After taking a tour of Melbourne, Sydney, Beijing, and Shanghai, the Paparazzi Dogs are in New York City! The dogmen, as they are also called, were created by contemporary artists Gillie and Marc, and are currently “taking photographs” in Greenwich Village, after having visited Brooklyn’s DUMBO. “We’re so excited that our Pap Dogs are in New York!” Gillie says on their website. “They’ve traveled the globe taking photos, and now they’ve arrived at the place that has been photographed more than anywhere else.” The Sydney-based husband and wife duo created the series of four life-sized dog sculptures in 2013 and the dogs quickly created such a buzz that celebrities such as Snoop Dogg came to have their photo taken with the dogmen. Gillie and Marc created the sculptures in hopes of raising awareness about the tragic death of the late Princess Diana, which has been blamed in part on overzealous paparazzi. Although the message behind the sculptures is serious, don’t worry, the dogmen are pretty adorable. And don’t worry: they won’t bite!
Paparazzi Dogs
Oasis: LGBTQ Wellness Center for Latinos and Immigrants
As the largest minority group in the US, Latinos/Hispanics are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. To help deal with this crisis, the Latino Commission on AIDS, a nonprofit based in New York City, founded Oasis, which “provides compassionate, comprehensive and culturally competent wellness services to the LGBT community in New York City.” Operating for nearly a year now, Oasis provides vital HIV and Hep C testing, PrEP counseling, workshops, as well as related programs and services for those in the Latino/Hispanic and immigrant communities.
Read moreNew York Times: “Supreme Court Bars Favoring Mothers Over Fathers in Citizenship Case”
The Supreme Court ruled last week that unwed mothers cannot be treated differently than unwed fathers when it comes to matters of children claiming American citizenship, since the gender-based difference violates the equal protection granted by the Constitution. The ruling came out of a case brought by Luis Ramon Morales-Santana, born in the Dominican Republic in 1962 to unwed parents, whose father was an American citizen and a mother who was a non-citizen. Morales-Santana, who has been living in the United States since he was thirteen, was convicted for robbery and attempted murder, among other crimes, causing federal authorities to seek his removal from the US.
Read moreDiversity Makes Us Stronger
Metropolis
The Metropolis building ("Edificio Metrópolis") is one of Madrid's most famous landmarks. Designed in the early 1900s by the French architects Jules and Raymond Février for the insurance company Unión y el Fenix Español (the building was later purchased by rival insurance company Metrópolis Seguros), the French Beaux-Arts style was unusual in its time. The statues resting on the Corinthian twin columns represent Trade, Agriculture, Industry, and Mining. The building is topped with a beautiful black dome with gilded ornaments. Although many have mistaken the statue on the dome for Joseph, it is the winged goddess Victoria, designed by the Spanish sculptor Federico Coullaut-Valera Mendigutia. Joseph does sometimes wear angel wings to the office, which is where the confusion arises.
Trusted Traveler Programs
Taking my shoes off at airport security is one of my biggest pet peeves (apart from waiting in long lines). While it’s certainly understandable that in a post-9/11 world, security must be tight, for frequent travelers waiting in long security lines and dealing with restrictions on carry-on items are some of the least pleasant aspects of flying (and that’s including airline food). And the restrictions keep coming. Most recently, the Trump administration barred passengers on foreign airlines headed to the US from ten airports in eight majority-Muslim countries from carrying “personal electronic devices (PEDs) larger than a cell phone or smart phone,” and US officials have even discussed expanding the ban to include flights to the US from Europe. Who knows what might come next.
Read moreNew York Times: “Immigrants Triumph at the Oscars of American Fashion”
Every June the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) honors the best in fashion design at the CFDA Fashion Awards. Established in 1981, these awards are the “highest honor” in fashion honoring outstanding contributions to American fashion in women’s wear, men’s wear, and accessories, as well as journalism and lifetime achievement, among other categories. The event, held last week, celebrated not only some of the world’s greatest fashion designers working in America, but also importantly, immigrants. “Fashion is an industry where the real insiders are all outsiders,” Pat McGrath, British makeup artist and winner of the Founder's Award, told the crowd. That statement was especially true this year: the top three major awards of the evening—for Designer of the Year in women’s wear, men’s wear, and accessories—went to foreign designers working in the US.
Read moreA Better America
Our New Telephones
We are very excited about our new telephones. Joseph tested them out thoroughly this afternoon. As our most outgoing and talkative staff member, Joseph is a natural choice as telephone operator. Here you can see how precisely he handles each call, answers questions, makes transfers, and, most importantly, stays calm. Well done, Joseph!