Into the Naked City - Part 2

Reprinted with the permission of Ronnie G. Alejandro; Pinoy Guide to the Big Apple Copyright 1992 Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro and Dr. Gloria G. T. Syquia.

EQUIPMENT FOR EVERYDAY LIFE

• Banking services include checking accounts, savings accounts, loans, and safety deposit boxes.

  Checking accounts are the most commonly used banking service. To avoid carrying large amounts of cash, many use personal checks to pay for everyday goods and services. Savings accounts are primarily for depositing money to earn interest. Social Security card, driver's license, and/or bills and statements indicating address are necessary to open either account. Savings and loans institutions, labor unions and credit unions also provide checking and savings accounts services. Safety deposit boxes are locked boxes available in several sizes and located at most banks for those who want security for their valuables, including important papers and items.
  As the financial center of the country, New York City seems to have a bank at every corner, at least in some neighborhoods. Leading consumer banks (Chemical, Citibank, Chase) have branches located in prime business and residential areas. In addition, there are branches of foreign-owned banks-Korean, Greek, Jananese, Hong Kong, Arab, Israeli, Philippine, among them-serving ethnically diverse neighborhoods.
  How do you choose the bank to service your account? Begin by touring the neighborhood where you live or work. A bank that's easy to get to is a factor to consider: note the hours of business (most banks are open 9A.M.-3P.M.; others have extended hours on Fridays till 5 P.M.-7 PM.; others are open Saturday mornings). Customers wishing to open new accounts will be welcomed by bank's customer services personnel and there are forms to fill plus identification papers to provide.

  Compare the services and fees of the banks, i.e., shop around for the features you want. Here is a checklist for opening an account:

  • Is your money insured? Does the bank have federal deposit insurance?

  • What types of checking accounts are offered? Which suits you best?

  • Is any interest paid on the account balance?

  • What are the charges for bounced checks? Stopping a check payment? Making withdrawals from an automated teller machine? Printing a set of checks?

  • Can the bank arrange transfer of funds overseas? What are the fees?

  • How much are the monthly maintenance fees for each check written (ranges from $0.1 to $1.00)?

  A limited number of checks is issued for immediate use until the set with printed name and address reaches you in the mail.

• To get a telephone line, call one of the numbers below. The operator will ask for your complete address, Social Security number, place of employment, and telephone where you can be reached during the day. You can purchase a telephone set at any electronics store. There are many types to choose from, depending on what features you need. You can save on installation costs by using the wires and jacks already in place from the former tenant.

  • Manhattan: 212-567-9930
  • Bronx: 718-890-2450
  • Queens: 718-533-9950
  • Brooklyn: 718-890-1450
  • Staten Island: 718-890-1450

  Minimum charge for a new line is $55. There are other installation charges plus telephone service charges for at least one month. All these will be applied to your first month's bill. As soon as you have your number, give it to your employer and to others who must have it.

  Phone numbers have a 3-digit Area Code preceding a 7-digit number. Manhattan has a 212 area code; 718 is used in Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. When calling outside your area, dial 1 + Area Code + 7-digit number. If you have difficulty finding a number in the phone directory, call Directory Assistance 411 for numbers in your borough, 5591212 for numbers in other boroughs.

  900 Numbers. The pay-per-call business, which allows consumers to dial 900 numbers that cost anywhere from 50 cents to more than $50 per call, has exploded in the last five years. Americans use their telephones to get information on everything from sports scores and financial market performances to horoscopes and weather reports, even banking by telephone.

• To obtain a Driver's License, at least two documents with your name, date of birth, and address are needed. These could be: U.S. passport, INS documents containing photos, foreign passport, credit card, birth certificate, utility bill (telephone, gas, electric, water, cable TV), account statements from bank, or credit card payroll stub. Drivers' Manuals are available at any Department of Motor Vehicles office. Before the road test, a written exam should be passed and a five-hour course on defensive driving attended. The written exam is available in many different languages.

  In New York State, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated (DWI), drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.10% or more, and drive while ability is impaired by alcohol or drug. If you are found guilty, your license will be revoked or suspended.

  NY State Department of Motor Vehicle offices:

  • 2265 E. Trement Ave., Bronx, NY 10462, 718-645-5550
  • 333 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, NY 10027, 718-966-6155
  • 2110 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., NY, NY 10027, 718-645-5550
  • 141 Worth St., SY, NY 10013, 718-645-5550
  • 92-35 165th St., Jamaica, NY 11405, 718-966-6155
  • 2795 Richmond Ave., S.I., NY 10314, 718-966-6155
  • NY State Ombudsman Office at 1-800-828-2338

• To get travel information, contact the New York City Transit Authority, which operates the city's subways and buses. 718-330-1234. For airport information, call JFK at 718-656-4520; LaGuardia at 718-476-5000; and Newark at 201-961-2000.

• You may obtain a library card if you live, work, go to school, or own property in NY State by going to the nearest public library with some identification. Libraries provide a great number of free adult and children's programs throughout the year; many also circulate books, cassette tapes, and other materials in different languages.

  • NY Public Library, 455 Fifth Ave., NY 10016, 212-340-0849
  • Queens Borough Public Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11432, 718-990-0781
  • Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238, 718-780-7722

EDUCATION

What is the American school system? All children between the ages of 5 and 21 are required to attend the public school of the district in which the child resides free of tuition, regardless of national origin or legal status. Elementary education or primary school is for ages 6 through 11; secondary education or middle school is for ages 12 through 17. Those children who finish secondary education receive a high school diploma. The public school is paid for by the taxes of the residents in the community. The money raised through taxation is administered by the school board of each community; school board members are elected by all citizens in that community.

All public schools in the U.S. offer courses in certain basic areas of instruction. Course requirements are determined by the local school board or by the State Department of Education. There are also specialized, alternative, or vocatlonal schools which have a distinct program in a particular vocational field or area of study. For a listing of these schools in your borough, call the Division of High Schools at 718-935-3460. For children with difficulty in English, bilingual and other special language classes are available in most schools. Make sure to inquire about this program when enrolling your children in school.

In addition to public schools, there are many private schools in the U.S., a large number run by religious groups. Private schools usually require payment of tuition or matriculation fees, which vary from school to school. These fees are paid directly to the school, not through taxes. If your children attend private school, you are still required to pay taxes which help to support public schools.

Most areas have schools for children who are younger than 6. These schools, somet1mes called kindergartens, nursery schools, or pre-schools, provide educational training for children prior to the first grade. Most pre-schools admit children between the ages of 2 and 5. Education in America is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, race, ethnic background, or social status.

How do you enroll your children in local public schools? Most public schools have a zoning area which accepts only children living in the area. To find out your school zone, call 718-706-3739 and inquire about your local community school district.

It is necessary for parents to take some documents with them when enrolling their children in school-immunization or medical records, proof of age (birth certificate) and proof of address (telephone bill), and records of previous schooling, if possible. Since education is accessible to all regardless of one's citizen status, legalization of documents will not be required.

For further questions, call: New York City Board of Education, Division of Early Child Education, 718-935-4255. Division of High School, 718-935-3460. Literacy Assistance Center, 15 Dutch St., 4th Flr., New York, NY 10038, 212-803-3333.

How do you enroll in an American university? Education after high school is not free and may be very expensive. A private college or university is much more expensive than a city or state college or university. The best source of information on a college's entrance requirements is the Admissions Office of that college.

Colleges and universities will require transcripts from previous schools, your Social Security number, medical records, and other proofs of identity. There are many guide books that give detailed information and descriptions of universities throughout the U.S. These are available in most libraries and book stores. To help pay for college, student scholarships, grants, and loans are available for those that qualify. These awards from the government, foundations, or financial institutions vary for each student and are dependent on scholastic performance or financial need, or both.

New York State currently offers a Liberty Scholarship Award which covers the entire educational cost for eligible low-income students. For more information, write to: NYSHESC, Student Information, Albany, NY 12255.

INSURANCE

Most health care institutions provide insurance coverage to their employees, called group or company life insurance, whereby a lump sum payment (in most cases, equivalent to one year's salary) is given to your beneficiary upon your death. If this is enough to provide for the needs of your beneficiary, go ahead; if not, you can buy additional insurance. First step is to decide how much more you need, how much you can afford to pay, and the kind of policy (or insurance plan) you want. Then find out what various companies charge for that kind of policy. One way to decide how much life insurance you need is to figure out how much cash and income your beneficiary would need in case you die.

Another type of insurance you can look at is disability. If you suffer an accident or sickness that prevents you from working for a long time, disability insurance provides you an income per month for a fixed number of years.

All big insurance companies offer both types of policies. Savings banks in your neighborhood or where you work may also offer term insurance. For more information or brochure, write the Savings Bank Life Insurance Fund, 460 West 34th St., New York, NY 10001-23200, or call 1-800-438-7254.

Life insurance can be confusing. For more information, request for a guide form from the NYS Insurance Department, Agency Bldg., One Nelson A. Rockefeller Plaza, Albany, NY 12257.

LEGAL AID

When do you need a lawyer? The most common situations may not apply to you as a new immigrant: real estate transactions (buying or selling a house), organizing a business, tax problems, and other complex situations where legal expertise is required. More likely, you will seek a lawyer if you are involved in accidents-personal injury or property damage. Or when you find yourself "out of status." That's when your employer has terminated your employment contract, your visa has expired, and you don't know what to do. You certainly need the services of an immigration lawyer then.

As with any professional practice, law has its specialties. Bar associations can refer you to lawyers by areas of practice. One source is the New York County Lawyers Association, 14 Vesey St., 212-267-6646. Another is the Queens County Bar Association, 90-35 14th St., Jamaica, 718-291-4500. Consult the Yellow Pages of your borough phone directory under the heading of "Lawyers."

Be aware when hiring an attorney that you may be hiring an entire law office, depending on your particular problem. This becomes the basis for computing the fee you have to pay. A lawyer will usually charge a fee based on an hourly rate, depending on the circumstances of the case. In immigration cases, some lawyers charge a flat fee, regardless of the length of time it takes to resolve your case.

To petition a relative as an immigrant, in most cases, does not require the services of a lawyer. Go to the INS for the appropriate forms. The lines there are long throughout the week. Be prepared to spend half a day just to obtain the forms, which contain clear instructions on what to do, how to file, what documentation to submit.

Perhaps the first legal matter that should concern you is your visa. Work permits or H-l work visas are issued with a definite expiration date. Weeks before your visa expires, start the paperwork to get it extended. Obtain the proper forms from the INS or pay a lawyer to do the work for you.

Where do you get a lawyer? Lawyers who provide advice and representation in legal matters such as immigration, landlord-tenant, public assistance, and family problems are accessible to all. For those financially eligible, free service is available. However, before hiring any lawyer, inquire about all fees and contract agreements or you may end up paying costly fees unnecessarily. The following are organizations that provide legal counseling and/or referral services:

• Center for Immigrant Rights, 48 St. Mark's Place, 4th Flr., NY 10003, 212-509-6890.
• Community Action for Legal Services (CALS), 335 Broadway, NY 10013, 212-431-7200
• Immigrant Legal Services, 74-09 37th Ave., Rm. 412, Jackson Heights, NY 11372, 718-899-1233
• Legal Aid Society, 15 Park Row, NY 10038, 212-557-3300
• NYC Bar Association, 212-382-6625. Lawyer referral services, for a fee.

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