Research Articles

GEIST, W. E. “About New York: Melting Pot Bubbles in Rego Park.” New York Times (1857-Current file) Apr 24 1986: B1.

This article presents the emerging diversity issues in Queens’s public schools at the time. The main focus of this article is on Halsey Junior High School in Rego Park, Queens. The principal at the time when the article was written was Domenick Uzzi who remarked “The diversity can be annoying.” The student body represented countless countries and spoke 34 different languages and dialects. Roll calls for the teachers were the most difficult part of the day because of the unfamiliar pronunciations and difference in the way first and last names are arraigned. Most of the foreign students adopted English nicknames but they changed them at their own liking which added to the confusion. The only hope of sorting and categorizing these students were by their pocket translation dictionaries. Beside the confusion most teachers enjoyed teaching at the junior high school. “Teachers said they found the mix stimulating and energizing, if sometimes confusing.” They were amazed to discover how fast the students where learning English and assimilating American culture. They also believed because of the diversity the students learned tolerance and acceptance. Even the teachers themselves learned a thing or two about the cultures of their students and how strict schools operated in their student’s native countries.

SENGUPTA, S. “In Queens, Integration Tool Skips Racially Isolated Schools.” New York Times (1857-Current file) Feb 23 1999: B1.

This article describes the efforts made by the public school system to create magnet schools in an attempt to draw private school white students back into public schools and create more racially mixed public schools. Magnet school are public schools, “which offers special programs intended to attract students who will take a school closer to what the Government considers the ideal mix of 50 percent white and 50 percent minority group students.” The article is mainly focused on Community School District 28 which is Queens. Most of the $5 million allocated to District 2, out of the total $95 million in grant money, from a Federal program intended to promote racial integration was divided in favor of the northern district, consisting of Forest Hills and Rego Park, where the schools are already racially integrated instead of the southern district, mainly Jamaica, where the schools are predominately black. District officials decided to favor the northern district because of two main reasons. One, by giving most of the money to already racially integrated schools will attract more white students if not then at least prevent them from leaving. And two, because most previous attempts to attract white students to southern district schools have failed. The officials also mentioned the southern school received a portion of the $8 million from another Federal program for poorer schools.