The intersection of Homelawn Street and Hillside Avenue in Queens, New York will now be known as “Little Bangladesh Avenue” after a ceremony held on Monday, , QNS reports.
Spearheaded by Councilman James Gennaro, the bill aimed to honor the significant Bangladeshi community in Jamaica, Queens. For Gennaro, the passing of the bill in December 2021 was an important milestone in recognizing the numerous Bangladeshi contributions to the area.
“As many as 65% of New York City’s Bangladeshi population reside in Queens — and many of them here in Jamaica,” Gennaro said at the naming ceremony, according to QNS. “Today, we are celebrating the many contributions of the Bangladeshi community to the borough of Queens.”
At the ceremony, city officials made a special effort to recognize and celebrate Bangladeshi history. The ceremony was held on International Mother Language Day, a Bangladeshi national holiday celebrating multilingualism that has since been internationally recognized by UNESCO. Furthermore according to QNS, Gennaro began the ceremony with a moment of silence to honor fallen fighters in Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war.
The choice of the name “Little Bangladesh” for the new avenue was also the product of extensive community input. According to Dhaka Prokash, opinion was initially split on how to rename the street. Some advocated for the street to be named after significant figures from Bangladeshi history, such as Sheik Mujibur Mahman, known in Bangladesh as the “Father of the Nation,” or assassinated President Ziaur Rahman. Others endorsed a more apolitical name, such as simple “Bangladesh.” The area was ultimately named “Little Bangladesh Avenue” as a compromise for all groups involved.
The streets that now constitute Little Bangladeshi Avenue have a particularly rich Bangladeshi heritage. Hillside Avenue in particular is home to numerous Bangladeshi businesses and restaurants that sell traditional food and clothing, as well as community organizations helping immigrants continue to practice their culture in the United States.
For assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar, the first South Asian woman elected to New York state office, the street’s new name was particularly significant: her parents had lived on that street after immigrating from Bangladesh in the 1970s.
“In the 1970s, my parents immigrated and they settled on Hillside Avenue,” she said, according to the Queens Ledger. “It’s special that I get to stand here today at the naming of Little Bangladesh Avenue. We have so many leaders in this community who are here today. I stand on your shoulders.”
City leaders and officials in attendance at the ceremony also spoke about the significance of recognizing Little Bangladesh to the local community and the city as a whole, QNS reports.
“I am especially grateful to the Bangla community, who has accepted me with open hearts,” District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “‘Little Bangladesh’ will be here forever, for the next generations to see,” Katz said.
Assemblymember David Weprin added: “Now, any time a child will come by and see the sign ‘Little Bangladesh,’ they’ll realize that this is one of the largest Bangladeshi American communities in the United State of America. And we are very proud of that culture.”
To Rajkumar, the new name is a sign that the Bangladeshi community finally has a “seat at the table it so rightfully earned.” However, she views the government’s formal recognition of her community as only the first step towards greater Bangladeshi American representation in politics.
“The sky’s the limit for our community because I want to see a Bangladeshi American as mayor. I want to see a Bangladeshi American as senator and a Bangladeshi American as president,” she added, the Queens Ledger reports. “We have just begun, and with all of the Bangladeshi youth in my office right now that we’re bringing up, it’s going to happen very soon.”
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