Historical II

Boundaries Keep Shifting, But Fears Remain the Same. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Dec 18, 1994. p. CY23

The article discusses how the neighborhood borders of Jackson Heights and Woodside are shifting, causing unease in the residents of the latter. The Brooklyn-Queens expressway was once used as the eastern boarder for Woodside, but now residents feel that it is being blurred and shifting over to the Long Island Rail Road. Jackson Heights has expanded east, and now that it is moving to the west along the Roosevelt Avenue area, the locals are becoming nervous and defensive against what they feel to be a hostile take over.

Most of the complaints and expressed fear deal with the situations concerning drugs, prostitution, over-crowding, and noisy social clubs; few mention race as a problem.

At the beginning of the article, it is mentioned that the community of Woodside is predominately middle-class white and also mentioning that Jackson Heights is one of the most ethnically diverse, immigrant rich areas in New York City. Later it is also mentioned that Woodside serves as a buffer zone between the white neighborhoods and the more ethnic regions around Jackson Heights. Although race seems to be a major factor in the unease, it is not mentioned by the white communities. Instead they point the blame more so at crime issues. A 20 percent decline in Woodside’s white population between the years of 1980 and 1990 seem to suggest that it has more to do with that racial fear.