Expert: Houston leads the way for diversity
New Census information says the face of America is going to change over the next thirty years.
The Census Bureau projects that white people will no longer be the majority in the United States by 2043. Professor Stephen Klineberg of Rice University isn't surprised by the news, and tells KTRH Houston is a good snapshot of what things will look like in 30 years.
“The American future is here in Houston now,” Klineberg said. “We are where all of America will be by 2043. This is where the American future is going to be worked out.”
Klineberg explained that this news could have a dramatic impact on the future.
“This ethnic diversity could be the greatest asset that a city like Houston could have. Or it could tear us apart and become a major liability, reducing rather than enhancing our competitiveness in the global economy. Much depends on how this generation speaks to these remarkable transformations,” Klineberg stated.
Klineberg thinks that there will be challenges ahead that Houstonians will need to face head on.
Klineberg asked, “How do we build a truly successful, inclusive, equitable multi-ethnic society that will be Houston and Texas and America as the 21st Century unfolds?”
But Klineberg says that the news will mean good things for the city's future economy.
“We have the second largest port in the country, the sixth largest port in the world. We are the gateway to the global economy,” Klineberg explained.
This news comes one week after the release of the American Community Survey, which found that 37% of the area speaks a language other than English at home.
