I am a big fan of science fiction stories, where the intrepid explorer ventures off into distant worlds that are completely different from their own. Until fairly recently, I thought these journeys only existed in novels and movies. This was until me and two fellow students wandered into the constantly changing world of East Harlem for a school assignment. We all had the great fortune of walking by a white and black sign saying ‘Sam’s Famous Pizza’ on an empty stomach. Upon walking in, our appetites for intellectual understanding and the emptiness in our stomachs were filled.

Fast forward to 2016, where I have just ordered a delicious slice of pizza. My classmates and I asked the man behind the register if we could speak with the manager. He looked at us very uncomfortably, as if we were a danger to his way of life. It only occurred to me later that he was probably worried that we wanted to speak to the manager regarding undocumented workers, a group he was probably familiar with. In the corner of the small shop we found Constantine, the Italian/Greek manager. At first contact he seemed upset that we were there, perhaps because we were wasting his time, but once we told him why we were there, he warmed up like a pizza oven. Interestingly enough, one of the first things that he felt was necessary to tell us was to clear up the common misconception that pizza was invented in Italy. In fact, pizza is originally a Greek cuisine. Constantine, unlike many other managers in East Harlem, was excited to speak with us and assist us with our assignment. Whether he helped us to help his business gain more exposure or because he was genuinely excited to talk about his business, both reasons are fascinating.

The history of Sam’s Famous Pizza shop begins in 1962, when Constantine’s uncle came to the United States from Greece with hopes of achieving the American Dream. Constantine was inspired by the story of his great uncle, and says, “My father and uncle came to America with 5 bucks in their pockets and made it happen.” Fifty-four years later, Sam’s Famous Pizza attests that with a little bit of opportunity and a lot of determination, it is possible of achieving the American Dream. Constantine is also proud to discuss the nature of East Harlem, admitting that while the neighborhood has its downsides, the culture is rich and people from different walks of life are all essential to its diversity and cohesion. Many stores, including his own, hire undocumented workers. This is because the labor is cheap but even more importantly, Constantine sees this as the only opportunity the newcomers have for feeding themselves and their families. Many of the undocumented workers have limited opportunities because they either have a diminished understanding of the American culture or the English language. This is why they are willing to sacrifice easier jobs for their families. It is also why East Harlem has become an enclave for this labor group.

Constantine understands the sacrifices people sometimes make for family. He was born in Greece, and after finishing school, was drafted to the Greek national basketball team. Becoming an athlete in Greece is a very highly regarded profession but Constantine nonetheless passed up the opportunity to help his family’s business in New York. According to Constantine, “Family means you stop what you are doing and you lend a hand.” Even though Constantine had to flip his entire world upside down in order to help out with the family business, he smiles and says that his social life has remained completely intact. He believes that people helping out one another is the only way to make a community thrive economically and socially. This is why Constantine understands the need for undocumented workers, if they were to not be hired in East Harlem, it would completely destroy their way of life. Constantine cares deeply for the East Harlem way of life, and has seen the vast changes in the neighborhood since he has arrived in America.

East Harlem has a rich history that changes its demographic nature every few decades. The neighborhood was originally populated by working-class German, Jewish, and Irish immigrants that served various labor industries. Then, as the public transportation services in the area began to develop, droves of Italian immigrants moved into East Harlem. Eventually, East Harlem became a predominantly Italian neighborhood as more Sicilians moved in to find jobs in menial labor. East Harlem became the first neighborhood in New York City to be designated as ‘Little Italy’ and would change again a few decades later. After World War I, Puerto Rican and Latin American immigrants moved into the neighborhood, eventually rising to become a majority. As each of these cultures moved into East Harlem, they have driven out much of the pre-existing communities. The Latin presence in East Harlem would remain to be its most dominant characteristic and continues to be so today. For the last century, East Harlem has developed a reputation of being a dirty, downtrodden neighborhood. This reputation probably stems from the myriad of social issues that the community has faced since the turn of the 20^th century. At times East Harlem has had an extremely high unemployment rate, massive outbreaks of disease, and to this day has the second highest concentration of public housing projects in the Unites States. Although, even with all of these social struggles the people of East Harlem have had to overcome, the community has also made massive cultural contributions to the area such as breakdance and salsa music. Although, the cultural heritage of El Barrio is beginning to diminish, washed away by the waters of gentrification.

Sam’s Famous Pizza has stood on the same corner of 116^th street and Lexington Avenue for fifty-four years like a wallflower, watching as the neighborhood around it and the store remains virtually the same. Constantine’s store has maintained a good relationship with the businesses across the street and he is worried that the rising rent prices will soon drive them out. The pizza shop on the other hand has stood the test of time, and Constantine is not worried about the rising rent prices. His store acts as a third place, where people from wealthy businessmen to low-wage workers come in to enjoy a slice of pizza. He has also maintained a strong relationship with many of the regulars to his store who will often come in even if they are not hungry, simply for some good conversation or even just to say hi. One of the things that defines the character of East Harlem is the mom and pop shops, and if not for the gentrification of the city, the neighborhood would want for these stores to stay. Constantine put it quite simply, “What’s not broken, don’t fix.” He feels that the small business-owners of the neighborhood do not have a say in the future of their own town. Constantine is well-versed in the political process of the New York City because he wants to understand what drives or impedes his business. He says that “A change needs to be made in the local government in order to save the stores, and that change is not happening anytime soon.” The city government is sacrificing the city’s cultural identity for chain stores and economic advancement.

Constantine says that one of the biggest challenges in his business is something that also bothers him on a personal level. Among his many familial values is his love for the classics. In our interview he said that he wishes the neighborhood could go back to the way it used to be and that “What makes the city great are the mom and pop shops.” He would go on to say that these kinds of stores give the neighborhood it’s rich character and are more real than any of the chain stores that have been moving in. The gentrification of East Harlem has also led to spikes in rent, driving out the pizzeria’s cherished clientele as they move to cheaper areas to live. In their place, many tourist hotels have sprung up and bring out-of-towners from all over to taste their delicious pizza, but to Constantine it is not the same. In his mind, businesses like his are what make the neighborhood unique and what have allowed his business to become a ‘third place’. Gentrification and rising rent prices are changing the neighborhood by driving the people who have brought their cultural roots out of East Harlem. Constantine was very well-informed and discussed the political influence on the area. If something is not done soon, then East Harlem could go the way of Williamsburg and other neighborhood, losing their cultural identity forever in place of newer ones.

According to the New York City Census, the effects of gentrification can be calculable even from data in very recent years. In 2010, the census found that non-Hispanic Whites comprised about six and a half percent of the population in East Harlem. The census data from 2013 indicates that the percentage of non-Hispanic white people in the neighborhood jumped up to almost eight and a half percent. Ina neighborhood of just under 60,000 people, this becomes a very significant portion of the populous. If we compare this information with the numbers of Hispanics in East Harlem we notice the inverse occurring. In 2010, people of Hispanic origin made up almost 53 percent of the population, meaning that over a half of the citizens of East Harlem were of Hispanic descent. Even though they still make up a significant majority of East Harlem, the 2013 demographic census found that the citizens of Latin origin made up less than half of the total population. By 2013, the number of Hispanics in East Harlem went down from 53 percent to 49.5 percent of the neighborhoods population. As more white citizens and chain stores are moving to East Harlem, the rents have been steadily increasing, driving out the indigenous Hispanics. The gentrification of East Harlem has created a steady decline in the Latino presence of the neighborhood. We are approaching a crossroads concerning the future of East Harlem. We have to decide whether we care more about the cultural heritage and benefits of El Barrio, or if we prefer big companies to move in and increase overall economic prosperity to the neighborhood. I certainly hope that policy-makers will act to prevent the gentrification of East Harlem, because while there are plenty of places to allow for economic expansion, there is only one true El Barrio.

In February of 2016, The New York Times wrote an article about “New York’s Next Hot Neighborhoods”, which described four up-and-coming neighborhoods in New York City. The article could have easily been called ‘The Effects of Gentrification on Four NYC Neighborhoods’. As more and more yuppies have moved into the neighborhood to find cheap housing, rents have gone up, driving those who relied on the affordable housing out of the neighborhood. While East Harlem still remains as one of the neighborhoods with the most public housing projects in the United States, there have been many new building developments for luxury condominiums and chain stores. One of the many consequences of this gentrification has been that many of the mom and pop shops that defined the culture of East Harlem have failed in meeting rising rent prices and so have left the neighborhood. According to the website propertyshark, real estate prices in sections of East Harlem have surpassed the median household income by a large margin. It is interesting to note that the areas with the greatest disparity in median household income and property sales are the areas closer to the affluent upper east side. This means that more and more wealthy citizens are moving into East Harlem which will only serve to drive out more and more of the neighborhoods cultural blood. Hopefully, local government will come to understand that you cannot put a price on cultural identity and save the declining El Barrio.

Sources:

Higgins, Michelle. “New York’s Next Hot Neighborhoods.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Feb. 2016. Web. 30 May 2016.

Jackson, Kenneth. “The Encyclopedia of New York City.” (Book, 1995) [WorldCat.org]. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.

“New York Region.” – U.S. Census Bureau. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.