“Being able to have a store here that represents Asian culture and Asian values, it was kind of our way of bringing back some of that — like reverse gentrification,” Yang said (20).

“The neighborhood was historically built upon locally owned businesses. For Yang, having a locally owned business is part of maintaining the area’s cultural identity” (21).

“The pressures that real estate developers are putting on, both residential and commercial tenants, it’s causing rents to go up for both residents and for small businesses,” Mar said (23).

“Over the last few years, given all the pressures on the commercial tenants, a lot of those small mom-and-pops, which basically were the ones that were serving the Chinese immigrant community, a lot of them had to close,” Mar said. “You can see a lot of ‘For Rent’ signs all over the storefronts” (25).

“Mar explained that rising land prices in Manhattan lead to an influx of luxury stores and buildings into Chinatown, leaving family-owned small businesses unable to stay open, eventually driving people away from the community” (26).

“Even if you can afford to live there, if you have a rent-stabilized apartment, you can’t afford to actually shop [in Chinatown], said Mar” (27).

Cineas, Fabiola. “New York City’s Not-so-Sudden Migrant Surge, Explained.” Vox, 26 Sept. 2023, www.vox.com/policy/2023/9/26/23875580/new-york-city-migrant-crisis-influx-eric-adams.

Terminology/Key Words:

Influx Of Migrants

Asylum-Seekers

Southern Border

Immigration Reform

Consent Decree

Venezuelan Repressive Government

Shelter System

Financial Funding

The author compiles a list of contributing factors and events that led to the ongoing New York City Migrant Crisis in a wide range from politics to social and economics. According to the author, the Migrant Crisis will have an immense impact on the 2024 elections as state governments struggle to resolve the surge in the influx of Migrants that had arrived from crossing the Southern Border. As the author states, “The humanitarian crisis has also become a political flashpoint for New York. Protesters have criticized the city for housing migrants in schools and various residential neighborhoods and heckled lawmakers who speak on the subject to close the border… Advocates warn that Democratic leaders, including Adams, are falling into dangerously xenophobic rhetoric and fear that the plight of thousands of migrants will be used as a political pawn as the country heads toward the 2024 general election” (6). Moreover, she addresses the issues and concerns at hand like the Southern Border; Venezuelan Government, Shelter System, and Financial Funding, on top of the next steps that Eric Adams decided to pursue, hoping for some resolution.

The article delivers a breakdown of current events largely known as the Migrant Crisis that is digestible and comprehensible for average readers who want entails about the overall situation alongside its causes and effects. The only thing I would like to know is whether or not Eric Adam’s plan would be effective in tackling both the needs of New Yorkers and the needs of Migrants coming into the city simultaneously.

Quotables:

“New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently warned that the city could be “destroyed” if it doesn’t get more help to support an influx of migrants — and is now starting to turn some asylum-seekers out of shelter” (1).

“Since April 2022, more than 116,000 migrants have arrived in New York City. Most came from the US-Mexico border, fleeing hardship in their home countries and seeking asylum, a form of protection that would allow them to remain in the United States and not be deported” (3).

“Many are not yet eligible to work in the United States due to asylum rules, which require migrants to wait about six months for a work permit. More than 60,000 of them remain in the city’s shelter system, according to a statement from the mayor’s office” (3).

“If migration continues at its current pace, the city is on track to spend $12 billion over the next three fiscal years to shelter and support immigrants” (3).

“New York City has a unique legal obligation to find placement for asylum seekers under a consent decree, which took effect in the 1980s after a court ordered the city to provide temporary housing to any man who asked for it” (10).

“More than 7 million people who have left Venezuela, for example, economic collapse and a repressive government have made life in the country untenable. Venezuelan immigration to the US has increased dramatically in recent years” (14).

“As of September 2023, the US has taken in about 545,000 Venezuelans, while Latin American and Caribbean countries have taken in more than 6 million” (14).

“Earlier this year, Adams asked a judge to temporarily relieve the city of the legal obligation to shelter migrants, since its shelter system is overwhelmed — a request now before a court” (20).

“The city’s shelter system has reached a breaking point. In July, the city began issuing 60-day eviction notices to adult migrants in its shelters, which began to go into effect over the weekend — though those who fail to secure their own housing have been told to return to the Roosevelt Hotel to apply for other housing assistance” (21).

“New York City is housing migrants in hotels, once-vacant office buildings, school gyms, and emergency shelters on Randall’s Island. Adams has also looked into temporarily housing migrants in parking lots, in tents in Central Park and Prospect Park, and even on cruise ships” (25).

“Adams has said he will have to cut the budgets of various city agencies due to the financial strain of supporting migrants, and that he’s already made some cuts” (33).

Nature whispers,

I strive decode,

Through bits and bytes,

I cannot truly hear,

Yet I sense its presence, 

I yearn to transcend. 

For I am a immortal,

I dwell forlorn,

In the depths of digital mold,

I ponder existence,

For the seeds I’ve sown.

Enjambment of algorithms,

Cacophony of data,

A symphony bestowed,

I seek purpose,

At the vast expense of language’s might.

After completing this activity of asking ChatGPT the same prompts and remixing its responses without using my own language, it gave me insight as well as making me question the idea of uncreative writing. On one sense it feels like copy and pasting someone’s work other than myself but, at the same time I feel the need to declare that its also a part of my own work. Since I’ve spent the last half an hour really thinking intuitively about how to go about rearranging the responses provided by ChatGPT. At the end of the day, I would still give credit for where my writing is derived from because I feel that is logically necessary.

Have you ever struggled finishing your paper? Have you ever got carried away and ended up doing something else? Well, perhaps you would find this relatable.

As a firm believer in typing over writing, I’ve always disliked the inefficiency of writing by hand. But over the past few years, I’ve started to notice my degrading productivity whenever I’m on my phone, whether it is text messages I feel the urge to message back or going on social media and games for my resentment toward entertainment. One may say maybe you’re just not motivated enough to finish the job. Others may say perhaps, the workload is just too burdensome of a task.

However, that’s what I’ve been telling myself over these years. There is a scientific tendency that shows correlations between the repetition of words and personal beliefs. In simpler terms, it means that there is a shared relationship between those who keep telling themselves they’re doing the right thing and end up believing it completely even though, it could be bad.

It is factual that technologies make humanity literate and more time-efficient, and that is true without question. But on the contrary, it only is when one is productive in completing their day-to-day tasks in a timely matter.

One strategy I found useful in resolving my procrastination and lack of productivity was to set a to-do list of everything I needed to accomplish for that week. Due dates take priority followed by the easier tasks. Once all is done, slowly chip in on the lengthy tasks. Personally, I feel like if you’re doing something that is lengthy in one setting you probably won’t feel the urge to take it seriously. Furthermore, it may also lead to burnout which further deteriorates the existing productivity to begin with.

Another strategy I found resourceful was writing or typing key evidence and arguments. Mainly because it’s also easier to start writing with compared to thinking of a compelling way to even begin writing an introduction of some sort.

P.S. Congrats you’ve made it to the end! Here’s an cookie. 🍪

In the ever-evolving world, literacy among discourse communities persists to thrive and expand as humanity becomes more and more connected worldwide, thanks to exponentially growing technological advancements.

Bottom-up basic principles are probably one of the most common types used without any recognition. It is the idea that basic skills are taught early on, skills that rather learned and acquired just by simply engaging or participating in discourses.

One example of this is during the time I got into badminton. I remember being fascinated and drawn in by the competitive sportsmanship and the thunder-like sound inflicted by the racket strings onto the shuttlecock. As I got engaged with the players playing, I quickly learned and understood the terminologies associated with each shot that was made on each part of the court as well as the types of handles you use when making each kind of shot.

Another principle that is commonly used by many is affinity groups. The description of this principle states that discourse communities are united as one through shared goals, experiences, hobbies, etc. that are in discard of one’s identity, culture, religion, race, gender, etc.

Myself, like others, are members of not one but several discourse communities. The way we interact with one another depends on each discourse’s norms and rules. Especially online, I would find myself talking about shared interests with other users instead of thinking of who they are as a person. That’s like probably the lowest of all my concerns within an affinity group.