Chapter 11. Race and Ethnicity* Most of the data in this chapter on race and ethnicity are derived from the 2000 United States Census. The U.S. Census Bureau changed its method of measuring race for the 2000 cen- sus, making comparisons to earlier census data difficult. For the first time, Americans were able to choose more than one race when responding to the census. In all previous censuses respondents had to choose only one race. In 2000, respondents could check up to six racial categories offered on the census form. The race data presented in this chapter exclude respondents who chose two or more races (only about 5% of New Yorkers indicated multiple races). As a result, the sum of the number of persons in the six race categories is smaller than the total population of New York City. Race percentages are computed out of the total population that chose one race only, and thus they add up to 100%. As Borough Table 11-1 illustrates, New York City’s population reflects tremendous racial and ethnic diversity. According to data from the United States Census, in 2000 less than half of New Yorkers (44.7%) identified themselves as White, while nationally, 77.1% of Americans identify themselves as White. Blacks comprise 26.4% of New York’s residents, 0.5% of residents identify themselves as Native American, 9.8% are Asian, 0.1% are Pacific Islander, and 18.5% are of ‘other’ race. It is important to note that a vast majority (94.5%) of the people who choose ‘other’ race are Hispanic or Latino. The five boroughs have different racial compositions. The Bronx has the smallest represen- tation of both Whites (29.9%) and Asians (2.9%), and the largest representation of residents of ‘other’ race (30.8%) and Native Americans (0.8%). The Bronx and Brooklyn both have large Black populations, about 36% of all people living in those boroughs. Brooklyn has a larger share of both Whites (41.2%) and Asians (7.5%) than does the Bronx, and has fewer residents of ‘other’ race (14.6%). More than half (54.3%) of Manhattan’s residents identify themselves as White, less than one-fifth (17.3%) say they are Black, 18.5% identify them- selves as ‘other’ race, and 9.4% are Asian. Queens has the largest proportion of Asians in the five boroughs, 17.7%. Nearly half (44.1%) of Queens residents identify themselves as White, about one-fifth (19.8%) are Black, and 17.9% are of ‘other’ race. Staten Island is predominantly White (77.7%), with 9.6% Black residents, 5.5% Asian, and 6.9% of ‘other’ race. Borough Table 11-1 Population by Race, 2000 Staten Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Island Total Number White 398,530 1,015,886 835,298 982,585 344,753 3,577,052 Black 473,407 893,000 265,682 441,601 42,689 2,116,379 Native American 10,429 8,533 6,904 9,925 866 36,657 Asian 39,076 185,814 144,368 394,314 24,538 788,110 Pacific Islander 1,099 1,549 612 1,394 216 4,870 Other 410,109 360,544 284,331 399,560 30,666 1,485,210 Percent White 29.9% 41.2% 54.3% 44.1% 77.7% 44.7% Black 35.5% 36.2% 17.3% 19.8% 9.6% 26.4% Native American 0.8% 0.3% 0.4% 0.4% 0.2% 0.5% Asian 2.9% 7.5% 9.4% 17.7% 5.5% 9.8% Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% Other 30.8% 14.6% 18.5% 17.9% 6.9% 18.5% Source: US Census Note: The sum of race counts is smaller than the total population because it excludes respondents who chose multiple races. Percent- ages are computed out of the total population that chose one race only, and thus they add up to 100%.” *This chapter does not contain any new data compared to the previous edition of the report. Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University 271 Among the sub- borough areas, the neighbor- Chart 11-1 Racial Composition, 2000 hoods with the greatest pro- White Black Asian Other portion of Whites are Staten 100% Island’s South Shore (93.4%), the Upper East Side 80% of Manhattan (86.6%), Mid- 60% Island in Staten Island 40% (83.6%), Stuyvesant Town/ Percent Turtle-Bay in Manhattan 20% (80.7%) and Brooklyn’s 0% Sheepshead Bay/Gravesend Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island (79.2%). The areas with the Source: US Census least White presence are Brooklyn’s East Flatbush Exhibit 11-1 Highest and Lowest (2.4%) and Brownsville/ Percent White Population, 2000 Ocean Hill (5.2%), Central Highest: Harlem in Manhattan (5.8%), Staten Island South Shore 93.4% Jamaica in Queens (6.2%) Manhattan Upper East Side 86.6% and Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn (7.4%) (Exhibit 11- Staten Island Mid-Island 83.6% 1). Manhattan Stuyvesant Town/Turtle-Bay 80.7% The highest propor- Brooklyn Sheepshead Bay/Gravesend 79.2% tion of Black residents can be Lowest: found in sub-borough areas in Brooklyn and Manhattan: Brooklyn East Flatbush 2.4% East Flatbush (90.2%), South Brooklyn Brownsville/Ocean Hill 5.2% Crown Heights (81.7%), Manhattan Central Harlem 5.8% North Crown Heights/Pros- Queens Jamaica 6.2% pect Heights (81.2%), Central Harlem (80.9%), and Browns- Brooklyn Bedford Stuyvesant 7.4% ville/Ocean Hill (79.6%). The Source: US Census areas with the smallest per- Exhibit 11-2 Highest and Lowest centage of Blacks are Ben- Percent Black Population, 2000 sonhurst in Brooklyn (0.5%), Staten Island’s South Shore Highest: (1.1%), Bay Ridge in Brook- Brooklyn East Flatbush 90.2% lyn (1.3%), Middle Village/ Brooklyn South Crown Heights 81.7% Ridgewood in Queens (1.4%) and Bayside/Little Neck in Brooklyn North Crown Heights/Prospect 81.2% Queens (1.8%) (Exhibit 11-2). Manhattan Central Harlem 80.9% The highest concen- Brooklyn Brownsville/Ocean Hill 79.6% tration of Asians in sub- Lowest: borough areas is found in Brooklyn Bensonhurst 0.5% Flushing/Whitestone in Queens (36.1%), followed by Staten Island South Shore 1.1% Manhattan’s Lower East Brooklyn Bay Ridge 1.3% Side/Chinatown (34.9%), and Queens Middle Village/Ridgewood 1.4% three other Queens neighbor- Queens Bayside/Little Neck 1.8% hoods: Sunnyside/Woodside (29.7%), Elmhurst/Corona Source: US Census (28.6%) and Bayside/Little Neck (26.8%). The lowest concentration of Asians is found in Mott Ha- ven/Hunts Point in the Bronx (0.7%), followed by Brooklyn’s Brownsville/Ocean Hill (0.8%), Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn (0.8%), South Crown Heights in Brooklyn (0.9%), Central Harlem in Man- 272 Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University Exhibit 11-3 Highest and Lowest hattan (0.9%) and Morri- sania/Belmont in the Bronx Percent Asian Population, 2000 (0.9%) (Exhibit 11-3). Highest: According to the 2000 United States census, there Queens Flushing/Whitestone 36.1% are over 2 million people of Manhattan Lower East Side/Chinatown 34.9% Hispanic ethnicity in the City of New York, comprising Queens Sunnyside/Woodside 29.7% 27.0% of the City’s population Queens Elmhurst/Corona 28.6% (Borough Table 11-2). As Queens Bayside/Little Neck 26.8% Borough Table 11-2 illus- trates, the Bronx is nearly Lowest: one-half Hispanic (48.7%) Bronx Mott Haven/Hunts Point 0.7% and is home to the greatest number of Hispanics in the Brooklyn Brownsville/Ocean Hill 0.8% five boroughs. Queens, Brooklyn Bedford Stuyvesant 0.8% Brooklyn, and Manhattan also have substantial Hispanic Brooklyn South Crown Heights 0.9% populations. Staten Island Manhattan Central Harlem 0.9% has the fewest number of Bronx Morrisania/Belmont 0.9% Hispanics, at 53,550, as well as the lowest percent of His- Source: US Census panics, at 12.1%. Among sub-borough Chart 11-2 Hispanic Population, 2000 areas, the highest concentra- Queens, 25% tion of Hispanics is found in Manhattan, Washington Heights/Inwood 27% in Manhattan (74.1%), fol- Staten Island, lowed by Mott Haven/Hunts 12% Point in the Bronx (72.5%), Bushwick in Brooklyn (67.8%), University Heights/ Brooklyn, 20% Fordham in the Bronx (61.7%) and Kingsbridge Heights/Mosholu (59.7%). Bronx, 49% The lowest concentrations of Source: US Census Hispanics are found in East Flatbush in Brooklyn (5.4%), Staten Island’s South Shore (5.9%), Manhattan’s Greenwich Vil- lage/Financial District (5.9%) and Upper East Side (6.0%), and Sheepshead Bay/Gravesend in Brooklyn (6.3%) (Exhibit 11-4). Data on Puerto Ricans, one of the largest Hispanic subgroups in New York, are derived from the New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS).1 According to the HVS, Puerto Ri- Borough Table 11-2 Hispanic Population, 2000 Staten Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Island Total Hispanic Population Number 646,304 487,878 412,774 560,048 53,550 2,160,554 Percent 48.7% 19.8% 27.0% 25.0% 12.1% 27.0% Source: US Census 1All data from the HVS are estimates based on a sample and are subject to potential sampling errors, particularly for small areas and changes over time. See Data and Methods section for details. Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University 273 cans comprised 8.9% of the New York City population in 2002. The greatest concentration of Puerto Ricans in 2002 was in the Bronx, where just under one-quarter (23.4%) of residents are of Puerto Rican ethnicity.