Ukrainians and Russians from urban areas are the majority of former Soviet immigrants to New York. But as the exodus continues, refugees grow more diverse. Most immigrants to New York City are young adults, with a median age of 27. Two-thirds settle in Brooklyn or Queens. Former Soviet immigrants are older than average, with a median age of 36.
Immigrants tend to be young adults who come seeking economic opportunity.
But immigrants are scattered through the income scale. The Immigration Act of 1990 also changed New York. Also, the details of the law result in some countries sending fewer immigrants. The fourth-largest source country, Jamaica, sent an average of 9,000 a year in the 1980s, but only 6,600 in the 1990s. The fifth-largest, Guyana, sent 6,700 a year in the 1980s and 6,200 in the 1990s.