Author: stefannikolic

Stefan Nikolic

5 out of 5

“The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit” by Lucette Lagnado details the journey her father went through coming to America. The story she tells is one that many immigrants had to go through. Immigrants leave their countries for a variety of reasons, but fleeing political turmoil and conflict has become more and more common in recent years. In this story Lucettes father, Leon was in love with his city. If not for the Suez Canal crisis, he would have lived out the rest of his life there, but growing antisemitism pushed him out of his beloved home. Leon had to leave his success and his wealth behind in order for his family to be safe. The things Leon and his family had to experience during their exile is something that almost all immigrant families can relate to.

After being forced out of their homes they had to give up their comfort, wealth, and even their way of life. Upon finally arriving in America the Lagnado family had to struggle to survive and make ends meet. Leon even had to start selling ties out of a suitcase on the subway, yet they still found themselves, “dependent on charity for himself and his family to survive.” Many immigrants share this struggle, and find it extremely difficult to find a job in a new country where they don’t speak the language. On top of this Leon, like many immigrants, desperately missed his home city. He missed everything about it, from the sights to the smells. Upon moving to New York City he was able to find a sort of comfort in his religious community, becoming very devout and spending most of his day in the synagogue. This is very relatable to our class material because it gives insight on how enclaves begin to form. People from different countries find a second home amongst each other where they all speak the same language and can help each other out.

Questions:

1. Why would families have to give up their wealth upon moving to a new country?
2. If they already enjoy wealth in their native country, why risk it all to move?

Stefan Nikolic

Post 4 of 5

Often times in history the mistreatment of large groups of people is left out. The book Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940 by George Chauncey plans to restore the world of homosexuality to history, and make it more known to people. It challenges three myth about the history of gay life. He does so by challenging three common misconceptions about the gay social life, that he calls the myth of isolation, invisibility, and internalization.

Continue reading “Homosexuality in New York”

Stefan Nikolic

Post 3 of 5

In her study “(Un)documented immigrant media makers and the search for connection online” by Sarah C. Bishop goes into depth on what it’s like to be a young undocumented immigrant in the United States of America. She interviews 25 undocumented immigrants living in New York City that moved here before the age of 20. She argues on how digital media makes it easier for undocumented immigrants to come out and share their hardships.

Continue reading “Media’s Influence on the Portrayal of Undocumented Immigrants”

Stefan Nikolic

(Post 2 of 5)

After reconstruction failed in the late 1870s African Americans wanted to relocate themselves from the south. The article “Selling the American dream myth to black southerner as: the Chicago Defender and the great migration of 1915-1919” by Alan DeSantis covers the reasons why the majority of African Americans flocked to the north east. He covers many theories, but the three most relevant ones are the Push-pull economic theory, the socio-emotional theory, and the Chicago Defender theory.

Continue reading “The Chicago Defender’s Influence on Migration”