Charlotte Welcomes More Immigrants: A Changing Demographic Landscape
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia is experiencing an influx of new faces from Latin America and Asia as more immigrants are making this vibrant region their home. But hold on—there’s more to this story as recently revealed by U.S. Census Bureau data: a significant number of these residents, over 60%, aren’t U.S. citizens!
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
In Mecklenburg County alone, we’re talking about roughly 190,648 foreign-born residents, with more than 115,000 of them—yep, that’s about 60%—not having citizenship. This trend isn’t unique to Mecklenburg; the surrounding Charlotte metropolitan region shows similar figures, where approximately 58% of about 308,900 immigrant residents are non-citizens. Mind you, the Census Bureau defines a “foreign-born” person as anyone born outside the U.S. and its territories to non-American parents.
Interestingly, the census doesn’t dip its toes into asking people about their legal immigration status. That said, just because someone is a non-citizen doesn’t mean they are living in the U.S. undocumented. However, these statistics come at a time when the political climate around immigration is heating up. With President-elect Donald Trump pushing new immigration policies, such as mass deportations and removing birthright citizenship, many people in the community are understandably concerned.
Community Response and Support
In light of these developments, various Latino nonprofits in Charlotte are stepping up to offer support. They are hosting “Know Your Rights” information sessions to help people understand their constitutional rights and what to do if they find themselves in a situation involving detainment. It’s heartwarming to see the community coming together like this during challenging times.
A Look at Historical Trends
Diving back into the Census data, it shows how the landscape has changed over the years. Tracking foreign-born resident entries since before the 1990s reveals some fascinating patterns. For instance, prior to the 2000s, the majority of the foreign-born population in Mecklenburg County were naturalized citizens. However, that shifted dramatically in the 2000s due to changes in U.S. immigration policy. From 2000 to 2009 alone, more than 49,300 people emigrated to Mecklenburg, with 55% or 27,100 of them not being citizens. And from 2010 onwards, the figures soared even more: 80,125 foreign-born residents called Mecklenburg home, and approximately 69,907 of those individuals weren’t U.S. citizens.
Spotlighting Latin American and Asian Communities
Breaking it down further, Central Americans make up the largest portion of the Latino population in Mecklenburg, totaling around 63,330 people. When you drill down into the numbers, this group also has a high percentage of non-citizens. For example, a staggering 97% of the 19,855 individuals who moved here from other Central American countries after 2010 do not hold citizenship. The situation is just as striking with the Mexican community, where about 94% of the 7,690 immigrants aren’t citizens.
On the Asian front, this demographic has emerged as the second-largest group of foreign-born residents, with around 53,745 people in Mecklenburg County alone. The trend is similar: there’s been a remarkable shift from mostly naturalized citizens to a growing population of non-citizens. For instance, between 2000 and 2010, around 11,798 immigrants from Asia made their way to Mecklenburg, with the majority holding citizenship. But since 2010, this has flipped dramatically as the numbers surged to 25,743 new residents, with around 86% of them not holding citizenship!
Conclusion
As we move forward in this ever-evolving scene in Charlotte, let’s remember that every face has a story and every community enriches our vibrant tapestry. Understanding and supporting one another will be key as we navigate these changes, ensuring that Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia remains a welcoming home for everyone.
