Steve Earle was half right when he described New York City as a “City of Immigrants” in his song by the same title. There exists another subset of people who move into the city and contribute to its culture: the migrants.
Migrants come for a myriad of reasons. Sometimes they are here to stay with family, some come to work, and are some come because they are big fish in small ponds. A place like New York City, with its plethora of cultures and languages, is a dream for many of these big fish, prompting them to say goodbye to their small town, pack their bags, and head for The Big Apple. Take, for example, Sabrina Kostusiak. She was born in Connecticut and raised in Buffalo. Most of her family lives in Buffalo. Her earliest ancestors came to the United States from Poland, Ukraine, and Ireland before the turn of the 20th century; her earliest family photo is from 1882. They settled in Buffalo and stayed there.
Sabrina moved to NYC to study as a Macaulay Honors student at The City College of New York and has no regrets for her decision. “I always wanted to live in New York City” she said, a dream that prompted her to apply to the prestigious scholarship program. “I knew I needed to be in The City.”
Buffalo is the second largest city in New York State, but with a population of just under 260,000, it cannot compare to the size of New York City, with a population of over eight million. Everyone knew everyone in her town, and most people stayed in the same place their entire lives.
Sabrina did not live like that. She wanted to live her life at a faster pace than her neighbors and to experience more than what her white homogenous town had to offer. “Everybody dresses the same [in Buffalo]” she noted. She applied to Macaulay Honors College and was more than delighted by her acceptance and the opportunity to become a New Yorker.
And what an experience she had. Her first ever visit to New York City was last April, to visit City College on an accepted students day. The first thing she saw was Santa and Mrs. Claus on the subway. Where but New York? “That was really my first impression of the city,” she recalls.
She is not the first or only person in her family to live here, however. Her father attended college in New York City in the eighties. New York was a very different place then, and his experience was much more negative than Sabrina’s. She tells the story of how her father and grandmother accidently took the A train instead of the C train and wound up at 125th Street. The first person they met looked at them and said: “You don’t belong here”. At that time, the city was known for violence and crime. This was off-putting to Sabrina’s father, and his view of Harlem contrasts sharply with Sabrina’s modern experience.
Sabrina loves the city, in spite of her father’s apprehension. She noticed the difference right away, as well as the changes in herself. “It’s easier to connect with people here”. People also live at a pace in sync with how Sabrina wants to live her life. However, she also recognizes that she was different from the natives of her new home.
You can tell that Sabrina is from upstate by the way she talks. “Someone pointed that out to me on the first day,” though she never thought that she had an accent. It’s subtle, but noticeable to those who grew up here. Although she sounds different, the some people in New York sound different to her. She also felt at a disadvantage during the early part of her experience here. “I didn’t know the names of the neighborhoods.” But growing up outside of the city made her more curious and more willing to visit places that define New York, such as Central Park. “I know of some people who have never been to Central Park” she claims. “It’s surprising. You don’t know how great the city unless you move here”.
She is still in the process of integrating herself into the city. “I’ve learned the names of most of the neighborhoods in Manhattan, and some of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn,” she announced proudly. Her ultimate goal is to take full advantage of the culture and resources around her. She feels the change in herself.
Though still connected with her family, Sabrina does not think they can become new Yorkers by listening to her stories. Despite the common language, there are incredibly stark differences in culture. “You have to live here to understand.” She sums up.
The difference is incredible. New York, with its speed, density, and variety never leaves Sabrina bored. She feels the difference most strongly when she is back in Buffalo. “Buffalo is more like a community,” she describes, but the momentum is not there. To her, Buffalo is missing the action she desires.
There is no language barrier for migrants as there usually is for immigrants. It enables a person like Sabrina to make New York City their home. However, statistical data shows that migrants into the city are generally fewer than migrants out of the city, probably because of the expense. This does not faze Sabrina, because she feels she is living her dream.
She describes her journey into New York City with an indescribable amount of awe. She takes the train from Buffalo to Penn Station. On her way there, at a point along the Hudson, the river turns to bring the city into view. She could barely communicate the memory of her emotions, but her excitement was clear. “Afterwards you go underground, and then you’re in Penn Station.” She says, the memory of the excitement and joy prominent on her face.
New York City is everything Sabrina ever dreamed it would be. She plans to stay here for a good long part of her life. She is in love with the city, and has been for a long time.
People, both immigrants and migrants, come to the city for and the energy and dynamic affects them all. In the best cases, as in the case of Sabrina, a migrant finds a perfect fit, someplace they can and will happily adopt as their home.
