Response 2 of 5
As we were going through the history of New York City throughout the years, one that stood out to me was the “New Immigrant City.” In the time period between 1980 and 2001, a heavy influx of immigrants came to the city. Immigration laws loosened allowing people from countries all over the world experience the city. An important thing to note is that people didn’t just come from Europe but they came from Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. This is an important milestone not just for the immigrants that came in but also for the future of New York. I was passing by another sign in the museum and it said, “What makes New York New York?” The answer to that question was money, diversity, density, and creativity. Without the different groups of people inhabiting our city, New York would just be like any other place. It wouldn’t have anything special to it. Our Chinatown and Little Italy are just as important as our SoHo or Williamsburg. Without the blending of cultures, New York city wouldn’t be the same as it is today. As for the other answers to the question, I think that they all are important aspects of the city but that diversity contributes to all of them. For example, the reason why our subways cars are so jam packed and why our sidewalks have no more space to walk is because we have so many people here. One reason why my parents came to live in New York City was because they knew that other Indian people would be there. If only people from Germany lived in New York, immigrants wouldn’t feel as comfortable about moving in.
Questions:
Which racial group/ ethnicity is least represented in the city?
What other cities in America are as diverse as New York City?
