want to be treated.”  

As a Business Analyst on the Lead Hazard Control team, Ms. Samaroo’s responsibilities include managing billing for multiple vendors who conduct lead abatement and related work at developments across the city. Ms. Samaroo, who provides management staff with data, tracking, and reports for projects, is pleased to assist with efforts that help improve residents’ quality of life. 

“It’s really fulfilling to see that we’re making changes in people’s lives,” she said. 

Since joining the NYCHA team, Ms. Samaroo has found a network of colleagues with similar backgrounds as a member of the Caribbean-American Association. She enjoys interacting with members at meetings and events throughout the year, and while they may have different traditions and favorite foods from their island nations, it’s an opportunity to bond through their Caribbean cultural pride. 

“I like what they stand for and they give us a place where we can be ourselves and you can feel at home,” she said of the employee association. “NYCHA gives you the opportunity to have a space where you can go and speak your language, talk about your cultural experiences, and you can relate to other like-minded people with similar backgrounds.” 

Outside of work, Ms. Samaroo is proud to represent her roots by attending other heritage festivities throughout the year. Whether it’s at live music performances or the annual J’Ouvert and West Indian American Day Carnival in Brooklyn on Labor Day Weekend, Ms. Samaroo said unity is on full display when fellow New Yorkers come together to celebrate Caribbean culture. 

“There was no color, no race; everyone was just in the moment, enjoying something that is precious to me – my music,” she said. “At the end of the day, we are all connected in some way. It’s good when we can all just come together as one.”