By Stephen Stirling
TimesLedger Newspapers
12/06/07

Three and a half centuries after 31 men took a stand for religious freedom in northern Queens, Flushing continues to be an epicenter for religious diversity in New York City.

One need not look further than Bowne Street, named in honor of religious freedom trailblazer John Bowne for evidence that the Flushing Remonstrance’s impact on the neighborhood was lasting.

More than 10 different religious faiths call the street where Bowne’s home — now a museum — still sits. In many other places in the world, this theological patchwork quilt would likely bring violence and confrontation along with it, but not here.

“That mutual understanding doesn’t get any better than it does in Flushing,” said City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing). “You have Korean Catholics reaching out to Italian Catholics. You have Indian Hindus reaching out to Pakistani Muslims. You have Chinese Buddhists reaching out to Bangladeshi Sikhs. You have the traditional synagogues opening their doors to everyone in the community. It doesn’t get any better, the religious observance and exchange that goes on here.”

While no definitive data available can put a finger on the number of faiths in the area, Flushing’s religious diversity can be traced to the predominantly immigrant population that inhabits it. According to the 2000 census, 63 percent of Flushing’s population is foreign born. That diversity extends boroughwide – more than 46 percent of Queens’ entire population was born outside the United States’ borders. Demographers estimate that the county hosts at least 117 different nationalities.

The Flushing Remonstrance laid the groundwork for the level of religious tolerance and understanding in the area, said Liu.

“As new communities arrive in Flushing they feel very comfortable practicing their respective beliefs. It’s nothing new that we’re seeing in Flushing. It’s always been the Flushing psyche,” he said.

Waves of immigrants from various parts of the world have settled within Flushing’s borders, with the influx of various Asian cultures over the last three decades the most visibly noticeable.

Jennifer Navartes, a congregant of St. John’s Episcopal Church on Sanford Avenue, said welcoming change with open arms is key to preserving harmony within a community.

“I think people get scared when something changes in their neighborhood, especially if they’ve been there for a while,” Navartes said. “I have to admit when you started seeing more and more Chinese people coming here, it took a while for me to get used to it. But what you’ve got to realize is that while everyone is different in certain ways, there’s no reason we can’t all live together happily. You can’t be scared just because someone isn’t like you.”

Uma Mysorekar of the Hindu Temple Society of North America said when the temple opened on Bowne Street in 1970, the community was slow to adjust.

“There was a lot of intolerance in those days, not because [the community] hated it but because they didn’t understand what was happening,” Mysorekar said.

She said becoming involved in the community is what enabled a dialogue of tolerance and understanding for the members of the Hindu Temple Society, which houses the Ganesh Temple. Mysorekar said the success of Flushing as a community can be traced to the ever-growing dialogue its religious institutions have with one another.

“That is the ultimate answer,” she said.

Mysorekar said she believes if the diverse cultures of Flushing and Queens continue to talk to one another, to share their beliefs and help one another, that the borough, the country and the world can only stand to benefit.

“I just look forward to better days ahead. I always look at it this way, there is always room for improvement,” she said.

“There are some people who are not as open-minded as we would like to see them, but I’m sure they will be. It’s just a matter of time. And so we have to continue to work hard to bring people together to show that we’re all in this together and that we respect one another. Hopefully, at some point, as things continue to progress and we continue to work together, eventually everyone will become great friends,” she said.

Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext 138.