1993 Need Assessment Update & Fiscal Year 1994-95 Interim Priorities
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III. ETHNIC PROFILE

Text Table 6 shows the percent distribution of all races in San Mateo County reported in the 1990 Census compared with 1980 percent distribution of all races. The greatest percent change among population groups from 1980 to 1990 occurred among the Asian/Pacific Islanders, an increase from 9.6% to 16.8% and among the White population, a decrease from 78.1 % to 71.9%. Text Table 7 shows the number and percent of San Mateo County's population distributed by ethnicity and county subareas. Racial diversity varies depending on county subareas.

A. Whites

While 71.9% of the overall county population in 1990 is White, the proportion of Whites range from 57.1% in North County to 92.8% in the Coastside subarea.

 


TEXT TABLE 6

1990 Number and Percent Distribution of Population Distributed by Race and for Comparison, 1980 Percent Distribution by Race, San Mateo County

Race

Number Percent 1980 Percent Distribution
Total 649,623 100.0% 100.0%
White 466,885 71.9% 78.1%
Black 35,283 5.4% 6.0%
American Indian, Eskimo or Aleut 2,987 0.5% 0.4%
   American Indian 2,729 0.4% 0.4%
   Eskimo 91 < 0.0% < 0.0%
   Aleut 167 < 0.0% < 0.0%
Asian or Pacific Islander 109,281 16.8% 9.6%
  Asian 100,521 15.5% 9.0%
     Filipino 44,732 6.9% 4.1%
     Chinese 32,487 5.0% 2.8%
     Japanese 9,902 1.5% 1.3%
     Asian Indian 4,842 0.7% 0.4%
     Korean 3,400 0.5% 0.3%
     Vietnamese 1,797 0.3% 0.1%
     Thai 513 0.1% N.A.
     Laotian 162 < 0.0% N.A.
     Cambodian 70 < 0.0% N.A.
     Hmong 3 < 0.0% N.A.
Pacifica Islander 8,760 1.3% 0.6%
     Samoan 2,685 0.4% 0.3%
     Tongan 2,627 0.4% N.A.
     Hawaiian 1,345 0.2% 0.2%
     Other Polynesian 199 < 0.0%
     Guamanian 380 0.1% 0.1%
     Other Micronesian 34 < 0.0% N.A.
     Melanesian 1,331 0.2% N.A.
     Other Pacific Islander 186 < 0.0% N.A.
Other Race 35,187 5.4% 5.9%
     Hispanics* 114,627 17.6% 12.5%

Source: 1990 U.S. Census AND 1980 U.S. Census. N.A.- Not available.

* Note: This is an ethnic rather than a race classification which identifies the number of individuals of Spanish/Hispanic origin, including: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and "Other Spanish." Origin can be viewed as the ancestry, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. PERSONS OF HISPANIC ORIGIN MAYBE OF ANY RACE.

B. Black/African Americans

Blacks/African Americans total 35,283 and represent 5.4% of the county's total population, South County which represents 27.9% of the county's total population, has the largest concentration of Blacks living in San Mateo County. Overall 47.6% of San Mateo County's Black population reside in South County, primarily within the city of East Palo Alto.

C. Native Americans

San Mateo County has an American Indian population of 2,729 or only 0.4% of the total population. Most of the Native American population live in the North County area.

D. Asians and Pacific Islanders

In 1990, Asians and Pacific Islanders totaled 109,281 and represented 16.8% of the county's total population. Asians and Pacific Islanders are the second largest ethnic population in San Mateo County. Included within the Asian category are Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Asian Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, Cambodian and Hmong. Included within the Pacific Islander category are Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Other Polynesians, Guamanian, Other Micronesian and Melanesian.

Text Table 8 shows the number and percentage of the three largest population categories within the Asian and Pacific Islander ethnic group distributed by county subareas.

Filipinos comprise the largest ethnic population within the Asian/Pacific Islander category with a population of 44,732 or 40.9% of the Asian/Pacific Islander population and 6.9% of San Mateo County's total population. Over 80 percent of the Filipinos reside in the North County subarea of San Mateo.

Chinese and Japanese are the second and third largest ethnic group within the Asian/Pacific Islander population with 29,7% and 9.1 % respectively, of the total Asian/Pacific Islander population. Over 50 percent of the Chinese live in the North county subarea. The majority (53.2%) of the Japanese reside in the Central County subarea.

E. Hispanics

Hispanics comprise the largest ethnic population in San Mateo County. The 114,627 Hispanics who live in San Mateo County comprise 17.6% of the county's total population. The North county subarea has the largest concentration of Hispanics with 49,092 or 42.8% of the Hispanic population. Of these 49,092 Hispanics residing in the North subarea, 20,634 or 42% live in Daly City. The South County subarea has the next largest concentration of Hispanics with 38,300 or 33.4% of the Hispanic population.

Mexicans comprise the largest cultural group within the Hispanic population, 63,312 or 55.2% of all San Mateo County's Hispanics.

 


TEXT TABLE 7

Number and Percentage of Population Distributed by Ethnicity and County Subareas, San Mateo County, 1990

RACE

TOTAL COUNTY NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH COASTSIDE REMAINDER
Total Population 649,623 231,048 198,313 181,321 18,866 20,075
(% County's Population) (100.0%) (35.6%) (30.5%) (27.9%) (2.9%) (3.1%)
WHITE 466,885 131,941 158,774 140,869 17,508 17,793
% Area Population 71.9% 57.1% 80.1% 77.7% 92.8% 88.6%
(% County's White) (100.0%) (28.3%) (34.0%) (30.2%) (3.7%) (3.8%)
BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN 35,283 12,988 5,019 16,777 119 380
% Area Population 5.4% 5.6% 2.5% 9.3% 0.6% 1.9%
(% County's Blacks) (100.0%) (36.8%) (14.2%) (47.6%) (0.3%) (1.1%)
AMERICAN INDIAN ESKIMO,
or ALEUT
2,987 1,345 653 819 85 85
% Area Population 0.5% 0.6% 0.3% 0.5% 0.5% 0.4%
(% County's AI,Eskimos or
Aleuts)
(100.0%) (45.1%) (21.9%) (27.4%) (2.8%) (2.8%)
ASIAN of PACIFIC ISLANDER 109,281 67,607 28,236 11,544 602 1,292
% Area Population 16.8% 29.3% 14.2% 6.2% 3.2% 6.5%
(% County's Asian, Pls) (100.0%) (61.8%) (25.8%) (10.6%) (0.6%) (1.2%)
OTHER RACE 35,187 17,167 5,631 11,312 552 525
% Area Population 5.4% 7.4% 2.9% 6.3% 2.9% 2.6%
(% County's Other Race) (100.0%) (48.7%) (16.0%) (32.2%) (1.6%) (1.5%)

HISPANIC ORIGIN 114,627 49,092 22,237 38,300 2,846 2,152
% Area Population 17.6% 21.3% 11.2% 21.1% 15.1% 10.7%
(% County's Hispanics) (100.0%) (42.8%) (19.4%) (33.4%) (2.5%) (1.9%)

         

TEXT TABLE 8
Number and Percentage of the Three Largest Asian & Pacific Islander Populations Categories Distributed by County Sbuareas, San Mateo County, 1990

RACE

TOTAL COUNTY NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH COASTSIDE REMAINDER
Total Population 649,623 231,048 198,313 181,321 18,866 20,075
(% County's Population) (100.0%) (35.6%) (30.5%) (27.9%) (2.9%) (3.1%)
TOTAL ASIANS/PACIFIC ISLANDERS 109,281 67,607 28,236 11,544 602 1,292
% Area Population 16.8% 29.3% 14.2% 6.4% 3.2% 6.5%
(% County's Population) (100.0%) (61.8%) (25.8%) (10.6%) (0.6%) (1.2%)
FILIPINO 44,732 37,374 4,848 1,929 234 347
% Area Population 6.9% 16.2% 2.4% 1.1% 1.2% 1.8%
(% County's Filipinos) (100.0%) (83.6%) (10.8%) (4.3%) (0.5%) (0.8%)
CHINESE 32,487 17,012 11,820 3,145 112 398
% Area Population 5.0% 7.4% 6.0% 1.7% 0.6% 2.0%
(% County's Chinese) (100.0%) (52.4%) (36.4%) (9.7%) (0.3%) (1.2%)
JAPANESE 9,902 2,578 5,273 1,661 145 245
% Area Population 1.5% 1.1% 2.6% 0.9% 0.8% 1.2%
(% County's Japanese) (100.0%) (26.0%) (53.2%) (16.8%) (1.5%) (2.5%)
OTHER ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDERS 22,160 10,643 6,295 4,809 111 203
% Area Population 3.4% 4.6% 3.2% 2.7% 0.6% 1.5%
(% County's Other Asian/Pacific Islanders) (100.0%) (48.0%) (28.4%) (21.7%) (0.5%) (1.4%)

Source: 1990 Census STF1A
 

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