Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:34:29 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Daniela Gerson :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Daniela+Gerson istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/style/shopping-open-in-air/73972/ Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST An outdoor flea market, opening amid much fanfare Sunday in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, will offer an intriguing mix of wares: In addition to antique furniture, picture postcards, vegan food, and vinyl records, the market will sell artisan perfumes, gold and silver jewelry, and a wide range of casual fashions. The venture is the brainchild of real estate blogger Jonathan Butler of the Web site, Brownstoner — thus, the market's name, Brownstoner's Brooklyn Flea. Situated on the grounds of Bishop... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/arts/stars-align-in-deutschland/48193/ Wed, 7 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST BERLIN — "Juxtapose the images of a chilly Berlin in February with a warm Mediterranean Cannes in May," the organizer of a New York film series recently said. "Not hard to understand why Cannes is the most popular festival." Indeed, this city's trademark dank and dismal winter weather will likely frame the Berlin International Film Festival's opening tomorrow evening. But while Cannes is the most famous, Berlin's festival, now in its 57th year, has its own distinctive buzz charging this city... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/irish-illegals-disheartened-by-rep-kings-about/31819/ Fri, 28 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST When a group of illegal Irish immigrants in the Bronx started agitating for visas last year, one of the first politicians they looked to for help was Rep. Peter King, a Republican of Long Island. That was before he introduced a bill that would make them criminals. Last December, Mr. King's enforcement-only immigration bill, which would make unlawful presence a felony and build a fence along the border with Mexico, passed in the House. To Irish immigrants who had hoped Mr. King, a longtime... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/passengers-from-golden-venture-plead-for-end/31718/ Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Passengers on the Golden Venture, the steamer that ran aground in Queens more than a decade ago, are pleading for Washington to put an end to their legal limbo. It has been 13 years since the ship, loaded with nearly 300 illegal Chinese immigrants, hit the Rockaway peninsula after a perilous journey, but scores of the passengers have yet to have their futures in America decided. On that night, 10 people are known to have died. Six disappeared, and the rest were detained and put into deportation... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/immigrant-activists-hoping-to-shine-light/31399/ Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Washington yesterday pledged to step up enforcement efforts against companies that hire illegal immigrants after announcing that a major raid on manufacturer IFCO Systems had uncovered evidence that more than half of its employees were illegal immigrants. More than 1,100 people at more than 40 IFCO sites in America were arrested and could be deported, the Associated Press reported. IFCO is based in the Netherlands. Some observers said the action, just days before the Senate will resume work on... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-york-is-losing-people-at-fastest-pace/31297/ Thu, 20 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST New York State is losing more residents than any other state in the country, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released early today. Based on surveys taken between 2000 and 2004, the figures show that New York replaced California as the net migration outflow leader, with an average of 182,886 people leaving a year, nearly double California's average for the same period. California led the nation between 1990 and 2000. The findings track the state-to-state movement in America. They do... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bloomberg-warns-against-strike-by-illegal/31064/ Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Building on street protests that have drawn public attention to the policy debate over immigration, some New York illegal immigrants are planning a one day strike on May 1 that Mayor Bloomberg is warning against. The strike was a topic of debate recently in the overcrowded Sunset Park, Brooklyn, apartment of four dry-clean pressers. The young men, illegal immigrants from the same rural village in Mexico, say they want to show America what it would be like if there were no immigrant labor or... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/illegal-immigrants-scrambling-to-pay-taxes-as/30872/ Wed, 12 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Business at Nuby Hurtado's small "multi-service" company in Queens is booming this tax season with illegal immigrants eager to get in good with the American government. As the Senate considered immigration reform in recent weeks, the most rapt audience likely has been the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. A key detail they have latched onto is how to qualify for citizenship through the programs under consideration. While the competing legalization proposals differ, one thing... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/tens-of-thousands-turn-out-to-rally-for-immigrant/30782/ Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST "I am fighting for my dad so he can get his papers," Brian Chicaiza, a skinny sixth-grader with greased hair, said after leaving his Queens elementary school early yesterday to join the ribbon of protesters stretching up Broadway from City Hall to SoHo at one of the largest mobilizations for immigrant rights in city history. The New York rally - like scores of coordinated marches across the country from small farming communities to the U.S. Capitol - gave a chance for America's usually... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/city-immigrants-looking-to-flex-their-muscles/30678/ Mon, 10 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Today, as part of a massive national mobilization calling for immediate immigration reform, New York organizers are striving to follow California's lead and show more immigrant muscle. As Congress has struggled to fix the nation's broken immigration system, mass mobilizations have drawn record numbers of immigrants in cities across the country: Last month, Chicago saw 30,000; Los Angeles, in the largest rally in its history, drew more than half a million. New York, meanwhile, has elicited... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/breakthrough-is-declared-on-immigration-reform/30586/ Fri, 7 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Senate Republican and Democratic leaders yesterday declared a major breakthrough on the immigration reform debate with a new bill they said had won enough Republican Senate support by limiting the number of illegal immigrants who have a path to citizenship without leaving America, a touchpoint in Washington, where the shadow of a 1986 amnesty failure has loomed large. Senators said President Bush provided assurance he would back the legislation, which would offer legal status to... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/immigrant-organizers-planning-rally-to-coincide/30603/ Fri, 7 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Immigrant organizers say activism is rising in New York as they attempt to catch up with the national demonstrations that have drawn hundreds of thousands in recent weeks. The largest local rally is expected to take place Monday, when, in coordination with similar mobilizations in scores of cities across the nation, immigrants will march from many points and converge at City Hall. Participants are being urged to dress in red, white, and blue and to carry American flags to avoid criticism that... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/republicans-offer-last-minute-plan-to-avoid/30499/ Thu, 6 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Republicans introduced a last-minute alternative immigration reform plan last night, as senators feared hitting an Easter recess deadline without having resolved their differences. With legalization of America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants the key point of contention among Republican lawmakers, the Republican senators' new plan is an attempt to escape charges that they are offering an amnesty. Instead of allowing all illegal immigrants who arrived more than two years... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/senate-showdown-on-immigration-set-by-democrats/30379/ Wed, 5 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats set up what they are calling a "showdown" vote on a bill to offer legal status to millions of illegal immigrants and create a new guest worker program, in the face of Republican senators who oppose to granting an amnesty. "It's time to bring this to a point where it can pass and can come into law," the Senate minority whip, Richard Durbin, a Democrat of Illinois, told reporters last night. "I feel if members on the other side of the aisle are going to be forced to... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/foreign/bush-calls-for-civility-in-immigration-debate/29772/ Fri, 24 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST President Bush adopted the role of referee in the immigration debate yesterday, coaching a "civil" exchange on a topic that has not yet reached the Senate floor but is already roiling Congress. Following a meeting with church, business, and immigration leaders, the president urged the nation's lawmakers and "people who like to comment on this issue, to make sure the rhetoric is in accord with our traditions." The Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, has set Monday as a deadline for the Senate... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/clinton-immigration-bill-would-make-jesus/29661/ Thu, 23 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Accusing Republicans of betraying family values, Senator Clinton said a House immigration bill would turn "probably even Jesus himself" into a criminal. A relative latecomer to the charged immigration debate, Mrs. Clinton yesterday spoke passionately to a gathering of a broad spectrum of New York's immigrant leaders. Her comments come amid a local groundswell of activity in preparation for a Senate vote Monday that is expected to determine the nature of immigration reform. While the House has... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-york-leads-nation-in-growth-rate-of-hispanic/29568/ Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Driven by a massive expansion in the Bronx, New York has led the nation in the growth rate of Hispanic-owned businesses in recent years. U.S. Census Bureau statistics released yesterday, taken from surveys in 1997 and 2002, reported the number of Hispanic-owned firms in New York grew 57%, nearly double the national rate of Hispanic-owned firms and more than five times the national average for all businesses. In the Bronx, growth reached 159% during that time period, and the county now has the... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/hispanic-owned-businesses-in-state-growing/29530/ Tue, 21 Mar 2006 10:03:02 EST The rapid recent growth of Hispanic-owned businesses in New York is outpacing the rest of the country, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released today. The figures, based on an analysis of surveys taken in 1997 and 2002, show that the number of Hispanic-owned firms in New York grew 57%, nearly double the national rate of Hispanic-owned firms and more than five times the national average for all businesses. Nationally, the nearly 1.6 million Hispanic-owned businesses constituted 7% of... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/after-a-start-that-raised-eyebrows-museum/29478/ Tue, 21 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Inspired by the civil rights movement, two young Chinese-American New Yorkers more than 25 years ago began attempting to coax Chinatown residents into sharing their stories. The pair was met with suspicion and was told to go away. "They thought we were with immigration or the IRS or the FBI," one of the activists, Charles Lai, said in recalling the frustrations of their early efforts. If trust could be established, he said, another obstacle would often arise: The laundry pressers and restaurant... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/specter-promotes-gold-cards-over-green-cards/29260/ Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Give them gold. That is what Senator Specter is promoting to solve the problem of America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. In an attempt to placate the immigration debate roiling Congress, Mr. Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has proposed a new status for illegal immigrants already in America. Instead of a green card, the coveted document signifying legal permanent residence, they would receive gold cards. The problem is, nobody seems... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/how-ms-ma-of-north-korea-seeks-asylum-in-america/29143/ Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST When starvation hit North Korea, Young Ae Ma watched countrymen who stole corn from fields being shot to death in public executions. On dozens of other occasions she witnessed official killings, including of friends and colleagues, for what seemed to be no reason at all. A diminutive dancer with striking presence, Ms. Ma worked as a spy for Pyongyang, a job she had no choice but to take. In 1999, during an intelligence gathering expedition to China, she received word that she would be... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/in-new-program-mexican-students-learn-basic/29071/ Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST A problem emerged not long after the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island opened its English as a Second Language program: Its Mexican students in many cases needed to be taught the basics of Spanish before they could even start to learn English. "If you don't know how to conjugate a verb in Spanish, it's almost impossible to learn a second language," the director of education and vocational training, Rose Shargo, said. Six weeks ago, with donated materials from the Mexican government, the... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/senators-ponder-200-mile-fence-to-deter-mexican/28936/ Fri, 10 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Lawmakers moved yesterday to create a 200-mile fence on the Arizona border as part of a larger effort to reduce the number of illegal immigrants. Building a fence along part of the 2,000-mile southwestern border in an attempt to halt the flow of illegal immigrants from Mexico, now estimated at more than 500,000 a year, has emerged as a contentious potential solution to America's border security problem. The House passed a bill last year that would create a 700-foot fence along the... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/irish-illegal-aliens-win-clinton-as-ally/28835/ Thu, 9 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST WASHINGTON - Not long after the pubs shut their doors for the night, the Bronx's Little Ireland sprang back to life yesterday. Hundreds of the city's newest wave of illegal Irish immigrants - students and carpenters, waitresses and nannies - descended on Woodlawn's main strip, bundled against the cold and cracking jokes as they waited in the dark to board buses headed for Washington. A few hours later, as the Senate Judiciary Committee began its second day of crafting an immigration bill, the... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/soaring-numbers-of-illegal-aliens-stir-reformers/28708/ Wed, 8 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST America's illegal immigrant population grew by more than 500,000 last year and is now approaching 12 million, according to a study released yesterday that politicians from both parties are already seizing on to add momentum to their drive to change the nation's immigration laws. The study, released by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, a nonpartisan group that is a leading authority on measuring the undocumented, was released as the Senate begins considering legislation to overhaul... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/employment-agencies-targeting-immigrants-often/28611/ Mon, 6 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST Early last month, with three young children and a wife to support back in his hometown in Colombia, Carlos, like thousands before him, turned to an employment agency - one that promised "the best employers and employees in New York City construction, restaurants, and taking care of older people." Today, he is $100 poorer and still unemployed. Employment agencies for manual laborers and domestic workers, flourishing in immigrant hubs such as Jackson Heights in Queens and Manhattan's Chinatown... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/strivers-wait-in-long-freezing-lines-for-a-shot/28422/ Thu, 2 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST After waiting in line two hours and 45 minutes, huddled with other immigrants against the cold, a freezing Giovanni Gusita was just short of entering the application support center of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Jackson Heights, Queens. "In summertime you don't mind, but in this weather it's something else," Mr. Gusita, a 36-year-old immigrant from Italy, said. "This treatment is so bad." Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security has... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/senators-homeland-security-wrongfully-turning/28436/ Thu, 2 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST An increasing number of Colombians are being kidnapped or killed after they have been denied visas to America, a community leader in Jackson Heights, Orlando Tobon, said. The root of the problem, he said, is that for about two years, "the government has not been giving political asylum to almost anyone." Most Colombian applicants are now disqualified because they have made material gifts to guerrilla organizations, even if they claim the gifts were made under duress. This and other policies... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mccain-promotes-his-immigration-reform-plan/28261/ Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Senator McCain came to New York last night to promote his immigration reform plan, which he said creates an "orderly way for people to come to this country, work and feed their families, and go back to their home country," as well as solving the problem of the "11 million people who live in the shadows" as illegal immigrants in America. The senator, a leading 2008 Republican presidential prospect, was greeted with cheers from hundreds of immigrants, union organizers, business leaders, and four... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/more-irish-the-better-schumer-says/28170/ Mon, 27 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST When Senator McCain rolls into town for an immigration reform rally this evening, he will be joined by many of the city's Democratic congressional representatives, but New York's senators are not expected. For months, national and local advocates have been frustrated that Senators Schumer and Clinton have not taken a public stance on the sensitive issue of changes in the nation's immigration laws. Then last week, news got out that Mr. Schumer had broken his silence in a speech to a newly formed... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/work-visas-for-central-americans-extended-causing/28115/ Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST While legalization for undocumented immigrants is looking increasingly unlikely, the Department of Homeland Security surprised many by announcing yesterday that it will extend for 12 months temporary worker visas that have been issued to more than 304,000 Central Americans. "It's a great relief in the midst of this uncertain situation, this anti-immigrant environment," the director of the Queens-based advocacy group Centro Hispano Cuzcatlan, Miguel Ramirez, said in Spanish. Nicaragua and... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/colombias-hustings-extend-here/28022/ Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST The owner of a Queens bridal shop, Rafael Castear, has made his home in New York for the last 40 of his 59 years, but that's not stopping him from running for a seat in Colombia's Congress. He is campaigning in New York and other American cities as well as Venezuela, Spain, and Puerto Rico. He has volunteers promoting him in five more countries with Colombian residents, from Austria to Japan. If he wins the March 12 election, he plans to open offices in Bogota and Queens. The congressional seat... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/court-rules-illegal-immigrants-eligible-for-lost/27964/ Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST New York's top court ruled yesterday that illegal immigrants are eligible to recover lost wages that result from workplace injuries. At issue was whether under state and federal immigration law undocumented workers should be afforded the same labor rights as legal workers. The Court of Appeals concluded yesterday, in a 5-2 decision, that illegal immigrants can receive personal injury compensation. Not providing it would actually hurt the enforcement of immigration laws, the court said... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/top-dollar-bananas/27917/ Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST The 25-cent banana from a fruit-stand vendor has long been a New York tradition, as dependable as a Parthenon coffee cup from a diner. But last week New Yorkers who plunked down a quarter and headed on their way were in for a shock: Vendors asked for more. Yesterday morning, one regular customer grabbed a banana at a fruit stand near City Hall. When he saw the price, 35 cents, freshly written on a cardboard sign, he muttered a disgruntled, "Why?" It's a question the vendor, Ahmed Minhaj, has... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mccain-plans-a-visit-to-rally-for-immigration/27801/ Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST A Republican senator is coming to New York to rally support for an immigration reform plan that is winning many fans in immigrant circles. He'll likely arrive before New York's Democratic senators even take a public stance on the divisive issue. Senator McCain, a Republican of Arizona who will likely run for president in 2008, will headline a town hall meeting and rally for immigration reform expected to attract 1,000 people to Lower Manhattan on February 27. The evening will be an opportunity... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/probe-sought-of-fbi-sweep-in-puerto-rico/27687/ Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST New York congressmen are demanding federal hearings and an investigation into a recent FBI counterterrorism sweep targeting a pro-independence group in Puerto Rico. The calls from Washington joined a mounting wave of demands from public officials - including the island's governor, chief of police, bar association, and every major journalism outlet - for an examination of protocol violations, such as the use of excessive force, during the six simultaneous raids Friday morning. Reps. Jose Serrano... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/immigrants-miscarriage-sparks-demand-for-change/27636/ Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Hoisting the image of a Chinese immigrant who miscarried twins while awaiting deportation, local elected officials and community leaders yesterday demanded "accountability" from federal immigration officials. They said maltreatment of immigrants in the deportation system extends far beyond the woman's case, which allegedly included her being pushed against a van, forced to leave for a plane to China without informing her young children - who are American citizens - and being denied medical... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/if-you-want-to-vamoose-in-deluxe-style-youre/27544/ Tue, 14 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST For travelers in search of a cheap bus ticket, once almost impossible to find outside of Chinatown, there is now a growing market servicing Midtown. And often the new bus lines are run not by Chinese immigrants but by chasidic Jews. Betty Ungar, the mother of 10 children, said she got the idea of starting a low-fare bus company while on vacation. "It was so expensive," Mrs. Ungar, 50, said of traveling on a conventional bus line. "I decided I could do something better and at a much better rate... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/terrorism-raid-in-puerto-rico-makes-waves-in-new/27431/ Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST An FBI sweep launched in Puerto Rico to prevent a "domestic terrorist attack" is eliciting widespread outrage on the island - and as far away as New York City - with critics accusing the agency of trying to use terrorism as a guise to turn public opinion against Puerto Rico's independence movement. The Friday morning raid on the U.S. commonwealth, which targeted five private homes and one business, was launched to prevent attacks from the Boricua Popular Army, the FBI said. The special agent in... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/many-unlicensed-illegal-immigrants-refusing/27292/ Thu, 9 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Despite a recent ban on granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants in New York, many of the city's undocumented immigrants - estimated to number more than 500,000 - have refused to stop driving. Some are doing so without identification or insurance and others are traveling hundreds of miles to buy such cards on the black market. About 252,000 New York State residents were found to have faulty or nonexistent Social Security numbers after the state adopted a policy to cull driver's licenses... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/board-of-elections-discriminates-against-minority/27132/ Tue, 7 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST The Board of Elections discriminates against minority voters, an Asian-American group charged in a lawsuit filed against the city yesterday. The suit alleges Chinese and Korean immigrants in New York City have been denied bilingual or interpretive services they are legally due, a violation of federal law. The suit was filed in federal court on behalf of four Asian advocacy groups and five immigrant voters by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and a pro bono co-counsel, Weil... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/national/minutemen-to-leave-posts-for-senate-protest/27080/ Mon, 6 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Hundreds of Minuteman Project volunteers are planning to abandon on Wednesday their posts at the country's borders and instead direct their energies toward the Senate. The civilian patrol group, whose members President Bush has described as "vigilantes," will plant itself on the Senate lawn and "invite all 100 senators to come and speak to us about the chaotic lack of immigration law enforcement," the group's founder, James Gilchrist, said. Wednesday's demonstration represents an effort by the... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/nypd-albany-focusing-on-human-trafficking-issue/27026/ Fri, 3 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Even after the maid's employer attempted to rape her and locked her in his basement for 40 hours, denying her food or water, the 34-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh was afraid to flee. When the employer unlocked the door and kicked her out of his house, she spent the night sleeping under a tree on the lawn. "I held onto his feet and I pleaded," the immigrant, who now has a special visa for victims of trafficking, told state senators yesterday at a hearing on human trafficking. "I was very... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/religious-leaders-call-on-nation-to-reform/26931/ Thu, 2 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Local religious leaders of nearly a dozen faiths yesterday called on the federal government to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants, even as the most recent immigration legislation passed in Congress moves in the opposite direction. Standing in Lower Manhattan, with the Statue of the Liberty in the distance, faith leaders from Sikh to Jewish to Muslim drew on their diverse traditions in presenting a moral imperative to reduce the time families wait to be reunited and to create a path... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/study-links-poor-housing-asthma-attacks/26695/ Mon, 30 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST When Gloria Reyes's heat shut off on a freezing night last week, a burning sensation flared in her lungs. Her asthma was acting up. Ms. Reyes, 51, was one of more than 300 residents of Bushwick, Brooklyn, surveyed last year in a study of the connection between poor housing and the prevalence of asthma attacks. The study, conducted by Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and the community group Make the Road by Walking, reported squalid conditions in the neighborhood: 69% live with cockroaches, 47%... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-immigration-movement-forms-in-irish-community/26696/ Mon, 30 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST The din from Rory Dolan's pub trickled in, but the hundreds of Irish immigrants packing an adjacent banquet hall in Yonkers last Friday night listened with rapt attention to the speakers before them. Mostly in their 20s and 30s, fair-skinned and clean-cut, they included construction workers and waitresses, small-business owners and parents of American citizens. Scores more were stuck in the hallway, and others pressed their faces against the fogged-up windows to get a glimpse in from outside... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/suozzi-says-he-favors-incentives-to-develop/26454/ Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST A presumed gubernatorial candidate, Thomas Suozzi, yesterday said he favors providing state incentives for the development of abandoned industrial sites. The Nassau County executive was the keynote speaker at a conference on reusing contaminated lands, or brownfields, for low- and middle-income development. About 300 government officials, city planners, developers, and community organizers attended. "The key with brownfields is for the government to help create an environment that will help... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/spitzer-wage-violation-actions-win-him-illegal/26260/ Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST Jose, a greengrocer worker in TriBeCa, has tried to avoid the attention of American authorities ever since he stole across the border near Tijuana, Mexico, when he was 14. Four years ago, though, lawyers from the office of the state attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, asked him to testify against his employer for wage violations. "They said it made no difference if we had papers or not, that illegal status had no importance," he said in Spanish. Mr. Spitzer is most famous for going after Wall... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/haitians-facing-deportation-seek-special-visa/26230/ Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST In an attempt to circumvent the Bush administration, lawyers representing Haitians facing deportation filed motions yesterday asking courts across the country to stop removals to that country because of its deteriorating human rights conditions. The Haitian government requested temporary protected status for its residents in America more than a year ago, possibly affecting thousands of Haitians living in this country illegally. This special visa, which the Department of Homeland Security grants... DANIELA GERSON http://www.nysun.com/new-york/radio-city-to-host-falun-gong-china-government/25976/ Tue, 17 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST Radio City Music Hall is hosting shows by a Chinese dissident group and the country's communist government this weekend. On Friday and Saturday there will be a Falun Gong-linked Chinese New Year's Celebration; on Monday the Chinese government will stage its own concert, with a song the spiritual group's members say China uses when it tortures its members. Yesterday on one side of Sixth Avenue, smiling women dressed in satin gowns and with braids wound high on their heads, entreated passersby to...