What really stood out to me in the Foner reading is the clear indication that even when compared to other cities that house many immigrants, such as Los Angeles, Miami, which has taken in many Cubans over the years, and a number of cities in Texas and California, which continue to see an influx of Mexican immigrants, New York stands out. Not only has New York been the center of immigration to the U.S., a title which is arguably still holds, but New York’s immigrant population has allowed for a fusion of culture incomparable to any other. The “creative multiculturalism” that Foner says exists in New York is made possible my large city institutions, like the CUNY, in which the children of immigrants from countries all over the world interact daily, learning about each other’s heritage. Within this diversity, one often encounters an aspect of someone else’s culture that influences one to do something differently, whether it is to go the extra mile, or sleep the extra hour. As Foner explains, this mixing of culture gives rise to new forms of popular culture and, as I interpret it, adds a whole new dimension of possibility and opportunity that only New York can offer. I wonder how drastically an analysis of the immigration trends in New York in recent years would change Foner’s interpretation because much has changed over the past few years. How exceptional is New York in 2013 as compared to 2005 or 1997? Is it still exceptional? It certainly is. Is it as phenomenally different from the rest of the metaphorical pack? Perhaps it is, but in a very different way.

Having read Foner’s piece, I can’t help but ask, can there be a definition of “American” that can be agreed upon by at least a slim majority of the U.S? Additionally, can one define the term “New Yorker”?