About Boston

Boston is a city of contrasts. One of the oldest cities in the nation, it has undergone remarkable changes in the last 20 years. Although known as the home of conservative, staid Beacon Hill "brahmins" who can trace their lineage to travelers on the Mayflower, Boston's roles as a seaport and academic center have also meant a steady stream of new ideas. In the 1960s, area universities such as Harvard and Boston University served as centers of social change and student unrest. Yet in the neighborhoods, many primarily white European-Americans resisted change, most notably during the school desegregation crisis of the mid-1970s.

With a population of just under 600,000, Boston is actually a rather compact and walkable city. More than anything, however, it is a city of neighborhoods. And these neighborhoods were often defined by the ethnic enclaves existing within them. The Italians of the North End, the Irish of South Boston and the African-Americans of Roxbury have shaped the identity and history of their neighborhoods for decades. However, as the children and grandchildren of immigrants increasingly relocate to the suburbs, Boston's ethnic mosaic is being transformed. The most recent wave of immigrants, from Latin America, the Caribbean, and East and Southeast Asia, is beginning to leave its own mark on the city as well.

The 2000 census signaled major demographic shifts in Boston and these changes are evident in the city's everyday life. Today, for the first time in history, the majority of Boston's population (50.5 percent) is non-white. East Boston, once a primarily Italian and Jewish neighborhood, is now home to the largest Hispanic community in the city. Dorchester, once home primarily to Irish- and African-Americans, now boasts an Asian-American population of nearly 15 percent. This rich ethnic patchwork also now reflects itself in the political landscape. Increasingly, the non-white communities of Boston's neighborhoods are harnessing their electoral power. The diversity of Boston is now reflected in city government, municipal services and the public school system.

Global Classrooms: Boston Navigation