How Houston Turned Diversity Into Its Biggest Selling Point

With the upcoming 2020 census, many cities will be showing off their diversity and the richness of their communities to engage a travel industry more focused than ever on the power of difference.

Release time : 2020-01-09 10:48:21

source : Skift

With the upcoming 2020 census, many cities will be showing off their diversity and the richness of their communities to engage a travel industry more focused than ever on the power of difference.

But while many locales have much to offer in terms of multiculturalism, Houston, Texas, is the only city that can boast that it’s the most diverse megalopolis in the United States. It has no single racial or ethnic majority with nearly one-in-four residents born outside the U.S. and 145 languages spoken within the city. It’s no wonder that the Los Angeles Times reported Houston to be “the most diverse place in America” in 2017, based on research from the National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS).

But Houston’s diverse reality is about much more than bragging rights. “It’s this diversity that makes Houston a top talent pool for different industry meetings and allows the city to offer its leisure visitors a myriad of exciting cultural experiences,” said Sylvester Turner, the mayor of Houston.

Shifting Demographics

About 20 years ago, non-Latino white residents accounted for nearly 58 percent of the city’s population. Today, Houston is no longer dominated by any particular demographic group. Its Latino population is almost as big as its Anglo population at 35.3 percent and 39.7 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Houston’s Asian population has almost doubled since 1990, growing from 3.4 percent to 6.5 percent, and the city’s African American community remains sizeable at 17 percent.

Houston’s demographic makeup makes it considerably more racially diverse than the U.S. as a whole, where the population comprises of 60.4 percent non-Latino whites, 18.3 percent Latinos, 5.9 percent Asians, and 13.4 percent African Americans.

“More than ever before, society is recognizing the tremendous benefits of a diverse community,” said Brenda Bazan, president of Houston First Corporation