Maryland

Ethnic, Race-Based, and Religious Networks

Maryland has a sizable black population, representing almost a third of the state; non-Hispanic whites account for 60 percent, with Hispanics and Asians about 5 percent each. Germans (15.7 percent) and Irish (11.7 percent) are the largest ancestry groups among whites. The distribution of ethnicity and religion varies geographically, with blacks largely living in the city of Baltimore (whites have generally settled in the suburbs of Baltimore County), Prince George's County, and the southern Eastern Shore (the counties east of the Chesapeake Bay). Irish Americans are principally found in Baltimore and western Maryland, and German Americans in western and northern Maryland. Rockville has long-established Korean and Taiwanese communities. All in all, Maryland has the fifth-largest minority population, and many well-established ethnic enclaves, particularly throughout the suburban sprawl of D.C. to Baltimore.

Church membership plays an exceptionally strong role in social networks. Churches act as an extension of family and neighborhood social networks, connecting members through regular and holiday services. Regular visits to Sunday services at churches throughout the city have become a key component of campaigning for Baltimore politicians, and churches are often the site of speeches, question-and-answer sessions, and other interactions with the public.

In Annapolis and Baltimore, the historically black Protestant churches are centers of powerful ethnic, religious, and geographic social networks, and church leaders have considerable political influence in local politics. These churches are not just centers of religious community; they are also places where political candidates make their stump speeches, city officials address social problems in the neighborhood, and the importance of ties in social networks are reaffirmed.

...