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December 11, 2013

I do not wish to run… I’d be happy to crawl ( The Caste System of A Poor Business)

Today I went on a 45 minute break and was told by my boss to get someone to cover for me if I decide to go on another “long” break again. To put this in context I am the only one working in customer service for 15 companies and there is no one else to cover for me. I am also currently working nine and a half hour shifts. By law I am required at least an hour break.

(As you can see this is clearly illegal)

I have never owned a business before, nor have I been the C.E.O of anything other than myself. However from managing different kinds of people for years and having a behavioral sociology degree I have always been curious about others and am hyper aware of my surroundings. One thing is for sure. As Robert Frost said, “The World is full of willing people… those willing to work and those willing to let them.” In other words there are those who work and then there are those who take advantage. I see myself as the former; however it is a double edged sword. This quote implies that you are either being taken advantage of or you are taking advantage of someone else. I do not believe fully in this quote as a good working environment consist of people working towards the same goal. It is the definition of teamwork.

Being part of the millennial generation who strives for happiness and meaning working in a 1950’s corporate environment is not something anyone would strive for. I do not mind working in an office, by all means. I am very on task and love working with people. However, there is something de-humanizing about this specific workplace. It is all about humanization. People want to feel like human beings at the end of the day. Working for a company that does not even care to fake caring about its employees is what ruins a business. At least some corporate jobs pretend to care. The one I work for does not.

I have found that there is a caste system to poor businesses.

Caste System of Poor Business:

The Old King:

Hardheaded leader who does not listen to his/her employees and delegates unreasonable rules/ jobs and deadlines. The King asks for things in which he is not willing to provide the resources for. The king sees everyone as disposable. (ex. He recently asked the only marketing employee for the entire company to count how many jars were in a video while she was in the middle of an important meeting)

The Lazy Queen:

Has been in the company enough to know the ins and outs, but also long enough to only pretend to care. The queen has the power to leave the company for months at a time and have a job when she gets back. She also knows everything that is going on constantly.

The Gatekeeper:

Feels the need to remind everyone that he/she has “power.” Does not allow others to ever feel comfortable at what they do. He/She likes to withhold information from peers and chooses who they will stand up for and who they will put down. “Allowed in or out” Once they make their choice, there is no turning back.

The guard dog:

This person has not been in the company for long, but somehow holds power. He/she likes to “bark” orders and follow you around regardless of whether they are your superior or not. This person went to school for something completely unrelated than her career. When guard dog barks they are secretly convincing themselves that they are important to the company.

The Fool:

This person has been in the company long enough to know what needs to be done in order to keep under the radar. He/She does “just enough,” work so that they do not get in trouble. This person has no shame and will C.C the king on all e-mails. He/She knows that the only way to stay in the castle is by playing dumb. The fool gets away with everything.

The slaves:

These are the people who keep the company running, but get no credit are underpaid and get sanctioned if they try to stand up for themselves. The slaves are also required to “keep a positive attitude.” Slaves get the jobs in which The Fool, The queen, the king and Guard Dog are not “in the mood,” to take care of. Slaves are also constantly told that the person who previously held the job title was “better,” in one way or another. However, the previous slaves quit for the same reason the current slaves contemplate on leaving.

There will always be a hierarchy in any group situation, much more so a company. However, there is no reason why anyone should feel dehumanized in any way shape or form. I know that our generation may be asking too much by wanting to work for a company that cares about the happiness of their employees. There are some jobs, although they are not as chic as Google or Viacom try daily to make their employees feel needed and welcomed.

(Google offices)

Although I am the only customer service representative and VRP manager for the entire company, I not only do not feel needed, but I do not feel human. Whenever I do feel human they make it an effort to put me down.

I do not wish to run… I’d be happy to crawl, but walking upright is what I deserve.

December 4, 2013

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… To accept the things I cannot change…. ( An Informal Letter to my American Dominicans)

While I watch my neighborhood change before my eyes and my parents country go backwards in time, I’ve never felt so helpless.

Just so that there is no confusion on this sensitive subject. I, like many, many other Dominicans believe that what we are doing to our Haitian people is horrible and inhumane. We are kicking them out of a home that we ourselves gave them despite our past.

Just as our people are the abusers back in our home country, here in the U.S we are the victims.

However, the problem lies in the complexity of the solution. What is a solution to one of our problems is the perpetrator in the other. We must lower our pride in order to stop victimizing our neighbors, but at the same time we must also have enough pride to stop the gentrification going on in our neighborhood here in New York.

Some people never find a home. And no matter how much I have stated that I am a citizen of the world, it is something else to have no home to relate to. No people to dance with proudly.

There is a difference between pride for where you came from, because it is a huge part of who you are and nationalism. One of the things that disgust me the most is nationalism. To think that the ground you were born on can do no wrong while the nation others were born in is not nearly as good as yours is simply disgusting. However, the fact that many Dominicans who come to the U.S are the complete opposite of nationalistic is a beautiful thing.

There was a reason why our parents left, but we also need to remember that there is also a reason why we go back every year and our hearts light up when we listen to perico ripiao and Juan Luis Guerra. Just Because we don’t sell and buy only to our people or beg others to visit our homeland or create enemies in the U.S from wars being fought back home does not mean that we do not love where we are from.

However, at a time like this where our country is going so backwards with nationalism the ability of Dominicans to see the truth and stand beside it is what we should focus on and do something about. Lets not start to hate ourselves for the actions of the few. Sharing news to those that do not belong to our country is like selling your apartment in Washington Heights to The very people raising the rent.

We need to do something, not add more fuel to a fire we have no idea how to put out.

Lately I have been living my daily life in peace. But it feels like there is a deep hole in my heart that only comes from feeling as if every piece of soil is being taken away from me , as I watch. This existential issue is something that dying relatives and orphans feel. And our parents have worked to hard for us to never have to feel this way.

We must take back our country by allowing those who have helped it thrive live in peace. I don’t know how but we must. And we must take back our neighborhood.

What will we show our children? All they will know are restaurants that will charge $20 for a plate of plantains to those who don’t know they are 4 for a dollar. Or what our Afro Caribbean country is doing to our Haitian people.

Lets not accept the things we can change. Lets fight against it, before our only choice is to accept.

Remember what makes us great and change anything that does not.

November 20, 2013

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5 Pointz : Gentrification in its Physical Form – Ana J Urena

Gentrification is a hipster’s largest irony. For a culture that values irony, an irony this big can only be seen as magical. The destruction of 5 pointz in order to build a condominium for those who want to live in the future Williamsburg is one of the saddest ironies to date. This is part of the grand finally that is the taking over of NYC by the people who used to only worship from afar. Now they are the cause of its destruction. Here lie our childhood memories while they go back to Chicago, Baltimore, Ohio or whatever they came from for the holidays. Old New Yorkers came from countries where most had no choice, but to leave. New York is the only home they know. Here lies the largest physical manifestation of gentrification. When a city built from art is destroyed by those who want to simply live around it there is no other way to describe it, but a as sad joke.

“You Have Buff, We Have Heart!”

Born New Yorkers are just slaves. We have given our blood, sweat and tears to a place we had no choice but to call home only to see our “masters,” (those with money) reap the benefits that we have worked so hard for. Once we can no longer afford to live here, where will our next plantation be? Where else will we be able to go and help build up from the rubble so that once we have fixed it the rich can reclaim the land we have worked so hard on?

“It cost approx $20,000 to paint this building overnight. Imagine what a $20,000 donation would have done to families that won’t have a meal this Thanksgiving.” – C

If anything the tearing down of free art and culture in order to build pricey condominiums is nothing short of slavery. The working class of New York City is given a plot of land. At first this land is forsaken by the mayors and police. This land is crime ridden and even frowned upon. The people there sustain it and endure it until it is “cool” enough for the city to take notice. It is as if every time true New Yorkers stand up there is a hammer waiting to strike us down. Lets not forget that the only reason the area is even habitable is due to the artist who have made it so. Isn’t this ironic?

Much like any other story of gentrification, what makes this different is that this story has a clear cut definition of value. There was no one who walked by 5 pointz and did not stare in awe. No one in their right mind could ever deny how beautiful 5 pointz was. In other instances of gentrification, the city tries to cover up our displacement by telling us that we are “better off.” By telling us that our schools will make our children smarter, our apartments will be properly attended to and our streets will have less crime. The city moves in when it is safe enough to do so and they push us true New Yorkers out. The art lost in 5 pointz means a lot more to me and many New Yorkers than just spray paint on walls. It signifies how little the city cares about its people and it reminds us of the bottom line.

Here lies the physical manifestation of gentrification. 5pointz , R.I.P

(All Photos taken by Ana J Urena in 5 Pointz before and after the artwork was covered )

November 19, 2013

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In the Middle of a Huge World….

Found a tiny door the size of my hand in the middle of this huge world. My day just got brighter.

November 13, 2013

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The Pursuit of Plan B

“I Want to Be a Millennial When I Retire.” By Jim Sollisch, is written by a father who is proud of his son for living the life of a retired millionaire as he called it. Jim’s son is a 25 year old musician who does not ask for money from his parents and is able to live of his small tours and substitute teaching. Max, Jim’s son is living the new American dream. This dream consists of living the life many Americans live at retirement, now. This new American dream consists of doing what you love so that you never have to work a day in your life. When initially reading this article you cannot help, but feel happy for max. This editorial will aspire you to be like him and live out your dream while you are still young. This is true happiness. Me being a millennial in my early 20’s I thought, “I want to live a life like Max.”

However, soon after reading the article I could not help, but feel the walls around me getting smaller. As someone who has not asked my parents for money in over ten years it is hurtful to see another version of the American dream placed in front of you that you once again, cannot achieve. As if the original American dream was not difficult enough as a 2nd generation immigrant with college loans to pay and no health care, the alternative dream requires something that you cannot gain through hard work. The alternative American dream of living off your vision requires a safety net.

It is difficult to live out your dream when you know no one is there to break your fall. As Jen Indiana commented, “I have noticed children of very financially comfortable parents are more likely to pursue the arts as a career than those of us who struggled growing up.” I do believe that everyone should attempt this unorthodox view of happiness; however one of the many problems with the millennial generation is that many of us do not realize that there are struggles occurring in our own backyard beyond not being able to get a job soon after college. We do not realize that this country still has second generation Americans who do not have the means to even attempt to live a life by pursuing their dream.

There is still a hierarchy of needs in place that come with being a human being. As Abraham Maslow describes, only after we have all our needs met for survival can we pursue self-actualization. Max clearly has his main survival needs met and had them met when he first began pursuing his dream earlier in life. Without that it would not have been a lighthearted article, but one of hardship and poverty.

It is hard to see the bright side of things when you have struggled to get out of darkness for so long. I am happy for Max, but wonder if those who continue to struggle have a chance at the plan B American dream.