New York

NEW YORK IS located in the northeastern part of the continental portion of the United States and is one of the 13 original colonies. It is bounded by three smaller states to the east—Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; by the Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to the south; and on the north and west by two of the great lakes, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and two Canadian provinces, Quebec and Ontario. The land area of the state is in excess of 54,000 square miles, and its population is approaching 19 million people.

Although the capital is Albany, the state is dominated by the city of New York, which is one of the world's leading cities in terms of financial trading, business activity, tourism, cultural production, and integration of migrants to the country and its culture. The iconic Statue of Liberty is in the state, as is Ellis Island, which was once a principal port of entry for immigrants, including political and economic refugees. The city of New York and, to a lesser extent, the state as a whole contain a wide diversity of people of different ethnic groups and represent a serious attempt by urban and state—level administrations to create a workable, livable urban area in which multiculturalism, in the sense of people living together harmoniously while maintaining separate ideologies, thrives.

Long—term demographic changes mean that California now exceeds New York according to many of the indices by which states and cities are ranked, although the latter retains its size and vitality. The harsh winter climate in New York, which does not benefit from the Gulf Stream that has made Western Europe so much more conducive to economic and cultural development, is perhaps influential in the migration of development westward as, after all, New York represents a staging post for migrants seeking a better life for themselves and their children. However, the domination of the city over the state has tended to mean that people outside the city often feel that their interests are overshadowed by those of urban residents. Other states in the United States, such as Washington and Arizona, have also found that preponderant urban areas often dominate rural and provincial areas to an extent that may be resented by members of the latter.

Because the state is full of such a wide variety of people who are fueled by so many different [Page 386]political, religious, and ethical ideologies, it is not surprising that it has witnessed numerous debates about the possible use of stem cells in medical research. The preponderance of political discourse in the state in recent decades has tended to favor a generally liberal consensus, with many Democratic Party representatives being elected to public office not only in New York City but also in other urban areas, including Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse.

Various organizations exist within the state to promote stem cell research. For example, the New York Stem Cell Foundation is a well—resourced organization that provides support for research and for various outreach activities. Through grants and publications, it works to promote a positive attitude toward the benefit of stem cell research. It is true that many interests within the state recognize the potential importance of stem cell research for economic development and, indeed, profit making. More than 300 degree—awarding tertiary—level educational institutes are established in the state, and many of these have faculty members who are ready and willing to work on relevant research if they are permitted to do so.

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