Pursuit by Encounters Magazine

ENCOUNTERS MAGAZINE PRESENTS

PURSUIT

BARUCH COLLEG Eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ARTS & LITERARY MAGAZINE

LETTER TO THE READER

What is a whole but the sum of its parts? What is a nation but a home for its people? What is America but a land of and for immigrants? It is often easy to dismiss an obvious truth, as is the case of the history of the United States of America—a nation birthed by immigrants that has frequently closed its doors to those who seek this country’s promise—the American Dream. As you delve into each piece, I hope these stories can serve as a microcosm of what occurs every day from coast to coast. While these stories may not represent every immigrant’s story, they illustratewhat immigrants are capable of achieving, for themselves and for this nation. All who enter the U.S. do so for the same reason, the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness—whether that pursuit takes the form of achieving economic mobility, attaining higher education, or seeking asylum from one’s politically unstable home. I want to sincerely thank my executive board for all their hard work. Thank you Rewan Abbas, Cindy Chau, Hannah Lee, Samantha Salanga, and Sally Xie. Let this be our first publication of many and I wish you all the best of luck in your newfound positions. I extend my thanks to you, Reader, whom we do this for. May you enjoy this as much as we worked on it. David Betancur

E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, we are one.

hg There is no America without immigrants—without the arrival of Europeans in the 1600s, the wave of African and indiginous slaves from across the Americas, the migration of Chinese workers during the Gold Rush, the arrival of Latinx populations from the Caribbean Islands and Latin America.

These are the many faces of this nation. Whether they are presented as its face or not, these are the many identities that have created this country. There is one history in America—a history that continues to grow with the immigrants whose struggles become America’s struggles and whose stories become America’s stories. One nation, with its foot dipped in hundreds of cultures, histories, and stories, its background is rooted in the truths of century old divisions, victories, and shortcomings.

Written by Katherine Hernández Edited by Hannah Lee 4

A Brief History of U.S. Immigration Written by Marina Toplyn Edited by Katherine Hernández & Hannah Lee

Before the Europeans arrived, the Native Americans inhabited the United States. His-

tory tends to remember their relationship as mutually beneficial, but the fact is that Christopher Columbus enslaved and raped the Natives and the first Eurpoean settlers continued to inhabit stolen land. In the journal by Alden T. Vaughan, he gives the quote from the Powhatan Chief, “Your coming is not for trade, but to invade my people and possess my country.”

As time went on, the European settlers decided the law of the land, they refused to

grant non-white residents protections under citizenship, despite one fifth of the population being of African descent—keeping the power of majority for the Anglo-Saxon population. At the start of the 1800s, a wave of Irish and German immigrants soon crashed over the U.S. Anti-immigrant sentiments began to rise and the Irish and German immigrants faced an array of discrimination, based solely on their non Anglo-Saxon heritage. Shortly after their mass arrival, the first anti-immigrant political party was created—the Know-Nothing Party.

With the second immigration boom in the late 1880s, the Chinese Exclusion Act was

passed, which forbade anymore Chinese immigrants from entering the United States—the first restriction on a specific group. Despite their contributions in the gold mines, garment factories,

1800s

the Know-Nothing Party The first anti-immigration political party after a wave of Irish & German immigrants

1880s

The Chinese Exclusion Act The first restriction on a certain group

railroads, and agricultural departments, anti-Chinese sentiment grew with their success at work. And even though they occupied .002% of the U.S. population, the Chinese immigrants were largely blamed for low wages. Eventually, the Exclusion Act finally

1892 Ellis Island

The first immigrant station in the United States — a new symbol of welcoming hope

ended with the signing of the McCarran-Walter Act in 1952. In 1892, Ellis Island opened as the first immigrant station in the United States—a new symbol of welcoming hope—and by 1910, three quarters of New York City’s population was made up of new immigrants and first generation Americans. Unfortunately, there was a rise in xenophobia with the start of World War I, and with that came literacy requirements and a ban on immigration from most Asian countries. Immigration exclusion became harsher with quotas based on ethnicity, and 70% of visas were given to those from Great Britain, Ire-

1910 Three-Quarters of New York City’s population was made up of new immigrants and first generation Americans

1914 Rise of Xenophobia with the start of World War I. Came with literacy requirements & a ban on immigration from most Asian countries

land, and Germany.

However, in 1965, President Lyndon B.

Johnson had an upheaval of the immigration system calling it “un-American” by replacing the quota system with a seven-point category system which shifted the focus to topics such as family reunification or those with special skill sets. Then over two decades later, President Ronald Reagan would go on to sign the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, granting amnesty to over 3 million immigrants living illegally in the U.S.

As for our modern day, the Development

Relief and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was presented by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin

1952

McCarran-Walter Act The end of the exclusion act

1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson had an upheavel of the immigration system by replacing the quota system which focuses such as family reunification or those with special skill sets

2012

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

President Obama signed DACA to temporarily shield some Dreamers from deportation. Does not include a path towards citzenship.

2017

Donald Trump issued two executive orders to ban travel immigration from six majority Muslim countries: Chad, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia (as well as North Korea and Venezeula) (D.) and Orrin Hatch (R.) to provide a pathway to legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to U.S. by their parents as kids. While this bill did not pass, President Barack Obama signed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to temporarily shield some Dreamers from deportation. However, this act does not include a path towards citizenship. And just two years ago, Donald Trump issued two executive orders to ban travel immigration from six majority Muslim countries (Chad, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia) as well as North Korea and Venezuela.

Despite a history not only seeped in immigration, but founded upon it, tensions

and anti-immigration sentiments are high as ever. There is a division in this country and the divide is created by the illusion that there are those that belong in the U.S. and those that do not. This is untrue; the United States was made into the country it is today thanks to the invaluable efforts by those brave enough to immigrate to a new land seeking a better life. And who better to entrust the future of this country than to those are willing to seek and work towards a brighter future.

Fabiola Torres

FABIOLA TORRES is the owner of Caritas Felices, a daycare in Ozone Park, NY that is celebrating its 15th year in operation. Within these 15 years, she has cared for over 150 children, many of whom she has raised since they were only a few months old. Fabiola is now looking forward to her new partnership with the New York City Department of Education as one of the first daycares in the entire city offering 3-K, a program providing free care and education for three-year-old children. This was not the future that Fabiola, affectionately called Faby, envisioned for herself thirty years ago. As a single mother living in Cali, Colombia in the 1980’s, Faby made the only decision that she believes she could have made: she packed her bags and took her threeyear-old son, Danny, on a transcontinental caravan journey. After weeks of sharing one bed with unfamiliar faces, hiding her son from authorities, and getting all her clothing stolen, Faby and Danny arrived in New York City. ‘Together forever’ were the words that Faby clung on to when she carried her son across borders. It was those two words that fueled her drive and her tears every night, when she took the only job available—a nanny for a wealthy family in upstate New York. She was unable to see her son for weeks at a time and left him in the care of her mother.

By David Betancur

During her first months as a nanny, Faby grew close to the family as they grew fond of her. They generously offered Faby all the resources at their disposal to help her on a journey that she had not considered—attaining her citizenship. After three years, a timeframe which is now a fantasy for those currently in these shoes, Fabiola began her life as a US citizen. As a naturalized US citizen, Fabiola’s employment options had broadened. She began to find any jobs that would let her stay close to her son. Faby would sell beauty products, work as a bus girl, clean Susan Shacter’s office, and wait Nixon’s Wtable at the Metropolitan Club. While constantly working and raising Danny on her own, Fabiola managed to rekindle her love life again. After being abandoned by her own father, then left by Danny’s, this was an important step for Faby. During her shifts as a waitress she would befriend a man called Norberto. Fabiola and Norberto married and had a child named Michael. Fabiola, exhausted of her work realized that she didn’t want to be waiting tables at the age of 60. This led to her decision to pursue a GED. Faby graduated from Queens College with her Bachelors in Arts, where she refused to walk across the stage. As a woman pregnant with her third child, taking her second son to daycare, putting her first son through high school,

and caring for her epileptic brother, Fabiola was still struggling to make ends meet—even as the supervisor for Queens College’s Department of Latin American Studies. She did not have the time nor the money to afford a cap and gown and spend an unnecessary day away from home or work. Within a month of her graduation, Faby started assisting in a school around her new hometown of Jackson Heights. Within one year of her graduation, Faby quit. She grew tired of her new day to day of being told that toddlers were too young to learn. After some very difficult four years of unemployment, planning, convincing, and recurring tides of uncertainty, Fabiola and Norberto bought a house in Ozone Park, where Faby would base her home and her headquarters. Now with plans of expanding her business, Faby regularly consults all her children. Danny, who is a managing aviation engineer for Emirates and who sees Norberto as his one and only father, raises his own family in Howard Beach. Michael, a US Marine studying Finance, and her youngest son, David, are constantly and immensely grateful for all that their parents have done for them. As Fabiola says, “You should always try to reach the highest leaf in the tree, even if you fall to the ground. It’s about stretching out for the best that you can attain.”

WE ARE WORKERS

By David Betancur

WE ARE WORKERS

Abdoulaye Diallo Story & Photography By David Betancur

Abdoulaye spent four years in his birth city of Labé, Guinea. In that short time, he had grown close to the animals on his family’s farm and had grown fond of this new world that he was born in to. Yet, his parents made the difficult decision that so many people make; to provide a better life for my family, we must leave what we know behind and start anew. Abdoulaye and his parents began their journey by heading to Paris, France — where they waited to get their papers in order before heading to the US. After arriving in New York, Abdoulaye began to work for the better life that his parents promised when they left Guinea. He is pictured above in Columbia University where he is currently majoring in Mathematics.

What do immigrants do for this country, good or bad? I think the biggest thing they do is bring perspective and a set of diversity — whether that’s skills or their beliefs or their way of thinking. I’ve met people who used to be engineers in their countries and they come to the US knowing that their degrees and their skill sets will be deemed not as useful or not as worthy. They have to restart from first base. It’s typically harder for someone who is already much older; they shift that burden to their children and then their kids can actually get an education and do what their parents could not do here.

WE ARE STUDENTS

Onika George Story & Photography By David Betancur

Onika came from Guyana just a few years ago. where she spent most of her life swimming for her country’s national division. After competing internationally in French Guinea and Qatar, Onika decided to move to the United States under a student visa. She now is now pursuing her major in actuarial science at Baruch College. She is pictured above in her new home in the Upper East Side, where she lives with her two younger sisters.

What would you say to people who say that immigrants are lazy? That is completely false. Let’s picture America having no immigrants… it would be hell. People would run crazy. There are some people who are not as fortunate as I am and they have to work three-four jobs

just to make it. Especially those who don’t have their documents in order, they can only take what they get and sometimes that’s below minimum wage. That doesn’t mean that they’re lazy, they’re gridinging, they’re trying to make something for themselves. That is a completely false statement. I hate that statement because if anything, we are much more hard working. We aren’t belittling citizens. It’s just that when you come into someone else’s country you have to work harder. You’re trying to make a name for yourself and you have to work three times harder Especially for me. Since I’m not a citizen I need to work three times harder for a company to say, ‘Okay, there is nobody else here in America so we’ll take a gamble on you.’ You have to be on your A game. We are constantly working hard.

WE ARE STUDENTS

If you are...

approached by ICE/police... by Hannah Lee •

When there is a knock at your door do not open the door immediately for anyone. Immigration and police officers must have a signed warrant from a judge to enter your home. A warrant signed by the Department of Homeland Security does not give them the right to enter your home.

•

If stopped in a car, only provide your driver’s license if asked by an officer. For proof of insurance and car registration, again, only provide if asked.

•

Everyone has the right to remain silent. Remember that anything you say can be used against you.

•

Do not give fake documents or someone else’s documents. That is a crime and grounds for arrest that can lead to criminal charges and deportation.

•

Do not run away. Try to remain calm instead as running away gives immigration and police officers a reason to arrest you. Take notes and photos about the raid so. Afterwards, report the raid to United We Dream at their Migrawatch Hotline at:

1-844-363-1423. • Do not sign any forms that you don’t understand as these could be forms that sign away your rights or options to fight your case later. Ask for an attorney before signing anything.

If a family member/friend/loved one is...

approached by ICE/police... • Locate them through ICE’s detainee website. Do not give any information other than your relationship to the detainee. Anything else said can be used against them so only speak to a lawyer. There are pro-bono law practices available to help. If taken by the police, you can call jails and correctional facilities in your area. Find out if your loved one can be released for a bond, which is similar to bail in the criminal system. Depending on individual circumstances, a judge may allow a bond to release them from custody. For all these tips in other languages visit:

https://www.nyic.org/know-your-rights-community-toolkit/ 13

FAKE WARRANT

REAL WARRANT

AUGUSTO WRITTEN BY KENNY FREMER

FEW PHOTOGRAPHERS have been able to shoot with international superstar and model Pablo Vittar, or with comedian Julio Torres. Even fewer artists are able to create work that is highfashion and original less than a year after finishing college, while also navigating the United States’ notoriously restrictive visa program thousands of miles from a home country engulfed in political turmoil. Augusto Silva Alliegro is a New York City-based photographer from Caracas, Venezuela. Augusto’s work, focused largely on portraiture, has appeared in publications such as V Magazine, V Man, and Vogue Italia. Despite his success as a photographer straight out of undergraduate school at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Alliegro is constantly expected to prove himself due to the overly-complicated visa process and high expectations placed on immigrants in the United States. Alliegro also has to cope with missing Caracas, where he lived in a two-tower complex with most of his family before moving to the United States. It’s difficult to stay tuned out of the political climate that is affecting his family. “In 2014, I would be out every single day breathing tear gas and fighting against the government ... I was even grabbed one day, and they wanted to take me to jail. And my mom had to punch the guard. And we had to run,” explains Alliegro. During the Venezuelan blackouts in March and April earlier this year, which resulted in 96% of Venezuela’s infrastructure shutting down, he was unable to contact his family and was unsure if they even had food, or were safe. “If I go back home, I'm not going to be able to leave again,” he notes. Still, Augusto has landed crucial internships working with artists like Ryan McGinley and Steven Klein, two of the world’s most distinguished fashion and portrait photographers. Like most freelance artists, though, he still has trouble finding good work that pays. “I send at least 15 to 20 emails every day, to get one response every week,” he explains. Now, he has one year to submit proof of work in 20 publications, or his visa may not be approved - a requirement he wasn’t even aware of until speaking with a lawyer. “I'm in this really weird state where I'm producing work that I love, I am living in the city that I love, but I don't know where I'm going to be in a few months.” Despite the stacked odds he continues to face as an immigrant to the United States, Alliegro is defined by the quality of his work. His photography has elevated and accentuated the diverse subjects in front of his lens, who are mostly people of color and LGBTQ individuals. He takes advantage of sets with artificial lighting, as well as unconventional visual cues like garish colors and stark exposures to create distinct, stylish visuals. Above all, he wants to highlight anything that makes an individual who they are. “Who the f**k cares about where they are? They look beautiful. And that's what matters.”

W E A R E C R E AT I V E S

By David Betancur

WE ARE THE

FUTURE * Written by Rewan Abbas Photography by Rewan Abbas

WE ARE THE FUTURE

Abby Jim * Since she started elementary school, a predominantly caucasian school, Abby knew she was different. Being both Chinese and Ecuadorian made her stand out,

Chinese & Ecuadorian Wearing Qipao

but she quickly learned that she was never

High school was

meant to be like the rest. Growing up with

completely different,

such different customs in one house, she is

everyone was either an

never shocked by any new cultures. She is pictured here in a traditional qipao brought

immigrant or children

over as a gift from China by her aunt.

of immigrants, it was

Qipaos are commonly worn for festivities such as Chinese New Year and Mooncake

really cool

festival.

WE ARE THE FUTURE

Yaw

Brobey

* Ghanian

Yaw is pictured here wearing a kente,

Wearing Kente

casual wear from Ghana. Growing up

I remember hearing people speak Twi on the bus... I know what yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all sayinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

the Bronx, he never felt different for

in a heavily Ghanian neighborhood in embracing his culture. Support from his community and Ghanian church made him feel comfortable in his identity and accepting of all the diverse people he meets in New York City.

WE ARE THE FUTURE

Paola

Becerra

* Paola is the daughter of two Mexican immigrants and the first of three children. She held a lot of responsibility from a young age and not only took care of herself, but acted as a role model for her two younger sisters. During her teenage years, Paola struggled between her parents’ Catholic ideals and her Americanized lifestyle. Moving to New York City and gaining her independence has

Mexican Wearing Traditional Dress

You’re not really Mexican, you’re too pretty to be Mexican

helped her be her true self and strengthen her relationship with her family. She is pictured in a traditional indigenous dress. She, like most Mexican girls, got her first dress around Christmas time in kindergarten for a performance. This style of dress is worn for dances, parades, and church events.

WE ARE THE FUTURE

HOME Ayse Kelce

Do you know anyone in New York? No. What if there is an emergency? I will take care of it. Have you ever been there? No. What if you don’t like it? I will. How do you know? I don’t, but I will. Aren’ t you afraid? I came to New York City alone, at the age of 17. All I knew that I was going to write, I was supposed to like it here, nobody was going to hold my hand in case I fell. I was born in Istanbul, the city that witnessed all my tears, my struggles, fears. My first step, my first kiss.

It has been a year, since I came to New York. It was not easy, but I never thought it would be. Everything I thought I left in Istanbul, now I have here. Nothing is the same once you start a whole new chapter. I have two rooms, two metro cards, two phone numbers, two favorite bookstores, two lives... Everything is doubled, but nothing is full. I miss Istanbul when I am in New York, I miss New York when I am in Istanbul.

Now I every time I go I leave home to go home.

Mama told me it is okay, if I wanted to come back. Dreams can change, you can change, she said. It doesn’t mean you failed, if you come home, she said. I’m sorry mama, I’m not coming back.

RESOURCES Hotlines for those impacted by ICE raids

New Americans Hotline for immigration questions or for those impacted by ICE raids

HOTLINES

1-800-566-7636 United We Dream Report ICE:

844-363-1423 Locate someone detained by ICE go to: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/ However it cannot find people under the age of 18

CUNY Citizenship Now

LEGAL HELP

160 Convent Ave. North Academic Center, Room 1-206 New York, NY 10031 for CUNY students DACA

212-650-6620 http://www.cuny.edu/citizenshipnow Database for Any State

National Immigration Project https://www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/find.html

Legal Aid Society 199 Water St New York, NY 10038 IN NYC 844-955-3425 http://www.legal-aid.org/en/home.aspx Languages: Bengali, Cantonese Chinese, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Spanish There are also interpreting services available

Immigrant Defense Project for Criminal or Legal Assistance

212-725-6422 https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/about/contact/

Action NYC Call for an appointment MON-FRI | 9am-6pm

800-354-0365 or call 311 and say â&#x20AC;&#x153;ActionNYCâ&#x20AC;? All languages available for interpretation

Minkwon Center 136-19 41st Avenue, 3rd Floor Flushing, NY 11355

718-460-5600 http://minkwon.org/who-we-are/contact/ East Asian language speakers

African Communities Together 127 West 127th Street, Suite 221 New York, NY 10027

(347) 746-2281 http://www.africans.us/contact_act

For a more detailed tips and plans in other languages go to https://www.ilrc.org/know-your-rights-and-what-immigrant-families-should-do-now

n by Hannah Lee

CREDITS Rewan Abbas David Betancur

WRITING

Kenny Fremer Katherine Hernรกndez Navish Javed Ayse Kelse Hannah Lee

Rewan Abbas David Betancur

DESIGN

VISUAL

Mitchell Kim Samantha Salanga Steven Sanchez

Since its inception in 1993, Encounters Magazine has set the standard for creative excellence within Baruch College. Operating in a business-oriented environment, Encounters showcases and empowers the extraordinary talent with Baruch through its main print publication, released once each semester. From its origins as a literary print journal, Encounters now also hosts events, produces creative content, and releases mini publications, all with the intent to support the talented creators that thrive within its walls.

Encounters Magazine is a proud ambassador for Adobe Creative Suite. This publicationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s content and layout was created and edited using Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Indesign.

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