You do not have to look for culture in Jackson Heights.

It finds you.

Diana remembers walking through the neighborhood and repeatedly stumbling into celebrations, performances, and moments of beauty without planning any of it. What starts as a casual walk becomes something much bigger.

This episode is shared in Spanish.

The full English translation appears below.

I love visiting Jackson Heights. My parents live there, and one of the things I enjoy most about walking through the neighborhood is encountering different languages and different celebrations all at once. Everything mixed together. Celebrations you come across simply by walking.

I remember a few years ago, I was walking with a friend who was new to New York, and we came across bars where people were celebrating the World Cup in Spanish. People were in the street shouting and celebrating, and you could immediately recognize Spanish from many different places.

Then we walked a few blocks more and, without looking for it, we came across a beautiful Bengali performance.

My friend is a dancer, so we stayed to enjoy a concert and watch incredible dancers performing on a stage set up in the middle of the street. We continued walking, had some Indian tea, and ate samosas.

On our way back home, we stopped at a French bakery. We practiced our three words of French, had croissants and coffee, and then went home.

So in Jackson Heights, you can take a tour around the world in 30 minutes.