The police have stated that the child was not caucasian. I think we can rule out the following groups:
Italians: Though they tend to give jewelery as presents to infant girls, Italians are caucasians
Roma / Gypsies: In addition to the very different rules for Gypsy men and women that Claireshore mentioned, nearly all Romas would probably register as caucasians skeletal wise. Their origin was in north India and most north Indians are either caucasians (abiet with darker complections) or are heavily mixed with caucasians.
Middle Easterners: These groups are caucasian in the anthropological sense.
That leaves asians, hispanics and blacks. Technically "Hipsanic" is not a race, but a culture. In every day usage, however, it is assosciated closely with certain physical features. A large number of hispanics would either register as caucasian or amerindian skeletal wise. The police have stated that the remains are not caucasian. If the child was hispanic, this would indicate either amerindian or afro hispanic skeletal features.
Most Hispanics in New York are from the carribean. These islands have very little amerindian influences today. Rather, the features of the non caucasian hispanics from these regions are ususally derived from african influences. Thus, I believe that the victim is most likely:
A. Black american (or english speaking carribean black) or
B. Afro Hispanic (Puerto Rican, Dominican, Panamanian, Cuban)
That leaves the matter of the jewelery. Jewelery gifts to infants does not seem that common amongst black americans though it is not unheard of. I dont know about anglo carribean blacks (Jamaicans, Trinidadians etc). Infants with pierced ears and jewerly is common amongst Mexican hispanics. I imagine that it would be common amongst carribean hispanics as well. This could allow the list to be narrowed:
- Cubans: Most, but not all, cubans are caucasians.
-Dominicans or Puerto Ricans: Afro Carribean features are very common in the Domincian Republic, and what- fairly common in Puerto Rico? Puerto Ricans, however, are US citizens so I think it is less likely that an infant and mother would not be reported as missing following the discovery of the remains. That leaves illegal immigrants from the Dominican Republic.
As for asians, they can be distinguished skeletal wise from caucausians, and africans. As the police did not identify the remains as "asian", I think afro carribean is more likely. Hispanic afro carribean in particular.