The presence of signs in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Vietnamese throughout Sunset Park demonstrates the neighborhood’s cultural diversity.
While to some, a sign just provides information, signage is more than meets the eye. In Sunset Park, signage reveals how overlapping communities have coexisted, supported one another, and collectively shaped the neighborhood’s identity over time.
Sunset Park’s signage reflects its diverse population: Latines, East Asians, and Arabs.
This first sign, figure 1, is located outside the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in Brooklyn, with community centers and a Catholic academy connected. The four languages present in this sign vary from English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
The choice of languages demonstrates the church’s recognition of its diverse congregation. It reflects Sunset Park’s historic Catholic roots, originally built by Italian and Irish settlers, while also acknowledging its evolving Latine community, who continue to practice Catholicism today.
The inclusion of these languages signals a safe haven for the cultural backgrounds of its parishioners and showcases the Catholic Church’s efforts to remain accessible across ethnic lines.
This storefront, figure 2, is part of Sunset Corner Pharmacy and uses three languages: English, Spanish, and Arabic. The pharmacy borders Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, which is recognized for its Arab community.
This multilingual approach demonstrates how local businesses adapt to meet community needs, especially for immigrant families seeking accessible care. One sign emphasizes that staff speak Spanish and that the pharmacy “accepts all major insurances,” making it inclusive to working-class patients and non-native speakers.
A mural beside the entrance provides a direct form of community resistance and solidarity. One phrase reads “¡Viva Palestina!” while the other states “Peace.” This reflects Sunset Park’s Arab and Latine population as well as shared experiences of cultural resilience. The mural, alongside the multilingual signage, transforms the pharmacy into a community site of resistance and cultural pride.
This banner, figure 3, located outside an elementary school, uses five languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian to promote K–5 enrollment.
While its purpose may seem routine, its multilingual presentation and visual formatting provide a powerful message of inclusion and accessibility.
By utilizing five languages, the banner acknowledges the full extent of the community’s demographics, including smaller population groups. This prevents the formation of in-groups or out-groups and signals that every background is accounted for. Additionally, by formatting all the languages in the same size and style, the banner avoids prioritizing any one group. This communicates that every child is equally welcome and equally valued, regardless of their language background.
The D-G-M Gifts Shop, figure 4, storefront features a list of its products in English and Spanish. Additionally, the shop displays flags from various Latin American countries, including Mexico, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela, catering to the community clientele.
The choice to use English and Spanish signage reflects an effort to reach both English- and Spanish-speaking residents of Sunset Park, especially the children of immigrants who often grow up bilingual or sometimes lose fluency as they assimilate into English-speaking environments; this serves as a reminder to reconnect with one’s native language.
The flags of Latin America serve as visual affirmations of cultural identity and pride, a subtle form of cultural resistance, and a reminder that presence and languages still matter.