The Queensboro hosted a lunch for 11 graduates of a pre-apprenticeship program run by the nonprofit New Immigrant Community Empowerment. (Credit: Kristen Bresnahan)
Shaken by immigration raids, a restaurant in Jackson Heights is finding ways to support its local immigrant community.
The Queensboro, a restaurant that describes itself as a community hub serving locally sourced ingredients inspired by the diversity of Queens, recently hosted a lunch for 11 graduates of a pre-apprenticeship program run by the nonprofit New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE). They were joined by organizers from NICE and representatives from the office of Queens City Council Member Shekar Krishnan.
On a recent Friday afternoon, tables were joined in the central, sun-drenched dining area of the restaurant on Northern Boulevard. This was the fifth of a series of lunches to celebrate the completion of the pre-apprenticeship program run by NICE. The program is designed to help immigrant workers enter the United States workforce through ESOL and tech classes, certifications for professional certifications such as Site Safety Training, resume building, and mock interviews. The lunches began at the initiative of Dudley Stewart, co-owner and manager at The Queensboro.
Stewart reached out to Krishnan’s office with a proposal to fundraise and host a lunch for asylum seekers. Chanelle Martinez, the councilman’s chief of staff, liked the idea and connected him with NICE. The program is part of the asylum resource network, founded in 2022 by Mayor Eric Adams to help the city cope with the high numbers of immigrants arriving in New York City. It is one of eight community-based organizations designated as a satellite Asylum Resource Navigation Center to assist newly arrived immigrants seeking asylum. Organizers from NICE brought a cohort of trainees to the first lunch, which evolved into a graduation celebration.
Since opening in 2018, The Queensboro has forged strong ties to the community. For Stewart, this falls in line with the business’ intention to be a community resource.
“Over the years, we’ve opened our doors up to a lot of people,” he said. “We do a lot of political fundraisers for the local electeds. The Girl Scout troops use our basement for their meetings… We work a lot with an organization called Love Wins, they operate a series of food banks.”
Server Trey Liddon lives only a block away and has worked at The Queensboro for four years. He described it as a “community focal point,” with open mic nights, which Liddon started a few months ago, and Dungeons and Dragons sessions. The restaurant is also the biweekly meeting point for the Jackson Heights Community Run.
The Queensboro includes an option on the menu for patrons to contribute ten dollars toward the lunches. The support they show for the immigrant community, while in line with their mission, is also personal. One of The Queensboro’s long-term staff members was recently arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deported.
Krishnan, the city council member, has attended previous lunches, but on this day, he was represented by Martinez.
“This is really a lovely, celebratory event,” Martinez said. “It’s really in the spirit of immigration, New York, the United States. It’s folks who come here for new opportunity, for economic mobility, and they’re here to learn… how to apply themselves into the workforce.”
The honorees, flanked by program coordinators, filed in. The members of the group were from several countries in Latin America, with the men outnumbering the women three to one. With ages ranging from their 20s to 50s, their career aspirations varied as well. One participant previously worked in kitchens and expressed interest in pursuing a career in the hospitality industry; NICE also offers assistance in obtaining certifications like Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Site Safety Training for those interested in construction. All participants benefit from services such as resume building and mock interviews, as well as NICE’s contacts and partnerships with potential employers.
The group settled around the table, and soon the air was filled with the hum of quiet chatter, punctuated by tinkling silverware and clinking glasses. Stewart regularly checked on his guests of honor, warmly greeting each and chatting with Martinez and Hildalyn Colon Hernandez, NICE’s deputy director.
Hernandez described NICE as “a journey, not a destination.” She emphasized the importance of networking, resume building and mock interviews, which may lead to job offers. “People are walking away with interviews. Or hired,” she said. “Many of them have never done interviews,” she added. “It’s a lot to learn.”
In addition to career counseling, NICE provides language classes, industry certifications and professional licenses, and referrals for legal services. The program focuses on providing holistic support for immigrants, showing them how to navigate their new home while also teaching them how to build a support network. Hernandez is realistic about the challenges that many immigrants face when coming to the United States. She said there has been an uptick in people seeking legal services and making asylum petitions. From what she’s seen, many people don’t initially understand what a difficult process lies ahead.
“You’re dealing with a brutal system,” she said. “It’s hard, but law and justice are not the same. We think they are, but they’re not.”
One of the honorees, Amy, came to New York from Honduras in 2021. They identify as LGBTQ and asked that Columbia News Service not use their last name, citing immigration-related concerns. The program, they said, taught them valuable skills and provided them with support and encouragement.
“I have learned how to connect with people. Before I came to the workshop, I had a lot of anxiety,” Amy said. “They helped me with my confidence, [by showing me] that someone was caring for me.”
The lunch arrived at a time when many immigrants feel that there is little to celebrate. The recent crackdown on immigration nationally put ICE raids on nightly television. There’s been an uptick in deportations, with many of those arrested being held for weeks at a time with little or no access to communication and an uncertain future. Safety concerns have left many immigrants more afraid to leave their homes. As a result, NICE has shortened its pre-apprenticeship program to two weeks, but has still seen a dip in enrollment.
“It’s a terrifying time that we’re in,” Martinez said. “I think that it’s an intentional attempt to terrify our communities, and what we’re here to do is to remind folks that we shouldn’t be afraid, we have rights, we have resources.”
The Queensboro works with Krishnan’s office to help get the word out to local residents. Stewart, the restaurant’s manager, spoke about their collaboration and how the restaurant provides information about what to do if ICE shows up.
Flyers providing information in various languages, including Spanish and Hindi, are prominently displayed at the host stand. They explain what rights people have and what to do if they find themselves confronted by ICE. ““We were one of a couple of locations that were basically a focal point [where] people were able to distribute information in many different languages,” he said.
NICE’s Hildalyn Hernandez had a slightly more positive take on the current political climate.
“It’s cyclical,” she said. “We have done this before. We have seen this wave where the country doesn’t have a clear policy and, obviously, changing policy impacts people… And we have seen that through every administration.”
She focused on NICE’s goal of empowering the people who come to them.
“The rights are a tool, but if you don’t know how to use it, it’s just that… You’re in the jungle, understand the jungle. It doesn’t mean you don’t have the skills, the ability or anything, that’s not the issue. It’s ‘can you adapt to this new reality?’”
At the end of the lunch, participants were awarded certificates of completion and a bright yellow T-shirt with NICE’s logo. The group applauded and took photos of each awardee, with some giving short speeches in Spanish thanking the organizers of the event and NICE.
As the event wrapped up, Amy, a participant who migrated from Honduras, reflected on their experiences in the U.S. Despite the current political climate, they have no regrets about coming to New York because it was a life-changing chance to start over.
“This country helped me to rebuild myself, rebuild my dreams, rebuild my life in general,” they said. “Even with all the issues that [are] going on around us… I am safe here. And I think that’s the most important thing for me. If I feel safe, I can do whatever I want.”
Stewart said that he plans to continue engaging the community and supporting NICE.
He said The Queensboro would soon be hosting a fundraiser for NICE, a concert in which his teenage daughter would be playing.
“There’ll be three or four screamo bands,” he chuckled. “If you want to check that out, bring some earplugs.”
About the author(s)
Kristen Bresnahan is a part time M.S. student at the Columbia Journalism School.