Kanami Kusajima arrives in Washington Square Park just before 4 p.m. each weekday that she performs. She sometimes grabs a hot dog from a nearby vendor, who she considers a friend, before setting up her canvas. She tapes down the blank papers just before the arch, and dips her finger in black paint to write […]
Features
Nicole Malpeso: The Pride of Staten Island
Nicole Malpeso stands shoulder to shoulder with ten fellow firefighters in a Terminal 5 boxing ring, waiting for the emcee to start the night’s event. It’s one of the biggest occasions for New York City’s first responders; Malpeso is about to fight in the Battle of the Badges between FDNY’s Bravest Boxing and NYPD’s Fighting […]
Nonprofit celebrates Italian American culture all year long, not just on Columbus Day
A fanfare, a way to take pride in something, a communal gathering — the annual Columbus Day Parade means many things to many people. Tens of thousands of people from 100 groups participated in the event, which is in its 79th year, as a million more looked on from the sidelines, once again establishing itself as the […]
VIDEO DEEP DIVE: How newly arrived Chinese seniors adapt in New York City
Leaving home is never easy. Since the late 19th century, Chinese people have immigrated to the United States in search of a better life and have found ways to integrate into the local community while preserving their culture and heritage. Organizations like the CPC (Chinese-American Planning Council) have been working to enhance the Chinese-American immigrant […]
Watch Where You Step
When thinking about ghost stories, Brooklyn is not the first place that comes to mind. The most infamous tales always seem to occur in southern cities with histories of witchcraft and possession, or mountainous towns with stories surrounding haunted cabins and mysterious forests. When pondering the second most populated New York borough, one is more […]
Agnieszka Holland’s ‘Green Border’: the film that shocked a country
“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance” – Laurie Halse Anderson. This September, dread and anxiety spread among Polish government ministers. The cause? Green Border: a feature film about the inhumane treatment of migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border, directed by Agnieszka Holland. Don’t be fooled, Green Border is not a horror […]
Ukrainians demand more support for war against “terrorist state” Russia
Dozens of Ukrainians, Ukrainian Americans, and their supporters marched through the rain from Times Square to Herald Square in Manhattan on Saturday, October 7, demanding an increase in aid to Ukraine, and a continuation of the fight against Russian imperialism. The group, covered in blue and yellow and carrying Ukrainian flags, chanted slogans like, “Russia […]
“The New Commercials”: How Content Creators are Influencing Fashion
Shortly after I entered the small, rentable gallery space nestled between Manhattan’s Upper West Side and Midtown on a moist and muggy Thursday afternoon, I witnessed the orchestration of a small production of sorts. Beneath a wall adorned with an array of artistic works, consisting generally of birds and human faces, a smartphone cameraman filmed […]
Paws for Justice: How Canines Comfort Victims in Courts
On a chilly February morning in lower Manhattan, the courtroom bustled with attorneys poring over legal documents. Judge Diane Keisel, wearing a sweeping black judicial robe and sipping iced coffee, presided over the pre-trial procedures, her steady demeanor belying the gravity of the upcoming trial. The air was hushed as Keisel’s austere instructions silenced the […]
Luis Flores uses TikTok to empower immigrant small business owners
It’s sunny in Hunts Point, the Bronx, on a late Spring morning. A gentle breeze brushes against my skin and makes the leaves sway. Despite the sunshine, it’s chilly and two layers of clothing are necessary to walk around comfortably. This Bronx neighborhood is far from the glittering backdrops often seen on the social media […]