Educational Immigrants Finding Jobs in Queens

Educated Immigrants with college degrees are moving to Queens, NY and having a rough time finding high paying jobs and careers in their desired fields. Queens, also known as “The Worlds Borough” is one of the most diverse regions in the United States. Nearly half of the 2.3 million residents born abroad hail from over 120 countries and speak over 125 languages. 

Educated immigrants are pouring into Jackson Heights and Elmhurst of Queens, NY and facing the problem of not being offered high paying jobs even though they have University degrees and educational background, being forced to work in restaurants and cell phone shops. Most of these educated immigrants come to America to escape their home situation and live the American dream, to get a good job and make money to support their families.

Naveed Alam, a 28 year old Pakistani man, moved to Jackson Heights, Queens a year and a half ago. Alam has a Bachelors degree in accounting and an information technology from the University of Karachi. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Alam went to school and played the electric guitar in a rock and jazz band. Today, he is helping his Uncle run a small cell phone and accessories store in Queens, just next to Diversity Plaza. 

“I came here to America for a better life. I came because the medical is better than in my country and because the job I want is here.” Said Alam. “I first tried with connections through family friends because I knew no one. I looked online, I send out resumes and emails. I hear nothing back.” 

Alam dreams of working for Microsoft or another technical firm. He is convinced that he needs to go back to an American University for a Masters Degree to secure a job, “Getting a Masters degree to me means getting a job. Even though I know everything without a degree, with my 

experience and training, I will not get a job. I guess that is a negative in this country, because back in my country I can get the job I deserve.” 

Alam is not alone in his search for a higher paying job. 40 year-old Syed Zaidi has lived in Queens for 16 years and still hasn't found his dream job. Like Alam, Zaidi has a Bachelors in IT from the University of Karachi. He even took classes at the City University of New York on Computer Technology, “New York is a really hard place to get a job.” said Zaidi “I have knowledge and degrees, but I just can’t seem to find anything here.” Zaidi said his best chances would to apply to companies in Pennsylvania, but hey! refuses to do so, “I don’t want to move. I love New York. I love Queens. This was my first stop when I arrived here. My family is here. My wife, children, sister and brother. I don’t want to go anywhere.” Right now Zaidi is taking business courses at CUNY when he is not working or with his family. 

Queens, NY 2016

BOAT LIFE IN BOSTON

 The temperature hovered around 30 degrees on recent a December morning in the Charleston neighborhood of Boston. Rested residents woke from their slumber in their warm, cozy homes as the sun graced the city with light, but a few hardy souls woke up from their slumber in Boston Harbor, sleeping on the water!
Travel over the Charles River across from Boston’s historical North End, and you’ll find a small boating community in the Constitution Marina on Boston Harbor. There are more than 90 boats docked at the marina and many of them are occupied by people who call the vessels their permanent homes. Marina living is much like living in an apartment or condominium complex. A gated community, the collection of power boats and sail boats are accessorized with welcome mats that sit outside their front doors. For the holiday season, wreathes, small Christmas trees and stockings are seen through the plastic tarps and shrink wrap that protect the boats from the rain, sleet and snow during the winter.  Mail is delivered to the marina clubhouse where there is also a community swimming pool, hot tub, gas grills, showers and laundry machines. Electricity, cable and Wi-Fi are all available. Need an extra room for visitors; just reserve them a spot at the marina’s Bed and Breakfast Afloat. Through the bone-chilling winters and humid summers, you will find a diverse group of residents braving the elements year-round. From infants to adults, professionals to laborers, families to singles, all live on their boats year-round.
Among this small community is Dave DeAngelis, a 40-year-old native of North Kingstown, RI.  DeAngelis grew up in an active boating family and his father, according to DeAngelis, passed on his love of sailing to his son. Before he could walk, DeAngelis was setting sail on Narragansett Bay with his mother, father and brother. The 45-minute voyage was spent learning how to tie knots and raise sails. “I very much loved it!” says DeAngelis. “We would spend holidays and vacations sailing. It was great bonding.”
As DeAngelis grew, so did his passion for sailing. While most 14-year-old boys spend their allowances on junk food and video games, DeAngelis instead saved his money and bought his first boat. For three grand the high-schooler was the proud owner of a 13-foot Boston Whaler. “It was great!” said DeAngelis, “well worth the money.”
After graduating from high school, DeAngelis set forth on his college journey. He attended Plymouth State University in New Hampshire and majored in geography. He then got his Master’s at Western Illinois University. After working at other universities in student leadership positions, including Texas A&M, DeAngelis found his way to Suffolk University. As Director of Student Leadership and Involvement, DeAngelis works closely with Suffolk students in the Journey Leadership Program and the Program Council.
Living on a boat wasn’t always in DeAngelis’ plan until a friend convinced him of the advantages of the living aboard lifestyle. DeAngelis’ current boat is nothing short of a floating urban apartment. The 40-foot long C&C Sailboat holds a water heater, kitchen, refrigerator, freezer, full bath, bedroom, two flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi and a view of the Boston skyline for his backyard.
DeAngelis’ floating condo is nestled among some famous historical neighbors. The marina is located on the Freedom Trail and DeAngelis has views of both the Bunker Hill monument and the USS Constitution from his vessel.  “It’s cool to look out your window and see it there.” says DeAngelis of the mighty frigate. He sadly noted, however, that the Constitution would be moving out of the neighborhood in 2015 to undergo maintenance and repairs.
Besides the USS Constitution, DeAngelis has other neighbors whom he considers somewhat of an extended family, “My neighbors are great people.” says DeAngelis “We all support each other.”
One of DeAngelis’ neighbors is Walter Hope. Hope is an active participant in the life of the marina community. He, like DeAngelis, was also born in Rhode Island and grew up half a mile from Narragansett Bay. Hope found his love for boats as a child, although it wouldn’t be until he was an adult that he would have any solo first-hand experience with them. Hope’s decision to live aboard came 13 years ago when he and his then boyfriend decided to purchase a 43-foot power boat as, “We didn’t want to live with our roommates and thought we’d try an adventure.”  Today Hope, an Environmental Planner with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in downtown Boston, is living on his third boat, a 50-foot trawler, with his partner and their dog named Splash.
Unfortunately, Hope did have an experience with sinking. Last February, while he was away vacationing in Brazil, Hope was informed that his 49-foot second boat had sunk at the marina. A hose had come off the boat’s muffler and water came rushing in. Pumps could not keep up with the incoming flow of water. He had lived on that boat for seven years. Hope lost 90 percent of his belongings, including clothes, shoes, electronics, appliances, furniture, and personal possessions.
That unfortunate tragedy, however, didn’t stopped Hope from living on the water and he has been living on his current boat since April. “While some live on homes with water views and pay a huge sum for that ability, we live on the water,” says Hope. “We’re connected to the environment, when it rains, snows, is windy. We need to be aware of this and often make adjustments to life and/or prepare.” Hope recalls being somewhat out-of-sorts during the few months he and his partner were forced to live on land after their boat had sunk. “When we were on land for two months after the sinking I was sitting on bed working on the computer and our friends on boats were Face-booking about the storm and the winds.  In the basement bedroom I had no idea there was any weather at all! We felt very disconnected,” says Hope.
Moving from a home on land to a 40-foot boat can be a shock at first due to the reduction in living space. “At first there was a major adjustment to learning that all that ‘STUFF’ we accumulate - clothes, junk, books - are not needed,” says Hope. He ended up donating many of his unnecessary possessions after six months on the water.  He notes that people considering living abroad should talk to lots of people for advice and take a class or two on boating and safety, “Too many people buy boats and have no idea how to operate them.”  Hope also says it helps to have the ability and knowledge to fix and maintain things yourself as skilled labor can be expensive. “If we didn’t do our oil and filter changes ourselves we could not afford to live on a boat.”
Another big question Hope gets asked a lot is about staying warm. As Boston’s winters are harsh on land, with snowstorms and temperatures averaging in the 20’s and 30’s in the January and February, people think it’s even colder living on the freezing water. Hope, however, explains it is really just like living on land in a traditional home, “We leave our bus or car, walk to the boat - on a dock that is shoveled - and open the door to a heated space - much like a house.”
With weather a big factor in living on a boat year round, Hope doesn’t find that winter is particularly a bad time of year to live on a boat. “The four seasons are all wonderful, winter can be brutal and stark, but the sounds of wind and ice, and the ice and snow on boats is quite beautiful. In the summer, people are much more social and visible working on their boats. In the winter we always sponsor a few parties to get people together, and the marina has Friday night pool parties as well,” says Hope.
The residents are not the only ones that make up the marina community. The workers and staff of the marina play a big role in creating a safe and fun atmosphere. Assistant Boat Master Marc Considine has been working at the Constitution Marina since he was in high school. The 23-year-old Everett, Mass. native would spend his afternoons after high school cleaning boats and doing dock walks. “We do dock walks about one- to two-times a day just to check on the boats and make sure everything is okay,” says Considine. He also does snow removal on the docks and is involved in planning parties at the clubhouse for the residents. “We have weekly breakfasts and parties. Cookouts in the summer,” says Considine. “We are having our holiday party next week.” Although Considine does not currently live aboard, he does hopefully plan to sometime in his life, “Maybe I’ll live on a boat when I’m older. It’s definitely something I want to experience.”
DeAngelis is definitely enthusiastic when it comes to leadership and sailing. In the spring of 2015, DeAngelis is starting the LeaderSHIP program, a Suffolk University sailing club that embodies teamwork. “Sailing is a great way to learn to work as a team. It gets you involved,” says DeAngelis. Club meetings will be held at Boston University, where there are usable small boats that can hold up to 10 to 15 people. “I’m glad Suffolk offers opportunities like this. It’s important for students to be involved and show leadership in our society,” says DeAngelis. Like his father, the program will also give DeAngelis the opportunity to pass on his love of sailing to future generations, perhaps even encouraging them to choose a floating living option for their next residence.

Boston, MA 2015