STRUGGLES FOR SPACE, CREATING LATINA/O URBAN CULTURES

BY STUDENT

Many Latino immigrants, over the course of history, have struggled as a minority to find space to live. With certain places well known for having an immense amount of   Latino people, like New York City and California, there is little room for more immigrants to come and live a decent life. Cost of living is quite high in big cities like these; many immigrants cannot afford this. With space decreasing, and money becoming tight, many Latinos are moving to other cities not as well known for their Latino population, like Passaic, New Jersey. Although this city may not be known to have an abounding amount of Latinos, slowly but surely, their number is increasing. As cities fill up, and the cost of living rises, Latinos seem to find new places to settle and live; when those places then fill up, they find even newer places to live. Will this cycle ever stop? Will there ever be enough space for Latino people in America? Will the cost of living ever stop rising?

The Latino population in Passaic, New Jersey, like much of the United States, has grown tremendously in the past ten years. Much of this may be because many immigrants are coming over, illegally, to find jobs and live a favorable life. George Sanchez stated this in chapter 3 of,  “Becoming Mexican American”. Many Latinos travel illegally over railways to cross the border from Mexico to the United States; although this may have happened over the course of history, it is still occurring today. Because many of them are doing this, that space continues to decrease in the United States. There is such little space in places, like New York and California, and the cost of living is larger than the national average in these places, normal cities, like Passaic New Jersey, have had a tremendous increase in Latino culture. Not only is space decreasing, but also the cost of living is increasing tremendously in these large cities. In New York City, the cost of living is 68.8% higher than the national average. Because these cities cost so much to live in, Passaic’s Mexican population, has increased by a number of 115,000, since the year 2000. This number has heightened so much, that one in every three people, in the city of Passaic, are Mexican. Since the Great Recession, incomes for Latinos, from 2007–2010, income fell 7.2 percent for Latinos, compared to 5.4 percent for the average white household. Passaic, New Jersey has a 5% lower average living cost than New Jersey as a whole. This could be a reason why more Latinos are moving to cities like Passaic.

Although the number of Mexicans continues to grow in the United States, many Mexicans may have a plan like, Manuel Ramirez-Romeo of Passaic New Jersey. Manuel came from Mexico to find a job, make money and live a good life. His plan for the future is to save up money, travel back to Mexico and continue his life there. Although the population may be increasing now, maybe many of the Latinos have a plan like Manuel. So, will the cycle stop? Maybe the cycle is not only: Mexicans continuing to come and live in the United States, leaving for less and less space; yet maybe it is for them to come here, save money, and eventually move back to Mexico. Perhaps, sometime in the future we will see a decrease in Mexicans in the United States, with them eventually moving back. This idea will leave for less of a struggle for space for the Latinos that would like to live out there life in the United States.

Works Cited:

"Cost of Living in Passaic, NJ." Area Vibes. Council for Community and Economic           Research, 2015. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.

DeVries, Karl, and Ted Sherman. "New U.S. Census Figures Show Mexican Population                in N.J. More than Doubles in past Decade." NJ.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept.         2016.

Sanchez, Tatiana. “County 3^rd largest for unauthorized immigrants.” The San Diego          Union-Tribune, 26 August 2015. Web.

Wallace, Nick. "What Is the True Cost of Living in New York City?"          SmartAsset.com.Smart Asset, 2016. Web. 12 Sept. 2016     

STRUGGLES FOR SPACE, CREATING LATINA/O URBAN CULTURES

By:  Student

Throughout United States history, Latinos have settled in our country for various reasons, such as the annexation of Mexican land and job opportunities.  California is a main spot for Latinos because it was technically Mexican land until 1848.  I visited San Diego two summers ago and I realized how many people were on the streets looking for work.  These Latinos would be on the corner of every street in the early morning waiting for a job to come up.  My main question is: why are so many Latina/os (mostly Mexican) searching for precarious employment on the streets of a large city like San Diego?  These Latina/os are considered day laborers in San Diego, which means that these people get paid from the start to finish of a job, and sometimes, jobs aren’t even available every day.  Many day laborers are unauthorized immigrants that cannot be hired for government jobs.   Do these day laborers have homes or families in San Diego or are they strictly there trying to make a living?

In August of 2015, The San Diego Union-Tribune published that approximately 205,000 unauthorized immigrants are residing in San Diego County.  Barrio Logan is a neighborhood located to the north of Downtown San Diego that is densely populated.  According to city-data.com, this area has nearly three times the amount of people per square foot than the rest of San Diego.  In addition, nearly half of the Barrio Logan residents are of Latino descent.  In 2013, this neighborhood had one of the highest asthma rates in all of California due to all the industries within close distance to homes.  This shows that the people of Barrio Logan were living in poor conditions, as well as living in tight quarters.  The cost of living in San Diego is very expensive, so some of these unauthorized immigrants may gravitate towards Barrio Logan due to the lower rent prices.  When it comes to work, these immigrants basically have to take whatever they can get.  They have to pay the bills somehow, so roaming the streets for work seems like the best possible way.  It seems as if they escape their country to have a better life, but the living situation is still far from ideal.  George J. Sanchez, the author of Becoming Mexican American, stated that many immigrants passed over the railroads in the early 1900s in order to enter America for better opportunities. The railroads allowed these immigrants to find work along the way.  Many would settle in areas close to the railroad, unless they found someone who needed them to work elsewhere.  Since San Diego is considered a major city in the state of California, unauthorized immigrants would flee here for work due to the high population.

Unauthorized immigrants coming to the United States has been going on for many years, and I believe it won’t stop any time soon.  Once all of the jobs are taken in the major cities in California, these immigrants will move to different states in order to find work.  For example, as Professor Londono stated in class, New Jersey recently has had a rapid influx of Latina/os coming to find jobs.  New Jersey is very close to New York City, which already has a high population of Latinos.  Once New Jersey becomes densely populated, these immigrants will try to find work somewhere else.  I feel as if every Latino wants to give their family a good life, but it’s extremely hard when the cost of living in today’s society is higher than ever.  These big cities are densely populated to begin with; so finding room and work for all of the unauthorized immigrants is nearly impossible.  In sum, I believe that Latinos reside in San Diego strictly for work opportunities.  They are trying to make the best out of the situation they have and follow the low paying jobs.

Works Cited

Sanchez, Tatiana. “County 3rd largest for unauthorized immigrants.” The San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 August 2015, http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/aug/26/migration-policy-institute-study-immigration/. Web.

 

Sanchez, George J. Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture, and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945. New York: Oxford UP, 1993. Print. 

“Barrio Logan neighborhood in San Diego, California (CA), 92101, 92113, 92136 detailed profile.” City-Data, http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Barrio-Logan-San-Diego-CA.html. Accessed 13 September 2016.

 

MIGRATION AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY BARRIOS

The Commodification of Culture
By N.C.

It’s nothing new when the unique aspects of a racial minority group are adopted by the majority for its own use, and while some may view it as an appreciation, it’s usually paired with a maintained prejudice against these minorities. We see examples of this throughout history as well as into modern day. During the rapid expansion of the Mexican population in Los Angeles in the late 1800s and early 1900s, we saw a romanticization of Latino culture in an effort to promote Anglo settlement in the city. Today, we see a highly commercialized Cinco de Mayo “celebration” that allows beer and other private businesses to make enormous profits while catering to a society that generally doesn’t even understand the actual idea behind Cinco de Mayo. Why do we as a culture eagerly accept and promote some aspects of Latino culture while simultaneously upholding negative stereotypes that hinder their societal advancement?

Around the 1880s when Los Angeles was competing for growth against New York City, planners chose to gloss over the actual Latino history and cultural conflicts to display a quaint Spanish heritage, the best angle they could push aside from an amiable climate (Sánchez). Basically saying, “Your culture is appealing, but let’s not get out of hand.” La Plaza de La Reyna de Los Angeles (The Queen of Angels) was founded in 1781 and functioned as a central gathering place for the Mexican population, however after the United States took over the area, it became a less sanctimonious place (Sánchez). It did function briefly as a market, however this didn’t fit with the vision held by city planners to cultivate a more touristic environment. As the city grew with new Anglo settlers, much of the Latino population was pushed to different areas, forming barrios (a general term for neighborhood, however often interpreted by English speakers as ghetto). These barrio environments at the time were indeed often in poor shape, maintained by businesses using tactics to keep the Latino population around while being paid less than those with lighter skin. Many Latinos settled in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, where in recent years a struggle has formed between gentrification and “gente-fication” (gente meaning “people” in Spanish, a name given to the efforts for locals to personalize and make their own improvements to the barrio). Rising rent prices are forcing life-long residents and businesses to move or close, while commercial businesses bid to replace them. There are currently protests against the many art galleries that have come into the neighborhood, which some have considered the “Trojan Horse of gentrification” (Mejia) and would prefer the use of these locations to be left to the locals. As these often White, affluent, and for-profit establishments block out property with their ability to pay higher rents, they simultaneously are able to take advantage of untapped customer bases who become limited to these newer options. And once the process starts, it will continue until those capable adapt, or move elsewhere. By driving out previously stable and beneficial local businesses, Latino advancement becomes strained and hindered. These barrios become seen as an area of capitalist expansion, and in situations where the selling point is the culture, those who are the subjects are often excluded. Is it just an inevitability that a social majority will take interest in something different, and pairing that with our Capitalist society, we feel a need to profit off of it?

I think the United State’s obsession with Cinco de Mayo is another modern day example of commercializing culture. To the average twenty-something, the phrase is synonymous with a drinking party. Everyone puts on fake mustaches and giant sombreros, and does their best to portray the most concentrated Mexican stereotype possible, in what essentially boils down to a reason to party. The actual reason for the day isn’t known by the majority of these people (it’s for a Mexican victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, not Mexican

independence), nor is it celebrated by a majority of Mexicans. The intrigue perpetuates a business model that’s become one of the best times of the year for beer companies, and the heavy marketing furthers the notion that people should take advantage of what now equates to a new U.S. “holiday”. Ever since Latinos have lived in the US (either after the border crossed them or they migrated for work), Anglo society has found ways to control their advancement while skimming the profitable aspects of their culture. And to cap it all off, we now have a prominent political figure expecting a Mexican funded wall built at the border the U.S. moved.

Works Cited
Brand, Madeleine. "In Boyle Heights, the Signs of Gentrification Are Everywhere." For The Curious. N.p., 20 July 2016. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.

http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/PartyCity/Cinco_De_Mayo_2013_0974
op_sharpen=0&resMode=sharp2&op_usm=1.2,1,4,0&wid=486

Mejia, Brittny, and Steve Saldivar. "Boyle Heights Activists Blame the Art Galleries for 
Gentrification." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2016. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.

Sanchez, George J. Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture, and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945. New York: Oxford UP, 1993. Print. 

MIGRATION AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY BARRIOS

Puerto Rican Migrations: Now and Then
By A.N.

Throughout history, many nations and cultures have had to deal with the necessary reality of migrating out of their home land, or foreigners migrating into their homeland. In the later 1800’s and early 1900’s Puerto Ricans found that they might be more successful on the “other island” of New York City than at home in Puerto Rico and migrated there. Once in the city they settled into the neighborhoods that are referred to as the “barrio” and they worked very low paying jobs with very little job security. Although Puerto Ricans brought with them their own culture and language, this minority group was not exactly welcomed with open arms. Puerto Ricans were not given positions of great wealth or power; they were not welcomed into a strong educational system, and were not given all that much political power. This was not necessarily even a racially charged issue, at the time it was not common for any country to put any effort into giving incoming foreigners good lives. Now it is 2016 and the Puerto Ricans that settled in the barrios of NYC and moved around the country have had a profound impact on this country. America has made many leaps forward in providing for its lower income members, by setting up welfare programs, pumping government funding into educational systems, and making necessities like healthcare available to more than just the rich. Puerto Ricans are still moving around within this country, and coming in from Puerto Rico. As the Dominican Republican population rivals the Puerto Rican in NYC, it appears that many Puerto Ricans are choosing the warmth of Florida and settling in areas such as Orlando and Kissimmee- among others. So what does it look like for Puerto Ricans currently settling in Florida, are they just relocating into Floridian barrios or are the Puerto Ricans moving all over the place and living alongside many other races? Are they moving into better job opportunities and living conditions than the last time around?

There were multiple push and pull factors that led to the original Puerto Rican diaspora, and the majority of these people went to the low-income neighborhoods in New York City called barrios. Migrants were leaving economic hardships, crop difficulties, and overpopulation with the promise that they would be able to find work in unskilled or semi-skilled trades in New York City. These people needed to move, and were not looking for anything besides money in this new city they were coming to. Many of these people were moving away from the home they and their family had known for a long time, away from the culture and language of Puerto Rico to the so called melting pot- which was still a dominantly English speaking city. These barrios became the only section of their entire city that Puerto Ricans could begin to feel at home. Not only were their wages were low, Puerto Ricans also faced many social issues. One large issue was the schools- New York City did not have bilingual teachers or a curriculum that was sensitive to or informative of Puerto Rican culture, Spanish speaking Puerto Rican children were forced to learn proper English if they expected to learn at all. Between now and then, Puerto Ricans have grown with our changing society, commanding political power, positions in government, and highly skilled jobs.

For a long time, New York City seemed to be the go-to place for Puerto Ricans. Now the statistics are showing something different. More Puerto Ricans already in the United States are choosing to move out of New York City rather than into it, and significantly more Puerto Ricans are choosing to move to areas of Florida than to NYC. Families and individuals moving straight from Puerto Rico are still moving into NYC, but at a considerably lower rate than to areas of Florida. The areas seeing the most influx are Orlando and Kissimmee. So the first thing to examine is why are these people moving? Economic reasons are again a main contributor, but Puerto Rican migrants today are moving into a variety of jobs. There are highly skilled Puerto Rican doctors and lawyers coming into Florida, along with unskilled workers who take jobs such as running the rides at Disney. The second question is what I brought up earlier- what happens when they get there? Do these migrants just move form new barrios, or do they move all over the place, living alongside people from every race and walk of life? Fortunately, it seems that this time the Puerto Ricans have become just another citizen of Florida, moving wherever they please. These workers often bring families with them, or start new ones, which creates the need for education. Unlike in the original barrio’s, education is something on the forefront of Florida’s mind. The state as a whole is working to provide good education to the kids of the Disney worker right up to the high paid lawyer, which will have impacts on many generations to come. To name one of the steps, schools throughout the state of Florida are scrambling to hire bilingual workers to provide education in Spanish, and provide English learning opportunities- a stark contrast to the schools in NYC in the early 1900’s. One of the very important impacts that Puerto Ricans have in Florida and on the rest of the country, is the political power that comes with their large numbers. Florida is not an easy state for any political party to win, so as political candidates at a local and national level consider their strategies, now more so than ever, they must consider the Latino population, specifically the Puerto Ricans. Additionally, as Puerto Ricans go out and vote or hold positions of power themselves- a luxury not usually afforded to the original immigrants, they have the power to shape the laws and policies of the United States of America. That is a very powerful thing. It seems that although migrating from one’s home to somewhere else always has its issues, for Puerto Ricans in America today the process and end result are a lot better than they ever were when the barrio of NYC was first developed.

References:

Alvarez, Lizette. 2016. "Puerto Ricans Seeking New Lives Put Stamp On Central Florida". Nytimes.Com. http://www.nytimes.com/.

Krogstad, Jens. 2015. "In A Shift Away From New York, More Puerto Ricans Head To Florida". Pew Research Center. http://www.pewresearch.org/.

"NYC's Dominican Population Surpasses Puerto Rican Community For First Time". 2016. Fox News Latino. http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/.

Sanchez Korrol, Virgina E. From Colonia to Community: The History of Puerto Ricans

 in New York City. Berkley, California: University of California Press, 1983.

"NEW" LATINA/O MIGRATION: LATINA/OS MOVE TO SUBURBS

LATINA/OS AND HOUSING POLICIES

BY STUDENT

How does Latino/as housing conditions and policies in New York in the 20^th century relate to these same policies in the 21^st century? That is the grand question but unfortunately, the same kind of problems still arise. In this blog post, I will speak about the housing policies for Latinos in the 20^th and 21^st centuries respectively and how not much has changed. Up to this day, Latinos face housing discrimination and it seems to be a trend that is not changing anytime soon. Throughout the past decades, the housing situation for Latino has improved, but the problem is that it is not par to par with other ethnic groups such as Whites and their housing situations. When something is wrong in someone’s apartment let’s say for example, the correct thing to do is report. This is the opposite of what Latinos are doing. The face the fear of filing complaints when they have to, have language barriers when a disagreement occurs, and are unfamiliar with the culture which relates to not trusting the government or even their landlord. Latinos have feared to speak up about the awful housing conditions they reside in and for the reason for that is the lack of general knowledge on knowing fair housing rights and responsibilities. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 helped dramatically, with a house provider having been forced to meet with someone seeking to rent regardless of their ethnicity or race but problems still arise in the 21^st century.

The housing conditions around the 20th century were crowded and deficient with more than five people living in one single apartment built for two. Tiny, crammed full, musty and filthy buildings that migrants were forced to be in when they migrated to America. These were called tenements. As the book, How the Other Half Lives, by Jacob Riis states, in a specific tenement, a total of 89 children out of 180 people resided in the just two tenements. These places were not big to begin with in the first place. 150 lodgers were found sleeping on the tenement floors in just two apartment buildings and even worse, water did not rise up to the second floor in some locations. Overtime, these types of housing locations were exposed and change was made but not soon enough.

New York City has been a home to many foreigners, who have struggled trying to find a living on their own homeland. Puerto Ricans were a group of people that faced many inequalities regarding housing conditions where they would live in. Housing conditions for Puerto Ricans during the 20th century was nothing but dreadful to those who migrated to New York City. While those who thought coming to New York would change their lives, it made a huge impact on Latinos, for they have struggled to make their ends meet. The Puerto Ricans that migrated to New York City settled in the barrios of the Lower East Side, East Harlem and the Bronx during the mid-20th century. The housing in these places was horrible and also was severely crowded, as was stated in the Lower East Side Tenement Museum article. In fact, the 1990 census showed that the median family income for Puerto Ricans was close to half of the income of other New Yorkers and also stated that most Puerto Ricans still continue to live below the poverty line.