Below is a link describing the new MLS team that is to be created knows as the “New York City Football Club.” As the CEO said, “This is not about finding a stadium. This is about finding a home that will be successful from a commercial, and soccer perspective as well as a community perspective.”

“While MLS has been negotiating with New York to build a stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, near the home of the New York Mets, NYC FC will start play at an interim home and will consider other sites for a stadium.”

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1455830/man-city-yankees-co-own-mls-franchise-new-york?cc=5901

Flushing Meadows Corona Park acts as one of the few open public recreational spaces for the growing populations of Elmhurst, Corona and Flushing. In the coming years three enormous building projects are planned; a 1.4 million square foot mall, expansion of the National Tennis Center and construction of a Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium in preparation for the founding of a NYC based team.

Although these projects seem all well and good, the greater ramifications may be decidedly negative. For instance, in terms of park space alone the projects would block off large swaths of land from public use. Claims that the projects would only deny 8.5 acres of land ring hollow, as new infrastructure to allow for additional car access would also need to be added. The mall would impact small businesses, traffic patterns might be disrupted and other, and some might say more vital, improvement projects might be put on hold indefinitely.

Studies have been conducted to understand the impact of these projects but none that examine their cumulative effect and that is the problem. Even if any of these individually might be beneficial, together they could fundamentally change the character of the nearby neighborhoods.

In Jonathan Bowles’ “Immigrant Entrepreneurism: An Engine for Economic Recovery,” the emerging influence of immigrant business on the New York’s economy is discussed. He argues that immigrants have, in recent years, come a long way in terms of visibility and impact in local communities, especially heavily concentrated immigrant communities. While the amount of native born Americans that are starting their own businesses is on the decline, immigrant entrepreneurship has been soaring; a record fifty-three percent increase of immigrants who are self employed has been recorded from 1990-2000.

Despite this massive growth of immigrant entrepreneurship, Bowles argues that we have barely began to skim the surface of the capacity of immigrants to bring about major economic revitalization in the five boroughs. Bowles makes a number of points, championing the expansion of government assistance to small immigrant businesses, as well as funding to nonprofit groups that have a direct link to the immigrant population. Nonprofit groups and immigrant-based and oriented organizations can offer advice in a language and culture that immigrants are most receptive to.

Throughout the article, Bowles makes it a point to reiterate that “…only a relatively small number of immigrants who own restaurants or other retail businesses have expanded into larger space or opened stores in additional locations.” From first-hand knowledge of the area where I live, College Point, I argue that the College Point/Flushing area is an exception to Bowles’ point; the thriving Asian businesses in Flushing have provided a segue for their successful expansion in College Point.

Flushing can easily be referred to as a hub of economic activity–businesses have put down their roots in Flushing, oftentimes sprawling over great areas of land. In addition, many ethnic chain stores have been established: Kung Fu Tea and Quickly’s are two examples of drink shops that serve beverages and eateries unique to the Asian culture. Recently, a Kung Fu Tea shop, as well Kam Man Foods (a large supermarket) has opened in a new complex in College Point. From the times I have patronized these businesses, I’ve observed bustling crowds–of both Asians and of other ethnicities. Though I can’t confirm whether or not these businesses received assistance from the government or non profit organizations, it appears that the success of these retailers has been directly influenced by the success of the same chains in Flushing.

In his article “Color-full before Color Blind: The Emergence of Multiracial Neighborhood Politics in Queens, New York City” Roger Sanjek highlights the demographic transition that the United States is presently experiencing. According to the article, by 2080 the proportion of whites is expected to fall to 50% from 74% and by 2035 only 49% of children under 18 will be white. This astounded me, the fact that in just a few decades the United States will no longer be the diverse and cross-racial country that it is presently known for. What astounded me even more is the consequence thats such an issue can bring for our country. According to Sanjek, with the majority of white living in suburban and gated communities, and with African Americans, Latin Americans, and Asians only choosing to work with people of their ethnicity, our society will be “doomed to political ineffectiveness”.  As a result, sanitation services, mass transit, parks and institutions such as public schools and hospitals will not be able to provide residents with the best service possible.

In the article Sanjek discusses how a possible way to prevent this kind of issue is to ensure the participation of residents of different backgrounds and ethnicies in political activism. This could aid in ensuring that all perspectives are represented and to minimize conflicts between people of different ethnic groups in order to solve problems that affect the “quality of life” of Elmhurst and Corona residents. One of the individuals that Sanjek mentions that has helped in increasing the political activism of Elmhurst and Corona residents is Haydee Zambrana.  According to Sanjeks article, in 1978 Zambrana moved to Elmhurst Corona and met with other Latin Americans who were also concerned about the lack of Hispanic representation in Queens politics. In 1980 she formed the Ciudadanos Conscientes de Queens or Concerned Citizens of Queens. She went on to referring people to government agencies,processing citizenship applications and by 1986, her staff began providing vocational training, English classes and seminars to business proprietors. However what stood out to me the most were her succeeding efforts to increase Latin American membership in CB4. In 1986 she went to to the Mayor’s Commission on Hispanic Concerns and stated, “My priority is to help the Hispanic community become part of the American political process.” By 1985, Latin American membership in CB4 doubled from 3 to 6.

I related to this particular part of the reading, not only because I am also a Latin American citizen living in New York City,  but because of the previous articles that our class has discussed concerning the Latin American community. One of the main factors that I focused on for my class presentation was the lack of Latino participation in politics. This article interested me because not only did it touch on this issue, but it also provided the reader with an idea of what kind of consequences can occur if people of different ethnicities are not properly represented in community boards. The article closes by stating that we, as residents of New York City should find strength in numbers and this is a statement that I agree with. How can we manage to solve the problems that affect our quality of life if we do not work and cooperate with not only people of our race, but people of other cultures that make up the diverse country of the United States?

Community Board 3 Profile — http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/lucds/qn3profile.pdf

Community Board 4 Profile — http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/lucds/qn4profile.pdf

Community District Needs, FY 2013 —  http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/pub/qnneeds_2013.pdf

Nir, Sarah Maslin. 2010. “Roosevelt Ave: A Corridor of Vice.” New York Times, October 12.

Rodriguez, Cindy. 2011. “Inside the New Times Square: A Look at Prostitution on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens.” WNYC, August 15. 

From the discussion we had before about Willets Point and Citi Field, this article is relevant.

http://news.yahoo.com/citi-field-area-ever-nycs-next-great-neighborhood-164900681.html

The lives and troubles of the Ortiz family in ‘My American Girls’ are shaped and influenced by their neighborhood and community of Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

The Ortiz sisters find cultural safe haven and connection with the Dominican community of Brooklyn; the community is tight-knit and very involved in the lives of its members. Social company and support is evident when the greater Dominican community in Brooklyn gathers to celebrate the eldest Ortiz sister’s college graduation. The greater Dominican community also gathers at the Ortiz home at other social gatherings or simply  casual get-togethers, and offer a feeling of home to Mr. and Mrs. Ortiz, who still desire to move back to the Dominican Republic.

The presence and socially-inclined Dominican community also has its disadvantages for the Ortiz household. The eldest sister, Monica, considers the heavy flow Dominicans coming in and out of the Ortiz household as a distraction to her studies, and points out the detriment of their interaction with her younger sisters. Monica prioritized her studies and career as opposed to devoting her life to socializing with the Dominican community. This starkly contrasts with her sisters, who spend a disproportionate amount of their time with their Dominican friends, turning their attention away from their studies, and viewing life from a more lax Dominican perspective as opposed to a studious American perspective like Monica.

In the film American Girls, the neighborhood the girls lived in played an important part in the way they grew up.  Being surrounded by other Dominicans kept the girls closer to their culture.  They were all exposed to the customs and activities that native Dominicans are accustomed to.  They were constantly around their extended family, since they all lived in one five-story house and spent a lot of time together.  This is also why the girls were fluent in both English and Spanish.  At home, they would either switch between both languages speaking to their mother or other relatives and at school they would speak mostly English.  The downside to having Dominican born parents and relatives all around them was that the girls would need more help concentrating and doing well in school.  While the oldest, Monica, had no problem keeping her head in the books, the youngest, Mayra, cannot keep her focus on her schoolwork.  This makes it harder for Sandra to discipline her because while she can keep telling her to do her schoolwork, she can’t exactly check it to make sure it is good.  What she does do though, is work hard to make sure her daughters can be the best they can and she can be able to go back to the Dominican Republic.

The scenes that resonated the most with me the most during this film were the ones where the girls got to spend time with their families.  They would walk through the streets together and in one scene, they made time to have fun play in the spray of a fire hydrant.  You could see that they were not one of the wealthiest families from the surroundings that they hangout in.  They have a limited amount of options as to what they can do in their free time, but the children still find ways to have fun and play around.  The Ortiz family did not choose to live in the neighborhood that they do, as you can see from Sandra’s intentions of working so hard.  That is what she could afford with the limited education she got in the Dominican Republic and being an immigrant.  She wants so much to be able to go back home and be comfortable there, but she must first get through where she is in the U.S.

The youngest daughter, Mayra, is the closest to their culture.  She likes to hang out outside with her friends and spend time with her family at the parties they throw on the weekends.  She even goes as far as saying that once they get to the Dominican Republic, she does not want to come back to the U.S.  She has been able to see what both American and Dominican society has to offer and is able to choose which one she would rather identify with.  On the other hand, her oldest sister, Melissa, has decided to fully immerse herself into American culture.  She decided to stay away from her Dominican culture from the time she was in high school.  She kept her head in the books and made it to Columbia.  Her friends and boyfriend are all American and she serves as the cultural liaison.  She loves the opportunities she gets from being an American and all of the options she has to choose from.  Aida, the middle child, is a mix between the two.  She knows she has to do well in school to be able to benefit from the advantages of America, but also loves her Dominican background.  Like Mayra, she loves to be around her family and hangout in the backyard on weekends. She tries her hardest in school, although life and the struggles she faces with her family distract her.

C) The title of the film is based on Mrs. Ortiz’s description of her daughters as her American girls.  Describe how each of her three daughters represents an aspect of the American experience and/or an American identity.

Throughout the film American Girls, Mrs. Ortiz repeatedly describes her three daughters as such. When contrasted with her own extremely poor upbringing this is entirely understandable. The oldest daughter embodies American exceptionalism, that if one works hard enough they can rise from very little to greatness. The younger two daughters personify entitlement. Neither of them puts in the same effort as their older sister yet they expect certain luxuries regardless.

The oldest sister graduates from Columbia University during the course of the film. She worked extremely hard to get there and maintained this ethic until her graduation. She was on the track team and built websites to supplement her income. Despite the difficulties, she even pursue an acting career, taking what jobs are available. She is willing to work to achieve any goal she sets for herself, rising from her limited origins to the pinnacle of scholarship.

The younger sisters don’t share their sibling’s motivation. They ask their parents for favors, such as money for shoes etc. and skimp on their work. They expect electricity, free time, food, and few chores; all very American luxuries. In the Dominican Republic, their parents went most of the day without electricity, worked from dawn till after dusk and lived incredibly simply.

My American Girls is a documentary surrounding the Ortiz family, first generation immigrants, who is hardworking, dedicated, and striving for success and pursuing the American dream. This movie documents the challenges they face in difficulties they face. However, it also shows how their surroundings, the community, plays an important factor in becoming who they are, especially their daughters. From being born in America, they are caught between parent’s values and their own. This is where the film shows the contrasts of being American but still living up to the immigrant values of their parents.

Being born in America, there are many things that distinguish you from your parents and the things you believe in. This is also the example for the Ortiz daughters. As they look on a different path to becoming something in life, there are many complications in reaching that successful platform. Having immigrant parents, it is very difficult for them to receive the proper education they need. Most of the complications that front the Ortiz daughters are social complications. Whether it is education and studying or hanging out with friends, they first set forward to know people and to “socialize” more with others rather than study. My mom, being a math teacher, has had a great amount of experience with connecting to kids who are new to the country and have first-year immigrants in the US. It is a difficult task for not just the parents but for their kids to adapt and to set themselves in the right direction. That is where the community needs to play a vital role.

On the other hand, it is maintaining the values of their family. Living in a community of Puerto Ricans/Dominicans, there is a sense of comfortability among the Ortiz daughters. Having the sense of religious unity is key that at least they have someone/something with them. Other than that, they don’t have much. They are left to explore their community and expand their knowledge. Through that, each of the daughters become different and develops their own characteristics. The community plays a vital role in shaping each of the daughters and motivates them to work hard but also to explore what is out there and see what they can do with that is out there.

In My American Girls, we see an up close account of what life is like for the Ortiz family, a Dominican family that now lives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The Ortiz home is overrun with family members and friends who are constantly coming and going. In the street, all of the kids on the block come out to play with each other. There is a strong sense of community that exists between the Dominicans of this neighborhood that extends beyond direct familial relationships. The entire community, especially those who weren’t born here, is struggling to find work, to make a living, to get an education, and to learn English. This community, which exists separately from other communities in Sunset Park (such as the Asian community), has both its advantages and disadvantages for the Ortiz family.

Coming together as a community creates a huge sense of comfort for the Ortiz family, especially for the elders. They help each other to learn about life in the U.S., to immigrate here, and to find work here. In the film, for example, we see the mother teaching an English phrase to one of her many family members. Learning from family is probably less intimidating than learning from strangers. Once they get adjusted to life here, they’re able to send money back to their poor families at home in the D.R. Besides for these practical reasons, they also get to hold on to memories of home by constantly sharing them with each other. They strongly hold onto their culture and their traditions while they are living here. This perhaps relieves the scary fact that they are living in a completely alien land.

While the benefits of living in a close knit Dominican community are real, there are also setbacks, especially those that affect the Ortiz daughters. We constantly see the middle daughter struggling with school, and one of the reasons is because neither of her parents can help her with her work. Generally, the large amount of family members and friends that are constantly around makes for a huge distraction. The younger daughters would rather socialize within their community than study. They’ve even complained several times that they’d rather move back to the D.R. and stay there. This was the opposite for the oldest daughter, who worked extremely hard to study and do well in school. She graduated from a prestigious university, but she still finds herself being held back in some ways by the demands of her family and the community. There is a feeling that she could be more successful of she could severe her ties with her family and her community. For the daughters especially, we see the members of this community stuck in an awkward place that is somewhere between belonging to the U.S. and belonging to the D.R. As long as they are in limbo like this, they can never go very far in either direction.

The film, My American Girls, accurately depicts the lifestyle of immigrant parents as they struggle to “make it” in America. It was hard not to notice the obvious gap between Mrs. Ortiz and her “American” girls. Monica, Mrs. Ortiz’s oldest daughter, is probably the most “American” out of all of her siblings. Although she can communicate well with her parents and is accustomed to the Dominican culture, Monica states that she never really hung out with the Dominican “crowd”. When she was at home, she only focused on her schoolwork and rarely interacted with other Dominican kids of her age. After spending most of her school years in a private school, she attended Columbia University and once again, she became surrounded by completely different individuals. It is interesting that although Monica’s family is not very wealthy, they were still able to afford Monica’s private school education. Also, Monica, like many other first generation immigrants kids, aspires to achieve that “American dream”. Out of everyone in her family, she is the only one who seems to have a better chance of “making it”. In my opinion, Monica manages to strike a perfect balance between her “American” life and her “Dominican” by still maintaining her relationship with her “white” boyfriend, her job, and the close connections with her very much Dominican family. Just like how Mrs. Ortiz struggles to provide for her family, Monica too is struggling so that in the future, she can support her parents.

Aida, who considers herself to be a “typical” middle child, may not be as “American” as her older sister. But she still demonstrates her desire to work and earn some money so that she can  pay for her expenses. This sense of responsibility and independence that she possesses distinguishes her from other Dominican kids of her age. She knows she has to focus on her studies (even though she is used to failing math) and the SAT so that she too can go to college like Monica. In the movie, Aida tells the audience that although she doesn’t show it, she is very proud of her mother’s accomplishments in America. She quits her job and has unnecessary demands for materialistic things but it is important to note that as a 16 year old, this is to be expected. But overall, she seems mature for her age and is highly aware of the importance of achieving her goals.

Mayra, who is fourteen years old, considers herself to be the “ghetto” kid. Since she is the youngest, we can expect her to be a bit immature than the others. Her focus is more on her friends rather than her studies. It is obvious that Mrs. Ortiz has the hardest time getting Mayra to be studious like Monica. Instead of using Monica as an inspiration, Mayra doesn’t want to be anything like her because Mrs. Ortiz is always comparing her to Monica. Mrs. Ortiz, who doesn’t know much English, expresses her frustration about the lack of English skills and how her Mayra is taking advantage of this weakness. Mrs. Ortiz is fed up with Mayra’s shenanigans and she wishes to send the fourteen year old to Dominican Republic. Unlike Aida, who doesn’t want to go back and finish her studies there, Mayra is agrees to finish high school in the Dominican Republic. Therefore, I consider her to be the least “American” out of all of her siblings even though she is born and brought up in the United States.

In My American Girls the girls were shaped in different ways because of the different communities they were part of. All the girls during their childhood lived in the same neighborhood of Sunset Park. Specifically, they lived in a Hispanic neighborhood of Sunset Park. However, not all of the girls were part of the Dominican community that was formed by Dominican immigrants. For example, Monica went to private school and therefore went to school with wealthier people who were not Dominican or Hispanic. Many of the people she was exposed to in school were Caucasian. She became more of an outsider to the Dominican Community because she hung out with non-Dominicans and had a way of life that was to the way of life the private school people had. The eighth grade girl on the other hand was very part of the Dominican community. She played outside with Dominicans and identified very strongly with being a Dominican. She did not go to the private school like Monica did.

The three daughters were all very different and had different experiences as American-Dominicans. For example, Monica was a very Americanized Dominican. She assimilated into the culture of the Americans at her school and seemed slightly offended when people did not recognize her as being Dominican. Her family in the Dominican Republic would tell her that she was Dominican and not American, and she did not like that. Monica also in a way fit into the American dream that is most discussed. Her mom was very poor when she came here and was not educated, but Monica was able to work hard and get a prestigious education, which opened up opportunities to her, in terms of jobs and life style. For example, right after she graduated college she was able to move to a wealthier part of Manhattan and get a job. The middle child had some similar qualities to Monica. She said that she did not want to turn out like some other kids she knew, who also probably came from immigrant families, and she wanted to work hard and be successful in America. She even took initiative by looking for a job for herself, but was fired very quickly. What she wanted to be in America and what was happening to her did not agree. The youngest daughter did not seem to care about being successful in America and also did not identify much with being an American. Considering her carefree lifestyle, her future in America was probably not much of a concern to her.

One part of the documentary that stuck out to me was the part where Monica talked with the other Dominican actress about the Dominican Republic. They were saying that the places their families came from in the Dominican Republic were very different in terms of their cultures. This made me think about the term “Hispanic”, which groups people in Latin America together. Based on the conversation, even saying Dominican is generalizing where someone is from. No matter what someone refers to another person as, a generalization may be made.

Prompt C:

In the film “My American Girls” Sandra Ortiz, the mother of the three girls, faces a tough time in dealing with her American born daughters. Her three daughters have all taken completely different routes to their version of the American dream. Monica is the smart, talented and hard working of the three. Aida is the one that tries to balance street and home life. And the final daughter, Mayra, cares only about having a good time.

The eldest daughter, Monica, lives a drastically different life than the rest of her family. She thrives off her independence from her family and has detached herself from her Dominican culture. Monica is living her version of the American dream through testing different things to see which makes her happy. The end result will be her choosing that thing to spend the rest of her life doing, currently that thing to her is acting.

The middle daughter, Aida, is the typical middle child, She, like Monica, tries to be independent but in a different way. She turns to working at McDonalds when her parents fail to provide her with the things she desires. She, unlike Monica, has taken a materialistic approach to the American dream. She chooses material things over her education, because to her having designer shoes are more valuable than books. Even so, she tries to maintain an identity as a Dominican and be an American too. She fits in the middle of her two lives.

The last and youngest daughter, Mayra, is the most immature of the three siblings. She regards herself as “ghetto” and does everything in the name of fun. Unlike her two sisters, she does not pursue a solid education or material things, she only wants to have fun with her friends. Her version of the American dream is to have fun all the time.

The three daughters have all grown up to live various different lifestyles. The biggest reason for this may be the language barrier between the parents and their children. Since the parents struggle with English, there is no way to check up on their kids to see if they are really doing their work. This has allowed the three of them to venture out and live out the different lives they find themselves a part of in America.

My American Girls: A Dominican Story tells the story of a family of Dominicans living in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Mr. and Mrs. Ortiz work blue collared jobs as cleaners. In order to support the family, they must take up more than one job. Because of their busy schedules due to multiple jobs, they hardly get to spend time with their three daughters. In the beginning of the movie, the eldest daughter Monica expresses how instead of getting the extra $100 per week, her parents should invest more time with their children. This movie gives a raw look at the struggles immigrants must face in order to achieve the “American Dream.”

Although the three daughters were raised in the same household, it is clear that each have their own distinct personalties. As the oldest daughter, Monica is the most studious of the three. She majored in neuroscience and graduated from Colombia University. She was the first college graduate in her family and her parents were so proud even saying that they’re “glad they finally did something right.” Although Monica was on the path towards medical school,  she decided she wanted to pursue her passion for acting. While she felt she was letting her parents down for not continuing on to becoming a doctor, she decided acting was what made her happy. It is clear that Monica has put distance between her and her family. Although she would like to help her mom raise her other two sisters, she does not want her family to hold her down from creating a future for herself.

While Monica is extremely studious her sisters Aida and Myra, are quite the opposite. Aida is mostly concerned with making money to buy the clothes she wants. She begins to work at McDonalds but is fired shortly after due to tardiness. Myra is doing so poorly in school that she needs to go to summer school. One of the scenes that most affected me was watching Mrs. Ortiz in the parent teacher conference meetings. All of Myra’s teachers tell Mrs. Ortiz that Myra is not doing well in school which is not what any mother wants to hear. Due to Mrs. Ortiz lack of knowledge for the English language, she can never even help Myra in her homework so there is not much that Mrs. Ortiz can do for Myra besides yell at her to do well in school.

The most striking part of the film for me was when the family went back to the Dominican Republic. Going back was an escape from bad grades and multiple jobs. You can see how the family is happy in their home country. In the Dominican Republic, they are considered well off compared to their relatives and it is clear that they do not want to return to the U.S. where they have to continue struggling in order to make ends meet.

In My American Girls: A Dominican Story, all three of the daughters have an identical upbringing. They all grow up in the same crammed house in Sunset Park. They all grow up going to school while their parents work two jobs each to support them. They all grow up exposed to their Dominican Republic roots through their family traditions. Yet they each are very distinct individuals who represent different American experiences and identities.

The eldest, Monica, is the most removed from her Dominican roots. Going to an Ivy League college, she fulfills the American dream of achieving a prestigious education. Her American identity is further strengthened by her disassociation from the Dominican crowd. Instead of living with the rest of her family in Sunset Park, she moves to an upscale, more expensive neighborhood with her American boyfriend. This change in her living situation is a clear attempt on Monica’s part to distance herself from the community she was raised in. The neighborhood intrinsically does not harm her ambitions in any way, but rather the community hinders her attempts at “making it.” She does not wish to rebuff her hardworking parents, but she does intend, and humbly so, to elevate herself in society. And while she is physically and culturally separated from her family in Sunset Park, she recognizes that each of her achievements is a first for any of her family members in America. It was interesting to note how swift her career shift from neuroscience to acting was; such a change is only possible in America, where people is able to alter their future goals on a whim in order to enjoy the [American] experience by doing something they truly enjoy.

Aida, the middle child, also discusses jobs and a future, despite being only sixteen. She wants to have money to buy things, something that most American teens take for granted. Her parents struggle to barely support the family and pay the bills; they certainly cannot support a life of materialism that is prevalent in today’s youth. Instead, Aida feels the need to get a job so as to support her desire to shop. She starts out by working at McDonald’s-what she considers a classic job. (“I mean, it’s McDonads.”) Fired for her tardiness, she recognizes that now she will have more time to study for the SAT’s- a priority in the eyes of her teacher’s but not her own. Despite not being the most conscientious, Aida does orate that she wishes to break away from the pattern of not graduating, a rampant problem among many Dominicans.

The youngest, Myra, has complete disregard for the concerns of her two older sisters. She contributes to the statistic of Latinos not doing well in school; she fails math and has to attend summer school. An American experience that she considers import is hanging out with her friends. For her, friendship is more of a priority than school work-an idea that causes her to clash with her mother. While the oldest daughter barely acknowledges her Dominican roots, Myra is clearly the most conflicted by her heritage. She desperately tries to be a normal American teenager, but feels confined by living in Sunset Park. There are intercommunity problems where she lives: at one point, she is harassed by other children and needs her mother to smooth things out. The declaration of her desire to go live in the Dominican Republic, despite never having grown up there, reflects an important aspect of her identity crisis as an American teen. She feels that the possibility to have a normal American existence is hindered by her identity; she believes that she would belong in the Dominican Republic.

Since the parents work late hours, the daughters are stuck watching television all night. The daughters recognize that because of their unique identity as Dominicans, their American experience is not the average one. The family infuses their heritage into their daily life through language and food in addition to returning to the Dominican Republic for vacation. Specifically because of financial and cultural hardship, the daughters acknowledge that their experience in America is second rate. Identifying with the American culture, unfortunately, is not enough to have the ideal American experience, identity, and existence.

d.

A question that resonated throughout the course of the movie was whether or not the second generation felt any obligation to the first generation –the parents- to succeed and achieve the American dream. The movie made me feel very guilty as I watched the parents toil from early in the day until the late hours. Yet the children showed both appreciation and disregard for what their parents did. A clear theme that was prevalent was that the parents were willing to sacrifice their well being for the sake of their children achieving success and having a better life than they did. But did their children necessarily wish to reciprocate this easier way of life?  Certainly, their upbringing was not one that was enviable. Nonetheless, were they in a way taking the better lifestyle they have, compared to their parents’, for granted?

The documentary My American Girls: A Dominican Story centers on an immigrant Dominican family struggling to make a living in Brooklyn, New York. The parents, Sandra and Bautista Ortiz, are compelled to work long hours at low paying jobs in order to provide their daughters the opportunity to obtain an education and lead a comfortable lifestyle. Both Sandra and Bautista, dream of retiring and returning to their native country of the Dominican Republic. However, because their daughters desire to make the most of the opportunities available to them in New York, the Ortiz’s dream of returning with their entire family becomes unlikely. The documentary provides the audience with an insight into the life of this Dominican family and into the daily issues they face. The documentary demonstrates how both the community and neighborhood of this family plays an integral part in the development of each of their identities and aspirations.

A) The Ortiz daughters live in a five-story crowded apartment in Sunset Park, Brooklyn along with their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Despite the different kinds of immigrants that reside in the surrounding area, the Dominican community of the Ortiz family manages to remain a presence in the streets of Sunset Park. Even though each of the three daughters have different mindsets and ambitions, they still retain a strong tie to their Dominican culture and community. The strong ties that the daughters have to the neighborhood can especially be seen in the way the youngest daughter, 13 year old Mayra interacts with the other kids living in the community. Because the parents are always busy working, they are unable to provide Mayra with the proper attention to make sure that she is on the right track with her school work. While her parents are out working, Mayra is out on the streets meeting up with her friends and upholding her “ghetto” reputation. In the scene where she is playing in the park with her friends, Mayra claims that she does not understand why her sisters do not spend as much time as she does having fun and fooling around with the Hispanics kids in the community. To Mayra, the Hispanic community is an fundamental part of identity. 16-year old Aida is the more mature middle child who desires to become an independent woman who does not have to rely on her family for money or protection from the violence that goes on in the community. This can be seen in the scene where her parents refuse to give her money and she decides to start working in McDonalds and in the scene where she stands up to the neighborhood kids threatening to throw eggs at her. Furthermore, 21-year old Monica is the oldest daughter. She is the example of the family, proof that being part of the lower class of Brooklyn did not impede her from graduating from Columbia University. She breaks away from the community in the sense that she moves out with her American boyfriend and focuses on finding an appropriate job to kick off her career. However, Monica keeps in mind her roots and where she came from, attending her graduation party and thanking her family and friends that supported and contributed to her college success. All through out the movie, the Ortiz’s organize community events to relieve some of the stresses the come with working and providing for their family. This can be seen in the cookout scene, where many of the Dominicans in the community gather to dance and eat Dominican food, almost as if they were still in their own country.

D)  One of the scenes that resonated with me was the scene where the daughter claimed that Mrs. Ortiz did not know sufficient English to help her with her homework. She stated that, “My mom does not know anything about Charles Dickins so how could she help me?”. In another scene, Mrs. Ortiz stated that she barely read through her daughter’s homework because she could not understand the language. In my opinion, both of them are just giving excuses to Mayra ‘s poor grades. Sure Mrs. Ortiz has a point when she says that she cannot read through the homework, but if she was a strong enough disciplinarian, setting stricter consequences for her daughter, perhaps Mayra’s performance at school would improve. Even though she cannot read through the material, can’t she at least make sure that her daughter completed an appropriate amount of work? I say this because growing up my mom did not understand much English either, however she was always there asking me how I was doing at school, and asking me to explain some of the material so she can help me with it. She enabled my brother, who is now studying at Harvard, and I to rise above the Hispanic stereotype and obtain a college education. It just pains me when I see other Hispanics being stereotyped by other people who think that Hispanics cannot progress in their careers. It pains me even more when I see Hispanics contributing to these stereotypes with excuses such as “well I cannot understand the language so how can I help my daughter with her school work?” I just think that anything is possible with the proper amount of effort, and it made me happy to see 21-year old Monica being proof that the stereotypes associated with Hispanics are not for all true for all Hispanics individuals.

The film My American Girls: A Dominican Story delves into the lives of two immigrants from the Dominican Republic and their three daughters, Monica, Aida, and Mayra Ortiz, who are growing up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, in the late 1990’s.  Each daughter stands apart as an individual, with different attitudes and approaches to life.

Monica, the eldest of three girls, comes to closest to achieving a version of the “American Dream,” in terms of education, her lifestyle, and the people she associates with. Despite having to struggle in search of a quiet place to study, Monica was able to achieve an enormous victory: admission to the highly competitive Colombia University—a school that even non-first generation students, with better opportunities, are routinely rejected from. With a degree and a job (first as a website designer, then as an actress) that produced an income that sustained an adequate lifestyle, Monica appeared well on her way to achieving the American Dream—if not only from an immigrant perspective.

However, the most telling aspect of Monica’s success lies not in her education and lifestyle, but in whom she associated with. Throughout the film, Monica reiterated that she came to associate with the white demographic after attending so many years of private school; the majority of her friends were white, as was her boyfriend. Though there are varied definitions of the “American Dream,” many include assimilation to mainstream society as cornerstone of achieving the Dream. Though the five boroughs, including Brooklyn itself, are diverse, it can be argued that the upper stratum of society is disproportionately composed of whites. By assimilating with whites and otherwise upwardly mobile individuals, Monica gained acceptance as an American.

Aida and Mayra, by contrast, experienced life as the children of two immigrants quite differently from Monica. Seemingly lacking Monica’s ambition and drive, the other Ortiz sisters struggled to cope with various aspects of life. Aida, well aware of her parents’ struggle to make ends meet, was motivated enough to go to classes and make a sincere effort in furthering her education; she even temporarily held down a job at a fast food chain to make some extra money. However, Aida seemed content with doing the minimum required to get by. Aida’s identity as an American resembles those who utilize the resources offered to them (i.e. education, ability to get a job), but do not fully capitalize on said resources—perhaps leaving them with a blue-collar job, at best.

Mayra is the polar opposite of Monica—she is rebellious in every sense of the word and disregards the pleas of her parents to work hard in school and limit time spent socializing with friends and family. Failing multiple classes, Mayra represents the American-born child of immigrants that does not take advantage of the opportunities offered to her. She is young and naïve; and has yet to acknowledge her parents’ suffering for her benefit. She, like her sister Aida, identifies more with Dominican and Hispanic culture; her failure to even attempt to assimilate to American society is reflected in her rebellious behavior.

This film left me with many questions, specifically regarding Monica. After experiencing so much success in Colombia U, and securing the dream of so many students (i.e. a well-paying job as a web designer) why did she decide to give it all up to pursue acting? Could her decision have anything to do with the expectations of her culture? Is education not as emphasized in Hispanic culture? Are the expectations more to “follow your dream,” and actively pursue what makes you happy, rather than a more “practical,” secure job, such as a computer programmer, as Monica was before?

Last class we discussed the affects living in ethnic enclaves can have on people, in terms of how they affect people’s ability to be a part of the mainstream United States. At first, when I started reading “Chinese: Divergent Destinies in Immigrant New York”, I was convinced that enclaves were the roads to living in places outside of the enclaves. When Zhou discussed the Old Chinatown, she said that most second-generation Chinese immigrants move out of Old Chinatown, and this is supported by the fact that Old Chinatown contains mostly new immigrants and elderly people. I took this to mean that they moved out of Chinatowns in general, but really they just move into another Chinese enclave, Sunset Park.  As a result, Zhou calls Sunset Park an extension of Chinatown. In reality, according to Zhou, many people are stuck in the enclaves, if they work in the enclave economy, since they are not exposed to English and since many are undocumented.

The Old Chinatown in the past has even made efforts to protect Chinese immigrants from outside society, and this seems to go against the idea of immigrating to the United States. For example, associations called tongs were made to “preserve the status quo” in the enclave. Immigrants cannot become comfortable with society if their status quo is intentionally being preserved. Now, however, these organizations do promote integration into society and provide English classes. They still do not focus on English though, as the organizations like the CCBA focus their schooling on Chinese language classes.  Shouldn’t the focus be English?

I am slightly confused on the meaning of suburb after reading Zhou’s and Li’s article. Li calls places like Flushing and Sunset Park, ethnoburbs, and makes it clear that he believes that they are very different from Chinatowns. Li describes ethnoburbs, as if they are places for wealthy immigrants. This makes sense if Li is talking about how ethnoburbs, such as Flushing formed, as it formed from well off Taiwanese settling there, since they did not fit in with the Cantonese in Chinatown. They were followed by the mainland Chinese. Now however, Zhou says that many people who come to Flushing are working class coming to meet their middle class relatives. This does not sound like a suburb Li that Li talks about.

The second Honors College seminar investigates the role of immigration and migration in shaping New York City.  Our class will focus on immigrant community formations in the borough of Queens where the racial and ethnic diversity is unparalleled.  If treated as a separate city, Brooklyn and Queens would rank fourth and fifth respectively in population size following New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.  New York City’s status as a global city is, in part, attributable to its diverse and dynamic population.  Driven by immigration, a full 36% of New Yorkers were born outside of the United States but the immigrant presence is even greater in Queens where nearly half of the borough’s residents are foreign-born.  Long established as a majority “minority” city, New York City’s Latino and Asian populations continue to increase in contrast to other racial groups and nowhere is this trend more evident than in Queens where the population share of Latinos is equal to non-Hispanic whites (28%) and followed closely by Asians (23%).  Moreover, Queens’ majority immigrant Latino-Asian population is distinguished by a hyperdiversity of ethnicities, languages, and cultures.

Our class work will inform and possibly contribute to a book project led by QC Professor Ron Hayduk (Political Science) and myself titled, Immigrant Crossroads: Globalization, Incorporation, and Place-Making in Queens, NY.  In addition to an introduction to the extensive literature on post-1965 immigration, our class will engage in a study of the neighborhood landscape of Queens to localize issues of demographic change and race and ethnic relations; post-industrial urbanization and transnational capital; immigrant engagement in social justice activism and political incorporation; and urban labor markets and informality.  We will focus our research on several Queens neighborhoods including Jackson Heights, Corona, and Richmond Hill.

This is the course blog for Professor Tarry Hum’s Seminar 2, The Peopling of New York– Immigrant Crossroads: Globalization, Incorporation, and Placemaking in Queens, NY.