An Exodus Grows in Brooklyn

By all accounts, life as one knew it is over in New York City's Little Pakistan. Little Pakistan formed as an ethnic residential and business neighborhood of Pakistani immigrants in the early 1960s. In the decades that followed, the neighborhood transformed into a bustling center of Pakistani-ness, adding to the vitality of multicultural New York. As reported in this Washington Post article, "although Pakistan is a U.S. ally, key al Qaeda leaders have been arrested [in Pakistan] and federal investigators have turned their attention to the community here -- with disquieting results." Since September 11, fear of persecution, intense government scrutiny, and police detention has led to the out migration of at least 15,000 Pakistanis from New York's Brooklyn based Little Pakistan to disparate locations in Europe, Canada and Pakistan. Ghost apartments are visible not just in Little Pakistan in Brooklyn, but also in South Asian neighborhoods in Queens. Business in Little Pakistan has suffered dramatically, and several profitable restaurants and other ethnic businesses can barely afford to stay open. The dramatic downward turn in this ethnic economy has implications beyond the local. The loss of income in New York means reduced remittances to family members in villages and cities in Pakistan. Yet, several Pakistani residents in Little Pakistan remain optimistic, believing that this too shall pass. – YaleGlobal