Top congressional districts with the highest of various ancestries

[nclib]

German   
WI-6   57.5%
WI-5   52.5%
WI-8   47.9%
WI-3   47.8%
IA-1   47.7%
   
Italian   
NY-3   32.8%
NY-13   32.0%
NY-1   31.3%
CT-3   25.9%
NY-2   25.9%

American   
KY-5   35.8%
TN-1   27.2%
TN-4   25.3%
TN-6   23.9%
TN-3   21.3%
   
English   
UT-2   29.4%
UT-3   27.5%
UT-1   26.1%
ME-1   24.4%
ME-2   22.3%
   
Polish   
NY-27   21.0%
MI-10   16.3%
IL-3   16.0%
PA-11   15.9%
IL-5   15.6%
   
French   
LA-7   24.7%
LA-3   24.1%
LA-1   19.7%
ME-2   19.0%
NH-1   17.5%

French + Fr. Canadian   
LA-7   31.9%
LA-3   29.1%
ME-2   27.5%
NH-1   25.9%
NH-2   25.4%   

Irish   
MA-10   34.5%
MA-9   32.6%
PA-7   31.3%
PA-8   27.8%
MA-6   27.2%

Chinese   
CA-8   18.2%
NY-5   14.8%
CA-12   14.5%
CA-29   14.1%
NY-12   13.7%

Mexican   
TX-16   75.7%
TX-28   74.2%
TX-15   73.3%
CA-38   66.1%
CA-34   65.7%
   
Puerto Rican   
NY-16   26.0%
NY-12   17.9%
NY-7   16.1%
PA-1   13.7%
NJ-13   12.7%   

Cuban   
FL-21   44.0%
FL-18   35.2%
FL-25   24.6%
FL-11   6.3%
FL-20   6.0%

Other Latino   
NY-16   32.7%
NY-15   28.7%
NJ-13   28.1%
FL-18   24.8%
FL-21   24.8%
   

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Any comments on ancestries' roles in voting patterns or primary battles? One that's interesting (but not surprising) is that the five highest "American" ancestry CD's all had strong anti-Obama swings.

[Bo]

I'm surprised Maine still has that much English ancestry. I know the English were the first to colonize it, but still. Other than that, everything here is pretty much expectable.

[tallguy23]

My district, CA-29, definitely has the most Armenians. Last I heard it was between 20-30% of the district.

[RI]

Where did you find this data?

[nclib]

Census -> American FactFinder -> 2006-2008 American Community Survey

[Smash255]

Can't exactly say I'm surprised to live in the most Italian CD in the country

[Cubby]

Can't exactly say I'm surprised to live in the most Italian CD in the country

I would have thought NY-13 was the most Italian, since Staten Island/Richmond is the nation's highest percentage Italian county. I guess that little part of Brooklyn it includes dilutes that.

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I knew Connecticut was not like Long Island when one of my friends said he had never heard of tortellini.

[dead0man]

I'm a little surprised there isn't a higher percentage for the top German counties.  Same for the English and French I guess, just a little less surprised.  Question...are French  and French Canadians counted as each other or does LA-7 have 56.6% French of some flavor or another?

[nclib]

Question...are French  and French Canadians counted as each other or does LA-7 have 56.6% French of some flavor or another?

In the census, there are separate categories for French and French-Canadian.

In my post, the first list "French" is just French. The second list "French + Fr. Canadian" is the two categories summed (assuming there is a negligable amount of people selecting both). So LA-7 has 31.9% French of some flavor or another.

[memphis]

The "American" is bull. Those folks should be "unknown." Actual American ancestry (ie Natives):
AZ-1 22.6%
NM-3 19.6%
OK-2 17.1%
AK-AL 15.4%
SD-AL 8.3%

Also for blacks:

IL-1 65.5%
LA-2 64.1% ( pre-Katrina)
MS-2 63.5%
NY-10 63.0%
IL-2 62.0%

[Vepres]

The "American" is bull. Those folks should be "unknown." Actual American ancestry

Well, technically they are of American ancestry if their parents were born here.

[Verily]

Can't exactly say I'm surprised to live in the most Italian CD in the country

I would have thought NY-13 was the most Italian, since Staten Island/Richmond is the nation's highest percentage Italian county. I guess that little part of Brooklyn it includes dilutes that.

NY-3 is designed to include the most Republican (read: most Italian) parts of Nassau and western Suffolk County. Whereas NY-13 contains all of Staten Island.

The Brooklyn part of NY-13 is probably not significantly less Italian than the district as a whole. Bay Ridge as a whole was 16.5% Italian, but they're concentrated in the southern area that's in NY-13. Bay Ridge as a whole is 16.6% Irish, 16.5% Italian, 10.8% Arab, 5.4% Chinese and 5.4% Greek. The Arabs and Chinese live mostly at the northern end of the neighborhood, however.

[memphis]

The "American" is bull. Those folks should be "unknown." Actual American ancestry

Well, technically they are of American ancestry if their parents were born here.

Ok, then I suspect the most "American" district in the US is a heck of a lot higher than 35%.

[Cubby]

Can't exactly say I'm surprised to live in the most Italian CD in the country

I would have thought NY-13 was the most Italian, since Staten Island/Richmond is the nation's highest percentage Italian county. I guess that little part of Brooklyn it includes dilutes that.

NY-3 is designed to include the most Republican (read: most Italian) parts of Nassau and western Suffolk County. Whereas NY-13 contains all of Staten Island.

The Brooklyn part of NY-13 is probably not significantly less Italian than the district as a whole. Bay Ridge as a whole was 16.5% Italian, but they're concentrated in the southern area that's in NY-13. Bay Ridge as a whole is 16.6% Irish, 16.5% Italian, 10.8% Arab, 5.4% Chinese and 5.4% Greek. The Arabs and Chinese live mostly at the northern end of the neighborhood, however.

I can't believe Bay Ridge is only 16.5% Italian, thats quite a shock. My stereotype of that neighborhood as Italy West may have to change.

I've wondered why NY-3 has been so resistant to the Democratic tide sweeping New York state since 2006, thanks for explaining that. The district seemed so similar to NY-2 demographically.

[Hash]

The "American" is bull. Those folks should be "unknown." Actual American ancestry

Well, technically they are of American ancestry if their parents were born here.

Ok, then I suspect the most "American" district in the US is a heck of a lot higher than 35%.

Isn't 'American' ancestry codename for 'white racist redneck'?

[memphis]

The "American" is bull. Those folks should be "unknown." Actual American ancestry

Well, technically they are of American ancestry if their parents were born here.

Ok, then I suspect the most "American" district in the US is a heck of a lot higher than 35%.

Isn't 'American' ancestry codename for 'white racist redneck'?

It just means that your family has been here so long, that you don't know anything about your ancestry. I can't believe otherwise credible sources use it, especially when there is a "real" American ancestry that is something else entirely.

[Verily]

The "American" is bull. Those folks should be "unknown." Actual American ancestry

Well, technically they are of American ancestry if their parents were born here.

Ok, then I suspect the most "American" district in the US is a heck of a lot higher than 35%.

Isn't 'American' ancestry codename for 'white racist redneck'?

It just means that your family has been here so long, that you don't know anything about your ancestry. I can't believe otherwise credible sources use it, especially when there is a "real" American ancestry that is something else entirely.

No, it was a campaign to write-in "American" rather than your actual ancestry to "assert your American-ness" that caught fire in Appalachia in 2000 (and will probably be repeated in this Census).

[Vepres]

The "American" is bull. Those folks should be "unknown." Actual American ancestry

Well, technically they are of American ancestry if their parents were born here.

Ok, then I suspect the most "American" district in the US is a heck of a lot higher than 35%.

I know, I was just pointing out the absurdity of both supporters and detractors of it

[Filuwaúrdjan]

No, it was a campaign to write-in "American" rather than your actual ancestry to "assert your American-ness" that caught fire in Appalachia in 2000 (and will probably be repeated in this Census).

That sort of thing can, which is quite interesting. Around 14% of people in Wales wrote 'Welsh' on their census forms back in 2001.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

No, it was a campaign to write-in "American" rather than your actual ancestry to "assert your American-ness" that caught fire in Appalachia in 2000 (and will probably be repeated in this Census).

That sort of thing can, which is quite interesting. Around 14% of people in Wales wrote 'Welsh' on their census forms back in 2001.

The difference there being that there is (or a least was, historically speaking) a real Welsh culture, complete with its own language, which is distinct from other cultures in Britain, whereas "American culture" is merely an amalgamation of various foreign cultures that has adapted into something unique.

[CatoMinor]

No, it was a campaign to write-in "American" rather than your actual ancestry to "assert your American-ness" that caught fire in Appalachia in 2000 (and will probably be repeated in this Census).

It look like most the south joined Appalachia.

[memphis]

I'd like to see % Jewish by Congressional Districts. The "winners" would inevitably be in New York (with maybe a Chicagoland or South Florida district further down on the list.)

[nclib]

No, it was a campaign to write-in "American" rather than your actual ancestry to "assert your American-ness" that caught fire in Appalachia in 2000 (and will probably be repeated in this Census).

It look like most the south joined Appalachia.

Also, while it appears that there are more "American" ancestries in the outer non-coastal South, than in the Deep South, it just reflects having fewer blacks. Most Deep South counties/states have "American" as the highest white ancestry group.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

The "American" is bull. Those folks should be "unknown." Actual American ancestry

Well, technically they are of American ancestry if their parents were born here.

Ok, then I suspect the most "American" district in the US is a heck of a lot higher than 35%.

Isn't 'American' ancestry codename for 'white racist redneck'?

It just means that your family has been here so long, that you don't know anything about your ancestry. I can't believe otherwise credible sources use it, especially when there is a "real" American ancestry that is something else entirely.

My ancestors (at least on my father's side) arrived here from England 375 years ago.  Who knows whether said ancestors were in said England even 400 years prior to that.... yet I'm supposed to answer "English" instead of American?  My mom's ancestors arrived from Germany... should I answer "Germlish?", or more appropriately "GermScotIrish?".  "Ancient American" is fine, and I'll tolerate "Native American", but I'll be damned if you cheat me out of my heritage as an AMERICAN.

[Torie]

Can't exactly say I'm surprised to live in the most Italian CD in the country

I would have thought NY-13 was the most Italian, since Staten Island/Richmond is the nation's highest percentage Italian county. I guess that little part of Brooklyn it includes dilutes that.

NY-3 is designed to include the most Republican (read: most Italian) parts of Nassau and western Suffolk County. Whereas NY-13 contains all of Staten Island.

The Brooklyn part of NY-13 is probably not significantly less Italian than the district as a whole. Bay Ridge as a whole was 16.5% Italian, but they're concentrated in the southern area that's in NY-13. Bay Ridge as a whole is 16.6% Irish, 16.5% Italian, 10.8% Arab, 5.4% Chinese and 5.4% Greek. The Arabs and Chinese live mostly at the northern end of the neighborhood, however.

I can't believe Bay Ridge is only 16.5% Italian, thats quite a shock. My stereotype of that neighborhood as Italy West may have to change.

I've wondered why NY-3 has been so resistant to the Democratic tide sweeping New York state since 2006, thanks for explaining that. The district seemed so similar to NY-2 demographically.

NY-3 is also pretty much minority "free."