International Reporting

Hi Emily,

I’m a student in your International Reporting class. I would like to do a story on the corruption surrounding and within Bangladesh’s government, which specifically impacts the country’s press freedoms as well as labor rights. I think the issue featured in this story is very important and the local angle of what Bengali immigrants think of BD’s government ought to be covered.

According to Transparency International’s corruption percentage index of 2016, Bangladesh was ranked 145 of 176 of countries in terms of their corruption index (176 being the most corrupt country, Somalia). Additionally, also on Transparency International was Bangladesh’s territory score- which was 26 out of 100. Territory score on the site is indicative of “the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean)” (Transparency.org)

But why does this matter? For starters, Bangladesh is one of the US’ greatest allies in South Asia. According to the US Trades Representative site, extensive trade occurs between America and Bangladesh in the exports of textile goods, agricultural products, and iron and steel. Additionally, the US is Bangladesh’s largest export market and both countries actively take on roles of combatting extremism.

However, despite their good trade relations and the economic support the US gives to Bangladesh, the country still faces “infrastructure shortcomings, weak governance structures, and a need for greater investment in human capital,” according to the US Dept. of State website. Bangladesh also struggles with its high population density and internal violence from extremist forces.

While creating my first beat memo for Bangladesh, I came across a BBC article describing Bangladesh’s media as “highly polarized”. As it turns out, many of the country’s news agencies align themselves with the different major political groups and reflect their reporting accordingly. I also found that NGO; Freedom House updated the status of Bangladesh’s press freedom status from “Partly Free” to “Not Free” in 2016. According to the webpage, the change was made “due to the murders of four bloggers and a publisher by Islamist militants, threats and nonfatal attacks against other writers, continued legal harassment of media outlets and press freedom advocates and government sanctioned economic pressures on outlet to censor social media.”

I believe that the current condition of BD’s press freedom ties into corruption in its government and aim to get the opinions of local residents on this subject.

Also, in 2014 the Bangladesh government issued a national policy where all TV and radio shows that broadcasted any material deemed harmful to the images of law enforcement and armed forces were banned. This was an interesting find, because this information corresponds to the information I got out of an interview with a Bengali immigrant, regarding the country’s government.

So far, I had an interview with 21 year old Rifat Hasnat, who was born in the capital and largest city in Bangladesh, Dhaka. There, he spent his childhood and most of his adolescent life until he and his family immigrated to New York when he was 13.

Rifat was very outspoken in his opinions when asked about Bangladesh’s government.

“I just feel like pretty much everything in BD works via bribing,” he said. “I’m sure that happens in a lot of other countries, but it’s just so extreme in BD…”

In addition to Rifat, I also plan to speak with both of his parents, where Rifat will fill in as my translator. I will also speak with the familial and friends-references that Rifat and his parents have agreed to provide me.

I want to gather more information on instances of corruption in BD’s government, with regards to press freedom and labor conditions, and get the opinions of local Bengali immigrants on this topic. I plan to compile this into a print story.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

-Brandon A

 

I am a student in your International Reporting class and I want to cover a story on India’s growing air pollution. Although there have been articles from a vast number of publications addressing this issue, the Indian government doesn’t appear to be doing much about it.

When most people think of air pollution, they think of China. Although China has been the world leader in number of deaths linked to fine particle matter (PM2.5), India is rapidly catching up. As the number of deaths in China stabilizes, the number of deaths in India continues to grow. According to data from the Health Effects Institute, a non-profit that provides relevant science on the health effects of air pollution, the number of PM2.5 caused deaths in China increased by 162,800 from 1990 to 2015. In the same amount of time, the number of PM2.5 caused deaths in India increased by 353,000.

It is not just PM2.5 linked deaths that are increasing either. “On a global basis, the fraction of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) deaths linked to ozone have increased from 5% in 1990 to 8% in 2015. Much of that increase occurred in India.” According to the American Lung association, the ozone layer found in the stratosphere protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, but “ozone air pollution” in the troposphere “causes serious health problems.” Ozone air pollution comes form the burning of fossil fuels and “high-heat combustion” such as burning coal or in using motor vehicles.

As India’s air quality declines, environmental regulations fail to curtail growing pollution. According to The Times of India, two Indians die every minute due to air pollution. Although air pollution is a growing problem, improvement still seems at a far. In India’s submission to the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, it states that coal based power makes up 60.8% of India’s installed capacity. Rather than move away from coal, the goal is to “improve the efficiency of coal based power plants.”

When I interviewed Steven DSouza for my beat memo, he mentioned India’s poor air quality and visible smoke. DSouza also mentioned the lack of regulation and that people continue the practices that they are already doing. An article in the New York Times described this problem in further detail. The article states that although India’s environmental court, “The National Green Tribunal,” ordered the government to stop farmers from burning the straw left from their crops, NASA satellite images show that no progress has been made. Another article in The Times of India cited an important reason as to why farmers are not ceasing this practice, which is that it is still cheaper to buy higher quantities of fertilizer due to subsidies than to purchase a machine that removes the straw.

I want to explore this topic from an international perspective and write a print story.

February 19, 2017 was a big day for Ecuadorians. More than 105, 238 Ecuadorians living in the United States went out to vote and support their country. Yet, the two leading president candidates did not get the 40 percent needed votes to win election.

What does this election mean for the well-being of Ecuadorians and the Ecuador’s economy?  Refael Correa, the former president who ran the country from 2007 to January 15, 2017 led Ecuador to recession and high unemployment rate. The results of the elections shows that Ecuadorians want to continue the “Correism” meaning the majority voted for Lenin Moreno, who promised to continue Correa’s political view. Whereas, Guillermo Lasso wants to do more with less, cut taxes, create million jobs during his term and elevate Ecuador’s economy.

According to Correa the earthquake that happened in Abril, 2016 led Ecuador to damage its economy. Maybe that is partly true, but the economy was already bad way before that. For instance, the borrowing of 1.5 billion dollars from China brought more problems to Ecuador.

This feature on the Ecuador’s economy will be relevant to the world, especially to South and Central America countries because they have similar leaders who don’t care about their citizens.

 

 

 

Haiti: From the outside looking in on the Haitian-New York life it may seem as though they are living very decent lives with the exception of some of the less fortunate. The reason for thinking this because they are growing their businesses and securing a comfortable American lifestyle. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to focus on poverty within the Haitian-American community and how are they supporting the ones they left their homeland.

History: Sharing the island, Hispaniola with The Dominican Republic, Haiti gained their independence in 1804, freeing them from the French rule. The country was controlled by the Spanish before given to France. Haiti was the first Republic to lead a successful slave revolt. Although gaining independence is a good thing for the country, it went through a great share of negative effects. Many of the tribulations Haiti has faced were from consistent natural disasters, resulting in a domino effect of negatively spiraling effects.

Language Spoken: The official languages of Haiti are French and Haitian Creole

Religious Beliefs: Haiti has a range of different types of religious beliefs. Most of the world believes that they only practice witchcraft, voodooism and things of that nature. Even though those practices do exist in this country, the belief system of voodoo revolves around family spirits. Many Roman Catholic Haitians do not see practicing voodoo as being a part of a different religion. They focus communicating with mostly spirits of their family who are called loua or misté. Besides Roman Catholicism coexisting with voodoo, there is one religion whose believers does not practice the communicating with sprits. That religion is called the Protestantism, and they strongly oppose voodoo because of the darkness that correlates to the practice.

Popular News Outlets: La Nouvelliste, Haiti Libre, RTVC Radio Television Caraibes, Metropole Haiti, Haiti Press Network, Radio Kiskeye, AlterPresse, Radio Signal FM 90.5, Scoop FM.

Current Events: 2010 Earthquake, Economic Recovery and Livelihood, Hurricane Matthew, Post-hurricane cholera outbreak threat.

Immigrants in NYC: Many Haitians stay together like cliques so finding sources wouldn’t be too difficult. Flatbush is one of the neighborhoods anyone can find a lot of Haitians restaurants and shops. Flatbush being the area where I also live I’m in the midst of it all, and with the help and recommendations of some my fellow Haitian friends I’m sure to acquire very useful information and quotes to use in my stories.

Country of Choice: Poland.

Language Spoken: Polish.

Religions Practiced: According to the 2011 census, 87.5 percent of Poland’s population is Catholic. Other religious minorities comprise less than 1 percent of the population. The only significant minority that the census notes is the group that does not associate itself with any religion, which amounts to 2.4 percent of the population.

History: Poland’s history dates as far back as the 10th century, but, for the purpose of this assignment, only the 20th century is worth mentioning. World War II began by Hitler’s invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. In the six years when the country was under Nazi control, Poland’s Jewish population was nearly eradicated, families were broken apart and many cities, including Warsaw, were reduced to rubble. When Poland was finally liberated by the Soviet army in 1945, another period of intense repression began. Soviet Soldiers were actively fighting a campaign against the Polish underground soldiers. While some tried to survive, others actively fought to undermine the Soviet rule. Two historical figures from this time period are worth mentioning—Pope John Paul II and Lech Walesa, who led the anti-communist movement and led to the fall of communism in Poland in 1989. As a result of his actions, Walesa became the country’s first democratically elected president since the war ended. During the next 15 years, the country improved its economy, foreign relations and the well-being of its people. Western goods became widely available and the population began catching up with Western trends. In 2004, the country joined the European Union, which helped the country integrate.

Most-read and most-viewed local news outlets: Gazeta Wyborcza is one of the most popular daily newspapers, with circulation of roughly 600,000, according to pressreference.com. As for the weekly news magazines, some of the most popular titles include POLITYKA, Newsweek and Wprost.

Current events: There are several major events or debates that are currently taking place in the country. All of the problems that Poland is currently facing are tied to the election of PiS, or the Law and Justice Party. In 2015, PiS won the elections, winning both the legislative and the executive branch of the government. The government did not wait to bring the justice system to its knees. Among the current government’s most controversial moves was the placement of pro-government into the Constitutional Tribunal, which is the country’s highest court. The government also tried to push some of Europe’s toughest anti-abortion laws, but the so-called Black Protests convinced politicians to reconsider. Since then, a lot of pro-democratic protests have been taking place, including a student-run protest organized through Facebook. KOD, or the Committee for the Defense of Democracy, has been organizing and funding all major pro-democratic protests. However, a recent conflict involving the organization’s leadership has caused a lot of uproar in the media.

Demographics: According to the 2011, Census, 96.4 percent of Poland’s population is Polish. Approximately 309,000 Ukrainians, or 0.8 percent of the population, live in Poland. The number has since increased due to conflicts in Ukraine.

Popular neighborhoods for immigrant communities in New York: There are two areas in New York City that are known for their Polish communities. One of them is Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The other area is in Ridgewood, Queens.

Contact info for sources: I want to reach out to the people who organized the student protests in Poland. When I find their contact information, I will add them to this post. There is also a lot of Polish organizations based in New York, so I may receive help from them if I need it.

The country I have chosen as my main focus for the Semester is Israel, more officially known as The State of Israel. Israel is an 8,522 square mile country with a population of 8,174,527 people (according to the 2016 estimate.). Bordering with several other countries — Egypt, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank — , Israel is a small nation, as well as the only Democracy in the Middle East. According to a 2013 estimate: the religions that are present in Israel are 75 percent Jewish, 17.5% Muslim, 2% Christian, 1.6% Druze, and the remaining 3.9% is occupied by other remaining religions that are present. A predominantly large Israeli Community that I am aware of is actually right around where I live, the Kew Gardens, Union Turnpike area of Queens, as well as Bayside and Hollis Hills.

The history of the Land of Israel has always been one of dispute and different interpretation, which is what calls conflicts like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into order. The start of this conflict came to be in 1948, and still goes on to present day. In 1948, during the end of World War II, both the President of the United States who at the time was Harry Truman, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, acknowledged Israel as its own free independent state and nation. However at the time at which this agreement was made by the UN, the members of the Arab League refused to accept this plan implemented by the UN. They then declared self determination, which at this point marked the start of the conflict that is now in fact more present than ever in the everyday lives of the people of both Israel and Palestine.

Of course there is so much I can cover with this nation, but I will be going for different kinds of stories, something that pulls away from the stigma of this conflict and really dives into the real lives of the people who live in this truth every single day.

I would love to dive into the lives of IDF Soldiers, which I believe is one of the most unique stories to be told of this country. However what I think makes my article on this topic so interesting is that I am going to be reaching out to IDF soldiers that are ALSO naturally American Citizens, but have chosen at the age of draft to go and serve for a country they do not live in. Being that I am half Israeli, in the past year I have seen so many of my close family friends fly to Israel to serve in the Military, whether it is to train and be a part of the artillery, or to play their part in national security. One of my closest friends since I was younger, Yahav Sinay, has actually been living in the US for about two years now, post-IDF. From what I have spoken to him about, he left Israel knowing a lot of the suffering that it is to live in a country full of constant attack and fear, but he still has room to discuss the love and zest for life that the Israeli people have to show and give while living in such high tensions land.

Besides this topic, I do want to dive further into the IDF, and right a feature article about Women in the IDF, and how they see themselves in that environment. This will require me to reach out to the two close friends of mine, Hadas and Sherri, who are both currently in training for national security positions in the IDF. I think this will be very interesting in zooming into the lives of these American women who have chosen to go back to this country and call it their home and dedicate themselves to serving for it.

After these two article ideas, I also have several for the beauty of the country and the preservation of its nature and the way that the society is built around such dangerous times. I want to look at the way that the Israeli people look beyond the tension between themselves and a neighboring land, and see how they can still live a happy healthy life full of joy.

And I do also think it would be a very interesting angle to look at how other cultures and religions live and are treated in the Democratic Nation of Israel. To see how they practice their religion, the laws they live under, and how their living conditions are as a whole, in lieu of the constant tension taking place between their homeland and the country they are now living in.

Colombia is named after Christopher Columbus. Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela are the three countries that came from the split of Gran Colombia in 1830. The current population of Colombia is 47,220,856. It is the second most popular South American country, following Brazil. The official language of Colombia is Spanish and the dominant religion Roman Catholic. Life expectancy at birth for the total pollution is 75.7 years; 72.6 years for males and 79 years for females (98th highest in the world). The average age is 29.6 years old; 28.7 for males and 30.6 for women. Population growth rate for Colombia is 1.02 percent; 105th in the world. The ethnic groups of Colombia are: 84.2 percent mestizo and white, 10.4 percent Afro-Colombian, 2.4 percent Amerindian and 2.1 percent unspecified. The current president, as of August 7th 2010, is Juan Manuel Santos and the vice president is German Vargas Lleras. Presidents are elected by the majority vote and serve a four year term. Presidents used to be able to reelect for a second four-year term, but due to a recent change, starting 2018 presidents are only able to serve one four-year term.
Colombia is the fifth largest Latin community in New York City. Colombians started migrating to New York in the 1960’s and is predominately in Jackson Height, Queens. Most of Colombia’s media is run by for profit companies. The media gets most of its money from advertisements, mainly from the government and wealthy people. Many claim that Colombia is one of the, if not the, most dangerous place in Latin America for journalist.
Poverty, inequality and drugs are few of the main problems in Colombia throughout the years. Some of the more current problems in Colombia include the political issues and the Zika virus. One of the largest issues in Colombia is the conflict between the Colombian government and the rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia (FARC). FARC was founded in 1964 during the Cold War and they follow a Marxist-Leninist ideology. FARC started off as primarily poor farmers who sought out for equality. After voters rejected a peace treaty between Colombia’s government and FARC in October 2016, the Government then went through congress to agree to a newly revised treaty in November, most likely to the disapproval of the people.
I would like to focus on the aforementioned topic for this class. Try to dig a little deeper and speak to those who are currently living in Colombia and find out why the majority of the people voted against the initial treaty between the Colombian government and FARC. Also, I would like to find out their thoughts on the government bypassing the votes of its people and agreeing to a revised treaty on their own. I would like to also speak to Colombians who have immigrated to New York find out why, if their decision or family decision has anything to do with conflict between the guerrilla organization and the government. Would also like to know their experiences living in Colombia and how it compares to living in New York, if it’s what they expected.
As of right now I have a source who moved to New York from Colombia with his family 16 years ago. He is willing to link me to sources and family members who are still currently living in Colombia. I was told by the source that their media outlets in Colombia are biased in favor of the government, which makes sense since most of it is for profit. The media outlets don’t explain in detail the reasons as to why the people opposed the initial treaty, so I hope to gain that perspective. Some issues I may face will be the language barrier. My source is willing to translate but sometimes things get lost in translation and can only be explained thoroughly in the language that the issues apply to. Another issue may be gaining perspective from anyone in an organization that supports FARC or anyone in some type of significant position in Colombia.
As much as I would like to use photography as my media, it would be difficult for this assignment as the issue is more so abroad than domestic. However, I will like to include some type of photojournalism.

The country I chose is South Korea, or, as it is officially named, Republic of Korea. Within Korea’s 99,720 square kilometers there is 50.9 million people. It only shares border with one country, North Korea, or, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as it is officially named. This border is known as the 38^th parallel, and for being the most militarized border in the world; it is 237 kilometers long. There is both Korean and American troops stationed at the parallel. It is possible to go there and “step” into North Korea in the room that usually the two country’s leaders have meetings.

The main language spoken in South Korea is Korean, which in some instances uses English phonetics to name technological tools like computer, cell phone, and television. Within the language there is different accents, but the one that is most heard on the news and TV shows is a Seoul accent. In the island of Jejudo the Korean spoken is distinctly different from that of mainland due to the isolation from it.

Unlike other East Asian countries Korea has a higher percentage of Christians than Buddhists. 19.7% of the reporting population is protestant, followed by 15.5% Korean/Zen Buddhist, and 7.9% Catholic. The rest of the population, that is 56.9%, has no formal religion association. These two instances with language and religion are due to intense influences from the United States during the Korean War, and other Western influences.

South Korea as we know it has not been around for very long. Before the Korean War the two Koreas were one, and before that they were invaded by Japan during World War 2. However, Korea had mostly been a different “kingdom” than China and Japan were in the 14^th century. Before the Joseon Dynasty was formed in 1392 Korea was divided into three Kingdoms that were in constant war with China, Manchuria, and Mongolia. The Joseon Dynasty lasted until the 20th century when the dynasty gave in to Japan before World War 1 because of its weakness compared to the modernizing powers surrounding it. was corrupt and weak. It was after World War 2 that Japan was revoked ownership of the land they had gained that Korea was freed from the colonization by the Japanese. However, South Korea was not fully South Korean until the northern part of the country, protected by the USSR, and the southern part, protected by the USA, were not able to agree on one government to rule fully.

Under the intention to unify Korea to rule under a communist regime Kim Il-Sung launched the Korean War in 1950, attempting to invade the South, only to set the border back where it initially was.  1.2 million people died.

In the South the April 19 revolution which was led by students and labor groups in 1960, overthrew the current leader and placed Park Chung Hee into power. He turned out to also be a military dictator so he was overthrown along with other leaders after him.  In 2000 under Kim Dae-jung there was attempt to work towards democracy and civil rights with the North and, although Kim was criticized for the lack of change in the countries relationship, he got a Nobel Peace Prize. Recently in 2012 the first female president was elected, Park Geun Hye, whom is the daughter of Park Chung Hee: she is the protagonist of basically every news article coming out today because of corruption.

Today South Korea is considered fully developed and holds great economic power, with many of its companies being international. Communication wise there is 4 main television and radio systems: KBS (Korea Broadcasting System), SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System), MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation), EBS (Educational Broadcasting System). There is additional private channels as well. On top of that there is three main newspapers in the nation Chosun Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, Hankyoreh. All of them are available in English, Chinese, and Japanese online, as well as Korean. From the three newspapers Hankyoreh has been the most trusted and most neutral newspapers voted nine consecutive years as the most trusted news organization by Korean journalists.

All of these outlets are focusing on the current presidential scandal. President Park Geun Hye seems to be corrupt as she alledgedly her friend (Choi Soon Sil) to interfere with government affairs and used her power to seek funds from Korean companies such as Samsung and Hyundai. Recently North Korea has launched a missile of their Eastern border allegedly to defy Trump’s policies on the country. North Korea always seems to be in the news somehow, with Hankyoreh having a whole section just for news about the northern neighbor.

Within New York the biggest communities are Flushing, and Korea Town. There is a lot of organizations to help immigrants such as a Korean Language Center and Korean Culture Center both in Korea Town, the Korean Community Services in Korea Town, Corona, and Flushing. As well as newspapers target towards Korean American individuals: The Korea Times and The Korea Herald.

Located in south-central Asia, Afghanistan sits landlocked between Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. With a population of well over 30 million, Afghanistan is measured to have an area of 252,072 mi2. Of those living in Afghanistan, 99% practice Islam. The official languages of Afghanistan are Pashto and Dari, which is often referred to as Farsi.

Officially establishing itself as a single country in 1747, Afghanistan has a long history of political unrest. Beginning in the 19th century was strife between Afghanistan and Britain, as Britain attempted to annex Afghanistan. However, in 1919 Afghanistan defeated Britain, and again had full-independence. Briefly established as a monarchy, between 1926-1973 Afghanistan becomes a democratic nation after the Prime Minister overthrew the King in a military coup. Mohammed Daoud Khan had deemed himself the president. Khan attempted to modernize what was becoming a communist nation, granting women rights and proposing a new constitution.
Unfortunately, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 in support of the growing communist regime. This war resulted in 6 million people fleeing Afghanistan to Pakistan and Iran, and the death of at least 1.5 million people. After the Soviet Union withdraws, the power of Afghanistan is undecided and civil war erupts. Kabul, the capital, fell to the Taliban in 1996. By the year 2000, 90% of Afghanistan was controlled by this group. The Taliban has holds a harsh interpretation of Islamic Law, and therefore leads a very oppressive rule over the people of Afghanistan.

Following the September 11th terrorist attack on NYC’s twin towers, America joined the Northern Alliance in attempting to eliminate the Taliban and liberate the people of Afghanistan. The Taliban were deposed in 2001 and so began political reconstruction. By 2004, Hamid Karzari was elected as Afghanistan’s first president. He served for 10 years and was then followed by Afghanistans current President, Ashram Ghani Ahmadzai. Afghanistan has taken considerable steps to becoming a stable united country under a central government but it still troubled by the oppressive and aggressive manner of the Taliban.

The most popular news outlets in Afghanistan are the Afghanistan Times Daily, Benawa, Pajhwok Afghan News, the Kabul Press, and the Daily Afghanistan. Facing repeated political unrest, many Afghans have flooded the globe as immigrants, beginning new lives. Within NYC, Fulshing, Queens holds the largest population of Afghan immigrants, it is often referred to as little-Afghanistan. I plan to frequent this area throughout my research. Most recently I spoke with a man not in this area, but the owner of a Halal food cart on 88th street and Central Park West who goes by Ronny. In 2000 Ronny, then 41, moved to New York with his family in an attempt to “leave the danger and fighting” in Afghanistan. Although Ronny does not remember much on how he viewed America before moving here, he remembers telling himself that it was “big, and safer than home.” Now 55, Ronny describes his life in America fondly by repeating the word good in between spurts of his daily routine (which was basically just work). In speaking to Ronny, I gathered that his favorite part of America is that he can live, work, and go about his day knowing his family is safe. I would like to dive further into the preconceived notions of life in America as compared to the reality as I continue interviews.

A potential source for information regarding Afghan life in New York City that I came across is a group called Women for Afghan Women. They are located in Fresh Meadows and have been labeled the “only culturally competent organization able to serve the specific needs of the New York Afghan population.”

 

Women for Afghan Women:

New York Office

158-24 73rd Ave.

Fresh Meadows, NY 11366
Tel: +(718) 591-2434

 

This semester I would like to focus on Palestine, both as a country and as a state. The Israeli- Palestine conflict is apparent on the news today especially with President Trump in office.
There is a very rich history and culture of Palestine, that many feel is diminishing as tensions rise between the two state solution, or lack there of, as well as cultures shifting as a result of years and years of war. I would like to focus on the Zionist movement and what it means for Palestinians, the flux of refugees in other Arab countries, like Lebanon, and the tension it causes those countries. The presence of France in Israel and Palestine. Finally the global reaction to the attempts to come to a decision.
The language that is predominantly spoken in Palestine is Arabic, the second language is Hebrew, in the West Bank, the languages often times intertwine with one another. Many Palestinians also know how to speak English and French. The religions that are practiced among the Palestinian community are mainly Islam and Christianity. In 1980 there was a great flux of Palestinian Christians seeking asylum in the states. There is a large Palestinian community in Paterson, New Jersey, Bayridge, Brooklyn, as well as Astoria, Queens.
Palestinian cuisine differs from the Gaza strip to the west bank, Gaza’s specialty is Maqluba, while the west bank is heavy on sea food, as they are on the coast.
Dabke is a Levantine folk dance, which means it originated from a region in the Middle East that includes the countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. Legend says that people in that region during that era made the roofs of their houses with tree branches and mud. Anytime the weather would change, the mud would crack and members of their family or community would come and help patch it by forming a line and joining hands and stomping the mud into place. In colder months, they would sing to help keep their bodies warm. However, Dabke is widely used as a way to promote the Palestinian cause in a positive way through song and dance.