In Micro-City: Faith Encounters Super-Diversity in Queens, NY, sociologists Richard Cimino and Hans Tokke take readers inside twelve Queens neighborhoods to show how religious communities create belonging—and connection—across lines of difference.
Drawing on extensive fieldwork, Micro-City reveals how congregations act as both anchors and bridges in a borough where no single group is the majority. From storefront churches and temples to parades and public gatherings, the book captures how New Yorkers build community while navigating language, culture, and faith.
At a moment of rising polarization, the book offers a grounded look at how diverse communities live side by side—and work together. It introduces a clear framework for understanding “superdiversity” in practice, showing how everyday interactions foster both in-group solidarity and cross-group cooperation.
The book takes readers through Little Guyana, Astoria, Bayside, Hollis, and Hunters Point, highlighting religious life as a key force shaping neighborhood identity, civic life, and local politics.
Richard Cimino is Lecturer in Sociology at SUNY Old Westbury and founding editor of Religion Watch. His books include Ecologies of Faith in New York and Atheist Awakening. Hans Tokke is an urban sociologist, consultant, designer, and ordained minister. He is Adjunct Associate Professor of Sociology at CUNY New York City College of Technology and Western Connecticut State University and directs the Microcity Movement.
Micro-City: Faith Encounters Super-Diversity in Queens, NY. How faith communities shape everyday life in Queens, one of America’s most diverse boroughs.