Month: February 2022

I have experienced neoliberalism throughout my whole life,  as the times changed the achictecture and neighborhood changed as well. What was once a small bodega that serviced the whole community eventually became luxury apartments that overlooked all of Brooklyn and the Williamsburg Bridge. The landscape in New York has mainly changed in the outskirts of the city, neighborhoods that were once feared because of the reputation suddenly became ” trendy” and  THE area to live in. Neoliberalism can be seen in general with the gentrification of any area. What was considered ” ghetto ” is now “Semi-Private Housing” ironic because these types of homes are affordable housing that people cringed to even think about. Neoliberalism doesn’t even have to be necessarily public facilities, there are a lot of small businesses and landmarks that brought the community together and upheld each other that had to close or relocate to make room for business that would monopolize the local business. I believe money talks in all situations and these are examples were money spoke louder than a sense of community or connections to the areas we came from.  This can be connected to Dickinson’s text, where the topic of control and money was discussed, the more involved money is in a situation the more control there is. The type of environment and what’s acceptable around an environment come into play with each other, in an expensive neighborhood it’s odd to see a small mom-and-pop shop.  It does not fit the aesthetic that’s where laws on graffiti come in, it’s not okay for there to be any color in a neighborhood when the whole aesthetic is grey and white.  Think about it like this the more money I have = the more properties I own = the more I get to decide what type of things are around and what vibe should surround these neighborhoods. Overall it would mean that there are still traces of the culture and life before gentrification and neoliberalism, and that just isn’t okay lol. Cultures and communities become watered down every time art or tradition is muted to fit someone else’s vision.

New York City is considered the epicenter for businesses in the world. With this in mind, it’s reasonable to assume the government and businesses/corporations would foster relations that put restructuring and “modernization” at the forefront of their agenda. Yet, these programs don’t proceed without a cost. As a resident of New York City, I’ve witnessed the lingering and current effects of neoliberalism within my neighborhood. Local stores and restaurants that used to be a common sight to see have been replaced with corporate chains along with the expansion of shopping and mall districts. Within the sphere of education, there has also been a rise in debate on standardized testing as arguments have been made towards it encompassing neoliberal ideas. Through the lens of a neoliberalist, students are more likely to be seen as customers than actual students, which then leads to pressing issues relating to tuition, affordability, costs of supplemental aid, etc.  In more recent times, the appearance of the Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the effects of neoliberalism. An example of this would be the price points of Covid tests, masks, and other necessities. The surge in the price of Covid tests, which were formerly free of charge, and other products demonstrate the unregulated privatization of a public commodity, or at least should be public, for the purpose of wanting to meet price margins. Maggie Dickinson’s essay, “The Making of Space, Race, and Place,” encapsulates these remarks of neoliberalism by referencing back to a period in NYC when it had entered a phase of “restructuring into a corporate mecca” (Dickinson 30) to cater towards the rich and upper-class population. Graffiti and its writers, unfortunately, became the scapegoats for this agenda, which ultimately emphasizes the government’s prioritization of businesses/corporations over the wellbeing of its people. Just as New York City was undergoing a change then, it continues to transform in ways, whether it be for better or worse.

Throughout my life I have  witnessed neoliberalism in New York. One of the most recent things I have witnessed that relates to neoliberalism is some people have chosen not to get tested or even go the the hospital for experiencing Covid symptoms because they don’t have enough money to pay for it or that they are unable to receive health care. Some things that have affected me personally is the increase of cost in my things such as transportation and even cost of produce in stores. With public transportation the price used to be $1.50 then turned to $2 then $2.25 and now $2.50. It can be considered a bit of a big difference because it is something that people use everyday and most times more than once. For the past few years there has been a significant increase in cost of produce that sell in supermarkets. Since Covid many people have been having difficulties paying for their groceries which mean they need to purchase less  groceries. The increase of tuition for schools in New York has increased throughout the years. When I was younger my three older sisters all attended catholic high schools where the average cost was about ten thousand a year. As time past by tuition started rising where it soon began to cost twelve to three thirteen thousand a year. Unfortunately, as it came to the time where I was applying for high schools the tuition began to cost too much that my parents weren’t able to pay for my education at a catholic high school. This relates to Dickinson’s text because in our society there are many things that the government chooses to do that don’t benefit us. In addition, blacks, latinos, and hispanics seem to be the communities that receive the least amount of help whether it’s to better the neighborhoods, healthcare, education and living supplies.

I have personally witnessed the effects of neoliberalism as a resident of New York. One of those effects is the increase in the price of rent. Rents in most areas of New York are increasing every year, making it more difficult for the lower class and some middle class to afford. This leads to an increase in the number of people living in poor conditions and some individuals are forced to move to another state simply due to the price of rents. In addition, the prices of houses in states such as California and New Year are extremely high compared to other states. This means lower-class individuals are less likely to own houses in those states and only the upper-class and some middle-class individuals will be able to afford those houses. Over time, the house prices in major states will have a bigger increase compared to other states, which creates a bigger gap of economic inequality.

Today, we also have public and private universities. Private universities are extremely expensive which means not everyone will be able to afford them. Lower class and some middle-class individuals are less likely to pursue a degree in a private university because they can’t afford it or they don’t want to graduate with heavy debt. Rich individuals also pay for SAT lessons or tutorings that help them get a higher score on the exam and thus get into a better university. This creates the idea that upper-class individuals are more likely to succeed since they have more opportunities due to their financial situation.

In Dickinson’s text, he mentioned how graffiti writers are associated with poor individuals. In order to protect the image that NYC is a major city and to support business corporations, the city was trying to kick the lower class individuals out of the city and portrayed them negatively. The increase in rent and price of houses also result in cutting lower-class individuals from the city so that mostly wealthy individuals and businesses will be located here.

One of the main tenets of neoliberalism is a transfer of economic power from the public sector to the private sector. I have experienced the effects of this transfer with how New York City seems to treat its public schools. As an example, the public high school I attended was in rough shape: it suffered from underfunded and overworked teachers, many textbooks they had were decades old, and most students did not treat the school seriously because all of them equated public education with lackluster education. My high school also had to share a building with another high school because there was not enough room in the main building, which was small and dingy.

Compare this with another high school that was both nearby me and private. It had its own campus and the school was better funded since parents had to pay for their children to attend it. Despite what you may be led to believe, students at this private high school took education just as seriously as my public high school. However, this doesn’t matter because most people assumed the private high school was superior anyways. Our lack of investment in public schools has led to the development of the perception that they are both terrible places to get an education and private high schools are a much better alternative.

Privatizing our schools also extends to higher education. Every college we can attend has high tuition costs. Most people are incapable of paying for the full tuition out of pocket, so they sometimes refer to student loans that can sometimes be predatory. Much like private high schools, people view private universities as prestigious, but to a much greater degree compared to private high schools. Colleges sometimes try to extract as much value as they possibly can, such as locking homework behind paywalls. In conclusion, neoliberalization has led to chronic disinvestment in our public schools and colleges trying to extract as much money as they can from their students.

The effects of neoliberalism have been fast-forwarded ever since the beginning of the pandemic. Specifically, as a resident of New York, I have witnessed how some businesses took it within their hands to take advantage of the pandemic. The prices of covid masks, tests, and other necessary personal protective equipment have been soaring without government oversight. Masks and the PPE’s were selling for more than double the price as supply staggered and demand soared. Until recently, the government has finally moved into action by making these prices more affordable. The government recently introduced free covid tests and masks for Americans. Although government intervention has increased, many private businesses are still capitalizing due to insufficient government regulations. I have also witnessed gentrification in the community I live in. From more Citi bikes to more parks, etc., has also allowed landlords to increase the rent price as neighborhoods become more modernized and accessible, driving out people who were once able to make a comfortable living. This relates to what Dickinson mentioned what the mayor was doing in the 1970s-1980s. New York state was driving out poorer people from areas such as Time Square to make it more appealing to tourists and safer for the middle and upper class.

Additionally, I have noticed the prices of many goods and commodities soar. Many corporations blame the rise in prices on supply and chain issues and inflation. The poor regulations have allowed the corporations to continue to raise these prices, affecting many people financially.

Furthermore, the meme above, “Deviation from the norm will be punished unless it is exploitable,” reinforces the idea of how the government usually shuts down ideas they can not profit from. Once the government notices how they can capitalize from something, they typically support it by helping them fiscally or expanding the concept themselves.

In the last few years in the United States, I have witnessed the impact of neoliberalism, and many changes have taken place in people’s lives. Neoliberalism has reduced restrictions on citizens, especially the wealthy. In this case, the government has reduced the tax on the rich, and there is nothing to restrain the power of the rich. It’s not just a matter of morality and politics; economies with lower inequality do perform better in relative terms. As a result, the influence of money on politics became more and more powerful, and wealth inequality began.

New York’s MTA system’s tariffs are increasing, but the subway’s situation has improved very little. Every time there is a weather problem, all kinds of traffic problems will appear. Pauses and delays are the most common and even the most unacceptable ones, like skipping platforms in a row, which wastes everyone a lot of time. The proposals proposed by the neoliberals can only lead to more stagnation, inequality, environmental damage, and political vitriol, with consequences that we may not even imagine.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis have plunged New York City and the world into recession, leaving millions unemployed and paralyzing public services, raising questions about the future. Vaccine companies have reaped untold benefits from research and development while rapid tests are charged in some places, and these private companies are separated from the government, giving them an uninterrupted presence in cities.

As for schools, each school is a component of the CUNY system, but it is not managed uniformly. Each school has its own unique management method and tuition fees. At the same time, the majors selected by students are also selected according to the school. It is also a way that neoliberalism exists. In the past few years, New York City has changed in my impression.

Neoliberalism has taken a toll on my Flatlands neighborhood slowly but surely. I remember when I was a child I would go to the deli with a dollar and get 2 bags of chips, a Caprisun and cookies. Nowadays if i go to the deli with dollar I could only get a bag of chips for 75 cents and maybe some candy. Another example would be my local Chinese food spot. Throughout my whole life it was accustomed for me to eat Chinese food every Friday. I would usually order the same thing: Chicken & Broccoli with white rice for 5 Dollars.  I’ve noticed every year the prices steadily go up…… $5.50 to $6 to $6.50 to $10 dollars as of today.  The inflation of food prices have been detrimental to my community and I believe neoliberalism is the focal point of the problem.

Another example of how Neoliberalism has effected my community is through the instillation of big time corporations where small business’ were once established. This is due to the increase in gentrification and the popularity of the neighborhood as you have access to many shopping stores and restaurants.  Even the streets with small business’ by my old high-school was shut down in hopes of expanding the community. They replaced these business’ with a CVS, Modells and Planet Fitness.

The instillation of big time retail corporations by my highschool relates to Dickinsons article with the hegemonic projects in business’ taking over Graffiti projects across the city. These Graffiti projects were overruled due to laws established against the use of Graffiti and media companies taking a stance against the use of graffiti. This also relates to Dickinsons article because it shows how people ranked higher in the social class structure such as the government or rich have more power than your regular citizen.

As a resident in New York City, changes have definitely been implemented into our neighborhoods bringing about privatization. Before moving to the borough of Manhattan, I used to live in the Bronx 2-3 years ago. Although I am a borough away, I always visit whenever I can. As I was growing up in my neighborhood, I loved how it felt like a family. Everyone knew each other and helped each other whenever they could. Until semi-recently, there has been a restructuring of the entire neighborhood. Small businesses were being forced to shut down because companies wanted to demolish it and put something new. It just felt like a sudden rush of different companies began occupying our space. One year a BJ’s opened, the next a self-storage, the next a shopping mall occupied by Best Buy, T.J. Maxx, Aldi’s, etc., and even more shopping corporations taking over our space. The area is still being gentrified today and these corporations continue to take away the financial living of the residents. One of my best friends and her family might become a victim of being kicked out of their territory because a company wants to take over their family restaurant and convenience store. I couldn’t help but compare it to how these graffiti artists were thinking about the NYPD and the mayor prohibiting them from enjoying their art. Although they are two completely different circumstances, the similarities are there. Both feel the need to fight against these large corporations and retaliate because that is the only way to protect themselves. As these graffiti artists continue to showcase their art in public areas despite negativity from the public and government officials, these family-owned businesses protest in their own way just as they do. Just as Dickinson expresses in their article, the lower class today are being forced to privatize their neighborhood and completely change those who reside in it as a result of corporations taking over.

In my short time living in NYC, the most significant change I have experienced is the implementation of the COVID test kit.

The rapid COVID test kit should be provided by the government for free to allow individuals to conveniently test themselves at home. Unfortunately, some pharmacies see this as an opportunity to make profit. For instance, in Flushing NY, the rapid COVID test kit originally costs $ 20. However, since there is a shortage of test kits, pharmacies have been increasing the price of the test kits. If the test kit cost that much, people can just go to a PCR testing center for a more accurate test result. Thankfully, on January 19, the government provided everyone a chance to receive 4 test kits per household sign up. This is similar to the Dickson’s text. She was talking about that at first place, government did not want to even fix the train problems even though graffiti caught their attention to it. So, the group of small business has the control of fixing the problems for the trains. Later, they think they should take the right back, so they declare a war on graffiti. As mentioned previously , the government did not want to spend money on the test kit, but later, they realize the small business has the control of the test kit, then they start sending those free test kits.

Medicaid is one of the changing of public benefits I’ve seen so far. One of my friends who was struggling with her disease because of the Medicaid that didn’t cover the medicine that she used to take. The medicine cost too much now that it is uninsured. It took her a year to find one that can treat her diseases and also is covered by the Medicaid. If she cannot find the medicine that is right for her and cover by the Medicaid, the consequences can be fatal.