Author Archives: Thomas Seubert

Posts by Thomas Seubert

Statistical Profiles

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Thomas Seubert

New York City is home to 8.1 million people, over 3 million of whom are immigrants. Immigrant groups are diverse by nature, and it is often times difficult to analyze how well they are assimilating to life in a new country, and in this case, the Big Apple. The American Community Survey annually collects data from a small percentage of the population, providing communities with information necessary to appropriately provide services to their people. In the case of immigrants, city planners often analyze this information to judge how well certain foreign-born groups are doing, and then formulize programs to meet the needs of these people. Researchers also use this information to better understand immigration and assimilation trends within large populations.

During this course, we looked at combined American Community Survey data, from the years 2009-2011, for selected populations of foreign-born New Yorkers. In doing so, we selected certain categories from this data set that attempt to develop brief statistical profiles of these groups. Undertaking the process of city planners and researchers, we found these people came to New York for a variety of reasons—from economic to familial. Moreover, we explored different views of assimilation and integration and applied them to our profiles. Our research analyzed the foreign-born populations of Dominicans, Chinese, Jamaicans, Haitians, and Mexicans living in New York.

Chinese Immigration Timeline

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Thomas Seubert

*Sources:

“Chinese Immigrants in New York City.” One City Many Nations. Macaulay Honors College, May 2011. Web. 12 May 2013.

Zhou, Min. 2001. “Chinese: Divergent Destinies in Immigrant New York.” Pp. 141-172 in New Immigrants in New York, edited by Nancy Foner. New York: Columbia University Press.

*Data is from “Chinese Immigrants in New York City” unless otherwise noted.

Tedious to Enjoyable

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Thomas Seubert

I didn’t know what to expect out of this immigration course. Although I enjoy most things New York City related, I had a tendency to find immigration topics very boring. Although some of the theories we learned in this course were a bit tedious, they were necessary to the more enjoyable aspects of the course. For one, I really enjoyed the interview project. I found it a great educational experience. I also found it a great way to personalize a lot of that “tedious” information I learned towards the beginning of the semester. As much as I don’t like to admit it, the skills I learned in the statistical profile project are very important. Excel is no longer my sworn enemy! Once again, applying something I learned earlier in the year became important and enjoyable. Overall, I found this course to be engaging and interesting.

The Center of the Universe

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Thomas Seubert

James, a German immigrant, talks about why he loves New York City:

It is the center of the universe! It’s so… the variety of people, of languages, of customs, of traditions, of… you have access to so many things. It is a city, although so big, so organized. The subway system and all the planning of the roads and being done by somebody that was very smart. I don’t know if it has something to do with Robert Moses or one of those outstanding New Yorkers. The planning of the city, the way the streets and avenues are, it’s amazing how they planned that. They are now using tunnels that were built a hundred years ago. I think that was extremely clever.

A Traveled Young Man

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Thomas Seubert

James, a German immigrant, talks about his travels as a young man:

I was born in Germany, in Frankfurt. My mother—German—and my father was British. He worked for IBM and was in charge of opening new offices. Soon after we were born—I was born—we moved to England and from there to Spain. I’m sorry, to Paris, France first…some years there and then some years in Spain… some years in Venezuela, some years in Mexico. All that in my first 16 years.

Beer Before Milk

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Thomas Seubert

James, a German immigrant who has been living in the United States for 45 years, talks about what he finds strange in the United States:

Then it wasn’t a law but they were already trying to push as a law… the drinking. The drinking age should be twenty-one… In Europe we always had beer and wine at home. It was like… I always say that my mother gave me beer before she gave me milk!

Coming to America For Education

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Thomas Seubert

James, a German immigrant, talks about why he came to the United States:

I was always in the American school system. I said, well I’m studying all this [including learning English]… it’s something I would like to do. So I said, ‘Let’s begin giving it a try by going to the university there.’ And of course, once I got here… it was like I was finally home!

Chinese-born Immigrant Visa Admission Categories to New York City from 1990-1999

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Thomas Seubert
WebsiteGraph1Final

Figure AWebsiteGraph2Figure B

The pie charts above illustrate trends in visa category admissions to New York City. Figure A represents the percentage break down of the total foreign-born population entering New York City from 1990-1999; this graph speaks for 7,578,530 immigrants. Figure B shows a similar break down for solely Chinese-born immigrants migrating to New York City during the years 1990-1999, a population of 111,271 people. Both charts are calculated from information published in the New York City Department of Planning’s book, The Newest New Yorkers.

Comparative to the total foreign-born population, a larger percentage of Chinese immigrants were admitted to New York during this time under family preference category—nearly 20 percentage points more. Over sixty-eight percent of the Chinese foreign-born population was granted visas under a combination of the family preference and immediate relatives categories, while the total foreign-born population had 63.7 percent of their visas granted in these categories. Chinese immigration to New York during the years 1990-1999 was largely family based.

 

 

Thomas Comes to a Realization About His National Identity

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Thomas Seubert

Note: Picture courtesy of http://www.steincenter.com/stein/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=341

The Kid from Queens

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Thomas Seubert
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Russo’s on the Bay, May 2012

My name is Thomas Seubert.  I am 18 years old and live with my parents and sister in Middle Village, Queens.  I currently am a student at Baruch College, studying economics and journalism. I work part time at an old-fashioned ice cream shop in Forest Hills, called Eddie’s Sweet Shop.  In college, I plan on becoming a better writer, and I aim to study abroad (hopefully in England).  In addition, I would really like to revisit learning the piano.  Outside my goals for the next few years, my interests include sports, classic American literature, and 80s music.  On weekends, I enjoy playing football and golf, as well as, watching New York sports teams on television.

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