Inti Raymi is the ancient Andean Festival of the Sun, celebrated during the summer solstice with traditional dances, music, and spiritual rituals.

Ecuavoley is a uniquely Ecuadorian three-person volleyball variant played with a heavier ball and higher net, popular in Queens parks on weekends.

Ecuadorian Diaspora in New York City — DiasporaDays

Q: Where is the Ecuadorian community in New York City?

The largest Ecuadorian community is in Queens, centered on Corona along Roosevelt Avenue. Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Bushwick, and Ossining (Westchester) also have significant populations.

Q: What is hornado?

Hornado is Ecuador's slow-roasted whole pig, served with mote, llapingachos, curtido, and aji. The best places in Corona roast whole pigs on weekends.

Q: When is the Ecuadorian Parade in Queens?

The Ecuadorian Parade is held annually in August around Independence Day (August 10) along Northern Boulevard in Queens.

New York City is home to the largest Ecuadorian diaspora in the world, with an estimated 350,000 or more people of Ecuadorian descent in the metropolitan area. The epicenter is Queens -- specifically Corona, Jackson Heights, and Elmhurst -- where Spanish and Kichwa fill the air, and the aromas of hornado, llapingachos, and fresh ceviche drift from family-run restaurants along Roosevelt Avenue and Junction Boulevard. This is a community built by decades of migration from every corner of Ecuador -- the Andean highlands, the coastal lowlands, the Amazon, and the Galapagos.

Ecuadorian immigration to New York began growing in the 1960s and surged through the 1980s and 1990s, driven by economic crises, the banking collapse of 1999, and the search for opportunities. Many early migrants came from the southern highlands -- particularly the provinces of Azuay and Canar -- and settled in Corona, where affordability and proximity to the 7 train made it accessible. By the 2000s, Corona had become the undisputed capital of Ecuadorian New York, with entire blocks of Ecuadorian businesses, churches, and community organizations.

What defines the Ecuadorian diaspora is its diversity and resilience. Ecuador is one of the most geographically and culturally diverse countries in the Americas, and that diversity is reflected in New York. You will find highland cuisine alongside coastal dishes, Indigenous Kichwa traditions alongside mestizo urban culture, and Otavaleno textile artisans alongside Guayaquileno entrepreneurs. The community celebrates its heritage fiercely -- from the annual Ecuadorian Parade in Queens to Inti Raymi festivals that bring Andean spirituality to the streets of New York.

Queens

Corona (Queens)

Corona is the beating heart of Ecuadorian New York. Along Roosevelt Avenue and Junction Boulevard, you will find Ecuadorian restaurants serving hornado, ceviche, and encebollado, bakeries with bizcochos and humitas, and shops selling Ecuadorian goods from Panama hats to chocolate. On weekends, families gather in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for picnics, volleyball, and futbol. The sounds of pasillo and cumbia drift from open windows.

Bushwick (Brooklyn)

Bushwick has a significant Ecuadorian population alongside its Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Dominican communities. The neighborhood's Ecuadorian restaurants and businesses are scattered along Knickerbocker Avenue and Myrtle Avenue. The community here is deeply connected to the highlands of Azuay and Canar, and the food reflects that -- hearty, Andean, and comforting. Bushwick's Ecuadorian presence is quieter than Corona's but no less vibrant.

Ossining & Beyond

Ossining, in Westchester County, has become a notable suburban Ecuadorian enclave, with families who moved north for more space and affordable housing while maintaining deep ties to the Queens community. You will also find Ecuadorian populations in Elmhurst, Woodside, parts of the Bronx, and across the river in northern New Jersey. The community maintains its cohesion through churches, soccer leagues, and annual celebrations.

Essential Dish

Hornado

Ecuadorian restaurants, Corona

Hornado is Ecuador's magnificent slow-roasted whole pig -- marinated in cumin, garlic, and achiote, then roasted for hours until the skin is impossibly crispy and the meat falls apart at the touch. It is the centerpiece of Ecuadorian celebrations and market days. In Corona, hornado restaurants serve it with mote (hominy corn), llapingachos (potato patties), curtido (pickled onion salad), and aji (hot sauce). The best places roast whole pigs in-house on weekends.

Essential Dish

Llapingachos

Restaurants & street food, Corona & Bushwick

Llapingachos are Ecuador's beloved potato patties -- mashed potatoes stuffed with cheese, formed into thick discs, and pan-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside. They are a highland dish from the Andes, typically served with a creamy peanut sauce, curtido (pickled onion salad), fried egg, and chorizo. In Queens, they appear as a side dish with hornado or as a standalone comfort food. Simple, satisfying, and deeply Ecuadorian.

Fresh Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche with lime, onion, and cilantro

Coastal Dish

Ceviche Ecuatoriano

Ecuadorian restaurants, Corona

Ecuadorian ceviche is distinct from its Peruvian cousin -- the shrimp is cooked (not raw), and the dish swims in a tangy tomato-citrus broth with red onion, cilantro, and lime. It is often served with chifles (plantain chips) or tostado (crunchy corn) on the side. The coastal tradition comes from Guayaquil and Esmeraldas, and in Corona, cevicherias serve it as a beloved weekend dish. The broth is the star -- sour, spicy, and deeply refreshing.

Essential Dish

Encebollado

Ecuadorian restaurants, Corona & Bushwick

Encebollado is Ecuador's national hangover cure and one of its most beloved dishes -- a rich, aromatic fish soup made with fresh albacore tuna, yuca, pickled red onions, cilantro, and tomato. It is served with chifles and a squeeze of lime. Originally from the coast, encebollado is eaten at any hour but is most famous as a morning-after remedy. In Corona, it is a weekend staple -- the kind of dish that connects the diaspora directly to the streets of Guayaquil.

Coastal Dish

Bolon de Verde

Ecuadorian restaurants, Corona

Bolon de verde is a massive ball of mashed green plantain, mixed with cheese or chicharron (or both), shaped by hand and then fried or roasted until the outside is crispy and the inside is soft and gooey. It is the quintessential coastal breakfast from the Guayaquil region -- hearty, filling, and deeply satisfying. In Corona, it is served alongside coffee and eggs as a morning staple. One bolon and you are set until lunch. The texture is unlike anything else in Latin American cuisine.

Drink

Canelazo

Ecuadorian restaurants & gatherings

Canelazo is Ecuador's warming highland drink -- a hot cocktail made from cinnamon-infused water, naranjilla (a tart tropical fruit), sugar, and aguardiente (cane liquor). It is the drink of the Andes, sipped during cold nights in Quito and at highland fiestas. In New York, it appears at Ecuadorian celebrations, house parties, and some restaurants during the colder months. Sweet, spicy, and warming, it is the taste of the Ecuadorian highlands in a cup.

Festival

Inti Raymi Festival

Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is an ancient Andean celebration honoring the sun god during the summer solstice. Rooted in pre-Columbian Indigenous tradition, it features elaborate costumes, traditional dances, music played on Andean instruments like the zamponas and charangos, and rituals of gratitude for the harvest. In New York, Ecuadorian community groups organize Inti Raymi celebrations in Queens parks, bringing the spiritual power of the Andes to the streets of Corona.

Artisan

Otavaleno Weavers

The Otavalenos are an Indigenous Kichwa people from the Otavalo region of highland Ecuador, famous worldwide for their textile artistry. Recognizable by their traditional dress -- men in white pants, blue ponchos, and long braided hair; women in embroidered blouses and anaku skirts -- they have been master weavers and traders for centuries. In New York, Otavaleno merchants sell their handwoven textiles, scarves, and jewelry at markets, parks, and street fairs, keeping one of the Americas' oldest artisan traditions alive.

Parade

Ecuadorian Parade in Queens

The annual Ecuadorian Parade in Queens, held in August around Ecuadorian Independence Day (August 10), is one of the largest expressions of Ecuadorian pride in the diaspora. The parade marches along Northern Boulevard with floats, traditional dance groups, beauty queens, marching bands, and thousands of flag-waving Ecuadorians from across the tristate area. It is a day of pure celebration -- the community's annual declaration that Ecuador is alive and thriving in New York.

Ecuadorian football fans watching a match in a Corona Queens restaurant

Sports

Football & Ecuavoley

Football is Ecuador's national passion, and when the national team (La Tri) plays, every Ecuadorian restaurant in Corona becomes a roaring stadium. But the uniquely Ecuadorian sport is ecuavoley -- a three-person volleyball variant played with a heavy ball over a high net. In Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and other parks across Queens, ecuavoley courts are packed on weekends, drawing players and spectators in a tradition that exists nowhere else. It is one of the most distinctively Ecuadorian things you can witness in New York.

9:00 AM -- Morning

Bolon & Coffee Breakfast in Corona

Start your day at an Ecuadorian restaurant on Roosevelt Avenue or Junction Boulevard. Order a bolon de verde stuffed with cheese and chicharron, alongside scrambled eggs and a cup of Ecuadorian coffee. The bolones are made fresh, the outside golden and crispy, the inside soft and savory. This is how coastal Ecuador starts its day, and in Corona, the tradition holds firm. The restaurant will be filled with regulars speaking Spanish and Kichwa, a morning ritual that has been running for decades.

Ecuadorian breakfast with bolon de verde, eggs, and coffee in Corona Queens

11:30 AM -- Late Morning

Encebollado at an Ecuadorian Cevicheria

Head to one of Corona's cevicherias for a bowl of encebollado -- the rich, aromatic fish soup with yuca, pickled onions, and cilantro that Ecuadorians consider the perfect late-morning meal. Squeeze lime over it, add a side of chifles (plantain chips), and let the tuna broth warm you from the inside. If you prefer something lighter, order a shrimp ceviche in that tangy tomato-citrus broth. Either way, you are tasting the Pacific coast of Ecuador, 3,000 miles from the source.

Bowl of encebollado fish soup with lime and chifles at an Ecuadorian restaurant

1:30 PM -- Midday

Hornado Lunch Feast

Sit down for a proper hornado lunch -- slow-roasted pork with crackly skin, served with mote, llapingachos, curtido, and aji. The best hornado places in Corona roast whole pigs on weekends, and the line starts early. The pork is impossibly tender, the skin shattering, and the combination with the cheesy potato patties and tangy pickled onions is pure Ecuadorian highland perfection. Add a glass of colada morada (a purple corn and fruit drink) if it is available.

Hornado platter with roasted pork, mote, llapingachos, and curtido

3:30 PM -- Afternoon

Ecuavoley in the Park

Walk to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and find the ecuavoley courts. Watch the three-on-three volleyball games that are uniquely Ecuadorian -- played with a heavier ball, a higher net, and a style that combines power with finesse. Players bet, spectators cheer, and the atmosphere is festive and competitive. Nearby, families picnic on Ecuadorian food, children play, and pickup futbol games run on every available patch of grass. This is the community's living room.

Ecuavoley and community gatherings at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

6:00 PM -- Evening

Explore Ecuadorian Shops on Roosevelt Avenue

Stroll along Roosevelt Avenue and browse the Ecuadorian shops and markets. Find stores selling Ecuadorian chocolate, Panama hats (which actually originate from Ecuador), quinoa, and dried herbs. Stop at a juice bar for a fresh naranjilla or guanabana juice. Visit an Ecuadorian music shop for CDs of pasillo, the romantic guitar music that is Ecuador's national genre. The streetscape tells the story -- hand-painted signs, Ecuadorian flags, and the unmistakable energy of a community that built a second Quito in Queens.

Ecuadorian shops and markets along Roosevelt Avenue in Corona Queens

8:30 PM -- Night

Canelazo & Music Night

End your day with a canelazo -- the warm cinnamon and aguardiente cocktail of the Andes -- at an Ecuadorian restaurant or bar. On weekends, some venues host live music with Andean instruments or modern Latin music. The atmosphere is warm, communal, and deeply Ecuadorian. If you are lucky, someone will start playing pasillo or San Juanito on a guitar, and the whole room will sing along. This is the Ecuadorian diaspora at its most intimate and beautiful.

Warm Ecuadorian evening with canelazo drinks and live Andean music

Vibrant Ecuadorian community scene in Corona Queens

Ecuadorian Corona

Hornado platter with roasted pork and llapingachos

Hornado Feast

Inti Raymi

Encebollado

Roosevelt Avenue

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Start with bolon in Corona, end with canelazo under the Queens sky. The Ecuadorian diaspora in New York City is waiting to be discovered.

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Where is the Ecuadorian community in New York City?

The largest Ecuadorian community in NYC is in Queens, centered on Corona along Roosevelt Avenue and Junction Boulevard. Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Bushwick (Brooklyn) also have significant Ecuadorian populations. Outside the city, Ossining in Westchester County is a notable suburban enclave.

What is hornado?

Hornado is Ecuador's signature slow-roasted whole pig, marinated in cumin, garlic, and achiote. The skin becomes impossibly crispy while the meat stays tender. It is served with mote (hominy), llapingachos (potato patties), curtido (pickled onion salad), and aji (hot sauce). The best places in Corona roast whole pigs on weekends.

What is Inti Raymi?

Inti Raymi is the Festival of the Sun, an ancient Andean celebration honoring the sun god during the summer solstice. It features traditional dances, Andean music, elaborate costumes, and spiritual rituals. In New York, Ecuadorian community organizations host Inti Raymi celebrations in Queens parks, bringing Indigenous Andean tradition to the city.

What is ecuavoley?

Ecuavoley is a uniquely Ecuadorian three-person volleyball variant played with a heavier ball over a higher net. It is a beloved sport in Ecuador and in the diaspora. In Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and other Queens parks, ecuavoley courts are packed on weekends with competitive games and enthusiastic spectators.

When is the Ecuadorian Parade in Queens?

The Ecuadorian Parade is held annually in August, around Ecuadorian Independence Day (August 10). It marches along Northern Boulevard in Queens with floats, dance groups, marching bands, and thousands of Ecuadorian-Americans celebrating their heritage.

Ecuadorian Diaspora
in New York City

Quito on the 7 Train

Ecuadorian New York

Corona

Bushwick