BY STUDENT
Located 60 miles north of New York City, New York and neighboring Danbury, Connecticut, one of the largest cities in the state, Brewster, New York is the place I called home for most of my upbringing. Brewster is statistically more diverse than Danbury since the racial makeup of the town is about 36.6% Non-Hispanic White, 56% Hispanic or Latino 2.6% African American, 0.42% Native American, 3.22% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races (Brewster, NY 10509) while the racial makeup of the city of Danbury is about 68.2% Non-Hispanic White, 25.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% African American, 0.40% Native American, 6.8% Asian, less than 0.10% Pacific Islander, 7.6% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races (Danbury, Connecticut 06810). These statistics felt odd considering that Danbury was perceivably more diverse and inclusive of minorities than Brewster. I think the main reason for this perceivable difference was the public spaces and cultural centers available to Danbury residents that were not present in Brewster. How does the creation of public spaces for cultural gatherings in places like Danbury create a sense of community, cultural pride, and minority visibility as opposed to the lack of public spaces seen in Brewster? Even though Danbury is a city with a larger population and more resources, I think the only way Brewster and many other smaller towns can work toward inclusivity is by looking at the models larger towns and cities have left behind.
The production of space and the politics that inform this production is significant because it crafts who belongs and who is excluded from the community. In Danbury, there is a substantially large Brazilian and Dominican population. One example of minority inclusivity is through the countless Brazilian bakeries, Brazilian and Portuguese community centers, Brazilian churches, and Brazilian restaurants that serve the city. These are all spaces available for the Brazilian community to come together and relate with one another; these spaces also welcome non-Brazilians to enjoy the food, culture, and language. Another example of minority inclusivity is the huge gatherings that happen on Saturdays and Sundays at Rogers Park, which is a public park and recreational facility which hosts various baseball and softball fields, several volleyball and tennis courts, several handball-paddleball courts, an outdoor ice rink during the cold weather, and a playground (Parks and Recreation in Danbury). Many Dominicans come to the baseball fields to watch the baseball tournaments while playing dominoes, listening to typical music, and smoking hookah. This particular public space allows for Dominicans to partake in the cultural activities they enjoy back on the island. These public spaces have benefitted the Danbury community in many ways like helping to preserve cultural pride and encouraging the community to practice and maintain their foreign language. Although I have no direct data to back up my observation, over the years of living in Brewster and visiting Danbury, I noticed that the younger generation in Danbury was more likely to be bilingual and speak a foreign language as opposed to the younger generation in Brewster who tended to not be bilingual. Having public spaces to hear and practice another language is important because you get real world emersion and conversational practice you otherwise wouldn’t get in a classroom. Brewster, on the other hand, only had Main Street as its main public location for Latinos to congregate. On main street there were a few Latino delis and the public library in which Latinos in the community could go to eat, socialize, and do work.
Located 60 miles north of New York City, New York and neighboring Danbury, Connecticut, one of the largest cities in the state, Brewster, New York is the place I called home for most of my upbringing. Brewster is statistically more diverse than Danbury since the racial makeup of the town is about 36.6% Non-Hispanic White, 56% Hispanic or Latino 2.6% African American, 0.42% Native American, 3.22% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races (Brewster, NY 10509) while the racial makeup of the city of Danbury is about 68.2% Non-Hispanic White, 25.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% African American, 0.40% Native American, 6.8% Asian, less than 0.10% Pacific Islander, 7.6% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races (Danbury, Connecticut 06810). These statistics felt odd considering that Danbury was perceivably more diverse and inclusive of minorities than Brewster. I think the main reason for this perceivable difference was the public spaces and cultural centers available to Danbury residents that were not present in Brewster. How does the creation of public spaces for cultural gatherings in places like Danbury create a sense of community, cultural pride, and minority visibility as opposed to the lack of public spaces seen in Brewster? Even though Danbury is a city with a larger population and more resources, I think the only way Brewster and many other smaller towns can work toward inclusivity is by looking at the models larger towns and cities have left behind.
The production of space and the politics that inform this production is significant because it crafts who belongs and who is excluded from the community. In Danbury, there is a substantially large Brazilian and Dominican population. One example of minority inclusivity is through the countless Brazilian bakeries, Brazilian and Portuguese community centers, Brazilian churches, and Brazilian restaurants that serve the city. These are all spaces available for the Brazilian community to come together and relate with one another; these spaces also welcome non-Brazilians to enjoy the food, culture, and language. Another example of minority inclusivity is the huge gatherings that happen on Saturdays and Sundays at Rogers Park, which is a public park and recreational facility which hosts various baseball and softball fields, several volleyball and tennis courts, several handball-paddleball courts, an outdoor ice rink during the cold weather, and a playground (Parks and Recreation in Danbury). Many Dominicans come to the baseball fields to watch the baseball tournaments while playing dominoes, listening to typical music, and smoking hookah. This particular public space allows for Dominicans to partake in the cultural activities they enjoy back on the island. These public spaces have benefitted the Danbury community in many ways like helping to preserve cultural pride and encouraging the community to practice and maintain their foreign language. Although I have no direct data to back up my observation, over the years of living in Brewster and visiting Danbury, I noticed that the younger generation in Danbury was more likely to be bilingual and speak a foreign language as opposed to the younger generation in Brewster who tended to not be bilingual. Having public spaces to hear and practice another language is important because you get real world emersion and conversational practice you otherwise wouldn’t get in a classroom. Brewster, on the other hand, only had Main Street as its main public location for Latinos to congregate. On main street there were a few Latino delis and the public library in which Latinos in the community could go to eat, socialize, and do work.
Throughout history, the use of public spaces has been used for community formation to create a movement. For example, in the documentary E l Pueblo Se Levanta it focuses on the poverty and oppression of New York City's East Harlem and Puerto Rican community. Narrated by the people it portrays, the film captures the dual compassion and urgency of the activist group the Young Lords as they began to take direct action to improve the conditions of their community (El Pueblo Se Levanta, 1970). In the film, the Young Lords occupied churches in the community as a place to hold gatherings and discuss ways to fight back against the city in order to gain liberation (El Pueblo Se Levanta, 1970). The Young Lords were able to host such successful public demonstrations, like when they barricaded and blocked the street with their trash because the city refused to collect their trash during the summer months, due to their ability to gather and plan their strategic protests. Apart from using public spaces as a way to organize a movement, public spaces also brings pride to a community. According to Luis Aponte-Paré, “...reshaping and appropriating the otherwise ordinary industrial city landscapes by building and claiming enclaves that looked like them, what Lefebvre calls representational spaces...las colonias were the essential building blocks for the development of the community: the places where they could build identity in the urban milieu...” (Aponte-Parés, 1998). In other words, to be able to mold a neighborhood so that it represents the residents that are living there is essential for the success and harmony of the community. I hope smaller towns like Brewster can see the benefit of establishing cultural centers and public spaces for its minorities so that it too can have harmony amongst all its residents.
SOURCES
Aponte-Parés, Luis (1998). “Lessons FromEl Barrio—the East Harlem Real Great Society/Urban Planning Studio: A Puerto Rican Chapter in the Fight for Urban Self-Determination∗.” New Political Science, vol. 20, no. 4, 1998, pp. 399–420., doi:10.1080/07393149808429838.
“Brewster, New York.” Brewster, New York 10509 Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News, Sex Offenders, http://www.city-data.com/city/Brewster-New-York.html.
“Danbury, Connecticut.” Danbury, Connecticut 06810 Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News, Sex Offenders, http://www.city-data.com/city/Danbury-Connecticut.html.
“El Pueblo Se Levanta.” Production Company Third World Newsreel Film Collective, 1970.
“Parks and Recreation in Danbury.” City Of Danbury, https://www.danbury-ct.gov/government/departments/parks/.
This is a great post about the struggle for space for Latinos. One great thing is that you talked about the struggle for space in not a big city like NYC or LA but in a smaller town like Brewster. I like the example of comparing your neighboring town and comparing the diversity and why they have a much different racial makeup. What do you think is one way that Danbury can become as diverse as Brewster is?
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog post was really interesting I learned a lot about these two neighborhoods. I thought you mad an good observations about the younger generation being bilingual in Danbury compared to Brewster. I think you reasoning for that makes senses being the lack of space for latinos to express their culture. What do you think are the steps needed to take for Brewster to create these spaces?
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well written post, it really made me think and it was interesting to see that this happens in other areas outside of New York or L.A. Personally, I didn't really realize that we fight for space everywhere we go/are. I think it's important people of all backgrounds, especially Latinos, to have a place to call their own. We leave our native homes to find a better life but we want to keep our heritage alive and finding and maintaining spaces for our own is how we keep the culture alive.
ReplyDeleteYour blog post made me more aware of the use of space as a form of comfort and identity. By simply having a Brazilian restaurant you are already attracting a specific crowd of people and creating a small form of unity. Being around people who identify with you and may share or relate to certain problems/struggles can bring immense relief to a person. It allows us to come together and see that we are not alone in our struggles. This also reminded me of when I was growing up how my family and I would drive to Jackson Heights to a popular Colombian restaurant every other weekend. It felt cozy, you know the people, the language, the food and the atmosphere was very comforting and very rooted in genuine Colombian culture. Thinking back I now realize it gave my parents comfort and a little taste of home.
ReplyDelete-Valeria C.R
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