Paterson's rich history is that of a melting pot of culture

By Erin Bang and
Nazek Habatfa
Staff Writers

Sept. 11th has past and the dust has cleared. But 18 months later, this historic city, home to at least six of the 19 hijackers, remains a place of inquiry.

Paterson has a rich history that dates back to 1792, with the country’s earliest efforts to reduce dependence on foreign goods and develop its own industries. Alexander Hamilton created the Society of Useful Manufactures; its funds served to develop the first planned industrial city in the United States This city would become Paterson. Efforts proved to be successful with the rise of industrial production after the Civil War.

The city’s production originally included a number of industries, including textiles, firearms, silk, and railroad locomotive manufacturing industries. Paterson’s nickname became “Silk City” as production soared; more than half of the country’s silk was manufactured in Paterson by the late 1800's. The 72-foot Passaic River Falls served as a source of manufacturing power, while the water was used for dye. Another factor of Paterson’s success was it’s proximity to New York City’s fashion market.

Paterson was also the site of historic labor unrest that focused on anti-child labor legislation, safety in the workplace, a minimum wage, and reasonable working hours. The city fell victim to labor strife in the early part of the 20th century and never recovered after the silk industry’s withdrawal.

Paterson’s first wave of immigration, mostly from Eastern Europe, began to taper off in 1910. The city was predominantly white with a large Jewish community. Immigration in the mid-20th Century brought more diversity to Paterson.

“In the 1960’s, mostly Italians, Irish, Germans, and some Syrians lived in South Paterson,” said Ken Carafello, of Sparta, who was born and raised in Paterson.

Joe Jones, an African-American native of Paterson, said that a Black community was not present at that time.

“We were only the second or third minority family on the block. There was a lot of Irish living here. Different ethnic groups started to move in after the late 1970’s,” said Jones.
Paterson became the melting pot of New Jersey as immigrant communities felt comfortable in establishing themselves there.

“As communities in city areas prospered and moved out, new immigrants moved in,” said Acting Maj. Joseph Cannatella of the State Police, Totowa. “Immigrants tended to live together in a particular area because they are comfortable; they have similar customs and language. It is a safe haven within a haven.”

The hijackers’ connection to Paterson and their claims to Islam have put Muslims in and around the city under criticism. The Muslim community and its leadership have struggled through a profusion of discrimination and pressure from intelligence and police officials for the past 18 months.

“The hijackers were told to blend in, but not with the Arab community,” said Curtis Sliwa of WABC Radio. “They did not attend mosques, did not speak Arabic, and did not wear beards.”

Although population figures of religious affiliation are imprecise, estimates of Muslims in the United States are between four and eight million. New Jersey cities like Paterson and its surrounding suburbs have become centers of Muslim communities as a result of increased immigration from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa since the late 1970’s.

The Scholarly Communication Center at Rutgers University approximates 300,000 Muslims live in New Jersey. The largest ethnic groups are as follows: 33 percent are South and Central Asian; 30 percent are African-American, and 25 percent are Arab.

Ethnic, racial and religious diversity remain a prominent and significant element of Paterson. Yet it appears that adequate ethnic and religious demographics are not maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau or by the city.

A note-worthy assessment of diversity in and around the city of Paterson and New Jersey is perceivable through some comparison of local and national statistics.
The Census Bureau reported a population of 149,222 in Paterson in 2000 with a composition of 30.8 percent White, 32.9 percent Black or African American, 1.9 percent Asian, and 27.6 percent remaining ‘some other race’. Under the ‘Hispanic or Latino and Race’ category, 50.1 percent claim some Hispanic or Latino lineage.

No other specific demographics pertain to race, ethnicity or religion of Paterson’s population appear to be available through the U.S. Census Bureau or Paterson’s City Hall.

Passaic County’s total population is 489, 049, which consists of 62.3 percent White, 13.2 percent Black; 3.7 percent Asian, and the remainder in the category of some other race. Thirty percent of that population claim some Hispanic or Latino lineage.

In New Jersey, 72.6 percent are white and 13.6 percent are Black.

An indication of ethnic and racial diversity can also be observed through other statistics about immigrant populations.
Foreign-born population:
o 11.1 percent in the United States
o 17.5 percent in New Jersey
o 26.6 percent in Passaic County

Speak a language other than English at home:
o 17.9 percent in the United States.
o 25.5 percent in New Jersey
o 41.9 percent in Passaic County

The Paterson Economic Development Corp. works to maintain and develop Paterson’s economic status. They report that Paterson’s median household income is $26, 960. The median household income within a 10-mile radius is $43, 615.

Economic status of a community is most often linked to statistics about immigration. New Jersey is home to 9.4 percent who live below the poverty line, as compared to 12.4 percent in the United States, as reported by the Census Bureau.

Once a major industrial center and home to the wealthy and affluent, Paterson was a distinguished city recognized throughout the country. Less than 100 years after its fall from glory, the city rises into the spotlight again, only to bring many of its residents a sense of grief, insecurity, and even persecution. But Paterson residents look back on the city’s rich history and see this as an opportunity to bring it back to its roots as a center of immigrant communities that lived and worked in peace.

“The early immigrants were united and worked together,” said Carafello. “Paterson should not be blamed or criticized for anything orchestrated by the hijackers living there,” said Carafello. “It should not reflect the law enforcement; it could happen anywhere. Paterson is rich in history and rich in culture.”

Paterson is a city rich in history.

Its demographics have changed dramatically within the past century. It is a city where some immigrants begin their new lives.

Paterson is a melting pot.

Perhaps that is why some of the Sept. 11th hijackers frequented a Paterson apartment, at Jasper and Union avenues, and were able to plan their attacks on the United States with such ease.

“For the hijackers, Paterson was a staging area,” said David Pine, senior assistant prosecutor of Passaic County. “It doesn’t matter what your face looks like in that part of town.”

The people who live in that area are all renters and stay there for a short amount of time, according to Pine.

“If lawful people were living there, maybe things would have been different,” said Cannatella of the State Police. “That area of Paterson is not a cohesive neighborhood; it is easier to hide there.”

The area is primarily an African-American and Hispanic neighborhood.

“The hijackers paid their rent with cash, drove nice cars, and bought drugs,” said Sliwa of WABC Radio.

It has been reported that some of the hijackers rented a Chrysler Concord, which was left at Logan Airport, Boston, and was traced back to Borough Jeep Dealership, Wayne. Upon inquiring at the dealership, employees were not forthcoming with information, and refused to give their names. They said that the dealership’s owners were on vacation, and the employees wanted nothing to do with that topic.

“It is known that the hijackers were in the U.S. for several years and were able to travel freely under assumed names as well as with their own identity,” said Cannatella.

Not only do faces in Paterson go unnoticed, the city is essentially a central point to Boston’s Logan Airport, Newark Airport, Washington D.C., and New York City.

It was the perfect place for what they were planning.

“The logistics of the city worked, said Cannatella.” It is more populated; it has more people.”

To the hijackers, New Jersey appeared to have easy access to false identification.

“New Jersey is the epicenter for false identification,” said Sliwa. “They probably knew before hand how easy it is to get fake IDs.”

It was reported that at least two of the 19 hijackers obtained false identification from Mohammed El-Atris of Paterson, who sold fake IDs in a store right across the street from City Hall. The FBI and local police questioned El-Atris, but he is not facing any federal charges because he agreed to plea bargain.

ATS Travel Agency on Union Boulevard, Totowa, sold one of the hijackers a plane ticket. It was reported that Hani Hanjour and Majed Moqed entered the travel agency to buy two one-way plane tickets. Moqed did all of the talking.

“They first tried to buy two tickets, but their credit card was rejected,” said Jeffrey Eggert, an employee of ATS. “They then wanted to pay with a check, but the travel agency holds checks for 10 days. The two men left and came back with an envelope filled with cash and only bought one ticket.”

It could not be confirmed, but previous reports said they used false Virginia licenses and gave a Montclair State University phone number that was no longer in service.
The two people working at the agency the day the would-be hijackers came in, no longer are employed there. One is suffering from depression, and the other has suffered a nervous breakdown, according to Eggert.

FBI agents went to the travel agency and locked down all of the computers.
Despite rumors, confirmation could not be made regarding the FBI’s coming to the William Paterson University library to lock down its’ computers. It is believed that some of the hijackers may have used campus facilities for research.

Due to the elevation of anti-Muslim sentiment brought about as a result of the hijackers’ claim to Islam, rumors spread that Muslim children were cheering on Main Street in front of the South Paterson Library, right after the World Trade Center attacks took place.

“People called WABC Radio and WPLJ to report that there were kids cheering on the street,” said Sliwa.

Other reports contested that nothing took place.

“I had my cops right there,” said John Kreiger, chief probation officer of Passaic County. “They said nothing was going on.”

May 8 , 2003 Issue