5.26.2013
5.10.2013
Controversy over the building of a mosque near Ground Zero...
“This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are.” President Obama, August 2010
12.03.2012
For New Yorkers, buildings are also symbols! By Marie de Langlade
For New Yorkers, buildings are not just useful,
they are passed on from generation to generation and are therefore part of
their cultural heritage; as such, they have symbolic significance.
Thanks to New York Historic Preservation
(financed by public and private investors), older buildings, landscapes and
objects with cultural significance (such as the 32-foot long boat discovered in
2010 during the rehabilitation of Ground Zero) (Wikipedia),
are preserved in a way "that allows them to communicate meaningfully
about past practices, events and people".
Architectural icons such as the Brooklyn
Bridge, the Empire State Building or the Guggenheim play a cultural role. The
first stands for optimism and the ability to control technology; the Empire
State Building (which was the tallest building in the world until 1972) made
the Big Apple's inhabitants very proud of their city and it is now visited for
romantic meetings… (Wikipedia) As for
the fashionably named "Gugg", this New York landmark, hosting some of
the most famous art collections, is a star itself because of its Modernist
style. Welcoming all types of people (happy or grumpy ones!), it seems that
nobody can wait to discover the museum. It is a symbol of progress and
innovation; this is also expressed by the guides who actually talk about
progress with people of all ages at each turn of the spiral that makes up the
inside of the building. This is quite an interesting experience that shows how
New Yorkers feel about their cultural heritage and their willingness to share
their civic pride with the millions of visitors each year! (NYC museum-a-thon)
From an historical point of view, the Statue of
Liberty remains the most famous piece of NYC cultural heritage. Indeed, this monument
was the first thing immigrants saw when arriving in America, full of hope. It
is still seen as a symbol of freedom from oppression and tyranny by immigrants,
New Yorkers and Americans generally. The Statue is about what they
fought for, many years ago. Nowadays, it has also become a popular icon
featured in movies, books, posters, etc. (unesco.org)(NYC
architecture.com)
Great new buildings are quickly adopted by New
Yorkers. Restored ones too; the NYC Center is now a great place for cultural
events and for people from all communities to meet up. NYC culture is all about
sharing after all. (archpaper.com)
11.28.2012
Interview of an expatriate New Yorker... By Rémi & Vincent
In
which part of New York did you live?
Manhattan…
You have to know that if someone says that he/she lives in New York it means they live in Manhattan otherwise they will specify another borough.
When
did you live there?
I
was born in New York City and I lived there for a couple of years, then I went
to Washington DC, and I returned to New York afterwards.
What,
for you, is the “American dream”?
The
stereotype of the American dream is to
be very rich and famous. I never really believed in it that much because I
don’t think that being rich or famous brings happiness.
The Statue of Liberty is a symbol
of the American dream; do you think that it was used to attract people from the “old
continent”?
There
is indeed the idea of freedom symbolized by this monument but the American
dream is way more ancient than that. The first European people who arrived in
America left Europe because of persecutions, therefore they searched for the
promise land with the freedom to speak, the freedom to worship, the freedom
from want and the freedom from fear...
Do
you think that New York represents the American dream?
It
did in the 19th century… Now, probably, living in New York, Los Angeles or any
other big city in the US is seen as a good thing and symbols of the American
dream may contribute to that.
What
is the role of New York today, is it
financial, political?
It definitely is financial as Wall Street has a
very symbolic importance. New York has also a cultural role
with Classical music, the arts in general and Broadway. Moreover, New York
still has an educational importance with prestigious universities.
Do
you think that New Yorkers are proud of traders?
Wall
Steet is part of New York, it is historically very important as it is situated
in the oldest part of New York (the south of Manhattan is the oldest part of the city). I am not sure they like them. Traders are part of New York but Wall
Street is not NYC.
Are
they considered as evil?
A
lot has changed since I lived there. Finance has always been a part of New
York, but there have been a lot of scandals on Wall Street which made New
Yorkers loose some of their confidence in it.
How
do you feel about the evolution of the city?
It is a lot better now on certain aspects. It
definitely is a safer place to be in but it is even more expensive than before
to live there. Money has even more importance than before which is maybe not
such a good thing…
What
memories do you have of the city?
One
thing I do remember, it was on my 16th birthday, I had lunch on top
of the World Trade Center and I remember realizing that the towers actually
moved, that was very scary... And realizing also that New York is actually a
port city which you don’t really see when you’re in town. I also remember being
in Central Park which is, according to me, the greatest place in the world!
Which
country do you prefer?
I don’t think I could answer that as I’ve not lived
in the US for a long time. I think things change very very quickly. There
are always things changing in New York, all the time. Remember the emblematic
song: “New York, New York, the city that never sleeps”.
Are
New Yorkers proud of their cultural heritage? Do they try to protect it
or has it no importance for them?
It’s part of their life, they want to protect it a
little bit, it is part of their daily life, it is their way of being and
behaving. They accept differences and they don’t really
think about it that much.
According
to you, what is the New York way of life?
Maybe to accept differences? Though from different origins,
cultures, etc., people manage to get along.
How
did you feel when you heard about the terrorist attack on the World Trade
Center?
I
was living in Thaïland at the time. On that day my sister called me and told me
to prepare as there was going to be a Third World War. That was also the
feeling I had, I couldn’t believe it, I was totally shocked out of my mind,
this was so unreal, it just was not possible (I watched on TV that plane
crashing into this building over and over again...). New York smelt of decayed
bodies for weeks after that... It was the end of a feeling of security
as the US had never been attacked on its own territory before. It
was a mixture of fear and shock.
Do
you think it changed the New Yorkers’ way of life?
Definitely
it did because the idea that they might have to undergo some massive attack by
a foreign force on US soil was unbelievable (America was the “sacred land”). People
are scared now and it was probably a lot more traumatizing for New Yorkers. This
also transformed firemen into heroes for the population, and fear against Arabs
increased which was different from the American ideal if you think about it... This
resulted in drastically increasing security in airports. Unfortunately it can happen
again...
What
do you feel about the memorial?
I
think this is a controversial memorial... It is good that there is one
but I fear that it will only become a tourist attraction. We’re not going to
remain traumatized, but this attack changed the way people see things. New Yorkers
are pretty pragmatic, there is just one day free to commemorate all the wars (this is
different from France).
And
what about the project of building a mosque near the memorial?
It is a good thing to build
some place to pray near this area of tragedy but does it have to be that? I don’t know, I would have preferred maybe not something as
controversial but maybe it is a good symbol of reconciliation (it was not an
attack by Muslims but by dangerous fanatics...).
What does "cultural heritage" mean to people living in NYC?
Morganne Shelford
Will Eisner thought that a building has
something to tell us about the lives of the people that built it and lived in
it. "Cultural heritage" is the past in the present, and New Yorkers
make a lot of effort to preserve it, sometimes even giving it a new lease of
life, cf. the High line, the NYC Centre, etc. The Guggenheim, ethnic diversity,
musical eclecticism, the Statue of Liberty, Harlem, are all examples of the
rich cultural heritage New Yorkers have reason to be proud of. Ground Zero
became “cultural heritage” because of the symbolic value New Yorkers gave it,
and 1WTC will not be just another oversized office block; it will be a
landmark, symbolizing New York and its people united against chaos. In NYC,
each building says something about the values of New Yorkers; think of Cornell
Tech, which is not just an educational establishment, it has to be the best…
NYC’s cultural heritage in one word: pride.
Victor Guillon
“Cultural heritage” is viewed differently from one person to the next in NYC. For some, cultural heritage is about shared fundamental values, about keeping the city as dynamic as it has always been, recycling old places into new ones not only for the present but also for the generations to come. For others, it’s preserving, intact, what the past has bestowed upon us (cf. the Lower East Side Tenement Museum or even the NYC Center).
Besides buildings and monuments, cultural
heritage also means cultural diversity. Isn’t New York the world’s capital, a
Babel of ethnic groups? Its musical eclecticism and plethora of parades and
festivals are its live and kicking’ cultural heritage!
New York swallows you up and makes you its own;
but, since 9/11, New Yorkers also know that it is also up to them what their
City is to be. They make the stones speak of what is right and wrong…
Claire Plassart
New York’s cultural heritage is about civic
pride but also about dominance. NYC considers itself the world’s capital, and
its buildings and monuments display this: Guggenheim, Chrysler, UN, Empire
State, 1WTC, etc. New Yorkers wish to preserve their immense cultural heritage,
sometimes modernizing buildings or finding new uses for redundant
infrastructure (cf. the Highline project).
New York is a cosmopolitan place, each
community affirming its identity through art and music. There are also massive
cultural and sports events which unite the population.
NYC is a dynamic, forward-looking place, the
latest example of this is the development project for Roosevelt
Island. Cultural heritage for New Yorkers is not just about the past and
things from the past that are still with us, it’s also about maintaining the
values of hard work and the spirit of conquest inherited from those that came
before. "Cultural heritage" in NYC is the imperative to build...
New Yorkers still commemorate 9/11 - they
cannot afford to forget it - but they, as always, move on: 1WTC is rising up
from Ground Zero…
Rémi Kondjoyan
New Yorkers have good reasons to be proud of
their cultural heritage. NYC is attractive to visitors and residents alike
because of its extraordinary cultural facilities and places of historic
interest. But, though wanting to keep the city the way it is, New Yorkers also
want to make NYC a city of the future. They are therefore modernising the town’s
infrastructure and investing in research to stay competitive, building
prestigious high-tech but ecologically-friendly research centres (cf. the
Roosevelt Island project).
Security has become a priority, since 9/11,
since Sandy. All the disaster movies which use NYC as backdrop seem all of a
sudden very real… One of the results of catastrophe is to have made New Yorkers
realize that their “cultural heritage” is important to them because it is not
just “old buildings”, it is what they have built together over the centuries.
Cultural heritage is essentially about people: who we were, are, and hope to
be…
New York, the place, the people, the ideal, is
synonymous with resilience and optimism, with individual opportunity, but also
with necessary tolerance. Whatever part of the world you may have come from,
whatever your customs, in NYC you will become a New Yorker, because NYC thrives
on diversity. But NYC works - at least it does today - because newcomers
buy into a set of values and practices common to all New Yorkers, if you will,
a “cultural heritage” they learn to share.
Vincent Pinneau
New York City has for a long time been the
principal entry point for immigrants. Their first impression of the New World
was New York; they came hoping to fulfil their personal American Dream. The
result was NYC’s extraordinary cultural diversity; people from more than two
hundred countries cohabit more or less peacefully in this dynamic metropolis.
What all these people have in common is, to various degrees, the will to succeed;
this fundamental value defines the “cultural heritage” of NYC. One example: the
Manhattan skyline, so familiar the world over, is in fact ever-changing, the
result of the pioneering and ambitious spirit of its inhabitants.
How New Yorkers have coped with 9/11 says much
about them and how they consider their built environment; 1WTC, being
constructed on the site of Ground Zero, serves as both a memorial to the
victims and a symbol of New Yorkers’ defiance of terrorism and their will to
build a brighter future.
Marie
de Langlade
For New Yorkers, “cultural heritage” is both
literally part of their everyday lives as a built environment, and part of
their routine existence as a set of shared values and practices.
Some, through preservation initiatives, want to
keep the City as is, to save its “soul”. Others would like to transform old
landmarks into something useful, which they consider is in the spirit of their
dynamic city.
NYC is undeniably multicultural. Parades, the
annual marathon, and other such traditions, are at the same time an expression
of the City’s unity and of its cultural diversity.
The 9/11 terrorist attack increased solidarity;
in this context, “cultural heritage” took on a strong emotional significance,
places and buildings becoming symbols of defiance and hope, something the
inhabitants had to defend in the face of anarchy…
Elina Chandezon
New York City, futuristic metropolis, is
incredibly wealthy, especially as regards its cultural heritage. New Yorkers,
for obvious reasons, love NY! It is hard to tell though if all of them really
appreciate how much they possess…
Some New Yorkers are keen enough to devote time
and money to the preservation of the Big Apple (as much as to its development).
Doesn’t the High line project show New Yorkers want to both modernize the city
whilst keeping its “roots” strong?
New Yorkers use their cultural heritage, add to
it everyday, and make use of it to express who they are to the world. For
example, the construction of 1WTC on Ground Zero shows New Yorkers’ defiance of
terrorism; it is a building that, though not yet complete, is, in a sense,
already part of their cultural heritage…
Solène Gauthier
Everything in
NYC is “cultural heritage”, because, whatever you look at, it is famous! Some
New Yorkers are more keen than others in keeping the Big Apple beautiful; the
High line is a great example of how they have made from something old,
something new. This is keeping cultural heritage sites alive (by making them
relevant and useful). For others, NYC is not some museum. Most people are proud
of the world-wide fame of the town they have built but they don’t think about
it much, not at least as a place of particular interest from a “cultural
heritage” point of view. It’s just where they live and try to earn a living!
Miléna
Chapot
New York’s cultural heritage is extremely
diverse because the city is a “mixing bowl” of 254 different nationalities.
This diversity is displayed through music and art. George Gershwin’s work
epitomises this eclecticism, uniting many musical styles into one.
New York’s architecture, famous worldwide (e.g.
the Statue of Liberty), is the most visible part of that cultural heritage. New
Yorkers choose to preserve their cultural heritage sites by sometimes
“recycling” them (for example the High line). They also create buildings and
monuments in the tradition of NYC (i.e. on a grand scale such as the Roosevelt
Island Project).
The tragic events of 9/11 united people and
increased their determination to reconstruct, no matter the cost, the buildings
which they condidered important from a cultural heritage standpoint; 1WTC will
be an extraordinary landmark… In NYC, “cultural heritage” is made by the
people, for the people; the affirmation of liberty is therefore an intrinsic
part of it.
Simon Breillad
Cultural heritage is the customs, knowledge,
behavior, and material objects (including the built environment) that are
transmitted from one generation to the next… But what importance does “cultural
heritage” have in New York City, where 245 countries are represented and 200
languages are spoken?
Cultural heritage is the thing
that makes all those different ethnic groups live peacefully together: they
have something to share. This sense of a common heritage (and destiny?) has
been accentuated since the 11th September 2001… The attachment to their
cultural heritage that new Yorkers feel is well represented by the festive
crowds like for Thanksgiving or St Patrick’s day, when they listen to all the
different styles of music or even when they give million dollar donations to
help the reconstruction of an historic building. Nevertheless, in the Big
Apple, newness, energy and modernity are by definition part of the cultural
heritage, and so finding a new use for an old place (like the High line) is a
great way to both save money and preserve the “soul” of this modern high-tech
dynamic city.
Hughes Thorin
New-Yorkers don’t live with cultural heritage,
they live “in” their
cultural heritage! I mean that New Yorkers consider what their parents have
transmitted to them and
what is being built as
cultural heritage. New Yorkers
aren’t oppressed by their past. They live with their past in the present to
drive it into the
future.
For New Yorkers, everything which they
associate with strong memories is cultural heritage; they have to transmit it
to the next generation. These cosmopolitan inhabitants are proud of their town
and want to keep it the way it is, despite their differences. It is this will
to keep NYC the way it is which makes its unity. It gives a soul to the city
and makes it overflow with imagination, which gives incredible inspiration to
New Yorkers. It is the inspiration of today’s New Yorkers, which will inspire
the artists of tomorrow.
Emma Nicolas
For New Yorkers, everything in
the city is part of their cultural heritage, whether it be buildings,
memorials, or architecture, or immaterial things like music, ethnic diversity, or even
the city’s very soul! Some inhabitants are very involved in preservation of this common heritage, whereas others just live in New York without knowing all the
efforts being made to keep it in a good state.
NYC is like the world's capital, especially as
there are people from 245 countries there. This, plus 9/11 which has made
for a more united city, means that the population of NYC is constantly looking forward; they create new places every day or “recycle” buildings they find important. For New Yorkers, the past needs to
be present.
François Dischamp
Through music, art, architecture, etc., culture
heritage seems to be omnipresent in New York. However, all New Yorkers don’t
have the same conception of the term. Some consider that culture heritage is a
fabulous gift from past generations that needs to be preserved for themselves,
and passed on from one generation to the other. But for other New Yorkers, it
is important that every generation leave a mark and try to improve the work of
their forebears, New Yorkers themselves being the people in charge of this
difficult mission.
New York, the city of innovation, wants to
always be a step ahead of everyone. New Yorkers are keen to preserve this
status and they have understood that they were the ones controlling New York’s
fate.
Vianney Lepoutre
For New Yorkers, the past is what has been
achieved and an example to follow; for them, time is synonymous with progress…
Buildings of importance from a cultural
heritage point of view, have immense symbolic value: the Statue of the Liberty
stands for hope and freedom, the Twin Towers for economic power, etc.
These places and buildings are also, more
simply, places in which they live and work.
They are also reminders of past events,
associated with personal and collective memories. That is perhaps the main reason
they protect these buildings, even if they have to change their original
function, such as for the New York City Center.
New Yorkers protect their buildings because
they are a source of civic pride. This civic pride is also expressed through art
and music, which is part of their rich cultural heritage.
Some feel any changes to their landmarks or traditions
are an attack on the very soul of the city, on its particular atmosphere; the protests
against the High line project were carried out by a few die-hard nostalgics...11.26.2012
Music is an essential part of the rich cultural heritage of NYC. By Simon Breillad
New York City is the most populous and cosmopolitan place in the States, so inevitably there is an incredible array of sound: Jazz, Hip Hop, Soul, Salsa, Rock, Punk, Pop and the rest.
Music in
NYC is as diverse and lively as the population. For immigrants, music is a way
for them to express their identity, their origins, perhaps their frustration at
the poverty and prejudice they face. Generations of immigrants have added their
own musical tradition and style to the already eclectic mix of the City.
Several
musical styles, like Jazz, Rap, R&B, Industrial, began in the USA, showing
how creative Americans are. NYC came up with the New York Blues, an urban
version of the Blues (which started in rural areas of the South).
George
Gershwin was a major composer from NYC. His scores mixed the musical styles of
Yiddish theatre, Vaudeville, Ragtime, Operetta, Jazz, and post-Romanticism.
Gershwin's music gained unprecedented international recognition.
Aaron
Copeland, from Brooklyn, is another great American composer. He uses elements
of American Folk music and Jazz in his compositions.
New Yorkers have reason to be
proud of their musical tradition. Music is a means for them to share good
moments together, to celebrate and feel part of the one city, but also a means
to remember their origins and feel part of a particular ethnic community. Music
is also a means of exploring new horizons. Music is living and creative
cultural heritage for New Yorkers.
11.25.2012
Did 9/11 change the way New Yorkers consider their cultural heritage? By Miléna Chapot
“ Each man reads his own meaning into New York”
Meyer Berger
According to Wikipedia, cultural heritage is the attributes of a group
or society that are inherited from past
generations, maintained in the present, and bestowed for the benefit of future
generations. Cultural heritage can be tangible (buildings, monuments, art),
intangible (legends, traditions, knowledge) or natural (landscapes, biodiversity).
“It isn't like the rest of the country - it is
like a nation itself - more tolerant than the rest in a curious way. Littleness
gets swallowed up here. All the viciousness that makes other cities vicious is
sucked up and absorbed in New York.” John Steinbeck
New York’s cultural heritage may be viewed in
two ways. The first, that of non-New Yorkers, it is “the city that never
sleeps", “the big Apple”, the metropolis that has inspired so many artists it
is almost untouchable and sacred. The second point of view is that of the New
Yorker himself, whether he lives in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, or
Manhattan. The New Yorker is proud of his heritage just as much as the Parisian
is proud of Paris. However, for the New Yorker, “you start building your private New York the
first time you lay eyes on it. (…) The city knows you better than any living
person because it has seen you when you are alone” (in Lost and Found by
Colson Whitehead).
The City should not be regarded as only
having tangible cultural heritage sites, but the buildings, monuments and art
also have intangible significance. It is almost as if the New Yorkers regard
the city as their safety net, the one place on earth that they may call Home
whatever part of the world they come from originally. Every aspect of the city
is heritage, the streets, the lights, the sounds, the colors, the smell; one’s
routine in the Big Apple could itself be considered as cultural.
“There is no place like it, no place with an
atom of its glory, pride, and exultancy. It lays its hand upon a man's bowels;
he grows drunk with ecstasy; he grows young and full of glory, he feels that he
can never die.” Walt
Whitman
However, on September 11th 2001, the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers
of the World Trade Center changed the New Yorker’s vision of their city
forever. The image of the untouchable city, sacred to those who live in it was
destroyed. The reactions to the terrorist attack in the long run are mostly a
reaffirmation of New Yorker’s determination to protect
their city.
The impact of 9/11 extends beyond geopolitics
into society and culture in general. The immediate response was a greater focus
on home life and on time spent with family. Almost everyone in New York knows
someone who has lost a loved one in the tragedy. The first thing every New
Yorker did after the attack was to try to find in the chaos their loved ones and
make sure they were safe. A higher church attendance was noted, and increasing
patriotism as shown by increased display of flags. In the community, New
Yorkers tend to feel more concern for each other than before. Immediately
after the attack, there was a surge of solidarity. Bumper stickers declared: “United we Stand” or “Praying for the families of the victims”.
Each year, ceremonies are held on the 11th of September bringing New Yorkers together to
remember in silence the tragedy that struck New York. The immense media
coverage of these ceremonies shows the world that New Yorkers will not forget.
As Michael Oreskes wrote in his article New York's 9/11, and
Not Letting Go : “Not only do New Yorkers morn the
loss of their loved ones, they also feel differently. Ten years after the 9/11
attacks, New York's prevailing mood is to resist the city's natural tides of
forgetting, of moving on”.
They also decry the loss of the Twin Towers, a
major part of their cultural heritage. "There is going to be a whole generation
of people growing up and people who never visited New York who will have no
conception whatsoever of how big the towers were, how beautiful they were and
how iconic they were, how many different vantage points there were where you
could see them" (anonymous).
The moment the Towers crashed to the ground, a
part of New York disappeared with them. As their name suggested, they represented
commerce and a city that was committed to the world, not just to the one
country or army.
However, the reconstruction of an even higher
tower on Ground Zero is proof to the world that New Yorkers are defiant and
strong. Even though the new building is not yet finished, it is already part of
the city’s heritage. The new tower’s name is 1WTC; it was going to be called
the Freedom Tower. Its cost has been estimated at $3.8 billion, the most
expensive tower in the world to date. New York City is giving $250 million and
the remaining amount is being raised by the sale of bonds through the Port
Authority. This astonishing cost demonstrates the importance New Yorkers give
to affirming their culture. It shows their determination in the face of
terrorism and chaos...
"The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our
spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed
devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the
rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to
live our lives in freedom.” Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of NYC.
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