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In 1982, my mother, Wanda Fabian migrated to New York City from the Dominican Republic with only her mother. She was only 13 and her mother was in her early 30s. Her mother came to the states in search of a safer and more conducive environment, in comparison to the slums they lived in back in the Dominican Republic. At the time crime was very heavy in the country, as well as a poorly run government. These were major push factors for hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people who immigrated from there around the time. America at the time was viewed at as the land of prosperity, where people go to succeed. 

Major obstacles my mother and grandmother faced were transitioning to American society, language, and finances. They started form nothing, working off-the-book jobs, struggling with finding somewhere to stay and moving from house to house of different family members. 

Other factors that played a part in the transition were the treatment of immigrants in the states, especially in schools. My mother experienced bullying all the way up until her sophomore year in high school because of her poor English. She later moved to a more diverse neighborhood and got better in English. She started working young and dropped out during her junior year in high school. Coming to America was very discouraging for her and her mother. It took a lot of hard work to set a decent foundation for my siblings and I, and future generations.

[1destin]

My family has lived in the country for 2 generations (my mother and I). We descended from the Dominican Republic. My family has embraced American Nationalism by firstly, acquiring legal citizenship. They take American dishes and “Dominican-ize” them. With dishes such as macaroni and cheese, chimichurri (burgers) and even their own spins on seafood. My mother always tells me how hard it was growing up, with being raised in a Spanish household and walking outside to a U.S. state. Picking up on English was hard, making friends was hard, and finding work was hard. For this reason, she didn’t teach me much Spanish growing up, I guess she didn’t want me to have a difficult time finding my way like she did.

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Racism happens on an interpersonal level and is institutionalized through rules, procedures, and practices in organizations and institutions. Individual or interpersonal acts of racism may appear easier to notice in general: an insult, a person ignored in a social or work situation, an act of violence. Individual racism, on the other hand, does not form from a vacuum; rather, it arises from a society's core beliefs and "ways" of seeing/doing things, and manifests itself through organizations, institutions, and systems. That is not to imply that individuals can be anti-racist within and despite systemically racist systems and structures.

The Confederate flag is a symbol of racial ideology that the disillusioned and deliberately ignorant refuse to acknowledge. This racial symbol reflects legacy, not hatred, according to these devoted Southerners. This flag commemorates the Confederate States of America, which fought to maintain its white supremacist ideals and slaves. It symbolizes bigotry and hostility, not the harmless heritage that these ding dongs claim. Slavery was the cause of the South's fight, not state rights.

Through the intentional exclusion and subjugation of people of color, the hallmarks of American democracy - opportunity, freedom, and prosperity – have been mostly reserved for white people throughout the country's history. The historical and contemporary policies, practices, and conventions that establish and maintain white supremacy are directly responsible for today's significant racial and ethnic imbalances.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is an international social movement dedicated to combating racism and anti-Black violence, particularly in the form of police brutality. It was founded in the United States in 2013. The name Black Lives Matter denotes both a condemnation of unjust police killings of Black people (Black people are far more likely to be killed by cops in the United States than white people) and a demand that society value Black people's lives and humanity as much as it values white people's lives and humanity.

[1destin]

The location I chose was my own block, back home in the Bronx, NY. My neighborhood is very diverse and has both harmful and conducive traits, making it interesting to cover for this fieldwork.

I’ve also been pretty aware of my neighborhood simply because I was outside a lot growing up, and was often alone or with friends my age. So I didn’t realize anything I didn’t already know while drawing this map.

Since I live in the city there also isn’t much that I’d “expect to find” anything that wasn’t in this map of my block is most likely on the next one or two, such as supermarkets, community centers, restaurants, etc.

COVID-19 definitely ruined the community. Sports held in my neighborhood such as basketball and baseball were canceled. Causing the youth to substitute the time for sports with time to get into trouble. The parks are now empty, prices in supermarkets are way higher, and the community just seems dim. I hope this can change back to normal over time.

[1destin]

I learned that I am a person who likes lavish things that aren’t really necessary. I love expensive clothes, and just “fly gear” in general. Some may even say I’m materialistic but those are just people who don’t know me. I know what I need and what I don’t, I am grateful for everything I have and I’m not some sort of materialistic brat or whatever it may seem like I am. I just like nice things, and I can afford them.. So why not?

[1destin]

The first scissors we know of date from up to four thousand years ago in the Middle East. They were made up of two bronze blades joined by a narrow, curved bronze strip at the end opposite the blade tips. Squeezing the blades together pushed them closer together, while releasing them separated them.

The brand of these scissors is called Fiskars and are mainly manufactured in Finland.

The item doesn’t have much of an impact on my life considering they aren’t mine, but they are very handy to have in the house when cutting food or paper.

Virala, Turret, and Holdix Oy Ab collectively own 40.4% of Fiskars. The Finnish family-owned investment company lives comfortably in Helsinki.

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PHOTO 1: The term "time and space compression" refers to the shrinking distance between ideas and people. When addressing changes in culture and structure, the term is essential.

PHOTO 2: “Uneven development” is a fundamental feature of human geography that refers to the unequal distribution of people, resources, and money. At the global, regional, national, and urban scales, uneven development is visible.