Day 7–Lower East Side Neighborhoods

“If you have to announce who you are, you don’t exist”–Ed O’Donnell, speaking of areas of New York City remaining tourist stops representing neighborhoods that don’t exist there anymore.

Ed made a very salient point about this when he was explaining to our group that one of the major goals of people coming to a neighborhood that was initially attractive to them because they were comfortable with the familiar pieces of its culture–language, food, lifestyles, social mores, etc.–was, as a general goal (particularly among the young people) to GET OUT of there, and possibly better themselves.  This is interesting contrast to to our country now, where no apparent stigma exists with not just staying in your neighborhood, but not even leaving the house you were raised in.  Some people go so far as to make this a lifestyle strategy that never really ends (Whether this is grounded in practicality or shameless immaturity is probably best assessed on a case-by-case basis–especially when the person in question is you!).  Unfortunately, There are many places throughout the United States–and the world–whose tourism is predicacated on propping up ways of life by certain people that do not exist in any way, shape or form anymore.  Why does this go on?  Possibly some romantic belief that things in the past were so much better–and definitely safer (New York City 30 years ago with Abe Beame as mayor?–I mean, are you kidding me?; or Richard Daley Sr. in Chicago–really?).  I would not discount a certain amount of subtle elitism or racism in the equation, either, which, of course, nobody is willing to admit–even to themselves.  I think one of the most valuable and important lessons of the Tenement Museum is that in our somewhat recent past, life was very hard.  Life was also unsafe, unhealthy, and amazingly unfair.  New arrivals to America went to incredible lengths just meet their basic needs.  Different ethnic groups lived in very close proximity to one another–almost on top of one another–with a tolerance tempered by the possibility of a hair-trigger explosion of violence at any time, or working conditions that could cause serious injury or death with virtually no recourse or compensation.  The Museum’s excellent recreations of tenement life attest to the desparate nature of this existence.  Personally, two of myPeace Corps living situations in developing countries looked better than those apartments depicted.  People nowadays would have a very hard time living in those conditions.

Ed O’Donnell also talked a little about the Triangle Shirt Factory fire of 1911.  We do discuss this in our third grades since we have a collection of DVDs in the American Girl History Series that speak of a main character growing up amid these events (yeah, I know—you’re saying, “YOU use the American Girl Series?”; let me tell you–first of all, these are great, interesting  movies that ALL the students like, AND, when you work with as many as three other female teachers at the same grade level, it is important to keep a respectful openmindedness).  Ed further said that that the locked doors on the outside caused many to be trapped and perish in the blaze. This led to the requirement of doors that can be quickly opened from the inside (the “pushbar”–which leads to a great discussion in class as the need for this can be easily demonstrated), as well as indoor sprinklers and fire escapes.  The Coconut Grove fire in Boston may also have brought about some of these regulatory devices.

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