Urbanization In The New York City

New York City remains as the largest city of the United States, and to many it is considered one of the greatest cities in the world. Since its beginning as the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, the city has been challenged by the integration of millions of immigrants with a variety of cultures, languages, and different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This has not only defined the city’s rich history and diverse metropolis, but its contributions to the American way of life and culture remains relevant in the present. Since the establishment of the city, immigration from all over the world has influenced aspects of the economy, urban planning, and intergroup relations to form a set of interconnected factors that have molded the landscape of

New York City today makes up the largest regional urban economy in the United States. It has been able to recover from tough financial crises, particularly the recent Great Recession of 2008. The city is home of the New York Stock Exchange, which was founded in the early 1800s and is “the most influential securities exchange in the world” (Ross). Manhattan leads the growth of employment in the city with its office-using sector. All sectors of the economy are growing, but this growth is usually concentrated in either very high-paying occupations or low-skilled ones. (Weisbrod et al.) Many of the workers trapped in the low-paying occupation are immigrants, constituting almost 40 percent of the city’s population. They are currently facing an unfortunate paradox: immigrants make up nearly half of the city’s workforce and their rates of employment are higher native New Yorkers, yet they are “disproportionally clustered in low-wage occupations and are frequently taken advantage of by both exploitative employers and predatory employment agencies” (Hamaji and Gonzalez Rivera). By helping immigrants address their barriers in the job market, the workforce development system would greatly benefit from their diverse skills as the workers reach their full potential in their jobs (Hamaji and Gonzalez

New York’s first role in the garment industry traces back to the manufacturing of clothes for Southern slaves. The European immigrants who arrived in the early 1800s made a significant impact in the clothing industry because of their cheap labor and their need to manufacture garments that would preserve their cultural background in the New World. New and original creations were made as these were adapted to European styles, which influenced fashion trends around the world (Stefanyshyn). Although unequal distribution of income has characterized the manufacturing industry since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the prestigious fashion industry in New York City today deals with additional issues. The New York Fashion Week is an event that best demonstrates the abuses and unregulated measures of this industry, especially towards young women. Independent contractors take advantage of the absence of workplace regulations, and many of them become involved in cases of sexual abuse, children labour, and systematic theft. There is also a lack of financial transparency, since many models don’t end up getting paid or they are given clothes in exchange for their work