Korean Immigrants Compete Against Local Grocers in "Little Guyana"

Michael Jarbandhan watched the shoppers walk outside of his father’s grocery store, one of the last Guyanese markets on Liberty Avenue.

Customers flocked to the Dunkin’ Donuts that lay underneath the elevated subway tracks, leaving the Guyanese bakery on the south side of Liberty Avenue sugar-sweet and empty. The other Guyanese grocer across the street sold his business years ago and now it’s a drug store. Even the black and Puerto Rican boys who taunted him as a child had moved on, replaced by crowds of shoppers—mostly women—who avoided eye contact with suited men who smoked on the corner.
           
The Richmond Hill community that outsiders called “Little Guyana,” has grown up. Korean immigrants have built grocery stores on almost every corner and business people like Jarbandhan have begun competing with 24-hour Korean markets to retain Guyanese shoppers.

“The Koreans came here 10 years ago, and now they’re selling Guyanese food in our neighborhood,” Jarbandhan said pointing to the vegetable market across the street.

“They don’t even live here.”  (continued below)

Jarbandhan’s father, Udit, a Guyanese native, moved to Richmond Hill with his brother 31 years ago. The brothers opened the first Guyanese grocery store in the area and helped other Guyanese migrants start their own businesses by renting, brokering and, often, selling them storefront property. But, after three decades, competition against the Korean grocers has forced older Guyanese grocery stores out of business.

Only a few, such as Jarbandhan, have been able to keep up with the Koreans markets that line Liberty Avenue between 116th and 128th Streets. But Jarbandhan’s market is rarely ever crowded, while the Korean stores are often packed with Guyanese who used to buy fish and specialty goods from Jarbandhan.

“I used to buy from the Guyanese shops,” said Jewan Singh, a Richmond Hill resident who lives above a Korean grocery store on Liberty Avenue. “But they’re kind of rude, so I don’t’ buy from them anymore.”

Fish World, a specialty store in which Guyanese families excitedly pick over mountains of octopus, live crabs and snapper imported from Guyana is particularly full at night.

Compton Roberts, 53, a Guyanese immigrant who has lived in Brooklyn for 25 years, drove into Queens just for the snapper.
“The fish is so fresh and it’s all from Guyana,” Roberts said. “I can’t get this anywhere else in the city.”
           
The owner, a Korean man named “Sunny,” is nowhere to be seen. But, the manager, a Guyanese immigrant who called himself “Jay,” rejected criticism that Korean shop owners have been intentionally trying to drive Guyanese grocers out of business.

“If it wasn’t the Koreans then it would be someone else,” Jay said. “We have people from Guyana, Korea, Mexico here and we’re all selling good stuff,” he said.

Fish World is not the only store selling Guyanese foods. All of the grocers on Liberty Avenue get their products from David Narine, a local distributor who imports fresh fish, spices and condiments directly from Guyana. The difference is in the presentation. 

“There are other West Indian places but people don’t shop there often because of their marketing strategies.” said Asha, a mother of three who had been shopping for fish on Liberty Avenue. “The display and the way they have the displays: They’re very organized.”

Jarbanhdan’s family market is not thriving, but he still works there seven days a week, sharing the cash register duty with his mother, brother and cousins. The neighborhood may have changed, but he will not abandon his family’s legacy.

“My father built this shop 30 years ago,” Jarbanhdan said. “There has always been a J&B here: It is a part of who I am.”