The linguistic landscape I have chosen to focus on is my hometown of Eastchester, New York. Having lived here my entire life, I have long been aware of the predominantly Irish and Italian population of the town. A newcomer would likely be able to easily identify the origins of the neighborhood from the local restaurants and delis. On the South end of the town, there are Irish pubs with the names of Piper’s Kilt and Mickey Spillane’s. On the contrary there are Italian delis and pizzerias such as Mona Lisa’s, Polpettina, Burrata and more. The signs of these local eateries represents the culture and background of the people who make up the town. The community is predominantly white and the English writing on all the signs displays that. However, there is also a smaller percentage of Asian representation within the community. The majority of the signs within the town follow a similar style and format, which we’ll also be covering. I selected Eastchester as my linguistic landscape because prior to this assignment, I had not realized how many of the signs around town served as representations of the type of people who live here; growing up in the same place my entire life I never had the opportunity to step back and analyze the different cultures that make up Eastchester from a different point of view. The signs within Eastchester may not be all that diverse, however they represent the heritage of the community through their names, design, and subject matter.
Eastchester has been around for quite some time, having been established all the way back in 1664. The settlement was begun by 10 families who migrated from Fairfield, Connecticut. Up until the time of the revolution, Eastchester was a farming community. I was previously unaware of this, but apparently the Bill of Rights was written and signed in Eastchester. The location is now a part of Mount Vernon, but at the time, it was within the borders of Eastchester. This sign that’s seen by visitors upon their entrance into the town expresses Eastchester’s deep history, and also conveys that the community is predominantly English speaking since there are no other languages on the sign.
Two of the most easily culturally identifiable establishments in the town are Mickey Spillane’s and Piper’s Kilt. Located directly next to one another and with an Irish flag hanging proudly in between, the signs Mickey Spillane’s and Piper’s Kilt strongly represent the Irish culture of Eastchester through their Irish names and national flag. Piper’s has been around for quite some time, proudly boasting the phrase “Established 1964” on the sign (smaller letting, unable to be seen in the photo). This exemplifies the recurring theme of Eastchester citizens being proud of their history. Mickey Spillane’s is a bit more recent, being established in 2006. In addition, the brown background coloring in combination with the golden/bronze lettering seems to be a common color scheme for Irish establishments.
Fittingly enough, there is also an Irish Dance Studio just 50 feet down from Mickey Spillane’s. Despite being lacking in any decorative qualities or designs, the name on the sign alone further depicts the Irish presence within Eastchester.
Just as present as the Irish culture within the Eastchester community is the Italian culture. The signs of multiple delis and pizzerias reflect the Italian heritage present within the town.
One of the most popular and well-known establishments on the Southside of town is V. Zuccarelli’s Delicatessen & Prime Meats, or in short, Zuccarelli’s. There isn’t any Italian-written language on the sign itself, however there are numerous other aspects of the deli that would enable a passer-by to determine its origins. For starters, the name Zuccarelli is certainly of Italian descent. Written underneath the name and across the awning is “Italian Specialties”, projecting the type of products which they offer. Furthermore, behind the glass there are Italian groceries with Italian labeling. These specific goods are what separates Zuccarelli’s from a traditional deli or bodega, as it enables those with Italian heritage to purchase items that they would normally only find in their home country.
On the opposite side of town is another Italian deli, Mona Lisa Salumeria, more commonly known as Mona Lisa’s. Contrary to the prior establishments we’ve analyzed, Mona Lisa’s sign is fully written in another language, an uncommon occurrence in the Eastchester community. The Italian name in combination with the “Italian Gourmet” sign and Italian imported groceries in the window couldn’t make it more clear that this is an Italian deli. But besides this, I’d like to explore a recurring theme within many of these establishments, regardless of the culture, and that’s the use of simplistic, minimalist signs. On each of the signs we have viewed so far the labeling has been written in a big, easy to read font, with little to no other detailing that can pull your attention away from the name. This design style can be found on nearly all of the images being viewed in this paper, as well as many more places around town.
One of the most popular pizzerias within the Eastchester community is Burrata. Burrata is a restaurant that serves authentic Italian dishes and Neapolitan-style pizza. Like many of the other Eastchester establishments we have discussed, Burrata utilizes minimalism with their sign and presentation. With a sleek outer design and “BURRATA” centered in bold writing, Burrata’s appearance suggests sit-down style dining and upscale cuisine. Despite providing a different style of service than the prior Italian establishment, Burrata stays consistent with the motif of simplicity and the representation of heritage through food.
Another restaurant in Eastchester similar in presence to Burrata is Polpettina. As seen with the prior restaurants, Polpettina sports the simple, easy to read labelling of their establishment. Written across the awning is “Homemade Pizza Kitchen”, suggesting they provide high quality food and fresh ingredients. Although this description on the awning may not be as openly displaying of Italian culture as other eateries throughout the community, the combination of the red and gold color scheme the name “Polpettina” signifies the Italian representation through their signs and presentation. Before Polpettina opened back in 2011, many other food serving businesses previously had extreme difficulty having success in this location, as stores would open up and go out of business routinely every 2 years or so. Thinking back now, nearly all of these prior businesses had much more elaborate, decorative signs, as opposed to the simple design of Polpettina. Since Polpettina has opened, it is not uncommon to see the restaurant at full capacity on any given night. This leads me to believe the citizens of Eastchester and neighboring areas are more attracted to minimalistic presentation that allows the product (food) to speak for itself, compared to over-the-top, decorative signs.
An important aspect of Eastchester’s linguistic landscape that often tends to get overlooked is the Asian culture. Although the general consensus is that the town is Irish and Italian, there is also a strong presence of Asian immigrants, particularly from Japan. According to the USA database, the ethnic composition of the population of Eastchester, NY is composed of 16.6k White Alone residents (82.7%), 1.45k Asian Alone residents (7.19%),…” (Eastchester, n.d.). Pictured here to the left is the towns’ Japanese grocery store, Fuji Mart. Fuji Mart is another one of the few locations in Eastchester that contains language in their sign that is not English, as they have advertising in Japanese taped up on the windows. This writing paired with the bamboo bordering the window demonstrates Fuji Mart’s Japanese origins.
In such a heavily-saturated white, English-speaking area, the Korean Methodist Church is certainly an outlier when it comes to the presentation of signs within the community. Aside from Mona Lisa’s, the Korean Methodist Church is the only other establishment in Eastchester that presents their native language in their sign before English. But what separates the Korean Methodist Church from Mona Lisa’s is the fact that there is actually more writing in Korean than English on the church’s signs. To the left of the main sign is the schedule of the church, written entirely in Korean. The Korean Methodist Church may not be the most bustling area in town, however it adds to the diversity of the community, bringing a different culture and language than that of the Irish and Italian, which is clear to any passer-by through their signs.
Being raised in a town that is predominantly made up of one or two cultures with little other variety, it is not a common thought for one to analyze what’s being conveyed through the language and design of the signs within the community. However, through this exercise I was able to pick up on a few interesting aspects of my hometown that I was previously unaware of. The Irish and Italian citizens predominantly make up this town, and have been here for some time. They are proud of their heritage and show that through institutions within the community such as Piper’s Kilt. Across the different cultures and different establishments that have been discussed, the most commonly occuring theme through all of their signs was simplicity. Establishments within the town opt for minimalistic, basic design which clearly depicts their name and what they offer. The Asian demographic of Eastchester may be small as of now, but it is certainly growing and that is represented through the signs of places such as Fuji Mart and the Korean Methodist Church. Analyzing the different signs of my hometown has enabled me to develop a greater sense of appreciation for Eastchester. I am beyond grateful for the community I was raised in.
Works Cited
Alley, S. (n.d.). BROWNSTOWN, MI.
Eastchester – The Mothership. (n.d.).
Eastchester, NY. (n.d.).