First off just a few reflections about the walking tour of the Caribbean community in Flatbush Brooklyn. A large distinction of the community was the amount of money transfer processes available. In particular, the one that I am most familiar with is the Western Union, which we noticed in almost every block. In my community here in the Bronx there is also a large community of West Indies (of course not as large as Flatbush). When I used to work at a community retail store that provided Western Union, I encountered many West Indian immigrants. Most of our Western Unions customers were mainly West Indian immigrants. For example, there was a Jamaican customer that walked in every Sunday (as he received his weekly check) and send about $200. Of course at the time I did not understand why he does this, however now I am aware of remittances and their importance to the West Indians. It was really interesting to find that connection in our tour. As I reflect back to my Western Union customers the pieces fall together perfectly.

Another interesting observation from the walking tour was the fact that the community was in New York City a city that I lived most of my life in but yet at Flatbush it seemed anything but. I felt as if I left New York City and traveled for a quick vacation. The fact that I was coming from the Bronx (2 hour transportation) further emphasized this experience. The people also played in important role in manifesting this experience. New Yorkers are known to be rude and obnoxious folks that wont smile in your face. However, the total opposite was noticed at Flatbush. The Caribbean folks were very welcoming and friendly. They seemed to admire our interest in learning about the Caribbean immigrants.