Cuban Immigrant in Brooklyn 1927

BEFORE THE GREAT DEPRESSION, C. 1927...Angel Alonso (far right) in Brooklyn, New York. Angel had migrated from Havana, Cuba to Tampa, Florida to Ohio to Brooklyn. 

Spanglish by Bill Santiago

A little Spanglish humor from the funniest Brooklyn Nuyorican -- Bill Santiago! 

More Bill Santiago 

Bogota Latin Bistro

On par with some of Manhattan's best latin restaurants but located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Bogota Latin Bistro is a relaxed neighborhood restaurant that mixes latin-inspired cuisine with tropical drinks including mojitos, caipirinhas, and imported latin american wines and beers.

Bogota Bistro features live music on the first 3 Wednesdays of each month and offers a great happy hour All Night Long on Monday, Wednesday & Thursday with reduced prices on the most popular drinks.

Guitarist Bryan Vargas on His Brooklyn Neighborhood

Latin Jazz guitarist Bryan Vargas (Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta) talks to Clinton Hill Blog about what he likes about his Brooklyn neighborhood:

What I love most about the neighborhood is the general vibe. I truly feel relaxed as I walk down the streets. Other Brooklyn brownstone neighborhoods have a hustle and bustle that we just don’t have here. Folks here are CHILL. People get along. They help each other out. They play with each other’s dogs. It’s a great place to live.

I also love the food. We have some of Brooklyn’s best restaurants, and I love the fact that I never have to leave the neighborhood to eat if I don’t want to.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I love Ft. Greene Park. I think it’s the greatest small park in all five boroughs. It has a peaceful serenity to it that you feel as soon as you step foot on the block.

I’ll save what I DON’T like about the ‘hood for another time. For now we can stay positive!

More

Latino Films @ the Brooklyn International Film Festival - June 5 -14, 2009

FALLING AWAKE by Agustin

Falling Awake" is the powerful story of Jay (Andrew Cisneros), a young man struggling to find his identity in The Bronx in a house crowded with family members and a neighborhood filled with loyal friends and dangerous enemies. A gifted musician, Jay hopes to leave it all and pursue his dream of composing and performing music. Once he meets Alessandra (Jenna Dewan), a beautiful young woman who lives in Brooklyn, his determination to defy the expectations of his frustrated, angry father become even stronger. Yet Jay is tied to his home through loyalty to his friends and to his brother, who has returned unexpectedly from service in the Marines. As he reaches toward a wider world, he is pulled back over and over by the cycles of anger and violence that have defined his life and neighborhood for so long. It takes love, a change of heart and a new understanding of life's elusive chance at happiness to finally help Jay make the long, uncertain leap to a fresh chance.
Trailer

DON ROBERTO'S SHADOW by Juan Diego Spoerer & Håkan Engström

A boy travels to a saltpeter office with his family, to the city of Chacabuco in the Chilean desert, where he walks along the old buildings. The years pass by and, as the wind erases the days and hours from yesterday, the boy is now grown up, a lonely old man, and that old man decides to move to Chacabuco.
Trailer

SIRENS (SIRENAS) by Alejo Levis

She lost the baby. She stares out the window. Every night when he arrives home, an argument. One day she told him, a few black women on the street walked strangely, like dancing, they looked like dark sirens.
Trailer

FLYING LOTUS by Daniel Garcia

Concentrate produced this music video for Flying Lotus. The video, 'Infinitum' was directed by Daniel Garcia
Trailer


COTTON CANDY by Aritz Moreno

The cold always complicates things.

Trailer


Links:
XII. Brooklyn International Film Festival
BiFF 2009 Trailer YouTube

1 Million Uninsured

A new report on poverty reveals that 1,052,611 residents of Long Island under 65 have no health insurance. Yup! That's 43% of the state's 2,471,152 uninsureds. And 1 in 6 islander under 65 lacks coverage.

Here are the numbers and percentages of the uninsured by county:

• Kings County: 335,289 - 15.9%
• Nassau County: 173,349 - 15.1%
• Queens County: 345,196 - 17.6
• Suffolk County: 198,777 - 15.2%

A few questions:

• How is it that the economically challenged Western NY counties of Erie, Monroe and Niagara have lower rates of uninsureds (11.3% - 11.9%) than wealthy LI?
• How is it that Bronx County manages an uninsured rate of 11.1%?
• How is it that 68% of the largely rural Upstate counties (27 of 40) have uninsured rates greater than 15% and as high as thirty per cent in state as rich as NY?
• Furthermore, how is it that NY spends so much while managing to leave millions uninsured?

Link: 2009 New York State Poverty Report

Meet David Galarza - Brooklyn City Council Candidate, D38

Update 5/20/09: The coast is clear for Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez’s re-election campaign since challenger David Galarza on Thursday dropped out of the race for the Democratic primary election this September — after making a vigorous and outspoken campaign that promised political fireworks in the 38th Council District.

David Galarza has spent his 20 year professional career engaged in union, political, civic, religious and journalistic activities. As a candidate for the 38th City Council District (encompassing sections of Sunset Park, Red Hook, Windsor Terrace and South Slope) he plans on utilizing his experience to continue his advocacy on behalf of his fellow Brooklyn neighbors.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Sunset Park, David has been active in, and helped establish, numerous local organizations including SPAN (Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors) a grassroots civic group that works on zoning, land use and housing issues; and the Latino Youth League of Sunset Park, which ran after school and summer programs for youth and in 1993, successfully fought against the building of a sludge treatment plant planned for the area.

LI's 20 Latino Pols = shocking under-representation

David is currently a Communications Specialist for CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME. In that capacity he has helped workers obtain improved safety and health conditions, better wages and benefits, helped organize direct care workers, and fought against the closure of a several State facilities. David began his professional career as a journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Miami Herald. He went on to serve as a spokesperson for former Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger, and worked in the public affairs offices of the New York City Comptroller, the Board of Education and served as a consultant to the non-profit Children’s Aid Society.

A former member of Brooklyn’s Community Board 7, David chaired the Housing Committee. He helped organize the community against the inappropriate use of land and buildings, created an ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged abuse of a local family and youth by police officers and assisted local organizations in promoting affordable housing initiatives. David has served on the boards of Latinos for National Health Insurance, The Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition and the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID). In 2003, David was named Community Advocate of the Year by the Sunset Park Lions Club.

David attended Long Island University and is a product of Brooklyn public schools. He and his wife Inez, a New York City public school speech therapist and member of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), are the parents of a son, Sean, a high school junior.

Source: Meet the Candidates with ChangeNYC.Org

LI's 20 Latino Pols = shocking under-representation

The roster of Latino elected officials on Long Island increased by three in the last month to a total of twenty. Hurray!

(Now we need to elect 313 to reach parity with Whites!)

The newbies are:

1) Julissa Ferreras , Queens D , NYC Council
2) Livio Tony Rosario, Village of Hempstead Board of Trustees
3) Carmen Piñeyro, Village of Freeport Board of Trustees

It's progress -- although Latinos have a long way to go to achieve anything resembling fair representation. For example, there are about 800 White elected officials across Long Island (village, town, county, city, state and federal) excluding special districts and school boards. With a population of 3.6MM, Whites are represented on a ratio of about 4500:1. That compared to the 75,000:1 for Latinos (n=1.5MM). African Americans (n=1.7MM) do better at 41,000:1.

Include school boards and special districts and the White representation ratio drops below 2,000:1. Add in appointees on government commissions, nonprofit boards and business associations and the racial/ethnic representation gap grows exponentially.

This is not to advocate racial or ethnic proportional representation. There are wonderful examples of politicians very ably representing diverse constituencies. And then there are 'machine' politicians of all shades that are more interested in serving themselves and their political bosses.

Nonetheless, it is not healthy in a multi-ethnic community for one group to have so small a voice into the affairs and policies of government. A glaring example of the problems under-representation creates can be seen in the dismissive attitudes of Suffolk County officials to hate crimes against African Americans and Latinos. Another example--which no one talks about--is the distribution of government funding and philanthropic grants.

Long Island's 20 Latino elected officials:

Anthony Jimenez, City of Glen Cove Council
Carmen Piñeyro, Village of Freeport Board of Trustees
David Mejias, Nassau County Legislature
Diana Reyna, Brooklyn, City Council
Felix Ortiz, Brooklyn, NY Assembly
Hiram Monserrate, NY Senate
Jorge A. Martinez, Village of Freeport Board of Trustees
José R. Peralta, Queens, NY Assembly
Julissa Ferreras, Queens, NYC Council
Livio Tony Rosario, Village of Hempstead Trustee
Maria-Christina Poons, Town of North Hempstead Council
Mark A. Bonilla, Town of Hempstead, Town Clerk
Martin Malavé Dilan, Brooklyn, NY Senate
Nydia Velázquez, Brooklyn-Queens, U.S. Congress
Phil Ramos, Suffolk, NY Assembly
Ricardo Montano, Suffolk County Legislature
Sara M. Gonzalez, Brooklyn, NYC Council
Tony Martinez, Town of Babylon Council
Vito J. Lopez, Brooklyn, NY Assembly
Vivian Viloria Fisher, Suffolk County Legislature

NYC Police Capture a Murderer of Jose Sucuzhanay

In an incredible bit a slouthing, New York City police found and arrested Hakim Scott, one of two men believed to be the murderers in December of Jose Sucuzhanay. Hakim Scott, was charged with 2nd degree murder as a hate crime which took place in the Bushwick, Brooklyn. Unfortunately, the second murderer - Keith Phoenix - is still at large.

Anyone with information on the where abouts of asked to call the CrimeStoppers hotline at 1.800.577.TIPS.

The following video are the killers at a bridge toll 18 minutes later laughing it up:

Gov. Paterson on Diffusing Hate on LI

Governor David Paterson has been working behind the scenes to diffuse tensions on Long Island in the aftermath of the hate murders of Marcelo Lucero in Patchogue and Jose Sucuzhañay in Bushwick.

Working through his Commissioner of Human Rights Commissioner Galen Kirkland, Paterson who sought to facilitate dialogue through a newly formed unity council.

Paterson's focus is clearly on touching the hearts and minds, i.e., changing the culture, so that healing and peace can take root in troubled families and communities. His prescription includes:

A focus on youth.

"Most of the uprisings are from younger people who are taking the antagonistic words of their elders and manifesting them in violence. Adults, you see, are grown-ups. They've got jobs... and for the most part they don't have time to swing baseball bats at each other because this is not going to be productive."

A call to parents to watch what they teach the children.

"There are citizens who are good citizens, but who may have contributed to the problem in the privacy of their own homes. They are spawning contempt and bias with some very loathsome things they have to say to their family members."

And a call on the community to resist the destructive influences of hate.

"People have to realize that they are ... getting a reputation, like a Skokie. Hate is not good for the economy, not good for the quality of life, not good for our home values, not good for our children."

Link: Guv lends support to Island anti-hate measures

Photo: Gov. Paterson's spring visit to Hempstead High School.(Audrey C. Tiernan, Newsday)

Bushwick Vigil for José Sucuzhañay

This photo is from Boy in Brooklyn's multimedia coverage of the December 14th Vigil in Bushwick, Brooklyn for slain José Sucuzhañay.

Less than 24 hours after news of José Sucuzhañay's death broke, people from across the city gathered in Bushwick to pay tribute to the Ecuadorian immigrant and to demand an end to hate and bias-motivated hate crimes. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn [D-Chelsea], City Councilwoman Diana Reyna [D-Bushwick], Congressman Anthony Weiner, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, state Sen. Tom Duane [D-Chelsea], New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson and representatives from various Ecuadorian, LGBT and Latino advocacy organizations were among those who gathered at Grove Street and Myrtle Avenue. And several hundred people subsequently marched to hold vigil on the corner where four men in an SUV viciously beat Sucuzhañay with a baseball bat and bottles early on Dec. 7.

The War on Latino Immigrants Escalates: Jose Osvaldo Sucuzhañay Slain in Bushwick

Another Latino has been murdered in the glacial moraine known as Long Island.

Jose Osvaldo Sucuzhañay and his brother Romel were savagely attacked early Monday morning by a gang wielding beer bottles and bats. Jose was pronounced brain dead yesterday. The attack occurred in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn (Southwestern Long Island).

As in the killing of Marcelo Lucero a month earlier in Patchogue, Long Island, and the earlier slaying of Luis Ramirez in Shenandoah, PA, the attackers were a hate-filled pack of thugs prowling the night in search of victims. In all three cases, the gangs zeroed in on Latino immigrants walking home.

Unlike the other murders, the attackers in Bushwick were Black and they escaped in an SUV. In addition to using anti-Latino slurs, the attackers used anti-gay slurs in the mistaken belief that the brothers were a gay couple.

The domestic war against Latinos escalates with Jose and the Sucuzhañay family as its latest victims. But while nativists focus like a laser beam in waging their ugly war, the larger community of decent Americans are asleep at the switch. The result is that it's literally open season on Latinos--especially on the most vulnerable working late hours and travelling on foot or bicycle.

Photo: Diego Sucuzhañay, brother of Jose, addressing the media

Related:
Attack on Ecuadorean Brothers Investigated as Hate Crime
Brooklyn victim of bias attack Jose Sucuzhanay taken off life support
Task force hunting Brooklyn thugs in hate attack on immigrant

Growing Opposition To Bloomberg Power Grab

A growing number of voters, civic groups (e.g., LatinoGreens) and elected officials are alarmed by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's attempt to continue in office beyond the two terms presently allowed by law.

They are joining Nydia Velazquez (U.S.Rep-Brooklyn/Queens), Anthony Weiner U.S.Rep-Brooklyn), NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson (Brooklyn), Bill de Blasio (NYC Council-Brooklyn), Letitia James (NYC Council - Brooklyn), John Liu (NYC Council - Queens), Annabel Palma (NYC Council - Bronx) and Mark Green (former Public Advocate) in opposing what they view as an undemocratic scheme: using the current Wall Street crisis as cover to deep-six the mayoral term limits law New Yorkers fought so hard to enact.

Stop Mike Bloomberg's power grab - Daily News
Term limit power grab would mar Mayor Mike Bloomberg's legacy - Daily News
Bloomberg Makes Power Grab - Amsterdam News
Bloomberg Expected to Seek Third Term as Mayor - NYTimes
Early Opposition to Bloomberg Power Grab - Village Voice
Bloomy: I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough and Doggone It, People Like Me So Much They'll Let Me Overturn Our Democracy - Room8
Bloomberg Archives: Was a Lauder Deal even legal?; Anatomy of a deception; Unanswered questions, dark suspicions; Bloomberg's saddest moment- SpinCycle
Bloomberg once called change to term limits a 'disgrace' - Newsday
U.S. Rep. Velázquez: Changing Term Limits for Bloomberg Violates Voting Rights - Latino LI

Additionally, people like Velazquez are concerned that such a ploy by a sitting incumbent, a billionaire able to use his personal wealth and the power of the public purse, to "persuade" willing council members, is both a corruption of the democratic process and undermines people's voting rights--especially of minority voters.

What follows is an Open Letter To all N.Y.C. Residents To Act To STOP Bloomberg High jack of City Hall by concerned citizens:

In the midst of the Global financial crisis, Mayor Bloomberg has decided to remain as the Mayor of New York in spite of the existing term limits.

Preying on the fear felt and the uncertainty faced by New Yorkers, Bloomberg has decided that he is the only one able to lead in these dark times ahead. In order to bypass the term limit laws put in place by the New York City electorate on two occasions Bloomberg has resorted to attempting to override the law via his back room dealings with many self serving Council people.

Together they are working to push a bill in the City Council that will, if they prevail, give Bloomberg a third illegal term. This scheme is one that if successful can be repeated again and again as long as people are facing the uncertainty of the world-wide financial crisis.

IF TERM LIMITS LAWS ARE TO BE ELIMINATED OR MODIFIED IT MUST ONLY BE DONE BY THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS THAT INSTITUTED THEM: A REFERENDUM.

CALL, FAX AND E-MAIL THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU WILL REWARD THEM FOR THEIR LOYALTY; OR PUNISH THEM FOR THEIR BETRAYAL. THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY WILL BE WATCHING HOW THEY VOTE.

Brooklyn City Council Members

Charles Barron
718 Pennsylvania Ave.
Brooklyn, New York 11207
718-649-9495/9496 tel.
718-649-3111 fax

Bill de Blasio
2907 Fort Hamilton Pkwy
Brooklyn, New York 11218
718-854-9791
718-854-1146

Erik Martin Dilan
387 Arlington Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11208
718-642-8664 tel.
718-642-8639 fax

Mathieu Eugene
123 Linden Boulevard
Brooklyn, New York 11226
718-287-8762 tel
718-287-8917 fax

Simcha Felder
4424 16th Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11204
718-853-2704 tel.
718-853-3858 fax

Lewis A. Fidler
1402 East 64th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11234
718-241-9330 tel.
718-241-9316 fax

Vincent J. Gentile
8703 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11209
718-748-5200 tel.
718-748-5222 fax

Sara M. Gonzalez
5601 5th Ave S-2
Brooklyn, NY 11220
718-439-9012 tel.
718-439-9042 fax

Letitia James
67 Hanson Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-260-9191 tel.
718-260-9099 fax

Darlene Mealy
1757 Union Street, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11213
718-953-3097 tel.
718-953-3276 fax

Michael C. Nelson
3810-A Nostrand Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11235
718-368-9176 tel.
718-368-9160 fax

Domenic M. Recchia, Jr.
445 Neptune Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11224
718-373-9673 tel.
718-373-0195 fax

Diana Reyna
444 South 5th St.
Brooklyn, New York 11211
718-963-3141 tel.
718-963-4527 fax

Kendall Stewart
1694 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11210
718-951-8177 tel.
718-951-8191 fax

Albert Vann
613-619 Throop Ave.
Brooklyn, New York 11216
718-919-0740 tel.
718-919-0744 fax

David Yassky
114 Court Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
718-875-5200 tel.
718-643-6620 fax

Queens City Council Members

Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.
159-53 102 Street
Howard Beach, New York 11414
718-738-1111 tel.
718-322-5760 fax

Tony Avella
38-50 Bell Blvd., Suite C
Bayside, New York 11361
718-747-2137 tel.
718-747-3105 fax

Anthony Como
78-25 Metropolitan Avenue
Middle Village, NY 11379
718-366-3900 tel.
718-326-3549 fax

Leroy G. Comrie, Jr.
113-43 Farmers Boulevard
St. Albans, NY 11412
718-776-3700 tel.
718-776-3798 fax

James F. Gennaro
185-10 Union Turnpike
Fresh Meadows, New York 11366
718-217-4969 tel.
718-217-4968 fax

Eric N. Gioia
47-01 Queens Boulevard
Suite 205
Sunnyside, New York 11104
718-383-9566 tel.
718-383-9076 fax

Melinda R. Katz
104-01 Metropolitan Ave.
Forest Hills, New York 11375
718-544-8800 tel.
718-544-4452 fax

John C. Liu
135-27 38th Avenue
Suite 388
Flushing, New York 11354
718-888-8747 tel.
718-888-0331 fax

Hiram Monserrate
32-37 Junction Boulevard
East Elmhurst, New York 11369
718-205-3881 tel.
718-205-4145 fax

James Sanders, Jr.
226-18 Merrick Blvd.
Laurelton, New York 11413
718-527-4356 tel.
718-527-4402 fax

Helen Sears
37-32 75th St.
Jackson Heights, New York 11372
718-803-6373 tel.
718-803-9832 fax

Peter F. Vallone, Jr.
22-45 31st Street.
Astoria, New York 11105
718-274-4500 tel.
718-726-0357 fax

David I. Weprin
205-07 Hillside Ave.
Suite 16
Hollis, New York 11423
718-465-8202 tel.
718-776-2302 fax

Thomas White, Jr.
145- 40 Rockaway Blvd
South Ozone Park, New York 11436
718-843-0792 tel.
718-845-0817 fax

U.S. Rep. Velázquez: Changing Term Limits for Bloomberg Violates Voting Rights

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he wants the City Council to change the NYC's term-limits law and allow him another four years. A looming City fiscal crisis is the justification of the moment.

However, not everyone agrees that tampering with term limits is a good idea. Mayoral wannabes Congressman Anthony Weiner and Comptroller Bill Thompson--both Brooklynites--are, of course, opposed.

But so is LI's sole Latino Congressional Rep. - Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn/Queens).

“It is totally wrong. It is totally un-American. It is totally undemocratic to overturn the people’s will that has been expressed clearly in two different referendums.

I reject the notion that, because of the fiscal crisis, we should use this as an opportunity to overturn the people’s will. New York City is one of the most resilient cities in the nation. It was shown after 9/11, when Giuliani wanted to use the attack as an argument to turn back the people’s will. This would be wrong. It’s morally wrong. And I will pose the question: Is it legal?”

More specifically, Ms. Velázquez said that any changes enacted by the City Council after the two referendums would have to be approved by the United States Department of Justice’s civil rights division, since three of New York’s boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx — are protected under the federal Voting Rights Act.

Links:
Term Limit Plan Called ‘Totally Un-American’
Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez
NYC Mayor Bloomberg to seek 3rd term

Bill Santiago's Comedy Special

Need a Latino comedy break? Watch stand-up comedian Bill Santiago's hysterical Comedy Central Special.

It's a 20 minute show about Santiago's experiences growing up Latino in Brooklyn, learning the wonders of Spanglish, and discovering finally that he's not weird, he's tropical.

Santiago is very funny, and his stories so true.

Links
Bill Santiago's Website
Bill Santiago - MySpace
Pardon My Spanglish

Brooklyn’s Greenest Block

A block in Park Slope — Eighth Street, between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West — was named the “greenest block” in Brooklyn. The block won an annual competition, now in its 14th year and sponsored by GreenBridge, a horticulture program run by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

El Diario/La Prensa Migrating to Long Island

Residents in the Southwest corner of Long Island are getting new neighbors: El Diario/La Prensa, the nation’s oldest Spanish-language newspaper, is making the crossover from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

“It’s been a dream of mine to bring El Diario to a borough, outside of Manhattan.” Rossana Rosado, Publisher and CEO

The paper, which marks its 95th anniversary this year, will relocate about 120 employees from its current offices on Hudson St. in SoHo to the Metro Tech Center.

Welcome to Long Island!

Daily News Article

Half of New York's Latinos Live in Long Island

Did you know that 1.5 million Latinos make New York's Long Island their home?

Surprised, right? I was--and I'm a bit of a demography buff.

Why is it such a surprise? I'll get into that and related issues in later posts. The purpose of this post is to take a look at the population numbers as they stand now, and to allow a peek at what's to come.

93.2% of NY Latinos Live Downstate

The 2006 American Community Survey put New York's Latino population at 3,139,590, or 16.3% of the state's population. That is, one of every six New Yorkers is Latino--and that's excluding most of those with a partial Latino heritage.

3,139,590 is a big number.

Actually, if NY Latinos were their own state, it would have more people than 21 U.S. states, including: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Another interesting facet of the New York Latino population is that it's heavily concentrated in the state's Downstate region. Fully 93.2% , or 2,924,923, Latino New Yorkers live in the 12 counties comprising downstate New York (i.e., lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island).

Downstate New York counties include: Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester.

93.2%!!!

A mere 6.8% of the Latino population (213,492 persons) is distributed across the state's remaining 50 counties.

In terms of people per square mile, Downstate New York has a 739 Latinos per square mile vs just 4.25 Latinos per square mile in the rest of the state.

4,835 Latinos per NYC square mile

Of course, Latinos are not evenly distributed--whether in Upstate or Downstate. As people tend to do--they're concentrated in certain jurisdictions within both regions.

The Downstate concentration is in the City of New York. Actually, almost three of every four New York Latinos (72%) reside in New York City.

The resulting NYC Latino density is an astounding 4,835 persons per square mile.

Long Island is an island (and it contains 39% of all New Yorkers!)
First, a geography lesson --important since people tend to confuse the physical and political make-up of the island.

Long Island is an island. It's bound by the Long Island Sound to its North and the Atlantic Ocean to its South. It's connected to the mainland via three bridges to the Bronx and three ferry routes across the Sound to Connecticut. It's also connected to the isles of Manhattan, Roosevelt and Staten Island by a web of tunnels, bridges, commuter rail lines, subways and river ferries. The Long Island Expressway cuts a path across its length, a stretch of some 100 miles from Long Island City on its western tip to Riverhead, the island's easternmost city.

Long Island is urban and suburban (and it even has a touch of rural scape in Eastern Suffolk). That is, it contains two of New York City's most dynamic counties/boroughs: Queens and Kings (aka Brooklyn), as well as the suburban counties of Nassau and Suffolk. Queens and Kings are governed by the Mayor of New York City, while Nassau and Suffolk are ruled by 100s of governing entities, including 2 county governments, 2 cities, 13 towns, 95 incorporated villages, 127 school districts, 2 reservations, etc.

(Note: The way Long Island is governed has implications for the quality and cost of life for the poor as well as the rich. It's America's non-so-subtle--yet legal--mechanisms for racial and class segregation. More on this later.)

According to the '05 U.S. Census projections, 7.5 million people live on geographic Long Island--which is an incredible 39% of the state's total population!

Over a third of all New Yorkers live on what is essentially a long thin blade of land slicing into the Atlantic Ocean.

1.5 Million Latino Long Islanders (or 46% of the State Total)

According to the 2006 American Community Survey, 1,445.646 Latinos were projected to be living on Long Island.

Queens 597,773
Kings 496,304
Suffolk 191,552
Nassau 160,017

That is a 43% increase from the 1990 U.S. Census count of 1,008,769.

Queens 381,120
Kings 462,411
Suffolk 87,852
Nassau 77,386

2,000,000 Latino Long Islanders by 2020?

Long Island's Latino population will likely grow to over 2 million by 2020--that is, if recent population growth rates continue.

Using this compound annual rate calculator and 'o6 and 1990 data, suggests an annual Long Island Latino population growth rate of 2.43%. Taking that rate and plugging it into this population calculator results in a 2020 Latino population of 2,023,216.

Here's what it looks like by year:

2006 - 1,445,646
2007 - 1,480,775
2008 - 1,516,758
2009 - 1,553,615
2010 - 1,591,368
2011 - 1,630,038
2012 - 1,669,648
2013 - 1,710,220
2014 - 1,751,779
2015 - 1,794,347
2016 - 1,837,949
2017 - 1,882,612
2018 - 1,928,359
2019 - 1,975,218
2020 - 2,023,216

Conclusion
New York's Latino population is heavily concentrated Downstate region--and its greatest density being in New York City. While geographic Long Island hosts two NYC counties (Queens and Kings) as well as Nassau and Suffolk, it's Latino population of 1.5 million represents 46% of the state's total. Assuming a continued growth rate of 2.43% per year, Long Island's Latino population will grow to over 2 million by 2020.

Two million Latinos are a lot of people, representing significant purchasing power and a potent political bloq, themes Latino Long Island will address over time.

However, the broader point is that irrespective of the tenor of the times, Latinos are a major presence on Long Island now--and the group's impact will grow and deepen over time. There are amazingly talented Latinos contributing to the growth and success of Long Island now--and many young people who'll shine in due time. Latinos are a hardy people with a hope and belief in a better tomorrow.

We should know and celebrate who we are today--as we move confidently in shaping the Long Island of tomorrow.

Data Sources:

US Census: New York County Selection Map
New York State population
Queens County population
Kings County population
Suffolk County population
Nassau County population