Page 20 - 2021 Queens Economic Development Guide

Diversity
Above: The largest borough of
New York City and the second most populated, Queens is also notable for being the most ethnically diverse urban area in the entire world. Opposite Page: Numerous cultural events, parades and celebrations are held across the borough annually.
The Diversity Capital of the World
They don’t call us The World’s Borough for nothing: Queens is the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world.
Whether you’re Greek or Guyanese, Indian or Italian, Polish or Pacific Islander, you can feel at home in Queens.
The borough is a rich mosaic of dozens of unique neighborhoods, each with its own distinct cultural identity. While New York City is renowned the world over as a melting pot of world culture, it’s Queens that holds the Guinness World Record for
“most ethnically diverse urban area on the planet.”
With at least 138 languages spoken throughout the borough, “the capital of linguistic diversity, not just for the five boroughs, but for the human species, is Queens,” write Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro in their book, Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas.
In 2014, 43.5% of Queens’ residents spoke only English at home. Of the five boroughs, Queens also had the highest percentage of people speaking Asian or Pacific Islander languages.
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QUEENS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
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