Richmond Hill in Queens, New York, Gets a ‘Punjab Avenue’ and is All Set for a ‘Gurdwara Street’
The area known a s “Little Punjab” in Queens, New York, formally adopted a name that would gladden the Punjabi New Yorkers. The stretch of 101st Avenue between 111th and 123rd streets is now officially co-named Punjab Avenue, the culmination of a two-year joint effort by several South Asian groups.
City Council Member Adrienne Adams, who worked to make the renaming a reality, was quoted in a news report saying, “Punjabis and South Asians deserve to be acknowledged, since they have helped build and shape Richmond Hill for 50 years.”
“Some of the hardest working people are of the South Asian community… Folks who have been here for a very long time,” Adams said.
“Just because we look different, it doesn’t mean that we are not humans or we are lesser Americans,” said Harpreet Singh Toor, former president of the Sikh Cultural Society, according to cbslocal.com.
“It means a lot. We really feel respectful that we are recognized,” said Rajwinder Kaur, a member of the Community Education Council, District 28.
Cbslocal.com also reported that at the end of November, 97th Avenue from Lefferts Blvd. to 117th Street will be co-named Gurdwara Street, a nod to Sikh temples in the area.