Racial and ethnic diversity in the United States is spreading rapidly beyond the coast into different places throughout the nation. The spread of diversity is rapidly changing the way of lives of Americans including work, learn, live, and worship together among others. Americans have become more diverse racially and ethnically than in the past. It is projected that in the coming decades, the American population would have a single ethnic or racial majority. In the next 40 years, America’s population will expand by 100 million. In the mid of the 21 st century, the U.S population was at approximately 400 million population. By the year 2050, the population is expected to increase by 100 million people with astonishing diversity and youthfulness (Omi, 2014). This paper seeks to discuss diversity in the United States and examples of how it has changed America over the years.
10 Examples how it has changed over the Years
Diversity has changed the United States over the years by removing towns and cities from the traditional urban gateways such as San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and New York. According to the analysis of the demographic data conducted by the USA TODAY, these areas are quickly becoming some of the most diverse places in the United States. Other remote counties and towns including Buena Vista County, lowa and Finney County, Kan and small metro areas such as Yakima, Wash and Lumerton, N.C., have experienced a surge in immigrants causing those places to become far more diverse (Omi, 2014).
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Diversity has been driven by immigration. In the past 50 years, American has experienced a “great wave” of immigration mostly Asia and Latin America. Statistics indicate that approximately 59 million immigrants have arrived in America over 50 years mostly Asia and Latin America. In the coming five decades, most of the growth of the U.S population is projected to be related to new Hispanic and Asian immigration. The current record indicate that approximately 14% of America’s population is foreign as opposed to just 5% in 1965. It is projected that immigration will continue to be a major driving force in the American life. According to the estimates provided by the United Nations, about two million people will move from poorer nations to developed nations in the course of the next 40 years and half of these population will move to the United States each year. The United States is the most preferred destinations for most people especially for educated and skilled immigrants (Colby & Ortman, 2017).
Also, diversity has significantly changed the attitudes of Americans towards immigrants. It has contributed to a new attitude regarding racial and ethnic minorities. In the past, most Americans perceived immigrants as burden to the country. However, with increasing diversity, Americans now preserve immigrants to be a major contributor to the economy of the country. The educated and skilled immigrants are playing a leading role in the future of America’s economy. For instance, some of the company’s investments are being done by immigrants and contribute significant skills to the economy of the country. More and more Americans are embracing the most part of the changes brought about by diversity and immigration. Americans state that immigrants strengthen the nation and makes it a better place to live (Omi, 2014).
A new growth in diversity has contributed to existence of a younger population. The fertility of the immigrants has contributed to America having a productive multi-ethnic population. Nations like Japan and many other European countries that does not experience a surge of immigration and these groups have been facing an aging population and a decline in labor force. It is projected that by 2019, the young adults Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996 will surpass Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964 and become the largest population in America in the adult generation. In the American history, the young adult population record as the most racially diverse adult generation. Statistics reveal that approximately 43% of Millennials are nonwhite and the highest in number than any other generation (Warikoo, 2015).
Diversity has resulted in America’s demographic changes by shifting the American politics and electorate. Evidence reveals that the strong growth among diverse eligible voters recorded the most diverse population in the 2016 electorate in the U.S history. Additionally, there are wide gaps opening up between the generations on various issues regarding politics and social. The Young adult Millennials are more likely to hold liberal views as opposed to their elders on several matters of social and politics. Also, the Young adult Millennials are less likely to identify themselves with a particular political party (Ortman, Velkoff & Hogan, 2014).
Diversity has changed the gender roles in labor force. The rate at which women are increasingly taking leadership positions and participating in labor force is growing dramatically. The rate of women participation in labor force has increased progressively since the 1960s. According to 2011 records, approximately 40% of households with children, women were the primary or sole breadwinners. The gender pay gap has reduced significantly over time especially for young women who are actively taking part in the labor force. More women are entering the workforce and are increasingly taking up leadership positions in business, politics, or organizations. Although women still make up a small share of the leadership positions in business and politics, the increased participation of women in labor force has resulted in the rise in share of top leadership positions for women. The disparity is still a problem because some still hold strong believes that women are not as capable as men to take part in leadership positions and thus are not ready to put more women in the top leadership positions (Marris, 2018).
Diversity is also changing American family. Marriage has been declining over the past decades and currently there is an increased rise of cohabitation, remarriage, and divorce in the United States as the two-parent households is on decline. One in every six kids in America now live in blended family. The roles of fathers and mothers are changing by converging because of the increased rate of mothers becoming bread winners. Fathers are taking on child care chores and housework, while mothers are engaging more in paid work in the labor force. In other households, both the mother and father work full time. Most of these changes has generated conflicting Americans ( Sethuraman et al., 2017).
The number of Americans living in middle class households is also declining. By 2015, the middle income households that served as the majority of the country’s economy fell to 50%. The financial gap between upper and middle income Americans have widened. The upper-income households holds the 49% of Americas aggregate household income, which is three times much wealth compared what the middle-income households hold. Most Americans state that the government does not provide adequate help to the middle class and also the political party do not defend the interests of the middle-class (Colby & Ortman, 2017).
Diversity has resulted in decline of Christians in America. Also, the number of adults in the United States that do not identify themselves with any religion has risen. Americans identifying themselves as Christians has dropped to 71% in 2014 from the 78% in 2007despite it being the home to more Christians compared to any other nation. In the last year, the number of those who are not affiliated to any religion has increased in this short span of time making up to 23% of the U.S adults. The trend has facilitated to by mostly the Millennials. Young adults who make up to 35% of those who do not identify themselves with any religion. The unaffiliated group make up the second largest religious group in the about 48% countries in the world. The significant shift in religion has caused major influence on public life and it is worrying trend for most Americans who view it as a bad thing (Colby & Ortman, 2017).
Moreover, by 2050, the religious makeup of the world will be very different. It is projected that in the next four decades, although Christianity will still remain as the largest religious group, Islam will grow rapidly compared to any other major religion. The reason for faster growth Islam than other major religion because Muslims are younger and tend to have more children compared to any other religious group worldly. By 2050, it is projected that the number of Muslims will be closely equal to that of Christians. Although Islam will spread very quickly, the Muslim population will remain small in the United States (Colby & Ortman, 2017).
Conclusion
It is evident that diversity in America has resulted in significant changes in the country. It has changed every aspect of the American lives including worship, learn, and work. It has changed religion, changed cities and towns from traditional urban gateways to most diverse places in the country, changed attitudes of Americans towards immigrants to positive, and changes in American politics and electorate. Also, it has changed the generation gap, the household income, changes in religious affiliations, and faster spread of the Islam religion. Therefore, racial and ethnic diversity has generated significant changes in the life of Americans.
Reference
Colby, S. L., & Ortman, J. M. (2017). Projections of the size and composition of the US population: 2014 to 2060: Population estimates and projections. Retrieved from: http://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/20152/colby_population.pdf?sequence=1
Marris, P. (2018). Dilemmas of social reform: poverty and community action in the United States . Routledge.
Omi, M., & Winant, H. (2014). Racial formation in the United States . Routledge.
Ortman, J. M., Velkoff, V. A., & Hogan, H. (2014). An aging nation: the older population in the United States (pp. 25-1140). United States Census Bureau, Economics and Statistics Administration, US Department of Commerce.
Sethuraman, A., Janzen, F. J., Rubio, M. A., Vasquez, Y., & Obrycki, J. J. (2017). Demographic histories of three predatory lady beetles reveal complex patterns of diversity and population size change in the United States. Insect science .
Warikoo, N. (2015). Diversity in United States and British higher education in a national context. In Vertovec, Steven, Routledge international handbook of diversity studies (pp. 302-309). Routledge London.
