Author Archives: Jonathan

Butterfield’s conception of West Indian self-identity reminded me of a concept I learned last semester in Sociology 101. This concept is called the Looking-Glass Self, created by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902. It says that we view ourselves and form … Continue reading →

When I came across Nancy Foner’s discussion about the transnational patterns of Jews in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, I was quite surprised. Everything I had learned about Jewry in Eastern Europe (my ancestry) told me that pervasive … Continue reading →

Until now, we have been examining communities based on ethnicity. Now, we begin to examine communities based on religion. Two great examples are the Lubavitch-Jewish community in Crown Heights and the Muslim communities throughout New York City. It is evident … Continue reading →

(I’m commenting on some of the reading due last week since we haven’t yet discussed it in class) It is disheartening to read about continued racial segregation in terms of residential neighborhoods. But I was slightly (though by no means … Continue reading →

Throughout the readings, but particularly in Hum, we again encounter that concept of enclaves. Hum analyzes the enclave by defining it as an area of “self-segregation, mutual support and solidarity, and upward mobility” (p.34) for its residents. However, Hum counters … Continue reading →

When I read Min Zhou’s comparison of New York versus Los Angeles Chinese socioeconomic statuses, I remembered an article in a local newspaper I read a while ago about the deterioration of Old Chinatown (Lower East Side of Manhattan). It … Continue reading →

The Rise of David Levinsky proves that it is possible to go from rags to riches in America. However, it is clear that not every immigrant makes it. Levinsky happens to be one of the lucky immigrants who literally went … Continue reading →