This essay describes the changes that occurred in the visual landscape of the predominantly Russian neighborhood of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, from the first-hand perspective of an immigrant. The article merges two central themes of an immigrant's path to assimilation: food and language. The essay begins by analyzing how local culinary demand impacted the food stores of Brighton Beach. The article continues by discussing themes of worldliness regarding the nuanced monikers of some of its establishments. The essay frames how a specific Brighton identity evolved in response to the immigrant's newly discovered comforts. Furthermore, it emphasizes the sense of stasis recursive to the evolution of the immigrant identity. Finally, the essay discusses a hybrid vernacular of the Brighton vocabulary, both verbal and visual. The essay is accompanied by a series of photographs, illustrating the visual elements mentioned.
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November 2012
Research Article|
November 01 2012
Brighton Beach
michael friedman,
michael friedman
michael friedman is a documentary photographer who has worked for various NGOs, including Médecins Sans Frontières, documenting the humanitarian crisis in Northern Uganda, urban violence in Nigeria, Kala Azar in India, and civil war in Darfur. Recent projects deal with the tuberculosis epidemic in the former Soviet Union and illegal migration into the EU through Ukraine. Friedman's prizes include Picture of the Year International and Freedom to Create. He lectures at the International Center of Photography and Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies.
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alexander tochilovsky
alexander tochilovsky
alexander tochilovsky, a New York City graphic designer, teaches at the Cooper Union School of Art, where he is the curator of the Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography. In 2010 Tochilovsky organized the exhibition Appetite: A Reciprocal Relationship between Food & Design.
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Gastronomica (2012) 12 (4): 15–19.
Citation
michael friedman, alexander tochilovsky; Brighton Beach. Gastronomica 1 November 2012; 12 (4): 15–19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/GFC.2012.12.4.15
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