Arnold Budhram on Finding Home in Little Guyana

With more than 60 million tourists that visit annually, New York City remains one of the most popular destinations in the world. Some of the attractions it offers include Central Park, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and more. What many people do not know, however, is the fact that the smaller areas in the city can be just as beautiful. Consider, for example, a tiny neighborhood in Queens called Little Guyana.

Seated Between 104th and 130th Street

Little Guyana is a relatively small area inside of the Richmond Hill neighborhood. It is, nonetheless, as enriched with cultural values as can be. As its name suggests, Little Guyana is a depiction of a country in South America called Guyana. Over the years, immigration facilitated a lot of newcomers who found themselves in New York City. Those who came from Guyana slowly settled in the area. After a while, it became known as Little Guyana. Now, it is the best location for those looking to buy Guyanese goods and connect with people who share the same upbringing.

The Second Home

Just like New York City's Little Italy, Little Guyana makes its resident feel at home. Meaning, the way that people interact while speaking Guyanese Creole helps individuals feel like they are back in South America. That usually helps with assimilation as moving to the United States tends to be a difficult transition. Take Arnold Budhram, for example. He currently works as a carpenter at St. John's University and used to be a professional chess player. Although he resides in New York City, he was not born and raised there.

Instead, Mr. Budhram was born and raised in Guyana. With a little over 700,000 citizens, his country was quite different than the city he eventually moved to in 1990. Once he came to NYC, however, making the transition was not difficult. Although his dedication and skills aided him, the existence of Little Guyana helped him meet people. Now, Arnold Budhram is one of the many immigrants who see this neighborhood as their true home.

Local Offering

Even though Little Guyana only covers 26 streets, it offers no shortage of small businesses. Some of the popular ones include baking stores and markets that offer Guyanese produce. Since Guyanese are New York's fifth largest immigration group, it comes as no surprise that these stores are usually packed with customers. Additionally, every Guyanese store in the area distinguishes itself with vibrancy and rich colors.

The atmosphere in the neighborhood is that of inclusion. In fact, Guyana is the only country in South America where English is an official language. Due to that, those who come to Little Guyana will not face any type of language barrier. They will, however, easily hear other dialects as Guyana has nine recognized languages. Not to mention another four that are commonly spoken including Chinese and Portuguese. Thus, the sounds echoing the neighborhood will be a combination of native music and multi-lingual conversations.

Maintaining Cultural Elements

Over the years, a lot of neighborhoods in New York lost their identity as modernization took place. Fast food restaurants slowly replaced local businesses alongside commercial grocery stores that overpowered small competitors. In Little Guyana, things are not changing as rapidly. Although this neighborhood is no exception to development, local businesses continue to thrive. Arnold Budhram attributes the longevity of these stores to loyal customers.

Take Little Guyana Market, for example. As one of the most popular grocery stores around, it offers countless goods that Guyanese people consume. Since many of them have an Indian background, the store also features anything related to West Indian cuisine. Typically, many popular and commercial businesses could operate in this location. Considering the long-term success of the market, however, there are no signs that it will ever be replaced.

Other popular destinations in the neighborhood are extremely versatile. Some of them include baking shops, Sri Durgamatha astrological center, and Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Hindu temple. Meaning, the variety in such a small neighborhood is definitely worthy of praise. Hence why the locals see this area as their home and do not need to leave it to satisfy their needs.