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PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS OF JACKSON HEIGHTS
Though earlier there were discussions about how the different ethnicities interact with each other, I find that the South Asians mostly stick
together and beyond their commercial strip, the Hispanic commercial
strips are concentrated with its own people. I did not see much
integration in that sense between the two communities. In the Indian
shops that sell phone cards, I saw that the phone cards were mostly
for South Asian countries. On the same note, in the Hispanic populated
areas the money transfers and other services available were mostly involving Spanish-speaking countries.
Both communities do live side-by-side but they maintain their distance.
-Harbani Rana
My impression of the Jackson Heights is that it is getting to a
really good place. There are so many different types of people living
in the area (Korean, Indian, Dominican, etc) that they are kind
of forced to interact
with each other. The area is somewhat compact, especially with regards
to commercial areas so the Indian Sari shops are standing next to
Korean video stores. Furthermore, the different groups seem very
aware of the cool things that each ethnic group has to offer and
are taking advantage of them. The Indians are coming to the Korean
groceries and they're visiting the restaurants and the white people
seem to be getting off on all of it.
Unfortunately, I think there is still a distance between the groups
as you don't see them interacting in ways that go beyond commercial
exchange.I guess the only thing left to happen is for the different
ethnic groups to
have more sex with each other so that the cultural differences that
keep them apart disintegrate a bit!
-Frank Copeli
Certain excerpts from the book "The Future Of Us All: Race
and Neighborhood Politics in New York City" by Roger Sanjek
show that there is a level of integration, which we may not perceive
unless we live there."In 1986 I saw a group of nine Korean
men sharing a mixed grill of meat and sausage at El Chivito D'Oro,
an Uruguayan restaurant in Jackson Heights. A year later I noted
a group of construction workers, half Korean and half Latin American
sharing Korean barbeque at Chung Kiwa, an Elmhurst [area next to
Jackson Heights] restaurant." (pg 225)
"A choir of thirty [schoolchildren] from PS69 in Jackson Heights,
half East Asian and nearly half Latin American plus a few South
Asian and white faces, delighted the audience with "Frosty
the Snowman," "Need a Little Christmas," and a Hanukkah
song." (pg 335)
A diverse group of students participate in school activities and
sing holiday songs together. Their parents may not interact with
each other but the next generation is growing up together. They
cooperate with each other
and work on projects together, and in the process forming relationships
with each other. "In 1988 a crowd of two hundred gathered in
the PS69 playground in Jackson Heights… Handmade signs read
"Jackson Heights says 'No' to Drug Dealers"… The
audience of whites, blacks, Latin Americans, and a few East Asians…"
(pg 342)
When it comes to a worthy cause, people from all different backgrounds
band together and take a stand so that the power of numbers can
make a difference." Although representing smaller populations
than the Latin American speakers, black and Asian spokespersons
protested reconfiguring multiracial school districts where, despite
white dominance, they had made inroads." (pg 365)
Smaller minorities are also able to make a difference, especially
when the issue is as important as one that concerns their children.
"At the 1991 Queens city council redistricting hearing, an
older man with a pronounced Spanish accent… said, 'I live
in Jackson Heights where we Hispanics live among many others. Personally,
I will support any candidate, Hispanic, white, black, or Asian,
who represents the interests of the people
in Jackson Heights.'" (pg 366)
People don't necessarily stick to people from their own background
all the time and will support anyone who represents their interests.
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