This would be a better referenced post if I knew where the heck my Census table was, but alas, I don’t have it. But when I find it, I’ll correct the data and cite it and all that good academic stuff.
One day I had a question, a question that fun Census data could answer. Who’s actually from here? There are DC natives, they proudly mention that they are from here. But so many people I meet around Shaw are not. Heck DC has only had two elected mayors born DC, Sharon Pratt-Kelly and Adrian Fenty. Marion Barry was from Mississippi.
Broken down by race, a little over half of DC black population is DC born. It’s something like 55% or 58% depending on how I factor in foreign born Blacks. The majority of non-DC native blacks come from Southern states. I’m from Florida, so I’d be part of that. Of the white population only something-teen percent of y’all are from here. Over 80% of you are not from here. Which s probably why, if most of your contacts, associates and friends are also white you’d probably be under the impression that no one is really from here. White non-natives, tend to be from all over, with a slight majority coming from the northeast. Of other racial groups, a majority are not from here either.
Going by the data it can explain some different dynamics at play as a more transient population moves into areas with a lot of native oldtimers. A population of people, black (that 40%), white, Latino & other from diverse areas having their own culture, ways, and reasons for coming to DC may from time to time conflict with the indigenous culture and ways.
One thought on “Nobody’s from here, depends”
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very interesting. Of patients that I have met, I would agree that I see a lot of older African-Americans from the south, and a lot who were born and brought up in DC. Also, quite a few were born in VA or NC and came to DC in childhood, so their schools were here also. Some want to move back to VA or NC (to retire, or stay with a brother or sister) but now there is the pull of grandbabies living in DC.