The update from Staten Island

Looks like the Staten Island Advance also reads my blog:


African American, Asian populations jump on Island
Posted by Staten Island Advance August 10, 2007 5:00PM
Categories: News

Staten Island has become increasingly attractive to minorities as evidenced by significant spikes in its Asian and black population over the past six years.

Among the five boroughs, Staten Island experienced the largest growth, percentage-wise, in Asian residents, jumping nearly 36 percent from 27,916 in 2000 to an estimated 37,959 in 2006.

The number of blacks calling the borough home bumped up almost 13 percent to 55,782 in the same period. That figure also represented the biggest increase, percentage-wise, in the city.

In all, Staten Island's population growth rate of nearly 8 percent topped the city between 2000 and last year. An estimated 484,176 people lived here in 2006, compared to 449,196 in 2000.

"The changing demographics reflect a pattern that you're having a more diverse Staten Island. It's becoming less of a white-bread borough," said Jonathan Peters, associate finance professor at the College of Staten Island, who also studies demographics and transportation.

Yet, Peters noted, Staten Island's white population, which includes persons of Hispanic descent also remains strong, rising almost 5 percent to an estimated 386,485 in 2006.