Jackson Heights

Jackson Height is home to a large population of  immigrants and is considered to be the most culturally diverse community within New York City. This neighborhood is located in north-west Queens and has become home to  South Asians, Latinos. Aside of its multicultural diversity, Jackson Heights has a large population of immigrants who identify as L.G.B.T.Q. Every summer the community host an annual Queens pride parade and festival.The population is over 180,000 those of whom speak 167 languages. Diversity Plaza is the focal point of the neighborhood because of its variety of different shops that represent all cultures. This area is a residential neighborhood with rows of houses that gives the area a suburban feel, but the mostly populated areas are the large apartment buildings. There are a lot of food vendors within the neighborhood primarily along the 7 train line. They offer a variety of different authentic cultural foods.  

The census tracts that makes up neighborhood are 283, 309.03, 327, 275, 273, 277, 279, 281, 285, 287, 289, 329, 337, 339, 351, 309.04, 291, 309.02, 347. In the early 20th century, Jackson Height was a predominately white middle-class neighborhood. The neighborhood was originally intended to lure in Manhattanites in 1930's but L.G.B.T.Q and jewish individuals populated the area. In the 50's, the presence of Latino population emerged and grew. When the 1965 Immigration Act was lifted which put restrictions on Asians, waves of Indians increased significantly. Its boundaries are Junction Boulevard to the east; Brooklyn- Queens Expressway to the west; Roosevelt Avenue to the South and LaGuardia Airport to the north.

The corner of 78 street was named after a gay bartender who was lure by a group of men to a public school yard and viciously beaten and stabbed to death. This was a hate crime in 1990 

                                                                        Diversity Plaza