Majority-white states want more racial diversity. Conscious efforts at integration are essential
Majority-white states want more racial diversity. Conscious efforts at integration are essential
May 07, 2020 9:00am
by Carolyn Copeland, Prism, Daily Kos
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1942856
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The idea of consciously diversifying a population is becoming an increasingly popular concept in the United States. Research has found diversification to be a necessary and important strategy for cities and states looking to establish a more robust economy. Integration and equity have proven to be beneficial for every corner of society, opening up additional economic opportunities to people who have previously been excluded due to ethnicity, class, or income. Despite continued efforts, however, not every city and state has been able to integrate successfully.
Race and culture are usually the most common measures of diversity, but population diversity is additionally reflected by a mix of gender identities, sexual orientations, economic backgrounds, education levels, disabilities, and religions. Hawaii, California, Nevada, Texas, and Maryland have the most racial and ethnic diversity, while Montana, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Vermont, and Maine are the least diverse with predominantly white populations, according to a study by Wallethub. Plenty of predominantly white cities and states around the country would like to racially diversify their populations, but their willingness to consider how their communities, institutions, and culture are structured and what must be changed to be welcoming to more people of color has varied. Change is possible however, and even small steps can be taken by city leaders, government officials, and businesses to add to their populations and motivate people of color to migrate to the area—they just need to know where to start.
If history is an indicator ...
Although a recent U.S. News analysis shows America’s larger cities are becoming more ethnically diverse than they were a decade ago, not every part of the country has kept up—and it’s not necessarily their fault. A state’s racial diversity can be dependent upon the migration of people’s ancestors. People of different ethnicities have laid down roots in different parts of the U.S. for a variety of reasons. Immigrant populations tend to gravitate toward areas where they have family ties, where a large number of people who share their same background are concentrated, or where there are jobs that will hire them. That pattern still holds today.
The geographic roots of Black Americans, for example, date back to the slave trade. Charleston, North Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana, were entryways to the slave trade, which is why many Black Americans lived in Southern states until industrialization in the beginning of the 20th century caused people to migrate north. The flow of Latino immigrants typically comes from the South, which is why Texas and other southwestern states hold a large fraction of the population. Asian Americans tend to have stronger ties to the west coast, although waves of Asian immigration over the last few decades have begun to spread out the population.
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