Demographics

Bushwick, Brooklyn is a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, with Hispanics constituting 65% of the total population and blacks constituting 20%.

There’s a relatively low amount of Whites and Asians at 9% and 5% respectively. The neighborhood is comprised of mostly youth and middle aged individuals with 37% being foreign born and 33% having limited English proficiency. In regards to employment in Bushwick, approximately one in six Bushwick adults are unemployed with more than half of them allocating 30% of their income towards rent. The access to healthcare is also relatively low as more adults in Bushwickhave health insurance than the number of adults who don’t have access to it in all of New York City. There is greater alcohol and drug abuse in Bushwick as well with Bushwick ranked 14th in drug related hospitalizations. These demographics reveal a significant disparity between the standards of living in this neighborhood and other neighborhoods throughout the city.

However, with recent infiltration of hipsters in Brooklyn, low income Hispanics are being transposed. While the Hispanic population has been steadily increasing throughout the city, according to the National Institute for Latino Policy, the number of Hispanic residents in Brooklyn has begun to falter and even decline. This can be attributed to the rising cost of living as a result of gentrification. An abundance of residential buildings are being transformed into more luxurious condominiums as well which is extremely unaffordable for these residents. This caused an overall 13% decrease in the Latino population and 610% increase in the white population as seen over a 15 year time period.

Through an interview with a Hispanic deli owner who lives in the apartment above his store, we discovered the current owners and residents’ distaste for the fancier restaurants and apartment buildings that are gradually being introduced in the area. The owner stated that these new buildings take away from the culture that has always defined Bushwick and is changing the neighborhood’s identity. He described that whenever he walks a few streets into the area, he witnesses cafes and more upscale stores that current residents are unable to afford. They are mostly filled with and cater to the white hipster population that has started to take over. He mentioned his dislike for their upbringing in that these individuals have grown up with an abundance of privileges that most of the former residents can’t even imagine having. 

By: Samridhi Chauhan