Follow me on this journey as I explore the linguistic landscape of Sunset Park, a neighborhood located in South Brooklyn. With a population made up predominantly of Latine, East Asian, and Arab communities, Sunset Park is a small yet booming neighborhood where cultures and languages prosper. According to the NYC Gov’s assessment of Sunset Park, Asian and Latine people make up a striking 84% of the neighborhood, with white people accounting for 12% of the neighborhood, a category that, per U.S. Census standards, can include folks of Arab descent.
Figure 1. Racial and Ethnic Demographics of Sunset Park. AVENYC: Community District Needs Assessment – Sunset Park, NYC Department of Small Business Services, 2022, https://www.nyc.gov/assets/sbs/downloads/pdf/neighborhoods/avenyc-cdna-sunsetpark.pdf. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
Before we begin: why Sunset Park? I was born and raised in Sunset Park, and I feel deeply connected to the history, people, and their stories that have made this neighborhood into what it is. As shown in Figure 2, Sunset Park is located in South Brooklyn and bordered by neighborhoods like Bay Ridge and Borough Park. My personal connection to this area and my admiration for its resilience compelled me to center my linguistic landscape analysis here.
Figure 2. Sunset Park Neighborhood Map – Brooklyn – NYC. CityNeighborhoods.nyc, https://www.cityneighborhoods.nyc/sunset-park. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
Sunset Park has long been a center for immigrants and community solidarity. With 54% of its population being foreign-born (NYC), the neighborhood has been historically targeted by ICE raids and police violence, especially during the Trump administration. Despite these challenges, the people of Sunset Park remain united in our efforts to resist and celebrate our cultural identities.
In this blog, I will analyze how the linguistic and visual elements of Sunset Park’s public spaces, such as storefronts, murals, street posters, and signage, act as powerful forms of resistance and cultural expression. Through this work, I hope to highlight the different ways language and art reclaim space, preserve identity, and empower community.
Header image credit: “Sunset Park Celebrates Mexican Independence” by Corazon Aguirre, published in Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sept 12, 2018. Source.