how diverse is the garden state?

(see more jersey people flickr pix here.)

well, according to a new report, "New Jersey: A Statewide View of Diversity", we are indeed diverse:

"More than 140 ethnic groups live in New Jersey, third in the nation behind New York and California..." but the authors suggest that New Jersey "remains highly segregated in schools and housing patterns..."

herald news reporter suzanne travers recently summarized more in the report that show both positive and negative:

• Findings in the report noted that 52 percent of New Jerseyans said they live in communities where most or all of the residents were the same race as themselves, a drop from 61 percent in 1996. Attitudes of whites have changed since 1996, with more residents believing diversity is good.


• Views on immigration are nearly the reverse of those of the rest of the nation, with 57 percent of New Jersey residents saying immigrants are a source of strength rather than a burden.
  
• New Jerseyans of all backgrounds reported seeing less discrimination than in the past, but believe Muslims, and to a lesser extent, blacks, Hispanics, and gays and lesbians, still face substantial bias.


• Black females were found to be most dissatisfied [with the quality of life in New Jersey], while white females and Latino men were most satisfied. Similarly, 11 percent of blacks rated their local schools as "excellent," versus 24 percent of whites.

well, we got some work to do.