Immigration is a foremost feature of Manhattan society. Many immigrant populations tend to cluster within certain neighborhoods and in order to understand the demographics of the borough, it is necessary to explore the origins and mobility of these groups of people. The areas of Central and East Harlem, as well as Washington Heights are mostly comprised of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Central America. There are also individuals from the West Indies and India [14]. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is increasing steadily among these ethnicities. The analysis of cultural, social, and behavioral factors will give rise to the cause of the infection susceptibility of these people. It is important to note that when these people come here, they usually reside in high risk areas, which has the effect of influencing high risk behaviors. A study by Deren et al. found that Puerto Rican and Dominican drug users who had injected drugs in their home countries were likely to engage in that activity in New York City and exhibit dangerous behaviors. The results from the Deren et al. study concluded that ethnic and cultural elements contribute to the actions displayed by individuals in reaction to their surroundings.
“Migration has an impact on individuals which can be seen in the modification of sexual habits and the adoption of practices with HIV-related risk [5].” Immigrants have primarily become a high risk group due to widespread socio-economic features such as lack of education, medical insurance, and residence in poor neighborhoods. Among these groups of people, condom use is frequently inconsistent. Hispanic young males are often influenced by the role of ‘machismo’, which means they are encouraged to have multiple sexual partners. Women take on the opposite role of ‘Marianismo’ and resort to submissive and inferior responsibilities. They are less likely to propose safe sex methods [6]. AIDS within the immigrant population is a major problem with research reporting that the number of AIDS cases within the Mexican population at N=161 [6].