The students in this class come from an incredible array of backgrounds. We are American-born and immigrants, residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, New Jersey, Long Island, and Rockland County. We speak English, Korean, Russian, Hebrew, and a host of other languages, including at least four dialects of Chinese. We are native New Yorkers and recent transplants, longtime habitues of Chinatown and Brighton Beach and newcomers to both places. We are both insiders and outsiders to these communities, and we hope that you enjoy the variety of perspectives we bring to each and to the many neighborhoods in between.