By: Victoria Tang, Suki Tsang, Jessina Wong, Michael Perez
Countless cultures from around the world converge at New York City. They co-exist in the five boroughs, with many claiming a neighborhood to themselves. In this photoessay, we compare the Caribbean community of Flatbush with the Asian community of Flushing. Our main focus is on food. However, we also touch upon store signs and displays.
One of the most recognized celebrations of culture is food. Ethnic groups take pride in their traditional dishes. Cuisine unites people within the same culture while promoting recognition of the culture’s customs to other ethnic groups. On our walking tour of Caribbean Flatbush, we were introduced to samples of West Indian food. Caribbean cuisine is a combination of African, European, Indian, and Chinese cuisine. Each island has different influences and their dishes vary. But all the islands use herbs and spices and rely on fresh seafood, meat and vegetables. As for Asian cuisine, although each nation has a distinct style, they are all heavy on rice, noodles, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and all sorts of meat. There are many differences between the cuisines of both cultures, however, in terms of food markets, there is a lot more in common. Grocery markets generally carry the same vegetables and fruits and fish and meat markets look almost identical.
Cultures also showcase their identities through signs, symbols, and displays. Along Flatbush Ave, the store signs tend to employ bright yellows, vivid greens, and deep reds. Additionally, everywhere, residents and storeowners hang flags representing the different nations of the West Indies. Some stores also display religious figures. In Flushing, the first things visitors recognize are the store signs in English and in Chinese (or Korean) characters. Since Chinese and Korean typography is vastly different from English, it immediately catches our attention. In addition to characters, Asian store signs are typically bright and colorful, with an abundance of red, white, green, and yellow (similar to the Caribbean culture). Most stores also hang red paper lanterns and display good luck figurines and religious statues. But in general, although the Caribbean and the Asian cultures each have their own defining customs, they are more similar than different.
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