La historia de Felix: qué ha pasado con los migrantes del Roosevelt Hotel

Author

Eduardo A. Gonzalez Quintero, Craig Newmark Graduate School of JournalismFollow

Graduation Date

Fall 12-13-2023

Grading Professor

Adriana Gallardo

Subject Concentration

Spanish Language

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

During the last week of July, a large group of migrants from Central and South America and Africa arrived at the Roosevelt Hotel to apply for a place in New York City's asylum system.

The scene was, in a way, dystopian: hundreds of people lying or leaning against each other, trying to rest from their exhausting journeys and covering themselves from the relentless New York summer sun, in front of dozens of photographers and reporters looking for the perfect shot and the perfect interview for their stories.

These testimonies, published in multiple outlets, showed that despite the big social, political, and language differences, they shared common goals: start a new American life, get a job, support themselves, and help their families who remained in their place of origin.

This work is a chronicle of the life of Felix Espinoza since he arrived in New York that day at that hotel in Midtown, Manhattan. His attempts to find a way to live, to live in a shelter, to navigate the shortages. This work is also an account of some of the political events that shaped the lives of the asylum seekers.

Recommended Citation

Gonzalez Quintero, Eduardo A., "La historia de Felix: qué ha pasado con los migrantes del Roosevelt Hotel" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/679