In advance of the United Nations World Oceans Day next week, Project 0, an ocean conservation organization, and beauty brand La Mer are installing a public art trail of fifty-four wave sculptures across New York City’s five boroughs. The sculptures, designed by such figures as artist Julian Schnabel, photographer Bruce Weber, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, entrepreneur Richard Branson, Queen Noor of Jordan, and actress Sienna Miller, will “transmit the artists’ personal joy, hope, and inspiration for the ocean.” The waves are scattered across the boroughs in such places as the World Trade Center, Yankee Stadium, Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza, Gantry Plaza State Park, and down the street from our office in front of the Fashion Institute of Technology! (This piece, titled "Harmony" by artist and model Tali Lennox, is meant to remind us of the "respect & harmony we must have toward nature.") The sculptures, the sale of which will benefit marine habitats, will only be installed until June 21st so be sure to catch a wave before it's too late!
Briana Pfleegor: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
The first concert that Briana, a paralegal at the firm, attended with her dad was Joan Jett & the Blackhearts at the Brookhaven Amphitheater. She was two. While she doesn’t remember the performance, it was the first of many concerts she and her father have attended together. Born and raised in Hicksville, Long Island (“A silly name for a town,” she says), it was easy for her and her dad to travel into the city to see bands. Highlights include Elbow, Mötley Crüe, and Good Charlotte (which they’ve seen four times).
Read moreThe Atlantic: “Why Americans Smile So Much”
When a Reddit user asked, “What’s a dead giveaway that someone is American?” many responses listed one particular trait: wide, enthusiastic smiles. A study suggests that the reason Americans smile so much may have something to do with our immigrant past. In this study, a group of international researchers examined the number of “source countries”—where individuals have emigrated from since the year 1500—in various countries. Canada and the US, for instance, are very diverse, with sixty-three and eighty-three source countries, respectively, while countries such as China and Zimbabwe have only a few different nationalities in their populations. After polling individuals from thirty-two countries to learn “how much they felt various feelings should be expressed openly, the authors found that emotional expressiveness was correlated with diversity.” In other words, in places with a lot of immigrants from different countries all speaking different languages, you might have to smile more to build friendship, trust, and cooperation.
Read moreAmerica’s Future
It's Summertime!
Inspired by our last two Friday photos (Seated Ballerina and Hippo Ballerina), Joseph took to the streets of New York to practice his moves in honor of the official start of summer this Memorial Day weekend. Neither torrential downpours nor his questionable ballet moves could stop his dancing feet in Times Square (the Elmo joined in), Coney Island (the runners in the Brooklyn Half were temporarily distracted by the pure joy on his face), and the High Line (where he started a conga line). He even brought his inspirational steps to the office at DLG and has us all two-stepping. Happy Memorial Day to all and may your summer be filled with dancing...
O-1 Visas: Not Just For Artists
One of the most common visa types our law firm prepares is the O-1 for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement. The O-1 is a temporary work visa granted in three-year increments with one-year extensions—allowing individuals of extraordinary ability to work in the United States for a single employer or sponsor. We’ve written a great deal about the O-1, from highlighting common misconceptions to imagining an O-1 consultation with a certain undersea character; however, one common misconception we have not spent a lot of time correcting is the assumption that O-1 visas are only for “artists.” While many artists are covered under this visa category, the defining characteristic of the O-1 is actually “extraordinary ability,” a distinction that can be made in nearly any field or industry.
Read moreThe Nation: “The Airport Lawyers Who Stood Up to Trump Are Under Attack”
The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), a Seattle nonprofit that offers legal aid to immigrants facing deportation and a group that was at the forefront of fighting President Trump’s Muslim travel ban, is facing disciplinary action from Jeff Sessions’s Department of Justice (DOJ). Four weeks ago, the DOJ issued a cease and desist letter demanding that the nonprofit group drop representation of their current clients and shut down their asylum-advisory program. The DOJ accused NWIRP of breaking a rule that was originally created in order to prevent attorney misconduct and protect people from lawyers or “notarios” who take their money, but ultimately drop their case. (We’ve previously written about “notarios” and other scams that immigrants face.)
Read moreSeated Ballerina
Seated Ballerina by Jeff Koons
Famed neo-pop artist Jeff Koons has a new piece in Rockefeller Center. The forty-five feet tall blonde inflatable ballerina, on display through June 2nd, is co-presented with Art Production Fund and Kiehl’s in order to raise awareness for National Missing Children’s Month. Koons says the installation is meant to convey a sense of inner strength and optimism, telling the New York Post: “I wanted something that anyone could look at and realize their own potential and dreams.” This ballerina is actually an oversized version of a sculpture from Koons’ “Antiquity” series that was inspired from a little Hungarian figurine he keeps in his home. The reflective metallic surface engages viewers by mirroring its surrounding environment. “I hope the installation of Seated Ballerina at Rockefeller Center offers a sense of affirmation and excitement to the viewer to reach their potential," Koons tells Artnet. "The aspect of reflectivity emulates life’s energy; it’s about contemplation and what it means to be a human being. It’s a very hopeful piece.”
Have You Ever Been Arrested?
Whether and how to divulge one’s history of contact with law enforcement is an area of substantial confusion among applicants for admission to the US under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as well as for applicants for visas, Green Cards, or citizenship. Not only can such a simple question conjure the very worst moments in someone’s life, the appearance of the question alone can portend a potential delay or denial of the benefit foreign nationals are seeking.
Read moreWashington Post: “A Muslim cook wanted to stop the hate. So she started inviting strangers to dinner.”
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.
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