From Queens: The Brand Residents Don't Buy
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History of Corona
According to The Story of Corona from Farmland to City Suburb 1650-1935, Queens Community Series by Vincent Seyfried, Robert Coe of Hempstead, Long Island, began the first official settlement of Corona in 1655. However, it was not until 1883 that the area was officially referred to as Corona Heights. From 1684 to 1910, the area was mostly inhabited by farming families. Seyfried also notes that in 1885, the population moved away from farming and other institutions were created, such as saloons. At this time, the ethnic make-up of Corona contained English, Irish, Italian, German, and Scandinavian immigrants. The population remained the same until the 1970s when Corona experienced an influx of both Hispanic (mainly Dominican) immigrants.
This shift to a Hispanic-dominated population followed the general trend in NYC as immigrants poured in, mainly from Latin America. According to All Nations Under Heaven from 1970 to 1990, 42 percent of the neighborhoods in NYC that were inhabited by Hispanics and whites became almost entirely Hispanic neighborhoods.
On our walking tour of Corona, we found that the information stated above is very accurate. The majority of people in Corona are Hispanic and that is why there is a heavy Hispanic influence on the area. Many advertisements, store promotions, and church signs are written in Spanish. One can see that restaurants, for example, cater to the residents who live in the area. There are many places that specialize in Ecudorian, Peruvian or Colombian food. Considering Corona's close proximity to Citifield, we thought we might have seen some effort by local government branding to promote the area as a place to eat or hang out before and after going to Mets baseball games. However, we observed Corona as more of a residential neighborhood rather than a place for tourists.
Sources
Binder, Frederick M., and David M. Reimers. All the Nations Under Heaven. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995. 114-17. Print.
Lobo, Arun Peter, Ronald J.O Flores, and Joseph J. Salvo. "The Impact of Hispanic Growth on the Racial/Ethnic Composition of New York City Neighborhoods." Urban Affairs Review (202): 703-27. Print.
Seyfried, Vincent F. The Story of Corona from Farmland to City Suburb 1650-1935, Queens Community Series. New York: Queens Community Series, 1986. Print.
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