Formation and Dynamics of Asian Community in Flushing, New York

Abstract

This paper examines the formation and Dynamics of the Asian community in Flushing and the main activities of the community. Today, Flushing has grown into a representative city of religion and cultural diversity, as evidenced in the early days of urban formation. In the early 20th century, the main members of Flushing became Jews, Italians, and Greeks, turning white middle class residential area. In 1965, the immigration law of the United States changed, opening the door to immigration to Asian countries. Since the 1970s, Flushing has become a typical Asian American town with the arrival of Asian immigrants, including Koreans, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Indians. In recent years, as the Korean-Chinese people have flowed into Koreatown and Chinatown, they have formed a space and created a new landscape of the city. The Asian communities in Flushing regularly host traditional festivals and food culture festivals. In particular, the Korean and Chinese communities hold a memorial parade jointly with the traditional holiday, New Year s Day. Through this festival, Asian immigrants recognize cultural differences among them, and strengthen exchanges and communication. Recently, the Trump Administration has seriously undermined the historicity of Flushing, where all diversity is respected, by administrative orders and anti-immigration policies. Especially, psychological anxiety of Hispanics and Asian American immigrants is increasing. Minwkon Center, one of the Flushing Asian Communities, takes Actions for rights protection and political participation of Asian American immigrants including Korean Americans. Overall, the Asian American population in the United States is steadily increasing, but their political influence is relatively low. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to increase their political power. The Asian community in Flushing should promote exchanges and solidarity among ethnic groups, and develop voter registration and active voting participation campaigns.