Interviews with the locals of Brighton Beach
From Decoding New York
1. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
Yes, I live on Brighton Beach and I love it here. It has truly become a new home.
What population do you see in Brighto Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
I see a lot of Russian people and some Hispanic and Pakistani people.
Where were you born?
Ukraine
How many years are you here?
12
How do you feel about immigration?
It gives people a chance to make a new life for themselves here.
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
I’m a citizen.
How do you feel about New York and do you enjoy it?
I have become accustomed to New York and I love how its always bustling with activity.
Do you feel Americanized?
Not too much.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
I think without it we would our sense of self.
Has Brighton Beach changed since you first moved here?
Its been pretty much the same since I moved here.
2. What population do you see in Brighton Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
Most of the population is Russian.
Where were you born?
Uzbekistan
How many years are you here?
8
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
I am not yet a citizen but I plan to become one.
Do you feel Americanized?
Not at all.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
I think its extremely important and I have kept very close to my roots.
Has Brighton Beach changed since you first moved here?
I feel it has stayed the same.
3. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
Yes I like living here.
What population do you see in Brighton Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
It is largely a Russian population with a fe other nationalities present in lesser numbers.
Where were you born?
Russia
How many years are you here?
19
How do you feel about immigration?
I find that immigration has changed but its important, as it was to me when I came.
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
Yes I am a citizen.
How do you feel about New York and do you enjoy it?
New York isn't what I thought it would be but I do like it here.
Do you feel Americanized?
Yes, I have taken on a lot of the customs of America.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
I have decided to be part of this new culture because I think its more important to make a good life here.
Has Brighton Beach changed since you first moved here?
It has changed a little, a lot of people have moved into New Jersey or Staten Island.
4. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
I really like living here, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
What population do you see in Brighton Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
Its mostly a Russian neighborhood.
Where were you born?
Odessa
How many years are you here?
11
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
Yes, I’m a citizen.
How do you feel about New York and do you enjoy it?
Its dirty and noisy but I have gotten used to it. I have even learned to ignore the thundering train along Brighton Beach Avenue.
Do you feel Americanized?
Not at all.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
I think its very important. Its who you are, who your parents are.
Has Brighton Beach changed since you first moved here?
There are more nationalities now then there used to be.
5. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
Yes I do.
What population do you see in Brighton Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
Russian mostly, some Pakistani, some Hispanic.
Where were you born?
Pakistan
How many years are you here?
8
How do you feel about immigration?
It is very hard to immigrate here these days.
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
I have been trying to become one.
How do you feel about New York and do you enjoy it?
I think I made the right decision to come here, I like the feeling of oppurtunity for me and my family.
Do you feel Americanized?
Somewhat. Being a woman I am much more modern than I would be back home.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
To some extent but its also important to except new ideas.
6. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
I do live here and I love it.
What population do you see in Crown Heights and which nationalities and ethnicities?
Russian people mostly.
Where were you born?
Moscow, Russia
How many years are you here?
15
How do you feel about immigration?
Its an important part of New York society.
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
I am a citizen.
How do you feel about New York and do you enjoy it?
I like New York but I rarely get to see more than Brighton because I work all the time.
Do you feel Americanized?
Yes I do, I get mos of it from my children. They bring it home form school and it just settles.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
Yes I do think its important, that's why I try to teach my children the stories and poems that I learned as a kid.
7. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
No I don't but I work here so i spend a lot of my time in the neighborhood.
What population do you see in Brighton Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
A lot of Russian people live here. But aas for the workers many of them are Hispanic.
Where were you born?
Ukraine
How many years are you here?
6
How do you feel about immigration?
I think its one of the greatest things about America.
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
I am trying to become a citizen.
How do you feel about New York and do you enjoy it?
I like being able to visit the various sites. My favorite is the natural History Museum in Manhattan.
Do you feel Americanized?
I am beginning to. I guess it come with the time I spend here.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
I think its important but it gets harder to preserve with the new generation.
8. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
I do like it but I have nothing to compare it to since this is the first place in America that I moved to.
What population do you see in Brighton Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
A lot of middle class Russian people.
Where were you born?
I was born in Russia.
How many years are you here?
10
How do you feel about immigration?
Other than it helped me get here, I can't really say much.
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
Yes I am.
Do you feel Americanized?
Yes, its part of working and living here.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
I do think its important.
Has Brighton Beach changed since you first moved here?
I think it has stayed more or less the same.
9. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
I like living here.
What population do you see in Brighton Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
Russian, Pakistani, and Hispanic.
Where were you born?
Latvia
How many years are you here?
17
How do you feel about immigration?
Its a great thing.
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
Yes I became a citizen a while back.
How do you feel about New York and do you enjoy it?
New York is an amzing city. Its one of a kind.
Do you feel Americanized?
I do because I have become part of the popular culture here, I watch American television and listen to their music much more than I do Russian television or music.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
I think its important to remember our history but there is always room for improvement.
Has Brighton Beach changed since you first moved here?
Not really.
10. Do you live here, what do you think about it here, and do you like it?
I like this neighborhood because I feel like I belong here.
What population do you see in Brighton Beach and which nationalities and ethnicities?
Many Russian immigrants, that's why I like it here.
Where were you born?
Russia
How many years are you here?
13
How do you feel about immigration?
It has its pros and cons I guess.
Are you a citizen or do you intend to become one?
Yes I am.
How do you feel about New York and do you enjoy it?
New York is a wonderful place, I'm glad I came.
Do you feel Americanized?
I don't think so.
Do you think it’s important to preserve your roots/culture?
I think its so important, I call home all the time and keep up with Russian news.
