In December 2013, the New York City Department of City Planning issued a detailed report showing that Guyanese are the second largest immigrant group in Queens and the fifth largest in New York City.
Immigrants from Trinidad & Tobago occupy the eighth position. The report, The
Newest New Yorkers, is based on data collected in the 2010 Census and the 2011 American Community Survey.
The report details the change in population and provides comprehensive information on the foreign-born population to policy makers, program planners, and service providers to help them gain perspective on a population that continues to reshape the city. The data is based on the foreign born population from specific countries, but the Indo-Caribbean Alliance, Inc. combined the data for Guyana and Trinidad to reflect the overwhelming ethnic and cultural similarities among the two nationalities.
The combination also reflects the propensity for Indo-Caribbean persons from Guyana and Trinidad, and other Caribbean countries, to work closely together for social, political and economic development in New York City.
While this report demonstrates the large Indo-Caribbean population in New York City, it does not account for the population born in the United States. Immigrants from Guyana and Trinidad began moving to New York City in significant waves since the 1960’s and many are now first and second generation Americans. If these populations were included, we are confident the number of Indo-Caribbean residents in New York City would be considerably larger.
In New York City, the combined foreign-born population of Guyana and Trinidad is 227,582. This is the 3rd highest foreign-born population in New York City-trailing only the Dominican Republic (380,160) and China (350,231) and ahead of countries such as Mexico, Jamaica and India among others.
In the largest New York metropolitan region, the combined total number of Guyanese and Trinidadian immigrants would be over 288,000, the 5th highest foreign-born population, trailing the Dominican Republic (557,520), China (477,386), Mexico (366,810), and India (330,881).
In Queens, which has the largest concentration of Indo-Caribbeans among the five boroughs, Guyanese represent the second largest foreign-born population with over 82,000 individuals trailing only Chinese immigrants who account for over 142,000. The report also found that nearly half of all Queens’ residents are foreign born as of 2011 out of a total population of 2.2 million residents.
