Mapping Key Determinants of Immigrants' Health in Brooklyn and Queens
March 1, 2021
Vicky Virgin Robert Warren Persons by Citizenship Status Brooklyn and Queens
Population=2,600,706 Population=2,298,836 F-born=951,445 F-born=1,088,439 %=36.6 %=47.3
5% 8% Native-born 10% 12% Naturalized Citizen
22% 53% Legal Non-citizens 63% 27% Undocumented Immigrants
Brooklyn Queens Source: Center for Migration Studies Calculations using data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey IPUMS Total Foreign-born by Area of World
100% 5% 5% 90% 14%
80% 25%
70% 23% 12% 60% North America Latin America 50% 18% 30% Europe 40% Caribbean, Nonhispanic 30% Asia
20% 38% Africa 25% 10%
0% Brooklyn Queens
Source: Center for Migration Studies Calculations using data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey IPUMS METHODOLOGY AND DATA SOURCES Data limitations:
• Very little data collected on citizenship or immigration status
• Data not collected for geographies as small as Community Districts
Data source:
• 5-year 2018 American Community Survey
• CMS has derived estimates of the undocumented population from data collected in this survey. HEALTH DETERMINANTS
• Health insurance coverage
• Less than a high school education
• Poverty
• Extremely overcrowded housing conditions
• Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
• Undocumented immigrant status Ranking the Community Districts:
• Indicators were compiled and analyzed for each CD and ranked from highest to lowest
• CDs that ranked the highest are neighborhoods with residents that were most at risk of adverse health outcomes
• Final rankings were produced by summing the indicators across each CD Key Findings:
• Naturalized citizens have health profiles more like US native-born population than noncitizens
• Lack of health insurance – an important health determinant – affects approximately half of undocumented residents
• Health determinants analyzed here are highly correlated with each other
• Commonly used health indicators for the general population are not always applicable to immigrant populations
• Undocumented immigrants are more likely to be essential workers than the native-born Top Community Districts in Brooklyn and Queens for Undocumented Essential Workers
Essential Workers Undocumented Non-citizens Native-born
Elmhurst & South Corona, QN CD 4 89% 84% 60% Bensonhurst & Bath Beach, BK CD 11 89% 83% 55% Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights, BK CD 10 84% 80% 57% Bayside, Douglaston & Little Neck, QN CD 11 83% 77% 66% Sunnyside & Woodside, QN CD2 82% 77% 53% Bushwick, BK CD 4 81% 81% 48% Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace, BK CD 7 81% 75% 52%
Source: Center for Migration Studies Calculations using data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey IPUMS Selected Socioeconomic Characteristics by Citizenship Status, New York City 80% 74% 69% 70% 66% 63%
60% 56% 54%
50% 47%
41% 40% 33% 30% 30% 23% 21% 21% 19% 20% 15% 14% 13% 12% 11% 10% 6% 6% 5% 5% 5%
0% Less than High Limited English Essential Workers Below Poverty Extremely No Health School Proficiency Overcrowded Insurance
Native-born Naturalized Citizen Legal Noncitizen Undocumented Source: Center for Migration Studies Calculations using data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey IPUMS BROOKLYN Number of Noncitizens by Community District CD 1 Greenpoint & Williamsburg CD 2 Brooklyn Heights & Fort Greene Brooklyn CD 3 Bedford-Stuyvesant CD 4 Bushwick
CD 5 East New York & Starrett City CD 1 Park Slope, Carroll Gardens & Red CD 6 Hook CD 4 CD 7 Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace Crown Heights North & Prospect CD 2 CD 3 CD 8 Heights CD 5 CD 16 Crown Heights So., Prospect CD 6 CD 9 Lefferts & Wingate CD 9 CD 10 Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights CD 17 Less than 10,000 CD 7 CD 11 Bensonhurst & Bath Beach CD 14 CD 18 Borough Park, Kensington & 10,000 - 15,000 CD 12 CD 12 Ocean Parkway CD 13 Brighton Beach & Coney Island 15,000 - 20,000 CD 10 CD 14 Flatbush & Midwood CD 11 20,000-25,000 CD 15 Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach CD 15 & Homecrest 25,000 or more CD 13 CD 16 Brownsville & Ocean Hill CD 17 East Flatbush, Farragut & Rugby CD 18 Canarsie & Flatlands Source: Center for Migration Studies Calculations using data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey IPUMS Number of Noncitizens by Community District CD 1 Greenpoint & Williamsburg CD 2 Brooklyn Heights & Fort Greene Brooklyn CD 3 Bedford-Stuyvesant CD 4 Bushwick
CD 5 East New York & Starrett City CD1 Park Slope, Carroll Gardens & Red CD 6 Hook CD 7 Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace CD 4 Crown Heights North & Prospect CD 2 CD 3 CD 8 Heights CD 5 Crown Heights So., Prospect Sunset Park & CD 16 CD 6 CD 9 Lefferts & Wingate Windsor Terrace CD 9 CD 10 Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights CD 17 Less than 10,000 CD 7 CD 11 Bensonhurst & Bath Beach CD 14 Borough Park, Kensington & 10,000 - 15,000 CD 12 CD 18 CD 12 Ocean Parkway CD 13 Brighton Beach & Coney Island 15,000 - 20,000 CD 10 CD 14 Flatbush & Midwood CD 11 20,000-25,000 CD 15 Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach CD 15 & Homecrest 25,000 or more CD 13 CD 16 Brownsville & Ocean Hill CD 17 East Flatbush, Farragut & Rugby CD 18 Canarsie & Flatlands Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace, CD 7
• Largest number of noncitizens in the borough – over 42,000.
• Noncitizens from China comprise 42 percent and from Mexico 26 percent
• Ranks the highest for three of the six indicators: • percent of LEP • less than high school degree • percent undocumented
• Over one-quarter (39,000) of residents in Sunset Park/Windsor Terrace live in mixed-status households. • 11,000 are US citizen children. Number of Noncitizens by Community District CD 1 Greenpoint & Williamsburg CD 2 Brooklyn Heights & Fort Greene Brooklyn CD 3 Bedford-Stuyvesant CD 4 Bushwick Bushwick CD 5 East New York & Starrett City CD1 Park Slope, Carroll Gardens & Red CD 6 Hook CD 7 Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace CD 4 Crown Heights North & Prospect CD 2 CD 3 CD 8 Heights CD 5 Crown Heights So., Prospect Sunset Park & CD 16 CD 6 CD 9 Lefferts & Wingate Windsor Terrace CD 9 CD 10 Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights CD 17 Less than 10,000 CD 7 CD 11 Bensonhurst & Bath Beach CD 14 Borough Park, Kensington & 10,000 - 15,000 CD 12 CD 18 CD 12 Ocean Parkway CD 13 Brighton Beach & Coney Island 15,000 - 20,000 CD 10 CD 14 Flatbush & Midwood CD 11 20,000-25,000 CD 15 Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach CD 15 & Homecrest 25,000 or more CD 13 CD 16 Brownsville & Ocean Hill CD 17 East Flatbush, Farragut & Rugby CD 18 Canarsie & Flatlands Bushwick, CD 4
• The majority of noncitizens in this neighborhood are Hispanic (75 percent)--many of them from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador
• Bushwick has the highest share of noncitizens without health insurance, the majority of whom are undocumented immigrants
• Over 80 percent of noncitizen workers in the neighborhood are employed in essential services
• The number of noncitizens exceed the number of naturalized citizens. Number of Noncitizens by Community District CD 1 Greenpoint & Williamsburg CD 2 Brooklyn Heights & Fort Greene Brooklyn CD 3 Bedford-Stuyvesant CD 4 Bushwick Bushwick CD 5 East New York & Starrett City CD1 Park Slope, Carroll Gardens & Red CD 6 Hook CD 7 Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace CD 4 Crown Heights North & Prospect CD 2 CD 3 CD 8 Heights CD 5 Crown Heights So., Prospect Sunset Park & CD 16 CD 6 CD 9 Lefferts & Wingate Windsor Terrace CD 9 CD 10 Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights CD 17 Less than 10,000 CD 7 CD 11 Bensonhurst & Bath Beach CD 14 Borough Park, Kensington & 10,000 - 15,000 CD 12 CD 18 CD 12 Ocean Parkway CD 13 Brighton Beach & Coney Island 15,000 - 20,000 CD 10 CD 14 Flatbush & Midwood CD 11 20,000-25,000 CD 15 Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach CD 15 & Homecrest 25,000 or more Bay Ridge & CD 13 CD 16 Brownsville & Ocean Hill Dyker Heights CD 17 East Flatbush, Farragut & Rugby CD 18 Canarsie & Flatlands Bay Ridge & Dyker Heights, CD 10
• Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights, which is contiguous to and south of Sunset Park/Windsor Terrace, is similar to that neighborhood in its large settlements of Chinese and Mexicans.
• The majority of noncitizens speak Chinese and Spanish, and 10 percent speak Arabic.
• The noncitizens in Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights have the highest poverty rate of all CDs in Brooklyn.
• This community district has a disproportionate share of persons living in extremely overcrowded housing conditions.
• Bay Ridge had relatively lower rankings for percent without health insurance and percent undocumented. Health Determinants for At-Risk Neighborhoods Noncitizens in Brooklyn LEP 90% 85% Less than High School 80% 73% No Health Insurance 70% Below Poverty 62% 59% Extremely Overcrowded 60%
50% 43% 40% 41% 40% 36% 34% 32% 33% 29% 30% 27% 20% 21% 20% 16% 17% 16% 12% 10% 7% 7% 6% 6% 7% 5%
0% Sunset Park/Windsor Bushwick Bay Ridge/Dykers Hgts Naturalized Citizens Native-born Terrace
Source: Center for Migration Studies Calculations using data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey IPUMS QUEENS Astoria & Long Island Number of Noncitizens by Community District CD 1 City Queens CD 2 Sunnyside & Woodside Jackson Heights & North CD 3 Corona Elmhurst & South CD 4 Corona CD 7 CD 11 CD 1 Ridgewood, Glendale & CD 3 CD 5 Middle Village CD 4 CD 8 CD 2 CD 6 Forest Hills & Rego Park CD 6 CD 13 Flushing, Murray Hill & CD 5 CD 12 CD 7 Whitestone CD 9 Briarwood, Fresh Less than 10,000 CD 8 Meadows & Hillcrest CD 10 Richmond Hill & 10,000 to 20,000 CD 9 Woodhaven Howard Beach & Ozone 20,000 to 30,000 CD 10 Park Bayside, Douglaston & 30,000 to 40,000 CD 11 Little Neck Jamaica, Hollis & St. 40,000 or more CD 14 CD 12 Albans Queens Village, Cambria CD 13 Heights & Rosedale Far Rockaway, Breezy CD 14 Point Astoria & Long Island Number of Noncitizens by Community District CD 1 City Queens CD 2 Sunnyside & Woodside Jackson Heights & North CD 3 Corona Elmhurst & South CD 7 CD 4 Corona Elmhurst & CD 11 South Corona CD 1 Ridgewood, Glendale & CD 3 CD 5 Middle Village CD 4 CD 8 CD 2 CD 6 Forest Hills & Rego Park CD 6 CD 13 Flushing, Murray Hill & CD 5 CD 12 CD 7 Whitestone CD 9 Briarwood, Fresh Less than 10,000 CD 8 Meadows & Hillcrest CD 10 Richmond Hill & 10,000 to 20,000 CD 9 Woodhaven Howard Beach & Ozone 20,000 to 30,000 CD 10 Park Bayside, Douglaston & 30,000 to 40,000 CD 11 Little Neck Jamaica, Hollis & St. 40,000 or more CD 14 CD 12 Albans Queens Village, Cambria CD 13 Heights & Rosedale Far Rockaway, Breezy CD 14 Point Elmhurst/South Corona, CD 4
• The top five countries of origin are Ecuador, Mexico, China, Dominican Republic, and Colombia.
• About 19,000 noncitizens lack health insurance, the majority of whom are undocumented.
• The community district ranks the highest in Queens for percent living in overcrowded households
• 84 percent of noncitizens in this neighborhood are essential workers; it has been one of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19. Astoria & Long Island Number of Noncitizens by Community District CD 1 City Queens Jackson Heights & CD 2 Sunnyside & Woodside North Corona Jackson Heights & North CD 3 Corona Elmhurst & South CD 7 CD 4 Corona Elmhurst & CD 11 South Corona CD 1 Ridgewood, Glendale & CD 3 CD 5 Middle Village CD 4 CD 8 CD 2 CD 6 Forest Hills & Rego Park CD 6 CD 13 Flushing, Murray Hill & CD 5 CD 12 CD 7 Whitestone CD 9 Briarwood, Fresh Less than 10,000 CD 8 Meadows & Hillcrest CD 10 Richmond Hill & 10,000 to 20,000 CD 9 Woodhaven Howard Beach & Ozone 20,000 to 30,000 CD 10 Park Bayside, Douglaston & 30,000 to 40,000 CD 11 Little Neck Jamaica, Hollis & St. 40,000 or more CD 14 CD 12 Albans Queens Village, Cambria CD 13 Heights & Rosedale Far Rockaway, Breezy CD 14 Point Jackson Heights/North Corona, CD 3
• Large concentrations of Ecuadorians, Mexicans, Dominicans, Colombians, and Bangladeshis
• This CD ranks the highest for percent without health insurance and highest percent of undocumented immigrants
• Of the 25,000 noncitizens who lack health insurance, the overwhelming majority are undocumented
• This neighborhood has a considerably lower poverty rate than noncitizens in other CDs: 15 percent compared to 22 percent in nearby Flushing/Murray Hill/Whitestone Astoria & Long Island Number of Noncitizens by Community District Flushing, Murray Hill & CD 1 City Whitestone Queens Jackson Heights & CD 2 Sunnyside & Woodside North Corona Jackson Heights & North CD 3 Corona Elmhurst & South CD 7 CD 4 Corona Elmhurst & CD 11 South Corona CD 1 Ridgewood, Glendale & CD 3 CD 5 Middle Village CD 4 CD 8 CD 2 CD 6 Forest Hills & Rego Park CD 6 CD 13 Flushing, Murray Hill & CD 5 CD 12 CD 7 Whitestone CD 9 Briarwood, Fresh Less than 10,000 CD 8 Meadows & Hillcrest CD 10 Richmond Hill & 10,000 to 20,000 CD 9 Woodhaven Howard Beach & Ozone 20,000 to 30,000 CD 10 Park Bayside, Douglaston & 30,000 to 40,000 CD 11 Little Neck Jamaica, Hollis & St. 40,000 or more CD 14 CD 12 Albans Queens Village, Cambria CD 13 Heights & Rosedale Far Rockaway, Breezy CD 14 Point Flushing/Murray Hill/Whitestone, CD 7
• The neighborhood is home to the largest number of immigrants in the city (139,000). The foreign-born make up more than half (57 percent) of its population.
• It has the largest concentration of Asian immigrants in New York City.
• Flushing Chinatown has a larger population that the first established Chinatown of lower Manhattan (64,000 compared to 30,000)
• This neighborhood has the highest poverty rate in Queens and the highest percent with limited proficiency in English.
• Of the 60,000 noncitizens with limited English proficiency, 72 percent speak either Chinese or Korean. Health Determinants for At-Risk Neighborhoods
100% Noncitizens in Queens LEP 90% 88% 82% Less than HS 80% 78% No Insurance Below Poverty 70% Extremely Overcrowded
60%
50% 43% 40% 40% 39% 40% 37% 34% 35%
30% 22% 20% 20% 18% 18% 17% 15% 11% 12% 9% 10% 8% 7% 5% 6% 5% 5%
0% Elmhurst & South Corona Jackson Heights & North Flushing, Murray Hill & Naturalized Citizens Native-born Corona Whitestone
Source: Center for Migration Studies Calculations using data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey IPUMS RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations:
• Promote naturalization programs
• Expand and/or find creative solutions that provide health insurance to undocumented immigrants
• In order to reduce fear of the Public Charge, promote accurate information about benefits available to immigrants
• Push and support legislation that ensures all immigrants, regardless of status, are eligible for COVID relief funds
• Foster holistic approaches
• More data needed on health indicators for immigrants