Khan’s Tutorial is tutoring center located on 73rd St in Jackson Heights. Jackson Heights is a hyper-diverse area, where immigrants from South and South East Asia, Latin America, and South America are landing. This diversity gives a business, like Khan’s Tutorial, a unique ability to target many different markets. Khan’s Tutorial was originally established in 1994 by the late Dr. Khan. Khan’s Tutorial primarily teaches Asian students, particularly from South Asia, but has made its tutoring program accessible through various discounts and financial aid provided to low-income families. This business is relatively new and only moved into their current headquarters in Jackson Heights in 2002. It was very hard to find any historical significance for Khan’s Tutorial, but it is very evident that the business plays a significant role in the social aspect of the community.
According to the article by Beth Fertig from the PRI (Public Radio International), over 50% of the students admitted to specialized high schools are Asian, even though they only make up 15% of the student population in the city. In contrast, only 12% of the students admitted to specialized high schools are Black and Latino, even though they make up 68% of the student population in the city. Lulu Zhou from A+ Academy, another tutoring center, accredited this large disparity and demand for tutoring centers from the Asian-American community to the tradition of tutoring. In Asia, tutoring was just as mandatory as school and just seen as a supplement to school. This is the true role of Khan’s Tutorial in the community. They provide an institution for the community, that is viewed as a necessity particularly by the Asian community. They provide students, especially children of first-generation immigrants, the opportunity to excel over the rest of the competition. Later in the article Ivan Khan, the current President and CEO of Khan’s Tutorial, stated that he has taken his marketing campaign to full-page ads in Bangladeshi newspapers and extended word-of-mouth channels to tap into this demand (Fertig).
Looking through Google Maps at Khan’s Tutorial and one thing becomes very evident. The building is surrounded by other South Asian restaurants and stores. I happened to recognize a few businesses that I am very familiar with but are located closer to my house, such as Subzi Mandi, Apna Bazaar, Patel Brothers and Maharaja Sweets. Khan’s Tutorial is only located a block away from Roosevelt Ave, which is a completely South Asian shopping district. From South Asian clothing and jewelry stores to South Asian restaurants to South Asian book and DVD stores. But looking back only 37 years back at the 1980s tax photos, the building that Khan’s Tutorial occupies right now was a residential area and nothing like the commercial center it is today. Using the NYCityMap, I was able to find out that the building that Khan’s Tutorial is located in was built in 2002, the same year that the business moved into their Jackson Heights location. But what I found interesting is that most of the buildings in that area were built in early and mid-1900s, except for four buildings, two on each side of 73rd St, that were rebuilt in early 2007, including the building that Khan’s tutorial is found in. This is further proof that Jackson Heights, especially around Roosevelt Ave., is rapidly growing as investors are tearing down older buildings.
Fertig, Beth. “Lazy Days of Summer? Not for These Students Gunning for a Make-or-Break Exam.” Public Radio International, Public Radio International, 11 Aug. 2015, www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-11/lazy-days-summer-not-these-students-gunning-make-or- break-exam. Accessed 24 Apr. 2017.
