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Macaulay Honors College
at Baruch, Spring 2013Professor Els de Graauw
ITF Benjamin Miller Log in
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Introduction
Although New York City has been a major point of entry for immigration for hundreds of years, immigrants still experience a culture shock. The different smells, incredibly novel and unusual sights, and vast multiracial population can be both captivating and intimidating. For some, the chaos can be disenchanting from the city that has been immortalized in global popular culture. One thing is certain: there is no place like New York City elsewhere in the world.
A Colorful Culture Shock
Beatrice, a 20-year-old Italian immigrant, discusses her impressions of the American school system and issues of safety after experiencing the 2001 terrorist attacks on NYC:
Everyone was just white. In my class there were no Blacks, no Chinese. All my friends were just white. I mean I’m not prejudiced or anything, but here people integrate more. There, I mean everyone is Italian. There’s no one from England or France or anything. It was very—it’s just, I don’t know, it was a culture shock. Oh, and it was right after 9/11 too. 9/11 happened on my third day of school, and I didn’t speak any English. My mom sat next to me and had to translate everything because I didn’t know what was going on. And it was just, it was very scary, that’s all. I didn’t feel safe here, I didn’t like where I was, I didn’t like the people at school… I stuck out. Like I was just used to a different kind of life.
Missing the Homeland
Jenny, a 20-year-old woman from South Korea, speaks about why she misses home:
I want to go back to Korea. No offense but I don’t like it here. I don’t like the way everything is set up. In Korea you can go anywhere by walking. On every street there are little stores. Where I live now you have to drive a car, I’m 30 minutes from the nearest store. Also the subways are much cleaner than here. There are also glass doors. The train arrives and there are glass doors to prevent people from falling into the tracks. Here it’s so dirty, and smelly, and there are cockroaches, and rats.
The Center of the Universe
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.
