Diversity in the D.C. Area: Findings from the 2016 D.C. Area Survey

Abstract

Washington, D.C. and its surrounding neighborhoods have become more racially diverse in recent years. Whereas the funk band, Parliament, once famously christened Washington “Chocolate City” and sang about its “vanilla suburbs,” many city and suburban neighborhoods today are interracially integrated. Anger and inequality that arose from Washington’s segregation boiled over into riots that rocked the city in 1968, making today’s racial integration all the more astounding. To investigate how D.C.-area residents perceive and experience racial diversity in their lives, American University conducted a comprehensive survey of their attitudes. We named the study the DC Area Survey (DCAS) and conducted it over 2 months during 2016 in some of the region’s most diverse neighborhoods. This report provides initial findings from that study.

Keywords: Washington DC, neighborhood diversity, crime, health, ethnic relations, law enforcement