Koreatown, Palisades Park

Koreatown in the borough of Palisades Park (Korean: 팰리세이즈 파크 코리아타운, shortened to Pal Park 팔팍), Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, is centered around the business district on Broad Avenue,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] which has been called a "Korean food walk of fame".[12]

Koreatown, Palisades Park
팰리세이즈 파크 코리아타운
Palisades Park Koreatown
Koreatown
Koreatown street scene at Broad and Columbia
Koreatown street scene at Broad and Columbia
Coordinates: 40°50′49.26″N 73°59′49.42″W
Country United States of America
State New Jersey
CountyBergen
AgglomerationNew York City Metropolitan Area
BoroughPalisades Park

Background

The municipalities with the highest density of ethnic Koreans in the Western Hemisphere and the home of both the highest Korean-American density and percentage are in Bergen County.[13] The per capita Korean American population of Bergen County, 6.3% by the 2010 United States Census,[14][15] (increasing to 6.9% by the 2011 American Community Survey),[16] is the highest of any county in the United States,[15] with an absolute total of 56,773 Korean Americans (increasing to 63,247 by the 2011 American Community Survey).[16][14][17] Along with Palisades Park, where Korean-Americans constitute the majority of the population,[18][19][20][21] abutting towns also have high percentages: Leonia (26.5%), Ridgefield (25.7%), Fort Lee (23.5%). Chusok Korean Thanksgiving harvest festival has become an annual tradition in Bergen County, attended by several tens of thousands.[22][23] In the 1990s, a continuous stream of Korean immigrants moved into Palisades Park and purchased most businesses;[24][25] It became one of the largest and fastest growing ethnic Korean enclaves outside of Korea (and has been called Koreatown on the Hudson[26] and Little Korea[27][28]). Broad Avenue is the biggest and densest Korean commercial district in Bergen, the heart of the Korean American community.[10]

Cuisine and culture

Broad Avenue in Koreatown has been referred to as a "Korean food walk of fame",[12] with diverse offerings.[29] Palisades Park's Koreatown now incorporates the highest concentration of Korean restaurants within a one-mile radius in the United States,[30] and Broad Avenue has evolved into a Korean dessert destination as well.[31][32] Korean Chinese cuisine is now also available in Koreatown, as is misugaru.[33] Bulgogi and galbi are staples on Broad Avenue in the Palisades Park Koreatown.[26] Korean cafés have become a major cultural element within Palisades Park's Koreatown, not only for the coffee, bingsu (shaved ice), and pastries, but also as communal gathering places.[34] Koreatown in Palisades Park has emerged as a dominant nexus of Korean American culture.[29] The Palisades Park Senior Citizens Center provides a popular gathering place where even Korean grandmothers were noted to follow the dance trend of the worldwide viral hit Gangnam Style by South Korean "K-pop" rapper Psy in 2012.[35] Palisades Park High School has hosted national Kumdo martial arts tournaments.[36][37] A jjimjilbang offers saunas and bibimbap in Palisades Park's Koreatown.[38] Approximately 120 Korean stores were counted in Palisades Park in 2000,[20] a number which has risen significantly since then, featuring restaurants and karaoke (noraebang) bars, grocery markets, education centers, book stores, financial institutions (such as Shinhan Bank and Woori Bank), offices, electronics vendors, apparel boutiques, and other commercial enterprises. Koreatown has also grown in and introduced Pocha to the community, which is just another word for a bar, but pochas have a different style.

Signage & dual-naming Broad Avenue

In 1996, an ordinance was passed that storefront signage be same size in English as in Korean.[39] It was one of seven towns in Bergen County to do so.[40]

In mid-2015, a proposal was submitted by the Korean-American Association of Palisades Park to the mayor and council of Palisades Park to add a second name to Broad Avenue, such as "Korean Market Street" (Meokjagolmok) or "Korea Way".[41] The mayor's response was to request a public vote on implementing this addition.[42] As of 2018, it remained controversial.[43]

Monuments and memorials

In 2010, in a public park near the public library a brass plaque on a block of stone, was dedicated to the memory of comfort women, tens of thousands of women and girls, many Korean, who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II.[7][44] In May 2012, borough officials in Palisades Park rejected requests by two diplomatic delegations from Japan to remove a small monument from the park.[45][46] Days later, a South Korean delegation endorsed the borough's decision.[47] The first Japanese delegation cited apologies offered by their country's government for its involvement as justifying the removal of the monument, while officials from the second delegation controversially claimed that "comfort women were a lie". In 2017 the monument, the first of its kind in the United States, was relocated to more prominent location.[48] A similar memorial in nearby Hackensack was raised behind the Bergen County Courthouse, alongside memorials to the Holocaust, the Great Famine of Ireland, and the Armenian genocide,[49] and unveiled in March 2013.[50][51] An annual cross-country bicycle ride dedicated to the honor of the comfort women ends at the Palisades Park memorial, following a penultimate stop at the memorial in Hackensack.[52]

A memorial dedicated to the victims of the tragic sinking of the Sewol ferry off the South Korean coast on April 16, 2014, was unveiled at the public library in May 2014.[53]

Korean language in civic affairs

Ballots are printed with the Korean language since 2012.[19] Jason Kim was serving as deputy mayor of the borough of Palisades Park in May 2012.[54] As of May 2014, Korean Americans had garnered at least four borough council seats in Bergen County.[55] In July 2015, Shawn M. Lee was sworn in as Palisades Park's first Korean-American police sergeant and Gina S. Kim was sworn in as the borough's first municipal clerk, reflecting the growing political influence of the Korean American population in Palisades Park.[56] In November 2015, Palisades Park hired two more Korean-speaking police officers, bringing the total to four.[57] In January 2019, Christopher Chung was sworn in as the first Korean-American mayor of Palisades Park.[58] Korean Americans have attended town meetings in large numbers, requested Korean language interpreters to be present at these meetings as of August 2016.[59][27] In 2019 the town created a Korean language version of its website.[60]

See also

References
  1. Morgan, Arlene Notoro; Pifer, Alice Irene; Woods, Keith (2006). The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231132893. Broad Avenue is the fulcrum of something larger: a parallel universe - that re-creates American traditions in Korean style. Koreans call it "Koreatown".
  2. Ph.D, Reed Ueda (September 21, 2017). America's Changing Neighborhoods: An Exploration of Diversity through Places [3 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781440828652. Koreans have given rise to ethnic enclave businesses...Koreans operate 95% of all businesses around the mle-long commercial strip of Broad Avenue.
  3. Llorente, Elizabeth (August 23, 1998). "Palisades Park Grapples with Change". The Record. ISBN 9780231132893. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  4. "NJ 한인타운 팰리세이즈파크…새로운 한인 이민역사 창조의 무대로". 미주중앙일보. January 13, 2019.
  5. Cho, Young-mee Yu; Jung, Ji-Young; Ha, Jeeyoung Ahn (2020), Integrated Korean: Accelerated 1, University of Hawaii Press, ISBN 9780824889463, The following is a map of restaurants in Palisades Park, NJ Koreatown
  6. Kussin, Zachary (February 24, 2018). "New Jersey's little-known Koreatown is better than NYC's". New York Post. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  7. Lee, James F (December 31, 2014). "In suburban N.J., let off steam the traditional Korean way". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  8. Pyong Gap Min (August 5, 2012). "Population Growth and Racial Composition in Korean Enclaves in the New York-New Jersey Area, 1980-2010" (PDF). RESEARCH CENTER FOR THE KOREAN COMMUNITY QUEENS COLLEGE OF CUNY. Retrieved May 20, 2021. the Korean business district in Palisades Park: on ten blocks along Broad Avenue, on a few blocks along Grand Avenue, and a few blocks along Bergen Boulevard. This business district created in a very suburban Korean enclave has no high buildings and no major shopping malls
  9. Lee, Jinsok (2015), Language, Ethnicity and Identity in a New Jersey Korean-American Community, Washington, D.C.: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University, Broad Avenue, the street running through the center of the borough is considered to be the heart of the Korean American commercial district in Bergen County. The avenue is full of Korean businesses for 13 blocks (between Harriet Avenue and Oakdene Avenue, southwest to northeast, respectively). Almost all the store signs are in Korean only or English/Korean bilingual, and there are also a lot of chain stores which came directly from Korea such as 'Paris Baguette' (popular Korean bakery chain) and 'Caffe Bene' (popular Korean coffee shop chain). Broad Avenue of Palisades Park provides the biggest and densest Korean commercial district among the Korean American commercial districts in Bergen County.
  10. Sobko, Katie (February 9, 2018). "In Palisades Park's Koreatown, hope and pride running high". North Jersey Media Group. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021. Bergen County has the nation's highest concentration of people of Korean heritage. Edgewater, Fort Lee, Leonia and other Bergen County towns are also rich in Korean culture. but Palisades Park, with its strip of shops and restaurants on Broad Avenue dubbed 'Koreatown,' is the heart of the community.
  11. Lemekh, Halyna (October 1, 2022). "Changing the Landscape of an American Town: Immigrantrification of a Korean Ethnoburb and Its Cultural and Economic Consequences". Journal of International Migration and Integration. doi:10.1007/s12134-022-00990-x. PMC 9526211. PMID 36213220 – via Springer Link.
  12. Karen Tina Harrison (December 19, 2007). "Thriving Korean communities make Fort Lee and Palisades Park a boon to epicures". Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  13. James O'Neill (February 22, 2015). "Mahwah library hosts Korean tea ceremony to celebrate new year". North Jersey Media Group. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  14. Karen Sudol; Dave Sheingold (October 12, 2011). "Korean language ballots coming to Bergen County". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  15. Richard Newman (August 30, 2012). "Korean company to buy Fort Lee bank". North Jersey Media Group. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  16. "ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates - Geographies - Bergen County, New Jersey". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
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  20. Pyong Gap Min, ed. (2006). Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues Second Edition. Pine Forge Press - An Imprint of Sage Publications, Inc. ISBN 9781412905565. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  21. Brian Yarvin (June 13, 2008). "New York serious eats". Serious Eats © 2006-2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  22. Mary Diduch (September 14, 2013). "Koreans in North Jersey give thanks at harvest festival". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  23. "Tens of thousands celebrate Chuseok at NJ event – the Korea Times".
  24. Hanley, Robert (November 24, 1999). "1,000 Rally for Korean-American Merchants Who Fear Backlash of Bias in Palisades Park". The New York Times.
  25. RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA (December 15, 2010). "PALISADES PARK JOURNAL As Koreans Pour In, a Town Is Remade". The New York Times Company. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  26. Sophia F. Gottfried (January 12, 2017). "Korean Food Crawl with Kimchi Smoke's Rob Cho". NorthJersey.com - part of the USA TODAY network. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  27. Ma, Myles (January 16, 2019). "As Korean population grows, Palisades Park learns the language". NJ.com. Retrieved May 21, 2021. Anyone who has spent time on Broad Avenue knows: Palisades Park is Bergen County's Little Korea.
  28. "Koreans in New Jersey urged to rise to Census count challenges | Collaborative Journalism". August 6, 2020.
  29. "Dining Out". Serious Eats.
  30. "Palisades Park, NJ: K-Town West of Hudson". WordPress.com. June 11, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
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  33. Joan Verdon (June 5, 2014). "Korean coffee chain expanding in North Jersey". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
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  35. Sachi Fujimori; Elyse Toribio (September 22, 2012). "'Gangnam Style' dance craze catches fire in North Jersey". © 2012 North Jersey Media Group Inc. All rights reserved. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  36. Minjae Park (November 17, 2013). "Kendo championship a draw for New Jersey competitors, other states". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  37. Monsy Alvarado (November 16, 2013). "Kumdo tournament to draw more than 220 at Palisades Park". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
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  39. Hanley, Robert (April 9, 1996). "Debating The Language Of Signs;New Jersey Towns Tell Asian-Owned Stores: Advertise in English, Too". The New York Times.
  40. Lee, Chang-Rae (April 18, 1996). "Opinion | Mute in an English-Only World". The New York Times.
  41. "Palisades Park on its way to rename street Korea Way – The Korea Times".
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  43. "Racial Tensions Brew Against Korean Immigrants in New Jersey Town". July 29, 2018.
  44. "Comfort Women Memorial Stays in Palisades Park, Despite Objection from Japanese Government | Video".
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  52. Monsy Alvarado (September 2, 2016). "Arriving in Palisades Park, three men complete cross-country trek in honor of 'comfort women'". Gannett Company, Inc. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
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  56. Monsy Alvarado (July 28, 2015). "Palisades Park installs first Korean police sergeant, borough clerk". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  57. Monsy Alvarado (November 27, 2015). "Palisades Park hires three new cops, including two who speak Korean". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  58. Kristie Cattafi (January 3, 2019). "Palisades Park makes history in Bergen County, swears in first Korean-American mayor". NorthJersey.com - part of the USA TODAY network. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  59. Monsy Alvarado (August 22, 2016). "Palisades Park residents want Korean-language interpreters at town meetings". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  60. NJ.com, Myles Ma | NJ Advance Media for (January 18, 2017). "Palisades Park spent the past decade learning Korean". nj.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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