Queens People
Chinese, like these in Flushing, are the borough’s largest immigrant nationality. Tribune photo by Ira Cohen
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The only way to truly understand a person is to see where he or she comes from. In Queens, we come from just about everywhere – every corner of the globe is represented in our daily lives; it is in our cuisine, our music, our adopted customs.
Join us as we peer into the mirror and see who reflects back at us.
Largest Ethnic Groups:
Queens is the most diverse county in the nation, with over 170 languages spoken inside the county. Here is a breakdown of the most populous ethnicities in Queens.
1. White – 44 percent
2. Black – 20 percent
3. Chinese – 6.3 percent
4. Asian-Indian – 4.9 percent
5. Puerto Rican – 4.9 percent
6. Korean – 2.8 percent
7. Mexican – 2.5 percent
8. Filipino – 1.4 percent
Foreign-Born Poulation:
Queens is also home to the most number of foreign-born residents living in the U.S. Residents from Latin America dominate this statistic, but China and Guyana actually lead the chart.
Top 40 Countries of Birth
Total Queens Population 2,229,379 100.00%
Total Foreign-born 1,028,339 46.13%
China 102,902 4.62%
Guyana 66,918 3.00%
Ecuador 66,643 2.99%
Colombia 66,192 2.97%
Dominican Republic 59,444 2.67%
Korea 51,556 2.31%
India 48,132 2.16%
Jamaica 47,145 2.11%
Mexico 37,667 1.69%
Philippines 27,628 1.24%
Haiti 27,212 1.22%
Bangladesh 26,589 1.19%
Trinidad & Tobago 26,255 1.18%
Italy 24,391 1.09%
Poland 21,205 0.95%
Greece 20,304 0.91%
Peru 18,697 0.84%
Pakistan 17,314 0.78%
Russia 17,232 0.77%
El Salvador 15,478 0.69%
Romania 11,729 0.53%
Ireland 10,082 0.45%
Germany 8,856 0.40%
Cuba 8,580 0.38%
Guatemala 7,979 0.36%
Former Yugoslavia 7,443 0.33%
Brazil 7,208 0.32%
Ukraine 6,994 0.31%
United Kingdom 6,020 0.27%
Honduras 6,019 0.27%
Egypt 5,314 0.24%
Japan 4,975 0.22%
Vietnam 4,882 0.22%
Israel 4,768 0.21%
Barbados 4,466 0.20%
Panama 4,457 0.20%
Nigeria 3,596 0.16%
Canada 3,045 0.14%
France 2,641 0.12%
Ghana 1,323 0.06%
All Other Countries 119,058 5.34%
108th Street in Rego Park is home to a large Russian Jewish population. Tribune photo by Ira Cohen |
Top Age Groups:
Young adults have topped the list as the most populous age group in Queens. This is a good sign for the Queens economy, as it shows the borough is attracting young people and also managing to keep them here, the next most populous age group is those aged 35-44.
1. 25 to 34 years (375,180)
2. 35 to 44 years (363,459)
3. 15 to 24 years (296,317)
4. 45 to 54 years (287,501)
5. 5 to 14 years (283,989)
6. 55 to 64 years (197,175)
7. 65 to 74 years (147,472)
8. Under 5 years (142,716)
Source: U.S. Census
The Borough’s Religions:
Christians dominate the religious scene in Queens with more than 700 churches throughout. Of the Christian denominations, Baptists have the largest number of congregations with 113. The closest religion behind Christianity is Judaism with 96 total houses of worship throughout Queens.
1. Christianity—704
2. Jewish—96
3. Hindu—35
4. Islam—18
5. Buddhist—12
6. Others combined—7
Breakdown within Christianity:
Baptist—113
Roman Catholic—92
Presbyterian—63
Lutheran—59
Methodist—49
Other—328
Source: www.queenschurches.org
Ethnic Areas:
As the most diverse county in the country, Queens’ diversity can best be seen through the various pockets of ethnic communities that exist throughout the borough.
Astoria —High concentration of Greeks around the Ditmars Boulevard area and a medium concentration of Arabs around Steinway Street, south of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.
Flushing —While any multitude of ethnicities can be found in Flushing, the Chinese, Taiwanese and Filipino communities are the most dominant in the area.
Hollis —The Caribbean community, both Indian and Black, represent a large part of this neighborhood.
Jackson Heights —The South Asian community, particularly Indians and Bengalis, are one of the strongest presences in this neighborhood.
Rego Park —Bukharians, coming from one of the most isolated Jewish communities in the world in Central Asia, are a distinct group who weave elements of Judaism, Central Asian culture and language (Russian, Uzbek, Tajik, Hebrew, Farsi), together in this community.
Ridgewood —Once a predominantly Italian enclave of Queens, today Ridgewood’s majority community consists of former Europeans coming from Yugoslavia, the Balkans, Poland and Romania.
Sunnyside and Woodside —In these Western Queens neighborhoods there are strong numbers of Irish, both Irish Americans and new Irish immigrants, as well as a growing Korean community.
Whitestone —While seniors don’t constitute an ethnic community, Whitestone is where a majority of Queens’ seniors have gravitated towards.
Latin Areas of Queens:
As the largest ethnic minority in Queens, Latinos represent roughly 25 percent of the borough’s residents, with more than 550,000 residents living within the borough. The vast majority of these residents come from Central and South America
Corona —In a predominantly Latin section of Queens, Corona stands out for having a high number of residents from the Dominican Republic and also a growing number from Ecuador.
Elmhurst —Neighboring Corona, Elmhurst has a long and continuing history with their Colombian population.
Hollis —The highest concentration of Latinos in Southeast Queens is in Hollis.
Jackson Heights —Colombians also have one of the strongest presences in Jackson Heights, having been some of the first business owners in the area. Today they share that distinction with residents from Argentina and Uruguay increasing in the area.
Sunnyside and Woodside —In this section of Queens, Latinos represent most of Central and South America, not having as distinct of national neighborhoods as in the other sections.
Source: www.walkingaround.com
Historic Events:
Sikhs have found a home in Queens. Tribune photo by Ira Cohen |
Top 10 Historical Events
The following are the most important events in Queens’ history that helped shape and develop the borough into what it is today.
1. 1683: Queens County established as one of the 10 original counties in New York.
2. 1898: Queens officially becomes one of New York’s five boroughs.
3. 1657: The Flushing Remonstrance, the pre-cursor to the First Amendment by more than 100 years, is created to stop Governor Peter Stuyvesant’s persecution of the Quakers.
4. 1860: Steinway opens its first piano factory in Astoria, one of the first major industries in Queens.
5. 1909: Queensborough Bridge becomes first bridge connecting Queens to Manhattan.
6. 1913: Development of Forest Hills Garden creates the first planned community in Queens.
7. 1939: LaGuardia Airport opens.
8. 1939: World’s Fair begins in Flushing.
9. 1962: National League baseball returns to New York as the Mets debut at Shea Stadium with a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
10. 2000: U.S. Census declares Queens the most ethnically diverse county in the country.
Source: Queens Historical Society
Most Common 311 Complaints:
Queensites have had plenty to complain about in the past year, in particular, noise and different traffic conditions.
Noise Complaints (per 10,000 residents) Community Board 07/05 % Of All NYC
-06/06
CB1 277.48 2.50%
CB2 284.75 1.34%
CB3 242.07 1.75%
CB4 206.4 1.47%
CB5 170.81 1.21%
CB6 138.4 0.68%
CB7 101.3 1.05%
CB8 150.96 0.94%
CB9 285.58 1.73%
CB10 253.86 1.38%
CB11 46.73 0.23%
CB12 211.72 2.02%
CB13 117.94 0.99%
CB14 157.28 0.72%
Blocked Driveway Complaints
(per 10,000 residents)
Community Board 07/05 % Of All NYC
-06/06
CB1 91.94 3.80%
CB2 104.26 2.24%
CB3 93.39 3.09%
CB4 109.22 3.57%
CB5 142.12 4.62%
CB6 96.75 2.20%
CB7 87.34 4.15%
CB8 64.33 1.85%
CB9 134.53 3.73%
CB10 97.58 2.43%
CB11 55.24 1.26%
CB12 74.87 3.28%
CB13 53.95 2.07%
CB14 24.37 0.51%
Illegal Parking (per 10,000 residents) Community Board 07/05 % Of All NYC
-06/06
CB1 37.17 2.18%
CB2 59.59 1.82%
CB3 34.6 1.62%
CB4 26.65 1.23%
CB5 76.43 3.52%
CB6 38.63 1.24%
CB7 59.27 4%
CB8 32.13 1.31%
CB9 46.18 1.81%
CB10 40.78 1.44%
CB11 53.01 1.71%
CB12 29.7 1.84%
CB13 32.76 1.78%
CB14 27.84 0.82%
Derelict Vehicles (per 10,000 residents) Community Board 07/05 % Of All NYC
-06/06
CB1 18.42 2.03%
CB2 21.56 1.24%
CB3 13.96 1.23%
CB4 8.08 0.70%
CB5 65.1 5.63%
CB6 18.28 1.11%
CB7 43.55 5.52%
CB8 32.13 2.46%
CB9 52.61 3.88%
CB10 54.45 3.61%
CB11 39.69 2.41%
CB12 50.67 5.91%
CB13 60.88 6.23%
CB14 14.72 0.82%
Bar & Restaurant Smoking Ban Violations Community Board 07/05 % Of All NYC
-06/06
CB1 286 9.33%
CB2 95 3.10%
CB3 27 0.88%
CB4 19 0.62%
CB5 62 2.02%
CB6 16 0.52%
CB7 73 2.38%
CB8 23 0.75%
CB9 43 1.40%
CB10 22 0.72%
CB11 25 0.82%
CB12 37 1.21%
CB13 21 0.68%
CB14 18 0.59%
Rodent Complaints (per 10,000 residents) Community Board 07/05 % Of All NYC
-06/06
CB1 16.24 1.58%
CB2 23.38 1.19%
CB3 14.08 1.10%
CB4 9.22 0.71%
CB5 25.13 1.92%
CB6 13.28 0.71%
CB7 9.43 1.06%
CB8 15.01 1.01%
CB9 15.61 1.02%
CB10 19.88 1.17%
CB11 11.77 0.63%
CB12 39.89 4.12%
CB13 14.11 1.28%
CB14 22.87 1.13%
Disorderly Youth (per 10,000 residents) Community Board 07/05 % Of All NYC
-06/06
CB1 10.94 2.71%
CB2 8.55 1.10%
CB3 7.39 1.46%
CB4 9.22 1.80%
CB5 13.08 2.54%
CB6 4.31 0.59%
CB7 4.94 1.41%
CB8 7.09 1.22%
CB9 8.83 1.46%
CB10 8.01 1.20%
CB11 4.72 0.64%
CB12 9.03 2.37%
CB13 6.01 1.38%
CB14 8.15 1.02%
Source: Mayor’s Management Report
