Through our research we have been able to see that Corona is a very diverse neighborhood. Over the past century there have been major changes in the ethnic populations that make this neighborhood stand out from others.
The pie charts above show a side by side comparison of how the population of Corona has become more and more diverse over the years. The data shown supports the fact that not only has the population grown, but so has the amount of immigrants in the area.
The 2010 Census states that the population of Corona, Queens is approximately 110,000. The data from American Fact Finder – which uses 2010 Census data and is shown below – shows that Hispanic groups make up 81,093 or 74% of the population.
Since a shocking 74% of the current population is of Latin American or Hispanic descent, this can serve as an explanation as to why the majority of food available is Latin American or Hispanic. Restaurants like Jardin de China incorporate Hispanic foods into their menus seemingly to attract the residents of Corona. Since the Asian American population makes up only 10% of Corona this is a great marketing strategy. Jardin’s menu is composed of Chinese and Hispanic dishes that serve to attract residents of both ethic backgrounds. Not only did Jardin’s menu show a fusion of the Hispanic and Asian community but also the workers themselves. We found that when we went to dine at Jardin, all the Asian workers were fluent in Spanish.
Throughout our research on the foods in Corona, we also began to wonder about food availability and how people afford the food in the neighborhood. Through Infoshare we were able to find that approximately half of the inhabitants of Corona were eligible for food stamps. This is a characteristic that is very useful and important when looking at the food patterns in this neighborhood. Our group found that by researching the amount of families eligible for food stamps, we could explain why many people prefer the cheaper food’s sold in McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, and Seba Seba on Junction Blvd. In addition to finding that the overall population was eligible for food stamps, the 2010 Census data shows that 47.5% of children under 18 live in households that receive public assistance.
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