Living Here Guide 2009
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Monday, Sep. 14, 2009

Unexpected variety enriches region

More than 120 languages are spoken by residents from 150 countries

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    The Charlotte Dragonboat Festival at Ramsey Creek Park in Cornelius.

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    THIS LAND | Franco Ordonez

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  • Ethnic Festivals

    Oktoberfest: Starts Sept. 25 and continues weekends through Oct. 10. Waldhorn Restaurant, behind Carolina Place Mall. 704-540-7047, www.waldhorn.us.

    Taste of the World: Oct. 8. Some 20 participating restaurants in East Charlotte International District. Eastland Area Strategies Team, 704-716-6600, www.charlotteeast.com.

    Latin American Festival: Oct. 11. Symphony Park at SouthPark. Latin American Coalition, 704-531-3848, www.festivallatinoamericano.org.

    Day of the Dead: Nov. 1. Levine Museum of the New South, Latin American Coalition, 704-531-3848, www.latinamericancoalition.org.

    Beaujolais Nouveau celebration: Nov. 20. Location to be determined. Alliance Française de Charlotte, 704-650-6772, www.afcharlotte.org.

    Charlotte Dragonboat Festival: May 15, 2010. Ramsey Creek Park, Carolinas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce, 704-540-6808, www.charlottedragonboat.com.

    Bastille Day Festival: Mid-July. French-American Chamber of Commerce of North Carolina, 704-225-3910, www.faccnc.com.

    Yiasou Greek Festival: Early September. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 600 East Blvd. 704-334-4771, www.yiasoufestival.org.

  • Char-Meck Immigrants

    Most immigrants came from these five countries:

    Mexico: 23,203

    India: 6,049

    El Salvador: 5,388

    Vietnam: 4,888

    China: 3,110

Charlotte is surprisingly diverse for a Southeastern city hundreds of miles from the border, California or New York.

Around 1 out of 8 Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents was born in another country, based on the latest census figures.

More than 120 different languages are spoken in Charlotte. The city is represented by residents from 150 countries.

In fact, immigrants have driven much of the recent growth in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region. Since 1990, more than 320,000 immigrants have moved to the area, according to Census Bureau data.

Driven by the growth in Charlotte, North Carolina's Latino population continues to rank among the country's fastest-growing.

But the new arrivals are not only from Latin America, but also India, Vietnam and China. Many arrived via other U.S. cities such as New York, New Jersey and California, where U.S. economic problems have taken a greater toll.

Most arrive for the same reasons as other newcomers: cheaper housing, a nice climate and, of course, jobs.

A New York think tank, the Center for an Urban Future, reported this year that a growing number of successful immigrants in New York are moving to Southern cities like Charlotte, “where the cost of living is significantly lower – and where they stand a better chance to achieve middle-class goals like owning a home and saving money to send their children to college.”

The changes have been so great that the Levine Museum of the New South dedicated a year-long exhibit, “Changing Places: From Black and White to Technicolor,” on how Charlotte has become a magnet for newcomers from around the globe.

Exhibit organizers say future historians may look to Charlotte as an example of how the United States addresses issues of growth and community in the early 21st century.

Franco Ordoñez writes about immigration for the Observer. 704-358-6180.

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