Census 2000: Afro-Caribbean and African Populations on the Rise and More Affluent than African-Americans
Segregation and a socioeconomic divide between the old and new black groups show differences that make a difference, according to latest Mumford Center Analysis
Contact: Lisa James Goldsberry (518) 437-4989
ALBANY, N.Y. (February 14, 2003) -- The number of black Americans with roots in the sub-Saharan countries of Africa more than doubled during the 1990's and those with Afro-Caribbean roots increased by over 60 percent, according to a new report by the University at Albany Lewis Mumford Center for Urban and Regional Research.
The report, Black Diversity in Metropolitan America, also shows that the newcomers -- Afro-Caribbeans and Africans -- have numerous advantages compared to African-Americans. Members of these growing black populations tend to be better educated, have higher incomes and typically live in neighborhoods with a higher socioeconomic standing. Africans' average education level is higher than that of whites or Asians.
�We are used to thinking in broader racial and ethnic categories, especially when we think of black Americans,� said Center Director John Logan. �But we may be moving into an era where distinctions based on national origins become more visible and we will think of our nation as one of many minorities.�
Like African-Americans, Afro-Caribbeans and Africans are highly segregated from whites. �However, this does not mean that America's black populations share the same neighborhoods,� Logan points out. �Segregation among black ethnic groups reflects important social differences between them.�
Other highlights of the report:
- Afro-Caribbeans are heavily concentrated on the East Coast. Six out of ten live in the New York, Miami, and Ft. Lauderdale metropolitan areas. Most are from Haiti and Jamaica.
- America's African-born population is much more geographically dispersed. The largest numbers are in Washington and New York. In both places the majority are from West Africa, especially Ghana and Nigeria. East Africa, including Ethiopia and Somalia, is another main source.
- In the metropolitan areas where they live in largest numbers, Africans tend to live in neighborhoods with higher median income and education level than African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans, while Afro-Caribbeans tend to live in neighborhoods with more homeowners than either African-Americans or Africans.
For the full report, visit Black Diversity in Metropolitan America at http://mumford1.dyndns.org/cen2000/report.html or contact Merci Miglino (518) 442-2579, (518) 229-4403 (cell), [email protected].
About the Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research
Recognized as one of the great urbanists of the 20th century, Lewis Mumford endorsed the creation of the Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research in 1988. Under the leadership of Director John Logan, the Center currently focuses on four key initiatives: 1) Global Neighborhoods, 2) the Urban Historical Initiative, 3) the China Urban Research Network; and 4) the Hudson-Mohawk Regional Workshop. Each of these projects examines the impact of global changes on the U.S. metropolis and civil society, probes the 19th and early 20th Century roots of present-day cities and suburbs, and addresses urban change in other parts of the world, mostly notably China. Visit
Established in 1844 and designated a center of the State University of New York in 1962, the University at Albany's broad mission of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, research and public service engages 17,000 diverse students in eight degree-granting schools and colleges.
For more information about this nationally ranked University, visit https://www.albany.edu.
