B’klyn pol Perry’s pitch to be envoy to Jamaica

Veteran New York Assemblyman Nick Perry (D-Brooklyn) made his case before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill to be confirmed as the first Jamaican-born person to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Caribbean island nation.

Speaking in his trademark lilting West Indian accent, Perry portrayed himself as the product of two worlds: raised in Jamaica but also a proud son of Brooklyn.

“This continuation of my lifelong journey of public service is deeply personal,” Perry (photo) said on Tuesday. “I believe my experience and perspective, complemented by my background as an American who was born and raised in Jamaica, could contribute positively to strengthening our partnership with Jamaica.”

If the Brooklyn lawmaker is backed by the committee as expected, his nomination will go to the full Senate for approval.

Perry, 71, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he came to Brooklyn in 1971 as a teenager, joined the military, and graduated from Brooklyn College.

He started his public service as a chairman of his local community board before winning an election for the first of 15 terms in the Assembly in 1992.

“I have dedicated my career in public service, working across diverse communities to build consensus,” he said.

Along with bolstering the historically close ties between Jamaica and the U.S., Perry said he would expand security ties, particularly in countering illegal drug trafficking.

He also vowed to help protect the safety of American citizens living in Jamaica, which has a reputation for isolated gang violence, and tourists visiting the island.

Perry now serves as the assistant speaker pro tempore of the Assembly and a regional vice chairman of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.

He previously served as chairman of the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) lavished praise on Perry, calling him an ideal candidate to be the next envoy to Jamaica.

“Nick is an immigrant, a veteran, and a longtime public servant,” Schumer said. “He represents the best of what America is all about.”

Schumer called it a “milestone that is long overdue” to name a Jamaican-born person as ambassador to the island nation, given the many Jamaican immigrants living in the U.S.

The senator boasted of a friendship with Perry that has spanned three decades and praised Perry for his shoe-leather approach to politics in his Flatbush neighborhood.

“He has a knack for doing politics the old-fashioned way: shaking hands, showing up at every event, and just listening to people from everyday life.”

He also praised Perry’s “beautiful tenor voice,” which he has used to belt out “The Star-Spangled Banner” countless times around Brooklyn.