ew York's first wave of immigrants from North India's Punjab region were mostly medical students and professionals seeking greater opportunities in the United States, but a large second wave comprised Punjabi Sikhs, fleeing political tensions with the Indian government in the 1980s. Ever since, Punjabi communities have steadily grown in New York, particularly around the gurdwaras (Sikh temples) in Richmond Hill and Bellerose in Queens, as well as in Jersey City. Muslims from Pakistan's Punjab region, also speakers of Punjabi but using an Arabic script, have found homes around Makki Masjid, an important mosque in Kensington (Brooklyn), and with other Pakistanis along Coney Island Avenue.