[GuitarHero45]

Hello. I'm new here and this question is coming from a black guy from East Bridgeport funnily enough. Anyways, when I go to other parts of Bridgeport, it seems as if every other white resident is of Italian heritage. However, after traveling to many different parts of Connecticut from Bridgeport to Greenwich to Stamford to New Haven to Wilton and numerous other communities, it seems as if the Italian and Irish Catholic communities in CT are more integrated with other white populations rather than having their own ethnic enclaves which is common in other parts of the Northeast which is weird considering that they're the two largest groups here.

My question is: Have I not been looking hard enough? Is there a "Bensonhurst" or "Woodlawn" type of neighborhood here in Connecticut?

[NewJeffCT]

Middletown used to have a heavy concentration of Italian & Sicilian, but it's definitely more integrated now. However, you can still go on Main Street in Middletown and see "Farmacia" on a drug store and not Pharmacy, and Public Market is still going strong after decades (small Italian grocery store) Back in the 70s, my mom (who is Italian & Sicilian and graduated high school in Middletown) used to say that you needed a vowel at the end of your name to be elected mayor in Middletown, but it's definitely changed (current mayor is named Drew, though the previous one was Giuliano)

Similarly, Franklin Avenue in Hartford used to have a heavy Italian concentration - while there are still Italian restaurants, pasta shops and bakeries there, it's not like it was back in the 70s and before. (My aunt got married around 1960 and got her wedding cake from Modern Pastry on Franklin Avenue, and when I got married in 2001, I did as well...)

[Lalalally]

I can't speak for Connecticut in particular, but in general, "ethnic enclaves" tend to dissipate after a generation or two following the end of the influx of immigrants from a particular country. People assimilate and tend to move on and out. Little Italy in NYC is a good example. Following the end of the wave of Italian immigrants in the 20th century, Little Italy contracted, while Chinatown (with its newly arriving Chinese immigrants) expanded, and now Little Italy is really limited to only a couple of blocks which is no more than a tourist attraction at this point. (BTW, Bensonhurst . . . it too now is another Chinatown Definitely not the same Italian neighborhood it was years ago ). There are examples of this all over the city with different ethnic groups: German, Polish, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Pakistani, Indian, Spanish, etc. Neighborhoods change all the time. Once the children of the first wave of immigrants are fully assimilated and the support of a community who speaks their language is no longer needed, off they go to bigger/better and in essence make room for the next group to arrive. I would imagine all CT cities, especially New Haven, Stamford, and Bridgeport were once home to newly arriving immigrants from Italy (and other European countries). Danbury has a large Portuguese population; New Britain has a large Polish one. Demographics change over time though as new people from different countries continue to arrive.

[willow wind]

This is Italian demographics

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[Lalalally]

Originally Posted by willow wind

This is Italian demographics

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

That's a cool link Willow! I'm pasting the Irish demographics too, since the OP inquired about that group too.Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[GuitarHero45]

Thanks for the replies and the info. from zip atlas. The reason I asked was because I thought it was strange how both communities are present but not that visible(if that makes any sense) in Connecticut compared to NY.

Also, Lala, you made a great point about how demographics change over time. I had no idea about how Bensonhurst has a large Chinatown or New Britain's Polish community. Very interesting...

[GuitarHero45]

Looks like I'll be having a pizza in East Haven soon...lol.

[Stylo]

East Haven, and the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven are still very Italian.

Wooster Street is considered the "Little Italy" of CT.

[MrGompers]

Hartford had a very significant Italian enclave/community in and around Franklin Ave. Since about 1990 the Italians and their businesses have been moving out. Mostly to Wethersfield and Rocky Hill.

Except for some Spanish communities in various CT cities, IMO the only significant ethnic enclave where one could survive and conduct all their business in a foreign language would be the Polish enclave in New Britain.

If there are other enclaves in CT like this (excluding Spanish) I would love to hear it.

[Mike 75]

The greater New Haven area has a pretty large population of Italians. Many Italians settled in New Haven and then migrated out to the suburbs in subsequent generations. In fact CT has the highest percentage of Italians in the country. That's Italian: Connecticut Gives Other States The Boot, Claims 'Most Italian' Status - Hartford Courant

There are Portuguese enclaves in Bridgeport and Waterbury.