Much has been written in complaint about Downtown Flushing and its stores catering to the Asian population.
Stores in downtown Flushing sell fruits, vegetables, groceries, meats, sundries, clothing, etc.; some may look foreign, but I do not believe selling oranges, bananas, grapes, broccoli, steaks, fish, clothing, shoes etc. caters just to a specific population. I think all ethnicities eat these items, wear clothing, and buy shoes.
If I follow the logic of these complainers, then Little Italy would only cater to Italians; the Polish stores in Greenpoint cater only to Polish, the Hebrew stores in Borough Park cater only to Jews, etc.
All stores want business; money is green regardless of who it is coming from!
With the amount of foot traffic along Main Street and downtown Flushing, the real question to be asked is why don’t more diverse stores, in the eyes of these complainers, open up along the strip.
Store owners, landlords, community leaders, and elected officials cannot dictate what type of stores or what ethnicity these store operators are.
In many areas of New York City, stores adjacent to each other sell the same goods; witness the lighting district in the Bowery, or the flower district on 28th Street in Manhattan.
There is diversity when I see Macy’s, Modell’s, Joyce Leslie, Jembro, Old Navy, McDonald’s, Burger King, Applebee’s, Target, BJ’s, Payless, Chase, TD Bank, Citibank, Bank of America, Starbucks, and a multitude of other stores, banks, restaurants, and other services open and thriving in the downtown Flushing environs.
John Ngai
Rego Park, NY
