Howard Beach Man Claims He Is A Victim Of Racism (Hamilton: gated, income)

[Hustla718]

Howard Beach Man Claims He Is A Victim Of Racism
September 15, 2007

A Queens man claims his neighbors are trying to drive him out of a neighborhood known for racial problems, but some Howard Beach residents say problem is a result of a neighbor dispute that continues to escalate. NY1’s Ruschell Boone filed the following report.

With a 24-hour police watch outside his house, Kris Gounden says this is not what he expected life to be like in Howard Beach. His home was put under police surveillance after his neighbor was charged with several felonies as a hate crime for allegedly threatening Gounden with a baseball bat and yelling racial slurs at him last month.

“I worked hard and my wife as well to achieve what we have here and we enjoy it here if people would just leave us alone,” said Gounden.

But even with the security, Gounden claims he's still being verbally harassed by some of the residents in the area. Gounden believes some people are trying to force him out of the predominantly white neighborhood because of the color of his skin.

“With the neighbors telling you blatantly in your face you don't belong here, you're not from around here, go back to where you came from, what else can I gather from that?” he said.

Gounden also claims when he reached out to Councilman Joseph Addabbo for help he didn't get any. Addabbo denies those claims.

“I have a file here with Mr Gounden's name on it dating back to 2006,” said the councilman. “[I’ve made] multiple phone calls. We have tried to help. We will continue to try to help.”

No one was talking at the home where the neighbor was arrested, and none of the other neighbors wanted to speak on camera about this issue. But off camera, some said their problem is not with Gounden's race, it is with the construction he is doing on his home.

Gounden has received more than a dozen violations for the work on his house. Three were rectified and he says he's fighting to get the others dismissed in court.

But for his neighbors, the big issue is Gounden's fence. They say it's on top of a sewer and it blocks the space where they used to park their cars. Gounden contends the fence was put up legally on his property. In his opinion, the fence is a symbol of a much deeper problem.

[Queens2QueenCity]

Yeah I heard about this situation a while back. The family is Indo-Guyanese I believe and moved into the Italian area so the father would be closer to work at JFK.

Further reinforces the fact that although NYC is the world's melting pot,even in 2007 the neighborhoods and schools are pretty much segregated.

[Elvira Black]

The question is, how much of the problem was due to the construction issues?

[NooYowkur81]

I think race is definitely an issue here. I think had he been Italian the issue would have been worked out.

[Elvira Black]

Um, perhaps. However:

Some posters on this forum have complained that their immigrant neighbors play loud music til all hours of the night and refuse to compromise. If you have had little contact with folks from this culture, you might conclude that all people of this group are similar.

If I, as a white woman living in a predominantly black coop, decided to ignore the house rules, e.g., illegally installing a washer/dryer instead of using the building's machines, having loud parties that spilled out into the hallways, littering, etc, then some black residents might conclude I am a spoiled, selfish yuppie who does not deserve to live here because I think I am above the community's rules.

Even in the Hamptons, this kind of battle reigns when folks with lots of money try to overbuild, defy the housing codes, etc. It's generally a case of a newcomer trying to get around the existing zoning rules, thereby affecting the existing community in a detrimental way.

Now in this case, there was definitely some racism involved with the resident who threatened this guy. But there may be others who are mainly concerned about the fact that the guy has received multiple violations and is building on a sewer which affects his neighbors directly.

Of course, some whites will then say it's because he's black. In any case, crying discrimination if you break the rules is not playing fair; but neither is illegal harassment and racial slurs, threats, etc. But if you are a newcomer of any sort in an established community, it is probably wise to strive to be a positive member of the community rather than having no regard or respect for your neighbors.

[Freak]

Just a bunch of worried Italians who have already lost the overwhelming majority of the Italian neighborhoods in the big 4 boroughs to minorities and yuppies and don't want to deal with it again. Racism is never an answer, though. It's purely out of fear.

[baylovers]

Originally Posted by Freak

Just a bunch of worried Italians who have already lost the overwhelming majority of the Italian neighborhoods in the big 4 boroughs to minorities and yuppies and don't want to deal with it again. Racism is never an answer, though. It's purely out of fear.

That could be true except that this incident actually happened in Hamilton Beach not Howard Beach as reported in the article. Since Howard Beach draws the very conclusion many of you have come to, the media jumped on it. Hamilton Beach, which is tucked back behind the "Old Howard Beach" section is a low income white neighborhood of many anglo denominations. Many of the houses are old bungalows that are in desparate need of repair, suffer from being in water at extreme high tides and one would think that they have stepped back in time if they find themselves back there.

[straightshooter]

bay: thank you for pointing out that the incidenct occured in a different neighborhood than reported. i cannot believe that this was an innocent mistake. the press knows that howard beach carries a stigma. it is a weathy, predominately white area with a history of racial tension. what better way to get rev. al all fired up than another HB incident? also, i am positive that all the facts of this story are not reported. i recently read a story in the news about one of my former students who was killed. i knew this kid well. he was a real bastard...rarely attended class, was often suspended, dealt drugs, etc. you should have seen the story. it read like a fairy tale. "promising youth, who friends and family say had dreams of attending college and starting his own business", "very sociable, always trying to bring a smile to everyone", ad nauseum. i understand not wanting to throw the recently deceased under the bus, but c'mon! i'm not saying that the press here has fabricated this guy's complaint. but, i am saying that the press seems to take a side (how they decide which side to take is another argument) and then advocate. here, they have chosen the black guy's side. how much is advocacy and how much is fact? i guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Queens2QueenCity]

I think the family is Indian and not black. There is an underlying story brewing because of Addobado(sp?) refusing to meet with the Indo-Guyanese leaders who are calling for answers and make claims that he is prejudice.Howard Beach/Hamilton Beach, makes no difference as the mindsets are still the same but the media ran with the more familiar territory.The man's life was threatened which is why he is under 24 hour police watch and the kid arrested did include racial epithets while harassing the family. Even if he had a million violations people should not engage in vigilantism but do what most of the other neighbors did and report him aggressively.

[NooYowkur81]

Originally Posted by straightshooter

bay: thank you for pointing out that the incidenct occured in a different neighborhood than reported. i cannot believe that this was an innocent mistake. the press knows that howard beach carries a stigma. it is a weathy, predominately white area with a history of racial tension. what better way to get rev. al all fired up than another HB incident? also, i am positive that all the facts of this story are not reported. i recently read a story in the news about one of my former students who was killed. i knew this kid well. he was a real bastard...rarely attended class, was often suspended, dealt drugs, etc. you should have seen the story. it read like a fairy tale. "promising youth, who friends and family say had dreams of attending college and starting his own business", "very sociable, always trying to bring a smile to everyone", ad nauseum. i understand not wanting to throw the recently deceased under the bus, but c'mon! i'm not saying that the press here has fabricated this guy's complaint. but, i am saying that the press seems to take a side (how they decide which side to take is another argument) and then advocate. here, they have chosen the black guy's side. how much is advocacy and how much is fact? i guess we'll have to wait and see.

Reverend Al? I don't even think the guy is Black. Someone mentioned he's Indo-Guyanese.