New York More Diverse Than Los Angeles Thanks To Brooklyn Neighborhood: Study

After a decade of playing second fiddle to Los Angeles, New York now reigns supreme as the most diverse city in America, according to census data.

Bloomberg reports that perhaps nowhere is New York's increased diversity more evident then in one Brooklyn neighborhood.

From Bloomberg:

The section of Dyker Heights in southwest Brooklyn, long dominated by Italian-Americans, had one of the biggest increases in diversity of any census tract in the nation’s most-populous city. The area of 1,133 people has seen an inflow of Asian residents, a group that is helping to transform the profile of New York, along with those of other major municipalities throughout the U.S.

“Some of the residents here were so concerned about blacks moving in, they didn’t even notice the influx of Asians,” said Nick Venezia, 33, manager of Ben Bay Realty Co. in Brooklyn.

A study by the Brookings Institution shows that more than 50 percent of American cities are now majority non-white. The report also finds that minorities represent 35 percent of suburban residents and more than half of all minority groups in large metro areas live in the suburbs.

An increase in diversity in New York also coincides with a decrease in "white flight" from the city. Fewer whites left New York in the last decade, than they did in the '90s. That trend is also true of Los Angeles, the study finds.

Comments

[ald117]

02:19 PM on 05/07/2011

Used to be you could count the Nationalities on one hand...now you can't even pronounce them!!!!

[GirlInNYC]

09:47 PM on 05/06/2011

Oprah featured the Freedom Fighters this week. Blacks and whites TOGETHER fought hatred and racism. Now online, those who would burn their bus cowardly spew hatred in Internet anonymity. Real talk. Your president represents that unity. Your fear is showing.

[speedracer27]

02:40 PM on 05/06/2011

Now we need to start allowing some more European immigrants to America for the last 50 years we stopped them and opened the door to all others, I Miss seeing all those nice European communities as well, so lets allow more Europeans in for a change...

I live in the Bronx and there are hardly anymore whites here, a few here and there, sad there was once beautiful neighborhoods in the Bronx...now not so much...

[hbhawaii]

01:13 PM on 05/06/2011

This is utter nonsense.

Check out this list of the 100 most diverse US cities:

http://www.city-data.com/top35.html

LA, NY, Brooklyn, Chicago are nowhere on the list. The vast majority of the cities (admittedly their definition of city is pretty loose) and towns listed here are in Hawaii.

I think most people on the mainland have no concept of just how diverse Hawaii is. There is no majority -- everyone here is a member of a minority.

HBHawaii -- proud member of the haole minority.

[Gerald Sheffield]

10:31 AM on 05/06/2011

Concerned about blacks moving in...enough said. However, more diversity has led to a descreases in "white flight." The cup is always half full through my eyes.

[GirlInNYC]

09:42 PM on 05/06/2011

I noticed that also. But they didn't notice the Asians moving in, it says. That's why some of my Asian friends, as awesome as they are, don't have a clue as honorary whites themselves.

[Gerald Sheffield]

12:08 AM on 05/07/2011

F&F for honorary white

[AngryMonkey]

10:20 AM on 05/06/2011

Well I vote for Chicago. Wonderful place for diversity. Quit dishing on the sneaky Asian's btw. The world is diverse place and one group or another 'sneaking' in should not be noted.

[jerry bear]

10:07 AM on 05/06/2011

Yeah....take a look at the crime rate.

[yankeesfan1000]

10:19 AM on 05/06/2011

Which is the lowest of any big city in America while having more than double the total population of the second largest city, LA, and according to the FBI of cities over 100,000 ranks 245 out of approximately 269 in terms of overall crime rates. Yeah, crime here is rapant.

[Lowell Thompson]

10:05 AM on 05/06/2011

"“Some of the residents here were so concerned about blacks moving in, they didn’t even notice the influx of Asians,” said Nick Venezia, 33, manager of Ben Bay Realty Co. in Brooklyn."

Oh, and this is supposed to be good news?

As the statement above cluelessly shows, diversity is not equality nor does it, by itself do anything to confront the ever present, rancid legacy and residue of American racism and white supremacy.

Right?

http://buythecover.com

[TheIndependentView]

09:28 AM on 05/06/2011

All that diversity yet only the white race can cause a negative effect by leaving. Enjoy your rainbow. lol

[theiccemann]

09:36 AM on 05/06/2011

Huh? I don't understand.

I'm thinking, if all races, except for white people, left this country, this country would shut down, quickly, in more ways than one. Not to mention that white males have low sperm count. lol

[WoodyCPM]

09:28 AM on 05/06/2011

Earl Shorris, author of "Latinos" writes about New York, "No more democratic and cruel a place has ever existed, or was ever imagined."

From living in NYC for 20 years, I agree. I loved New York's diversity. And has another commenter said downstream, even though I grew up in KY on a farm, surrounded by 99% white Anglos, after living in NY for several years, home, with all its white people is what came to feel odd.

Diversity does not mean the absence of racist attitudes. Another commenter downstream stated that NYC was one of the most racist cities they'd ever been in. In some ways, that is true. Incidents that start out as one thing, almost always turn into issues about race and class. It's a raw knuckled city. It has always been that way. In its history its even been that way between ethnic groups of the same race! The Italians against the Irish, who are against the Jews and so on, all of whom hate the Germans. Everybody is an ethnic in New York.

[theiccemann]

09:19 AM on 05/06/2011

Too bad that there is no diversity in employment opportunities, especially in upper management. Too bad there's no diversity in having access to a high quality curriculum of education, especially in public schools. Too bad there's no diversity in the percentage of loans accepted and businesses created. The stifling effect is tremendous.

How much more advanced would we be? How many geniuses, inventors, entrepreneurs and leaders are set aside to never realize their potential? If we set aside our illogical and hateful biases, what would be our limit of perception of reality?

That's not something to just blow off. That's a significant thought. It's real.

[Hijacked]

09:13 AM on 05/06/2011

The idea of diversity in the US is really an attempt at overcoming racial segregation. It sounds more like a work in progress where those who are in, are proud and those who are out abhor. 'Diversity' can exist with some people still looking at others at the corner of their eyes. I love working in Manhattan because most people looked at themselves a bit more socially sophisticated then elsewhere in the US. A different look or an accent did not prompt any inquiry into a person's background. The alternate and a better social setting for diverse is 'cosmopolitan' which London is.

[biabouman41]

09:12 AM on 05/06/2011

I have lived in 2 major US cities and visited many others, including a several in the deep South. But by far the most racist city in my experience is New York City. About 25 years ago I was part of a mixed group of people of African and European descent and we experienced disturbing racism. Over the last few years I have spoken to many New Yorkers and they confirm no change. For example when you walk through the business areas there are precious few clerks of African descent. When customers of African descent appeared at the closed doors of these businesses they were unlikely to be let in. Oprah Winfrey experienced this in New York City. Those of European descent had no problems. The pattern remains the same. There are many other aspects to New York racism.

I must however blame those of African descent who live in New York for tolerating it.

[BlueFloyd]

08:33 AM on 05/06/2011

I am white, my wife is black, and we live in Queens, which has historically been the most diverse land mass on the planet.

...and yet, we still get those stares just about every time we go out.....it's all up to the individual.

[biabouman41]

09:16 AM on 05/06/2011

As far as "most diverse", not true. I would suggest you visit Canadian cities, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and others. New York has grave racial issues.

[speedracer27]

02:49 PM on 05/06/2011

I bet you get more stares by blacks then whites, but left that out..

[Scoville Scale]

08:32 AM on 05/06/2011

I would say Toronto is the most diverse city in America.
Don't forget, "America" refers to the entire Western Hemisphere.
You guys live in the United States of America.

[beapancake]

08:54 AM on 05/06/2011

The stats would say it is not. Manhattan has over 50% non US born residents.

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

10:17 AM on 05/06/2011

It is also commonly accepted, globally, that "America" is a short-form for United States of America. Canada is a singular description of itself, therefor "Canadian" adequately and most appropriatly refers to people from Canada and "Mexican" does the same for people from Mexico.

No one, anywhere, says "Unitien", "USA-ian", "Statesman" or any other such nonsense to single out people from the USA.

[Scoville Scale]

10:34 AM on 05/06/2011

Right, but I was referring to the name of the nation, as it's used in the article, and in the title on the main page.