Overcrowded Apartments

@hhusted I think immigrants definitely do live in such conditions when they first come to this country. Especially those who are here solely for economic reasons and really cannot afford to waste/spend a single penny for they have to repatriate most of their wages. I do not know anybody who lives in one of these dwellings but I am aware of them.

Thanks for the info. I also read that the city was planning to crack down on illegal immigrants living under such conditions and deport them back. Do you know of such an article online. I recall reading something about it, but this was like a year ago. I haven't read anything since.

I once went to look at an apartment in Chinatown that was technically two rooms and a small entrance area, not even a full living-room, and at the time there were no less than seven people sleeping in it. In fact, while I was there looking at it two of the people were stretched out on two makeshift beds.

That's really so sad. In situations like that, I don't understand why live in New York. I mean, the cost of living in a place like Kansas is so much less.

@JenMac but then Kansas is not the Big Apple is it? The immigrants in Chinatown may find it infinitely easier to find jobs in NYC's Chinatown than elsewhere.

I agree with you JenMac, Why pay the price. Is it worth that just to come here? How desperate are people to live in those conditions just to live here. Maybe I am not a true New Yorker (which I'm not), I would never go that route just to live here. If I have to live in this city, I would rather live in comfort. But that is just me. I guess others feel differently.

Each person has an agenda for coming here. They also may have a dream as well. That may be the reason for taking such measly living conditions now, knowing, or hoping, that things will get better.

I think you may be spot on about that scenario DBlack.

It's not just immigrants. I visited a friend in elementary school who had one sibling - she and the sibling slept in the bed, and the mother on the floor. It was bizarre, especially since other indicators implied they were certainly not struggling, finances-wise.

@hhusted its certainly not that simple as you make it out to be. Often its easier in America to achieve a decent standard of living than elsewhere in the world for a variety of circumstances. America and especially NYC has always welcomed immigrants , the character of the city would be severely altered if this were to change anytime soon. I saw what I thought was a documentary on this very topic earlier this evening . The short film called We are New York is a new series produced by the city,you can watch all the episodes online at
http://www.nyc.gov/html/weareny/html/episodes/episodes.shtml
Gives you an insight into the lives of immigrants in NYC.

Right... If you're living in poverty in a country where your only job prospects are for making a dollar a day or less, how are you really going to rise above that? That's why so many people risk so much to come here...

I just saw a documentary about people living on a garbage heap in Thailand. They were putting together a makeshift theater on the garbage heap, and showing movies there every evening. Doing what anybody in any community might think to do, and worrying about similar kinds of things. And they were living on a stack of garbage, can you believe it? Their only source of income was collecting plastics out of this garbage and turning it in to a recycling plant. They'd have to work from morning to night to collect enough to eat that day.

@hhusted That really doesn't get to the reality of the lives of people in other countries. DBlack's story certainly gives you an idea of what people are facing elsewhere, in terms of even being able to meet their own basic needs for survival. It seems rather thoughtless to say, Why don't they just build their own prosperity, instead of trying to take ours. Obviously they would if they could. I doubt most people want to leave their own countries and their own homes, and live somewhere as strangers, unless extreme conditions force them to do so.

@uptowngirl That's a nice series. The production quality is rather lousy, but I can imagine that for people who are just arriving here, it might be a really good resource, and a source of reassurance.

It seems like Americans may be the exception to the rule - don't American ex pats often move abroad for the joy of experiencing a new place rather than because of necessity? That's how things happen in my social circle, anyway.

@NeverSleeps In my abroad-living experience, there were exactly three reasons an american had for being an expat: a job, a love relationship, or else they were total freaks who couldn't get along with their own kind. Absolutely every expat I met fit one of those categories, with little overlap.

Touche. Maybe all my friends are just "total freaks" who can't get along with their own kind. :)

@Everyone: I understand your points. I live in NYC and don't see the other side of the world. I do not see how people live. Maybe I need to tune into stations that show conditions in other parts of the world. I only keep pace with what we are doing here. I do understand there are people who are struggling in other countries. In fact, there are countries that have governments that control everything to the point those who do not have money, either starve, or just get straps. I have a client, who lives in Europe and he does tell me things that happen in various places.

However, just as uptowngirl said, when the economy picks up in other countries, conditions people live in will also improve to the point where they won't have to leave their homeland to make a good life for themselves. This way they can be happy knowing they can stay where they love to be and make a successful life to.

How great that day will be for many people. Let's hope that happens quickly.

Thanks for your remarks and comments. I appreciate what everyone said. It helps me to understand better what is really happening in the world.

@NeverSleeps Hee hee. Actually the reason I decided it was time to move back stateside was because I didn't want to become one of the total freaks...

@DBlack I think living abroad that long has to make you a little strange...if you were not strange to begin with...

I'm definitely one of the freaks then! Although I grew up moving around, and am only half-American, so I'm not sure I count too much...

@Uraniumfish @ajadedidealist Think I am one, too. At least they say you are who you hang with.

@everyone I am a foreigner from a strange land so definitely strange/ a freak then heh!heh!