Asian Indians registered significant increase in New York City, according to Census survey

NEW YORK: Hispanics have surged past African-Americans and now constitute the largest minority group in the United States, estimates released by the Census Bureau on Jan. 21 showed.

The numbers are based on new population estimates from July 1, 2001, that were compared to the census figures of April 1, 2000. The estimates showed the Hispanic population rose 4.7 percent between April 2000 and July 2001, from 35.3 million to 37 million.

During the same period, the non-Hispanic African-American population rose about 1.5 percent, from 35.7 million to 36. 2 million. The white non-Hispanic population rose by 0.3 percent during the same period, from 195.6 to 196.2 million. For the same period, the total U.S. population rose by 1.2 percent, from 281.4 million to 284.8 million. The Census Bureau counts all persons residing in the U.S., whether they are legal immigrants or not.

The Asian population registered the second-highest growth of 3.7 percent during the same period, from 10.6 million to 11 million. Robert Bernstein, public information officer at the Census Bureau, Washington, told News India-Times that the estimates as of July 1, 2001, released on Jan. 21, focused on the Hispanic population and that the breakdown of the Asian population since April 2000 has not been tabulated. “However, it is clear that the Asian population, too, after the Hispanic, has been registering tremendous growth,” he said.

As per the 2000 figures, the population of the Asian Indians stood at 1.899 million. The dominant states with Asian Indian population were California (323, 226), New York (260,214), New Jersey (171,156), Texas 132, 224), and Illinois (126, 765).

The Census Bureau on Jan. 13 released the ‘2001 Supplementary Survey Data for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut,’ as part of the American Community Survey, highlighting the changes in demographic and socio-economic characteristics over the past year.

The population of “Asian-Indians” registered the sharpest increase in New York City between 2000 and 2001, after the “Japanese,” even as the “White” population declined marginally.

The survey showed that the population of “Asian Indians,” which stood at 196,371 in 2000, had grown 25.55 percent to 246,546 in 2001.

The estimates showed the Hispanic population rose 4.7 percent between April 2000 and July 2001, from 35.3 million to 37 million...The Asian population registered the second-highest growth of 3.7 percent during the same period, from 10.6 million to 11 million.

What emerged further from the survey was that the population shift in Long Island brought more ethnic diversity and there, too, “Asian Americans,” particularly “Asian Indians,” showed the sharpest increase. In comparison, “Non-Hispanic Whites” saw the steepest decrease in their numbers.

Similarly, in Queens, while the “White” population shrunk by 19,000, the “Asian American” population grew by 22,000 --- of which 21,600 was accounted for by “Asian Indians.” The “Asian Indian” population in the borough stood at 157,776 in 2001, as against 136,130 in 2000.

The findings were released at a press conference in Manhattan by Census Bureau Director C. Louis Kincannon, who said that the survey was a forerunner for the decade-long exercise and will eventually replace the census long form by 2010. The American Community Survey is based on the ‘National Annual Questionnaire,’ which is typically conducted between census years.

“Government and community leaders can use these data to plan and evaluate public programs such as road construction, public transportation, affordable housing and child daycare centers,” Kincannon said.

Among the various classifications of communities under the ‘Profile of General Demographic Characteristics,’ the survey showed that only the “Japanese” population in New York City grew at a faster pace of 36.27 percent in 2001, even though the strength of the community was significantly lower than that of Asian Indians.

There were 31,426 “Japanese” in the City in 2001, compared with 23,061 a year before.

Within the “Asian” population, the “Korean” and “Vietnamese” populations dropped by 33.31 percent and 55.31 percent, respectively, while the “Chinese” and “Filipino” populations registered a growth rate of 6.24 percent and 9.62 percent, respectively.

Among other boroughs of the city, the “Asian Indian” population grew the least in Bronx —- by 0.68 percent, from 17,043 to 17,159 —- and registered the sharpest increase of 147.86 percent in Staten Island —- from 5,399 to 13,382.

In Manhattan, the population of the community stood at 19,276, which was higher by 91.88 percent compared with the 2000 figure of 10,046, while in Brooklyn it stood at 38,953, which was higher by 40.36 percent compared with the 2000 figure of 27,753.