CELEBRATING MULTICULTURAL HERITAGE OF QUEENS
Queens Boulevard is a major road connecting this New York City borough to the heart of Manhattan. It starts at the edge of Queens, in Jamaica, and ends at the door of Midtown Manhattan, on Queensboro bridge. With 7.5 miles (12 km) in length, it spans across nine different neighborhoods, encompassing almost 2.5 million people.
The 2015 census results show that almost a half of that population (48%) is foreign-born. Officially, Queens is one of the most diverse counties in the US, and arguably one of the most diverse places in the entire world. There are 138 different languages spoken here.
I live off Queens Boulevard, in Forest Hills. Wherever I chose to go, either by car or by subway, I have to reach Queens Boulevard first. The subway stop is there, the shops are there, most metropolitan expressways (to Long Island, Brooklyn, or Manhattan) are connected to Queens Boulevard. It is like a giant river, Ganges, or Danube, around which life unfolds 24 hours a day.
I am in permanent state of fascination by Queens Boulevard. I roam its walkways, crisscross its streets and blocks in a constant search for a genuine New York experience. I look at its people, listen to their exotic tongues, and admire the backdrop of distance, where Manhattan high-rises dominate the skyline.
Photographs shown here have not only been taken in Queens, however. The name of this project derives from the fundamental importance of Queens Boulevard for my life, both as a walker and commuter in New York City, but also as an immigrant in this country. The story of people in this project is my story as well.
I dedicate this series to the celebration of the BMCC Hispanic Heritage Month in 2022.
