Jessica Yan Yim, Period 6, 02/08/2024

Jessica Yan Yim

Period 6

02/08/2024

Modern Mythology 2024

Walking through the streets of New York City, it is impossible to miss the dozens of homeless immigrants and wonder how they got here. This beautiful city is known for its diversity, but it is currently facing a crisis as 100,000 people have sought out refugees since 2022 causing a lack of resources, allocation, and responsibilities. This makes it impossible for NYC to deal with this alone. It needs support from state and federal governments as well as residents of NYC to help resolve this issue.

This refugee crisis represents the underlying truth of oppression and marginalization. Many migrants leave their home countries hoping to escape their hardships, only to face new challenges moving into NYC. Without getting proper help, they fall back into the cycle of hardships within their new communities.

While migrants are facing their own problems, they are also causing problems including increasing crime rates, unemployment rates, homelessness rates, and more. This may be a chain reaction from their own challenges, but it must be addressed. This crisis caused an estimated cost of $12 billion by 2025, affecting people in the future. It is important for New Yorkers to use this as an opportunity to unite and aid this community. Whether doing it by volunteering, helping financially, or advocating for policy changes, there are several ways to support these migrants and allow them a fresh start for their American Dream.

This current crisis in NYC shows the need for efforts to tackle this issue with compassion and kindness. It is important to reevaluate our perception of immigration and citizenship because they are being clouded by factors like upbringing experiences and values. By coming together, we can build a society that is more inclusive to everyone and effectively address the inequalities and power dynamics that cause displacement and oppression.

Now what can you do to contribute to your community?

 Works Cited “Get Stuff Done.” Welcome to NYC.Gov,

www.nyc.gov/content/getstuffdone/pages/asylum-seeker-update.

Newman, Andy, and Dana Rubinstein. “Chaos, Fury, Mistakes: 600 Days inside New York’s Migrant Crisis.” The New York Times, 26 Dec. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/12/26/nyregion/migrant-crisis-mayor-eric-adams.html#:~:text=Th e%20migrant%20crisis%20in%20New,bed%20to%20every%20homeless%20person.

Parness, Ayelet. “Understanding New York’s Migrant ‘Crisis’ - and How to Help.” HIAS, 6 Feb. 2024, https://hias.org/news/understanding-new-yorks-migrant-crisis-and-how-help/