Has the actual number of "white people" gone down in Fairfax County in the last twenty five years? (Tysons Corner: fit in, home)

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by roanoker 4

Over 40% of the population growth in Virginia during the last decade came from just 3 counties in NoVa, Fairfax, Prince William & Loudon.
Most of this growth was from Latins, Asians and African Americans who are moving into the suburbs, away from the City, plus higher non white birth rates.
I believe the impact of the population shifts will change Virginias' political landscape in the future with NoVas' exploding numbers.

Do you have any evidence backing that up? As far as I known most of the growth in those counties in the last decade is from people moving from other states and from other countries. Some of the growth includes people moving out from DC, but if you're going to use the word "most" and the time period of 2001-2011 I believe the migration has mostly been from cities outside the DC metro area.

[JD984]

If you want to look at demographic data for Fairfax County, here's one place to start:

Population Information*- Fairfax County, Virginia

The census data indicates there are more whites in Fairfax County in 2010 than in 2000. It's not a big increase; regionally, the growth in the white-identified population was greater in some other jurisdictions over the past decade. There are considerably more whites in Fairfax County today than in 1980:

http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decenni...0148uns_bw.pdf (Table 44)

If you want to get more granular and discuss some subset of self-identified whites, such as sixth-generation WASPs who moved to the area from Kentucky, you're on your own. Maybe they went back or retired to Florida.

I responded to your inquiry at face value; you're obviously going to get push-back because your post read as if you were saying "one day I woke up and suddenly realized I was surrounded by minorities." Presumably, you had a glimpse or two of that over the past 25 years.

[Workaholic?]

Yes, there may be more people who identify themselves as white in Fairfax County but the increase in white people I suspect is mostly immigrants from places like Northern Africa and the Middle East. These are not the sixth generation White Americans like you will find in Ohio or Wisconsin or Arkansas.

Originally Posted by JEB77

If you want to look at demographic data for Fairfax County, here's one place to start:

Population Information*- Fairfax County, Virginia

The census data indicates there are more whites in Fairfax County in 2010 than in 2000. It's not a big increase; regionally, the growth in the white-identified population was greater in some other jurisdictions over the past decade. There are considerably more whites in Fairfax County today than in 1980:

http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decenni...0148uns_bw.pdf (Table 44)

If you want to get more granular and discuss some subset of self-identified whites, such as sixth-generation WASPs who moved to the area from Kentucky, you're on your own. Maybe they went back or retired to Florida.

I responded to your inquiry at face value; you're obviously going to get push-back because your post read as if you were saying "one day I woke up and suddenly realized I was surrounded by minorities." Presumably, you had a glimpse or two of that over the past 25 years.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Workaholic?

Yes, there may be more people who identify themselves as white in Fairfax County but the increase in white people I suspect is mostly immigrants from places like Northern Africa and the Middle East. These are not the sixth generation White Americans like you will find in Ohio or Wisconsin or Arkansas.

OK. Good to know they are there in case someone wants to organize a field trip to study them in their semi-native habitat.

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by Workaholic?

Yes, there may be more people who identify themselves as white in Fairfax County but the increase in white people I suspect is mostly immigrants from places like Northern Africa and the Middle East. These are not the sixth generation White Americans like you will find in Ohio or Wisconsin or Arkansas.

Do you like your neighbors?

[Workaholic?]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Do you like your neighbors?

Most of my neighbors and coworkers are immigrants and ethnic minorities. As each house on the street, owned by white people, sells, immigrants or ethnic minorities have moved in. Lots of them call themselves white on the census but they are ESL, many from Russian Republics or the Middle East.

I do like my neighbors and on a personal basis I usually like the ethnic minorities and immigrants that have taken the place of the white people who left.

I have no personal distaste for the browning of the Fairfax County population, but still wonder where all the white people went to!

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Workaholic?

Our Congressman Gerald Connelly, was talking about the changes in demographics in Northern VA and reported an interesting observation. He said that while a majority of people in the County were officially white, a good half of the white people in Fairfax County are actually immigrants from places like the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America who designate themselves white in the census.

I am skeptical that over 50% of the white designated population in FFX is Mid eastern or latin american. Perhaps he meant that if you include the non white population, and the portion of "whites" who are hispanic or mideaster, that is over 50%? That sounds right to me.

As for the numbers - I suspect the proportion of "whites" (with or without the middle easterners) has declined in the whole metro areas. Within NoVa area, there has certainly been net shift of "whites" out to Loudoun and elsewhere (despite the fact that those outer counties are also very racially diverse and have received lots of non "white" inmigrants and immigrants) . Also the "white" portion of several inner jurisdictions has increased - DC, and, in NoVa, Arlington and City of Alexandria.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Workaholic?

Yes, there may be more people who identify themselves as white in Fairfax County but the increase in white people I suspect is mostly immigrants from places like Northern Africa and the Middle East. These are not the sixth generation White Americans like you will find in Ohio or Wisconsin or Arkansas.

Though Fairfax still has a higher ratio of the latter, relative to 3rd and 4th generation americans with roots in Italy or eastern europe, than comparable counties in most other large northeastern metro areas, I suspect.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by JEB77

If you want to look at demographic data for Fairfax County, here's one place to start:

Population Information*- Fairfax County, Virginia

according to that site, FFX in 2010 was 62% white. And 15% hispanic. Who may be of any race. Assuming (whoever wants can go look it up) that almost all hispanics designate as white, that would mean 47% non hispanic white. The proportion of that that would have to be Mid eastern for hispanics and mideastern to be a majority of self designated whites is higher than is credible, IMO. I think what the congressman clearly meant is that subtracting hispanic whites, and mideasterners from the 62%, FFX is well under 50% "white".

Its also clear from that site, that the proportions of nonwhites and hispanics in FFX has been rising dramatically. I think rather faster than in the metro area as a whole. Its does not strike me as odd to be curious about what parts of the metro area have seen shifts the other way. Or, as in the case of some outer suburban jurisdictions, there has been growth in "whiter jurisdictions" that balance the numbers, even if those jurisdictions themselves have had decrease in their "white" percentage.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Workaholic?

What happened to all the White People who used to be my friends, neighbors and coworkers years ago in a more demographically and culturally homogeneous Northern VA 25 years ago?

This question makes no sense: How can NoVA be "more demographically and culturally homogenous . . . 25 years ago" instead of today if there were mostly whites than non-whites?

Okay, so I will try to lend a hand here and comment on all the white people I know (neighbors, friends, etc.) who no longer live in NoVA. BTW, I am including folks who once lived in Fairfax, Arlington, or Loudoun Co (where I lived):

* ex-boyfriend's parents (Scandanavians): retired and moved to the eastern Shore. Then changed their minds and moved to Florida;
* former co-worker (looked like a white guy but was Bolivian so I guess he's a Euro-Latino); retired and lives 1/2 time in Falls Church and 1/2 in South America;
* neighbors (genuine white people): young couple with child who moved to Danville, VA (that's on the border of VA and NC);
* neighbor (white guy but I think an ethnic-Euro/a Mediterranean): moved to NC or somewhere south/job related;
* professor (native French but has dual USA-France citizenship): retired and lives in his house in Paris and visits the area 2-3x per year;
* neighbors (genuine white people): another young couple with child who bought a larger house in Ashburn (so they never really left the area);
* 6 neighbors/friends (white people from my daughter's Girl Scout Troop); never left, still in Loudoun Co;
* friend (white guy but tans well so he probably doesn't look white in the summer): met a woman from Morocco, got married, and moved to Boston;
* friend (white but 1/4 Asian; she looks more white right now becuase she has lighter hair and highlights): moved to CA but had problems with jobs and alcohol so her parents went over there and dragged her back;
* friend (white but part-Russian): still lives in NoVA but travels alot so it just seems like she's not here (but she really is);

Here, my friend, you can see that your question is a little more complicated than it appears. Many of my white friends/neighbors are still here, some moved a little further out, and some kinda look white but sort of aren't (according to the govt race categories).

Ultimately, it really doesn't matter to me IMO -- I was born and raised on military bases so ethnically or globally, this is all "normal" to someone like me.