While Bensonhurst’s Italian population used to be the predominant group of the area during the mid- to late 20th century, the neighborhood is now also becoming home to an increasing faction of Chinese and Soviet Jewish immigrants. The community groups in Bensonhurst—some of which have evolved to incorporate the new-coming migrants, and others of which have been relatively recently established to provide more pertinent services to them—account for both the greater diversity in the area and the increased necessity of the services offered. With the functions of these community centers often including activities for children, health and wellness programs, immigration and citizenship assistance, and services for seniors; the general consensus is that these providers must leave as much of a positive impact on Bensonhurst and the areas in close proximity as possible. However, a scrutinized cross-section of the neighborhood’s community organizations reveals that while each one may open its doors to the heterogeneous population around it, a relatable cultural identity often prevails as the reason for people going to certain community groups over others.
While there exist organizations with a very particular emphasis on the advancement of a certain group, such as the Bensonhurst Council of Jewish Organizations (COJO) and the Federation of Italian American Organizations (FIAO), the reality is that it is more improbable that people of different nationalities or creeds would actually engage them. To a certain extent, this is not necessarily a bad thing; for some immigrants, it is almost impossible to communicate with anyone else other than the type of people they know, and the possibility of being surrounded by a group that is familiar to them in an unfamiliar environment is no doubt reassuring. On the other hand, even when these immigrants become somewhat more comfortable or assimilated within American culture, there may still be some resistance towards joining other groups; maybe there is loyalty to the initial organization, but perhaps there is just some form of continued contentment with being surrounded by that which is known to them. However, this is certainly not an absolute, but rather, a description of a commonality amongst the population’s tendencies with respect to attending the various community groups of Bensonhurst. In light of the growing Chinese population, for example, the United Chinese Association (UCA) of Bensonhurst and the Homecrest Community Services (HCC) center have sprung up to help the new group adapt to a wholly unfamiliar setting. For the last decade and a half, they provided the necessary services for the quickly growing group. While some of what they offer caters to anyone, other aspects of their missions are specifically for advancing the Chinese people of the area. While there is general demand for any such services, people generally tend to go with their culture. Regardless, it is reflective of both the experiences of the various peoples who live there and the evolution of the cultures that make their presence visible in its streets.
One group, however, is having a slightly different problem. An analysis of the Italian community groups in Bensonhurst reflects a rather interesting reality of a dynamic population shift—it is shrinking. Many Italians in the neighborhood are aging out, while their progeny have moved to other areas of Brooklyn or greater New York City. The most involved of the area’s community groups that mostly serves Italians is the American-Italian Coalition of Organizations (AMICO). While none of the organizations affiliates responded to my request for an interview, the website itself revealed a plethora of information, both explicit and implicit. Since AMICO is an alliance of various community groups, it has several locations to which their members can go. The main location is situated in Bensonhurst on Bay 20th Street, whereas a secondary location is in a completely different and relatively far section of Brooklyn—Cobble Hill—on Court Street. The Cobble Hill division has a large portion of its resources dedicated to school age education and childcare, whereas the Bensonhurst location deals only with senior citizens and applicable services for them. Nevertheless, it should be noted that not only is the Bensonhurst section considered the central branch, but it also has a primarily older clientele, a testament to the reality of the neighborhood’s diminishing, aging Italian population. Perhaps, however, the archaic pre-2000 era design of AMICO’s website is evidence of that as well.
Another important presence in the community as a whole (and not just of the group that it has some specific focus on) is the Jewish Community House (JCH) of Bensonhurst. After some back and forth phone calls around the Passover holiday, I was able to get in touch with Alex Budnitsky, the CEO of the JCH. The interview brushed on a variety of topics involving the organization’s involvement in the community, foremost of which was the attempt to understand the relationships between the various cultures within the center. To start off, Budnitsky said that while the JCH did have a Jewish focus, many of the services they offered and the events they held were invitations to the entire community. The funding that the Community House gets comes not only from contributions by private members, but from the government as well. The government understands the value that these organizations have in the cohesive function of the community and thus allocates money to them, so that they could provide services for seniors and children, and have events that commemorate important holidays in the area, i.e. Hanukah and Chinese New Year. Budnitsky did say, however, that a very close majority of the people who attended the JCH were Jewish by culture (both American and Soviet), but this observation can also be viewed somewhat differently; a large minority of the people who visit the center are also Chinese and non-Jewish Russians. The JCH serves such a large role in the Bensonhurst community, that many people go there regardless of the fact that there is a Jewish element to the organization. However, the interview had a critical moment when I directly asked Budnitsky how well he thought the various groups interacted, cooperated, tolerated, and remained civil with one another.
The CEO relented that it really never was a simple answer. In fact, he pointed out that it was not a function of the JCH to encourage the idea of a melting pot. Budnitsky said that the function of the organization was to provide assistance to those who needed it and a location of interpersonal relationships to those who wanted it. The JCH was not looking to create a single culture from the various ones that crossed its threshold; each group had its own distinct “shtick.” 
He also brought up the sociological phenomenon contained in Bowling Alone, a compelling book that analyzed the downward trend in physical groups in the modern era, and said that part of his purpose is to create a public space where a connection with the people in one’s community is vital—he essentially wants to promote as cohesive an environment as possible in Bensonhurst. He noted that the financial collapse of 2008 hit the community quite hard, so he finds himself continually helping people readjust their lives to the economic hardship that has overturned them. The community-building venture of the JCH also involves many other community organizations; the various services they offer happen because of the many connections it has with other community centers in the area. Even though the JCH has its own focus, it branches its affiliations out to groups like Catholic Charities, the Immigration League, and the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). The annual report of the JCH can be found here.
An analysis of the various neighborhood organizations brings me to the conclusion that the community of Bensonhurst has a rich variety of cultures, all of whom seek to advance the social situations of their own people, but also remain open to others who need it. Nevertheless, the separation between the Chinese, Italians, and Soviet Jews is as apparent as it is devoid of conflict. The lack of disagreements between the groups creates a certain amount of cooperation between the community groups, which are actively helping each other build a better Bensonhurst. However, despite this inter-organizational collaboration, the reality of the interactions within the organizations themselves shows that people prefer to stay within their own cultures, and when it comes to dealing with other groups, the attitude is one of civility and tolerance rather than cooperation.
