When Amanda Saab—a social worker, amateur chef, and practicing Muslim who wears a hijab—heard then-presidential candidate Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigrants to the US, she realized that a lot of Americans must not know any Muslims. “Have I played a part in that?” she asked herself. “Have I not reached out to people and given them an opportunity to meet me?” Her solution? Invite strangers to dinner.
Read moreKeep On
Hippo Ballerina
Bjorn Skaarup's Hippo Ballerina.
I love Bjorn Skaarup's adorable Hippo Ballerina. Inspired by Degas’ “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” and the dancing hippos of Walt Disney’s “Fantasia,” the Hippo is a copper tutu-clad bronze sculpture standing over fifteen feet tall by the Danish artist. The piece "vividly illustrates the artist’s ability to reinterpret subjects and themes found in ancient myths, art history, modern animation, and contemporary popular culture in playful ways that engage the viewer." The Hippo is at Dante Park near Lincoln Center through July 31, 2017. Go on. Dance with the Hippo. People won't stare too much.
Union and Peer Group Consultation Letters for O Visa Petitions: a Q&A
Obtaining a US work visa can be a complex and daunting process. To obtain an O-1, for example, petitioners/sponsors must gather evidence to establish that the foreign national they wish to employ or represent is extraordinary. This evidence may include press citations, critical reviews, samples of the foreign national’s work, contracts, endorsements, testimonials, and evidence of high salary, among other items. So it’s understandable that after all the evidence is obtained and the O-1 petition is prepared and signed, many petitioners and their foreign national beneficiaries are surprised to find out that before their cases can be filed with US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), the petitioner/sponsor needs to obtain a “consultation letter” from a relevant labor organization or peer group.
Read moreNew York Times: "Why Even a Live-Tweeting Senator Couldn’t Stop a Deportation”
Last Wednesday, Senator Bob Casey from Pennsylvania tried to stop a deportation on Twitter. The senator had been informed about the plight of a Honduran woman and her son who had tried to seek refuge in the United States after hit men killed her cousin in Honduras. She crossed the US/Mexico border in Texas in December 2015, but failed to pass her credible fear interview, which is necessary to seek asylum. After being held at a detention center in Pennsylvania with her son for over a year, she was going to be returned to Honduras that day.
Read moreThank You for Loving Me
Our New Italian Outpost
Puglia, a southern region forming the heel of Italy’s “boot," is famous for its whitewashed hill towns, old farmland, and miles of beautiful Mediterranean coastline (the most coastline of any region in mainland Italy). Alberobello, picture here, and the Itria Valley feature many “trulli,” white-washed stone huts with those distinctive conical roofs. Lately we've been thinking that perhaps it would be a good idea to open up a location abroad, and so I took it upon myself to look for potential new office spaces. Think this might be a good place? Before you answer have another glass of red wine, some homemade orecchiette with cime di rapa (broccoli rabe) and garlic, and, to finish it off, a pasticciotto, a traditional regional dessert with a flaky outer crust filled with creamy custard. Yes, this would be a good place.
New York Times: "Office to Aid Crime Victims Is Latest Step in Crackdown on Immigrants"
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week announced the creation of an office to assist victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, part of an effort by President Trump to aggressively curtail undocumented immigration. The office, called Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE), is part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency tasked with deportations, and was created in response to President Trump’s January executive order, Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, which also prioritized the removal of large numbers of the unlawfully present immigrant population and expanded the “expedited removal” process.
Read moreImmigrants (We Get the Job Done)
Gulliver's Gate
A mix of our old and new neighborhood.
Gulliver's Gate, located in Times Square, is a fascinating new $40 million miniature exhibit featuring scenes from fifty nations around the world. The miniatures include iconic landmarks, monuments, and world wonders, all brought to life with a blend of modern technology that includes self-driving cars, trains, and moving trams, coupled with stunning attention to old-fashioned model craftsmanship. Top artists from around the world came together to create the buildings and scenes that include 1,000 trains, 10,000 cars and 100,000 tiny people. The New York City section, titled "Metropolis," took nearly a year to make.
"Gulliver's Gate is both tiny and fascinating and overwhelming all at the same time," Jason Hackett, the attraction's chief marketing officer, tells CNet. "A big theme for us is this idea of reveal and how scale can help you understand the world better." While not geographical correct, we enjoyed the part of the New York City scene that mixed buildings from our old neighborhood in the Meatpacking District (hello, Standard Hotel and Whitney Museum!) with our new neighborhood (hello, Penn Station!). Also check out the rooftop party and that one hotel room in the Standard which may or may not feature exhibitionists!
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