New York was the principal gateway for European migrants during the 19th and 20th centuries. Large number of blacks also settled in New York after World War I. As of 2000, New York had the largest black and 2nd-largest Asian population among the 50 states, and the 2nd-highest percentage of foreign-born residents. After World War I, blacks moving into New York City displaced the Jews, Italians, Germans, and Irish then living in Harlem, which went on to become the cultural capital of black America.
According to the US Bureau of the Census, New York had 82,461 Indians in 2000 up from 16,014 in 2000. The black population of New York State was 3,014,385 as of 2000—15.9% of the state's population.

The population of Hispanics and Latinos as of 2000 was 2,867,583, or 15% of the state population while Puerto Ricans numbered 1,050,293. Cubans, Dominicans, Colombians, Central Americans, and Mexicans are also present in growing numbers, including a large but undetermined number of illegal immigrants.

New York also has a considerable number of Asians living, second only to California. In 2000 it was estimated at 1,044,976, up from 694,000 in 1990. New York City has the 2nd-largest Chinatown in the US.