American Civil War anniversary remembered. . .in Dublin

by Sean McLachlan on


As the United States begins a series of commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, this momentous conflict is even being marked beyond the nation’s borders.

This weekend the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin is having a series of events to mark the contribution of Irish immigrants on both sides of the Civil War. While most Irish immigrants went to the industrial North and thus ended up in the Union army, there were a significant number of Irish Confederates as well. Also, the famous New York City draft riots were mostly instigated by poor Irish immigrants who objected to the fact that rich people could buy their way out of the draft.

Unless you’re in Dublin at the moment you’ll miss the lectures and free live music, but if you’re going to Dublin check out the museum’s permanent Soldiers & Chiefs exhibition at Collins Barracks, which outlines Irish military history including the Irish people’s part in the American Civil War.

[Image of Lt. Col. James J. Smith and officers of 69th New York Infantry (Irish Brigade) courtesy Library of Congress]

Airport staff indicted on human smuggling charges

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Two ticket agent contractors for Delta Airlines and an airport employee have been indicted for conspiring to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States. Diana Telemaque and Felicia Brown, the ticket agents, were arrested Thursday along with baggage handler Daniel Confidente.

According to a statement by the U.S. Department of Justice, Telemaque and Brown allegedly sold tickets to illegal immigrants. All three have been accused of aiding an unspecified number of illegal immigrants in getting into the United States from May 2008 to July 2009.

Many illegal immigrants try to get into the U.S. Caribbean territory every year – some to stay, others to use it as a jumping-off point to the mainland United States.

A Delta spokeswoman says that the airline is cooperating with the government and that Telemaque and Brown, who were contractors rather than full employees, have been dismissed.

The three suspects were released on bail of $10,000. If convicted, they could face up to a decade in prison.

[Photo by Ken_Mayer via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons]

Undiscovered New York: Sunset Park

by Jeremy Kressmann on

You don’t just stumble upon Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood by casually walking around New York City. It takes effort. And you’re also not going to find any world famous buildings or iconic parks while you’re there – those are elsewhere. But for all the things Sunset Park lacks (like tourists), it still manages to have plenty to offer. This little neighborhood-that-could has been surprising visitors and residents alike with its outstanding city views, rich immigrant communities and unique architecture.

Sunset Park was first founded as a shipping port, set conveniently along New York Harbor in the far Southwestern edge of Brooklyn. By World War II, the area was shipping out more than 80% of all American supplies and equipment destined for the fronts overseas. It was also a neighborhood of surprising diversity, housing one of New York’s largest communities of Scandinavian immigrants. As the shipping industry began to decline after the War, the area began to house a new wave of residents, today composed of a rich swath of Latino communities and one of New York’s three different Chinatowns.

The effects of Sunset Park’s distinct geography, history and immigration have combined to give the area a unique mixture of off-the-beaten path attractions. Want to have some of New York’s most authentic tacos and Chinese food on the same day? What about a visit to a park that might have one of the city’s best views? And why in the world did Elvis make this tiny neighborhood his only visit to New York City? Get ready to step off the beaten path as Undiscovered New York investigates Brooklyn’s Sunset Park. Click below for more.
New York’s best view?
In addition to its location along the Brooklyn waterfront, Sunset Park is blessed with some pleasant green space at the neighborhood’s namesake park. As luck would have it, Sunset Park is also among the highest points in all of Brooklyn – meaning on most days you can see the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the Empire State Building, Staten Island and New Jersey. They don’t call it “Sunset” Park for nothing – make sure to stop by one evening at dusk for a truly outstanding view. Aside from the heart-stopping vistas, Sunset Park also boasts a swimming pool, volleyball court and plenty of walking paths.

Melting pot of authentic food
Manhattan’s Chinatown might have the best soup dumplings. And Roosevelt Avenue in Queens might have some of the best Latin American food. But Sunset Park has them both beat. It is, after all, hard to compete with a ‘hood where within a few blocks you can eat so well, for so cheap from such diverse immigrant cuisines. Start your trip with one of Sunset Park’s many taco trucks along Fourth and Fifth Avenues. Not full yet? Head a few blocks over to Eighth Avenue, where you’ll find one of New York’s three Chinatown districts. Take a walk past buckets of still squirming fish at the seafood market, have some freshly made noodles, or bite down on a fresh Banh Mi sandwich.

Iconic buildings
As we mentioned earlier, Sunset Park played a pivotal role as a key shipping port during World War II, providing thousands of jobs for the area’s residents. Though not much remains of Sunset Park’s illustrious maritime history, there is one hugely obvious reminder at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. This massive 95 acre complex, located between 53rd and 66th Streets, once served as a staging center for goods and men on their way to battlegrounds in Europe. It is also, through a strange twist of fate, the only place legendary rocker Elvis ever set foot in New York. The King swaggered through Brooklyn Army Terminal in 1958 on his way to his military service in Germany.

The Secret of Grain: An initmate look at Tunisian immigrants in France.

by Jamie Rhein on

Here’s a heads up on a movie that one might easily miss. It most probably didn’t show up at a theater near you, unless you happen to live in a cosmopolitan city with an art house movie theater.

Last night I saw the 2007 film The Secret of Grain at a kick off reception for the Cleveland International Film Festival, and was transported to the immigrant community of Tunisians living in France.

This is a film filled with food, pathos and everyday life filled with the mundane and complexities. The camera comes in close to the subjects bringing the audience into scenes that are messy at times, exuberant, and sometimes devastating.

The dialog does a wonderful job of showing the interplay between immigrants and people who are native to a country–in this case France. It also shows how rough life can be, but how alike families are no matter which culture is influencing them.

The interplay between cultures as people move from their countries to make another country home makes for intriguing stories.

In a way, the story of The Secret of Grain reminds me of The Full Monty where the main character is fighting to stay afloat in fairly inhospitable circumstances. However, there’s a difference between the two. The Full Monty left me crowing with delight. The Secret of Grain left me wondering why life is so darned difficult due to no fault of one’s own.

One of the most valuable aspects of the film is that it shows a different angle of being Muslim. The more versions of stories we can see where the characters are Muslim, the more full and realistic the picture. The religion is an element of the story, but it’s not the story. Here’s a review by A.O Scott from The NY Times. By the way, The Secret of Grain is not showing at the festival, but it indicates the breadth of the types of films one might see and points to why festivals are important. Without festivals, where would such gems be seen?

Good luck card results in deportation of Mexican immigrant

by Scott Carmichael on

In a tragic case of “serves you right”, a Mexican immigrant arrived at Manchester airport in the UK for what he described to immigration officials as “a brief trip to visit a friend”.

When immigration workers checked his bag, they discovered a card, wishing the man lots of luck with his “new life” in the UK.

After some more interrogation, the man admitted he planned to settle in the UK an eventually fly his family over.

Oops.

If you plan to lie at the immigration desk (don’t), at least make sure your story can be verified, and don’t carry evidence of your lies in your suitcase.

The 40 year old man was sent back to the United States, since that was his country of departure. Fingers crossed for him that he was here legally, or his troubles will be continuing for some time.