Author: matthewchaudhry

Response 5/5

The Brooklyn Historical Society on 128 Pierrepont street is a lovely sight and the exhibitions were wonderful. It’s exhibits describes the history of Brooklyn through exhibits such as Jackie Robinson’s Legacy, Women’s abolition, and even an exhibit on The Emancipation Proclamation. The Brooklyn Historical Society includes a complete library of Brooklyn history. The library is beautiful and dimly lit, making it a very intriguing place. It is not often that  I feel an environment inspires work in me, but I felt that I should be reading and studying in this library. While I did not read a book, the topics covered were extensive, ranging from historical accounts, to books specifically detailing events in Brooklyn from 150 years ago. Everything inside of the museum is presented in an educational way which helped in learning it. The exhibits have a lot of information but are supplemented with physical artifacts as well, which make it not as overwhelming. Being inside the museum made me feel as if I was right at home, also known as the Brooklyn College Library reading room. It is small for a museum, but I enjoyed this aspect of it. Normally, a huge museum is very physically exhausting and mentally, but this one was small and concise for the casual goer, but had enough information to keep a scholar busy for years. There was a discussion that I attended focused on activism and how it relates to sports. I stayed for a short amount of time but it fascinated me because it talked about sports within the context of brooklyn, which I really enjoyed.

One of the exhibitions that I was intrigued by would be the Jackie Robinson exhibit. He was able to break the exclusion of color from baseball, which was America’s most popular sport at the time. This exhibit was able to tell the story of Jackie Robinson and his impact within the larger context of racial struggles in America and the city. It had many artifacts of his, including baseball equipment. It was personal and holistic, not focusing one one aspect of Robinson’s career.

This museum relates significantly to our class because its focus is on Brooklyn and its history. Brooklyn has a very large amount of immigrants and ethnic enclaves, second to only Queens. Places like Brighton Beach, Greenpoint, Canarsie, Bayridge, and Williamsburg are filled with Immigrants from all over the world. This museum did not necessarily focus on immigration, but It did provide a lot of context, on for example, Brooklyn’s ideal location for immigrants. It also detailed immigrants role in the formation of what is modern day NYC and Brooklyn. Jackie Robinson’s exhibit is one that detailed the racial struggles which engulfed America, which were also felt to a lesser extent by European immigrant groups, especially initially upon their arrival. I really enjoyed this museum and I plan on visiting the Dumbo location soon as well, which is very surprising because I will not need it for a class requirement. P.S. Thank you for the wonderful semester!!!

Response 4 of 5

In “Man in the Sharkskin Suit: a Jewish Family’s Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World,” the story of the Egyptian Lagnado family is told by Lucette Lagnado, the daughter in the family and a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. She details the vivid nightlife and borderline luxuries life of her husband; she mentions the bustling cafes and night clubs in the city. He “assembled a wardrobe made by Cairo’s finest tailors in every possible fabric.” This life was very enjoyable and the tone of the book’s initial chapters make it seem like despite certain hardships and having to work, everyone enjoyed their successful life. The daughter, Lucette Lagnado, feels like her room is a part of her as well, especially of the views of street life in her window, which she grew to love.

After the war grew in size, life in Cairo became impossible to stay in and the family was forced to move to Alexandria, then Paris, and finally the United States. During their times as refugees, they struggled greatly to adjust to a life of poverty, which greatly differed from their original life. In New York City, their life was similar, one of struggle and grit. Her father resulted to selling ties on the street. He yearned for Cairo and his home country—including every aspect of it—the smells, food, people, views, etc.

This story of immigration from a country where conditions are unsafe or very undesirable is at the core of a very large percentage of US immigrants. Even though many aren’t running away from war, for example, they often are trying to escape political exile and harsh living conditions. Most times, these families immigrate to coastal cities, like New York, especially if they have knowledge of pre-existing enclaves in a city. The ill feelings the father feels as he desperately wishes for his home can be partially subdued through living in an Egyptian community. The yearning for home and comfort is often the reason for formation of enclaves and “little X” communities. In a community of such, the family would be surrounded by people similar to them, who are also going through similar problems. They would have access to restaurants that cook traditional food and play traditional music. While nothing would be able to compare to home, this is an effective way of reminiscing and finding comfort.

Like many people, the family came to the US to escape their country’s problems. They lost everything and the city provided them with a chance at the ever elusive American Dream.

1) How is the situation of having a lot, losing it, and then attempting to get it back different from the more common “nothing to something” situation?

 

2)Why did they choose to move across the world and not simply to a neighboring country?

 

3) Would their situation be different if they chose to move to a different city? Yonkers, NY?

Response 3 of 5

In George Chauncey’s piece, “Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World,” he focuses on the largely forgotten, or even purposefully hidden, lives, communities, and lifestyles of the growing and thriving gay community in early 20th century New York. Chauncey describes the gay history of New York and its many gay enclaves as “not supposed to have existed,” based on the intentional burial of truths by many influential historians. Chauncey illustrates the gay scene and their communities by addressing common beliefs and misconceptions about gays, especially those from ignorant historians and the pre-WWII era.

First, Chauncey addresses the myth of isolation, which claims that gays were not able to develop their subculture due to constant fear from the aggressive masses. Chauncy disproves this by exemplifying many bustling communities, such as Greenwich, Times Square, and Harlem, including their speakeasies, clubs, street corners, etc. He also makes mention of the flourishing of gay authors and artists from these neighborhoods, each having its own subset of unique cultural identity.

Next, he discusses the myth of invisibility, that even if these communities were to exist, they were so secretive and “underground” that they were invisible to other gay men. This claim holds very little truth, due to the style, hair color choices, key spot selection, and even mannerisms and code, all of which were giveaways for gay men to easily identify each other.

Lastly, the myth of internalization, where gays would not resist against mistreatment due to the internalized feelings of self-hatred instilled into them by the masses. This myth, in my opinion, holds a partial truth. There were, and still are, many gay people who truly believe on the inside that they are lesser than the average straight person. They often fear shaming from their loved ones, thus preventing them from not only protesting for their rights, but even coming out. On the contrary, thousands upon thousands of gay people are now protesting, and to a lesser extent, back then as well. People started groups and coalitions to fight their oppression. This is the type of unity and sense of security that gave birth to gay enclaves, and most enclaves in general.

The City of New York has immense diversity, with substantial populations from several dozens of countries from around the world. These feelings of mistrust and fear that the gay community felt, stems at the root, from being different from the norm, which at the time was white American, born and raised. Every immigrant group, for at least the first few decades upon arrival, was treated poorly and not given equal rights. This was one of the reasons why ethnic enclaves exist, like Greenpoint for Polish people, Astoria for Greeks, Flushing for chinese, etc. People yearned for a sense of security and familiarity, both of which could be found within people of their same kind. All of these truths are maintained for the reason behind the gay enclave formation.

 

1) New York City is considered one of the country’s most progressive. How would an overwhelming amount of gays incoming to a conservative city look like? Would they still be able to from their own style of life and unique forms of communication?

 

2) How is connecting with others through your sexual identity different than connection through race or country of origin? Is it different?

 

3) Do these myths for gay men still hold true today? Does the addition of gay women change any norms or peoples views on homosexuality?

 

4) How has social media and television changed the way people view and treat gay people?

Week 11

Response 2 of 5

When analyzing the Great Migration of African Americans in the early-mid 20th century, it is important to consider their reasons and the factors which influenced their decision; this information can reveal patterns propagation and “false” advertising of America’s reality. Living in the south during this time, African Americans had little to none job opportunities, poor living conditions, and racial/political ridicule. Their migration patterns are explained by two main theories. The Push-Pull theory suggests a migration mainly caused by job demand and financial opportunities in the North, contrasting with the South’s non existent job market for black people. The socio-economic theory suggests a migration fueled by feelings of inequality, social mistreatment, and general discrimination. In the South, slavery’s after effects stung for a very long time, and are still present today. Even though African Americans were free, their equal status was not considered legitimate by most in the South. Things like Jim Crow laws and the grandfather clause served to further reinforce oppression after slavery. While these two theories are different, they can be boiled down to one simple statement that was at the front of every black person’s mind: life in the north is better for me. This is true whether it is for the previously mentioned reasons or even reuniting with family or attempting to reinvent themselves as a person. While these notions of the North being better in this regard were true, it is not to say that it was perfect. In addition, publications such as The Defender became the megaphone for black people. In “Selling the American Dream Myth to Black Southerners,” Alan DeSantis claims that The Defender’s publication numbers do not tell the whole story of its widespread power. He says that, “They do not account for the two modes of informal modes of paper circulation— borrowing and communal reading. Copies of the defender were often shared amongst family members, friends, church congregations, and even members of other communities who could not afford the luxury of buying a newspaper.” (DeSantis, 478) This means that everyone had access and the information was indulged within the company of like-minded, relating, and trustworthy people. This made it more believable and “real.” It’s name, The Defender, also catalyzed a sense of trust, evoking feelings of being protected and represented. Ultimately, the migration of African Americans to the north was the only viable option for them. The south’s adjustment to post-slavery was much harsher than the north’s due to its rural economy, likewise black people’s social status was also at a plateau. The north offered a chance at a different life, the American Dream, which in many cases was simply a dream, but publications, like The Defender, united African Americans and caused an understanding of their mistreatment and illuminated what they deserve to everyone reading.

 

Questions:

1. Would the migration patterns of African Americans have looked different if more people were illiterate and did not have access to publications? How so?
2. What do you predict would happen if slavery just ended in the year 2018? Technology is everywhere.
3. Why do you think African Americans were not interested in “sticking it out” and building their own strong communities in the south?