From The Peopling of New York City

Whether or not they are willing to assimilate into American life, most South Asian parents desire a space where their native culture can become embedded into the psyche of their American-born children. This is where Jackson Heights fits in. The somewhat small area between 73rd and 75th Streets, between Roosevelt Avenue and 37th Avenue, is home to a variety of establishments that bring the South Asian family close together through tradition and custom. This "Little India" presents authentic, South Asian restaurants, sari shops, Bollywood music and movie stores, Desi-style jewelry shops, and other places where the South Asian family can spend time. A family swept up in the hustle-bustle of New York City can dine casually in one of the many dosa or kabob houses. A mother and daughter, in preparation for an upcoming wedding, can stroll along 74th Street, searching for the perfect, traditional Indian wedding gown. Other families may go to the movies together to see a Bollywood movie, native to India, or just walk through the neighborhood window-shopping. Indeed, when going to Jackson Heights, particularly on a weekend, it is impossible to miss the dozens of families walking along the street, participating in all of these activities. The family feels that they have become part of a community, where shared interests and experiences come together. As a result, South Asian parents find Jackson Heights to be a haven where they can expose their kids to their own culture.

This is of particular importance to recently-immigrated families, who may pine for a taste of home, and whose contacts in America are limited. It is in Jackson Heights where this family can connect with others through common ethnicity, and where they can reinforce their culture, which may be the strongest bond linking the parents to the children.

However traditional Jackson Heights may be, one cannot ignore the penetration of other groups into the neighborhood. Whether they are American banks or Latin eateries, these groups add a different aspect to Jackson Heights. It is this mixture of cultures in the area that leads South Asian children to define themselves as Bangladeshi-, Pakistani-, or Indian-Americans. Jackson Heights is symbolic of the cohabitation of American and South Asian culture in first-generation Americans, such as Sunita's children or Jeffin Mathew. Thus, Jackson Heights is the bridge between the "old" and the "new." Parents can introduce their children to their heritage, and at the same time accept the fusion of parts of American society. This has created a new culture among South Asian children that stresses the importance of their ethnic customs, while at the same time implants the new ideals and values of American society.