I actually had to go back and check the syllabus after reading both Jacqueline and Eden’s sparks, to make sure that we WERE supposed to read chapter 4 of Foner this week. I say that because that chapter brought about a stronger reaction in me than any of the other readings, and I actually felt that my other female classmates would feel the same way. Maybe it’s because I’m secretly a reverse sexist who enjoys tales of women rising to the same level as men, or as demonstrated in this chapter, even rising above men. I was actually surprised to learn that Jewish women were actually expected to work to support their husbands (and sometimes their husbands’ education). I expected that there would have been a financial dependency upon men. While I did enjoy reading quotes from women who felt empowered after working here in the city, I was glad that the end of the chapter reminded us that women still have a ways to go before they are actually on par with men. Women have come a long way, but we still have quite a journey ahead of us.
In response to Eden’s question about the differences outweighing the similarities, I feel as if that’s a tricky question. New York City slowly evolves as time goes by, so the differences that come up are inevitable. Foner does a neat job of simply summing up why the differences outweigh the similarities: Contemporary immigrants arrive with more occupational and educational variety. The economy back then was transitioning into a post industrial economy, whereas today we have shifted from goods to services. The racial and ethnic structure today also plays a role. But it feels as if time is the main key here. The world moves “forward” so to speak, so that people will have access to more educational and occupational opportunities. It moves “forward” as we transition from goods to services, from working in a factory to working in front of a computer. The world moves “forward” in the sense that other people from other countries are now able to come into the country, whereas they weren’t able to do so in the past. There are obvious differences between the past and present, but I feel as if those are inevitable differences that come with time. You could say that the present is a contemporary version of the past, if that isn’t a contradiction or paradox within itself.
Focusing on Foner for the time being, the constant motif of immigrants taking jobs away from the natives makes me, the child of immigrants, feel rather awful. Foner mentions how immigrants are less likely to complain, and are more willing to do whatever it takes to earn the paycheck, as opposed to natives. I have never noticed this sort of attitude towards native blacks and Hispanics, but the thought of thousands of immigrants pouring in and taking jobs “away” from natives just didn’t sit well with me. I don’t know if there’s a word in the English language to describe the feeling, but it was similar to how I felt when consistently seeing the term “white exodus” in Foner. It’s a slightly saddening feeling when you think of natives leaving because of the mass inflow of immigrants.
Foner still has me wondering about why immigrants with prestigious positions come to the city despite being so well off in their own country. It was discussed several weeks ago in class that they come to the city in hopes of a better future for their children, but that seems like a weak explanation. Education opportunities are expanding in other countries. If someone’s child comes to the city after completing their education in their home country and failing to find work there (this was frequent in the Philippines if I remember correctly) then that’s understandable. But the concept of someone doing really well in their country and then coming here and moving down the social ladder still perks my interest.
I agree with ToniAnn’s stance on whether or not she trusted kyes. The risk involved in this credit-rotating association aside, co-ethnic ties are definitely valuable, as demonstrated in a good number of these readings. I still can’t fully grasp why African Americans are an exception to this, even after reading Lee. It was stated that African American co-ethnic networks tend to be far less affluent, but surely not all the co-ethnic networks of other ethnic groups were well off?
