As ASA members visit New York this August, if they keep their eyes open they cannot help but see evidence of five important trends that shape the metro area. These forces form the basis of some research propjects, but many results are there for all sociologists to see as they check-in to the convention hotel (or stay with friends), go dining, visit shops and stores, take taxis or buses to and from the airport, or go out in the evening.

A NEW CITY OF NEW IMMIGRANTS

New York, of course, has always been the city of immigrants, but during the 1980s and into the 1990s that trend has accelerated. According to an analysis I performed based on Census data, in 1990 more than 3.5 million (of about 18 million) people living in the New York Metro area were born overseas, and 1.5 million of these entered the US during the 1980s. The five top groups were from the Dominican Republic 145,000, China 75,000, Jamaica 74,000, Colombia 67,000 and Korea 58,000.

Recent analyses based upon the Current Population Survey indicate this trend is accelerating for the New York area metro area. Many sociologists will first experience this trend, when they get a taxi from the airport. Recently, the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission reported that Pakistanis were the most numerous among all groups driving cabs. New drivers now must pass an examination on New York City locations. You will also find examples of this, when you interact with service personnel in hotels or go out to dinner. Many restaurant employees are from Latin American countries, though not, of course, at more ethnically oriented establishments such as Chinese or other Asian, or Carribbean restaurants.

The extent to which immigration is “undocumented” is quite controversial. Some of the “Old” immigrants were shocked when they found that Italians constituted the largest group of recent undocumented immigrants. When you have dinner in an ethnic restaurant away from the high priced down town area, there is a good chance that the waiter or waitress and the other service personnel did not enter the country legally but stayed on beyond a visitors permit.

While walking around the mid-town area, you will see many well dressed African-Americans going to and from their jobs, going out to lunch, frequenting coffee bars, book stores, department stores, and boutiques. Though working in Manhattan, many will take the subway back to Queens, the borough that Archie Bunker made famous. Nestled in Southeast Queens and continuing on into Brentwood in Nassau County, and up in the Northeast Bronx and on into Mount Vernon in Westchester County are vast areas of middle class housing, which are predominantly black and far removed both physically and socially from blighted urban areas.

In Queens, in fact, black households have a higher income than white households. This fact, based upon the 1990 census, caused quite a storm of interest, when it was reported on page one of the New York Times. Many New Yorkers refused to believe it; others assumed that it must be due to the success of Carribbean born blacks, especially those from Jamaica, the island of Colin Powell’s ancestors. In fact, black immigrants do make slightly more than native born blacks in Queens, but white immigrants make more than their native white counterpart.

Unlike Archie and Edith, it seems that blacks in Queens have closed the gap by having both the husband and wife hard at work at full time jobs.

While taking a breather from the meetings, or going shopping along Fifth Avenue, you will undoubtedly see men and women walking along elegantly tailored but oblivious to the passing scene as they talk on their cellular phones. Close by, poorly dressed individuals will be asking for hand outs. This typifies the growing income inequality in New York, where those working in certain sectors may have seven figure incomes, while others will make do with far less. Still others are unable to "make do" and end up being reliant on Social Services or, worse, literally forced into the streets.

If you visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you should know that the census tract directly north (between Fifth and Park Avenue from 86th to 91st) had the highest average family income in New York in 1990 (where there are a substantial number of people of all ages). At over $301,000 average family income, it is just a short cab ride from the Bradhurst section in Harlem (Bradhurst Avenue to Frederick Douglas between West 145th and West 150th) which had the lowest average family income of just $6,000 in 1990. Few would put that area on their list of "must-see" New York sites, yet the contrast is very significant and is becoming even more pronounced. The top fifth of households in Manhattan made 33 times as much as the bottom fifth in 1990, the number was only 21 times in 1980.

Indeed, except for a former leper colony in Hawaii, Manhattan was the most unequal county in the US, having the same level of inequality as Guatemala.

People with high incomes live not only in Manhattan, but in Park Slope in Brooklyn, Riverdale in the Bronx, Forest Hills Gardens, and Douglaston in Queens and in a set of elite suburbs throughout the metropolitan area. In such areas, until the crash in 1987, house values, wages and salaries had increased remarkably. The financial sector has had increased profits and income without much increased employment. Stock trading has been taken over by computers, so additional employment is not needed. Partners share record profits, while people in lower and middle ranges are laid off.

During the last part of the 1980s, while many foreigners were coming to New York, about one million native born and long standing emigrants left. This trend is hard to see directly. Others have moved to these far suburban rings and work and live away from New York City.

The new New Yorkers are younger, less well educated, and more in need of government services. Yet, the economic base upon which such services rest has declined. Meanwhile, the City and the region often make deals that are very advantageous to businesses to keep them in the area.

As you pay $1.50 for a subway ride at night, and wait and wait for the train to come, you should know that you are paying about two-thirds of the cost of that trip. Meanwhile, the man in the suit and cellular phone that you saw on the street paid less than half of the cost of their train ride.

When such individuals go home to their suburban enclaves, few poor or minority individuals will be living nearby. They may spend over 15 or even 20 thousand per child for education in the public school that is limited to children of their small wealthy suburb. Such school facilities may rival those of elite colleges or preparatory schools. Indeed, Scarsdale recently replaced the windows in its high school twice - once to save money on heating fuel and the second time, to acquiesce the residents who complained that the first set of replacement windows were not "architecturally correct." State aid was provided to help with the replacement.

At the same time the son or daughter of the immigrant from Korea, Jamaica or the Dominican Republic, along with the black, Hispanic and white children, who are of modest means are relegated to overcrowded classes, teachers with emergency certification, few books, limited guidance counselor services and sports facilities.

While experiencing the many varieties of sociology that are available at an ASA meeting, sociologist should try to experience some of the real variety of New York Society. And all they have to do is keep their eyes and ears open.

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since June 19, 1996

Last updated June 19, 1996 by Charis Ng