Daniel Bibawy

The assigned chapters in NPS discuss the changes in Jamaica Bay: how it has become more diverse in wealth, education, population, ethnicity. Over the years, Jamaica Bay has become much more well-off than it was in the past. I am happy to see this, truthfully. Although I did not even know of the existence of Jamaica Bay prior to this weekend, I developed an affection for it. It is a beautiful natural environment that is far larger than many of the other well known and loved parks in New York City, such as Central Park or Prospect Park. If taken care of properly, we can bring the world’s attention to Jamaica Bay and make the world realize how wonderful of a natural environment we have in Brooklyn. Most people in the United States know about Central Park and how beautiful it is and how large it is, but Jamaica Bay is larger than it and has the potential to be more beautiful, not to mention that it is natural rather than the man-made Central Park.

The diversity that has come into Jamaica Bay has not come without its struggles. Religious groups often clash with one another and it is not always the most amicable place to live. However, I think most would agree that it is better to have struggles among different groups living together in a community than to have a community dominated by one ethnic group that lives without any problems.