Linette Prasad

Linette Prasad

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Posts by Linette Prasad

Tour of Harlem

0
11 years
by in Neighborhood Visits

After our tour on Friday, I realized that Harlem had much more history than I had ever imagined. As a person who has absolutely no connection to New York City, I always had the impression that going to Harlem would almost guarantee harm. However, the tour really opened my eyes. There were many places that I had overlooked even though school is just a few blocks away. Initially, I thought that the touring would be boring since it was around school, and that couldn’t be interesting.

The townhouses were probably my favorite part of the tour. I loved the picture of the African- American couple in fur coats and driving a Cadillac. In a time when racism was extreme, they had proven their worth and become success. Living a life of luxury was no easy feat for them, yet they were living the dream.

I’ll never look at Harlem the same. However much I do prefer home to here, the tour was enjoyable and I learned a lot. Perhaps, I’ll go around and tour places myself.

Eyes on Bangladesh

0
11 years
by in Blog posts, Immigration Stories

The exhibit “Eyes on Bangladesh” did a phenomenal job of representing the struggles of the people of the country. It did not shy away from the very real difficulties the average person faces. Most ethnic exhibits tend to display the glamour of their heritage even though the glamour may be a minuscule part of the country. “Eyes on Bangladesh” represented their people well and respectfully.

I loved the portion where the maid was seated next to the matriarch of the house on the same couch. The posture of the maid was one of those who have been suppressed, while the matriarch posed as a though she were a queen. However, some of the maids seemed to be favored by their mistress and expressed a more favorable connection than the poorly treated maids. Perhaps, it is the result of a progression of time.

Another picture I especially respected was the one of the female soldiers. I felt that it truly empowered females; they were not simply restricted to the homes, as so many believe. Instead of preserving the social norm, those women went out and accomplished a feat that few women of their time and culture would ever dare.

Overall the exhibit was an accurate portrayal of the history and culture of Bangladesh. Very few exhibits show their respective country’s true history and lifestyle. I really enjoyed the exhibit.

The Golden Venture

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11 years
by in Immigration Stories

Many immigrants come to the United States for a “better life”. Many come at high cost- financially and emotionally. The story of four Golden Venture survivors proved that many people would do anything possible for this seemingly better life. The passengers on the Golden Venture endured unimaginable pains just to come to the US; however, was it really worth it?

The documentary follows Yan Li, Arming He, Gullin Chen, and Kaiqu Zheng and their experiences during and after the Golden Venture. They all spent approximately $40,000 in an attempt to illegally enter the United States. Their travelling conditions were appalling. Approximately 300 people were cramped into the ship with everyone living merely inches away from each other. Along the way, the ship endured a hurricane, girls were raped, and the passengers feared the possibility of their imminent death. However, when they finally arrived to the United States, they were captured by the government (some fled) and detained in a federal prison for four years. For four years, they were imprisoned in a state of void- no one knew what the next hour held for them or when they were to be freed.

The immigrants paid a massive sum of money just to live in captivity in the end. Many were deported, some had an opportunity to stay, and few died along the way. What if they had put that money towards coming legally? They wouldn’t have to fear death. Leaving home for them meant a clean slate- they would leave families, homes, and government oppressions behind. They knew that imprisonment or death were very likely. Yet they risked everything just for freedom. I understand the government trying to make an example of the undocumented immigrants- no government would want to succumb to the pressure of just letting them stay legally; but four years in prison as punishment is a bit much. The US clearly made its point with the imprisonment; perhaps they should have just sent them back to China as soon as possible. They had suffered enough along the way; this just made them endure their fears all over again.

Anyone trying to immigrate to another country is bound to face difficulty, whether it is legal or not. Coming to another country without proper documents subjects the immigrant to a life of fear in the country they chose as a refuge- what if they were caught? What would the punishments be? I’m extremely grateful that I can live here freely and without worry, especially after watching this documentary. We definitely take our freedom for granted and should be thankful for the many opportunities we experience.

Diversity is impressive

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11 years
by in Census Data

What strikes me the most about Joe Salvo’s presentation is the fact that the foreign-born are a significant portion of the population. I always knew that many immigrants came to New York in search of a better life than in their previous countries. But I never realized that many of the immigrants actually stayed in New York City. My parents came to New York in the 80’s. However, they moved to Westchester since their family lived there. That’s the story of all my aunts and uncles as well. I never really spent time in the city until I came here for college, so I was pretty oblivious to the fact that many foreigners reside in New York City.

 

New York City is considered to be the “melting pot” of New York and the country for that matter. Salvo’s presentation shows that the percentage of foreign born in the five boroughs range from 20 to nearly 50 percent of the total population in each borough. Many of you might think it’s not a big deal, but for someone who grew up out of the city in a town where the foreign- born is a miniscule portion of the population, it’s pretty impressive.

 

A great defining characteristic of New York City is the diversity of the population. Well, everyone knows that. Maybe that’s why many people immigrate here versus other potential cities. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of the greatest city in the world?

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