Immigration means Georgia's Black population is diversifying
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The Black population in the United States — and Georgia — is diversifying because of influxes of immigration from different parts of the world, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center.
Why it matters: At the end of 2019, metro Atlanta was home to most of the state's estimated 200,000 Black residents who were born in other countries, the report says.
Details: Metro Atlanta has the fourth-highest number of Black immigrant residents (190,000), trailing Washington, D.C. (260,000), Miami (490,000), and New York (1.1 million), according to Pew.
- From 2010 to 2019, the number of Black immigrants living in metro Atlanta grew 165%, many originally from the Caribbean and Africa.
Zoom out: More than 40% of the country's Black immigrants live in the South, according to Pew’s research — Georgia is home to 200,000.
- 42% of African immigrants and 47% of Caribbean-born Black immigrants in 2019 called the South home.
Roughly 1-in-10 Black residents in America are immigrants, the report says, and the population of roughly 4.6 million people is expected to double by 2060.
The impact: After decades of moving here for jobs, school, relationships or seeking a safer and happier life, immigrants have created strong communities and helped build networks to welcome others.
What they're saying: Glory Kilanko of Women Watch Afrika says she based her social justice organization in Clarkston in part because of its well-known diversity.
- What most reminds her of home in Nigeria are large Nigerian, Somalian, Ethiopian and Cameroonian association gatherings where friends share their favorite dishes, often times cooked with ingredients from her adopted city's two African grocery stores.
"We have to make home home, wherever we've found ourselves," Kilanko tells Axios.
The big picture: A key part of metro Atlanta's success and evolution is a diverse population that fosters communities, open businesses and participation in civic life.