In Chapter Two of From Ellis Island to JFK, Nancy Foner contrasts the living conditions of New York’s very first immigrants to modern-day immigrants. At the turn of the century, immigrants largely populated areas within the city that provided cheap housing and were located near where they worked. Today, however, with the availability of numerous transportation options – from cars to the subway – immigrants are no longer limited to residing where there is easy access to their places of occupation. Manhattan, as well as the city’s outer boroughs, are essentially all commutable, allowing immigrants to experience a suburban lifestyle their predecessors could never have imagined. Aside from obvious advances in transportation, many contemporary immigrants also arrive with a stronger and more diverse set of skills and resources, permitting them to find better jobs that can support improved housing and overall lifestyles.
Yet although much has changed, certain aspects of immigrant migration and settlement have remained the same. Many of today’s immigrants, like those in the past, gravitate towards residences near family, friends, and those who share similar languages and cultural traditions as a way to find comfort and adjust communally to a new country. In addition, immigrants in general continue to aid in the revitalization of many of New York City’s deteriorating neighborhoods by fearlessly undertaking decaying housing and retail buildings.
Throughout Foner’s discussion of immigrant geography, what struck me in particular was her mentioning of the number 7 train: “dubbed the International Express as it weaves through polyethnic neighborhoods which have no parallel in previous waves of migration.” Although I take the 7 train often, the apparent diversity of its passengers and the communities through which it passes never struck me as surprising – as a native New Yorker who calls Queens home, such a train ride is the norm. But as I read this chapter, I took the time to really consider a “normal” ride on the 7 train in comparison to other train rides I have been on in other states and in other countries – what I realized absolutely fascinates me. As Foner states, the neighborhoods connected by the 7 train truly constitute “an ethnic cross section of the planet” – a characteristic I feel successfully exemplifies the progress immigrants have made in expanding both the geography of their residences and the opportunities made available to them based on where they live. In regards to my next ride on the 7 line, I know I will take a minute to savor a train ride unique to New York City, one that unlike other largely homogenous trains throughout America and the world, offers a window into the transportation of millions of people diverse not only in their race and ethnicity, but also diverse in thoughts and experiences to provide to the advancement of the city.
