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This article, recently published by the Atlantic Cities, reveals that four West Virginia metropolitan areas are among America's ten least diverse. Weirton appears at number 10 on the list, Huntington at number 8, Wheeling at number 6, and Parkersburg at number 2. The only metropolitan area in the United States that is less diverse than the Parkersburg metro is that of Laredo, Texas, which is 95.7 percent Hispanic.
It's certainly no surprise that Appalachia dominates the list with seven positions (four in WV, plus Johnstown, PA; Altoona, PA; and Tri-Cities, TN/VA). Our region has long been notoriously lacking in racial and ethnic diversity. Why do you think this continues to remain the case? Do you think it has had a negative impact on our communities or do you feel that it isn't a major issue? What efforts should we be taking to improve the situation? All input is appreciated.
Honestly... I don't see any problem with it. Every place is different in it's own way. You don't hear everyone screaming at Japan for not being diverse and allowing immigrants into the country. Many countries in Europe are not diverse. Africa, there is very little diversity in many African cities, especially sub-Saharan African nations. So i don't see why everyone in America feels the best template is to have an even split of ethnicities and no ruling majority in a city. It doesn't make the people in these non-diverse cities any less human.
When it breaks the list down into individual cities and not metro areas, only one WV city makes the top 25 and that is Gilbert Creek, WV. I think this shows that we aren't much different than other places in that our cities are more diverse and the areas outside of them tend to be more rural and less diverse. Our cities just aren't as big and don't have the drawing power of larger, more diverse cities so our metro areas consist of more rural areas.
I come from the whitest metro in America. Haha, wow. I knew something was up when we had more exchange students from South Korea in my high school than black students.
You don't hear everyone screaming at Japan for not being diverse and allowing immigrants into the country.
Actually, many economists, geographers, demographers, etc. scream at Japan for their rather xenophobic policy. The lack of in-migration has been a major factor in Japan's economic stagnation over the past 20 years.
Doesn't mean a thing as far as I am concerned. All this stuff is just "paralysis of analysis" as far as I am concerned. So, my bottom line is I am not concerned very far.
I once heard that figures don't lie; liars figure. Most of this stuff falls in the latter part of that statement.
This article, recently published by the Atlantic Cities, reveals that four West Virginia metropolitan areas are among America's ten least diverse. Weirton appears at number 10 on the list, Huntington at number 8, Wheeling at number 6, and Parkersburg at number 2. The only metropolitan area in the United States that is less diverse than the Parkersburg metro is that of Laredo, Texas, which is 95.7 percent Hispanic.
It's certainly no surprise that Appalachia dominates the list with seven positions (four in WV, plus Johnstown, PA; Altoona, PA; and Tri-Cities, TN/VA). Our region has long been notoriously lacking in racial and ethnic diversity. Why do you think this continues to remain the case? Do you think it has had a negative impact on our communities or do you feel that it isn't a major issue? What efforts should we be taking to improve the situation? All input is appreciated.
Personally, I believe the effort should be directed in the area of stressing more what people have in common as Americans than in differences. I believe in the Martin Luther King model of integration and assimilation rather than in "diversity" per se, which stresses differences. Putting too much emphasis on "div"ersity, or "div"isiveness creates culture conflict. I like the notion of inclusiveness, making race and other differences less significant. Just my opinion.
. I like the notion of inclusiveness, making race and other differences less significant. Just my opinion.
I like your train of thought there CT.
It seems like some people yearn for diversity, just to say "hey look at how different we have it here". When in theory of inclusiveness, you aren't drawing a line in what qualifies as a diverse, therefore no need for the statistics to label folk.
That just seems like yet another article put out to try and slam WV in some way it seriously gets old. I don't even consider those metros...those are just cities in my book. I bet I can find cities all over the country that are exactly the same. Look up some of the cities in Maine like Bangor for example. The article is bs and has an agenda. Also much of the Pittsburgh metro is not diverse at all...Allegheny County is but the counties surrounding it are not.
What's the point? Parkersburg should get more hip hop stations?
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