mmm Following Dominican settlement patterns, these new arrivals have made Corona/Elmhurst -- where six out of 10 residents are foreign-born – their new home. On weekends, men like Martinez come to sing the night away and spend a part of their small paychecks on a few cold beers.

mmmIn Corona there are several bars that cater for these homesick singers, Viva Zapata, Alma Latina and Amor are some of the bars along Roosevelt Ave. where singing is encouraged, and a big club called Nostalgias in near-by Northern Blvd. has just renovated its karaoke room to attract even more clientele.

   m     Many Latin American immigrants work long, hard days for very little pay, mostly in construction, cleaning services and restaurant jobs. Twenty percent of people working in restaurants in New York are Mexican men, according to a study on Mexican immigrants by Columbia University’s Teachers College.

        Many of the men leave their families behind and come to the U.S. for better job prospects, living in overcrowded apartments with relatives or other men who are virtual strangers.

        For those men, sometimes singing is the only kind of fun they can afford.           

 mmGuadalajara de Noche is the bar where Constantino Martinez sings every Saturday night. Enrique Hernandez, the bar’s manager, has been encouraging people to sing there since it opened in 1998.

         Singing in the bar is free and imported beer, including Corona and Dos Equis, is only $4, with tequilas and other cocktails for about $6.