Introduction to the Linguistic Landscape of Ronkonkoma, NY
Ronkonkoma, a hamlet located in Suffolk County, Long Island, presents a diverse linguistic landscape. Known for having the largest freshwater lake in Long Island and its historic Ronkonkoma train station, this area acts as a transportation hub and vacation spot, but beyond that, Ronkonkoma is home to a blend of cultural influences which is reflected through its local businesses. The area’s linguistic landscape – the visible language on public signage – reveals a lot about the community’s diversity, economic activity, and social interactions.
Throughout the main commercial areas located in Holbrook (in Ronkonkoma), such as along Portion Road and Hawkins Avenue (as shown in the pictures below), a variety of different cultures are clearly represented on store signs, restaurants, and service businesses. These signs include a mix of languages, symbols, and colorful fonts that reflect the presence of different immigrant communities, including those from Latin America, South Asia, and Eastern Europe, each contributing to the area’s multicultural identity. The linguistic diversity of Ronkonkoma’s signage highlights the melting pot of cultures that makes it a beautiful and engaging community.
The Presence of a Diverse Culture
A notable theme within Ronkonkoma – located in Suffolk County (Long Island) – is the signs of restaurants reference a variety of different cultures through family names/surnames, cultural references, and short descriptions. This pattern is visible in various restaurant signs that advertise cuisines from around the world, such as “Shah’s Halal Food,” “Da Hang Kitchen,” and “La Bamba Mexican Grill.” These establishments highlight the multicultural nature of Ronkonkoma and offer insights into the demographics and cultural influences in the area. According to datausa, “as of 2022, 14.4% of Ronkonkoma, NY residents (2.72k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%”. This shows that Ronkonkoma has an established immigrant community, which further explains the presence of these cultural restaurants. Each restaurant’s name provides a gateway to its ethnic background, such as “Shah’s Halal” emphasizing Islamic dietary practices and “Da Hang Kitchen” suggesting Chinese or East Asian cuisine.
These signs also represent the owner’s background/identity as well as the target audience of the restaurant. For example, not only does the “La Bamba Mexican Grill” state that it is a Mexican Grill, but you might be able to tell just by the reference to the song “La Bamba” or even through the fact that ‘Bamba’ is a “a foot-tapping couple dance deriving from one of the huapangos of Mexico and danced in ballrooms of the U.S” (Webster) . To add on, “Da Hang Kitchen” uses the surname “Hang” which is common amongst 47.0% of people found in Chinese ancestry (23andme), while the name “Shah” in “Shah’s Halal Food” is either a family name or refers to the Persian word which translates to “king” (most likely a family name since Shah’s is a family owned chain-business) (Lyle). The prominence of these cultural/ethnic restaurants can be related to the population of immigrants in Long Island, an increasing interest in global foods, or a desire for authentic cultural experiences. “Giunta’s Meat Farms” caters to both local Muslim and non-Muslims residents who are looking for a grocery with halal options, while “Curry Leaf” likely serves the South Asian community alongside others seeking to explore new flavors (the sign reads “Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Halal).
The names of these restaurants and stores come from different parts of the world, which establishes that there is diversity present in this small town. These restaurants are not only part of the economy, but they also contribute to fostering cross-cultural connections among residents to create a safe, inclusive environment. The presence of cultural restaurants may indicate that Ronkonkoma is evolving into a more inclusive town where diverse culinary traditions are celebrated, promoting greater cultural awareness and unification. This pattern is likely to continue and expand as the demand for diverse food options grows and the area attracts a wider range of ethnicities, and signage plays an important role in conveying it. This can impact the sense of diversity by invoking a sense of curiosity of where the references/names come from within customers or even just people passing by; or it can invoke a sense of a cultural community among those that already know where the names/references comes from.
Western Integration with Global Cultures
The use of different languages in the signs reveals the diversity of the town as well. Signs such as “Deshi Grocery Market” and “Picchu Peruvian Cuisine” features two different languages – Sanskrit and English, and Quechua and English. You might notice the pattern of both signs including the English language, and the reason for that is primarily due to the fact that the restaurants not only want to reach an East Asian/Muslim audience, but they also want to reach anyone else that wants a taste of those cultural foods (since the area is predominantly White). “Mangiamo” also uses words such as “Restaurant” and “Pizzeria” alongside the Italian name to suggest what it offers. These signages uses more English with just enough of other languages to understand which background the place is coming from. Furthermore, everything is written in English, such as This technique helps to reflect Ronkonkoma’s various cultures and indicates that the restaurant cater to both the immigrant and English-speaking populations, which in turn reinforces the community’s cultural diversity as well as their integration with the western culture.
On the other hand, stores such as “Gong-cha” which is written in English but is actually a Chinese word indicates that although they are open to catering to everyone, they may be targeting an Asian audience specifically; furthermore, they may be confident in the recognition of their company from other cultures. For example, I am from Bangladesh, and even though I’m not sure what “Gong-Cha” means, due to the store’s popularity, I know that it is a bubble tea store. “Ching Hoi” is another example of this, although not as popular. The only difference may be that Ching Hoi is simply a name and not a translated word, even though it is clearly in a different language. In addition, “Hamza & Medina” suggests that the restaurant is owned by someone who comes from a Muslim background since “Hamza” and “Medina”are Muslim names and “Medina” is also a city in Saudi Arabia (which is one of the holiest cities in Islam). The use of English alongside names from different cultures as well as other languages written in English form helps bring a wider audience, especially if people can’t tell what the store offers without the use of English. For example, if “Mangiamo” just said “Mangiamo” without the use of the pizza symbol and the words “Pizzeria” and “Restaurant”, I personally wouldn’t know what the store was about, and it’s very likely that others wouldn’t recognize it either.
Colors, Script, & Symbols
The different uses of colors, script, and symbols help to elaborate on the restaurants’ background as well. For example, “Cabo Fresh” uses the colors red, green, and yellow. At first glance, it may be brushed off by people who do not know what the word “Cabo” means or what language it is in, however, those who come from a hispanic background (or have some knowledge of their culture) may easily realize that cabo is a word used in Spanish and Portuguese that stands for “cape”. They may also realize that the colors represent the Portugal flag, hence the name. Additionally, according to CaboFresh itself, it is a California-style Mexican Grill, which further elaborates the fact that the vibrant colors and the name were intentional and meant to target those from a hispanic background especially. In addition to colors, scripts are a good way of reaching out to specific audiences.
“One Stop Bazaar” uses Arabic and Bangla scripts in the sign to reach out to these audiences and establish that they sell Halal meat and grocery items, which is essential to the Muslim community. Symbols are also effective in the same way. The “Suffolk Islamic Center (Ronkonkoma Masjid)” uses the symbol of a mosque in their signage to show that it is a place Muslims can go to for prayers and more. Although it already states that it is a Masjid, the symbol (the mosque-shaped building with a crescent moon on top) helps clarify its purpose as well, since the Islamic calendar revolves around the moon, and the shape under it is the commonly known architectural design of mosques. In addition to the shapes and symbols, the color green is a sacred color in Islam since it indicates the landscapes of Heaven (Fakharany). Therefore, the addition of colors, scripts, and symbols adds a deeper meaning to the sign. Just figuring out that the colors CaboFresh used was intentional of representing a flag, or the reason why a mosque chooses the color green, helps the audience connect with the place especially if the meaning is relevant to them (using the colors of a flag in a sign may help people from that area connect to the place).
(Press “open image” to see full picture)
Connecting the Patterns
As shown through the patterns found in the pictures of the signs above, Ronkonkoma is (surprisingly) a place of diversity. Within an outstanding number of 75% making up the total population of non-immigrant people in Ronkonkoma, 25% (and possibly increasing) of the people are from other races (worldpopulationreview). These restaurants’ signage helps to cater to the 25% as well as the 75%, in order to create a sense of a diverse, yet unified community. For example, when going out with my friends to eat at “Kira’s Sushi” (a Japanese restaurant that I don’t have a picture of) I feel the unification especially when looking at the diverse groups of customers all enjoying the same Asian cuisine served.
However, English the dominant language used throughout these signs, and the amount of signs that actually use languages other than English (and the amount of words in those languages) is still very much limited. Increasing the use of other languages might help expand the restaurant’s relevant audience and possibly make it seem more authentic. For example, I think going to “San Morgano Trattoria” seems – in a way – like a more authentic (or “more Italian”) place than going to “Ralph’s Italian Ices” simply because of the differences in the language used (English vs. Italian).
The signage in Ronkonkoma creates a visual dialogue, encouraging cultural exchange and an appreciation for different traditions. It makes it feel like an inclusive place where everyone is welcome. Moreover, the strategic placement of these signs in high-traffic areas ensures that the message of inclusivity reaches a broad audience, further enhancing their impact. The interplay of language, script, symbols, colors, and more on signs highlights how businesses unintentionally come together to create a linguistic landscape that shapes our environment.
