Author Archives: Avichai Vazana

In this week’s readings of Nancy Foner’s From Ellis Island to JFK, the focus is on the development of education and transnationalism, whose changes mirror the changed nature of American society. Both the system of education and it’s value have … Continue reading →

The Madonna of 115th Street begins with a  description of a festival started Italian immigrants in Harlem (an an introduction). It then goes on to explain the history of the immigration of Southern Italians to the northern part of Manhattan and … Continue reading →

1) 1990-2000: GOLDMAN, ARI. “For Immigrants, a Four-Language Church.” The New York Times. The New York Times. Web. 04 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/23/nyregion/for-immigrants-a-four-language-church.html?src=pm>. Although this article was published in 1989, I figured it was close enough to 190 to use for this … Continue reading →

The first thing that popped into my head while reading Peter Kwong’s article about illegal immigration was Stephen Colbert’s testimony before Congress during a hearing called “Protecting America’s Harvest.” Colbert was one in a group of 14 who took up … Continue reading →

I found this week’s articles particularly interesting because of how they tie in to our general class discussions. Having already spoken about the reality of certain states becoming “majority-minority” as a class, and touching upon the possibility of America [as a … Continue reading →

This week’s readings, specifically Tarry Hum’s article, presented a different perspective on immigrant settlements and their development. Up until now, we have been reading about and discussing these types of neighborhoods, including enclaves, with, I believe, more negative than positive connotations … Continue reading →

I found the article Becoming American/Becoming New Yorkers.. particularly interesting because it sought to express a more realistic approach to viewing immigrant assimilation in America, specifically in New York City. As mentioned in the article, the dominant theory is limited in the … Continue reading →

David Levintsky is undoubtedly a smart individual. This is evident, assuming he’s a reliable narrator, in his own descriptions of his Talmudic capabilities, his ability to learn “secular” topics rather quickly, and in his successful business ventures. Not only does he … Continue reading →