Saif Choudhury

Saif Choudhury

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Posts by Saif Choudhury

Interesting Inwood

0
10 years
by in Blog posts, Neighborhood Visits

The most interesting I found about Inwood is how much of Manhattan it does NOT represent.

When you think of Manhattan, you think of skyscrapers. You think of business men in expensive suits traveling into the financial center of the United States. You think of thousands of tourists hustling and bustling their way through Times Square. You think of thousands of cars, if not the dozens of train lines that encompass the world under Manhattan. You think of the capital of the world.

The closest you may come to thinking about nature is Central Park. Yet, not many people think of Inwood. I have lived in New York my entire life and not even heard of this northern tip of Manhattan. That is why visiting this neighborhood was such a fulfilling and engaging experience.

The first thing I noticed was how ‘natural’ the community was. Being right next to the Hudson River, and encompassing so much forestry such as Ft. Tyron Park, Inwood Hill really gives off the vibe of being one with nature. Of course, my thoughts might be biased because our class strolled by the Cloisters in Ft. Tyron Park, but it should be noted that there are other parks in the neighborhood, such as the much bigger Inwood Hill Park. All in all, Inwood presents itself as green, which you really wouldn’t find in most other parts of Manhattan.

As for the Cloisters, I felt like the museum fit perfectly into the neighborhood. From what I understand, the Cloisters offers art and artifacts from the Medieval era of Western civilization, and it fits quite well with the antiquity that Inwood presents.

Speaking more on this ‘antiquity’, Inwood really does not seem to represent so much change as the rest of Manhattan does. Rather, it seems to represent the preservation of how Manhattan looked in the olden days. These ‘olden days’ could mean just a few decades ago, as some pubs that made their names in the 20th century are still functioning today. Or, antiquity could date back to as far as the 18th century, as farmhouses like the Dychman Farmhouse is still standing today.

What amazes me the most is how such a glance into Manhattan’s, and New York’s, past is so close by. Just a few extra stops on the A train seems to take someone through a time machine into the past. Really, Inwood should be commended for preserving history, as other neighborhoods of New York fail to do so.

Historic Harlem

1
10 years
by in Blog posts, Neighborhood Visits

The most notable aspect to note about Harlem is its history. Not just what is still left today, but how it’s remembered. In general, it’s safe to say that the history of Harlem can’t be determined by a stroll through the neighborhood — it can only be remembered by people that choose to remember certain aspects of the history.

To illustrate the point I’m trying to make, I will give a few examples. Take the Tree of Hope. This symbol is not present in the location it was several decades ago. Without the stories and the recollections of someone that remembers the Tree of Hope, as well as its significance, no one would really be able to tell the importance of what this tree used to symbolize. No one would really comprehend the meaning of the replacement tree at the Apollo Theater or the little plaque that stands where the tree used to stand. Clearly, the rich practices of Harlem are only remembered by people that choose to help retain history.

Next, we can look at present day nail salons. Back in the day, there were hotspots where people used to come to drink, dance, spend time together, and all in all have a good time. People used to come together at night to make these places just part of the vibrant community. Nevertheless, today, those hot spots that were a vital part of the night life have all disintegrated into nail salons and restaurants. I am not offering the statement that nail salons and fast food joints are not a community hotspot, but I am stating that night clubs are more vibrant than their current replacements are. Take the famous Big Apple Night Club. In the midst of a tenement building, this was one of the more popular places to spend the night in Harlem. Today, it is a Popeye’s. Even though this restaurant got an A, it’s still not the same thing as what used to stand in its place. Unless they are educated by people that choose to remember the Big Apple Night Club, the customers of that Popeye’s Restaurant probably have no idea of the importance of where they are eating.

A final example I want to make concerns the building where the Harlem Globtrotters used to play. That building, before it was a part time basketball stadium, was also know for being a ballroom hall where musicians used to fill the building with jazz and with life. People all the way from Chicago would perform for entertainment and for comedy. The basketball team garnered so much support and had fun playing for decades at this location. And today this edifice is scheduled to be demolished. Most people that walk by that building today have no idea of the rich history that it represents. But those who choose to remember and study the history realize that the scheduled demolition is actually a travesty.

To hammer the nail through the coffin, take what the founder of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture did. Someone once told him that African Americans do NOT have any [memorable] history. He made it his life mission to prove that person wrong, by collecting hundreds of pieces of African American literature and memories. He understood the maxim of life: history is only remembered by people that choose to remember certain aspects of the past. He chose to remember. Will people of our generation do the same?

The Eye-Opening ‘Eyes on Bangladesh’ Exhibit

0
10 years
by in Immigration Stories

As a Bangladeshi-American, my knowledge on the history of Bangladesh, her cultures, her religions, her people and her customs are vast and thorough. However, there is always more to learn. The ‘Eyes on Bangladesh’ Exhibit did exactly that: it furthered my knowledge on my own background.

For one, I had not known of the progress that photography has made in Bangladesh in the past few decades. From my experience and from my family, I have come to the understanding that photography really wasn’t seen as a big deal to most Bengali people. It’s an activity for the wealthy class to pursue if there is nothing else to do. But recently, photography has taken a new meaning. To many Bengali people of today, photography also means opportunity. Bangladesh has so many emotional images that one can capture on a constant basis, and the fact that more and more people want to capture these moments really show the new wave of realism and modernity that is hitting the shores of this cultural hotspot.

Furthermore, I was interested in what Professor De had to say about studying the mental health of Bengali citizens. Many Southern Asian people are victims of minor mental disorders such as depression. These disorders are effectively treatable with something as simple as counseling. Yet the depravation of mental health professionals in these regions of the world account for a giant wave of sadness. Treating these problems can uplift a nation, and it’s something I personally will be looking into.

Finally, the Exhibit has instilled much fear within me. According to the guide, Bangladesh will be under water within the next five decades. International efforts must begin NOW if significant disaster is to be avoided when that fateful day comes. I worry that my family will be in danger (and I have a lot of family all around Bangladesh), and so I must begin helping them and my homeland now. In this way and many other ways, this Exhibit has truly been eye-opening.

How Much Is Enough

0
10 years
by in Blog posts, Immigration Stories

After committing a crime in the United States, how much must one be punished before the crime is forgiven? Apparently for illegal immigrants, paying for coming to this country never ends.

The Chinese passengers on the ‘Golden Venture’ voyage learned this lesson the hard way. They risked their lives on land and then at sea, all for the chance of a better life in America. But after leaving everything behind and coming to a new country with only a bag of their possessions, these Chinese men and women discovered that this country did not offer better opportunities right off the bat.

Although they were saved from catastrophe, the passengers were welcomed with practically welcomed with prison. While in jail, they experienced the threat of conviction and deportation, rather than the hope of asylum. After nearly four years of incarceration, during which many men and women were deported, President Clinton issued a bill that allowed the Chinese immigrants to go free.

But this bill did not take away their title of ‘illegal’ immigrant. The passengers still received threats of deportation for several years after being set free. They had to go all the way to Congress just to fight for their right to stay in this country. Thus, the question arises: how much did the Chinese Americans need to be punished before they are forgiven for their mistakes? They risked their lives, and then spent approximately four years in jail – that is more time than some convicted felons have to pay for their crimes. These immigrants should have not been deemed ‘illegal’ after being set free from jail, because they have already paid for their crimes.

Something else to be noted from the lessons learned by the passengers of the ‘Golden Venture’ is the value of coming to America. For these immigrants, their lives in the United States have a standard of living that is considered by many Americans to be too poor. One ‘Golden Venture’ survivor worked an extraordinary amount of hours for six days a week as a delivery man, while another man worked as a chef at a Chinese Restaurant with the dream that he would one day at the same level as a normal US citizen. Clearly, these immigrants find something valuable about this country.

At the same time, I want to stress how much support the immigrants received, while they were in jail and when they were set free. Although they also faced much opposition, many American men and women gathered together with their guitars and their voices, and their posters in order to show the Chinese that their dreams are welcomed. Some citizens went all the way to Congress to help these immigrants remove their fear of deportation.

These citizens showed the values that are instilled in some Americans. Their work and support give a valid reason for why the Chinese felt that a life in the United States was worth it, even if they have to work so much harder and go through so much more than any other immigrant would.

Can You See it Coming?

0
10 years
by in Census Data

What strikes me the most about Mr. Salvo’s presentation was the fact that so many variables are predictable, and unpredictable, at the same time. Starting off with predictability, it’s obvious that certain areas would accumulate a certain group of people over time. For example, Bensonhurst in Brooklyn has a high density of Asian immigrants. It’s an obvious factor that new Asian immigrants that arrive will want to be closer with their friends and family in Bensonhurst instead of strangers in East Elmhurst, and thus they would live in Brooklyn.

At the same time, something that people couldn’t see coming was the drastic population shifts within the last four years. According to Mr. Salvo, New York City was able to intake as many, if not more, people in this decade (which hasn’t even reached it’s half mark of 2015 yet) as the previous few decades. Although many people could have predicted that the population would grow in the future, they probably did not expect such a drastic change, as it poses new problems and new opportunities for the city.

Finally, the most interesting part about de Salvo’s presentation was the impact of NYC Subway lines on the population. Who knew that the route of the 7 line would be so pivotal in the population densities of the area. Even though it is common sense that people would want to live close to the train, it is quite unpredictable that transit would have such an influence on how many people live in a certain area.

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