If you’re anything like me, as soon as April hits, your allergies go wild!
According to the weather channel, there will be a moderate to high level of pollen in the air.
That means we will feel itchy, stuffy, and sneezy until it rains. Rain lowers the pollen levels in the air, making it easier for us to breathe. Make sure to take your allergy medicine, wear a mask if you’d like, and do your best to stay away from pollen and dust as you enjoy the warmer spring weather!
The pollen being released from the trees causes people to have allergies.
You can check the pollen levels in the air by watching the news, downloading a weather app to your smartphone, or going on Weatherchannel.com and looking at the chart below.
From actors like Rami Malek and Tony Shalhoub, musicians such as French Montana and Shakira, to politicians such as George Kaseem and James Abourezk, Arabic Americans have contributed to the fabric (1) of American history and culture.
Arab America and the Arab America Foundation launched the National Arab American Heritage Month initiative in 2017, with just a handful (2) of states participating.
In 2022, Congress, the U.S. Department of State, and 45 state governors issued proclamations commemorating the initiative.
Check out the video below to learn more about Arab American Heritage Month, why it’s so important, and how we can all be better Americans by learning about each other’s heritage!
Phrases:
1. The fabric of (something) – the basic structure of (something)
Originally, St. Patrick’s Day began in Ireland as a Catholic holiday, but over the years it has grown into a festival of Irish culture. A week-long celebration of Irish music, theater, and visual arts takes place in many regions of Ireland. Family get-togethers are also important, as people sit down for a special meal. The feast of corned beef and cabbage, though, is an American tradition; in Ireland one is more likely to find bacon or a savory roast chicken on the table.
Although the St. Patrick’s Day Parade has become a part of celebrations in Ireland these days, it’s the result of an American influence, where the tradition was created by homesick Irish immigrants. More recently, St. Patrick’s Day has become a highly marketable and promoted event in Ireland, resulting in an attractive draw for tourists visiting the country.
The NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade dates back to March 17, 1762, when it was first organized by a group of homesick Irish immigrants and Irish military in the American colonies of NYC. Participants enjoyed the freedom to speak Irish, wear the color green- which was banned in Ireland at the time, sing native songs, and play the bagpipe.
These things gave powerful meaning to those people who fled their homeland.
Join in the fun! Come to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade!
The NYC Parade is held on March 17th and begins precisely at 11:00 AM. The Parade marches up Fifth Avenue beginning at East 44th Street and ending at East 79th.
Today, tomorrow, and for the rest of March it’s time to show every woman in your life that you appreciate them! If you identify as a woman, it’s your time to cherish (1) the month!
Regardless of your borough, you can find an event to celebrate and learn about women during women’s history month! Check the links below for more information about the events happening in each borough!
Cherish – to hold dear : feel or show affection for
Celebrate Women’s History Month with Kenya from Manny Cantor and Lily from Essex Market . We will highlight three amazing women who fought for labor rights and make dishes inspired by them and the women in our lives.
Tentative Dishes to be cooked include
Salt Fish Stew
Coconut Steamed Rice
Stewed Callaloo
Sauteed Water Spinach with Shrimp Paste
This is a free event.
Ticket confirmation and cancellations: We will email final confirmations to ticket holders 72 hours prior to class. If you do not confirm within 24 hours we will offer your ticket to someone on the waiting list. If you are unable to make class and need to cancel please email us.
If tickets are sold out, please sign up for the waiting list.
THE COLORS OF FRIDA is a bilingual, one-woman show about the great Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), which combines storytelling, music, visual arts, puppets, and audience participation. Join us for a colorful, fun, educational program that everyone will enjoy. Presented by Teatro Society of the Educational Arts. Recommended especially for ages 3-10 but older people are welcome!
Join Grammy-nominated performer Araceli Poma for a music party celebrating important women from Peru! We will listen to the inspiring stories of women like Yma Sumac (one of the bestselling Latin American recording artists and the bestselling Peruvian artist in history) and Victoria Santa Cruz, considered “the mother of Afro-Peruvian dance and theater.” Plus, Araceli will bring her charango, traditional puppets, and many rhythms for you to enjoy. Through singing and dancing, we will celebrate powerful women who inspire girls around the world!
If you ever go north of 110th street, you may notice that Manhattan changes culturally. There are fewer popular stores and more family owned businesses. You’ll find streets named after famous Black and Latino Americans. This is because from 110th street to about 155th street on the west side, there is an African-American and Black cultural hub. You’ll see Black families from different parts of Africa, the Caribbean, and the US. For over 100 years, Harlem has been a mecca for Black culture in the United States.
This began with the Harlem Renaissance in the early 1920’s.
The Harlem Renaissance was incredibly important in American history because of the explosion of art, music, and culture created by African-Americans. During this time period, there were not many places in the United States that African-Americans could feel safe. The Harlem Renaissance is called the rebirth of African-American culture because many African-Americans from the south moved to Harlem to express themselves.
Check out this video about the history of Harlem and the movement of African-Americans to Harlem.
The next time you find yourself uptown (above 110th street) check our traditional African-American restaurants such as Melba’s, Jacob’s, or Uptown Veg (for vegans and vegetarians).
When your stomach is full of delicious food, take a trip to the Arturo Schomburg Center for Black Research and learn about African-American and Afro-Latino culture from an exhibit.
‘Loisaida’ is the NYC neighborhood at the root of powerful movements.
While walking through the Lower East Side, did you ever notice the other name for Avenue C?
If you’re Puerto Rican or have lived in NYC for long enough to see the neighborhood change, you may have a soft spot for the word, “ Loisaida”.
Say it slowly. What downtown New York City neighborhood does it sound like?
Before The Lower East Side (LES) was a shopping and restaurant area mostly for university students, the Manhattan neighborhood was a working-class neighborhood for immigrants from across the world. In the mid-1900s, the Latinos who lived there called it “Loisaida”. Puerto Ricans and other working-class people made Loisaida a place for activism in New York City from the 1940s to the 1990s.
Activist groups tried to improve the lives of residents in the neighborhood by leading protests and mass building squats. Locals also created spaces for the community, like gardens and restaurants. These actions along with art that brought Latinos together helped form national cultural pride. This created the The “Nuyorican” identity (preferred by some Puerto Ricans from New York),
Have you heard of the Nuyorican Poets Café, opened in 1973? Many Latino artists, like poet, Aja Monet and actress, Rosario Dawson performed here!
Today LES has the second-highest income inequality gap in Manhattan. As the neighborhood becomes unaffordable, Latino families who once lived well there are being pushed out.
Thankfully, some cultural hubs, like Loisaida Center and Tenement Museum, still exist and remind us of the Latino influence that helped strengthen Latino movements for justice, such as the creation of the modern Puerto Rican Flag!
Check out next week’s blog to learn more about the influence of the Lower East Side on the history of Puerto Rico!
Soft spot-noun- to like something or someone a lot. Income inequality gap- noun– income = money, inequality= unequal, gap= space Unaffordable- adjective– expensive, not easy to buy Hub-noun – a place that is a center of a particular activity Activism – Noun– social or political change To squat – Verb – living in a building without the legal right to do so
The World’s Most Famous Arena – Madison Square Garden (MSG)
Did you know that the famous arena, MSG, hasn’t always been in its current location on 34th street?
Did you know that it could move again?
Before the current day Madison Square Garden, which was completed in 1968, there were actually three other Madison Square Gardens.
The construction of the original Madison Square Garden was completed, and MSG I was open for business in Manhattan in 1871.However, it wasn’t open for long before a new Madison Square Garden was built.
In 1890 the second Madison Square Garden opened on the same site as the original. Once again, this Madison Square Garden was not open for long before yet another Garden was built, now the third different Madison Square Garden within 60 years.
The third Madison Square Garden, completed in 1925, took under a year to build.
Madison Square Garden III was the first Madison Square Garden that was not located near Madison Square Park, It was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan. People from all over came to see Madison Square Garden for sports and entertainment, like the prior ones, but this Garden became extremely popular very quickly.
Lastly, the current day Madison Square Garden opened in 1968. All of the Madison Square Gardens had a big impact on the culture of New York City, even though they were not all on the same site. The MSG that we know today has a lease that expires this year- in 2023! There have been talks about whether it will move, but so far, no decision has been made. Who knows? Maybe the next MSG will be in the Lower East Side!
