>> ON THIS EARTH DAY EDITION OF 219 WEST, CARS, CONGESTION,
CABBIES, AND A DRIVER WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE.
AND THAT DISTINCTIVE BIG APPLE ACCENT.
>> NO MORE. NO MORE. NO MORE ACCENTS.
>> HOW SOME NEW YORKERS ARE SAYING "FUGGEDABOUTIT."
PLUS, BLACK SLANG.
WORDS ONCE HEARD MAINLY IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
ARE NOW COMMON IN POPULAR CULTURE.
♪♪
♪♪
>> WELCOME TO 219 WEST. I'M ALEXANDRA SEMENOVA.
>> AND I'M SHARI STRAKER.
EARTH DAY IT'S CELEBRATED GLOBALLY ON APRIL 22 TO PROMOTE
THE HEALTH OF THE PLANET AND BY EXTENSION,
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON IT.
EARTH DAY WAS STARTED IN 1970 TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT POLLUTION,
TOXIC WASTE AND OTHER FACTORS HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD COMMEMORATE EARTH DAY BY
PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITIES LIKE RECYCLING,
PLANTING TREES, AND CLEANING UP PARKS.
IN NEW YORK CITY TRAFFIC WILL BE BANNED ON STREETS ACROSS THE
BOROUGHS ON THE DAY BEFORE THE OFFICIAL EVENT.
ON APRIL 21, BROADWAY WILL BE CLOSED FROM TIMES SQUARE TO 14TH
STREET FOR A DAY WITHOUT CARS.
>>> MIDTOWN MANHATTAN PERMANENTLY WITHOUT CARS,
OR AT LEAST A LIMITED NUMBER, IS A SCENARIO THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED
BY SOME POLITICIANS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS.
BUT WITH RIDERSHIP ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION DOWN AND THE
NUMBER OF FOR HIRE VEHICLES UP, A SOLUTION TO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
HAS BEEN ELUSIVE.
THERE'S BEEN TALK OF MEASURES LIKE CONGESTION
PRICING, ALTERNATE DAY TRAVEL DAYS AND STIFFER LICENSING
REGULATIONS. BUT NEW YORKERS WHO RELY ON CARS TO MAKE THEIR
LIVING SAY THEY FEEL LEFT OUT OF THE DISCUSSION.
AN INCREASE IN COMPETITION AND DECREASE IN WAGES HAS LEFT THEM
STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
ELIANA PEREZ HAS THE STORY OF ONE DRIVER AND HIS LAST
ACT OF DESPERATION.
>>> DOUGLAS SCHIFTER GREW UP IN BROOKLYN,
NEW YORK.
WHEN HE WAS AROUND 20 YEARS OLD, DOUGLAS BECAME A PROFESSIONAL
DRIVER AND PRETTY MUCH STAYED IN THAT FIELD HIS ENTIRE LIFE.
HE ENJOYED THE TRAVEL AND A LOT OF THINGS HE'D SEEN.
HE DIDN'T LIKE HAVING A BOSS OVER HIM,
RIGHT?
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
>>> DOUGLAS WAS A LIVERY CAR DRIVER FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
HE WAS ALSO A TROUBLED MAN.
IN 2005, HE HAD TO BORROW MONEY FROM HIS FAMILY TO PAY FOR
SURGERIES FROM AN INJURY.
HE STRUGGLED TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY WHEN HE WENT BACK TO WORK
AND THEN THE GREAT RECESSION HIT.
DOUG WAS ALSO DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER IN 2013.
WITH TREATMENT, HE WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO WORK,
BUT HIS PAIN AND HARDSHIP CONTINUED.
ON FEBRUARY 5, DOUGLAS SCHIFTER SHOT HIMSELF
IN FRONT OF CITY HALL,
CALLING OUT CITY OFFICIALS FOR ALLOWING THE CONGESTION OF THE
TAXI INDUSTRY TO WORSEN.
>>> IN RESPONSE, MAYOR DE BLASIO CITED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
BUT OTHER DRIVERS UNDERSTAND HOW DOUG COULD HAVE BEEN PUSHED OVER
THE BRINK.
>>> I MEAN, HIS DEATH IS DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO GO IN
VAIN, YOU KNOW BECAUSE, I MEAN, EVERYBODY KNEW
WHAT HE STOOD FOR.
>>> AZIZ HAS BEEN AN APP-SHARE DRIVER FOR THREE YEARS AND IS A
STEWARD FOR THE INDEPENDENT DRIVERS GUILD,
WHICH REPRESENTS OVER 60,000 FOR-HIRE VEHICLES IN THE CITY.
>>> HE REALLY EXPRESSED, YOU KNOW,
ALL THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT EVERY SINGLE DRIVER ACTUALLY IS
FEELING RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, HIS MOUNTED TO A LEVEL WHERE HE COULD
NO LONGER TAKE IT.
>>> OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE NUMBER OF CABS HAS INCREASED
NEARLY THREEFOLD TO ABOUT 150,000.
YELLOW CABS ARE CAPPED AT ROUGHLY 13,500.
THE REMAINING CABS ARE FOR-HIRE-VEHICLES THAT INCLUDE
BLACK CARS, LIVERY CARS, LUXURY LIMOUSINES,
AND APP-BASED RIDE COMPANIES LIKE UBER.
SINCE 2013, THESE CARS HAVE BEEN ENTERING THE INDUSTRY AT AN
ACCELERATED RATE, CREATING MUCH COMPETITION FOR
ORIGINAL TAXI DRIVERS.
>>> PART OF THE DESPAIR THAT DOUG WAS REFERRING TO WAS THE
FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHUT THE DOOR ON NEW
VEHICLES COMING IN.
>>> ALLAN FROMBERG IS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
AT THE TAXI & LIMOUSINE COMMISION -- TLC.
>>> SO, IN TERMS OF THAT THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO ENFORCE.
I MEAN WE PROCESS THEM YOU KNOW, WE ISSUE THEM
WHEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE.
BUT THE TLC DOESN'T HAVE A MECHANISM -- A LEGISLATIVE
ENABLING MECHANISM -- TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES AND
PEOPLE THAT COME INTO THE SYSTEM.
>>> MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S NEW COMMITTEE ON
FOR-HIRE-VEHICLES ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM WITH NEW PROPOSALS.
COMMITTEE CHAIR RUBEN DIAZ, SR. PROPOSED A $2,000 FEE ON
EACH VEHICLE AND SUGGESTED RESTRICTING DRIVERS TO
SINGLE BASES.
THE INDEPENDENT DRIVERS GUILD HAS ITS OWN SOLUTIONS.
THE GROUP GATHERED ABOUT 16,000 SIGNATURES TO SEND A PETITION TO
THE TLC FOR PAY PROTECTION AND A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF
ISSUED LICENSES.
>>> LAWMAKERS, SIT DOWN, CRAFT SOMETHING,
LOBBYISTS, YOU KNOW, OR THE APP-BASED COMPANIES TO THEIR
ADVANTAGE AND WE GONNA WAKE UP, "THERE IS A RULE CHANGE" BUT
WE'RE THE HEART OF THIS INDUSTRY SO WHY SHOULDN'T
WE HAVE A VOICE?
>>> IN 2016, UBER REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE MACHINISTS
UNION TO FORM AN ASSOCIATION OF DRIVERS: THE IDG.
>>> IDG CANNOT RAISE LABOR VIOLATIONS,
THEY CAN'T MOVE, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT UBER GIVING THEM THE
ORDER. IT'S UBER TRYING TO WIN ITSELF COVER IN
THE MIDST OF THIS CRISIS.
>>> HISTORIAN GRAHAM HODGES SAYS NEW YORK HAS GRAPPLED WITH
SIMILAR ISSUES YEARS PAST.
>>> I THINK THAT TODAY'S SITUATION IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO
THE 1920S WHEN THERE WAS NO REGULATION.
WHEN WE HAD A NEW TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION: CARS.
THE AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES DUMPED A LOT OF CARS ON THE STREETS OF
THE CITIES AND THIS CREATED CONGESTION,
IT CREATED FLUCTUATING FARES, CREATED A LOT OF ACCIDENTS,
CREATED SITUATIONS WHEN THERE WERE PART-TIMERS.
SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO TODAY.
I THINK ACTUALLY TODAY IS WORSE.
>>> DOUGLAS, OUR BROTHER, THEY'LL NEVER BE ANOTHER.
>>> WHAT WE STARTED TO SEE ON THE NEWS WITH REGARD TO THE
VIGILS AND THE OUTCRY FROM HIS PEERS,
THAT WAS A PART OF DOUGLAS THAT THE FAMILY DIDN'T REALLY
KNOW. AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE REACHED SO MANY PEOPLE,
I DON'T THINK DOUGLAS KNEW HE WAS REACHING SO MANY PEOPLE.
HIS DEATH HAD STARTED AN AVALANCHE OF THAT HOPEFULLY WILL
HELP DRIVERS GET WHAT THEY NEED IN THE INDUSTRY AND THAT IS FAIR
PLAY, GET POLITICIANS OUT OF IT, GET TREATED
WITH RESPECT FROM TLC.
THAT'S JUST IN THE CITY BUT THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE
UNIVERSAL IN EVERY CITY, AROUND THE WORLD.
>>> FOR 219 WEST, I'M ELIANA PEREZ.
>>> PRODUCER AVERY MILES SAT DOWN WITH TRANSPORTATION POLICY
EXPERT, BRUCE SCHALLER, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S AT THE CORE OF SOME
OF THESE ISSUES.
>>> LAST FRIDAY THERE WAS ANOTHER DRIVER SUICIDE.
THIS TIME IT WAS A YELLOW CAB MEDALLION OWNER AND HE DIDN'T
MAKE AS BIG A SPLASH AS DOUG SCHIFTER DID, BUT WHAT DO YOU
THINK ABOUT THAT?
>>> WELL IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VERY TRAGIC EVENT. IT'S A TRAGEDY FOR
THE PERSON, THE FAMILY, THE FRIENDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
WHEN YOU SORT OF TAKE A STEP BACK AND START SAYING,
WHAT'S THE TAKEAWAY?, IN KIND OF A BROADER INDUSTRY
WAY, IT OBVIOUSLY HIGHLIGHTS THE PRESSURES AND STRAINS ON
DRIVERS, WHETHER THEY'RE YELLOW CAB DIRVERS OR UBER OR LYFT OR
CAR SERVICE, AND THE LIKE. AND SO THIS SET OF ISSUES IS GETTING
RAISED MORE AND MORE IN NEW YORK AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
INTERNATIONALLY EVEN. AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT
PROBLEM TO SOLVE. AND THE REASON IT'S DIFFICULT IS THAT IT'S AN
OPEN SYSTEM, SO DRIVERS CAN COME IN AND OUT EASILY, WHICH IS
GOOD. IN FACT, HISTORICALLY IT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE TAXI
INDUSTRY, IF YOU NEED TO GO MAKE SOME MONEY IT'S PRETTY
STRAIGHTFORWARD TO DO THAT. THE FLIPSIDE IS THAT PEOPLE ARE
WILLING TO WORK FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY PER DAY OR PER
HOUR. IT VARIES DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL BUT IT SORT OF
AVERAGES OUT IF YOU LOOK IT. AND WHEN BUSINESS GOES UP MORE
PEOPLE SHOW UP TO WORK, WHEN BUSINESS GOES DOWN FEWER PEOPLE
SHOW UP TO WORK. SO IF YOU RAISE THE WAGE SOMEHOW YOU'LL GET MORE
PEOPLE WORKING AND KIND OF OFFSET THAT.
>>> HOW DO YOU SEE CAPS ON LICENSES?
>>> I DON'T THINK CAPS ARE EFFECTIVE. I THINK THAT'S WHAT
YOU SAW WITH THE MEDALLION CAP GOING BACK MANY DECADES IS THE
EFFECT OF THE CAP WAS ALL THE YELLOW CABS IN MANHATTAN AND
THEN THE BOROUGHS HAD NO SERVICE. THAT'S WHAT GAVE RISE
TO THE CAR SERVICE INDUSTRY. IF YOU PUT A CAP ON UBER AND LYFT,
WHERE WOULD THE DRIVERS GO? THEY'D GO TO THE MOST CONGESTED
PARTS OF MANHATTAN AT THE MOST CONGESTED TIMES OF THE DAY. AND
THEN IF YOU'RE IN EASTERN QUEENS YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A
RIDE WHEN YOU NEED ONE AND HISTORY WOULD REPEAT ITSELF.
>> SO THEN TO SUM UP, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST SOLUTION?
>>> OVERALL SOLUTION I THINK, CONGESTION PRICING IS VERY
IMPORTANT, BOTH THE FEE ON THE GENERAL PUBLIC DRIVING INTO
MANHATTAN, AND THEN AN HOURLY FEE ON TAXI AND FOR-HIRE DRIVERS
AND ALSO I PROPOSE THAT FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, TRUCKS,
BECAUSE THE SAME SORT OF RATIONALE APPLIES TO THEM.
AND THEN ON THE INDUSTRY SIDE, IN THE LONGER-TERM, WE'RE GOING
TO NEED SOME SORT OF CONVERGENCE OF ALL THESE DIFFERENT INDUSTRY
SEGMENTS. THEY'RE ALL SERVING THE SAME SET OF CUSTOMERS IN
ONLY SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAYS, AND SO YOU HAVE MORE VEHICLES
THAN YOU NEED ON CROWDED STREETS. IF THEY ALL HAD THE
ABILITY TO BOTH SERVE TRIPS THAT COME TRHOUGH DISPATCH, MECHANISM
WHERE SOMETHING YOU CALL ON THE PHONE OR AN APP, THAT'S ONE.
HAVE SOME VEHICLES ALSO PICK UP STREET HAILS, YOU COULD HAVE
MORE EFFICIENCY IN THE USE OF THE VEHICLES AROUND TOWN,
NUMBER ONE. AND THEN SOME TYPE OF MECHANISM SO THE DRIVERS
CAN MAKE A GOOD LIVING.
>>> YEAH BECAUSE IT COMES DOWN TO THAT.
>>> RIGHT WHICH IS GOOD FOR THE DRIVERS AND GOOD FOR PASSENGERS
TOO. THE THING IS THERE'S JUST THE LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT
THERE'S SO MANY VACANT VEHICLES. IF THEY WERE VACANT LESS, THE
DRIVERS WOULD MAKE MORE.
>>> THANK YOU SO MUCH BRUCE.
>>> ALRIGHT, GREAT.
>> WHEN WE COME BACK, ENDANGERED DIALECTS AND BLACK SLANG.
IS AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE BEING CO-OPTED?
>>> SEVERAL SEASONS AGO WE STARTED A SERIES ON
VANISHING LANGUAGES.
THERE ARE NEARLY 7000 LANGUAGES SPOKEN WORLDWIDE BUT THAT
NUMBER IS RAPIDLY DECLINING.
EXPERTS ESTIMATE THAT ONE LANGUAGE DISAPPEARS EVERY TWO
WEEKS AND MANY OF THEM ARE SPOKEN IN NEW YORK,
ONE OF THE MOST LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE PLACES IN THE WORLD.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST LANGUAGES THAT ARE ENDANGERED HERE.
SO IS THE VARIATION OF ENGLISH WE USE IN NEW YORK.
DOMINIC MCKENZIE ACCENTUATES THE ISSUE.
>>> FROM ARCHIE BUNKER'S EVER ABSENT R'S
>>> DID I BEAT 99, I BEAT 99 WITH PRINTS TO SPARE.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY?
>>> TO THE NANNY'S JEWISH INFLUENCED SPEECH PATTERNS.
>>> HELLO FUNG-LUMS, DO YOU DELIVAH?
>>> TO THE 'LAWS' THAT BECAME 'LORES' IN DO THE RIGHT THING.
>>> HOLD UP WAIT A MINUTE, FIRST OF ALL - IT IS TOO HOT ALRIGHT?
>>> BUT THE STEREOTYPICAL ACCENT OR CONGLOMERATION OF ACCENTS IS
LOSING ITS ALLURE.
MANY NEW YORKERS ARE SAYING "OY VEY",
NO WAY!
JANET IS FROM GREENWICH VILLAGE.
SHE JUST ENROLLED FOR ACCENT REDUCTION LESSONS AT NEW YORK
SPEECH COACHING.
>>> MY HUSBAND TEASED ME AND SAID THAT THIS SPEECH THERAPIST
IS GOING TO COME OUT SPEAKING MY ACCENT.
HE SAID HE SAID YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LEARN A THING.
>>> TODAY, JANET IS WORKING ON CHANGING THE
SOUNDS OF HER VOWELS.
APPARENTLY, THE TRICK IS IN THE PLACEMENT OF THE TONGUE.
>>> UP BUT THAT'S DOWN, RIGHT? THE TONGUE CAN DO THE SAME
THING. THE FRONT OF THE TONGUE CAN MOVE FAIRLY INDEPENDENT
FROM THE BACK OF THE TONGUE.
>>> BRENDAN HOUDAK IS A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST AT
NEW YORK SPEECH COACHING.
HE HAS WORKED TO REDUCE HIS OWN ACCENT AND NOW HELPS OTHERS DO
THE SAME.
>>> I'M ORIGINALLY FROM LONG ISLAND NEW YORK,
JUST A FEW MINUTES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
THERE IS A LONG ISLAND ACCENT.
SO VERY SIMILAR TO THAT NEW YORK ACCENT.
THERE IS A VANISHING OF THE 'ERR' SOUND WHERE IT SHOULD BE
AND A PRESENCE OF IT WHERE IT SHOULDN'T BE.
'WATER BECOMES WATAH OR WATUH' AND 'SODA BECOMES SO SODER'.
ANOTHER VERY DISTINCTIVE FEATURE IS THE AW SOUND IT'S VERY STRONG
THE LIPS ARE VERY ROUNDED.
SO DOG WALK MY DAWG.
>>> HOUDAK'S REASON FOR WANTING TO CHANGE HIS ACCENT- THE DESIRE
FOR HIS SPEECH TO CORRESPOND WITH HIS SENSE OF SELF.
>>> THAT NEW YORK DIALECT WAS SOMETHING THAT WHILE BEAUTIFUL
AND WONDERFUL DID NOT FEEL A PART OF ME.
SOME OF THOSE CONSONANTS ARE VERY STRONG.
THOSE VOWELS ARE VERY DRAWN OUT.
MY PERSONALITY IS NOT ONE THAT IS VERY IN YOUR FACE OR STRONG.
NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THOSE TYPES OF PERSONALITIES BUT I
FELT THAT MY SPEECH WOULD BE BETTER SUITED IF IT WAS MORE
NEUTRAL AND MORE STANDARD, LESS DISTINCT.
>>> BUT FOR SOME NEW YORKERS THE ACCENT IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF
THEIR IDENTITY.
JOURNALIST JOHN SCHIUMO IS ONE OF THEM.
HE BEGAN HIS BROADCASTING CAREER IN 1997 REPORTING ON HIS HOME
BOROUGH, STATEN ISLAND.
>>> IN THE BEGINNING, WITH NO EXPERIENCE,
I TRIED TO SOUND LIKE A REPORTER MIMICKING THE MIDWESTERN AND
"THE FIRE HERE IN GREAT KILLS STARTED".
THAT WASN'T ME.
I WAS ACTING.
THE MORE I WAS ME - THE ITALIAN AMERICAN KID FROM STATEN ISLAND
- THE MORE DOORS OPENED THE MORE I COULD TALK TO PEOPLE AND
CONNECT WITH THEM.
SO NO ONE EVER TOLD ME TO BE LESS ME,
BUT CERTAINLY IT GOES IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND,
YOU DON'T WANT TO START YOUR CAREER AND BE TOO "NEW YORKY".
>>> SCHIUMO'S NEW YORK ACCENT WORKED FOR HIM AS
A LOCAL REPORTER.
CURRENTLY, HE IS A CORRESPONDENT FOR CBS AND REELS IT IN NOW THAT
HE'S ON A NATIONAL NETWORK.
>>> NO ONE WILL BE ANCHORING THE CBS EVENING NEWS WITH THE NEW
YORK ACCENT LIKE THIS.
IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF I'M STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE YOUR
ACCENT IS SO THICK THAT'S ALSO A PROBLEM.
WHETHER YOU'RE FROM JAMAICA THE ISLAND OR JAMAICA QUEENS,
WHETHER YOU ARE FROM THE DEEP SOUTH OR YOU'RE FROM THE
MIDWEST. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A BROAD APPEAL,
YOU'VE GOT TO SORT OF TONE IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND MAKE
YOURSELF MORE UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED.
>>> SCHIUMO IS REFERRING TO WHAT SOME CALL A STANDARD OR MIDDLE
AMERICAN ACCENT.
DR. MICHAEL NEWMAN IS A LINGUISTICS PROFESSOR AT QUEENS
COLLEGE AND AUTHOR OF "NEW YORK CITY ENGLISH."
HE BELIEVES THERE IS NO STANDARD AMERICAN ACCENT.
IN FACT, EVERYONE HAS AN ACCENT BUT HE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT SOME
HAVE BEEN STIGMATIZED.
>>> FOR EXAMPLE SOME FEATURES OF SOUTHERN ENGLISH YOU COULD NEVER
REALLY GET AWAY WITH SAYING MAH INSTEAD OF MY.
AND YOU COULD NEVER REALLY GET AWAY WITH SAYING YOU KNOW CAUWT
INSTEAD OF CAUGHT.
THAT SAID THERE'S NEVER.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO IDENTIFY A REGION WHICH WE WOULD SAY THAT
HAS BECOME THE MODEL.
>>> A NEW YORK ACCENT WAS ONCE A BADGE OF PRIDE.
WHEN DID IT BECOME A LINGUISTIC BURDEN?
DR. NEWMAN SAYS THAT POINT OF VIEW TOOK HOLD IN THE EARLY 20TH
CENTURY WITH THE INFLUX OF NEW IMMIGRANTS,
THOSE HUDDLED MASSES.
>>> NEW YORK CITY ENGLISH HAD BEEN PRESTIGIOUS BUT WITH THE
ARRIVAL OF IMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTHERN EUROPE AND FROM EASTERN
EUROPE THAT BECAME LESS DESIRABLE BECAUSE THE
NEW YORK ENGLISH BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH THEM
AND THEY WERE LOOKED DOWN UPON.
>>> NEWMAN SAYS THE DIFFERENT IMMIGRANT GROUPS COMING TO THE
CITY HAVE INFLUENCED THE EVOLUTION OF THE NEW YORK
ACCENT, MAKING IT VAST AND VARIED.
>>> MANY FEATURES OF NEW YORK CITY ENGLISH PARTICULARLY THAT
ARE VOWELS OR WHAT WE ASSOCIATE WITH OUR VOWEL SYSTEM CAN BE
TRACED BACK TO THE FIRST ENGLISH SETTLERS WHO
ARRIVED EVEN DURING THE DUTCH PERIOD.
>>> THESE GROUPS ALSO BROUGHT WITH THEM,
VERY SPECIFIC WAYS OF SPEAKING.
>>> THE IRISH FOR EXAMPLE WERE THE ONES THAT BROUGHT US OUR
FAMOUS 'YUZ' LIKE 'YUZ GOTTA GO NOW'.
RIGHT.
THE PLURAL YOU AND
THE ITALIANS AND THE JEWS BROUGHT US THE WAY THAT WE
PRONOUNCE SOMETIMES THESE T'S AND S'S WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM
THE WAY THAT ANY OTHER ENGLISH DIALECT PRONOUNCES THEM.
WE OFTEN PRONOUNCE THEM ON OUR TEETH.
>>> NEWMAN SAYS THERE'S STILL MUCH TO DISCOVER ABOUT THE
ORIGINS OF NEW YORK ENGLISH...
AND ITS FUTURE.
HE IS PART OF A CUNY TEAM RESEARCHING THE TOPIC WITH
SUPPORT FROM A FEDERALLY FUNDED GRANT.
BUT EVEN BEFORE THE DATA IS COLLECTED AND ANALYZED,
ONE THING CAN BE CONCLUDED.
EVEN IF IT'S ON THE DECLINE, IF YOU THINK THE BIG APPLE ACCENT
WILL DEFINITELY DISAPPEAR ANYTIME SOON,
YOU'RE "MASHUGANA."
I'M HERE WITH HEATHER QUINLAN THE CREATOR OF
"IF THESE KNISHES COULD TALK," A DOCUMENTARY THAT EXPLORES
THIS POPULAR ACCENT.
>> I DON'T THINK I HAVE AN ACCENT.
PEOPLE SAY I DO.
I SAY I DON'T.
>> COULD YOU SUMMARIZE WHAT YOUR FILM WAS ABOUT?
>> MY FILM IS ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE NEW YORK ACCENT, WHAT IT
MEANS TO HAVE ONE, AND IS IT DISAPPEARING AS NEW YORK CHANGES
AND IN MANY WAYS BECOMES A SAFER CITY AND A BETTER CITY, BUT IN A
LOT OF WAYS BECOMES TOO WEALTHY.
THE PENDULUM SWINGS TOO FAR THE OTHER WAY.
WILL THE ACCENT SURVIVE THE INFLUX OF WEALTHY PEOPLE
COMING IN?
>> A RECENT STUDY ABOUT ACCENTS IN THE U.S. WAS DONE WITH A
BUNCH OF EUROPEANS.
80% OF THEM SAID THEY FOUND THE NEW YORK ACCENT THE SEXIEST
ACCENT IN THE WORLD.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THAT?
>> I DID ASK THAT QUESTION TO A LOT OF MY INTERVIEWEES.
I DIDN'T PUT IT IN THE FILM.
ALMOST 100% IT WAS ON A MAN, YES, ON A WOMAN, NO.
IT'S A MASCULINE ACCENT.
I THINK THE SOUTHERN ACCENT, BLANCHE DUBOIS, KIND OF GENTLE,
BEAUTIFUL, WHEREAS NEW YORK CAN BE KIND OF STREET SMART AND ALL
THE THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT, MAYBE BY SEXY THEY MEAN MANLY
OR, I DON'T KNOW, AN ACCENT LOADED WITH TESTOSTERONE.
>> ON THAT POINT, I AM AN IMMIGRANT.
BEFORE I MOVED TO THE U.S., I FELL IN LOVE WITH
THE NEW YORK ACCENT.
WATCHING TELEVISION, MOST OF THE SHOWS HAD ACCENTS FROM NEW YORK.
COMING HERE NOW TO NEW YORK AND SEEING THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND
THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS DIVERSE CITY, EACH BOROUGH HAS
THEIR OWN IDENTITY, RIGHT?
WOULD YOU SAY YOU NOTICE VARIATIONS ON THE ACCENT COMING
OUT OF THE BOROUGHS?
>> IT'S A COMMON MISPERCEPTION THAT THERE IS A BROOKLYN ACCENT
OR A QUEENS ACCENT OR A STATEN ISLAND ACCENT.
IT IS MORE CORRECT TO SAY THAT THERE IS AN ITALIAN NEW YORK
ACCENT LIKE THE GODFATHER, A JEWISH NEW YORK ACCENT LIKE
WOODY ALLEN, PUERTO RICAN LIKE ROSIE PEREZ, AFRICAN-AMERICAN
LIKE SPIKE LEE.
A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT PEOPLE
MOVE AROUND A LOT.
PEOPLE DON'T STAY IN ONE BUILDING OR NEIGHBORHOOD THEIR
WHOLE LIVES, BUT YES, IT IS MORE ETHNICALLY DIFFERENT THAN IT IS
GEOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THE SIGN HE SAW.
>> THE SIGN WAS, DO YOU HAVE A NEW YORK ACCENT?
TALK TO ME.
PEOPLE FELT PROUD OF THEIR ACCENTS.
THE COMMUNITIES THEY LIVE IN -- LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE.
THE COMMUNITIES YOU LIVE IN, IF YOU HAVE A NEW YORK ACCENT, YOU
WILL TEND TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WITH A HEAVY NEW YORK ACCENT.
>>> WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO THEN AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT AS WE
MOVE FORWARD?
>> AS THE ACCENT GOES, I DON'T THINK THE ACCENT IS GOING TO
DISAPPEAR.
WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS THAT YOUR STEREOTYPICAL
SPEAKER LIKE ARCHIE BUNKER OR JACKIE GLEASON -- ESSENTIALLY,
WHITE PEOPLE OR JEWISH, ITALIAN, IRISH IMMIGRANTS FROM WAY BACK
WHEN HAVE NOW BEEN REPLACED BY ASIAN, RUSSIAN, AFRICAN.
THEY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO CARRY
THE NEW YORK ACCENT.
>> THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE DISCUSSION TODAY.
>> WE TURN FROM A DYING DIALECT TO VIBRANT VERNACULAR,
BLACK SLANG.
SLANG IS DEFINED AS INFORMAL WORDS OR PHRASES OFTEN USED BY A
PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE.
LINGUISTS EXPLAIN THAT SLANG IS OFTEN MADE UP OF PRE-EXISTING
WORDS GIVEN ENTIRELY NEW MEANINGS.
THROUGH THE INTERNET, MUSIC AND MOVIES BLACK SLANG HAS MIGRATED
FROM COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO MAINSTREAM CULTURE AND IS WIDELY
USED BY PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE BLACK EXPERIENCE.
AS OUMOU FOFANA REPORTS, THIS TREND HAS RAISED SOME QUESTIONS
ABOUT CULTURAL APPROPRIATION.
>> MAYBE YOU HAVE HEARD WORDS LIKE THIS, OR THIS --
>> ♪ EVERY DAY WE LIT ♪
>> OR THESE.
COMMONLY KNOWN AS BLACK SLANG, DR. CECILIA CUTLER, A PROFESSOR
OF LINGUISTICS, SAYS SLANG HAS A VERY SPECIFIC MEANING FOR
LINGUISTS.
ITS WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS THAT ARE HIP AND TRENDY AT THE
MOMENT.
>> SLANG IS ALWAYS CHANGING.
WORDS THAT WERE POPULAR 20 YEARS AGO ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT
THAN THE WORDS YOU HEAR NOW.
BLACK SLANG IS A BROAD CATEGORY.
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN DIFFERENT CITIES AND
HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS.
BY AND LARGE, IT IS CREATED BY YOUNGER PEOPLE.
>> DR. CUTLER SAYS THERE IS A NOTABLE PATTERN IN THE
GRAMMATICAL FORM OF SLANG EXPRESSION
>> IT IS CALLED INVARIANT BE OR HABITUAL BE.
IT IS NOT CONJUGATED.
BUT IF YOU USE THAT FORM OF BE, IT USUALLY MEANS SOMETHING
SOMEBODY IS DOING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
LIKE THAT GIRL, SHE BE TRIPPING.
EVERY TIME I SEE HER, SHE IS TRIPPING, SHE IS BUGGING OUT.
THAT FORM IS REALLY UNIQUE, BECAUSE YOU FIND COROLLARIES IN
WEST AFRICAN LANGUAGES AS WELL AS CARIBBEAN AND CREOLE
LANGUAGES THAT HAVE -- AFRICAN LANGUAGES AS WELL AS CARIBBEAN
AND CREOLE LANGUAGES THAT HAVE THE SAME SUBSTRATE.
>> STUDENTS SAY THEY ADOPT SLANG FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES.
>> IT'S IN OUR CULTURE.
IT WEARS OUT.
NEW SLANG COMES IN.
MUSIC, ARTISTS'S WE LOOK UP TO, SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> IF A MEME GOES VIRAL.
>> ARTISTS, VINE VIDEOS.
>> OR WE WILL SAY IT A DIFFERENT WAY THAN THE WAY THEY SAID IT
WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER.
IT HAS A DIFFERENT MEANING, LIKE LIT.
MY DAD TOLD ME IT MEANT HE WOULD GET HIGH.
AND LIT MEANS HYPED.
OR ON SITE MEANS AFTERSCHOOL YOU'VE GOT TO GO.
CLIPPED MEANS KIND OF THE SAME GAME.
OR MY MOMMY IS LIKE I SWEAR TO GOD.
>> WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LIKE?
>>TRAP, HIP-HOP AND R&B.
>> HIP HOP HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE CREATION AND
DISSEMINATION OF SLANG WORDS.
THIS RAPPER SAYS IT'S A VITAL PART OF THE MUSIC CULTURE THAT
ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING YOU ARE FROM THE WAY YOU TALK TO THE WAY
YOU WALK.
>> IT SHOWS ORIGINALITY, HOW YOU MAKE A WORD TRENDY, BIG WORDS
LIKE THAT.
>> ♪ DAT WAY, THE BROWN WAY ♪
>> WE USE WORDS LIKE BOZO.
THAT MEANS YOU ARE A CLOWN.
LIKE BOZO THE CLOWN.
UGGZ MIGHT MEAN YOU ARE UGLY IN A GOOD WAY.
OR IT MIGHT MEAN I CARE FOR YOU.
SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT SHORTENING WORDS.
>>> THROUGH POPULAR CULTURE, BLACK
SLANG HAS BECOME SO WIDESPREAD IT IS NOW COMMONPLACE,
WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE BLACK COMMUNITY PICKING UP THE TERMS.
THIS HAS LED TO ACCUSATIONS OF CULTURAL APPROPRIATION.
SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE CULTURAL APPROPRIATION OF BLACK SLANG IS
ACCEPTABLE.
>> I FEEL LIKE IT'S A GOOD THING.
IT SHOWS THAT WE ARE TRENDING.
I DON'T REALLY FEEL NO WAY ABOUT IT.
>> IT'S AMAZING TO ME HOW THOSE SLANG EXPRESSIONS, THOSE WAYS OF
TALKING QUICKLY SPREAD TO THE WIDER POPULATION.
PEOPLE DON'T EVEN REALIZE THEY MAY HAVE EMERGED IN AN AFRICAN
AMERICAN COMMUNITY WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE INTERESTED IN HIP-HOP.
THEY THINK IT'S JUST PART OF ENGLISH.
>>> OTHER'S DON'T.
>> BLONDE BECKY SAYS BAE AND THE ROOM BECOMES A PEP RALLY.
>>> DR. CUTLER BELIEVES THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM LIES
WITH PEOPLE BEING EDUCATED ON WHERE THESE WORDS ORIGINATE.
>> WITH HIP-HOP, THERE IS A LOT MORE CONSCIOUSNESS ABOUT THE
KIND OF APPROPRIATION.
ULTIMATELY, EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON HAS TO GO THROUGH THIS
JOURNEY OF FIGURING OUT WHERE THINGS COME FROM AND HOW TO PAY
RESPECT, HOW TO UNDERSTAND THEIR POSITION
VIS-A-VIS CULTURAL FORM.
SLANG WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US.
SLANG IS PART OF OUR CULTURE.
SLANG IS A WAY YOUNG PEOPLE SAY I AM GOING TO COME UP WITH A
BETTER, FUNNIER, QUICKER WAY OF SAYING SOMETHING.
THE TERMS YOU HEAR NOW WILL BE DIFFERENT IN 10 YEARS, FIVE
YEARS, THREE YEARS.
WHAT INTERESTING IS THAT PROCESS SEEMS TO BE SPEEDING UP AS
PEOPLE HAVE A GREATER ABILITY TO CONNECT TO EACH OTHER THROUGH
SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> DID SHE JUST SAY FLEEK?
>>> THIS IS OUMOU FOFANA REPORTING FOR 219 WEST.
>> THAT'S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF 219 WEST.
>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
♪♪
>>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE WORD DUB MEANS?
>>> DUB, LIKE DUBSTEP?
LIKE W, SHORT FOR DOUBLE U?
>> YEA.
>> YOU A DUB LIKE >> IT'S OVER FOR THAT.
>> IT'S OVER, IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> LIKE IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
>> RIGHT.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE WORD DRID MEANS?
>> DRIG?
DRID?
DRID.
NO.
>> IT MEANS LIKE BEING STRESSED OUT AND LIKE JUST DRID IF LIKE
YOU'RE, SOMETHING HAPPENED AND YOU'RE LIKE OH MY GOD I'M DRID.
>> NEVER HEARD OF IT.
NO, BUT I'M GOING TO USE IT NOW.
>> DRID THAT MEANS OH MY GOD, LIKE I'M OVER IT.
>> YEAH.
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