Voices from the Heart of Gotham

“[Since COVID started] people just buy their stuff all at once from big businesses like Walmart, BJs, Costco...all at once they didn't feel like going to the corner store crowded with people.”

“Para salir adelante y tener un futuro mejor. ”

“Working at bodegas is not an easy job...a lot of bodega workers got into fights with the customers because either they were asking or requiring customers to wear the mask during the pandemic and they refused to wear them.”

“Since COVID started] we haven’t gotten no support from the government at all other than them sending the board health to check the store.... Other than that, they haven’t done a thing, they haven’t given us no leeway, no money, nothing no help at all.”

“We were having anxieties because [at the bodega] we were exposed to people, you know, the whole time. We were at a high risk of being exposed to the COVID-19 virus, and...the store's income went down and we were not making enough money because of the pandemic.”

“I was of age. It was in the very early 70s. I had already graduated from high school...then they had a draft.... I did not understand why we were we were in Vietnam, why we were dropping bombs on innocent people. Most of us had never heard of Vietnam.... I couldn't in good conscience accept that.”

“Like everyone, [I'm] literally living paycheck to paycheck. If you don't manage your money right, you could be homeless any day. It could be me, you, your teacher, anybody.”

“There are so many people like in Hunter who I've talked to, like, who are first generation. And it's really cool to see, you know, them talk about where they came from, and things like that.”

“It was difficult at the beginning and very psychologically intensive. But, one of the human basic human traits is adaptation and survival.”

“[My Mom left us and] stayed [in the U.S.] for three years, and after three years, she applied for this lottery that's immigration lottery type of thing that they were offering back in the 90s. And she won.... My mom was...the only one here and it gave those immigrants a chance of bringing their whole family over here legally and everything.... After three years, she came back and...we all got our passports, we all got a green card and...we came here. ”

““My mother decided to immigrate to the United States leaving me and my siblings behind which it was painful for her and for us, but we understood that it was for a better future.””

“I have attended the [protests] where s**t got very intense and a lot of people were hurt, harmed... a lot of stuff went down there”

“I am Latina, Mexican-American...growing up, based on the personal encounters with the police I’ve always felt intimated; Sort of scared. I always have to watch what I said or how I say it.”

“People can talk however they want in their native tongue. And that's just a right. I think it's just not good or fair to critique someone for not being able to speak the main language in a country. ”

“I think that the best part about New York [is] that we're so diverse and you can meet people from all over the world and learn from them. So, I think that's one of the best, if not the best quality of New York City.”

“I think that aside from not having work for a little bit, or having to do schooling online, I've adapted to this new lifestyle that were in very well and it's really helped me have a better insight on who I am, and how resilient I am...it has helped me grow.”

“You never know if anyone is [going to] come in here and rob you. You know, you got a lot of mental illness people on the streets, so I'd rather not jeopardize myself or the workers.”

“I left because I wanted a better life. The hardship back home was too much. I need to change something to help my family back home.”

“It happens so consistently, and it's so exposed in the media that like, I feel that people have been desensitized to black pain and black experiences. ”

“This is year is 2022, right? I can't find a good reason or excuse why there is not true equality.”

“I attended what was called the Pray, March, Act protests. It was led by over 100 pastors from New York City. And we moved from Carroll Gardens all the way to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. That was our route. And the purpose of that protest was for pastors to stand together with those of black skin color, recognizing that this cannot continue.”

“I can talk about countless times where [cops] violated my rights as a young man...before even getting into high school. I would be profiled by police, and...harassed: 'Hey, where are you going?' 'What are you doing?' 'Where are you coming from?' And you know, as a young kid, you think you have to answer these things when you don't.”

“Before the pandemic mostly me and my father used to go at it but during the pandemic, he got sick, you know things happened, I started realizing more like you take things for granted. I realize how much I really do care about my parents. I learned how much they care about us, for me and my siblings. ”

“Another thing that's been on my mind lately...is how many places have begun to legalize marijuana, but all the people who are locked up because of that continue to just like, be stuck in jail, really?... I feel like many African Americans are wrongly incriminated; They don't get a fair shot when they're on trial which is just sad to say. ”

“I think every New Yorker kind of has that same personality...no matter how nice you are, 'don't step over me because I'm not...a punk.'”

“Growth is very important, especially in a time like quarantining and the pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter movement, and all of these really important events that are happening”

“I think racism is something that's taught. I don't really think people born with hate in their heart.”

“There are so many beautiful things I have to unlearn, what society tells me about who I am, and just [explore] all the resilience and the Black joy that is out there. ”

“¡Exactamente! De eso se trata, de hacer las protestas para impedir que la gente sea expulsada a la calle con sus familias, por falta de pago de renta.”

“I've had multiple encounters over the years with the NYPD where like my heart's racing, because I was like, 'Oh, shit. Oh, shit.' Yeah, like, 'What's gonna happen?' 'What could possibly happen?' 'Yeah, you know, so, you know, there's this, there's this fear.' ”

“What was positive is that I started working out and I gained a couple of pounds. I gained a whole lot of pounds that I was always trying to gain by staying home.... I realized that I appreciate everything around me more. ”

“I think that the peaceful [BLM] protesters were attacked a lot more physically and emotionally in the media, and Trump supporters were just kind of empathized with a lot more. But I think, again, that goes back to race in this country, and how pervasive it is.”

“At any given time, you can experience racism at any given time, and you can be profiled, and it's a real thing. ”

“I [work] in urgent care.... Ninety-nine percent of those patients are for COVID tests, and it's gotten very stressful.... Some patients get rowdy.... We're just trying our best to make everyone happy.”

“It's really difficult to get citizenship here.... The first time we applied we had to wait for months before getting a response and it cost a lot of money.... We're not allowed to go anywhere because if we went anywhere it's no guarantee that we can come back in the country”

“I expected the typical American Dream that every little child is told when they're moving to America. I expected to be embraced and for everyone to be different, but still accepted.”

“I’ve been called ISIS, Osama, and a terrorist. Middle schoolers are not nice, and they forget that people come in all variations”

“I had COVID-19. I was in a hospital in a rehabilitation place for a total of five months. I personally almost died three times. And after the last rehabilitation place to rehab me, I had to learn how to walk again.”

“It’s been insane. I feel like I'm going crazy...because I can't go outside.'”

“It wasn't just a march. It's literally people coming together and sharing their stories on the shit that they went through when it comes to injustice, police force, and everything.”

“What we have to do is recognize that we have more in common than we have a part, and try to assist each other the best that we know-how.”

“The positive impact of COVID.... You're in the house by yourself; You have no other choice, but to look at yourself.... COVID forces you to stand still.”

“Le problème, c'est que la société Américaine a commençaient à associer le mal à tout ce qui n'est pas Blanc, tout ce qui est Noir-Américain, c’est ça qui résume un peu le noyau de ce problème.”

“La comida dominicana me hace ser quien soy hoy en día porque es la que más me gusta y la que me representa...”

“Las comida en casa es más saludable que la comida en la calle”

“Uno se siente muy bien porque uno quiere que le guste su comida, pero cada país o cada cultura le gusta comer su comida”

“En nuestro país está [la comida] ahí mismo lo produce la tierra, no tiene químico...”

“Ojalá que esto lo puedan seguir continuando y que las tradiciones de nosotros los mexicanos pues no se terminen, que continuen”

“They say what you eat is who you are. So I feel like if I eat healthy, I’m going to be a healthy person and if I eat junk food, I’m going to be an unhealthy person”

“Cuando tu llegas aquí tienes muchas oportunidades. Depende si tu quieres cogerlas o rechazarlas.”

“If you live near a place that sells just fresh foods it’s gonna change the way you eat; It's gonna change what kind of food you put in your body.”

“Dominican food is really rich, so anything Dominican kind of reminds me of home.”

“Anytime I eat it’s just like home, you know this is where I’m supposed to be.”

“I sometimes go to school without eating, come back without knowing what to eat, just drink water and go back to school. But still go to school and do well so we can get out of poverty.”

“At Thanksgiving We all together, we all together eating turkey.”

“Eating well' means...you’re gathered with your family and everybody enjoys the food and everybody gets full and have a great time.”

“When I do my own cooking, it is healthier because I see and know what exactly what is put into my meal.”

“ If you go by the rules and regulations in this country you have no reason why you cannot be a resident or a citizen of the United States.”

“It brings back memory when we used to cook with mom and dad and my oldest sister, we used to make meatballs with pasta and noodles.”

“I would eat with Michelle Obama, and we would eat some snow crab legs with shrimp, because it's hilarious and I've watched too many ASMR videos. So, I can just picture Michelle Obama and me doing that, and also, it’s a good way to break the ice.”

“Growing up I was raised by a single mother and we didn’t have it like that. So anytime I had the opportunity to eat a fresh home cooked meal I didn’t take it for granted.”

“I would eat with my mother because I haven't seen her since like I was like twelve. I would eat with her because I have questions that never got answered.”

“Eating well means eating healthy, but it also means not spending a lot of money on the food. ”

“There was a Civil War in El Salvador and that’s why I left.””

“I used to think I faced real hunger since there are times in my life where I've felt hungry and I had to wait a long time to eat. But now, when I think about it, it's not real.... Real hunger some people in the world face, where they go two or three days without eating, I've never gone through that”

“I have to make money to pay for everything here and still have to send money to make sure [my family in El Salvador] have food for the rest of the week or month.”

“The sauces and the salsa the citrusy taste of it for me, it’s the best thing I could ever eat.”

“We couldn't talk to anybody. We were always indoors; couldn't go to the party, you couldn't go anywhere.... My parents were scared because of the immigration status.”

“Aquí hay todo tipo de sinsabores... aguantar humillaciones. En los trabajos te discriminan por no hablar inglés.”

“[My teacher] said, 'What's the matter with you stupid? Don't you understand English?' I said, 'No.' So she said, 'You don't understand English?' I said 'no.' She hugged me, you know. And she said she was sorry she didn’t know.”

“The whole year overall, it was just like an ongoing movie. And every month felt like it was four years in one. Every situation was just like, “How could this happen?” No one believed this would happen, [but] it happened; New York City on shutdown, the world on shutdown.”

“I think it’s interesting how you, as an officer can look at a protest saying 'stop killing black people' and think that that’s a personal attack on you.”

“When you get amongst these protesters...and you get amongst your peers, you really see that you’re not the only one that’s been encountering these things; You’re not the only one who feels as though you’re being harassed by police just because of the color of your skin or because of where you’re from, or how you dress, or where you live, or how you carry yourself.”

“I've always had a hard time with my identity because I don't really fit in wherever I go...”

“There's times when I go play ball with my friends. We sit down and the cops would come and stop us, thinking we're doing drugs even though you're [just] hanging out with friends trying to hoop”

“I was a troublemaker in school and in those days the United States had invaded the Dominican Republic. My father thought that it would be better for me to be here.”

“At that time America was on top and everybody used to love America so much, that all the time I would hear about USA, USA. So I decided to come here.”

“For me it was really hard because there wasn’t much opportunity because I didn’t speak English.... The way that I communicated with people was either in Portuguese or I wrote down on a piece of paper what I wanted to ask.”

“I went to a [BLM] protest in Union Square... [but] actually haven't been to a lot of them because my mother has an autoimmune disorder. If she gets COVID-19, it's not good.”

“The problem is that it never gets addressed... Police officer [Derek Chauvin was] looking at the camera, people are yelling, 'You're killing him!' and he keeps his knee on the neck of a black man and kills him.”

“Some people are just too, 'This is a system that works....' It['s] an eviction tsunami that we're facing...hundreds of thousands of people who have died because of the pandemic.... Violent repression out on the streets.... Billionaires getting richer as more and more people file for unemployment. It's very disheartening.”

“I miss the judgement-free enviorment where I wasn't judged or violated for who I am.”

“I remember on Columbus Avenue between 100st to 96st they used to have a sign and the sign says “No Blacks, No Puerto Ricans, and No Pets.””

““My father couldn’t understand my enthusiasm for civil rights, but I was shaped by my experiences.” ”

““Racism here in New York is blatant and dangerous. I saw a lot of my dreams burned to dust.””

““Cuando yo me vine [de México] para Los Estados Unidos no sabía yo leer ni escribir…..Una señora que es dominicana que trabaja conmigo me dijo ‘tu puedes aprender leer en un periódico yo te voy a enseñar’ … allí en el periódico aprendí a leer.” ”

“When I first got to Harlem, my little heart smiled being a Westchester girl because I [never before had] found myself…being surrounded by all black people”

“En algún momento, todos los que vivimos fuera de nuestra patria sentimos una inmensa nostalgia... por lo que hemos dejado atrás”

“We immigrants work very hard...if we want to be prosperous we have to work hard.”

“Society as a whole should take action and come together.... We need to see how we can help undocumented immigrants ”

“Yo cambiaría para mucha gente en este país de hacer una ley de inmigracion, darle la oportunidad a mucha gente que en verdad es trabajadora.”

“la parte más difícil… creo que haber dejado mi casa allá, mi casa de toda la vida... Mis amigos, mi trabajo, y todo, todo lo que era una vida.”

“If I could pick anyone [to eat a meal with], it would be my uncle.... My uncle is dead, but I still would pick him...and we would eat grill cheese because it was his favorite things to eat.”

“The US was not everything that I expected. I arrived with the thought that it was easy to earn a lot of money. People back home would tell me that you could find money in the streets in the United States”

“I am protesting as much as I can even though I am scared, even though I am not a protester at heart. I am a scientist. I do it because I believe that's a powerful way of getting action”

“I think that we’re just tired and it’s time to really create change and not just say--say it and it to be a trending topic, but for real change to happen in all different types of systems, health systems, police systems, political...”

““En este país se puede triunfar, se puede hacer cosas que en mi país no lo hay.””

“Not having legal status, there were not many opportunities for me.... They told me made me just stay under radar, you know? So I didn’t see any opportunities.”

“I thought in this country it was very easy to get money and everything was easy. Until I started living here, I noticed everything was hard for an immigrant coming to a new country like this.”

“You can’t judge at people by the way they look. You got to talk to people like you know, you find other things that you’re missing.”

“Al principio no es fácil, pero si tú quieres lograr muchas cosas buenas, tienes que adaptarte al idioma...Si, es un poco difícil pero hay que hacerlo.”

“All my minority people. I ride for you, you ride for me.”

“Unfortunately the president does nothing but inflames racial tension.”

“Solo tendría un pedazo de plástico de bolsa de basura para descansar... Pero aun así me sentía con ánimo porque estaba a Nueva York y salí adelante. ”

“Creo que es un sueño más grande al tener su casa, su familia, y eso sinceramente nos da los Estados Unidos, oportunidades que en nuestro país sinceramente no podemos llegar a tener.”

“I love New York! It’s a fast pace, you know like, just everyone’s alive...”

“Le agradezco mucho a este país, hoy mis hijos están en la universidad, son dos adolescentes ejemplares.”

“Nosotros lo dominicano hacemos de todo. Arroz, habichuelas, carne, mangú, sancocho, asopao.... Somo expertos en todo, pero la tradición es arroz, habichuelas, y carne... y el aguacate que no se queda!”

“Poco a poco se fueron dando las cosas en que iba conociendo en esta ciudad… Iba conociendo las oportunidades, lo que uno tiene para salir adelante y pues hasta el día de hoy, me encanta esta ciudad.”

“Police need to change how they handle us minorities, us Hispanics, us Black people, us Mexicans... we need to be treated the same, equally. That's what needs to be changed”

“I kinda have stay here. I'm under the green card so if I leave the territory for more than six months during a year I lose my green card and I cannot come back here I cannot come back.”

“Its conversation between two people that are humans, it is just that one has a badge...”

“You couldn't go to a certain place, because it was a white neighborhood.”