What We Did: From Start To Finish

From The Peopling of New York City

Given the opportunity to study Jackson Heights, we began our journey from a common-sense research approach. We created a list of the different ethnic groups which are represented in Jackson Heights. This simplistic analysis states that the mere presence of different groups of people in one neighborhood automatically makes it diverse. However, this simple perspective began to change as we defined the concept of race to be a social fact rather than a biological one. We also began to understand the internal and external forces which influence the representation of the neighborhood. We initially started researching specific aspects of Jackson Heights -- including residential, cultural, and commercial aspects -- and examined the portrayal of the neighborhood over time in numerous magazines and newspapers, such as The New York Times. In addition, we analyzed census data about who was moving into the neighborhood during different periods, and through additional research, we developed our own ideas regarding Jackson Heights. The struggle over space in the neighborhood, for example, was an issue we wished to address and further study.

However, because reading texts was not enough, we toured Jackson Heights as a class. This tour gave us the opportunity to see Jackson Heights for ourselves, and to compare the neighborhood's representations (as portrayed in our readings) to our own experiences there. The walking tour reinforced concepts we read about in various articles regarding assimilation, race, and acculturation. There were several times when we noticed contradictions in the neighborhood's conventional portrayal. These contradictions helped fuel the research and development of the ideas presented in this website.

We then formed groups to research specific topics associated with Jackson Heights. We set out to interview various people in the neighborhood involved with real estate, government, and residential life. The questions asked in the interviews were inspired by the study that Christopher Mele performed in his book, "Selling the Lower East Side." In his book, Mele describes Lower East Side as a neighborhood whose “discourse of struggle has been altered by the co-optation of local symbols and developers efforts to channel the area’s subversive identity toward profits." According to Mele, it seemed that developers sold real estate in Lower East Side based on its bohemian culture, which led to gentrification. We wondered if the same process is occurring in Jackson Heights. If so, which groups of people are aware of it? For instance, we asked interviewees whether they felt an ethnic division in Jackson Heights, and if they had noticed or experienced the effects of the neighborhood's gentrification.

Additionally, we asked interviewees to draw cognitive maps -- maps which show Jackson Heights in their own unique perspective. Every individual's map was a glance into his or her own representation of the neighborhood, and a tool to identify the conflict and struggle over space in Jackson Heights. Through the comparison of cognitive maps, we analyzed subtle differences in the perceptions that residents of different backgrounds and races have of the neighborhood. Moreover, the differences in the maps drawn by a resident, a store owner, or an employee in the neighborhood allow us to better understand how different kinds of people view the physical space, such as boundaries and safe or dangerous areas, of Jackson Heights. After we compiled our data, we were able to compare the way residents, government officials, and real estate brokers dealt with, and thought about different issues in Jackson Heights.

Our last step in this journey was the creation of this website. We wish to further explore and demonstrate the power dynamics in the neighborhood, and show how those with power are using various methods to portray the neighborhood for their own betterment. We wish to inform you, the viewer, about Jackson Heights beyond its common representations, and persuade you to think about the underlying issues Jackson Heights faces on a daily basis. Read on to figure out exactly what these issues are and ultimately form your own opinion of Jackson Heights.

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