Posts

Posted on

Reflection of  LaGuardia and Wagner Archives

John “Marshmellow” Adames

10/27/17

Reflection of  LaGuardia and Wagner Archives

When we went to the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives we looked at two documents “The Council of the City of New York, Report of Legal Services Division, Committee on General Welfare, Res. No. 1873” and  “Association of Haitian Workers, January 2nd Coalition for the Defense of Haitian Refugees statement” that showed us how Jean-Claude Duvalier “Papa Doc” forced Haitians to immigrate to the U.S. 2200 Haitians were put into 11 detention centers across the U.S in 1981 according to the primary source “The Council of the City of New York, Report of Legal Services Division, Committee on General Welfare, Res. No. 1873” . According to “Association of Haitian Workers, January 2nd Coalition for the Defense of Haitian Refugees statement” It states that on January 2nd 1982 there was a Coalition so people can join the defense of Haitian refugees in pressing the release of all Haitian immigrants in the U.S from camps and political asylum. In all I really enjoyed the conversation of Haitian Refugees because I thought that the Dominican Republic were one of the only countries to deal with an dictator as bad as Trujillo.

 

Posted on

Athletes vs. Politics

John Adames

ENG 103

Prof.Kitana Ananda

12/4/17

Athletes vs. Politics

Have you ever seen athletes fight against Politics? Since around the 1940’s athletes and politics have crashed several of times. Now more than ever with National Football League Quarterback Colin Kaepernick sitting during the National Anthem, and many NFL players kneeling all season to fight against politics. Jackie Robinson was fighting for a chance to be the first African American to ever play in the Major League Baseball. Kaepernick was sitting during the National Anthem so he can fight alongside Black Lives Matter Movement. While the NFL were kneeling to protest against Donald Trump’s antics. In this essay I will prove how the power athletes have can change the world.

One of the biggest early encounters with sports against politics. The story of the first African American baseball player Jackie Roosevelt Robinson. During Jackie Robinson’s time in the MLB the Civil Rights Movement was going on. He did not only face the adversity of whites not liking him for being the first african american to play professionally but he also faced racism and stereotypes. In a quote from “Jackie Robinson and the integration of baseball” by Laurie Collier Hillstrom it states “ Although that event is now considered a defining moment in the history of the game and an early triumph in the civil rights movement, Chandler’s decision was extremely controversial at the time. It angered not only the other team owners, but also many white baseball players, fans, and corporate sponsors.”This shows that even though every year on April 15, Jackie Robinson day is celebrated. We have came a long way because when he first became a Major League player he was not very liked and was seen as a threat. Another quote that  Laurie Collier Hillstrom says in her book is “Robinson expanded his involvement in the civil rights movement after his baseball career ended. He gave speeches and raised money to support the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), for instance, and organized an annual jazz concert to benefit various causes. Robinson attended the 1963 March on Washington, where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.” This shows Jackie Robinson’s influenced the civil rights movement and was a big voice for the NAACP. As you can see Jackie Robinson and his number 42 has impacted not only politics but the world as well without Jackie Robinson we wouldn’t be talking about players like Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and David Ortiz.

Another big encounter that sports has had with politics. The story of Colin Kaepernick and the Black Lives Matter movement versus the government and the NFL players association. Colin started this protest when during a NFL preseason game on August 14, 2016 while the National Anthem was being sung instead of getting up and putting his hand on his heart he sat on the bench. According to Mark Sandritter from SBNation.com Kapernick stated “I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.” This shows how Kaepernick looked himself as leader and a spokesman for the victims of police brutality like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Gardner. Another quote that shows that Colin Kaepernick is still going through inequality is “Kaepernick has remained unemployed after he started a wave of social activism in the NFL by protesting issues of police brutality and inequality during the pre-game playing of the national anthem last season. Kaepernick filed a grievance against the league Oct. 15, claiming collusion by NFL owners.” This quote shows how ever since Kaepernick became a public figure for the Black Lives Matter movement nobody has wanted to sign him because they believe fans will protest against him. Before Colin Kaepernick decided to take a stand against the National Anthem and the flag I believe not a lot of people knew exactly who he was.

 

Bibliography

  • Hillstrom, Laurie Collier. Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball. Omnigraphics, Inc., 2013.
  • Sandritter, Mark. “All the Athletes Who Joined Kaepernick’s National Anthem Protest.”SBNation.com, SBNation.com, 11 Sept. 2016,    www.sbnation.com/2016/9/11/12869726/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-protest-seahawks-brandon-marshall-nfl.
Posted on

Draft #1

 

After World War I, the United States went through a tough period were the whole country was being dominated by social discrimination, however what was surprising was that after the war, the quantity of immigrants entering the country decreased, specially because the demand for unskilled workers had gone down. In the 1920s the U.S created a law against mass immigration of the foreigners entering the country, such law led to the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan. A group that consisted of hardcore Whites who believed that foreigners from other regions and Blacks did not have a place in the United States and they would have their own ideas on how to combat this problem.
Sadly, The Congress supported the Klan’s efforts to minimize the proliferation of immigration through the enactment of the per centum limits. The major concerns of the KKK are shown in an article authored by Hiram Evans dubbed The Klan’s Fight for Americanism (1926). Putting the aspects into the wider historical context helps in understanding. The 1920’s were marked by nativism and fear of cultural erosion because the influence of the immigrants was felt in different states and this led to the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan that aimed at restoring Nordicism.
The Klan’s Fight for Americanism as it is discussed by Hiram Evans shows the role played by the group in protecting what they called the “First Nations People” culture against the infiltration by other foreign investors that were going to ruin this culture . The Klan was formed as a protest against modernity that was experienced after the First World War. According to the author, most of the immigrants in the United States came from the European countries that were war-stricken (Shi and Tindall 184) and were in under recovery.
Since the United States did not participate in the First World War from the beginning. It only engaged Japan after the attack on the Pearl Harbor, unlike the other participants in the war including Germany, France, and Japan, the U.S did not suffer a massive economic loss (Shi and Tindall 184.) Instead, in the 1920s known as the “Roaring Twenties” the number of goods been made and sold by American Businesses had increased notably, this led individuals from other nations to target the United States to take advantage of the flourishing economic growth and therefore migrate to this country to have a job opportunity and have a chance to get a better life and this angered the klan even more .
The Ku Klux Klan began its activities in the South in states such as Delaware, Florida, Georgia and Maryland. However it was clear that this was happening because the South had a bigger black population than the Northern states due to the slavery that had been prevalent so the klan’s activities would have a bigger impact here. In 1900, the South was dominated by Protestantism and non-Catholics and they were not embraced for this. The Klan’s Fight against trade unionism (The Klan’s members controlled access to better-paying industrial jobs), Jews and Catholics, was an illustration of their efforts to maintain an original American culture (Shi and Tindall 184)
In his article The Klan’s Fight for Americanism, Evans is categorical that the Klan was against granting voting rights to people that they considered not real Americans, rights that were granted by the 15th Amendment enacted in 1869 which indicated that all the native-born American men had the right to vote. Therefore the klan sought to concentrate more in politics to make “the not real Americans” have a hard time participating in them.
In 1869, about 44% of the African-American men had been registered as voters, and as more Blacks held offices in the South this infuriated the Klan, and a form of voter suppression emerged. The second generation of the Klan opposed the voting rights by instilling fear among the Blacks. Therefore, by the end of First World War, the Klan saw an opportunity to once more demonstrate the White supremacy, by discriminating not only blacks this time, but also immigrants that were coming from many different countries. In addition, the Klan’s rebirth arose at a time where industrialization and urbanization were starting to grow rapidly, promoting the idea that all immigrants and blacks, were a threat to the society’s ideals.
The First Great Migration (1916–1930) increased the number of blacks in other states like Chicago, New York, St. Louis and Los Angeles. For instance, in Chicago, the percentage of the Blacks in the population rose by 600% (Shi and Tindall 186). Those who were opposed to the free movement of the Blacks and the establishment of their churches scaled up their efforts to intimidate them in their new locations.
The government saw the need to curb the massive movement of people into the country through the Immigration Act of 1917. The Klan’s idea was to retain the original American culture of civilization and literacy. According to the article authored by Evans, the Congress seemed to share the Klan’s sentiments and instituted the literacy test to bar those who could not write and read into the United States. Hiram W. Evans mentions “During the greater part of this period of agitation the so-called literacy test for aliens was the favorite weapon of the restrictionists, and all its widespread popularity appears to have been based quite largely on a belief, or at least a hope, that it would reduce to some extend the stream of “new” immigration” (The Klan’s Fight for Americanism, p. 186) This supported the intention to prevent importing unskilled labor and individuals who would swell the dependency rates

 

 

Posted on

Annotated Bibliography

James Macay

Prof. Kitana Ananda

ENG103.0905

November 5, 2017

Annotated Bibliography

The first article I want to use is from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, it is based on the expectations of community colleges versus the reality. From the articles point of view, the reality is that community college students are underprepared. That general idea I can agree and disagree on different bases. Within the article there are situations and statistics described that I felt I could relate to from my own experiences. One for example, 37 percent of those enrolled in developmental math said that the course they were placed in was not appropriate to their skill level. I personally dealt with the remedial math classes and it was a situation in which the work is very simple to complete, for the reasons of me having taken the classes in highschool and understanding what is going on. The work is so easy that it is annoying, truly makes you question what you are doing there. Overall, this piece of evidence supports the thought of taking the initiative and doing what you have to do.

There were about two to three readings shared in class as reading assignments that I would like to refer to. One of them being Two Years Are Better than Four. One line I enjoy from it was, “Thus, Mr. Perlstein concludes, the college experience – a rite of passage as it was meant it to be – must have come to an end. But he is wrong.” I feel this and more pieces from the article can give backbone to my argument. Also, I feel using the Malcolm X article can help me argue an alternative to community colleges, because even though my argument is to convince people of the gold mine community colleges are, if you really cannot go to school or do not want to, take the alternative that Malcolm X took and read books, self educate yourself. Then again goes back to my other point, it is up to you to take the initiative.  

What I will do next is take a trip to the archive and do research on what was going on around the time in which LaGuardia built LaGuardia Community College, a gold mine in itself for the public. In my research I also hope to find out why he decided to build a community college. I also am considering finding another source to shed light on the real help of financial aid.

 

Work Cited

Liz Addison, “Two Years Are Better Than Four,” The New York Times Blog, September 26,

2007.

Malcolm X, “Learning to Read,” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking

and Writing, pp. 161-169.

Peden, Wilson. “Expectations Meeting Reality: The Underprepared Student and

Community Colleges.” Association of American Colleges and Universities, 15 Aug.2017,

Posted on

Archive Document Response

James Macay

Prof. Kitana Ananda

ENG103

November 5, 2017

 

Archival Document Response

The first document titled “Committee on General Welfare” touched on the struggle that Haitian refugees encountered in the 1980’s. A total of 2,200 Haitian refugees across the United States have been detained in detention centers. There were fifty-three refugees detained at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Interestingly enough, the refugees technically were not prisoners. Federal District Court Judge Robert Carter ordered a release on all the fifty-three haitians at the Navy Yard to be released, alongside other professional organizations fighting for the same cause. But the prisoners remained imprisoned.  The only alternative was to give the Haitians parole until they can attend a proper hearing. The number of Haitian refugees was increasing due to political discomfort and dictatorship in their country. Only those who entered the country illegally would have an issue with the law. Which at this point in time was most people because entering the country legally would take time and money that most couldn’t afford to spare.

The second article titled “January 2nd Coalition for the Defense of Haitian Refugees” touched on the same topic as the first article, only in a different light. We take a look at this idea from a higher food chain point of view. It is said, that the Reagan administration has detained up to 3,000 Haitian refugees in the United States and Puerto Rico. These refugees flee in search of political asylum in the United States. They are denied, and instead deported back to where they came from. The people were treated under poor condition and there was nothing they could do as Reagan’s administration continued to uphold its discriminatory policy. Ironically, Reagan supported the ways of the government’s treatments in Haiti and because of this, refugees specifically fled to America. Reagan requested that camps should be set up so that immigrants would be detained before being deported. Then to really tease the people with their power, they created the “employer sanctions”, where people would be sub-class workers with no rights. A fancy way of saying slavery?

These articles relate in parallel universes because if we take the first article, we can imagine the inhumane ways in which these people are being treated and can’t possibly imagine why. Taking the other article into perspective, we are told who is calling the shots and that the Haitian refugees are being treated poorly in their country, and when they try to find a way out they are sent back or detained. It sounds devastating but you cannot envision or feel what they are actually going through the way the first article leads out. Overall, we see the effects that higher powers have on the those with less power. Even how much of an impact one man’s decision can have on an entire nation and specific group of people. Family’s split, and lives ruined. The Coalition on January 2nd proposed the following demands, to release everyone of the camps, to forgive undocumented workers, stop the trades with Duvalier Dictatorship, and more on.

These sources won’t be of much use in my research paper, but comparing them and contrasting them was interesting and a learning experience, even a quick history lesson. In my topic the only far fetched relation I see is that community colleges are a resource and typically cheaper than most universities, which can work hand in hand with immigrants who wish to pursue their education. Seeing as community colleges are diverse and welcoming of anyone wishing to earn a degree, perhaps it can be a gateway for refugees or immigrants to live their lives.

Posted on

First Draft of Your Research Paper

Draft #1 of your research paper (900-1200 words) is due this Monday, November 6, in class! Please read carefully, and if you have questions after doing so, add your questions to this document by Sunday, November 5, at 12:00 p.m. (noon).

Remember: This is a draft. Do as much as you can, and bring whatever you have. You will review and respond to two other students’ drafts in class. You will receive questions in class to guide your peer review.

Here’s why you should bring any stage of your draft, even if you feel like it’s not “ready” to submit: 

  • If you bring a draft to class, you’ll receive feedback from your peers
  • You will have an opportunity to reflect on your draft and plan for writing and editing that we will do during our lab time.
  • You will receive timely feedback from me (within one week of the assignment’s due date, or by Monday, November 13.)

As you work on your draft:

And as always, here’s some basic info on formatting your assignment:

  • Your assignment (in Google Docs, printed) should include your name, our course number (ENG 103.0905) your professor’s name (Professor Kitana Ananda), and the date submitted. (You do not need to include this information in your blog post.) Use 1” margins, double-spacing, and an 11 or 12 point font. I encourage you to print on both sides.

To submit your assignment:

  1. Save your draft as a Google Doc in your writing portfolio (your Drive folder)
  2. Post your draft to our course blog
  3. Print and bring two copies of your paper for class
  4. Come prepared to read and do a peer review for two other students
Posted on

Paper Sketch – Alejandro Canelas

Alejandro Canelas

English 103.0905

Professor Kitana Ananda

October 30th, 2017

Gentrification In New York City

Paper Sketch Assignment

Question

How has Gentrification targeted and Displaced People of Color in NYC?  How has the voices of the Latino community (which has had a historical presence in New York) experience an erasure from the larger narrative of Gentrification related issues? (i.e. Housing, employment, education etc..)

Thesis and Intro

People of Color have been the targets of urban displacements for quite sometime now.  In particular the latino community and specifically the Puerto Rican community has experienced an exodus from New York, and yet their narratives are not being archived or being reported amongst the urban displacement that is currently occurring. On-going issues such as housing, employment, and access to government programs all lead to displacements. With the influx of new affluent residents oftentimes create business catering to their own and ostracize individuals who are born and raised in the neighborhoods currently being heavily developed. In particular this paper will explore North Williamsburg and Harlem and their rapid rezoning and restructuring which never include the voices of minority groups.

Main Points

1 – An exploration of  policies that affect Latino and NuYoRican residents. I will explore rezoning, redistricting and data that supports the numbers that indicate a mass exodus from NYC.

2- Exploring Retail and Boutiquing occurring in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. Specifically taking a look at North Williamsburg and Harlem.

3 – An incorporation of the Oral Histories relevant to my research topic and focused a more person tone. Earlier research will focus specifically on policy and data. However, as the paper ends I would like to incorporate a more person approach and let the reader know it’s not a statistic, but rather human beings that are continually affected.

 

 

Citations

1– MLA (Modern Language Assoc.)  Works Cited

Lees, L. “A Reappraisal of Gentrification: Towards a ‘Geography of Gentrification’.” Progress in Human Geography, vol. 24, no. 3, Sept. 2000, pp. 389-408. EBSCOhost, mail.lagcc.cuny.edu/viplogin/default.aspx?redirect=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4166072&site=ehost-live.2

2 – Davila, Arlene M. Barrio Dreams: Puerto Ricans, Latinos, and the Neoliberal City. Univ. of California Press.

3 – DW Gibson The Edge Becomes The Center An oral History of Gentrification in the Twenty-First Century.

Title
Gentrification: The on-going Displacement and issues affecting the Latino Community NYC

Reflection

1- I believe the sources that I have offer a plethora of information that I can adequately incorporate into my argument. I initially wanted my paper to focus on Black/latino communities in my paper. However, with the research I have gathered it’s focusing more towards the latino community and their displacement in Harlem and North Williamsburg. I need feel like I can hone in my broad topic even further and I believe as time progress I will be able to further specify my research topic.

2 – My next step is to look for more valuable sources that are the authors of the books I am using have used for their research. Maybe I will be able to find further information by tracking the process of their works cited. I will start to write a first Draft to see where I am stuck and see where I need to further develop my research paper.

Posted on

Archival Response

Ryann Block

Eng 103.0905

Professor Kitana A.

Archival Assignment

10/29/2017

 

During our visit at the Archive Room, we discussed two documents one called The Council Report Of Legal Service Division & the January 2nd Coalition for the Defense of Haitian Refugees. These documents were primary documents part of a special collection in a certain time era. Whereas Books were secondary sources. The first Legal document spoke about the Haitian Refugees being held in the detention center. Waiting their trial dates and citizenships.  There were about 2200 Haitian refugees that have been imprisoned because they entered United State illegally, they would have to wait years to legally emigrate. These Haitians were treated like criminals for example “ Fifty-three of these refugees are presently being detained at the Brooklyn Navy Yard” Not in prison. “Due process rights than are guaranteed every other federal prisoner”. These Haitian refugees wasn’t treated with respect. It’s sad that they had to suffer and fear for their life.

The second Primary document January 2nd Coalition for the Defense of Haitian Refugees is about 3,000 Haitians refugees being imprisoned in the United States and Puerto Rico. The Coalition wanted all americans to understand no matter how much or how the government may support the corrupt government of Jean-Claude Duvalier in Haiti, they’re still responsible for the Haitian Refugees. This document spoke about policies. Policies in detaining Haitians. Another interesting thing that was important there was a man name Papa Doc who killed these Haitians because of their skin complexion. They were trying to stop the deportation of Haitians to travel to Belize. They would use ships to ship them out this took place in Brooklyn, NY  on Nostrand ave & Eastern Parkway.

To conclude, both legal documents stated information about the Haitian Refugees. How they were deprived and treated like criminals, no one wants to live in a world where you have to fear for your life. This was how the Haitians were living. Each has families and the government didn’t take a second thought to think about their families. The government just felt like they deserved to be treated as such, to be imprisoned, to be killed because of their complexion. This was in the year of 1892. The government must do a better job. We all have rights and should be taken into consideration.

Posted on

Archival Response – Alejandro Canelas

Alejandro Canelas

English 103.0905

Professor Kitana Ananda

October 30 2017

                                      Archival Response

During the Laguardia Wagner Archives visit I learned about resources available to Laguardia Students. During the visit we analyzed a primary source which was the document Res. No.1873, which was submitted by: Ira S. Pers and was a proposal to sponsor 2200 Haitian refugees during the 1980’s. This document was proposed during the Papa Doc administration of Haiti, where the Haitian Dictator Duvalier massacred a large number of Haitians on the basis of skin color. The mass murder of Haitians caused many refugees to seek political asylum in various parts of the United States. However, this document in particular emphasized the detainees being held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This surprised many of us due to that fact that the area used to be a dilapidated area, and now it has experienced an urban renewal and an influx of new wealthier residents.  

The main source of contention in this document was the fact that these Haitian refugees were in a state of limbo for long periods of time. They also were denied and/or received fewer due process rights. These rights are meant to be distributed to everyone on United States soil regardless of legal status. However, the reality at hand was that many were often times denied these rights and this caused many to be held at these prison like accommodations. On paper the areas where they were being held were called “detention centers”, but they operated in a systematic prison-like fashion.  Furthermore, the document goes on to explain how the then federal Judge Robert Carter issued the release of about 53% of the refugees, but due to similar cases occurring in Florida they were still being held.

The fact that this document was issued during the 1980’s Reagan Administration which was a Republican Administration highlights the fact that this issue was being ignored and swept under the rug. This also calls into question the treatment of refugees and immigrants who happen to be POC and their on-going treatment and denial of status in the United States. This document although published in the 1980’s is still relevant today due to the fact that detention centers are still an issue and the negative treatment towards people coming from non-eurocentric backgrounds.

This document proposed by The Council report of Legal Services Division attempted to rectify the Haitian refugee crisis by showcasing that these individuals will have sufficient sponsorship and will accept responsibility for them. What makes this document rather convoluted is that how does one prove and determine if someone is a refugee or an illegal. The lines are blurred and often times overlap, and it is unfortunate that such a desperate situation requires tedious paperwork in order to prove something that is blatantly obvious. One questions the fact if they were coming from Europe if they would receive the same treatment. Personally, I believe if they were coming from a European Country that they would have received a much faster response and rectification of the situation. It is quite unfortunate that these issues are still relevant today and are still being conducted in much of that same antiquated fashion and still much of the same stigma applies today.

Posted on

Educational Narrative

My earliest memories of school are not being able to speak, read, or write english. “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” said the great scientist Albert Einstein. I learned that I am capable of pushing myself and accomplishing anything I need or want thanks to my academic endeavors and also thanks to martial arts. I have accomplished a first degree black belt in tae kwon do and have reached other ranks in other martial arts. Another great quote is from the bible, “God will never put me through what he cannot help me through.” I believe every challenge we face is doable because I believe in a higher power that created this universe (or maybe the universe itself). So, although we as humans have many obstacles and adverse situations to overcome we Thank God that we are here, alive and experiencing. I was eventually placed in a bilingual class. Later on I was able to develop both english and spanish. In junior high school I even received a 90 in the Italian regents, so a weakness became a strength. As a child I could barely speak two languages and by High School I basically spoke three. Two teachers stand out in my mind (Ms.Teora an Italian teacher in junior high school and Mr. Azzara my guitar teacher in high school). These two teachers touched my heart with their passion for the subjects in which they were teaching, their humor, and their down-to-earthness.

 

I remember feeling lost in the beginning of my childhood education career. I didn’t have any friends nor was I able to make any. I was scared and felt strange. A feeling that didn’t necessarily fleet but that I can now thrive on. I associate my first experiences with racism to school. And the images of many people of all colors come to mind in a bland edifice. I can also remember the smell of school lunch. I didn’t really start making friends until the fourth grade and eventually I pushed myself to become an honors student in fifth grade. I remember a certain peer who became my friend and is now getting his doctor’s degree in california in ethnic studies. I also remember another friend I made in junior high school who was a positive influence to me. I consider my martial arts training another form of education. I educated myself to handle negativity from other peers by the outlet of expressing anger through martial arts. I learned about eating healthy and exercising and this helped my grades back then. Although, I must say I think i need to re-learn a lot of these habits. I haven’t been in school for a while, so I am acclimating myself to college. I also haven’t been to a gym or martial arts training for a while so i don’t quite feel the same as I did when I was doing well in school.

 

School has always been an inspiring yet challenging place for me. Although I’m not always enthusiastic about going to class or completing an assignment but i know that i cannot give up on my academic studies because in the long run i believe i will lead a happier and more fulfilling life. The teachers who have taught me the most in life so far though are my parents. The most important thing I have learned from them is that being a realist is also as important as being an idealist because first the dreams are born in your mind and then action manifests dreams into reality. I want to become the best version of me possible.