BY STUDENT
When people think of New York, they think of New York City or Long Island, but I come from a town less known called Kingston. Kingston was the first capital of New York. Even if it was the first capital not that many have ever heard of Kingston. When my parents moved into the town there was a small population of Hispanics, but now I realized the Hispanic population in Kingston has grown drastically since then. It is very interesting to see the Latino population growing and see the effects it has on the community. For me personally, I find it very comforting because more people like me are coming to the United States.
The community in Kingston is an artistic and involving community. In the past few years many murals have been painted on serval buildings that are part of a community festival called O + with many various murals representing or linking to the Hispanic community. My favorite being the one that honors migrants, refugees and undocumented people. There has also been an increase of services for the community especially in the Kingston schools. When I went through the school system, I often had to translate everything my mom received from the school like permission slips, report cards, lunch schedules, and any sort of announcements. Now my mother receives the majority of these with a Spanish translation at the bottom and receives all my younger brother’s permission slips in Spanish. This is due to the major increase of Latinos in our community’s schools especially non-English speakers.
The 2010 Census stated that out of 308.7 million people in the United States, 50.5 million people were of Hispanic origin. In 2000 the population was 35.3 million and by 2010 it had increased by 15.2 million according to the 2010 Census. Now Hispanics make up around 16 percent of the total population in the United States. Most Hispanics migrate to the United States to find better jobs and to live a better life then the life they had in their home country. This is one of the reasons why my family moved to the United States. With the increase of population comes change since the majority of Hispanics speak Spanish and have a completely different culture then the one present in America and Hispanics implement their culture to their neighborhoods and communities. In Samuel Huntington’s “The Hispanic Challenge”, he states, “ The continuing huge inflow of migrants makes it increasingly possible for Spanish speakers… to live normal lives without knowing English.” This great for those who don’t know any English. It is much easier for them to implement themselves into society and live out their daily lives without having any trouble at all.
Work Cited
Huntington, Samuel P. 2005. “The Hispanic Challenge.” Foreign Policy, March 1, 2004 https://blackboard.albany.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3553839-dt-content-rid-58366585_1/courses/2193-ALCS-283-9972/Huntington_The_Hispanic_Challenge.pdf
US Census Bureau. "The Hispanic Population: 2010." The Hispanic Population: 2010. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2011/dec/c2010br-04.html
I loved how you tied in your community to this post, I wasn't aware that Kingston was once the capital. What do you believe drove in the Hispanic population to the area of Kingston?
ReplyDeleteIt is very fascinating that you shared a personal testament in your blog post. Being that you were able to notice the growth of the Latinx population in the area in which you reside is very intriguing. One question I have is: What do you believe is responsible for the migration of more Latinx individuals in your area of Kingston? Could you think of anything that may have influenced it? Overall good post.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that Kingston was the first capital of NY. I wonder why the Latinx population is growing there. It's nice to hear that the community is making adjustments to make the Latinx population feel comfortable like providing forms in spanish. You mentioned your family moved to the U.S. Do you know why they chose to live in Kingston? I wonder how do current residents feel about the growth in Latinx population.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I also wasn't aware that Kingston was the first capital of New York. I wonder why it did not remain as the capital. I also wasn't aware that there was a large population of Latinx's in Kingston. Do you know why there is? Regardless, based on your post it seems that you and your family had a positive experience as Latinx's in Kingston, which is great to hear! It was considerate of your school to provide the Spanish translation from English. I genuinely hope other schools across the US will provide accommodations like these for Latinx's communities elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I also wasn't aware that Kingston was the first capital of New York. I wonder why it did not remain as the capital. I also wasn't aware that there was a large population of Latinx's in Kingston. Do you know why there is? Regardless, based on your post it seems that you and your family had a positive experience as Latinx's in Kingston, which is great to hear! It was considerate of your school to provide the Spanish translation from English. I genuinely hope other schools across the US will provide accommodations like these for Latinx's communities elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI have only was taught that ALbany was the capital of NY . I am glad that your family had a good time staying in KIngston. As a lot of people I have the question of "why did the capital change and what happen for it to leave Kingston." I know the states are not perfect with helping latinx but im glad they have them and hope they keep getting better .
ReplyDeleteBeing that i am not from New York i did not know that Albany was not the first capital. I raise the same question to why did they move away from Kingston into Albany? Towns like Kingston do not get recognized in the ways they should, i like how you mentioned the festival and what it has brought the community.
ReplyDeleteI love how you went outside the box and tied your community to this topic, the Latinx is a great hard working community
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