NEW YORK — Pura Barakos’s house near the heart of this city’s Astoria neighborhood has stood out as a symbol of left-wing activism for more than 30 years.

For most of the time, Barakos said her home — which is covered in bumper stickers promoting her political views — felt like an island in a neighborhood historically dominated by White working class and relatively conservative residents. On several occasions, Barakos recalled, vandals sneaked up to her house and spattered it with tar or paint to obscure her views about gun control, civil rights or U.S. foreign policy.