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The racial and ethnic history of New York City has varied widely; from its sale to the Dutch by Native American residents, to the modern
multi-cultural period.
New York City has had a largely white population, and most foreign born immigrants to the city before the end of World War II were from
Europe. However, this changed in the decades after World War II, when all of the boroughs became more diverse, and when immigration from
places outside Europe was increased largely due to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 .
Contents
Overview
Citywide
Map depicting NYC's density in 1900
By borough on a sliding scale from 1,000 to
The Bronx 150,000 people per square mile.
Brooklyn Areas with less than 1,000 per
Manhattan square mile are excluded. Interactive
Queens Map (https://www.google.com/maps/
Staten Island d/u/0/viewer?mid=1KH824f7Bya0UV
See also vEzTMcBxJ_Qds8KW2E4&ll=40.704
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References
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Overview
The population of New York City was Non-Hispanic White until the post-World War II era.[1] Large numbers of non-whites only began
settling in Manhattan in the 1920s and in the rest of NYC after World War II.[1] The slowest area in the city to change its racial makeup
was Staten Island, which was the only borough of New York City to retain a Non-Hispanic White majority after the 1980s.[1] Between
1900 and 2010, New York City's total black population increased by about thirty-five times, while its Asian population increased by
over one-hundred-and-fifty times over the same period.[1] The large black migration to New York City helped cause the Harlem
Renaissance, a rich cultural period for the African Americans living in New York (especially in Harlem neighborhood, the namesake)
between the end of World War I and the Great Depression. New York's Hispanic population increased by almost twenty times between
1940 and 2010, while its total Non-Hispanic White population decreased by over 60% over the same time period.[1]
New York City has always had a much greater percentage of immigrants as part of its total population than the whole United States has.[2][3] Right before World War I over 40% of New York
City's total population was composed of immigrants.[2] After immigration restrictions were passed in the 1920s, immigrants as a percentage of New York's total population dropped to 18% in
1970, before bouncing back up to 36% in 2000.[2] The recorded increase in the city's immigrant percentage after 1970 occurred after the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965 (which took
effect in 1968) and at a time when a greater number of immigrants than before were coming to the United States.[2][4] Most of the earlier immigrants to New York City were from Europe
(initially from Western Europe, and then more from Eastern Europe).[5] A large percentage of the immigrants that came to New York City after 1965 were from non-European countries.[5]
Large numbers of Irish people arrived in New York City during the Irish potato famine in the 1840s, while Germans, Italians, Jews, and other European ethnic groups arrived in NYC mostly
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[5] Because of the abolition of the National Origins Formula, a large percentage of the immigrants that came to New York City after 1965 were
from non-European countries.[5] Of the immigrants in the state, about three million live in New York City.[6] The number of immigrants living in New York City increased only slightly from
2000 to 2011, with an increase from 2,871,032 to 3,066,599 residents being born outside the United States.[7]:10
Citywide
The following tables present a consolidated demographic profile of race and ethnicity in New York City which includes all five boroughs.[1][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]
Various places in New York City.
White
Non-
(includes % % % % Other or % Hispanic/ % Foreign %
Year Population Hispanic Black Asian
White W ANG B A Mixed O/M Latino H/L born FB
Whites
Hispanics)
1900 3,437,202 3,369,898 98.04 N/A N/A 60,666 1.76 6,607 0.19 31 0 N/A N/A 1,270,080 36.95
1910 4,766,883 4,669,162 97.95 N/A N/A 91,709 1.92 5,669 0.12 343 0.01 N/A N/A 1,944,357 40.79
1920 5,620,048 5,459,463 97.14 N/A N/A 152,467 2.71 7,969 0.14 149 0 N/A N/A 2,028,160 36.09
1930 6,930,446 6,589,377 95.08 N/A N/A 327,706 4.73 12,972 0.19 391 0.01 N/A N/A 2,358,686 34.03
1940 7,454,995 6,977,501 93.59 6,856,586 91.97 458,444 6.15 17,986 0.24 1,064 0.01 120,915 1.62 2,138,657 28.69
1950 7,891,957 7,116,441 90.17 N/A N/A 747,608 9.47 21,441 0.27 6,467 0.08 N/A N/A 1,784,206 22.61
1960 7,781,984 6,640,662 85.33 N/A N/A 1,087,931 13.98 43,103 0.55 10,288 0.13 N/A N/A 1,558,690 20.03
1970 7,894,862 6,048,841 76.62 4,969,749 62.95 1,668,115 21.13 94,499 1.20 83,407 1.06 1,278,630 16.20 1,437,058 18.20
1980 7,071,639 4,294,075 60.72 3,668,945 51.88 1,784,337 25.23 231,501 3.27 761,762 10.77 1,406,024 19.88 1,670,199 23.62
1990 7,322,564 3,827,088 52.26 3,163,125 43.20 2,102,512 28.71 512,719 7.00 880,245 12.02 1,783,511 24.36 2,082,931 28.45
2000 8,008,278 3,576,385 44.66 2,801,267 34.98 2,129,762 26.59 792,477 9.90 1,509,654 18.85 2,160,554 26.98 2,871,032 35.85
2010 8,175,133 3,597,341 44.00 2,722,904 33.31 2,088,510 25.55 1,043,535 12.77 1,445,747 17.68 2,336,076 28.58 3,066,599 37.51
By borough
The Bronx
White
Non- Other
(includes % % % % % Hispanic/ % Foreign %
Year Population Hispanic Black Asian or
White W ANG B A O/M Latino H/L born FB
Whites Mixed
Hispanics)
1900 1,166,582 1,146,909 98.31 N/A N/A 18,367 1.57 1,300 0.11 6 0 N/A N/A 355,697 30.49
1910 1,634,351 1,610,487 98.54 N/A N/A 22,708 1.39 1,010 0.06 146 0.01 N/A N/A 574,730 35.17
1920 2,018,356 1,984,953 98.35 N/A N/A 31,912 1.58 1,459 0.07 32 0 N/A N/A 666,188 33.01
1930 2,560,401 2,488,815 97.20 N/A N/A 68,921 2.69 2,539 0.10 126 0 N/A N/A 881,571 34.43
1940 2,698,285 2,587,951 95.91 N/A N/A 107,263 3.98 2,608 0.10 463 0.02 N/A N/A 778,054 28.84
1950 2,738,175 2,525,118 92.22 N/A N/A 208,478 7.61 2,514 0.09 2,065 0.08 N/A N/A 630,526 23.03
1960 2,627,319 2,245,859 85.48 N/A N/A 371,405 14.14 6,540 0.25 3,515 0.13 N/A N/A 516,349 19.65
1970 2,602,012 1,905,788 73.24 N/A N/A 656,194 25.22 16,138 0.62 23,892 0.92 N/A N/A 456,636 17.55
1980 2,230,936 1,249,486 56.01 1,085,233 48.64 722,812 32.40 42,965 1.93 215,673 9.67 392,118 17.58 530,973 23.80
1990 2,300,664 1,078,549 46.88 923,229 40.13 872,305 37.92 111,251 4.84 238,559 10.37 462,411 20.10 672,569 29.23
2000 2,465,326 1,015,728 41.20 854,532 34.66 898,350 36.44 187,283 7.60 363,965 14.76 487,878 19.79 931,769 37.79
2010 2,504,700 1,072,041 42.80 893,306 35.67 860,083 34.34 263,519 10.52 309,057 12.34 496,285 19.81 912,793 36.44
Manhattan
White
Non- Other
(includes % % % % % Hispanic/ % Foreign %
Year Population Hispanic Black Asian or
White W ANG B A O/M Latino H/L born FB
Whites Mixed
Hispanics)
1900 1,850,093 1,808,968 97.78 N/A N/A 36,246 1.96 4,861 0.26 18 0 N/A N/A 789,626 42.68
1910 2,331,542 2,266,578 97.21 N/A N/A 60,534 2.60 4,260 0.18 170 0.01 N/A N/A 1,116,477 47.89
1920 2,284,103 2,168,906 94.96 N/A N/A 109,133 4.78 6,003 0.26 61 0 N/A N/A 950,264 41.60
1930 1,867,312 1,633,329 87.47 N/A N/A 224,670 12.03 9,124 0.49 189 0.01 N/A N/A 689,506 36.93
1940 1,889,924 1,577,625 83.48 N/A N/A 298,365 15.79 13,467 0.71 467 0.02 N/A N/A 582,895 30.84
1950 1,960,101 1,556,599 79.41 N/A N/A 384,482 19.62 16,083 0.82 2,937 0.15 N/A N/A 461,102 23.52
1960 1,698,281 1,271,822 74.89 N/A N/A 397,101 23.38 25,487 1.50 3,871 0.23 N/A N/A 374,698 22.06
1970 1,539,233 1,089,302 70.77 N/A N/A 380,442 24.72 47,332 3.08 22,157 1.44 N/A N/A 307,630 19.99
1980 1,428,285 841,204 58.90 713,854 49.98 309,854 21.69 72,884 5.10 204,343 14.31 336,247 23.54 348,581 24.41
1990 1,487,536 867,227 58.30 726,755 48.86 326,967 21.98 110,629 7.44 182,713 12.28 386,630 25.99 383,866 25.81
2000 1,537,195 835,610 54.36 703,873 45.79 267,302 17.39 145,607 9.47 288,676 18.78 417,816 27.18 452,440 29.43
2010 1,585,872 911,073 57.45 761,493 48.02 246,687 15.55 180,425 11.38 247,688 15.62 403,577 25.45 470,305 29.66
Queens
The Chinatown in Elmhurst, Queens.
White
Non- Other
(includes % % % % % Hispanic/ % Foreign %
Year Population Hispanic Black Asian or
White W ANG B A O/M Latino H/L born FB
Whites Mixed
Hispanics)
1900 152,999 150,235 98.19 N/A N/A 2,611 1.71 152 0.10 1 0 N/A N/A 44,812 29.29
1910 284,041 280,691 98.82 N/A N/A 3,198 1.13 149 0.05 3 0 N/A N/A 79,329 27.93
1920 469,042 463,661 98.85 N/A N/A 5,120 1.09 214 0.05 47 0.01 N/A N/A 112,171 23.91
1930 1,079,129 1,059,804 98.21 N/A N/A 18,609 1.72 679 0.06 37 0 N/A N/A 268,358 24.87
1940 1,297,634 1,270,731 97.93 N/A N/A 25,890 2.00 947 0.07 66 0.01 N/A N/A 278,937 21.50
1950 1,550,849 1,497,126 96.54 N/A N/A 51,524 3.32 1,444 0.09 755 0.05 N/A N/A 288,197 18.58
1960 1,809,578 1,654,959 91.46 N/A N/A 145,855 8.06 7,084 0.39 1,680 0.09 N/A N/A 335,623 18.55
1970 1,986,473 1,695,288 85.34 N/A N/A 258,006 12.99 21,940 1.10 11,239 0.57 N/A N/A 416,887 20.99
1980 1,891,325 1,335,805 70.63 1,172,511 61.99 354,129 18.72 93,780 4.96 107,611 5.69 262,422 13.88 540,818 28.59
1990 1,951,598 1,129,192 57.86 937,557 48.04 423,211 21.69 238,336 12.21 160,859 8.24 381,120 19.53 707,153 36.23
2000 2,229,379 982,725 44.08 732,895 32.87 446,189 20.01 392,831 17.62 407,634 18.28 556,605 24.97 1,028,339 46.13
2010 2,230,722 1,060,000 45.72 616,727 27.65 426,683 19.13 513,317 23.01 404,669 18.14 613,750 27.51 1,059,593 47.50
Staten Island
White Other
% Non-Hispanic % % % % Hispanic/ % Foreign %
Year Population (includes White Black Asian or
W Whites ANG B A O/M Latino H/L born FB
Hispanics) Mixed
1900 67,021 65,863 98.27 N/A N/A 1,072 1.60 86 0.13 0 0 N/A N/A 18,687 27.88
1910 85,969 84,756 98.59 N/A N/A 1,152 1.34 61 0.07 0 0 N/A N/A 24,394 28.38
1920 116,531 114,953 98.65 N/A N/A 1,499 1.29 78 0.07 1 0 N/A N/A 31,795 27.28
1930 158,346 155,606 98.27 N/A N/A 2,576 1.63 154 0.10 10 0.01 N/A N/A 39,799 25.13
1940 174,441 170,875 97.96 N/A N/A 3,397 1.95 163 0.09 6 0 N/A N/A 35,318 20.25
1950 191,555 185,936 97.07 N/A N/A 5,372 2.80 153 0.08 94 0.05 N/A N/A 30,487 15.92
1960 221,991 211,738 95.38 N/A N/A 9,674 4.36 448 0.20 131 0.06 N/A N/A 25,428 11.45
1970 295,443 277,604 93.96 N/A N/A 15,792 5.35 1,297 0.44 750 0.25 N/A N/A 26,695 9.04
1980 352,121 313,534 89.04 300,511 85.34 25,616 7.27 6,709 1.91 6,262 1.78 18,884 5.36 34,514 9.80
1990 378,977 322,043 84.98 303,081 79.97 30,630 8.08 16,941 4.47 9,363 2.47 30,239 7.98 44,550 11.76
2000 443,728 344,319 77.60 316,316 71.29 42,914 9.67 25,253 5.69 31,242 7.04 53,550 12.07 72,657 16.37
2010 468,730 341,677 72.89 300,169 64.04 49,857 10.64 35,377 7.55 41,819 8.92 81,051 17.29 110,142 23.50
See also
Demographics of New York City
References
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