Charlotte Observer Logo

Charlotte, start now integrating immigrants | Charlotte Observer

×
  • E-edition
  • Customer Service
  • Advertise
  • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Election
    • Politics
    • Nation/World
    • Special Reports
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Corrections
    • Columnists
    • Retro Charlotte
    • Your Schools
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Sports
    • Carolina Panthers
    • Charlotte Hornets
    • That's Racin'
    • High Schools
    • College Sports
    • Charlotte Knights/MLB
    • Other Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Inside the Panthers
    • Inside the NBA
    • Prep Insiders
    • Scott Fowler
    • Tom Sorensen
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • RNC 2020
    • Business
    • Banking
    • Stocks Center
    • Top Workplaces
    • National Business
    • What's in Store
    • Development
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Living
    • Religion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Family
    • Home & Garden
    • CLT Style
    • Travel
    • Living Here Guide
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • I'll Bite
    • Kathleen Purvis
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Arts/Culture
    • Events
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Restaurants
    • Music/Nightlife
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Kevin Siers
    • Letters
    • Submit an Op-ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • Viewpoint
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • O-Pinion
    • You Write The Caption
    • Taylor Batten
    • Peter St. Onge
  • Celebrations
  • Obituaries
  • TV Listings

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place an ad
  • Mobile & Apps

  • MomsCharlotte
  • Carolina Bride Magazine
  • South Park Magazine

Viewpoint

Charlotte, start now integrating immigrants

By Stefan Latorre

and Emily Zimmern

Special to the Observer

During the past quarter century, Charlotte has emerged as one of the nation’s leading new immigrant destinations. In 1990, 3.6 percent of the city’s population was foreign born. Today the U.S. Census estimates that number has grown to 15 percent.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Charlotte’s immigrants are incredibly diverse with 52 percent coming from Latin America, 27 percent from Asia, 10 percent from Europe and 9 percent from Africa. Students from 158 countries attend Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. For a city and a region that didn’t experience the great waves of European immigration in the early 20th century and that has been long known for its black and white racial landscape, these seismic demographic shifts translate into a time of dramatic change. How does our community understand and adapt to the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly increasing multicultural population?

To begin to answer that question, Charlotte City Council formed the Charlotte Immigrant Integration Task Force. The 29-member group is made up of representatives from government agencies, immigrant organizations and immigrant and refugee-serving organizations. For the past year we have gathered community feedback through 16 listening sessions, a public forum and two surveys. We also heard from outside experts about demographic trends and best practices in other cities.

What did we learn from our 12 months of study?

▪ Like newcomers from across the U.S., our immigrant neighbors were attracted to Charlotte by its growing economy, the need for workers across the occupational spectrum, the promise of opportunity and overall quality of life.

▪ Immigrants are integral to our economy and live throughout the city. They are workers, customers, entrepreneurs, business owners, and taxpayers.

▪ Immigrant Charlotteans are eager to engage in the community. They seek language skills, job training and education for themselves and their children. They relish opportunities to celebrate and share their cultural traditions with others. They want help in removing barriers to their full participation. They want to create homes and plant roots for their families.

▪ Competition to attract talented immigrants has become intense. Peer cities like Atlanta, Nashville and Denver have created ambitious plans to encourage and sustain immigrant settlement and receptivity. Immigrants bring talent and global connections that create a competitive advantage.

On Monday, we presented to City Council 27 recommended strategies to maximize immigrants’ economic and civic contributions to Charlotte and increase connection and interaction between newcomers and longtime residents. The strategies promote entrepreneurship and economic development, citizenship, public safety, health, education and inclusion, and ensure and enhance access to services of local government.

The strategies will require further study to determine how best to implement them. A number of the recommendations build on current programs and require no additional funding. Others will need long term investment but thinking and planning can begin in the near term without budgetary impact.

To ensure a thriving, 21st century, global city where all residents have the opportunity to contribute their full potential, it’s imperative that we start now.

Latorre is an attorney; Zimmern is president of the Levine Museum of the New South. They are chair and vice chair, respectively of the task force.

  Comments  

Videos

Responders evacuate Florida high school following shooting

Tonya Jameson held at gunpoint by off-duty cop as she picks up new SUV

View More Video

Trending Stories

Dozens of doctors who are breaking away from Novant are leaving sooner than expected

February 19, 2019 05:57 PM

The 9th District election fraud hearing isn’t over, but it’s over

February 19, 2019 12:32 PM

Investors bombard gentrifying areas in Charlotte with offers. But experts urge caution

February 20, 2019 12:34 PM

Harris’ consultant denies knowing about illegal activities by Dowless during campaign

February 19, 2019 02:24 PM

Razor blades found on NC Walmart shopping carts. ‘Be cautious at all stores,’ cops say

February 19, 2019 10:08 AM

things to do

Read Next

How CMS can better respond to ICE

Viewpoint

How CMS can better respond to ICE

By Justin Parmenter - Special to the Charlotte Observer

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 19, 2019 12:00 AM

Immigration enforcement activity in Charlotte can harm children, but CMS can take additional steps to bring some comfort to families

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE VIEWPOINT

One big way Trump differs from Theodore Roosevelt

Viewpoint

One big way Trump differs from Theodore Roosevelt

February 18, 2019 06:00 AM
Charlotte arts need rescuing, and a tax for them would pay off many times over

Viewpoint

Charlotte arts need rescuing, and a tax for them would pay off many times over

February 17, 2019 06:00 AM

Viewpoint

NC Treasurer’s Health Plan statements are offensive

February 15, 2019 11:35 PM
NC Treasurer’s Health Plan statements are offensive

Opinion

NC Treasurer’s Health Plan statements are offensive

February 15, 2019 04:36 PM
City Council puts showmanship over the good of Charlotte

Viewpoint

City Council puts showmanship over the good of Charlotte

February 12, 2019 05:11 PM
A lesson in politics from Phil Donahue and The Duke

Viewpoint

A lesson in politics from Phil Donahue and The Duke

February 12, 2019 12:21 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Charlotte Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story