Do You Speak Jackson Heights? is an art and community experiment that translates the everyday lives of immigrants into a shared multilingual space. Based on extensive neighborhood interviews, the project culminated in a central script titled The Noise from Roosevelt Avenue is Birdsong.
To reflect the vibrant tapestry of Jackson Heights, this text has been translated into the community's primary languages—Bengali, Nepali, Hindi, Mandarin, Spanish, and English. In our reading group, neighbors gather to perform this collective narrative, reading each other’s stories aloud in their own native tongues. By hearing and speaking words that might otherwise be lost to language barriers, participants transform the lives of others into something tangible and relatable. Through this intersection of performance and play, Do You Speak Jackson Heights? fosters cultural exchange, ensuring that our neighbors' experiences are understood and celebrated on their own terms.
Delve into the stories that shaped this project. Read the full script of The Noise from Roosevelt Avenue is Birdsong.
Our deepest gratitude goes to all the community participants and translators who breathed life into these stories. Special thanks to The World Borough Bookshop for their partnership and support.
This project is made possible with funding from the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).