Sri Lankan American Demographics on Staten Island
The New York City Metropolitan Area, including New York City, Long Island, and Central New Jersey, contains one of the largest Sri Lankan communities in the entire country. These areas receive the highest legal and permanent Sri Lankan immigrant population, followed by Los Angeles, which is the second largest home to Sri Lankan Americans in the country. On Staten Island, the neighborhood known as Tompkinsville is also known by a different name: Little Sri Lanka. This neighborhood, despite its size and the foreign nature of the Sri Lankan culture, is one of the largest Sri Lankan communities outside of the country of Sri Lanka. Staten Island is said to be the home to over 5,000 Sri Lankan Americans.
Current Map of Neighborhoods Located on Staten Island
The areas of Staten Island that are marked by the highlighted teal blue color have a higher concentration of Sri Lankans than any other area on the island. The areas are mostly located toward the northern end of the island. The most prominent cluster of Sri Lankans is around the area known as Tompkinsville, or Little Sri Lanka, and is located almost 15 minutes from the ferry on foot. Tompkinsville can be prominently seen on the map using the red arrow. Other areas known for their Sri Lankan populations include Mariners Harbor, Port Richmond, and a small area including parts of Todt Hill and Sea View, all shown by the black arrows.
This data and corresponding map allow us to see that the Sri Lankan population on Staten Island is spread out among five main areas but concentrated deeply within those areas. The areas towards the north, like Tompkinsville, must have been common settlements for those who first immigrated by boat to Staten Island and did not wish to move inland. This is most likely because these neighborhoods are so close to the ferry terminal. When further development was required, they moved deeper inland, but remained on the northern side of the island within Mariners Harbor and Port Richmond. The furthest inward travel of the Sri Lankan population was near Todt Hill and Sea View, which are two high-class areas on Staten Island. This settlement must have been for those families that made their money after first settling on Staten Island and wished to move to a better standard of living. Within these five areas, the Sri Lankans made a home for themselves and created a Sri Lankan flavor to add to the mingling cultures already present on Staten Island. They resurrected temples, restaurants, and cultural centers that are able to feed the cultural, religious, and personal needs they seek to fulfill their Sri Lankan ethnicity. These centers also provides an excellent learning opportunity for all those that wish to be taught about the marvelous Sri Lankan culture and ethnicity.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g48682-d1869447-r131472397-Dosa_Garden-Staten_Island_New_York.html
Dosa Garden is a Sri Lankan restaurant located on 323 Victory Blvd Staten Island, New York. Anthony and I visited the restaurant in search of a traditional Sri Lankan plate. Each not knowing what to expect, we were excited to see the different foods offered. Neither of us had ever tried Sri Lankan food and were eager to compare the differences between the restaurant’s food and American food.
Dosa Garden is looking to cater to Sri Lankan Americans and offers traditional dishes that remind them of home. Most dishes consist of rice or lentils and different meats such as chicken or beef. Dishes were also served with curries and a side of vegetables. Offering over 100 items, the restaurant had a selection that was vast and covered a wide variety of foods and ingredients. Each of us decided to try a different menu item so I ordered the chicken vindaloo while Anthony ordered chicken tikka marsala. These are similar dishes that both use chicken, however they differ as chicken vidaloo contains potatoes and sour curry sauce. Chicken tikka marsala does not have potatoes. Instead, it is cooked with onions, peppers, and contains a creamy sauce. Both dishes were much more different than anything which we had tried in the past.
chicken vindaloo
Our trip to the end of Victory Boulevard in order to try Sri Lankan food was a successful experience. Different from anything which we had ever tried before, it was nice to try different food from a new culture. Although it was clearly trying to cater to native Sri Lankans living in Staten Island, the food at Dosa Garden was enjoyable even for Americans trying a new food. I look forward to trying Sri Lankan food again as well as continuing to try foods from new cultures whenever possible.
chicken tikka marsala
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2010/09/guru_palaces_chicken_tikka_mas.php
If someone had told me months ago that I would be visiting a Buddhist temple and trying to take part in the services that were offered there, I would have said that they were crazy. As it turns out, they are not crazy because Antonio and I went on a journey earlier this week to a Staten Island Buddhist monastery for Sri Lankan and other Eastern Asian cultures. The monastery was called the Staten Island Buddhist Vihara. This monastery, despite its size, is home to one of the largest Sri Lankan monk population outside of Sri Lanka, itself. This amazing statistic goes along with Staten Island’s reputation of housing the largest Sri Lankan population outside of Sri Lanka. It is truly amazing to envision that this little island that we call home has more Sri Lankans than any other area beside the country of Sri Lanka.
http://www.sibv.org/bv6.htm
Upon our arrival, Antonio and I did not know what to expect. The building looked like a common house placed in the middle of what seemed to be a busy neighborhood. At first glance, we assumed that we had mixed up the addresses and that we had stumbled upon a family’s house. Its quaint and common look was a mask that hid a beautiful sanctuary for prayer and meditation.
http://www.sibv.org/bv6.htm
The first two noticeable things that distinguished it from any other household were the two statues placed toward the beginning of its walkway. Later research explained that these two statues were The Guardstones of the monastery and that they are replicas of the ancient Guardstones belonging to the First Millennium found in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. We did not want to walk in and disturb the services being offered, so we just admired the building and its rooms from the outside.
http://www.sibv.org/bv6.htm
Later on, we did some research to learn about the specific features of the individual rooms. It turns out that the size of the house was misleading because there was really only one room. This room was large enough to be lavishly decorated with a single beautiful rug and a variety of velvet pillows and cushions. Gold panels lined one wall and were carved to depict a story of some sort. All of the energy in the room was focused toward a large golden statue of Buddha that was surrounded by flowers and jewels. The statue radiated a light that gave it a holy and powerful presence at the same time. My favorite part of the room, besides the beautiful decorations on the walls, was a handful of paper lanterns organized on the ceiling in the colorful pattern of budding flowers. This nice touch gave the room a natural feeling that invoked a sense of peace and serenity. If I could meet Bhante Kondanna, the Chief Abbot of the Staten Island Buddhist Vihara, and his fellow monks, I would tell him that his monastery is one of the most peaceful places I have ever visited and that he should be extremely proud of such a beautiful and relaxing place.
http://www.sibv.org/bv6.htm
