Except for our indigenous peoples, everyone who has settled in Bayside has come from somewhere else. From John and William Lawrence, two of the original 18 patentees of Flushing, or Vlissengen, who came here from England in the 1600s, to the wealth of immigrants from all nations who followed, Bayside has welcomed countless waves of hopeful travelers in search of greater opportunities.

 

Bayside Historical Society has begun exploring and celebrating the cultural diversity of our town, both of our long-established immigrant groups and our more recent arrivals. As part of this initiative, we are scouring our archives and reaching out to the community to research and document the local immigrant experience.

 

Follow the links below to learn more about the experiences of immigrants in Bayside, through oral histories, cultural celebrations, dance and music performances, and a selection of artwork created by local elementary school students depicting aspects of their families' heritage.