Macaulay Honors College Seminar 2, IDC 3001H

Day: March 26, 2017

Religion V.S Society

This past Monday professor Rosenberg took a bit of a detour in the class discussion. He pulled out a topic that I have been recently enjoying more and more because of the law aspect that this particular case brings. We discussed the issues of two laws colliding with one another. One of them being a constitutional amendment and the other being recently added to the liberties of individuals in America. The collision of freedom of religion and civil liberties is a topic that intrigues me mostly because truth, I really don’t know which side is correct.

We brought several different cases and discussed the scenarios of a priest, a baker and a dining hall and if they would be required to perform their duties if they were against the marriage that was to be carried out. It’s even more interesting because my religion has no tolerance for gay marriage and so it really is a conflict that I can personally visualize. Even after the discussion we had in class I still don’t know which side the law would favor with. In a case of racial differences however , for example, if a baker wouldn’t bake for a mixed race marriage, that I think is wrong and the baker must perform his duties. Because of the racial case I’m extremely interested in where the line is drawn. I can’t seem to figure out if the gay marriage should also have the racial point of view or it’s a case entirely separate. Where is the line drawn?

Brazilians in Astoria

Lexi and I interviewed various Brazilian immigrants in Astoria, while simultaneously visiting various Brazilian businesses in the area. Some of the places that we visited can be seen in the map attached to this post.

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Little Brazil, Astoria

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Cidadão Global: 40.755107, -73.918231
Villa Brazil Café Grill: 40.755080, -73.918082
DM Salon: 40.755161, -73.918279
Favela Grill: 40.767350, -73.917985
Chita\'s Home: 40.761871, -73.911398
Michael Iakovou and Associates, P.C.: 40.754645, -73.930731
Rio Market: 40.760781, -73.918719
US-Brazil Grocery Store: 40.756139, -73.920012
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Cidadão Global

At this non-profit organization, Brazilians are given economic and legal help. It also provides opportunities for the preservation of the Brazilian culture and has programs that teach the English language to immigrants. We talked about these programs in more detail with the organization's Executive Director, Stephanie Mulcock.                                                                                                                                         

 

43-12 34th Avenue, Queens, New York, NY, USA
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Villa Brazil Café Grill

This restaurant serves delicious Brazilian food, such as chicken heart and pao de queijo (cheese bread). At this restaurant, we talked to a waitress named Anna about her immigration from Brazil to New York City.

43-16 34th Avenue, Queens, New York, NY, USA
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DM Salon

This salon is owned by a Brazilian immigrant named Mario, who spent some time telling us his story about moving to America. This salon offers a wide variety of hair treatments, as well as the famous Brazilian Bikini Wax.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

43-10 34th Avenue, Queens, New York, NY, USA
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Favela Grill

This restaurant serves authentic Brazilian food. At night it turns into a makeshift club with live Brazilian music. It has a homey atmosphere with large tables that are connected in order to foster a welcoming environment, even amongst strangers. We interviewed Brazilian waiter Luiz here.                                                           

 

33-18 28th Avenue, Queens, New York, NY, USA
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Chita's Home

Chita, who lives with her husband and sons in Astoria, moved to the United States over twenty-five years ago. She fell in love with New York City at the age of nineteen when she visited it as a tourist.

30-08 45th Street, Queens, New York, NY, USA
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Michael Iakovou and Associates, P.C.

This is a popular Brazilian immigration law firm in Astoria. The company offers services in a multitude of languages, including Portuguese, Greek, and Spanish.

31-10 37th Avenue, Queens, New York, NY, USA
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Rio Market

This supermarket sells traditional Brazilian food and drinks.

32-15 36th Ave, Astoria, NY 11106
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US-Brazil Grocery Store

This grocery store, which sold both American and Brazilian products, used to be owned by a Brazilian family. However, it has now been taken over by a Greek owner.

41-02 34th Avenue, Queens, New York, NY, USA