Low, Setha: Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park- “Parks and symbolic Cultural Expression”

This park is located in the Bronx on the border of Westchester County and is part of the Pelham Bay Park. the park is highly populated with  Latino, seniors,Caribbeans, and naturalists. Every member of the park tends to stick with their own culture, there is little of culture interaction.  The park was created in 1880, by these years the area was full of deteriorating farmlands once property of descendants of Dutch, English settlers and Native Americans such Siwanoy-Lenapi that after all were abandoned, living a lovely and huge space to the development of a park that it wouldn’t need to much investment for the physical condition of the land.

Low, Setha: Jacob Riis Park “Conflicts in the use of a Historical Landscape”

Located in Queens NY near to Brooklyn,a beach with a boardwalk, playgrounds full of history lies Jacob Riis Park . Named after Jacob Riis who was very famous for his pictures documenting the lives of children in the tenements of the Lower East side in Manhattan. The park is the use of many immigrants who do not  speak English and this is a challenge for the park managers. They need to discover how to satisfy these new immigrants’ needs of recreation and cultural needs coping with the long term park users.This park does not have enough funds to keep the place proper. A REAP study was made
behavioral maps, transect walks, individual interviews and expert interviews, to understand how the integration of different cultural groups allowed to understand the landscape of the Jacob Riis Park. the reserarch was performed in specific areas such as Beach Bay 1, 5 and 6, the Mall, the Clock, the Wood Park and the back beach.

Low, Setha: “The Ellis Island Bridge Proposal”

The Ellis Island is a historical place. During the late 19th century and early 20th century the island was used as a federal immigration station for the port of New York. unfortunately the park was closing during the year of 1954, and kept abandoned until that former president Lyndon Johnson added Ellis Island to the Statue of Liberty Museum Monument.In the years to come the National Park Services wanted to build a bridge from Liberty State Park to Ellis Island.The bridge would be 400 yards of water between Ellis Island and Liberty State Park. In 1994, the Public Space Research Group interview the public to see what they thought about the bridge proposal, interviews were held in Spanish, Russian or English. A strong interest grew among those who where interviewed. a understanding of the problems and consequences of the issue had been formed for the people.
ive been to the island many times and i too believe it is a horrible ideal to build a bridge, mostly because it would be the cause of people losing their jobs

Low, Setha: “Prospect Park, Diversity at Risk”

 Prospect Park  was built between 1867 and 1873 it has an area of 526 acres, and it is located at North-Central Brooklyn.The park is culturaly diverse; however, it was found that the tendency of the White population make a bigger use of the National Parks. Within the park there are many places people can go for intertainments:Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Museum,  Bandshell, Park Zoo, Lefferts Homestead and the public Library.The social life at Prospect Park is also rich and diverse. They got African/West Indies drumming and dancing. Haitan roots music. Many people use the parks for picnic and cookouts. Ive never been to the park the way the book describes  park makes me want to visit the park

“Urban Parks, History and Social Context”

In this article a short history of parks is given to us, as well as different types of parks.  A few of the first parks were places used for grazing cattle and training militias. parks are designed and build according to there location there are different kinds of parks: landscape parks, recreation parks, beach parks and historical parks.Central Park in New York and Prospect Park in Brooklyn are considered landscape parks they where build to help people interact with nature these parks emulated the parks of the classic royal parks around Europe. Ive been to central park and i realized that they have and Egyptian  monument in the park. Ive ever been to Prospect Park; however after reading about it i would love to visit. 

“The Cultural Life of Urban Spaces”

William H. whyte is on a mission to discover why some of New York City public spaces were successful and other a failure. Willaim feels that with the disuse of public space social interactions and cultural diversity are being performed less. He believes that the main reason for the disuse of public space has to do with the fear of terrorism. He states that after 9/11 people stopped being active in public spaces and have formed some sort of fear toward terrorism. In p3 the last paragraph was very unclear to me. after i read it i felt as if Williams was blaming immigrants for the disuse of public space.In this paragraph he write that after immigrants took over some public spaces, less public money for operations and maintenance where given. 

Miles+Shandy+Zenner

“From Cuenca, Ecuador, to New York, U.S.A.: Families and Transnational Lives” 

 This chapter concentrates mainly on the transformation of immigrants and how it affects their families.

miles uses Vicente as an example, Vicente is an Ecuadorian from Cuenca whose family is in need of money so he takes a decision to migrate to the United States. He migrates and starts a new life and keeps in contact with his family until he Americanized and little by little starts to forget about his family. this biggest concern was paying his debit and getting laid. this family fears that he would forget about his own culture.

 i am from cuenca too and i have americanized and also i have forgot about my culture i feel horrible for doing so, but at the same time i dont because iam part of a new culture.

“Global Transactions Sudanese Refugees Sending Money Home” by Dianna J. Shandy

Shandy focuses on the Nuer refugees from Sudan that are now living in the US. she tells us that many Refugees send money back home no matter what the issues are in their home land they find ways to send money. Many of their family members back home are moving from rural areas into urban areas in order to receive the money easier. Western union is a business that has profit largely, with it locations around the world of course it would

Back in my country western union is very famous for their well stabled service; however, other companies are emerging, yet i still will use western union. it would be nice it they had a western union on the countryside of Ecuador , if they did i wont have to travel two hours.

“Beyond Urban and Rural Communities in the 21^st Century” by Zenner          

in this article zenner speaks about urban and rural communities in 21st century . Zenner  explains that the term rural is beginning converted into urbanism. The lives of people who lived in rural areas has changed because of technology.During the 21^st century the population changed from being predominately rural to being predominately urban. 

when i read chapter one by George M. Foster he sort of blamed anthropologist for the cost of rural communities migrating and changing. he stated that they exposed many of these people to technology and open a window for them to see outside their village. i agree with Foster

“Transnationalism, Old and New: New York Immigrants” by Nancy Foner

 As we all know Transnational means extending or going beyond national boundaries; however, the definition in this article is narrowed down to explain the difference of communicating back home between the old generation of people who migrated to a new environment V.S the new generation. the old generation had to cross back home every once a wild to keep in contacted with their families , but as technology has improved many people who migrate, nowadays have no need to go back home to keep in contact with their families. their are many kinds of resource that one can use to communicate back home, i personally use my webcam and talk to my mother.

sokolovsky+witsoe+kemper

                                    In the article "civic ecology ,urban elders, and New York citys community garden movement"  by sokolovsky is based on the formation and  impacted of community gardens on society. During WWII many community gardens where used to grow food that was import for the troops who where fighting the war. These gardens brought communities together and there are alot of elderly people involved in these gardens. However, these gardens once upon a time had drug dealers and many more criminal activities crawling around, but the communities changed it all.
                                                i enjoy the gardens in the park and when ever i am free i keep myself distracted by help around, it makes me feel as part of a union. i am happy to know that these gardens somehow have kept crime out and as an older child i comes me down to know my little bro is safe.
  

                                   Caste, Politices, and Criminality in Urban India by Jeffery Witsoe describes the crime in a city called Patna in India not only does he concentrate on the crime between the poor, but crime that is run by the politicians and people in power. majority of the politices in power followed the caste system; the caste where politices who where criminals and tried to get more criminals into the field. these Politices harassed the people of india and brought crime levels up; however, when they were kicked out of office the people feet more safe and were no longer  afraid.

 i can really relate to this article because i was born in ecuador and as a child i experience alot of what these india people experienced

“The Extended Community: Migration and transformation in Tzintzuntzan, Mexico” by Robert Kemper finds herself doing 40 years of research on the people from  Tzintzuntzan, Mexico. she discovers that many people from the area migrate to other countries because they are in need of money and they don't like their job in Tzintzuntzan, Mexico. Their biggest fears about migrating is How will they handle being away from their old community and family and where would they stay and work in the unknown environment.

 when i migrated i had the same fears; however, with the help of communities people learn to cover come them.

“Gangs, Poverty, and the Future” by James Diego Vigil

In the article, “Gangs, Poverty, and the Future”  Vigil talks about  gangs that develop  mainly in poor  neighborhood. majority of people turned to gangs because of economic inequality; gang members have are mostly males who grew up together. In this article vigil uses L.A as an example of this research and he demonstrates that a large issue with the gangs of today is that members of these gangs are very young and  older gangs raise their members like parents. These neighborhoods had a lack of guidance from parents and officials like policemen and teachers. The earliest explanation to why the poor and immigrant population turned to gangs was because of economic inequality. when they realize how small they are in economic view they feel small. 


Are gangs bad i really ''NO'' because sometimes gangs are made to protect each member in it from the strong, and i believe that  vigil really doesn't look at all the points of views of gangs. He only studies negative side. to me gangs are not bad at all, some gangs are created to help their communities and  don't break any laws on doing so.

Office Work and the Crack Alternative among Puerto Rican Drug Dealers in East Harlem

In Spanish Harlem or "el barrio" Bourgois studies the environment and the way  Puerto Rican get involved in drug dealing. According to Bourgois all residents living in "el barrio"  don't have a proficient education; therefore, they get low paying jobs where they are discriminated for being illiterate. For example "primo" a resident for Harlem had a legal job; however, his boss kept on calling him illiterate and he had no clue what the word meant, so when he finally learned the definition of the word he left the job and started dealing with drugs. Primo tells Bourgois that  the person he sells drugs for cant make fun of him because he is illiterate too, so he feels comfortable around his kind.
 I am happy the state of NYC is coming up with better laws to protect employers, imagine how many people would stop getting general harassed and his law could even prevent people to sell drugs   

"How urnan ethnography counters myths about the poor" by Judith Goode

In this article Goode blames and holds responsible the poor for their own economic situation. she tells us that the poor class is realist about their own circumstances; however, they ignore it because they are lazy and horrible people. she also proves a very important fact that goes against lewis, majority of people who are not in need of any governmental help still apply for it and get the extra help.(173) In another example woman have children that they can’t afford to raise and rely on the governmental  help.


i believe that it is wrong for someone who is born in a low class family to not try to move up and live of tax. i enjoyed this article mostly because for once some one speaks of the truth behind people who depend on welfare.

The culture of poverty

thesis: Oscar Lewis' article is a description of the "Culture of Poverty"

Lewis tries to explain the different aspects of poverty he tells us that poverty is seen as evil and good. lewis also tells us that poverty is passed down from generation to generation, mostly because people who belong to the poverty class are illiterate, have a low level of education and have trust issues.

i believe that judith goode that is correct on going against Lewis , she has evidence that majority of the people that claim welfare and housing are not in need to extra help.  

In motion

Derek pardue claims that social difference and power is space, in the city of Sao Paulo Brazil. One method Derek uses to prove this opinion is by investigating movement around the city that is transportation. He starts of by informing us that the city was late on its formation; skyscraper, public transportations and roads didn’t form until the twentieth century. With the formation of the city the term ‘’segregation’’ came along; wealth people lived in one area and the poor on one side called periferia ; which means slum. Robson a man interview by Derek claims that the public transportation system is meant to be used by the poor. The trains are like sardine cans, and the buses contain people who smell and it feels sticky inside. Robson states that the bus he takes always passes by wealthy communities and on the street he sees luxurious cars and it reminds him that he cant afford that and the space where he comes from.   

The edge and the center gated communites and discourse of urban fear

Thesis: crime levels in urban communities have forced people to move in to communities with walls

Summary:

Seth M. low informs us about isolated communities that fear the world outside their walls. These small communities have their own government and laws. Majority of these people living in these communities have moved from cities, because of their experience with crime; however, I believe that people who isolate themselves from others can affect themselves even more. Seth found it very hard to interview these people due to the fact that not anyone is allowed into these isolated communities. However, when she got access to peoples that live in these communities they all shared the same answer.

I belief isolated communities can cause the city money and prevent news to these communities.

Urban Danger Life in a neighborhood of strangers

The arthicle by Sally Engle Merry speaks of her experince in Dover square project. she informs us that the people within this area use segregate as a way of life. Sally also speaks of the history of the area and how it became home to the low class people. Majority of the people Sally interviewed in the projects claimed that the youth of the nieghborhood are trouble makers; therfore, a woman that lives in the projects has to leaves her house to the laundromate very early . in some interviews people claimed that all black people are dangerous bringinga act of discrimination a upon the neighborhood.

Urbanism as a wasy of life

The article Louis Wirth wrote made me realize that the world hasn’t changed since he wrote his article on July 1938. In this article he writes about how cities affect people’s actions, attitudes and personalities. In modern days people are still affected by cities. Also in his article wirth writes about how more rural countries are becoming cities, because these countries are experiencing late industrialization, 73 years later countries are still experiencing industrialization. Nowadays we have countries that are forming into cities; one good example is Ecuador. Over the past century small villages; like Cuenca have formed into cities. I wonder what Louis Wirth would say if he still was alive, and to know that term urbanism has not changed at all.   

Student fieldworkers in village and city

In the article student fieldworkers in village and city by George Gmelch and Sharon Bohn Gmelch, informs us about the difference between students studying in rural villages and urban cities and their experience. According to the article universities sent undergraduate students to field training programs to have some sort of knowledge and experience on how anthropologist work. In the 1980s and 1990s students were sent to Ireland and Barbados; however, as technology improved at the start of the new century people started to change in their everyday lives. For example people that lived in an isolated rural environment where introduced to technology by the anthropologist whom entered their lives in order to study them. With the help of technology, and a better view to the outside world these peoples moved to an urban environment to experience a new life. Therefore, anthropologist decided to study people that lived in urban cities and their interviews seemed to be more formal.  Although approaching people on the street is not essay, but in trying so, gave anthropologist more information and different ethnicities.  In small villages anthropologist studied one ethnicity and roomer’s commons were said about them. I  belief that it is better for anthropologist study people from urban areas because you always find different people.

fieldwork in cities by George M. Foster and Robert V. kemper

The article anthropological fieldwork in cities by George M. Foster and Robert V. kemper speak of how anthology has evolved over time and the impacted it caused , not only towards anthropologist, but to the people they studied. when anthropologist studied or practiced anthropology during the nineteenth century anthropologist never left there home cities to study people , indeed they got their information from missionaries, colonial administrator, and travelers. however, as time pasted by, technology improved and many anthropologist decided  to experience the way peasants lived in villages. many  anthropologist that decided to move in had exposed peasants to technology: like televisions and radios, because of these electronics many peasants where able to see how the world was outside their village. therefore, many of them moved out to urban areas in pursuit of a better life, and that why urban anthropology was formed.
i believe that anthropologist have caused cultural diffusion  with is admirable

Theodore C. Bestor

Theodore C. Bestor was a man that went to Japan to study their culture.
on this journey to a unknown environment Bestor finds and gains the respect of a Japanese family, he tries to help them as much as he can, and study them and their ways. he moves to town near by and is fascinated by his neighbor and their culture. i believe Bestor research in an unknown country has help him to find ways and systems to improve on this research

To tell you the truth i am not sure; sometimes the crime levels in my neighbor seem to be at a high point, and some times its on a low level. For example for a limited time in my neighbor hood things seem to be peaceful, then like a dark cloud unexpected events happen. To me the NYPD is a joke; officers are in a unstable fitness, and seem to arrive after a crime is committed. I belief that cops join the force for money , and don't really care about the safety of the community. i am scared of my neighbor hood aand agree with Merry and Wirth,Cities are dangerous

hello my fellow americans