Washington Heights: Youth Movement

Change, in a historical basis, has repeatedly come from a single source- the youth. Washington Heights, Manhattan has seen a history marked by constant change and development. At each of the neighborhood’s stages, young people have been the driving force behind the growth and development this neighborhood has experienced on the way to becoming the vibrant neighborhood it is today.

Manhattan’s Hilly terrain neighborhood has been home to many throughout the years. However, it is not just out with the old in with the new for this area. Memories of the past have been left behind and show up everywhere.

With the different inhabitants WaHi changed slightly every time. Every group left their mark forever changing the area. The people who called this area home are the little pieces to the puzzle that makes Washington Heights in its entirety. It is the Youth that control the change. Young, working age people are the ones that are moving to new areas and changing the dynamics of each area. The young people moving in are making the changes to the area and leaving the mark on society. Soldiers, are youth; People seeking for new jobs are youth. With every new youth group, something is left behind.

There are Indian makings in the parks. Old Revolutionary War bases, like Fort Tryon Park, are direct references to the young men who fought to make this country what it is. Irish pubs, like Coogan’s Irish Pub located between 168th and 169th Street on Broadway, that are evidence of the Irish. All over Washington Heights you can find evidence of the Jewish, Greek and Spanish Influence. All these groups were members of the WaHi community. The area itself has gone through many changes. Like all things in New York, movement is common.

Political Motivations & Influences

Washington Heights is the poster child for New York City’s immigrant story from its very conception to present day. Oxymoronically, Washington Heights is connected to the hubbub of typical Manhattan, but is also secluded just enough to create tightknit ethnic communities that so closely imitate homelands. These imitation homelands are not only similar because of the people that live within them, but often because of the political ties and movements that are established whether it be back in sending countries or in their new receiving country. Social and cultural structures within these communities intensely reflect the values held by these immigrants and their younger generations.

Armenian Immigrants 

Armenian immigrants escaping the Hamidian Massacres of the late 1890s were the first to set up an enclave in Washington Heights. Widely regarded as one of the first cases of international ethnic cleansing, the Hamidian/Armenian Massacres took place in the Ottoman Empire. With the memory of their martyred friends and families in mind, the Armenian immigrants were determined to build a church that proudly displayed their faith and acted as a gathering place for the community. In 1929, the Holy Cross Church of Armenia was established on 187^th Street and by 1945 membership exceeded a 1,000 people (Abalyan, 2010). The existence of the church was critical to the Armenian Washington Heights community. “It had a school to teach children how to read and write in Armenian. Poetry readings, as well as Armenian dance and drama classes, were held in the church hall”(Sagsoorian, 2012). Most importantly, the church was the center of politics, which carried over from Armenia. This was especially evident during the 1933 Christmas Eve service. In the middle of service, in plain view of the entire congregation, Archbishop Ghevont Tourian was stabbed to death. His attackers considered him to be a traitor to the Armenian nationalist cause or the Dashnaks.

Irish Immigrants

     Irish presence in New York City was established well before the early nineteenth century, but was concentrated downtown in the Lower East Side tenements. After the severe potato famine of the 1850s and its economic backlash, a surge of Irish moved to New York City. Many young Irish men were laborers who helped assemble new tracks for the uptown lines. Irish immigrant life in the Heights was heavily influenced and centered on the Roman Catholic Church. Neighborhoods were even organized and named after different churches such as Good Sheppard or Incarnation (“Irish,” 2011). To protect against anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiments, fraternal societies and community groups were created. The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an example of such. The societies backed Irish interests and were steered under the influence of church (“AOH,” 2014). New Irish immigrants and their second-generation counterparts managed to also protect their interests by conquering New York City politics and refining a political machine. This corruption is infamously known as the Tammany Hall Ring, which was run by William “Boss” Tweed. The spoils system and charitable acts from the corrupt organization helped immigrants advance in a society where “Catholics were [viewed as] lazy, drunken, dirty, and even subhuman” (Price, 2003). In return, the vast number of Irish immigrants kept these politicians in office each year.

Jewish Immigrants

Washington Heights during the early/mid-twentieth century was nicknamed the Jewish Alps, Frankfurt on the Hudson, The Fourth Reich all in response to the dramatic increase of German Jewish immigrants in the area. German Jews came in droves to New York to escape Nazism and pre-World War II conditions in Europe. The immigrants were heavily concerned with plight of their friends and families back home. The German-Jewish Club quickly created a sort of immigrant handbook and established a community newsletter under the title of Aufbau. The papers contained “information and instruction on Jewish-German immigrant associations, citizenship classes, American life and customs (particularly in New York City) and much more.” It was also one of the first few publications to report Holocaust atrocities and list victims for family members to identify (“Aufbau,” n.d.). Akin to their Armenian predecessors, persecution back home only emphasized and strengthened religious fervor in Washington Heights. The building of many synagogues, formation of a street patrol, and hosting of community events attested to this fact.

Anti-Semitic feelings within the Irish community ran high and were translated into gang violence. “Groups like the Christian Front and Christian Mobilizers, which started in 1939, harassed the Jews of Washington Heights and focused on disrupting their daily lives. As Irish immigrants came to dominate the police force, little was done to eradicate the conflict, and the problems continued through the 1940’s and early 1950’s” (“A Century,” 2011). Irish Catholic organizations, such as the Christian Mobilizers and the Christian Front, held anti-Semitic rallies in front of various synagogues and Jewish shops. In one incident of blatant anti-Semitism and corruption within the police force, a Jewish man walking by a harassing and derogatory Christian Mobilizer rally spoke up in defense of himself but was the only person in the entire rally that was promptly arrested for disorderly conduct (Goldstein, 2010). While these official organizations refrained from violence for the most part, they supported and protected Irish youth gangs (i.e. the Amsterdams and the Shamrocks) that carried out attacks on Jewish establishments and assaults on Jewish youth (Schneider, 2001). In response to the political and ethnic tensions, Jewish immigrants in Washington Heights formed groups and councils of their own. The youth took it upon themselves to power a movement to improve their reputation and protect themselves. This ideology continued well after World War II anti-Semitic sentiments. To fight increasing crime rates in the 1970s, Jewish youth set up the Washington Heights-Inwood Safety Patrol (WHISP). Jewish teens would patrol the streets in radio-equipped cars and report all suspicious activities back to their base. The gradual departure of both Jewish and Irish immigrants and arrival of different groups allowed tensions to simmer down (Lowenstein, 1989).

Greek Immigrants

Washington Heights had a quick phase during the 1950s and 60s where it was known as the Astoria of Manhattan for its lively and concentrated Greek immigrant population. “At the community’s zenith, in the 1960’s, an estimated 15,000 people of Greek descent lived in Washington Heights” (Mindlin, 2006). The Greek presence departed just as quickly as it had arrived. However, even during their short time in Washington Heights, the community established an Orthodox church that took on an important status within the community. According to the church history, “the 1940’s were active years at the community – especially the young adults… The Greek American Youth Group (G.A.Y.S.) was established for young men and women 19-27 years of age. Over 275 students were attending the various sessions of the Greek Afternoon School” (“The History,” 2009). Apart from the Orthodox Church, remnants of Greek influence are sparse within Washington Heights. It is indicative of their lack of interaction outside the community and involvement in politics.

 

Modern Washington Heights

During the late 60s and 80s, African American populations dominated Washington Heights when the city faced economic turmoil. At the same time, crime rose at rapid rate contributing to the Crack City nickname given to the area (“Washington,” n.d.). The new demographic also led to an association with the civil rights movement and race issue.

Most recent immigration patterns reflect the movement of Cubans, Puerto Ricans and largely Dominican immigrants to Washington Heights. Confirmation of Washington Heights’ changing atmosphere is its change in name from Frankfurt on the Hudson to Quisquyea on the Hudson. As with the Cuban political unrest due to Castro and subsequent fleeing, “migration from the Dominican Republic to the United States dramatically rose after the overthrow of the Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961) and the easing of US immigration restrictions in 1965. The first wave of Dominican migrants came as a result of civil strife following Trujillo’s demise.” Transnational political participation is a major aspect of immigrant lives in Washington Heights (Pantoja, 2005). Whether it is the formation of opposition parties, support events, or even rallying about issues back home, the connection between these nations is unshakable. In 2012, dozens of Washington Heights schools were used as polling places for the Dominican presidential elections; 103, 337 New York City Dominicans were registered to vote in this election (Feeney, 2012). Low naturalization rates are credited with the heavy immigrant involvement in Dominican politics. Nevertheless, immigrants are making strides and showing their visibility in local and state politics. “After securing the district in 1991, Guillermo Linares became the first Dominican in New York City’s city council. Prior to this, Dominicans were making significant inroads into the school boards and political advisory boards in New York City” (Pantoja, 2005). Currently, the Dominican population remains the largest enclave in Washington Heights. Therefore, in the grand scheme of things, its political affiliations and ties are relatively young and still changing, as do all things. Regardless, the importance of Dominican and other immigrant influence on elections in New York and the US are valued more than before. Politicians go out of their way to speak to the youth, most likely second-generation voters, and address issues that closely affect them and their immigrant values. Rather than gangs, which still exist but for different reasons, the youth of Washington Heights today more often pursue political and social motivations through education and artistic means such as music and art. An example of this is the Washington Heights Artist Movement (WHAM), which strives to “develop safe spaces in underserved communities for youth and artists to convene, learn, create, and perform.” This new approach asserts influence to younger generations through culture and appeal (“The Washington Heights,” n.d.).

All references associated with this post can be found with the full version of the paper written on this topic.