"The Fourth of July is a reminder of our centuries of working toward a better nation, one framed in the principles of America's founding. For my family, it is the day that my mother arrived in this country over five decades ago.
"This holiday is commemorated as Independence Day - but in its origins did not assert independence for all, as Juneteenth reminded us just weeks ago.
"It is true that we as a nation have not fully attained many of the values espoused in our founding declaration, but among those values is a pursuit - an acknowledgement that independence doesn't come solely from a declaration, that work is required to make America's practice live up to its promise. It is the pursuit that brought my mother here over fifty years ago, one that continues today. As our city and state are in the process of reopening and recovering, I urge New Yorkers to safely celebrate that spirit and continue that pursuit."