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Events of Conflict Representative of Greater Urban Issues

(w/ minor focus on: Power of Media on Public Perception)

Our Current Findings:

Brooklyn (Hafsah)

– Flatbush
Korean grocery store boycott lasted eight months. Korean American shop keeper was said to have attacked a Haitian woman and the African American community rallied against this act by boycotting the Korean grocery store Red Apple. At one point a black protestor at the boycott attacked a Vietnamese American but the boycotts were never really violent, it simply highlighted the ethnic/ racial divide in the Flatbush area. The mayor at the time, Dinkins, was criticized for not taking any action towards ending the boycott.

(This event is at the same time as the Crown Heights riot, how did Mayor Dinkins respond to those riots in comparison to the way he responded to the boycott?)

– Crown Heights
Hasidic Jew accidentally hit to young African American children. Hatzolah volunteer service responded to the aid of Yosef Lifsh but not the two children, one of whom died as a result of the wound. Angry African American mob responded to the incident by killing Yankel Rosenbaum. Community leaders came together as a result to help deal with the tension which highlighted the divide between the Hasidic Jew community and the Caribbean and African American community

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(http://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledgebase/80-a-history-of-tension-race-relations-in-crown-heights)

(Recently (2008) there was a case in Crown Heights where a Hasidic Jew and member of a patrol group attacked a black man, he plead guilty in 2014 and the incident reminded the community of the history of racial tension in the area)

– Bensonhurst
Predominantly Italian neighborhood, youth in area claim Bensonhurst belongs to them and Harlem (Manhattan) is for black people.
Murder of Yusuf Hawkins

1991 and 1998 Al Sharpton led march — “Brooklyn native… emerged as the controversial voice for the disenfranchised. He led demonstrations throughout the city, demanding justice while earning substantial coverage from a rapt media.
(http://wilsonquarterly.com/quarterly/summer-2014-1989-and-the-making-of-our-modern-world/lovehate-new-york-race-and-1989/)

– Bedford-Stuyvesant
Gentrification a big factor–known infamously as an area of high crime and black poverty during the 80 and 90’s, but recently as a result of gentrification rent prices have shot up and there is an influx in the white population and decrease in the black population who can’t afford the area anymore. There is also Spike Lee’s film “Do the Right Thing”, which depicts the racial tensions in the area.

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– Howard Beach
1986 African American man named Michael Griffith killed
Mayor Ed Koch immediately condemned the killing

Manhattan (Emily)

– Washington Heights

80s-90s – was the drug trafficking capital of NYC (crack cocaine), ideal location to reach tristate area — led to creation of addition police precinct to address rising crime rates and dangerous streets — drug wars.

1992 – violence in immigrant Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights – fatal police shoots of suspected Dominican drug dealer — “tensions seem more pronounced due to a variety of factors: intense crowding, a traditional distrust toward the police among some immigrants and a sizable drug trade that puts the police constantly on guard.”

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(http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/17/nyregion/unmasking-roots-washington-heights-violence-residents-point-overcrowding.html?pagewanted=all_)

1992 – Washington Heights riots – Irish police officer O’Keefe fatally shoots Dominican immigrant Jose “Kiko” Garcia for concealed weapon claim — officer cleared of charges — representative of Hispanic immigrant / White population conflict

Staten Island (Brian)

– Port Richmond
28.3% below poverty line, compared to 16% in NYC as a whole. Above national average for all crime risks except rape. 77% white, 12% AA, 8.3% Asian, 18.1% Latino. Young Hispanic population is booming- 25% of people between 5-19 is Hispanic.

Young African Americans are targeting Young Hispanics – 11 reported attacks between April-August 2011 — cause is unknown – economic factors are suspected, although only four of the assaults included theft.
“I Am Staten Island” Campaign, with 10-step program to end hate crimes, started by a coalition of groups and elected officials.

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AA’s feel that the Mexican community has invaded, is trying to make it “their territory”, while also that the Mexican’s start the trouble, the blacks defend themselves, and the AA’s get portrayed as the criminals. (From the Datalounge)
– Sometime in 2010, Rudolfo Olmedo was dragged by a group of hooded men shouting anti-mexican epithets, and then was hit on the head with a wood stick.
– Unnamed day laborer was beaten by 5 young AA males with a 2 by 4. July 23 2010
– Three black men beat a Mexican Teenager late July 2010.
– July 31 2010, Fidel Gonzalez was beaten, jaw broken, cut head, and had his backpack stolen.

Bronx (Beatriz)

– Gangs: South Bronx in the 1940s vs 1960s. We could use this as our “past” — discusses how the economy and lack of opportunities led to the creation of gangs.

(http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/07-07_ch1_gangwars_gc-ps-ac-jj.pdf)
– Adolescent rivalry in school turned into gang warfare. The NYC Youth board was introduced to combat and decrease gang activity but it was butting heads with the NYPD on how to handle the situation
– Connect this to present times: this misdirection has some founding in the Black Lives Matter and police murders today. Unarmed African American teens have been killed by police in recent years — that history shows the beginning of a misunderstanding between these two groups.
– (Manhattan) In 1996 in East Harlem confrontation has led to murder on Crip turf. There has been an increase in graffiti as advertising for drugs, guns and gangs. Latin Kings and a New Mexican gang in Queens and the Bronx are involved in much of this. Police have created a beach specialized in graffiti interpretation.
– In other news, there was a lot of stir last year with the acceptance of minorities into specialized schools. Bronx HS of Science was accused of bias in admissions. A new system has created an exam to be the determinant in admission status but experts are saying that is unfair to the Latino and African American students. Lawyers of the NAACP are filing a complaint  that standardized testing is not allowing for a schools community to represent the demographics of the area. Only 7 black students were admitted into the school.
(http://www.citylandnyc.org/citylaw-racial-disparity-persists-in-nycs-examination-high-schools/)

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– Belmont, Bronx: their Little Italy is being populated with a new influx of Albanians which are making the first generation Italians uneasy and unhappy. The second generations are more accepting.

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Questions remaining: Overlapping & “Grey Area” that is Contested Turf

  • Is street gang violence included/fair game? Bloods & Crips?
  • Avoid police brutality issues (e.g. the Garner case) excluded? Turf related?
  • Gentrification at turf issue?

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The Next Steps:
– Look into March 29th/April 5th class readings on “Contested Turf” – get specific
– Brooklyn events appear to be the most substantial/promising borough to explore

  • Demographics and change over time
  • Break up work by research medium: print media/ visual media/ speeches/ etc.