The Bronx Is an Epicenter for Coronavirus and Environmental Injustice
By J. Mijin Cha, Marcela Mulholland, and Julian Brave NoiseCat
Edited by Andrew Mangan, Senior Editor, Data for Progress
New York City is the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, but not all boroughs within NYC are impacted equally. New York City comprises five boroughs: the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. Of the five boroughs, the Bronx has the most coronavirus infections per capita, including over 41,700 confirmed cases and 3,247 confirmed deaths. As we’ve seen in Detroit and Albany, Georgia, race, inequality, and environmental injustice all intersect in the Bronx, leaving residents particularly vulnerable to coronavirus.
The Bronx is one of the most racially diverse boroughs. Its population is 56 percent Hispanic, 29 percent black or African American, and 9 percent white. In contrast, New York County as a whole is 26 percent Hispanic and 12 percent black. The Bronx is also home to NY-15, the poorest congressional district in the country. Furthermore, 56 percent of households are rent burdened, meaning that they spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent; furthermore, over 27 percent of residents live in poverty. The median household income is $38,085, while the median household income in NYC as a whole is $60,762.
The Bronx also has a disproportionate pollution burden. Seven of NYC’s superfund sites are located in the Bronx. Air pollution levels are so high that in some neighborhoods it’s estimated that 20 percent of children have asthma. In the South Bronx, nicknamed “Asthma Alley,” the asthma rate is eight to twelve times higher than the national average. Data from the New York City Department of Health finds that the asthma hospitalization rate for children in the Bronx is 70 percent higher than the rest of NYC and 700 percent higher than the rest of New York State, excluding New York City. Beyond asthma, the Bronx is considered the most unhealthy county in the entire state.
High rates of air pollution and corresponding asthma rates are potentially compounding factors that leave residents of the Bronx more vulnerable to coronavirus. While more research is needed, preliminary reports suggest that increased air pollution leads to increased risk of death from coronavirus. This research underscores the need to address environmental injustice as part of any recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. As another round of stimulus comes before Congress, the importance of a Green Stimulus becomes more urgent. We need an economic recovery plan that addresses both economic and environmental injustice to bring relief to regions like the Bronx.
J. Mijin Cha is a Senior Fellow at Data for Progress
Marcela Mulholland is Deputy Director for Climate at Data for Progress
Julian Brave NoiseCat is Vice President of Policy & Strategy at Data for Progress