From Pizza, Pastrami, Pho to Vindaloo and Tagine to Miantiao:
An Analysis of the Cultural Melting Pot of NYC
How does one define culture? The word culture is defined as the “characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people.
How does one define culture? The word culture is defined as the “characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people.” However, most people only think of culture as a group of individuals' language, religion, food, music, and art. When I think of the diverse cultures of New York City, I think of the food. Italian waiters with white aprons on crowded sidewalks next to small tables waiting to serve heaping plates of pasta on a warm summer evening or the strong curry smells drifting from an Indian food truck as I stroll through the bustling streets of the city that never sleeps. New York City is a unique place which is defined by the diverse cultures from around the world. Both visitors and residents embrace the diversity of cultures in New York City. As people flow into New York City from all different places, various aspects of their culture grow within the city. For example, the languages and foods are important ways to express one’s culture.
Over 800 languages are spoken in New York City, and 176 languages are spoken throughout the schools in New York City. As new generations of immigrants are born, fragments of their culture often remain with the family as they begin to integrate into American life. Families begin to identify themselves as Italian or Irish or Jewish, etc., still holding on to their ethnic past. This adds diversity to the schools. It helps students understand and accept individuals from these different ethnic groups for who they are as individuals and as a group. About 36% of the New York City's population is foreign-born, a fact that indicates the city is a beneficiary of the contributions of their ethnic culture as well as the differences that come with them. As the children of New York are educated in the city school system, they become more assimilated into American culture, and the two cultures become blended.
One of my favorite things, when I travel to New York, is all the great food I can eat. All the restaurants I can go to, and the people I can meet. When you go to an ethnic restaurant, you don’t have to be able to speak their language to feel their culture through their food. Food can offer you a sneak peek into the lives of the people that made the dish of chicken tikka masala or falafel. Everyone knows that when you go to New York City, you can go to Little Italy for the most authentic Italian pizza or to Chinatown for the most authentic Dim Sum or Little India for most authentic Indian food. Along with making a great impact on the food of New York City, immigrants have also changed the city. They add diversity to everyone’s lives with their culture, and that's what makes our country so unique.
There are approximately 30 million foreign-born immigrants in New York City, more than any other city in the world. People immigrated to New York City in hopes of a better life and a chance at the American Dream. They brought their language, food, music, art, and spirit of life with them to the new country. Immigrants’ contributions to the city are seen everywhere. Mr. Pommer, a tour guide in Manhattan, wrote to me and described how the immigrants of New York help build some of the most distinctive features of the city. “I decided years before I retired from my city job to become a tour guide which focused on the history and architecture of Manhattan to showcase New York City's most positive features and its contributions to our American culture. Yes we have a culture, and it's not always obvious, and it can be confusing, but it is alive and well in New York City” ( Pommer). There are many examples of great architecture in the city that was funded by immigrants who became wealthy in America. For example, Carnegie Hall was financed by a Scottish immigrant named Andrew Carnegie. He immigrated to America in 1848 with his parents. Also, one of the three architects who helped design the Empire State Building was a Japanese immigrant who traveled through Ellis Island. One of the architects of the World Trade Center was a Slovakian immigrant named Emery Roth. The two most famous Broadway plays of all time, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, were both written and produced by, you guessed it, immigrants. These are just some of the ways immigrants have contributed to the city. Above, Pommer touches on something in his email that is important: culture is one of those things that is sometimes hidden so that people aren’t confronted by it in a negative way. Some people feel the need to hide their culture, so they don’t feel like they are threatening or offending others. Instead, in New York City, people embrace the differences of cultures as part of their own. They aren’t embarrassed by their ethnic background because it gives them character and uniqueness. So many of the ethnic cultures still flourish in the neighborhoods that were built years ago. Their different communities gave them a sense of community and helped them adapt to the new city and a new way of life in America.
People from different ethnic groups sometimes get the name “cultural pluralists.”Boyer the author who wrote about this in his essay, “The Oxford Companion to United States History” touches on how there is somewhat of a controversy of the term “pluralist.” “Cultural pluralists are typically second or third generation offspring of immigrants who feel at home speaking English and are comfortable with American economic life and democratic politics yet still wish to retain their ancestral language, religion, and customs as well as an emotional attachment to their ancestral country” (Boyer). He argues that “dual loyalties could distort American foreign policy, since members of an ethnic group may lobby for policies favoring their ancestral country.” On the other hand, a philosopher named Horace Kallen said that “dual cultural loyalties, would enrich the American culture, not endanger it”(Boyer). Both of their points are valid. However, I think since we as Americans are all immigrants, the history of America displays how most people show their loyalties to America first. I think you'll even find this true in New York City.
Since all the immigrants are different, you might think that makes them even closer. This is not entirely wrong because the people inside the same little communities stick together, but there are many conflicts between the various ethnic groups outside of their neighborhoods. For example, in the movie Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee, you get a look at the violence and conflict between the Italians and the African Americans. The film brings up the question whether Italians should be considered “white” or different ethnic groups like the African Americans or the Chinese. In the movie, one character named Buggin' Out questions Sal about the "Wall of Fame" in his restaurant and demands him to put some pictures of black celebrities (or as he puts it, "brothers") on the wall. He explains to Sal that his pizzeria is situated in a black neighborhood and sells most of his product to black people. Sal replies saying that it is his store and he is proud of his Italian heritage, and he doesn't have to show anyone but Italians on his wall. This makes Buggin' Out even angrier and attempts to start a boycott of Sal's Pizzeria over the "Wall of Fame," but no one will support his protest since all the people in the neighborhood have been eating at Sal's all their lives. The only person who was willing to join the boycott was Radio Raheem, who earlier got into an argument with Sal about playing the music on his boombox too loudly in the restaurant. As the shop is closing, that evening Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out march into Sal's and order that Sal changes the pictures on the wall. While this is happening, Radio Raheem's boombox is blaring at the highest volume causing Sal to yell and demand that they turn the radio down or leave the shop, but the men refuse to. Sal snaps and destroys Radio Raheem's boombox with a baseball bat causing Raheem to become furious and attacks Sal. A fight starts and spills out into the street where it's witnessed a large crowd of people from their neighborhood. When the policemen arrive at the scene, they try to arrest Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out, but they keep on resisting. In the end, Buggin' Out is arrested while Radio Raheem is placed in a chokehold by one officer, thus killing him. Although it is heartbreaking that the different ethnic groups have brought some violence to the city, the ethnic groups have brought so much culture to the great city of New York. They have brought things as simple as their food and their great minds. Their ethnicities and culture have given NYC it’s distinct flavor.
Over 800 languages are spoken in New York City, and 176 languages are spoken throughout the schools in New York City. As new generations of immigrants are born, fragments of their culture often remain with the family as they begin to integrate into American life. Families begin to identify themselves as Italian or Irish or Jewish, etc., still holding on to their ethnic past. This adds diversity to the schools. It helps students understand and accept individuals from these different ethnic groups for who they are as individuals and as a group. About 36% of the New York City's population is foreign-born, a fact that indicates the city is a beneficiary of the contributions of their ethnic culture as well as the differences that come with them. As the children of New York are educated in the city school system, they become more assimilated into American culture, and the two cultures become blended.
One of my favorite things, when I travel to New York, is all the great food I can eat. All the restaurants I can go to, and the people I can meet. When you go to an ethnic restaurant, you don’t have to be able to speak their language to feel their culture through their food. Food can offer you a sneak peek into the lives of the people that made the dish of chicken tikka masala or falafel. Everyone knows that when you go to New York City, you can go to Little Italy for the most authentic Italian pizza or to Chinatown for the most authentic Dim Sum or Little India for most authentic Indian food. Along with making a great impact on the food of New York City, immigrants have also changed the city. They add diversity to everyone’s lives with their culture, and that's what makes our country so unique.
There are approximately 30 million foreign-born immigrants in New York City, more than any other city in the world. People immigrated to New York City in hopes of a better life and a chance at the American Dream. They brought their language, food, music, art, and spirit of life with them to the new country. Immigrants’ contributions to the city are seen everywhere. Mr. Pommer, a tour guide in Manhattan, wrote to me and described how the immigrants of New York help build some of the most distinctive features of the city. “I decided years before I retired from my city job to become a tour guide which focused on the history and architecture of Manhattan to showcase New York City's most positive features and its contributions to our American culture. Yes we have a culture, and it's not always obvious, and it can be confusing, but it is alive and well in New York City” ( Pommer). There are many examples of great architecture in the city that was funded by immigrants who became wealthy in America. For example, Carnegie Hall was financed by a Scottish immigrant named Andrew Carnegie. He immigrated to America in 1848 with his parents. Also, one of the three architects who helped design the Empire State Building was a Japanese immigrant who traveled through Ellis Island. One of the architects of the World Trade Center was a Slovakian immigrant named Emery Roth. The two most famous Broadway plays of all time, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, were both written and produced by, you guessed it, immigrants. These are just some of the ways immigrants have contributed to the city. Above, Pommer touches on something in his email that is important: culture is one of those things that is sometimes hidden so that people aren’t confronted by it in a negative way. Some people feel the need to hide their culture, so they don’t feel like they are threatening or offending others. Instead, in New York City, people embrace the differences of cultures as part of their own. They aren’t embarrassed by their ethnic background because it gives them character and uniqueness. So many of the ethnic cultures still flourish in the neighborhoods that were built years ago. Their different communities gave them a sense of community and helped them adapt to the new city and a new way of life in America.
People from different ethnic groups sometimes get the name “cultural pluralists.”Boyer the author who wrote about this in his essay, “The Oxford Companion to United States History” touches on how there is somewhat of a controversy of the term “pluralist.” “Cultural pluralists are typically second or third generation offspring of immigrants who feel at home speaking English and are comfortable with American economic life and democratic politics yet still wish to retain their ancestral language, religion, and customs as well as an emotional attachment to their ancestral country” (Boyer). He argues that “dual loyalties could distort American foreign policy, since members of an ethnic group may lobby for policies favoring their ancestral country.” On the other hand, a philosopher named Horace Kallen said that “dual cultural loyalties, would enrich the American culture, not endanger it”(Boyer). Both of their points are valid. However, I think since we as Americans are all immigrants, the history of America displays how most people show their loyalties to America first. I think you'll even find this true in New York City.
Since all the immigrants are different, you might think that makes them even closer. This is not entirely wrong because the people inside the same little communities stick together, but there are many conflicts between the various ethnic groups outside of their neighborhoods. For example, in the movie Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee, you get a look at the violence and conflict between the Italians and the African Americans. The film brings up the question whether Italians should be considered “white” or different ethnic groups like the African Americans or the Chinese. In the movie, one character named Buggin' Out questions Sal about the "Wall of Fame" in his restaurant and demands him to put some pictures of black celebrities (or as he puts it, "brothers") on the wall. He explains to Sal that his pizzeria is situated in a black neighborhood and sells most of his product to black people. Sal replies saying that it is his store and he is proud of his Italian heritage, and he doesn't have to show anyone but Italians on his wall. This makes Buggin' Out even angrier and attempts to start a boycott of Sal's Pizzeria over the "Wall of Fame," but no one will support his protest since all the people in the neighborhood have been eating at Sal's all their lives. The only person who was willing to join the boycott was Radio Raheem, who earlier got into an argument with Sal about playing the music on his boombox too loudly in the restaurant. As the shop is closing, that evening Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out march into Sal's and order that Sal changes the pictures on the wall. While this is happening, Radio Raheem's boombox is blaring at the highest volume causing Sal to yell and demand that they turn the radio down or leave the shop, but the men refuse to. Sal snaps and destroys Radio Raheem's boombox with a baseball bat causing Raheem to become furious and attacks Sal. A fight starts and spills out into the street where it's witnessed a large crowd of people from their neighborhood. When the policemen arrive at the scene, they try to arrest Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out, but they keep on resisting. In the end, Buggin' Out is arrested while Radio Raheem is placed in a chokehold by one officer, thus killing him. Although it is heartbreaking that the different ethnic groups have brought some violence to the city, the ethnic groups have brought so much culture to the great city of New York. They have brought things as simple as their food and their great minds. Their ethnicities and culture have given NYC it’s distinct flavor.
Works Cited
Boyer, Paul S. "The Oxford Companion to United States History." Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press, 2001. Web. `6 Mar. 2017.
Do the Right Thing. Dir. Spike Lee. Perf. Spike Lee and Danny Aiello. Universal Pictures, 1989. YouTube.
Hirschman, Charles. "The Contributions of Immigrants to American Culture." Daedalus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 July 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Mehta, Suketu. “Tower of Scrabble.” Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas. Ed. Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro. Oakland, CA: U of California, 2016. 195-98. Print.
Pommer, Freddy. “Request for insight from CA high school student (urban studies project).” Message to Tour Guide. 21 February 2017. E-mail.
Schonfeld, Roger C. "Diversity in the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Community." ITHAKA S+R. ITHAKA S+R, 28 Jan. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
Boyer, Paul S. "The Oxford Companion to United States History." Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press, 2001. Web. `6 Mar. 2017.
Do the Right Thing. Dir. Spike Lee. Perf. Spike Lee and Danny Aiello. Universal Pictures, 1989. YouTube.
Hirschman, Charles. "The Contributions of Immigrants to American Culture." Daedalus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 July 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Mehta, Suketu. “Tower of Scrabble.” Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas. Ed. Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro. Oakland, CA: U of California, 2016. 195-98. Print.
Pommer, Freddy. “Request for insight from CA high school student (urban studies project).” Message to Tour Guide. 21 February 2017. E-mail.
Schonfeld, Roger C. "Diversity in the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Community." ITHAKA S+R. ITHAKA S+R, 28 Jan. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.