A 
pocket of Tibetan culture in New York, Jackson Heights is home to many Tibetans, some of whom have relocated to the United States from foreign lands, others who simply chose to live in the area because of the large Tibetan population. The area is an old one, which began to gain popularity in the early 1900’s. Then, the population mostly housed white people, but has undergone many transformations since then. Many immigrants moved into the area around the 1950’s and 1960’s, and with that came many Tibetans, due to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the exile of many Tibetans that occurred during this time. Since then, the area has become amazigly diverse, leading up to the large Hispanic and Asian populations that the area has today.
Walking down from the subway station, you emerge on one of the more commercial streets in Jackson Heights, Roosevelt Avenue. On this street, there are multiple
Tibetan restaurants to be enjoyed, including Little Tibet, and a Himalayan Yak Restaurant. In addition, there are other Tibetan shops and stores nearby, and there is even the Om Shakti Temple, a place for these Tibetans to practice their Buddhism. The area of Queens in general is home to many different cultures, but this neighborhood has a specific Tibetan feel to it. This is due to these businesses, which can be seen all around the area. The majority of the people within Jackson Heights are in fact not Tibetan, but it is home to a large amount of Tibetans relative to other places in New York City and around the United States. Thus, Jackson Heights is an area filled with the very unique culture of Tibet, which is on display all around the neighborhood.
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