About 20 years ago (wow, I'm old) I was born in a part of Queens, New York called Jackson Heights. If you're from there as well, the name most definitely evokes a lot of nostalgic memories.
Jackson Heights is nicknamed the Melting Pot of the United States. In other words, it's the Melting Pot of the Melting Pot. There are so many different cultures here that it's actually hard to keep track. Growing up, I never felt out of place because of the diversity that surrounded me.
Chinese, Indian, Nepali, Mexican, Bengali, Costa Rican restaurants among many more dot every street corner. All individuals from these cultures, no matter how distinct from one another, gather around the same square on 74th street and share their language, clothing, music, and food.
It's an understatement to say living here for two decades has shaped my personality. Jackson Heights has undoubtedly made me the individual I am today. Living so close to the largest South Asian market in the United States allowed me to absorb and appreciate my culture. Although not identical to the traditional Indian villages my parents are from, it definitely comes close. All it takes is a short trip down the block (after putting on my most decent-looking pair of slippers, of course) to immerse myself in a world so comforting, so close to my heart.
I could go out to buy salwar suits and matching bangle sets with my mother, then make a stop at Patel Brothers to buy some cold Maaza mango juice, then argue with my sister whether halal food or empanadas were better for dinner. And then my mom would berate us for wasting so much money on food when we already had food at home.
The options are endless. I've lived here for so long but I have never gotten tired of it. The dynamic of Jackson Heights is different every single day. And although sometimes it seems tempting to move to someplace suburban (Syosset has been on my parents' list as of lately) and live in a large house with an equally impressive backyard, my heart belongs to Jackson Heights.
However cheesy it sounds, no matter how annoying the incessant rumbling of the seven train, the huge crowds of people, and the struggle to find parking, there's no other place where I could envision myself living.
