The End of White Flight?
Since 1940, “white flight” has affected the city’s demographics, not to mention its real estate market; every year, the population of white, non-Hispanic residents in the inner city decreased. That is, until the turn of this century. The NY Times reports that since 2000, 100,000 non-Hispanic whites have returned to the city, and half of…
Since 1940, “white flight” has affected the city’s demographics, not to mention its real estate market; every year, the population of white, non-Hispanic residents in the inner city decreased. That is, until the turn of this century. The NY Times reports that since 2000, 100,000 non-Hispanic whites have returned to the city, and half of that increase occurred between 2006 and 2007. Experts call the shift a “harbinger of racial equilibrium” and a testament to “diversity and ethnic heterogeneity.” For some, of course, such shifts signal an undertone of gentrification; it’s not always good news. And some of those folks returning from the ‘burbs work in the financial industry, lured by family-friendly, high-end projects that are sometimes seen as gated communities within the city; no one’s sure if they’ll stay as the economy sours. Still, the census findings reveal a strong city — stronger, in fact than some of the suburbs. The percentage of folks paying more than 30% of income on rent/mortgage dropped in NYC; it rose in the suburbs.
White Flight Has Reversed, Census Finds [NY Times]
Photo by thunderhoof
I think it’s racist to think this article is racist!!
“diversity and ethnic heterogeniety”
Racist effin’ douchebags!
i agree with Pete
I think you’re the only person who gathers that tone from the article Pete.
If you live in the City, it’s a good thing if more people want to live here, regardless of color. So yes, that’s worth reporting and interpreting favorably.
I think DOW’s viewpoint is a common misconception amongst the potentially displaced people in gentrifying neighborhoods. Just as many middle class people are being displaced from their neighborhoods as the poor. Housing in NYC is a problem for everyone, not just the poor.
Why I think tone is biased?
Headline is “White Flight” has Reversed…..
the term white flight has always been used to describe whites(especially middle class) ‘fleeing’ as in escaping some thing or some situation that is bad or negative.
Mostly increased afro-american population – much of it schools.
To highlight the info in article with white-flight reversed sets the message this is good news. When the NYTimes or other media write about increased hispanic population in many of our older suburbs – the jist is those areas are now getting some ‘urban problems’.
Thhe article hails this statistic – not just reports it.
Such as the quotes of “diversity and ethnic heterogeniety” and “sets New York apart from many other older cities” ,etc.
Then 5th paaragraph starts that he “cautioned that it could be short-lived gieven the turmoil on Wall Street”.
You don’t ‘caution’ about some bad news that is short lived – you caution about good news that is short-lived.
So to me I interpret NYTimes attitude is increased white population is good and increased non-white is not good.
I am personally just biding my time until I am forced to move again because of economic necessity…. I am white and make good money by any standard other than NYC.
This is news?