Queens, NYC has been the epicenter of population change in many ways. When I was a pre-teen in Corona, Queens, my family was part of the new wave of Latinos moving into a traditionally Italian neighborhood. We, a Rican family, weren’t typical though, as most of the Latinos moving in were Dominicans. Now, living in Corona as an adult, the neighborhood has shifted from Italian, to Dominican to Mexican and this reflects a larger city-wide trend.

According to a study : “The Latino Population of New York City, 2007″ by Laura Limonic, research associate at the Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center, by 2024 New York’s largest Latino group will be Mexicans, with Dominicans in second place.

The city’s Latino population increased by 2.5 percent between 2006 and 2007, to over 2,337,000, the report said.

While several groups have become larger, the rates of growth for Mexicans and Ecuadorians are particularly striking: since 2000, the number of Mexicans increased by 57.7 percent — to over 289,000 — and Ecuadorians, by 38 percent, to over 201,000.

Via / Feet in 2 Worlds

Image Via / David Lida