Now that Barack Obama is officially our President-elect I can breath a little easier, but not let down my guard. I thought some who visit Brooklynsoc.org might be interested in reading some of the articles I have been writing for i-italy.org about the Presidential race from the point of view of Italians in the United States and Italy, (and one mezzo-siciliano). They are listed below with short abstracts and web links.

"Obamania or Obamaphobia: Italians in a Post-Bush America" (November 12, 2008)

I've just added a photo survey of the L'Eixample neighborhood in Barcelona to the photo archive.

Today is September 11, 2008. Seven Years Later and still America has not come to terms with what happened to us and what we did to others as a consequence. I have entered here some of what I wrote immediately after and one year later. I’ll post soon the photos I took in my Park slope neighborhood a few days after 9/11 and which was misinterpreted by many as simple patriotism as opposed to thoughtful commemoration of the victims and sympathy for friends and family. I’m going out soon to see how things have or have not changed on the streets.

When I read European newspapers and watch television news programs, like those in Italy, I know that political objectivity is not a problem for them as there is no claim of, or even illusion about, it. You get essentially whose ideas you paid for.

A few weeks ago I was giving a tour of multicultural Brooklyn to two journalists of sorts from France and was asked “Is America ready to elect a Black President?” I replied that America wasn’t ready but “America” doesn’t elect the President -- the electorate (a much smaller group) does. For example in 2004 about 60% of eligible voters voted and George W. Bush got half of that or about 30% of eligible voters; only 62 millions votes from a population of about 300 million; about 20% of the total population. So if only a fifth of America wasn’t racist Obama could win.

Evaluation (April 1–May 23, 2008)
Exhibition (June 27–August 10, 2008)

Prospect Heights, November 2007: Walking along Vanderbilt Avenue from Atlantic towards Grand Army Plaza. My neighborhood is one of the gentrification hot spots in Brooklyn. I've decided to try to photograph my neighborhood regularly to document how it is changing. Here are a few images I took when I was teaching a research seminar on visual ethnography last fall.

River to River Anti-War Rally: Photograph of my colleague David A. and myself carrying the PSC banner at the March River to River anti-war protest. Photograph taken by Scott D.

We've passed the fifth anniversary of the invasion and the 4000th death among U.S. soldiers. It is long past the time to end the occupation and bring the troops home.

The Professional Staff Congress has taken a strong anti-war stance. We will be tabling at Brooklyn College on May Day in solidarity with the ILWU strike. We are also promoting a BCAW event, Rock Against the War, on May 13th.

Casting stones while in glass houses seems to be a favorite pastime of politicians of all races, reglions, genders, and abilities. Take for example, Spitzer, Ferraro, not to mention Paterson, and "supporters" of Obama.

It is always a good idea before beginning a new quest to check on reality as we have come to know it. So, when I started writing this article to ascertain who and what is captivating America’s Collective Consciousness, I checked the “Hot Searches” on AOL. They were as follows: American Idol, Ashley Dupre, Big Brother, and Geraldine Ferraro.

The problem with trying to distinguish fact from fiction and reality from simulation in American politics today is that there is no difference.

Friends: I am a more or less regular contributor to i-italy.org which describes itself thusly: "We are a group of journalists, academics and “public intellectuals” determined to create an authoritative point of encounter, information, and debate on the Internet concerning Italy and Italian America." Therefore it makes most efficient sense for me to post in my BrooklynSoc.Org/Blog only the introductions to my i-italy posts with the appropriate link to the i-italy site.

Unlike most third-generation hyphenated-Americans, who are barely monolingual, I am not fluent in many other languages as well; Italian being only the best of a large collection of them. At 7 AM every weekday morning I stroll down the street to “Dizzies Finer Diner” where I read all the New York City daily newspapers, placing them carefully back in the rack when I am finished. So when, last Thursday (December 13, 2007), I perused Ian Fisher’s “In a Funk, Italy Sings an Aria of Disappointment” in The New York Times I was more than a bit amused.

We've added a couple of new albums to the photo archive, Montmartre and Belleville. Both are neighborhoods in Paris. The latter is a newly emerging Chinatown.

Professor Krase's work on Coney Island Avenue is discussed in a USA Today story:

What is it about Coney Island Avenue?

That's what Brooklyn College sociologist Jerry Krase wonders as he rides the B68 bus along this 5-mile commercial strip, which is populated at various stops by pockets of West Indians, Latinos, Pakistanis, Indians, Orthodox Jews, Chinese, Russians, Israelis and Ukrainians.

How do so many different kinds of people live so closely yet so peacefully?

Take a look, and then browse the CIA album in our photo archive.

"Safeguarding the rights of others is the most noble and beautiful end of a human being." - Kahlil Gibran

Some few months ago the New York City Department of Education, ever so carelessly, announced the birth of dozens of schools, however it seems at least one was a bit premature. The DOE seems to think that simply naming and announcing improves the poor state of public education in the city today. Some of the newbies had wonderful names such as “The School of the Future” which reminded me and my friend Michael of Ralph Kramden in the Honeymooners “Chef of the Future” skit when Ralph froze trying to “core a apple” during a live TV commercial - but then again perhaps we're showing our ages. Many of the other names indicated a welcome educational sensitively and focus on diverse cultures and languages.