Census Finds More Whites In D.C., Close Va. Suburbs

The Washington Post ^ | Thursday, August 11, 2005 | D'Vera Cohn and Leef Smith

[MinorityRepublican]

The white populations of the District, Arlington and Alexandria have grown this decade even as the region's outer counties have grown more diverse, according to new census estimates to be released today that underscore how the area's soaring housing prices and job sprawl are reshaping its racial and ethnic dynamics.

The city and those close-in Virginia suburbs had higher percentages of non-Hispanic white residents in 2004 than in 2000, a reversal of past trends, the estimates say. Minority groups grew more slowly than in the past, or declined.

In the District, Arlington and Alexandria, whites became a larger share of the population -- by a rate that ranked in the top 10 among the nation's jurisdictions, according to Brookings Institution demographer William H. Frey. Whites account for 30 percent of the D.C. population, up from 28 percent in 2000, and their numbers rose 3 percentage points in both Arlington, to 64 percent, and Alexandria, to 58 percent.

Unlike closer-in communities, counties outside the Capital Beltway experienced faster growth among minorities during those same years. The number of whites, blacks, Asians and Hispanics generally rose, according to the new estimates, but numbers of nonwhites rose more sharply. By Frey's calculations, the rate of minority growth in five jurisdictions -- Manassas Park, Prince William County, Loudoun County, Charles County and Manassas -- ranked in the top dozen nationally.

Overall, according to Census Bureau estimates, the Washington area's 5.9 million people are 56 percent non-Hispanic white, 25 percent black, 8 percent Asian and 10 percent Hispanic. All groups grew in number, but Asians and Hispanics continued to increase most rapidly.

[AuH2ORepublican]

You may be interested in this longish post on my blog on how DC and its close-in suburbs should be admitted as the 51st State, which would finally enfranchise DC residents while simultaneously making Virginia and Maryland more Republican: http://auh2orepublican.blogspot.com/2005/08/fair-and-reasonable-alternative-to-dc.html

[Jimmy Valentine]

Well, well. Goodbye "Chocolate City"

[MinorityRepublican]

Well, well. Goodbye "Chocolate City"

The liberal elite can always live in Detroit.

[MinorityRepublican]

I read that blog of yours. Very well-written. You should post it on FR.

But now how do you propose this very idea before Congress?

[MinorityRepublican]

bttt

[PeterPrinciple]

I am sick of these racial bean counters. If someone like Hitler ever rose to power in this country, it would be so simple for him to enact genocidal programs against one race/ethnic group, because the statists have been so fastidious about documenting everyone's race. Virtually every government form now has a checkoff box for race

Very interesting point, hadn't thought of that

I don't understand all this race stuff, guess I learned in Sunday School and it still sticks....whether yellow black or white, we are precious in his site. Maybe we should have more Sunday School?

[kabar]

Real estate values are going through the roof in the DC metro area. Living within the Beltway is highly sought after because of the long commuting times. Like so much else in life, follow the money. I, for one, favor a DC that "looks like America" to coin a phrase.

[misterrob]

You can see improvement in Northwest all the way to the MCI center, save for the random muggings that happen in any city.

You can have Southeast and all of Northeast.

[staytrue]

So, when more minorities move to a majority white area, this is evidence of "diversity", but when whites to move to a majority "minority" area, that isn't evidence of anything more than white people moving to where they aren't welcome?

Totally wrong. If whites moved into an all black area, this would be increased diversity. An all Asian area, or an all latino area. But whites moving to an area where whites are still the largest pluarlity of people is not an increase in diversity.

And, IMO, the two of you have major chips on your shoulders due to the fact that a few incidents of anti white male bias has made you paranoid.

Further, the anti white male bias is relatively slight compared to what the traditional minorities have suffered in the past. And your response to the past discrimination is probably "get over it".

[staytrue]

So, when more minorities move to a majority white area, this is evidence of "diversity", but when whites to move to a majority "minority" area, that isn't evidence of anything more than white people moving to where they aren't welcome?

Totally wrong. If whites moved into an all black area, this would be increased diversity. An all Asian area, or an all latino area. But whites moving to an area where whites are still the largest pluarlity of people is not an increase in diversity.

And, IMO, the two of you have major chips on your shoulders due to the fact that a few incidents of anti white male bias has made you paranoid.

Further, the anti white male bias is relatively slight compared to what the traditional minorities have suffered in the past. And your response to the past discrimination is probably "get over it".

[packrat35]

That would be a bummer for me. I always check "Other". Ain't nobody's business I say.

[rllngrk33]

I always check "native american" since I was born here. :-)

I prefer to check "other" and write in "Human".

[Wallace T.]

the anti white male bias is relatively slight compared to what the traditional minorities have suffered in the past.

True enough. But two wrongs don't make a right. Additionally, let's not forget that certain white groups suffered from social, though not legal, discrimination in past decades: whites from non-Protestant faiths (Catholic, Jewish, Mormon) and to varying extents, any white person whose ancestors did not come from Britain or Northern Ireland. Black activists talk about "white skin privilege" about people whose ancestors never owned slaves in America and in addition faced some degree of discrimination because their forbears came from Italy, Germany, or Poland, rather than England, Scotland, or Wales.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"But now how do you propose this very idea before Congress?"

---

I guess that, in order for it to pass, it would help if it was introduced in the House by DC Delegate Holmes-Norton and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of DC Metro Area Senators and Representatives.

Among MD Congressmen, I would assume that black Democrat Albert Wynn of PG County and white Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Montco would be in favor, since they would presumably have a good chance of being elected Governor or Senator in a large State of New Columbia, plus their districts would become more of a focal point for the new state than they currently are in Baltimore-centered Maryland. Veteran white Democrat Steny Hoyer of PG County and Southern MD, though, would probably oppose the plan, since he would suddenly find himself without a district; his portion of PG County would surely be in a black-majority district in New Columbia, and the other areas Hoyer represents would end up in a GOP-leaning district centered either in the Eastern Shore or in Annapolis, or (more likely) split among two districts. Maryland's Democrat Senators (currently two, but hopefully only one commencing in 2007) would probably oppose the measure, since it would make it very difficult for them to win reelection; if Lt. Gov. Steele is elected to the Senate, he would be best served to move a bit north or east and support the change (which would make his reelection much easier, as well as greatly improving the chances of all MD Republicans).

As far as VA Representatives are concerned, I would think that Democrat Jim Moran would support the bill, since it would make his district an integral part of the new state and would guarantee him a district tailor-made for him. Republican Frank Wolf would perhaps support it as well, since his district (which is becoming less Republican by the day) would become centered in Loudon County (more Republican than Fairfax) and other parts of NW VA and would probably be safer. Less likely to support the move would be Republican Tom Davis, who represents a swing district in Fairfax and Prince William and who may end up either running against an incumbent in a GOP primary in VA or running in a district of indeterminate composition in New Columbia; more importantly, his dreams of one day becoming a VA Senator would be gone, since he couldn't win a GOP statewide primary if Fairfax and the RINO and Democrat suburbs were carved out of the state. The VA Senators would likely be split, with George Allen favoring the move (which would make him unbeatable for the Senate and would give him a good chance of carrying MD in a presidential run) and John Warner being opposed (without Northern Virginia, he would be vulnerable to a conservative challenger in a GOP primary, and besides it would return Virginia to its Southern roots and away from the "Northeasternism" that Warner espouses.

So it might be possible to get a DC-area bipartisan coalition together for a State of New Columbia, and it would then be doable to convince black Democrats and white Democrats in districts with significant black populations to join Republicans in getting 2/3 of each House to approve a constitutional amendment eliminating DC's 3 electoral votes and establishing the State of New Columbia. Getting approval from the MD and VA legislatures, though, may be more difficult.

BTW, one way to increase both black supporters of a big State of New Columbia and Republican supporters of the move would be if not all of Montgomery County, MD and Fairfax County, VA are appended to New Columbia. If white and Republican parts of West and NW Montco and West and South Fairfax are kept within MD and VA, respectively, it would make the new MD and VA even more Republican, while increasing the black population of the new state so as to make it likelier that a black Democrat is elected Governor or Senator.

[MinorityRepublican]

bttt

[MinorityRepublican]

I guess that, in order for it to pass, it would help if it was introduced in the House by DC Delegate Holmes-Norton and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of DC Metro Area Senators and Representatives.

I suppose that you should able to submit your proposal to an issue group something like "Taxiation without Representation" and then they will be able to lobby DC Delegate Holmes-Norton as well a bipartisan group of DC Metro Area Senators and Representatives. Worth a try.

[MinorityRepublican]

bump