Harlem is a community in the Manhattan Borough of New York City, long known as a foundational residential, cultural, and business hub for many minorities, but it's much more than that. It symbolizes the many divergent cultures that came together, that grew together, called by the allure of the legendary flame eternally held high by the Statue of Liberty. It is the symbol of the melting pot known as America, a melting pot that has been brewing a proven formula of freedom for over 200 years now. East Harlem is a symbol of the hope, determination, acceptance, and strength that made America great.
Harlem was once an area of quiet farms, as were the original 13 settlements teeming with agricultural immigrants who banded together to make a living. In Harlem there were communities populated by a few Dutch, French Huguenots, Danes, Swedes and Germans. For three decades, the Germans have been the dominant cultural element of the Borough, with the Irish coming in second in number and influence. The waves of immigration of the 1880s and 1890s brought different cultural elements from Israel and Italy. Like the young nation itself, Harlem had drawn people seeking a fresh start and a fair chance from all over the Old World. Then African Americans started coming to Harlem from downtown, the south, and the West Indies. In the 1930s, half a million people thronged the greater New York area. There were too many people and too few places, too few resources, and Harlem became the nation's largest slum. However, his people persevered.
As the young nation grew, Harlem grew and defined its borders. The United States increased its size and population with the Louisiana Purchase, generally defining itself geographically, opening up more territory for those seeking freedom. This brought more immigrants and diverse cultures from all over the world, most of them from New York, many staying there and settling in Harlem.
To date, Harlem's boundaries include the following: The East Harlem / El Barrio area, known as Spanish Harlem, a community that stretches from First Avenue to Fifth Avenue, 96th Street at 125th street. Then there is Central Harlem, which runs from Central Park North to the Harlem River, as well as Fifth Avenue to St. Nicholas Avenue. West Harlem, comprising Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill, runs from 123rd to 155th Street also from St. Nicholas Avenue to the Hudson River.
East Harlem has been called "German Harlem, Irish Harlem, Jewish Harlem, Italian Harlem and Spanish Harlem", also known as "El Barrio". It is a testament to the many diverse ethnicities that have made the arrondissement their home. A microcosm of a nation that has grown so much and overcame so many issues caused by cultural diversity, that a minority is its president. Today, a considerable number of immigrants from Central and South America are settling in the region. began to match the large number of Puerto Ricans who have dominated the area for years. The ebb and flow of East Harlem's diverse ethnic population has had tremendous historical significance and has been the microcosm of a nation forged by many diverse cultures, forming an interesting part of history former New York and Nation.
Immigration to the United States from the 19th century to the early 20th century received a lot of attention, and for good reason. A large mass of immigrants from a myriad of diverse backgrounds came in pursuit of the "American Dream", which to them symbolized democracy, equality, freedom, justice and above all material well-being. We are promised these opportunities directly in the Declaration of Independence, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness", no matter who we are. There is no better testament to this promise than East Harlem.
Industrialization and the establishment of the factory system all over America offered job promises to the poor masses of Europe. Most of the industrialists in America depended on cheap labor from Europe to run factories, with little concern for what would happen to immigrant workers after they arrived. The masses have flooded the market. With industrialization vast changes began in the United States. This would ultimately lead to both positive and serious negative consequences.
The effort of those who worked together, regardless of culture, such as in Harlem, to endure and improve their lives and the lives of their families made America what it is today. 39; hui, the financial epicenter of the world. Whether they work on farms, in factories, build railroads, bridges, towns or cities, their rewards were greater than any nation could ever offer they've had. freedom and all the responsibilities that flow from it. These responsibilities include learning acceptance and understanding, as well as experiencing different cultures and ethnic groups.
During the 1800s Harlem was developing all kinds of transportation projects with the aim of promoting northward expansion. In 1831, the New York and Harlem Railroad Company was incorporated for the purpose of building a railway from the central part of the city leading to Harlem. This encouraged people in southern Manhattan to move north to Harlem. With the erection of the "els", metropolitan development happened extremely quickly, precipitating the construction of apartment buildings and brownstones. All over America, at the same time, famous railways were built. Channels have formed. Much like Harlem, America was developing, growing and integrating from one community to another. This availability of reasonably priced housing and faster transportation enabled the task force to be able to live in East Harlem and travel to their downtown workplaces.
In the West, railway construction projects during this time attracted many workers from Asia. To Harlem, these construction projects also attracted many immigrant hired workers, from many different ethnic cultures, mainly in the 1880s and 1890s. The constant flow of cheap labor from the labor market foreigner fueled the industrial dynamics of the United States and Harlem, and also gave ruthless entrepreneurs a superb opportunity to reap profits from the sweat of the backs of the various minorities who came to seek a fair chance. However in Harlem, like in America, they endured and conquered, and that is what the American spirit is. Endure, work, win and move forward instead of backing down.
In San Francisco, the Chinese worked on the Pacific Railways, living in slums and working for a pittance. In Harlem, the first group to get to work on building America's way to an industrious future were the German and Irish workers who laid the tram tracks and dug the subway tunnels. Due to the cheap rent in East Harlem and its convenient public transportation system, many factory workers from Central and Eastern Europe were able to travel to the sweatshops of lower Manhattan . As a result of this construction, East Harlem has become heavily populated with a hard-working Irish and Italian community.
East Harlem was also one of the main sites of Jewish residences during this time. It was the true melting pot of diversity that the United States is proud of. During the 1920s, East Harlem had a Jewish population of around 177,000, to continue with its German, Irish, and Italian populations, all living together, working to make Harlem, New York, and America a better place. At that time, Harlem was predominantly Jewish, and East Harlem had the largest Jewish section overall. As the population grew, as African Americans and eventually Hispanics began to settle in East Harlem, the borough's Jewish population began to decline.
With their thriving small businesses, the remaining Jewish merchants maintained close ties with the people of East Harlem, thus strengthening the diverse character of East Harlem.
Between 1915 and 1920, hundreds of thousands of African Americans began to migrate to the "economically depressed" rural Harlem south, still recovering from the Civil War 50 years earlier, to the thriving industrial towns of the north. Like all Americans, they wanted to take advantage of urban economic opportunities in steel mills, auto factories, and packing plants. They wanted to be successful and improve their lives. They wanted “the life, the freedom and the pursuit of the happiness” that was promised to them. Thousands of African Americans were moving through the black ghettos of New York City, looking for work everywhere and the way they could get it. As Harlem couldn't accommodate all of the many newcomers, the overwhelming migration of African Americans shifted to East Harlem, around the same time Puerto Ricans began to settle in the country. ;borough. The Roaring Twenties were a time of prosperity for the United States, and East Harlem literally exploded.
Large numbers of southern Italians who arrived in New York City during the last quarter of the 19th century from the regions of Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily also established their communities in East Harlem. In the 1930s, it was the city's largest Italian colony. The Italian community lived mainly around 106th Street, in the area east of Third Avenue to the East River, often housed in single story slums built on the edge of the river. Water because there simply weren't enough housing to house everyone. . They also endured.
Then it happened, it all started to fall apart. The Great Depression took hold and America and its people were in fact broke. The years of the Great Depression took a heavy toll on Italian Americans, especially men who worked in the construction industry, as new construction land stalled across the country . It was difficult to find regular employment, and it was almost impossible to maintain and feed large families. Often, wives then had to take on household chores to keep their families afloat. Even the children were forced to work. Nonetheless, in Harlem there was such a diverse culture that had already had to endure so much hardship, the Great Depression was just another day of fighting to make ends meet. It was this courage, determination and sacrifice that helped save the nascent nation.
In the 1940s, there were still large numbers of unemployed Italians in Harlem, but the economy began to improve in the 1950s, in part thanks to World War II. The nation has started to recover, and better housing and sanitary conditions have also improved for much of East Harlem.
Since the early '90s, the face of East Harlem has continued to change, as it always has, expanding its ethnic reach. With new arrivals from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Central America, and South America, Harlem is once again forging a new and diverse personality. As America has grown and Hollywood has come of age, the Nation sometimes needs a facelift to maintain its appeal and beauty. In East Harlem, with a constant influx of new cultures, this still seems to be the case. Today you will find many immigrants from West Africa, the Caribbean, China and even Turkey, all working and living together, seeking to find that elusive American dream. As long as America is seen as the land of opportunity, the constant ebb and flow of East Harlem's endless ethnic succession will never cease to paint the pages of the rich and eventful history of New York with stories of sacrifice, effort, and hope. Likewise, these are the things that true dreams are made of.
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