The reading Deepening Roots and Creating Space: Building a Better future for New York’s South Asians discusses a study that was done by Chhaya Community Development Corporation and DataCenter to uncover the underlying causes of the many of the complaints held by South Asian descent in New York City. The study’s aim was to create more stable communities by granting the individuals of neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights the opportunity to voice their experiences and concerns regarding their housing and community needs. The CChaya Community Development partnered with DataCenter, a national research and training organization for social justice movements to study marginalized communities and help uncover knowledge in order develop community leadership and power and inspire change within the community.
The South Asian population, like the Latino population, is one of the fastest growing ethnic population in New York City, with an over 159% increase in it population since 1990. What caught my attention while reading this study is the comparisons that can be made between the South Asian population and the Latino population, particularly in the sorts of struggles they currently face. Like the latino population, the South Asian population was also hard hit by the economy. Many South Asians have been forced to live in overcrowded conditions due to the many barriers that prevent them from economic mobility, namely the limited English proficiency of 60% of South Asians, a statistic that has decreased in the years 2007 -2010. A major concern of the South Asian community is the struggle to find adequate jobs. In contrast to Latinos, 47% of South Asians have college degrees. However, the concern for South Asians is finding professional jobs in their field, with only 8% having jobs in their field of expertise. This obstacle is made even more difficult by the fact that many of the jobs available to them do not accept degrees obtained outside the United States. Furthermore, another major concern is the struggle to find affordable housing. Even with housing, issues such as lack of heating, lack of leases and discrimination by landlords are still prevalent.
The study presents possible solutions to many of the problems currently faced by South Asians. The reading states that programs can be implemented to teach individuals with limited English proficiency the language and thus aid them in finding jobs. In addition, job training programs can also be implemented to provide individuals with the skills needed to excel at these jobs. Certification programs can also be created to allow South Asians to make use of degrees obtained in their countries of origin. Also, legalizing illegally converted homes can also benefit the South Asian population by raising the property value, allowing them to benefit from supplemental income and in the process, creating affordable homes for large families.
On a personal note, one of the issues discussed in this reading that caught my interest was the struggle South Asians face of finding a job in their filed that accepts degrees obtained in a different country. Prior to starting at Queens college. My parents had always discussed the possibility of me starting college in Costa Rica. The college education in Costa Rica is said to be very good, and I entertained the idea for a while, thinking that perhaps I can move back to the United States once I graduate from college and obtain a job here. It was interesting to find out that maybe that plan might not have worked out because of some jobs refusing to accept those degrees. It was also interesting to read about Jackson Heights from the point of view of South Asians, with many of them embracing the diversity and others feeling isolated. Perhaps other programs can be implemented to make sure that the South Asian and White or Latino community becomes more integrated in order to minimize such feelings of isolation.
