Which North American city is "oldest" in its inhabitants ancestry in the area?

[Capsicum]

Related to what city has the newest feel in terms of urban layout and infrastructure, what about having the newest feel in terms of its inhabitants' history in that city?

My guess is either Miami or Vancouver.

Miami was settled far more by immigration from Latin America and the Caribbean in the 20th century than by the American southerners who were around further north and may have earlier roots on the continent. Both white and black Miamians are more likely to have recent Hispanic heritage from outside the US, compared to any other city in the country.

Vancouver was also settled far more by people who came overseas in the 20th century (many Anglo-Canadians who live in Vancouver trace their roots to second and third generation British immigrants, and regionally in the same province, Anglo-Canadians in Victoria on Vancouver Island were said to be "more British than the British", plus there's also Chinese immigration from overseas) than earlier transplants from out east in Canada.

Some cities may have a really high percentage of first-generation immigrants such as New York city, Los Angeles and Toronto, but these places already had more long-standing immigration histories (Ellis Island for NYC, or long-standing Mexican communities, and midwestern Protestants for LA), or settlement by transplants from elsewhere in the country.

[Capsicum]

Oldest in terms of its inhabitants most likely to have been living either in the city or the local area/region for many generations?

Contenders are either Southern US cities like those in Louisiana, Alabama, or those in Appalachia, or Quebec, the Canadian Maritimes or Newfoundland.

If Mexico is included, it probably would have many too.

I was also thinking about cities with high Native American populations, but very few do in Anglo-America, and perhaps many Native Americans who live in cities aren't necessarily those from the local area but those from farther afield who came for job opportunities.

[austlar1]

Miami was dominated by conservative white southerners until the mid to late 1960s. By that time there was also a big Jewish presence in Miami Beach and Coral Gables and a significant African American population as well. The real changes started with the arrival of huge numbers of Cubans in the years after Castro came to power. Haitians started arriving in growing numbers in the 80s and 90s. The emergence of other permanent Latin American communities solidified within the past 25 years. White protestants migrated mostly to Broward County or the Florida west coast, and now the majority of south Florida Jews live in Palm Beach County or in Broward County. There are still about 125,000 Jew living in Miami/Dade County.

[BlackRedGold]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Oldest in terms of its inhabitants most likely to have been living either in the city or the local area/region for many generations?

Contenders are either Southern US cities like those in Louisiana, Alabama, or those in Appalachia, or Quebec, the Canadian Maritimes or Newfoundland.

If Mexico is included, it probably would have many too.

I was also thinking about cities with high Native American populations, but very few do in Anglo-America, and perhaps many Native Americans who live in cities aren't necessarily those from the local area but those from farther afield who came for job opportunities.

Iqaluit.

[begratto]

Originally Posted by BlackRedGold

Iqaluit.

Iqaluit wasn't really inhabited before 1942, when the American air base was built.

[James Bond Agent 007]

Weird question - how could you tell? There are inhabitants of Plymouth, MA who are undoubtedly descendants of the original Pilgrims. But maybe not. Does that count?

[Centropolis]

goddamned it guys. likely in the southwest united states.

[Sun Belt]

What is the question? Newest or oldest?

[Acajack]

In the US a city like Santa Fe comes to mind although unsure what percentage of people have roots going back to the Spanish colonial era.

In Canada about two thirds of the people in Montréal and maybe 90 percent in Quebec City have roots going back to the 1600s - maybe not in the cities themselves but in the general vicinity or at least the province of Quebec.

St John's NL also comes to mind though the percentage is likely lower than in Quebec. It is likely tops in Anglo Canada though.

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

What is the question? Newest or oldest?

I originally had two separate threads which were then merged.

[10023]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

I originally had two separate threads which were then merged.

Well that makes things confusing as hell.

Newest - probably somewhere in the Sunbelt.

Oldest - probably somewhere in Appalachia.

[llamaorama]

For oldest, maybe New Orleans? Especially the city proper.

Besides tourism and some "bohemian" type people moving there in the last few years as certain neighborhoods gentrify, hasn't NO(the entire metro area) been kind of stagnant? The most "modern" skyscrapers are all from the 1970's which would line up with the last time the oil industry really boomed there.

It strikes me as a place with proud locals who are fiercely loyal to their city and won't let hurricanes and crime and urban dysfunction chase them away. Everyone else is a tourist or drives in 40 miles across the causeway from a handful of suburbs on the north shore.

The outcome of that would be a population that's almost entirely comprised of people with very old roots in the city.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Oldest in terms of its inhabitants most likely to have been living either in the city or the local area/region for many generations?

I would imagine Santa Fe, NM. According to Wikipedia, "This area was occupied for at least several thousand years by indigenous peoples who built villages several hundred years ago on the current site of the city... The city of Santa Fe, founded by Spanish colonists in 1610, is the oldest city in the state and the oldest state capital city in the United States."

The American southwest is definitely an area where many people can claim that they didn't cross the border, the border crossed them.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I would imagine Santa Fe, NM. According to Wikipedia, "This area was occupied for at least several thousand years by indigenous peoples who built villages several hundred years ago on the current site of the city... The city of Santa Fe, founded by Spanish colonists in 1610, is the oldest city in the state and the oldest state capital city in the United States."

The American southwest is definitely an area where many people can claim that they didn't cross the border, the border crossed them.

this (the californos, etc) + native americans.

[L41A]

Originally Posted by llamaorama

For oldest, maybe New Orleans? Especially the city proper.

Besides tourism and some "bohemian" type people moving there in the last few years as certain neighborhoods gentrify, hasn't NO(the entire metro area) been kind of stagnant? The most "modern" skyscrapers are all from the 1970's which would line up with the last time the oil industry really boomed there.

It strikes me as a place with proud locals who are fiercely loyal to their city and won't let hurricanes and crime and urban dysfunction chase them away. Everyone else is a tourist or drives in 40 miles across the causeway from a handful of suburbs on the north shore.

The outcome of that would be a population that's almost entirely comprised of people with very old roots in the city.

I agree with your description of New Orleans.

[isaidso]

Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia was founded in 1605 but isn't a city.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Related to what city has the newest feel in terms of urban layout and infrastructure, what about having the newest feel in terms of its inhabitants' history in that city?

My guess is either Miami or Vancouver.

Miami was settled far more by immigration from Latin America and the Caribbean in the 20th century than by the American southerners who were around further north and may have earlier roots on the continent. Both white and black Miamians are more likely to have recent Hispanic heritage from outside the US, compared to any other city in the country.

Vancouver was also settled far more by people who came overseas in the 20th century (many Anglo-Canadians who live in Vancouver trace their roots to second and third generation British immigrants, and regionally in the same province, Anglo-Canadians in Victoria on Vancouver Island were said to be "more British than the British", plus there's also Chinese immigration from overseas) than earlier transplants from out east in Canada.

Some cities may have a really high percentage of first-generation immigrants such as New York city, Los Angeles and Toronto, but these places already had more long-standing immigration histories (Ellis Island for NYC, or long-standing Mexican communities, and midwestern Protestants for LA), or settlement by transplants from elsewhere in the country.

Idk, Mexico City was the capitol of the Aztec Empire, Cancun was inhabited by Maya long long ago.

The American southwest had settled people with irrigation and permanent settlements in New Mexico and Arizona going back well over 1000 or more years.

[JManc]

I don't think anyone can really tell which is the oldest. Many contemporaries cities sit one communities natives once inhabited; for ex., Miami had some human settlement for at least 2,000 years.

[10023]

Originally Posted by JManc

I don't think anyone can really tell which is the oldest. Many contemporaries cities sit one communities natives once inhabited; for ex., Miami had some human settlement for at least 2,000 years.

Yeah but let's be honest, these weren't "cities".

[hammersklavier]

I'm pretty sure the oldest city in the US and Canada is pretty cut and dried: Santa Fe.

It's worth pointing out, though, that most major cities in Mexico today were founded by Spaniards, and that even Mexico City itself only predates Columbus by a century or so. There are rather a lot of abandoned city cities in Mesoamerica.