New York State Commissioner of Social Services César Perales Subject and Correspondence Files
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Overview of the Records
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
71 cubic feet
Arrangement
Files exist as four subseries:
Subseries 1: Commissioner's files (1983-1991)
Subseries 2: Commissioner's daybooks (1988-1992)
Subseries 3: 1982 Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget, Governor's Task Force on AIDS, files of Lloyd Bishop and Sandra Bailis
Subseries 4: Files of Barbara Sabol and Jeffrey Carples
Administrative History
The commissioner of the Department of Social Services was empowered by the legislature to determine policies and principles upon which public assistance, service, and care were to be provided; to exercise general supervision over the social services programs administered by the fifty-eight local social services districts in the state (fifty-seven counties and the New York City Department of Social Services); to promulgate regulations for the administration of public assistance and care; and to enforce department regulations and state laws relating to public assistance and care.
César Perales served as Commissioner of Social Services, 1983-1992. The son of a Puerto Rican father and a Dominican mother, Perales received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. He distinguished himself in the early 1970s when he defended some members of the Young Lords, an organization of Puerto Rican nationalists, who had occupied a church in Harlem. Perales continued to litigate on behalf of Puerto Ricans and in 1972 co-founded the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF). In the first three years after PRLDEF's founding, Perales and his colleagues argued important cases that established the right to bilingual education in New York City and paved the way for revisions to the Voting Rights Act to ensure access to ballots in languages other than English. These cases led to Perales' appointment in President Jimmy Carter's administration as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services. After Carter left office, Perales briefly returned to PRLDEF before Governor Mario M. Cuomo appointed him Commissioner of Social Services in 1983.
As Commissioner of the Department of Social Services under Mario Cuomo, Perales managed New York State's Social Services budget. As chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs, 1986-1992, Perales oversaw the implementation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) and worked to prevent discrimination against immigrant workers. The Department of Social Services also administered federal grant monies to help states provide services to newly legalized immigrants. Perales also served on the Governor's Task Force on AIDS.
César Perales left state government in 1992 to act as New York City's deputy mayor for health and human services under David Dinkins. After Dinkins left office, Perales acted as senior vice president of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center before returning to PRLDEF as executive director in 2003. Under Perales' stewardship, PRLDEF has increasingly turned its attention to Latin American immigrants, fighting for the rights of undocumented workers to obtain driver's licenses and challenging legislation that prevents day laborers from congregating as they look for employment. In order to reflect this new focus on immigrants, PRLDEF changed its name to LatinoJustice PRLDEF in October 2008.
Scope and Content Note
New York State Commissioner of Social Services César Perales Subject and Correspondence Files consist of correspondence, minutes, copies of legislation, materials from various commissions and task forces in which Perales participated, as well as clippings, brochures, flyers, posters, and other materials. The bulk of the collection consists of outgoing correspondence, much of it arranged in daybooks (series 2). There are also files on various task forces including the Governor's Task Force on AIDS (boxes 49-51) and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs (Boxes 3-4 including files on the related State Legalization Impact Aid Grants, SLIAG). The Task Force on Immigration Affairs and other immigration-related files generally document the implications of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) and the Immigration Act of 1990 and specifically address Latino and other Caribbean immigrants who comprised the largest groups affected by IRCA in New York State. The files on AIDS generally relate to the Governor's Task Force on AIDS and include a large number of news clippings on HIV/AIDS that cover a range of topics including the spread of the crisis among Black and Latino populations.
Most of the files with the exception of the Immigration files (boxes 3-5) are unprocessed. Some items may not be in folders.
Alternate Formats Available
Items Online
High resolution images of selected original documents in this series are available in State Archives Digital Collections.
New York State Archives Digital Collections
Related Material
16034 Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner's Subject and Correspondence Files, exclusive of accretion 16034-99, is covered in a separate finding aid.
Other Finding Aids
Available at Repository
A Spanish version of this finding aid is available.
Access Restrictions
Restricted in part to protect confidentiality of client correspondence; 8NYCRR Sect. 357.
Access Terms
Social service--New York (State)
Public welfare--New York (State)
Detailed Description
Subseries 1: Commissioner's files
Scope and Content Note:
The Commissioner's files (1983-1991) deal primarily with the Commissioner's State Advisory Council, immigration, legislation and correspondence. The State Advisory council materials contain meeting minutes, correspondence, copies of legislation, clippings, pamphlets, handouts, and tape transcripts. The immigration materials (boxes 3-5) consist primarily of subject files related to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs, 1986-1992, and to the administration of State Legalization Impact Aid Grants (SLIAG) by the Department of Social Services. The Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs was formed under the directive of Mario Cuomo in 1986 after the passage of the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) to implement the act that placed greater burden for immigration enforcement on the states. The task force studied the implications of the act including impacts on state agencies, financial burdens, employer education, educational outreach about phases I and II of the act, and IRCA-related discrimination. The IRCA-related files contain copies of the bill; materials collected by the Task Force on Immigration Affairs including their three reports, 1987-1990; posters in English and Spanish advising immigrants of the act; public service announcements in English and Spanish; and materials from other state, federal, and non-governmental sources. The Department of Social Services also administered the SLIAG program that was created in conjunction with IRCA as a way of reimbursing states for the additional expenses of newly legalized immigrants who were eligible for social services. The SLIAG records, 1989-1992, contain correspondence, grant applications, reports, and other materials related to the program. Of particular interest are the applications for SLIAG-funded programs in the areas of health, education, and anti-discrimination. These files show the kinds of services that were offered to immigrants and the far-reaching effects of IRCA and the Immigration Act of 1990.Arrangement:
Boxes are arranged thematically. The Immigration files (boxes 2-5) are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Dates | Contents | Box | Folder |
---|---|---|---|
Accretion: 16034-99 |
|||
1986-1988 | State Advisory Council, meeting materials from Commissioner Perales' Council | 1 | |
1989-1991 | State Advisory Council, meeting materials from Commissioner Perales' Council | 2 | |
1991 | Immigration: Caribbean Women's Health Association Immigrant Service Center | 3 | 1 |
1991 May 29 | Immigration: Commission on Legal Immigration Reform Letter from Perales to Charles Schumer | 3 | 2 |
Immigration: Crown Heights—Caribbean Comprehensive Community Cultural Center | 3 | 3 | |
Immigration: Entrants | 3 | 3 | |
1991 | Immigration: hearing—Immigration and the Labor Force in New York State | 3 | 4 |
1990 | Immigration: Immigration Act of 1990—Bill | 3 | 5 |
1990-1991 | Immigration: Immigration Act of 1990—Impact | 3 | 6 |
1990 | Immigration: Immigration Act of 1990—Lobbying | 3 | 7 |
1991 April 4 | Immigration: Immigration Act of 1990—Perales meeting with McNary | 3 | 8 |
1986 | Immigration: Immigration Control and Reform Act (IRCA)—Bill and background | 3 | 9 |
1987-1990 | Immigration: IRCA—brochures | 3 | 10 |
1988-1991 | Immigration: IRCA—Center for Immigrants Rights | 3 | 11 |
1987-1988 | Immigration: IRCA—Cuomo, Mario Memos to | 3 | 12 |
1990 | Immigration: IRCA—Discrimination (clipping) | 3 | 13 |
1990 | Immigration: IRCA—Discrimination and Employer Sanctions | 3 | 14 |
1989 | Immigration: IRCA—General | 3 | 15 |
1987-1990 | Immigration: IRCA—Government Accounting Office (GAO) IRCA-Related Discrimination Report | 3 | 16 |
1987-1988 | Immigration: IRCA—Handbook for Employers and employer outreach | 3 | 17 |
1987 | Immigration: IRCA—Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) manual (Spanish) | 3 | 18 |
Immigration: IRCA—Implementation | 3 | 19 | |
Immigration: IRCA—Implementation—Employer Identification Project | 3 | 20 | |
1989 | Immigration: IRCA—Implementation—Hearing Testimonies | 3 | 21 |
circa 1988 | Immigration: IRCA—Implementation—Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs—Discrimination Study (guidelines, notes, questionnaires) | 3 | 22 |
1988 November 4 | Immigration: IRCA—Implementation—Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs—Discrimination Study— "Workplace Discrimination under the IRCA of 1986" (bound copy) | 3 | 23 |
1986-1987 | Immigration: IRCA—Implementation—Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs—90 day report (ts drafts) | 3 | 24 |
1987 March 26 | Immigration: IRCA—Implementation—Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs—90 day report | 3 | 25 |
1990 | Immigration: IRCA—Implementation—Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs—"Immigration in New York State: Impact and Issues" (2 bound copies) | 3 | 26 |
1990 February | Immigration: IRCA—Implementation—Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs——"Immigration in New York State: Impact and Issues" TS drafts | 3 | 27 |
1988 | Immigration: IRCA—New York City Office of Immigrant Affairs | 3 | 28 |
1990-1992 | Immigration: IRCA—New York State Immigration Campaign | 3 | 29 |
1988 | Immigration: IRCA—Perales v. Meese (88 CIV 2265) | 3 | 30 |
1989 | Immigration: IRCA—Phase II—Amnesty Class Directory, Curriculum | 3 | 31 |
1988-1989 | Immigration: IRCA—Phase II—general (1 of 2) | 3 | 32 |
1989-1990 | Immigration: IRCA—Phase II—general (2 of 2) | 3 | 33 |
Immigration: IRCA—Phase II Implementation—Inter-Agency Task Force on Immigration Affairs reports to governor | 3 | 34 | |
1988-1990 | Immigration: IRCA—Phase II—outreach (1 of 2) | 4 | 1 |
1988-1989 | Immigration: IRCA—Phase II—outreach (2 of 2) | 4 | 2 |
1989 March 6 | Immigration: IRCA—Schumer report on implementation | 4 | 3 |
1988 April 29 | Immigration: IRCA—Seminar (Eng., Spa.) | 4 | 4 |
1991 February 6-11 | Immigration: Legalization of Salvadorans Public Service Announcement (Eng, Spa) | 4 | 5 |
1990-1991 | Immigration: Legislation, Federal—HR3726 Refugee Guaranteed Loan Act | 4 | 5 |
1991 | Immigration: Legislation—New York State | 4 | 6 |
1988 | Immigration: Legislative Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force | 4 | 7 |
1991 May 7 | Immigration: Meeting with Québec Minister of Cultural Communities and Immigration | 4 | 8 |
1991 | Immigration: Meeting with Québec Minister of Cultural Communities and Immigration—Supporting documents (reports, flyers, etc.) | 4 | 9 |
1991 | Immigration: Miscellaneous | 4 | 10 |
1990-1992 | Immigration: New York Immigration Coalition | 4 | 11 |
1991 | Immigration: New York State Immigration Task Force—correspondence | 4 | 12 |
1991 | Immigration: New York State Immigration Task Force meeting February 8, 1991 | 4 | 13 |
1991 | Immigration: New York State Immigration Task Force—reports, lists, etc. | 4 | 14 |
1990 September 6 | Immigration: Refugee Resettlement Information Package | 4 | 15 |
1990-1991 | Immigration: State Legalization Impact Assistance Grant (SLIAG) (1 of 2) | 4 | 16 |
1990-1991 | Immigration: SLIAG (2 of 2) | 4 | 17 |
1991-1992 | Immigration: SLIAG correspondence | 4 | 18 |
1990 July 26-1992 December 24 | Immigration: SLIAG Directories | 4 | 19 |
1990-1992 | Immigration: SLIAG Funding | 4 | 20 |
1990 September 6 | Immigration: SLIAG Information Package | 4 | 21 |
1990 June | Immigration: SLIAG Perales Testimony | 4 | 22 |
1989 | Immigration: SLIAG project proposals (education) | 4 | 23 |
1990 | Immigration: SLIAG project proposals (health) | 4 | 24 |
1989 May | Immigration: SLIAG, American Public Welfare Association report on | 4 | 25 |
1991 | Immigration: SLIAG, Anti-Discrimination Education and Outreach | 4 | 26 |
1991 | Immigration: SLIAG, Anti-Discrimination Project Proposals | 5 | 1 |
1991 | Immigration: SLIAG, Anti-Discrimination Project Proposals—Award, Rejection Letters | 5 | 2 |
1991 April 5 | Immigration: SLIAG, Meeting and other materials | 5 | 3 |
Immigration: testimony to U.S. Congress regarding preventive services | 5 | 4 | |
Legislation | 6 | ||
Legislation | 7 | ||
Legislation | 8 | ||
Legislation | 9 | ||
Legislation | 10 | ||
State Advisory Council | 11 | ||
State Advisory Council | 12 | ||
Commissioner's mail log | 13 | ||
Tarrytown Conference | 14 | ||
Department of Social Services correspondence to the Governor's Office | 15 | ||
General correspondence A-Z: Ad Hoc Planning Committee; Child Welfare Standards Planning and Training; Expenditure Data; General Issues, 1983; Family and Children Services, 1980; State Legislation; Statistics; Simplification Workplan and Status Report; Title X Waiver Demo | 16 |
Subseries 2: Daybooks from the Office of Commissioner Perales
Scope and Content Note:
The commissioner's daybooks generally contain outgoing correspondence from the commissioner and other staff members arranged chronologically. Some of the materials are from the office of Mary Jo Bane, Perales' successor as commissioner.Arrangement:
Arranged chronologically by date.
Dates | Contents | Box | |
---|---|---|---|
Accretion: 16034-99 |
|||
1991 October-1992 March | Daybooks | 17 | |
1991 July-September | Daybooks | 18 | |
1991 April-June | Daybooks | 19 | |
1990 December-1991 March | Daybooks | 20 | |
1990 January-April | Daybooks | 21 | |
1990 May-September | Daybooks | 22 | |
1990 October-November | Daybooks | 23 | |
1989 February-May | Daybooks | 24 | |
1989 September-December | Daybooks | 25 | |
1988 March-June | Daybooks | 26 | |
989 June-August | Daybooks | 27 | |
1988 October-1989 January | Daybooks | 28 | |
1988 July-September | Daybooks | 29 | |
1987 November-1988 February | Daybooks | 30 | |
1987 August-October | Daybooks | 31 | |
1987 June-July | Daybooks | 32 | |
1987 March-May | Daybooks | 33 | |
1986 October-1987 February | Daybooks | 34 | |
1986 July-October | Daybooks | 35 | |
1986 January-June | Daybooks | 36 |
Subseries 3: 1982 Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget, Governor's Task Force on AIDS, files of Lloyd Bishop and Sandra Bailis
Scope and Content Note:
The files relate to various task forces including the Governor's Task Force on AIDS. The AIDS boxes are unprocessed and materials are often unfoldered. They contain reports, clippings, and other materials about the crisis that was felt most acutely by New York's gay male, Latino, and African American populations. There are also some files of Lynn Stone, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, and of Lloyd Bishop and Sandra Bailis who worked closely with Commissioner Perales on various projects.Arrangement:
Boxes are arranged by subject. There is no internal arrangement.
Dates | Contents | Box | |
---|---|---|---|
Accretion: 16034-99 |
|||
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Abernathy - National Governors' Association | 37 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: New Articles - Forum | 38 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Forum - Rochester Task Force Impact Report | 39 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Task Force - General | 40 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: AFDC [Aid to Families with Dependent Children] - Medicaid | 41 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Miscellaneous | 42 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Miscellaneous | 43 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Miscellaneous | 44 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Revenue | 45 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Issue - Task | 46 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Task Force | 47 | |
1982 | Governor's Task Force on the Federal Budget: Task Force | 48 | |
AIDS [Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome]: A to L | 49 | ||
AIDS [Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome]: M to R | 50 | ||
AIDS [Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome]: AIDS UPDATE material | 51 | ||
Aids [Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome]: Conference, Speeches & Training | 52 | ||
Files of Lynn Stone | 53 | ||
Files of Lloyd Bishop | 54 | ||
Files of Lloyd Bishop and Sandra Bailis | 55 |
Subseries 4: Files of Barbara Sabol and Jeffrey Carples
Scope and Content Note:
This subseries contains the subject files of Barbara Sabol, executive deputy commissioner; and Jeffrey Carples, executive assistant to the commissioner, 1983-1988, and deputy commissioner for Executive Services and Support, 1988-1990. The files consist of day files and daybooks; speeches and conference materials, 1983-1990; mail and phone logs.Arrangement:
Subseries is arranged by name of staff member and then alphabetically by file type.
Dates | Contents | Box | |
---|---|---|---|
Accretion: 16034-99 |
|||
1987/1989 | Barbara Sabol: Day files | 56 | |
Barbara Sabol: Human Resources Administration (HRA) files | 57 | ||
Barbara Sabol: Foster Care/OMRDD [Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities], ABC, Independent Living, Kinship Homes, Foster Care, State Central Register | 58 | ||
Barbara Sabol: Decade of the Child, UNY Care, Talking Points/Briefings, Community Schools, Liberty Scholarship, DSS/SED [Department of Social Services/State Education Department], Camp Liberty | 59 | ||
Barbara Sabol: Boarder Babies, Daycare | 60 | ||
1987-1990 | Barbara Sabol: Travel records (1987-1989), Phone Logs (1989-1990) | 61 | |
1984-1985, 1987-1988 | Barbara Sabol: Daybooks (1984-1985), Phone Logs (1987-1988) | 62 | |
1987-1988 | Barbara Sabol: Speeches and Remarks | 63 | |
1988-1989 | Barbara Sabol: Speeches and Remarks | 64 | |
Barbara Sabol: Conferences and Materials | 65 | ||
1989 July-1990 April | Jeffery Carples: Daybooks | 66 | |
1989 April-December | Jeffery Carples: Daybooks | 67 | |
1988 May-1989 June | Jeffery Carples: Daybooks | 68 | |
1988 January-1989 February | Jeffery Carples: Daybooks | 69 | |
1986 August-1988 April | Jeffery Carples: Mail logs | 70 | |
1983 January-1986 July | Jeffery Carples: Mail logs | 71 |