Author Archives: MINARA LAMA
Gradual Changes…and Empowerment
1. Women joining the workforce and the labor industry to replace men. 2. Expansion of highwyas, bridges and infrastructure. 3. Suburban Era and the American Dream 4. Environmental Crisis 5. Mobilization I feel that women joining the workforce had a … Continue reading
Variety is the Spice of Life!
Newly arrived in New York City, or “the concrete jungle where dreams are made of” as they like to call it here, one can be completely taken aback by the cultural diversity the city manifests. I was, however, delighted. Coming … Continue reading
Songs of HOPE
Born This Way- Lady Gaga This Little Light of Mine ‘This Little Light of Mine’ is a children’s song written by Harry Dixon Leos in the 1920s. Even though it was not written for protests or the fight against slavery, … Continue reading
Growth of Squatter Settlements and Slums
During the Great Depression from 1929 to the late 1930s, harsh economic conditions led to escalating unemployment rates as high as twenty-five percent and bank failures coupled with increasing foreclosures of home mortgages led to the eviction of millions of … Continue reading
Reforms for the Working Class
The late 19th to the early 20th centuries saw a series of beneficial reforms by lawmakers for the working class. According to Chudacoff, Union rights to ‘organize, bargain, and strike’ were advocated by rising democratic leaders (p172) and they fought … Continue reading
Jenny Everdeane in the Gangs of New York
Jenny Everdeane is a female character played by Cameron Diaz in the movie ‘Gangs of New York’. Her role is of a pickpocket and con woman who becomes the object of Amsterdam’s desire though he soon discovers that she is … Continue reading
Immigration- Who, Why, When, Where, and How?
Binders and Reimers’ “All Nations Under Heaven” discusses the influx of immigrants from different countries mostly from Europe and Asia. It describes how different races and ethnic groups of these various countries migrated to New York City, bringing with them … Continue reading
Steam Ferries Existed Too!
In the early 1800s, steamboats or ferries gained popularity from the invention of the steam engine. Steam power meant reduced need of relying on winds or man power and the various canals and harbors of New York facilitated this new … Continue reading
Another Day, Another Riot
The New York Draft Riots was a four-day riot in 1863 that was the result of aggressive opposition against the National Conscription Act which allowed the Union to recruit men to fight in the Civil War. It led to escalating … Continue reading
Compelling Contradictions
Horton’s ‘In Hope of Liberty’ highlights how the black community in the years before and after the American War for Independence evolved overtime in a bid to progress and fight for freedom. The interesting arguments made here include how the … Continue reading