In earlier United States census records, the residents of “the Blocks” had a large variety of birthplaces, including birthplaces outside the United States. In 1940, generally, less first generation immigrants show up on the federal census.
For the residents of “the Blocks” in the historically black neighborhood of Belmont-DeVilliers, birthplace did not vary as much as it had in previous decades. With the neighborhood residing in Pensacola, Florida, the majority of the residents came from that state. The next largest grouping came from Alabama, and with the two states so close and interconnected, it makes sense for the two to dominate in this category. Small numbers come from other states and only two residents came from other countries. These countries included Canada an Greece. While birthplace can affect how a people grow up and live, the federal census cannot tell the reader when they moved or what areas of the state they came from. Someone could have been born in one state but lived in Pensacola the majority of their lives. While state origins may not give definitive answers, the census does show fewer immigrants living in this part of the neighborhood by 1940.