Long Island Diversity Backstory - TravelStorys

Long Island Diversity Backstory

Sponsored by Long Island Traditions

  • Location: New York
  • Travel Type: Driving
  • Trip Time: 0 minutes
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Looking for a new way to explore off-the-beaten-path communities? Long Island Traditions interviews everyday people to give you an authentic look into communities of yesterday and today

This audio driving tour is part of the New York Back Story developed by folklorists and cultural workers, and features the voices and stories of locals.

New York City is often heralded as one of the United States’ most ethnically diverse cities, but people from all over the world make their homes on Long Island, outside of New York City, as well. Long Island locals include immigrants from all over the world; the descendants of enslaved Africans in New York and Black Americans who traveled North during the Great Migration; Indigenous people on whose ancestral lands every other Long Islander now lives; and many others. Traditional artforms such as dance, music, food, and stories help these communities stay connected to and proud of their heritage—to cultivate joy and empowerment, though they may face discrimination, erasure, and pressure to assimilate. On this tour, you will hear from Portuguese American dancers, Indian musicians, Native American activists, and African American quilters. The route will take you across Long Island, from prominent immigrant communities in Hicksville and Mineola to the Shinnecock Reservation on the South Fork.

This tour is presented by Long Island Traditions. It was made possible in part by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Robert Lyon Gardiner Foundation. To learn more about this region visit www.longislandtraditions.org.

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