Three Village, Many Peoples [The Village Mix]

A few years ago when Xuan Huang first came to America, it was the distance from her friends back home in China that was most difficult for her to get used to. Not to mention the language barrier.

“When I first came here I barely spoke any English,” she said. “I remember sitting in classes and I didn’t really know what was going on except for in math, [where] I was really good.”

Huang is one of over 3,000 students at who have come to Three Village from another country. Independently, the university boasted a 33.2 percent foreign-born population during the 2006-2010 period, according to recent Census statistics. The hamlets of Setauket-East Setauket and Stony Brook had no more than a 10 percent foreign-born population each.

Collectively, Three Village has an incredibly diverse population that seems to call equally for a community of diverse businesses, grocery stores, and restaurants.

Over 5,000 residents of Three Village do not speak English as their first language, according to the Census.

“If I were in a foreign country and didn't speak the language and didn't know my way around, I would hope that there would be somebody there to help,” said Paul Hrabosky founder of Total Student Services.

Total Student Services is a local business that provides services for international and exchange students at discounted rates. Hrabosky said he started the venture after he noticed that there wasn’t enough housing on the campus for foreign students, and began purchasing investment homes in the area where students could rent rooms.

As the service grew through word of mouth, Hrabosky expanded the business to include things like trips to Target, discounted tutoring, pick-ups and drop-offs at John F. Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport, and assistance with obtaining a New York State driver's license.

“I almost don’t want to call it a business because it’s so rewarding,” Hrabosky said. “A lot of people come here for the first time and they are nervous.”

In comparison to other large State Universities of New York — including Binghamton University and University at Buffalo — the foreign-born population at Stony Brook University is unique in its size. The University at Buffalo has a 16 percent foreign-born population and Binghamton University has only a 12 percent foreign-born population, according to the Census.

The diversity within the campus has made the area ideal for businesses such as and .

“We went to so many places and everyone would tell us there is a good area next to Stony Brook,” Curry Club employee Kulwant Wadhwa said on behalf of the restaurant. “It’s really very diverse.”

Neighboring areas such as Port Jefferson Village and Smithtown have far lower numbers of foreign-born residents: 12.1 percent in Port Jefferson village 5.4 percent in Smithtown.

While there are a few dining options for those seeking a taste of home, there is only one local authentic grocery store within walking distance of the university. The store is a favorite of many students since it offers authentic oriental ingredients for a cheaper price than regular grocery stores. The owner of that store declined to be interviewed for this story.

“That’s like the only Taiwanese or Chinese grocery store around here and they have a great selection from Flushing,” said Ju-Chien Yeh, another international student studying at Stony Brook.

Even with the services available, Yeh insists that Three Village has a long way to go if the community wants to really embrace its diverse population.

“Three Village has a long way to go and a lot to do,” Yeh said. “There just aren’t enough affordable options.”

Over the next few months, Three Village Patch will be probing the issue of diversity in the community through our The Village Mix series. If you have any ideas or would like to contribute to the narrative as a Patch blogger, email christines@patch.com.