East Harlem

Overshadowed by the fame of Harlem and the wealth of the Upper East Side, East Harlem is rarely noted as a historical enclave. However, from the early 1800s through today, East Harlem has welcomed wave after wave of immigrants struggling for a place in the nation's most famous city. African Americans, Irish, Germans, European Jews, Italians, Scandinavians, Puerto Ricans, and Latinos are among the ethnic groups who have shaped this neighborhood, bringing with them their religious, social, and culinary traditions. East Harlem is the first volume to tell this neighborhood's history through images. Photographs of the iron, stone, and rubber factories, the tenements, the 100th Street community, famous politicians such as Fiorella LaGuardia, the Second and Third Avenue elevated subways, St. Cecilia's, and many other subjects capture East Harlem's past in one memorable collection.

Rich with the textures and rhythms of street life, The Tenants of East Harlem is an absorbing and unconventional biography of a neighborhood told through the life stories of seven residents whose experiences there span nearly a century. Modeled on the ethnic distinctions that divide the community, the book portrays the old guard of East Harlem: Pete, one of the last Italian holdouts; José, a Puerto Rican; and Lucille, an African American. Side by side with these representatives of a century of ethnic succession are the newcomers: Maria, an undocumented Mexican; Mohamed, a West African entrepreneur; Si Zhi, a Chinese immigrant and landlord; and, finally, the author himself, a reluctant beneficiary of urban renewal. Russell Leigh Sharman deftly weaves these oral histories together with fine-grained ethnographic observations and urban history to examine the ways that immigration, housing, ethnic change, gentrification, race, class, and gender have affected the neighborhood over time. Providing unique access to the nuances of inner-city life, The Tenants of East Harlem shows how roots sink so quickly in a community that has always hosted the transient, how new immigrants are challenging the claims of the old, and how that cycle is threatened as never before by the specter of gentrification.

Overshadowed by the fame of Harlem and the wealth of the Upper East Side, East Harlem is rarely noted as a historical enclave. However, from the early 1800s through today, East Harlem has welcomed wave after wave of immigrants struggling for a place in the nation's most famous city. African Americans, Irish, Germans, European Jews, Italians, Scandinavians, Puerto Ricans, and Latinos are among the ethnic groups who have shaped this neighborhood, bringing with them their religious, social, and culinary traditions. East Harlem is the first volume to tell this neighborhood's history through images. Photographs of the iron, stone, and rubber factories, the tenements, the 100th Street community, famous politicians such as Fiorella LaGuardia, the Second and Third Avenue elevated subways, St. Cecilia's, and many other subjects capture East Harlem's past in one memorable collection.

The community of East Harlem in New York City lays claim to a rich and culturally diverse history. Once home to 35 ethnicities and 27 languages, the neighborhood attracted Irish, Jewish, and Italian immigrants in the early 20th century and later saw an influx of Puerto Rican immigrants and African Americans. In this oral history, former and current residents recount the early days, the post-World War II rise of public housing, the departure of Eastern European inhabitants, the growth of Latino and African American populations, the spirited 1960s, the urban blight of the 1980s, and the more recent resurgence and gentrification. This story of strength and struggle provides a vivid portrait of a fascinating community and the many resilient people who have called it home.

East Harlem Revisited presents a fresh look at this historic neighborhood through rare photographic images. Photographs taken from tenement rooftops, at family gatherings, and of sports and events celebrate a bygone era and the neighborhood’s diversity. A neighborhood of many ethnicities and languages, at one time a section of East Harlem made up the largest Little Italy in the country. The landmarks that have been preserved throughout the years detail the importance and impact of architectural development on East Harlem’s history. Photographs of the neighborhood’s tenements and public housing depict East Harlem’s changing landscape, while images of famous residents celebrate the many talented individuals who have called East Harlem home.

Publisher Description

I moved to East Harlem, also known as El Barrio, on December 1, 2011. Before I moved, I had my doubts if I should, because East Harlem had a reputation for not being safe. I wanted to develop my own opinion, so I explored the places around East Harlem for several days. I found out that the whole area had changed. Crime rates weren’t surging, and the streets weren’t full of people using drugs. And because I visited the area long ago, I knew the difference. After living in the neighborhood for eight years, I confirmed that East Harlem had indeed changed for the better. East Harlem’s residents are committed to making this neighborhood a great place to live by getting more involved in the community’s political and social events, such as attending community meetings to discuss the residents’ needs. They also do their own cultural parades, and some do volunteer work for people in need. Besides that, there are food banks, community kitchens, and food pantries for hungry people. East Harlem also has the best representatives ever. They are working diligently for the advancement of the community. They are fighting hard to preserve affordable rent for the residents and to keep them in the area by preventing their landlords from increasing their rents to a level that they cannot afford. Also, the residents of East Harlem do not stay home when it comes to voting, which gives them the chance to speak up when their rights are violated.

Through this heartwarming, real-life success story, Fliegel and James MacGuire make a convincing case for public school choice. They show that if it can happen in East Harlem, it can happen anywhere.