Rebecca Kreiser
Reflection 1 of 5
Trump May Have America, But the City is Still Ours
Author: David Wallace-Wells
In his article Trump May Have America, But the City is Still Ours, David Wallace-Wells chooses to focus on the shock New Yorkers experienced upon hearing of Trump’s victory to demonstrate that we (New Yorkers) live in a bubble. Furthermore, Wallace-Wells poses a question to his readers: Is the NYC bubble a “sanctuary or madhouse?”
In attempt to answer his own question, Wallace-Wells posits that NYC is both. However, he claims that he believes that our ability to live within a beautiful, diverse, ugly and dangerous city is ultimately a testament to our own strength. We live in one of the largest immigrant hubs (albeit not the only one), where no one can claim that they were here first. This is integral because it means that “nobody really owns the city.” At the same time, it also means that “no one is immune to insecurity.” Nobody feels like they completely fit in because we all have an equal stake in NYC. So how do immigrants and their children deal with all of these contradictions?
In my experience, NYC is not a single bubble. Many New Yorkers live in bubbles within the greater bubble. For those times when the city becomes too overwhelming, many of us retreat into our ethnic neighborhoods to feel safe, comforted and loved. This basic idea is articulated amazingly well by Jane Ziegelman in her book 97 Orchard Street: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement when she describes how uptown Jews in search of a real meal would sneak back to the Lower East Side for chopped herring and onion rolls.
But these sub-bubbles can sometimes also be quite flexible. For instance, I know a great number of people who live in tightly knit communities but spend their days working or studying in environments that are clearly a part of the greater NYC bubble. Essentially, many New Yorkers, especially children of immigrants, are adept at adapting to new environments without forgetting their individual backgrounds. Therefore, New Yorkers are likely to have multiple identities. And with multiple identities comes complexity. And with complexity comes the need for nuance. Trump may have won over some New Yorkers, but he will never win over the majority because he lacks nuance. So take comfort, “the city is still ours.”
Questions:
- As New Yorkers, to what degree do you feel like you are living in a bubble?
- What do you think, is the NYC bubble a “sanctuary or madhouse?”
