On October 2 (local time), a busy intersection in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, officially received a second name: Canton Avenue. The co-naming of Bay Parkway and 86th Street was marked with a ceremony attended by hundreds of residents, community groups and local students. Lion dancers performed as the bilingual street sign was unveiled.
The effort, led by New York City Council Member Susan Zhuang, aimed to celebrate the Chinese American community and its history. The original Bay Parkway name remains, with Canton Avenue added as a commemorative designation.
Zhuang said the name was chosen because Bensonhurst has become a key area where Cantonese immigrants and families from other parts of China have built their lives. Since the 1980s, Cantonese-speaking immigrants have settled in the neighborhood, and Chinese-owned businesses—restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies and beauty salons—now line Bay Parkway, supporting countless immigrant families.
For residents who shop, work or pick up their children here every day, the new sign carries tangible meaning: it visibly recognizes the mark Chinese people have left on the community, a legacy that can be passed on to future generations.
The naming also honors earlier Chinese immigrants, including 19th-century laborers who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. Working in harsh conditions, they laid tracks, dug tunnels and took on dangerous tasks, with some losing their lives.
Their contributions long went unrecognized. "We Chinese leave our name when we pass through," Zhuang said at the event. "I hope children walking by will feel proud of their culture and know the place of Chinese people in American history."
Bensonhurst also carries the memories of other immigrant groups—Jewish, Italian and others. Representatives from various ethnic organizations joined the ceremony, highlighting the neighborhood's diverse history.
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Photo from the Internet
