Immigrant NYC | Lori Weintrob

Some of the world’s most developed and prosperous countries, which incessantly boast about their tolerance, have come face-to-face with the “intensification of the national question”. And today, one after another, they have had to admit their failure to integrate outside cultural elements into society and ability to ensure a peaceful, harmonious interaction between various cultures, religions, and ethnic groups. The “melting pot” of assimilation continues to stall, unable to “digest” the growing migration flow. In politics, a reflection of this fact has been “multiculturalism”, which rejects the notion of integration through assimilation. It elevates the “right of minorities to be different” to the absolute and, at the same time, fails to balance this right with civil, and cultural obligations. More interesngly, these problems have existed and persist in our own backyard. New York...

Cuban Immigration

By Tyler Moyers in Latin American Immigration, Uncategorized

The Cuban Revolution started in 1952 led by the man named Fidel Castro. He attempted to over throw the current leader at the time Fulgencio Batista. He succeeded in 1959 leading to the start of his reign of power. He held that power until his retirement in 2008. From this time there was the huge influx of immigrants who came to Miami and New York City. Because of Castro’s ideas is the main cause for concern of people leaving the country. He was suspicious of everyone and anyone that like him would not like the government and try to overthrow him. He started putting restrictions on plenty of things to the citizens of Cuba such as, people only being able to own a certain amount of land. A lot of people also left because of what he was doing to their businesses. Once the Embargo Act was passed there main export which was sugar had now been cut off to its main buyer which was the...

From Lev to Leo

By Sutton Bantle in European Immigration, Immigrant NYC

By Sutton Bantle, Wagner College Lev (Leo) Kukhar, now twenty-one years old, was only two when his family emigrated from Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine to Brooklyn, NY. His mother, father, and maternal grandparents left Ukraine less than two years after it became an independent country from the Soviet Union. Leo describes himself as a Russian immigrant versus Ukrainian because his family associates with the Soviet Union. Ukraine is located in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the East; Belarus to the North; Poland, Slovakia Hungary, and Romania to the West; and the Black Sea to the South. Leo’s immediate family that immigrated with him were not the first to arrive in Brooklyn. He had extended family members who had immigrated during the reign of the Soviet Union. The Kukhars are an example of chain-migration. Within six months of his family’s arrival Leo’s cousin, aunt and...

Pakistani Immigration In A Changing America

By Sarah Cappiello '16 in Immigrant NYC, Middle Eastern Immigration

The Pakistani community is an immigrant group that has largely experienced great social and economic mobility in the United States while also maintaining transnational ties to their homeland. That spirit of mobility and transnationalism, however, was greatly impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. By Sarah Cappiello, Wagner College ’16 Interview with Dr. Salman Zafar For my project, I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing Dr. Salman Zafar, an active member of the Staten Island community as well as a Pakistani immigrant with a fascinating story to tell. Throughout our time together he stressed to me, over and over again, the critical importance of education in his life and how it can be used to make a difference in the world. Education was the whole reason why he and his wife chose to uproot their lives in Pakistan and make the transition to life in New York City....

Welcome to Greektown

By Danielle Fiandaca in European Immigration, Uncategorized

History of Greek Immigration Greeks have been coming to America since the 1700s from Mani, Greece and by the early 20th century 95% of the Greek immigrants were male. By 1920 there were 9 men for every 2 woman. More Greeks were migrating to America, and particularly New York City, during the 1960s and 70s because of the Greek Revolution of 1967. This is a time when three military men were afraid of losing their power and decided to politically take over Greece. During this time people left due to the war and economic downfall. They came to America – the land of opportunity. Most Greek immigrants came New England, the West, and large cities like New York City. They would than find work in factories and restaurants working as bus boys and dishwashers. Most Greek immigrants would have a positive relationship with their employer which would lead to occupational mobility. Many Greek...

The Future “American Islam”

By Victoria Puza in Immigrant NYC

Muslim Immigration “There are an estimated 7 million Muslims living in the United States, and polls suggest that 64% of these Muslims are immigrants” Muslim Immigration History The earliest Muslim immigrants came as slaves from Africa beginning perhaps as early as 1501 The slave-owners sometimes appreciated and rewarded their literate Muslim slaves, but they despised the religion of Islam and did what they could to prevent it from passing from one generation to the next. Reasons for Immigrating Ethnic persecution. Expulsion of Asians from Uganda, followed by smaller numbers from Tanzania and Kenya, led to some 6,000 Muslims in North America. Saddam Hussein’s extermination campaign against the Kurds led to mass exoduses in 1989, 1991, and 1996. Religious persecution. Hindu-Muslim clashes in India cause a steady stream of Muslims to seek safety in America, even as members of the...

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