Mid-Semester 2 Reflection (2.7)

A section of the Highline

1. 
   So far this semester I learned that immigration had a major impact on industrialization and what makes today's history. It was interesting to see some of the parallels with today's history like how some native-born Americans had a fear that the immigrants would take their jobs. Even today some people still have that fear. One of my peers did their immigration research on "How Immigrants Improve the Economy?" and the truth was that many come to America and end up working low wage jobs just to make a living for their families and a better future. In the 19th century, many immigrants worked in factories with low-wage labor. I did research on the naturalization process today, and just like in the late 19th and early20th century if an immigrant is educated and has a job in America, the chances of finding success are higher and an immigrant.  
2.  There were many interesting topics I learned about by reading my peer's blog posts on immigration, but the one topic that stood out to me the most was the topic of "What happens to Separated Immigrant Families." Today we hear so much on the news on the topic of immigration, and at the time, I was hearing lost of information on the separation of families and what President Trump was doing on this topic. I found that I agreed on many of the points she touched on such as, how "sometimes we need to step back and think of these situations as humans and not politicians or law enforcers." This topic is so relevant, and I feel like the least I can do is know what is happening. 
3. Urban living in the 19th -century was difficult in the aspects of how overcrowded and unsafe it was. Through learning about the 19th century and progressivisms, I was able to conclude that almost everything is part of a domino effect. When one thing went wrong, that would lead to the improvement of a condition. For example in my topic of immigration was all about counteracting the negative effects of industrialization, urbanization, and immigration. When there was a large influx of immigrants which lead to crowded tenements, there was a need for "beauty" in a city and a better quality of living. Adapting to urban living itself was probably difficult for many people with large cities with many diverse people and places.
4. The Highline was very much aligned with the idea of progressivism. The final idea for the Highline benefited everyone in the city and was a place where people were able to have a new perspective. From the reason for the raised railroad to what the high line is today, the idea was very progressive. The idea to have a raised railroad prevented people from getting killed or hurt on the streets and then when it was no longer used, it became what many people saw as an "eyesore." Then people who believed in utilizing the railroad in a way that would benefit more than just people who could tear it down were the ones who made the city a better place. The high line is very much in line with my immigration topic of the "City Beautiful Movement." Parks, architecture, and art within cities promoted a beautiful aesthetic and community involvement. Just like progressivism, the Highline has promoted a more efficient workplace for all the businesses along it, such as the Artists in West Chelsea. Building the Highline needed the involvement of many groups of people, such as volunteers, cooperation with the businesses, architects, and gardeners. Unlike progressivism, the Highline construction relied on donations and was able to create two billion private investments, the Highline had nothing to do with the government and was not pushed by it.