BY STUDENT
The
Hispanic population has experienced a great increase in Metropolitan areas of
the United States over the last decade. In fact, According to Frey, Hispanic
and non-whites have accounted for ninety-eight percent of the growth in these
areas in the first decade of the 2000s. These metropolitan areas have
historically served areas of minority concentration and immigrant
settlement. As the population of whites
decreased by about fifty-three percent in these areas, Hispanic concentration
increased from ten to twenty percent. By the end of the first decade of the
twentieth century, minority groups made more than fifty percent of the
population of New York (Frey 2011). In this blog, I would like to focus on how
these demographics are being reversed and the new trends that are shaping
Manhattan within the last decade. How are demographics changing? What factors
are promoting these changes in areas of Manhattan, and is this affecting the
surrounding areas of Manhattan or NYC?
Manhattan
was famously named the “melting pot,” but the 2010 census demonstrates that the
diversity that makes Manhattan iconic may be fading as the numbers of blacks
and Hispanics decrease in the island. As minority groups are pushed north,
whites appear to make up a greater part of Manhattan’s demographics. According
to Smith and Fanelli, in the past ten years, there has been a ten percent
increase in whites in Manhattan. Simultaneously, the Hispanic population
dropped by four percent (Smith, Fanelli, & Lesser 2010). These are not the
only figures that are changing. The culture of the area is changing. Areas that
once reported greater numbers of foreign-born residents are now reporting only
about a quarter. However the surrounding boroughs, particularly the Bronx and
Queens, are seeing an increase in foreign-born residents (Smith, Fanelli, &
Lesser 2010).
The
population drift occurring within New York City may be attributed to the
suburban myth. As property values decline, there is a rise in property taxes.
Hand in hand with, the development of safer cities, New York City fosters the
perfect environment for a shift in suburban and metropolitan demographics
(Smith et., al 2010). Economics are a prominent factor in the shift in
populations particularly with increased cost of living. Hispanics have been
categorized as a less affluent population throughout history, and as cost of
living increases, in a more desirable area, these populations are displaced.
The northern expansion of Columbia University has also caused a northward
displacement. Populations in the northern part of Manhattan (Washington
Heights) are being pushed out of neighborhoods, causing a large movement to
areas of the Bronx among other areas (Zanoni 2011). Between 2000 and 2010,
there has been a decline in white gains in the suburbs, and an increase of
minority groups. The greatest Hispanic growth was found in suburban areas such
as Nashville, Charlotte, and Raleigh. Minority groups are said to be the future
“backbone” of suburban growth (Frey 2014). This shift or displacement occurring
in New York City may be a factor in demographic changes occurring across the
country, particularly movement of minority groups from the inner cities to the
suburbs.
Smith, Greg, James
Fanelli, and Benjamin Lesser. "Manhattan's Diversity Ebbing: Census
Figures." NY Daily
News. December 26, 2010. Accessed November 3, 2015. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan-diversity-ebbing-city-demographics-evolve-new-census-figures-show-article-1.475650.
Zanoni, Carla.
"Manhattan's Hispanic Population Shrinks Despite Growth in City, Census
Shows." DNAinfo New
York. March 28, 2011. Accessed November 3, 2015. http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20110328/manhattan/manhattans-hispanic-population-shrinks-despite-growth-city-census-shows.
Frey, William.
"The Suburbs: Not Just for White People Anymore." New Republic.
November 24, 2014. Accessed
November 4, 2015. http://www.newrepublic.com/article/120372/white-suburbs-are-more-and-more-thing-past.
Frey,
William H. "The new metro minority map: Regional shifts in Hispanics,
Asians, and Blacks from
Census 2010." State of
Metropolitan America Series(2011).
When we learn about stuff like this in class, it's weird to think that it happens so close to us. I didn't really understand that people were being pushed out of their neighborhoods, for things like expanding Columbia University. I do notice the increase of minorities in suburbs, though, in my own town in Long Island. My family was a part of that increase after we moved from Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is connected with white flight in reverse because there's an increase of whites to Manhattan when there used to be a decrease while they left to the suburbs. This could also be connected to gentrification because prices are going up, pushing out minorities who can no longer afford to live there.
Manhattan is actually not only the most expensive borough to live in, but the most expensive city in the U.S. This can be attributed to a fair amount of Manhattan area being full of posh apartments, hotels, and tourist-filled attractions. It is also the heart of a multitude of businesses. Cost of living is constantly increasing, especially in New York City, so it is interesting to see how the demographics are also changing.
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