HI there, Dr. E here.
Immigration:
Many of us hear not so distant thunder indicating that there will soon arise in full sight another engagement of over the bow broadsides between the tall ships regarding the issues of immigration. Though some think the issue is illegal immigration for it shows above ground so often; that is only a speck of poppy seed in the dirt pile.
There are also grave issues of
–the legal but unemployed, and
— not well publicized ‘quotas’/ discriminations, some aver, according to nation,
–also the state of the INS seeming understaffed and often subjective in implementation,
— whispers of bribery within the various layers of government/ consuls in the US,
— people in the country without papers who have paid taxes but whose US citizen employers have stolen from them,
–people who come legally, but disdain the over-culture yet love the infrastructures here which are non-existant in their home countries,
— people who are here illegally in order to do nefarious deeds,
–the ‘feet on shore without being nabbed’ waiver policy
— abuse of people without papers
— abuse of immigrants with papers
— abuse of landowners’ property rights
–trumped up charges against immigrants for I-dont-like-your kind reasons
— zealous homegrown people who say they are militia helping INS agents out
–robbers and rapists and extortionists on all sides of all borders
— the Canadian unmanned borders entry problem’
–the ‘what happened to ALL the money for the wall?’ problem
–the ‘airports for immigration entry’ issues
— the ‘off shore entry problem’
— an entire opus about the good immigrant v. the bad immigrant is coming soon
— as well as those who want no immigration at all, yes more of that
–and those who are sick over their community being suddenly over-run in various ways; we’ve heard much form that sector, but not the others, and little about and from those who are doing the ‘over-running.’
And… Just for a moment in peace before all those masts suddenly show on the horizon line, just a tiny peek into a peaceable scene that for all its phlegmatic look, is likely the heart of immigration for most who immigrate anywhere. To work, to make one’s way. To provide for others. To have a little smoke now and then, some friendly comaraderie through rain, wind, snow, sunny weather. All the other issues which are so scalding and emotional for their legal contretemps and social upheavals, are true, but so is this one pictured below.
I receive hundreds of emails a day from all manner of people. Because many know I am an imagist, a collector of beautiful images sometimes those who write to me include candid shots taken on the streets.
So, herewith for you is an image I received today of current New York immigrants, along with the letter writer’s text:
Immigrant Faces From New York
by
Izzy RosenI so often think of what it was like for those who arrived in the US over a hundred years ago – relatives of mine, too – and who sold items on the streets of New York to earn their living.
We’ve seen countless photos of them, of course. These old black and white photos of salesmen with their carts, selling household items and the like. I love their old clothes, their hats, their expressions.
I saw this scene on the corner of Canal Street just now- one of NY’s most venerable addresses for immigrants. Canal Street was very close to one of NY’s toughest neighborhoods in the 1850’s: The Five Points. It was a squalid place, and one where life was probably tougher than we can imagine.
Today’s it’s a part of the heart of Chinatown, and a very commerical thoroughfare; many of the merchants operate out of booths rather than the carts of olde.
Here are two of them. Selling watches and belt buckles.
Things change.
And they don’t.