Peopling of NYC 2012

Population – 2010 Census Community District QU3 – Jackson Heights %
Total population 170224 100.0

Race (Alone or in combination with other races) – 2010 Census Community District QU3 – Jackson Heights %
White persons alone or in combination with other races 72785 40.4
Black persons alone or in combination with other races 15209 8.4
Native American persons alone or in comb with other races 3180 1.8
Asian persons alone or in combination with other races 29712 16.5
Pacific Islander persons alone or in comb with other races 470 0.3
Other race persons alone or in combination with other races 58812 32.6

Hispanic Population – 2010 Census Community District QU3 – Jackson Heights %
Hispanic or Latino persons 108643 63.8
Not Hispanic or Latino persons 61582 36.2

Hispanic Origin by Race – 2010 Census Community District QU3 – Jackson Heights %
Non-Hispanic White persons alone 20364 12.0
Non-Hispanic Black persons alone 10317 6.1
Non-Hispanic Native American persons alone 240 0.1
Non-Hispanic Asian persons alone 27453 16.1
Non-Hispanic Pacific Islander persons alone 26 0.0
Non-Hispanic other race persons alone 978 0.6
Non-Hispanic population of two or more races 2203 1.3
Hispanic White persons alone 45440 26.7
Hispanic Black persons alone 2937 1.7
Hispanic Native American persons alone 1670 1.0
Hispanic Asian persons alone 264 0.2
Hispanic Pacific Islander persons alone 51 0.0
Hispanic other race persons alone 51055 30.0
Hispanic population of two or more races 7226 4.2

Asian Population by National Origin – 2010 Census Community District QU3 – Jackson Heights %
Asian Indian 7323 27.2
Bangladeshi 4144 15.4
Bhutanese 14 0.1
Burmese 170 0.6
Cambodian 17 0.1
Chinese, except Taiwanese 7984 29.7
Filipino 1821 6.8
Hmong 0 0.0
Indonesian 121 0.5
Japanese 280 1.0
Korean 1024 3.8
Laotian 14 0.1
Malaysian 65 0.2
Nepalese 616 2.3
Pakistani 1891 7.0
Sri Lankan 49 0.2
Taiwanese 181 0.7
Thai 477 1.8
Vietnamese 256 1.0
Other Asian, specified 13 0.0
Other Asian, not specified 415 1.5

2010-2012 Daily News

HEIGHTS OF DIVERSITY . 51 countries in just 3 blocks! BYLINE: BY SAM LEVIN DAILY NEWS WRITER With Nicole Lyn Pesce
SECTION: QUEENS NEWS; Pg. 40

“Height of Diversity. 51 countries in just 3 blocks!” by Sam Levin describes Jackson Heights as one of the most diverse areas in New York City.  From 83^rd to 86^th Street in Jackson Heights, it is possible to hear 21 different languages and 51 different countries.  According to the 2000 Cencul data, the area is about 31% white, 2% black, 11% Asian and 54% Hispanic, and 59% foreign-born.  Over 70% speak another language besides English.  According to the article, all the various cultures feel at home in Jackson Heights because the majority of the population can be defined as minorities.  All groups feel comfortable in this setting.

2000-2010 Daily News

A SLICE OF HOMELAND IN IMMIGRANT NABES. Out-of-towners flocking to ethnic shopping districts in boros

BYLINE: BY VERONIKA BELENKAYA, JESS WISLOSKI and CHRISTINA BOYLE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS HER ARMS LADEN with Russian delicacies, Elena Leschenk

This article that appeared in the Daily News on December 3^rd, 2007 details an interesting phenomenon that is occurring throughout New York City, but specifically in many ethnically diverse neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights.

People from all over the area are coming to these ethnically diverse areas to purchase groceries and items that remind them of their heritage.  Some of these people are immigrants who are looking for a taste of home, while others are descendants of these immigrants, and still others are people who lived in areas that had a certain culture and are looking for a taste of that culture once more.  On the weekends, places like Jackson Heights are filled with out of town license plates, because people are making the trek for the links to their culture.  One man has been coming to Jackson Heights for 22 years from Paterson New Jersey.  People describe these trips to the various neighborhoods as “It’s coming home without going home.”

1990-2000 Daily News

50 CHILDREN IN EACH CLASS  SCHOOLS PACKED TO GILLS

BYLINE: By LISA L. COLANGELO DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
SECTION: Suburban; Pg. 2

This article discusses the overcrowding that was occurring in PS 69 in Jackson Heights in 1999.  The school had so many kindergarteners that several classes were required to double up.  This meant that 50 children ages 4-5 were going to be placed in one classroom. The District 30 Superintendent Angelo Gimonda said there was just not enough space, and he had no other choice.  Other areas of the school were considered a alternative classrooms but many of these spaces were not adequate for a classroom. Many parents signed a petition against the overcrowding, but with nowhere to place the children, the petition was not effective.  Overcrowding is a major issue throughout the city, and Jackson Heights is no exception.

(2010-2012) – “Traffic-Free Plaza Roils Little India In Queens”
Sarah Maslin Nir

Nir’s article discusses the new pedestrian plaza on 37th Road between 73rd and 74th Street in the heart of the Little India area of Jackson Heights. The city repurposed one block of the road to resemble the haven for pedestrians that Times Square has become synonymous with. In doing so, the hope was that the plaza would create more space and decongest the nearby Roosevelt Avenue. Aesthetically, this new plaza does not quite resemble its Times Square model with only a handful of traffic-blocking boulders and rickety picnic tables. Even more of a problem has been the implications it has had on many local business owners who contend that since being created, the plaza has been a hinderance on sales and overall foot traffic. Without the car traffic or the Q47 and Q49 busses that used to stop on the block, many claim business has waned by nearly half of what it use to be. Furthermore, the customer base of Little India is less foot traffic as opposed to people from outside of Jackson Heights who now find it difficult to find parking and navigate the roads.
On the other side of the coin, some pedestrians enjoy the new plaza and the benefits it has created. It definitely relieves the area of some of its congestion and has a sort of calming effect amidst all the commotion in Little India. However, the same people that point out these positives also make note of another challenge the plaza faces – cleanliness. Piles of garbage spilled from trash bags, cardboard boxes, and cigarette butts are all common sights which is certainly of concern.
In presenting these contrasting views of the new plaza, the article debates whether the plaza is in fact a good thing for the community or if its presence will only hurt business and present an eye-sore to outsiders.

Source: Nir, Sarah M. “Traffic-Free Plaza Roils Little India in Queens.” The New York Times 19 Mar. 2012, Late – Final ed., sec. A: 15. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 2 Apr. 2012.

(2000-2010) – It’s Not a Tour. It’s a Stroll With Your New ‘Aunt Tilly.’
Joseph P. Fried
Fried’s article discusses the practices of Big Apple Greeter, a nonprofit group of about 300 New Yorkers who give their time to show off various parts of the city to visitors who seek more than the familiar sights. Lynn Brooks, the founder of the 14-year old program, said she started the group because of people she met in her travels outside the city who actually feared coming to New York. The hope of the Big Apple Greeter group is to dispel this feeling by showing the uniqueness of different neighborhoods in the city from the point of view of a local person who knows the area very well or perhaps has even lived in it. The article talks about a tour led by Suzanne Paliotta, a retired New York City school teacher and Forest Hills resident, of Jackson Heights for a small family from the Netherlands to provide an example of what the Big Apple Greeter group does. Paliotta shows the family the Little India area, saying, “It’s been Indian since the ’80’s” and then turns onto 37th Avenue to point out the Latin America influence on Jackson Heights. She also mentions the history of the area to the visitors, explaining the perplexity of a place that became so diverse when it was initially intended for middle-class white residents.

Source: Fried, Joseph P. “It’s Not A Tour. It’s a Stroll With Your New ‘Aunt Tilly'” The New York Times 15 May 2006, Late – Final ed., B1 sec.: 3. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 2 Apr. 2012.

(1990-2000) – NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: JACKSON HEIGHTS;
Amid the Houses, Bodegas Grow in Queens
Norimitsu Onishi

In this neighborhood report, Onishi brings the unauthorized conversion of houses into businesses ranging from auto-repair shops to bodegas into the lime lights. This problem, he posits, is even more alarming in neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights where there are high concentrations of recent immigrants from countries where setting up shops and businesses out of the home is a common thing. Immigrant entrepreneurs may have done their part to revitalize the neighborhoods that they now reside in, but this particular practice has been problematic. It results in zoning violations, the alteration of houses, a sense of congestion as additions have been wedged between buildings. All of this distorts streetscapes and changes the lives of residents who have to learn to adjust to a bodega or beauty salon being located where a house should be. In response to this growing practice a law was passed by the City Council in March of 1993 that made it possible to close businesses operating out of residences if they are found to be a public annoyance.

Source: Onishi, Norimitsu. “NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: JACKSON HEIGHTS; Amid the Houses, Bodegas Grow in Queens.” The New York Times 28 Aug. 1994, Sunday Late – Final ed., sec. 13: 7. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 2 Apr. 2012.

1990-2000: Golden, Tim. “For Colombians in Queens, Time of Pain and Questions.” The New York Times. (January 31, 1990 , Wednesday, Late Edition – Final). LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2012/04/01.

“For Colombians in Queens, Time of Pain and Questions,” is an article that starts with Colombians in Queens, specifically Jackson Heights, who lost Colombian neighbors in a plane crash. The article goes on to describe the Colombian community and how the people are perceived within Jackson Heights and in other parts of Queens. The Colombian people have often gathered not for occasions of joy, but of sorrow. Including the plane crash, there were numerous events within and outside of Colombia that has brought these people together to pay their respects to the ones who lost their lives. In addition, Colombian immigrants face tons of discrimination because their nation deals numerous drugs, cocaine being the most prominent drug. This has led to police cracking down on Colombian immigrants as they believe that they come here illegally to sell drugs. However, only a few Colombian immigrants are drug dealers. Regardless, this has created a negative stereotype for all Colombians. Whether it is out of sorrow or discrimination, Colombians tend to stick together in ethnic niches, especially in Jackson Heights, in order to support and protect one another.

2000-2010: Colangelo, Lisa L. “SCHOOL KIDS HOPE LETTER WILL ROCK HURLER’S WORLD.” Daily News (New York). (January 12, 2000 , Wednesday). LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2012/04/01.

“School Kids Hope Letter will Rock Hurler’s World,” narrates the story about the kids of PS 69 who respond to the negative comments made by Atlanta Braves Pitcher John Rocker towards the subway line. John Rocker was specifically talking about the 7 train that passes right through Jackson Heights. To put it bluntly, John Rocker degraded the people on the 7 train because they were of different cultures, and then went on to question how they got into the United States. The kids of the elementary school who have parents who take the 7 train daily, and have taken the 7 train themselves, felt angry with the comments that Rocker made. In response, the school allowed them to send a letter and a book about Jackson Heights to Rocker asking him to visit there elementary school in order to learn more about the people of Jackson Heights. The goal was to help Rocker understand how diverse the community instead of just discriminating the people. This article reveals how diverse Jackson Heights actually is and that future generations may not be as separated as their first generation immigrant parents. School seems to allow the children of numerous cultures to view themselves as one united people by the neighborhood they live in, not by their native country.

2010-2012: Pesce, Nicole Lyn. “YOUR GUIDE TO JACKSON HEIGHTS.” Daily News (New York). (February 28, 2010 Sunday ). LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2012/04/01.

“Your Guide to Jackson Heights,” gives people a look into the Little India that exists within Jackson Heights. On February 28th, the Hindu people in Jackson Heights threw the Spring Festival of Colors with tons of food, dancing, music, and colored powders and water to celebrate love and life. Jackson Heights is known to be the largest Indian market within New York City. There are Indian jewelry boutiques, sari shops, barber shops, Bollywood rental stores, and lastly and most importantly Indian food! Jackson Diner, located on 37-47 74th st, is New York City’s most famous Indian Restaurant. Although Indians seem to control a vast territory within Jackson Heights today, they were not the first to do so. The article states that Latin immigrants were the first to dominate the area until the Indian population arrived. This shows that Jackson Heights is an ever-changing neighborhood that will not be dominated by one group of people for long. It all depends on the type of immigrants decide to enter New York City in the future and how well they get along with those that have already established themselves here.

After reading, “Who’s behind the counter? Retail Workers in New York City” by Malkin, I have to say I was at first confused about this article’s identification with racial and ethnic diversity. The majority of the article seemed to rather focus on the trials and tribulations of having a job in retail. While this was the main focus of the article (or maybe a larger focus than should have been) it has helped me understand why exactly there are a large number of ethnically diverse people working in retail, at least towards the end.

Economically and in the face of class separations, retail jobs play a role in the concept of social mobility that is so important for the immigrant and immigrant family population. When immigrants receive their education and need help paying tuition or supporting families, jobs in retail become very appealing. Malkin explains that the low wages leave retail for people who need extra cash rather than a main source of income, in many cases. This leads to a constantly shifting retail force and workers entering and leaving. Some people are forced to stay when tuition becomes too expensive to even attend college. However, Malkin describes some are promoted into better positions in retail.

Again, I found the article to focus way more on the experience one has as a retail employer. Some aspects that deal with diversity include interactions with wealth (usually white) customers as well as retail workers as consumers. Retail workers, usually young and ethnically diverse, wanting to have a part in American culture were more likely to spend their wages on clothing and other items rather than saving up to purchase an autonomous home (which very few have). I think this is interesting in that it brings into play the idea of assimilation. When interviewed, workers said a lot of their wages went to brand names, because it made them “feel good”. I think this is an interesting point to discuss in class.

One would think that the large groups of immigrants coming to New York would stay to themselves and form “coalitions,” as Reuel R. Rogers puts it.  However, he starts off by saying that this is not always true.  This can be exemplified by our observations on our walking tour of Jackson Heights.  As we saw, one small neighborhood can indeed be extremely diverse and not just made up of one particular race.  Furthermore, Roger Sanjek mentions about fifteen different races when describing the make-up of Elmhurst, which New York’s Department of City Planning called “perhaps the most ethnically mixed community in the world.”  Clearly, the people of Elmhurst did not form “coalitions,” but instead blended into one another to form one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world.

Coming back to the piece by Rogers, I found it slightly confusing that he talks about the races as if there are only two in existence—black and white.  He constantly refers to “Blacks” and “Whites” when referring to the races.  Why separate them like that?  The “Blacks” and “Whites” each have their own denominations of races under those categories, and it seems trivial to not distinguish them as such.  I think Rogers, and many other Americans, have this mindset because of all the years of racial segregation.  You never heard about Asian segregation, or Latin-American segregation; only Black.

It may seem silly, but the black and white cookie is an appropriate metaphor for this topic.  The two opposite sides of the cookie are separated and have different flavors, yet they come together on one cookie.  This is how the neighborhoods Rogers describes should be—the “Blacks” and “Whites” are separate and do indeed have their own “coalitions” in some cases, yet they come together as a whole in one neighborhood.

In this week’s articles, the pieces primary focus was on the distinction of race and ethnicity as others before me have already mentioned. I found this week’s articles very shocking because of the way, people, mainly those who migrate to the United States are being classified as either black, or white. In the chapter by Foner and the article by Crowder, they discus how West Indian people are forcefully grouped in with black people, and are always being associated with them, even though they have vastly different cultural beliefs and traditions.

What I didn’t understand at all is how people try to associate different groups of immigrants, as being “black” or “white”. The system of classifying people runs in a way that only leads to more prejudice and racism within the societies of New York. After all, what does it really mean to be “black” or white”? To call somebody “black” or “white” would be an insult because, by calling them black or white, it could relate so many different things. In today’s society, it could mean being Jewish, Italian, Irish, or of many other descents. It just seems fundamentally wrong to classify somebody as black or white, instead of calling them by who they really are.

West Indian people, shouldn’t be classified as black, but they should be classified as West Indian. The information that Foner presents, that in today’s culture, West Indians are considered black, and that Jewish people along with the Italians are considered white, is very disrespectful, because it is a misrepresentation of who they really are. It obscures their true cultural identity, and many times, detracts from the way they are viewed. As we can see from the tragedy of Trayvon Martin, being labeled as “black” can sometimes have very unfortunate outcomes because it makes you judge somebody prematurely, without knowing the person. If it were up to me, people shouldn’t be put into the classified by being black and white anymore, or even by their cultural backgrounds, but by their character, because that is the most important part of an individual.

The piece I found the most striking was the Rogers piece on Raced-based coalitions. I feel as if in so many cases we all think that it comes down to two races, black and white. However, this piece exemplifies that things are not that simple. Race divisions lie across the board, even with two groups that seem to be extremely similar in needs, desires, and political activism such as the Afro-Caribbean’s and African Americans.

Rogers goes on at length about their similar viewpoints, how they live in the same neighborhood and fight against the same discrimination and yet have yet to form a steady alliance. This to me is so strange, but at the same time, I say to myself-Why should we be making alliances at all? Why should we have to group ourselves together in order to fight against each other due to something as petty as the color of our skin? Rogers says
“Their worry is that conservative political interests will look to exploit or even sow divisions between African-Americans and these new immigrant constituencies, thereby dousing any potential for a liberal rain- bow coalition led by Blacks.”

We are all so focused on our differences and on getting “our share of the pie.” But in doing this, we alienate ourselves from one another and don’t get anything accomplished-the case of the afro-Caribbean’s and the African Americans being a prime example of this. They are so similar, they want the same things (when it comes down to it, don’t we all want the same thing?) but they are still vying for power. This isn’t how it should be.

We should accept that we are different, and embrace our differences; I have no arguments against that. How we are all different makes up who we are and diversity is a wonderful thing. But we should also embrace how we are the same, and work together to achieve our goals.