Joe Salvo’s talk was interesting in that it highlighted how dynamic the demographics are in New York City. I did not expect such dramatic changes regarding where certain people live. One aspect of his talk that I found surprising at first was the outward migration of Asians from Chinatown. This was shocking initially, but when I reconsidered the idea; it made sense. The general sentiment of the younger Asian generation born in New York, I believe, is that Chinatown is for the older generation. Therefore they resist staying there when they have the ability to move away.

Another point that I found interesting was how the increase of Asians in certain neighborhoods corresponded to an increase in Hispanics and Latinos in the same neighborhood as well. In the maps of Staten Island and Brooklyn, the two groups show a migration into nearly the same shaded area. This was interesting because Asians generally do not associate themselves with Hispanics and Latinos. However their movement shows a similarity between them and offers an insight as to how they are positioned in a predominantly white city. Are Asians and Hispanics still stigmatized as inferior groups based on their migration patterns?

-Wendy Li