UL Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Office Work and the Crack Alternative among Puerto Rican Drug Dealers

                    in East Harlem

Thesis:

            Puerto Rican drug dealers who have grown comfortable living off the system and facing prejudice while working a minimum or above minimum wage job.

Summary:

            This chapter explained the struggle Puerto Rican drug dealers who face prejudice based on their demeanor and intelligence. They face the struggle of starting at the very bottom of the work place where the receptionist is their supervisor. These Puerto Rican drug dealers also carry this attitude of always trying to be tough where their seen by someone at a higher position as stupid.

            They also have this attitude towards people trying to do better where their seen by the culture as acting “white” and changing up who they are because of a job. These drug dealers talk about how they used to have legal jobs, but because of problems stated in the first paragraph they figured they can make more money, live comfortable and not have to face the racism or prejudice they do outside of East Harlem.

            Their proud of being lazy and living off the system. People of other Spanish backgrounds even consider Puerto Ricans to be lazy and that they steal. The Mexicans interviewed in the chapter mentioned they come into this country to make an honest living and earn things the legal way.

Personal Reflection:

            I hate that I know of situations like this and that it’s all reality to me. The drug dealers around my neighborhood have also at one point had legal jobs, but continue to do the same thing they do everyday day and night on a street corner or from their homes. I actually laughed while reading this chapter because I was personally told at one point that I acted as if I were better because I spoke “proper” which is educated because I was in college and had a job. I didn’t view it as a bad thing, but as a good one except I didn’t think I was better than anyone. At that point I just realized how stupid people can be.

UL Chapter 13

Chapter 13: How Urban Ethnography Counters Myths about the Poor

Thesis:

            The difficulties of trying to survive through limitations put on the poor and treating them as unequal.

Statement:

            The poor have a certain way of living. On page 188 it explains that making ends meet involves hard work and management skills. Not only do the adults work, but the children do too. They all have low wage jobs, informal work and also receive help from the government. This situation in particular is very true because I know a lot of people who do it. Also, women who have an informal marriage sometimes still raise children without a “husband” or father figure to help out. In many cases people are irresponsible and have more children that they can’t afford to raise and rely on the government to help them. The poor has a huge female presence as the head of the household because of these reasons. Sometimes men leave to find work and aren’t present in their families lives.

            It’s upsetting that the poor are left to feel like it’s the survival of the fittest, and aren’t good enough or “fit” for jobs. Some people who are poor all don’t rely on the government and sit and wait for something to happen. Activists care about the future of their children and participate in getting resources back into their neighborhood that were taken out. Welfare also doesn’t turn to underground jobs. Some government programs also only cover women and children and if an adult male is present then they are not eligible for the program and looked at as welfare cheats.

Personal Reflection:

            This system is so unfair. It makes it extremely hard for people who want to get by the difficulties of poverty. It’s sad and so real at the same time because it’s true. The only way out is basically through education or a lottery ticket. Yes, some people who are poor are lazy, but for those trying to survive on the limited resources given to them it’s hard.

            I grew up in this type of system all my life and up until 2 years ago it all became so real to me not being able to live on my own yet because of financial problems. This chapter talks so much about the poor being violent and doing illegal things when their clearly driven to do it.

Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Culture of Poverty

Thesis:

            Everyday struggle of the poor and things they fear or that intimidate them.

Summary:

            The poor are defined in different ways from being kind and independent to evil and criminal. The culture of poverty also is seen as a subculture that is passed down from one generation to the next because children are used to the lifestyle at an early age and don’t take advantage of opportunities that are given to them as they grow older. It starts to become a repeating cycle.

            The chapter explains that the poor produce very little wealth, don’t have any type of savings, are illiterate, have a low level of education and basically don’t participate or make use of government agencies. They also have trust issues of legal enforcements and people of higher positions. In some ways I think the poor have these issues is because they fear someone is always trying to deceive them. Then marriage is another issue among the poor because now it’s an issue of relying on someone and having the freedom to do whatever they want. The living arrangements are usually crowded and sometimes temporary. I don’t want to say that the poor are all lazy, but they have to step it up in order to get somewhere to free them from the stress of the everyday struggle and always feeling intimidated by something or someone of a higher position.

Personal Reflection:

            As I read through this chapter I just kept getting more and more upset because the poor want so much, but don’t do anything about it. I, myself come from a poor family and hearing about the same complaints over and over gets tiring. I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and from the poor culture living here it’s the same thing described in the chapter which I found amazing. My siblings and I grew up to want more out of life and not ever settle for less which I’m greatful for. I don’t want to live the way I do now which is the daily struggle to survive.

Chapter 11

Chapter 11: In Motion: Transportation and Knowledge in Sao Paulo

Thesis:

            The class system through transportation in Sao Paulo.

Summary:

            This chapter was about social class and the difference of resources that are available passed the “better” part of Sao Paulo. People who travelled by train or bus can actually see the difference of each neighborhood which is described in the reading. The author interviews Robson on page 162 and it explains the difference of riding the bus compared to the train. Robson also explained when going to certain places he rather take the bus than the train. As soon as Robson moved from the extreme east side he quickly identified himself from Tatuape simply because it was a better neighborhood and it makes someone feel like there are at a higher position then where they were before. The class system and how people live or where they live is pretty clear because where they are located. If the people of Sao Paulo don’t make  a positive impact on other people then they’re considered to take up space.

Personal Reflection:

            My personal opinion on this chapter is that I think the same issues of Sao Paulo are all over the world. Here in New York people go through the same thing. There’s a lot of judgment on people’s actions, the neighborhood they come from and to the kind of money they make.

            Transportation is a normal and easy way of getting around New York City. Taking the train is normal to the poor and middle class. I personally rather have a car of my own because some people are insane when taking public transportation.

UL Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Edge and the Center- Gated Communities and the Discourse of Urban Fear

Thesis:

            The advantages New York and Texas residents face when living within a gated community.

Summary:

            This chapter explained the aspects of gated communities. Page 132 states that an increasing pattern of building fences cutting off relationships with neighbors and moving out in response problems and conflicts. New York was compared to Texas because of the large population.

            The people interviewed in this chapter moved into gated communities for different reasons. Some reasons were because of the crimes in their previous neighborhoods. The changes of ethnicity and some people already lived in a gated community. It seemed like people were more comfortable and felt more secure living in gated communities.

            The interviews from San Antonio were weird, but not uncommon. I felt awkward reading that one of the interviewees daughters felt threatened by poor people because she hasn’t gotten enough exposure. Some even mentioned that living in a gated community doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re safe and I agree with that because a guard isn’t always paying attention to everyone at every second of the day.

Personal Reflection:

            I do think that gated communities do make people feel safer because they’re isolated from everybody else in the world, but it ruins people socially. What relationships do people have outside of that gate if it isn’t with someone else behind the gate? Crimes are one of the last things to worry about, but it can still happen. It would probably want outsiders with bad intentions to want to burglarize homes in a gated community even more because they know middle class families live there.