How to read the map and observations
Using the website data and my visits to Jackson Heights I discovered a lot of interesting things. I noticed that the main relationships or interactions between people in the neighborhood have to do with the different cultures that live in it. For example, the language: I literally didn’t hear anyone speaking in English the whole time I was there and that matched with the information I had read about it: more than 80% of the people there don’t speak English in their homes. Almost everything surrounding the neighborhood was written in Spanish, from the advertisements to the street signs saying not to litter the plants.
I discovered that there are so many restaurants in the neighborhood, very small places one right next to the other. Most were Latin but once in a while you could see a few Chinese markets and restaurants, so it was very peculiar to see that mix. There were a lot of street vendors selling typical Latin food like Obleas, and in one of the supermarkets, I found a large section of international produce.
On the streets, apart from restaurants and food-related stores I saw a lot of service shops related to the population that lives in Jackson Heights, like for example many money centers where people can send money outside the country or receive money from other places. That made sense since a lot of the population is not from the US or has family outside of the country. Also, I thought it was very interesting that there were many dress stores for baptisms, 1st communions, and quincieañeras; all three of them a very common practice in Latin countries. Finally, I saw multiple Hispanic health centers, very small centers distributed along Roosevelt Avenue and it made sense since back at home we also have that but it contrasted a lot with the way health centers are in Manhattan.
I found the cultural mix of the place very interesting. In Jackson Heights, there is a large Asian population, mainly Chinese and also a very large Latin population, mainly Mexican and Colombian. I liked that cultures that can be so different, especially those from places far apart from each other, can live together and combine the cultures in this neighborhood. The cultural mix is very rich and you can feel that just from walking around, from the languages you hear to the combination of markets and restaurants in one same street.
Personal Commentary
I loved that right after I got off the subway I started hearing Spanish in the background. The first thing I encountered as I went down the subway stairs on to 81st street was a lady selling Obleas on the street (a special type of Colombian pastry that has Dulce de Leche and it’s very common in South America). Just a few meters away, a giant sign that said “Jugo de frutas” (natural fruit juice) a very common thing to drink on the streets, I felt like I was back home in Chile and it was the best thing ever. I had missed Dulce de Leche and Mango with milk so much and I haven’t found anything like this in other parts of New York, it felt like entering a portal to a mix of Latin American countries where everyone spoke Spanish to you. And on top of this, I loved that you could find people from so many different countries, with different cultures, customs, religions, languages, and food, all sharing this beautiful neighborhood and mixing with one another without a problem. It seemed so utopic going there because it seems that everyone gets along and that’s not something you see very often when it comes to different cultures.
(For reference)
Obleas
Mango with milk
