Voices of Jackson Heights

You do not have to look for culture in Jackson Heights.
It finds you.

Diana remembers walking through the neighborhood and repeatedly stumbling into celebrations, performances, and moments of beauty without planning any of it. What starts as a casual walk becomes something much bigger.

This episode is shared in Spanish.
The full English translation appears below.
I love visiting Jackson Heights. My parents live there, and one of the things I enjoy most about walking through the neighborhood is encountering different languages and different celebrations all at once. Everything mixed together. Celebrations you come across simply by walking.

I remember a few years ago, I was walking with a friend who was new to New York, and we came across bars where people were celebrating the World Cup in Spanish. People were in the street shouting and celebrating, and you could immediately recognize Spanish from many different places.

Then we walked a few blocks more and, without looking for it, we came across a beautiful Bengali performance.

My friend is a dancer, so we stayed to enjoy a concert and watch incredible dancers performing on a stage set up in the middle of the street. We continued walking, had some Indian tea, and ate samosas.

On our way back home, we stopped at a French bakery. We practiced our three words of French, had croissants and coffee, and then went home.

So in Jackson Heights, you can take a tour around the world in 30 minutes.

What is Voices of Jackson Heights?

Jackson Heights is not one story - it’s hundreds.

Voices of Jackson Heights is a short-form podcast capturing the everyday moments, memories, and experiences that make this neighborhood in New York City feel like home. Told entirely in the voices of people who live in, move through, and keep returning to Jackson Heights, each episode reflects on a small but meaningful personal experience.

You’ll hear stories in many languages, across generations and cultures.
Transcripts and English translations are included in the show notes for non-English episodes.

A mí me encanta visitar Jackson Heights. Mis padres viven allá y una de las cosas por las que me gusta muchísimo caminar por el barrio es encontrar diferentes idiomas y diferentes celebraciones todas unidas. Todas mezcladas, eh? Y celebraciones que uno se encuentra simplemente por el hecho de estar caminando.

Recuerdo hace unos años que estába caminando con una amiga nueva en nueva York, y nos encontramos con unos bares celebrando todos en español la copa mundial de fútbol. La gente estaba en la calle gritando celebrando se reconocía inmediatamente el español de muchos lugares. Luego caminamos unas cuadras más y nos encontramos con un performance bellísimo bengalí sin buscarlo, eh?

Mi amiga es bailarina, así que nos quedamos disfrutando de un concierto y de unas bailarinas espectaculares en una tarima armada en la mitad de la calle. Continuamos caminando y tomamos tecito hindú y nos comimos unas somoza. Y luego, hacia el regreso a la casa, entramos a una panadería francesa, practicamos nuestras tres palabras de francés y comimos canales y café y luego nos regresamos a la casa.

Así que en Jackson Heights se puede hacer un tour alrededor del mundo en 30 minutos.