The Future Face Of The US Is Diverse-Washington State Is There

Happy Juneteenth, our newest federal holiday!

Some call it "Emancipation Day" to others it's "Freedom Day", and it commemorates June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that the 250 thousand slaves in Texas were free — more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Get our free mobile app

America Becoming More Diverse

So on this first celebration of the new holiday, it seems only right to tell you about a new study on diversity, one in which Washington State showed very well.

The U.S. has long been known for its diversity relative to other nations. For hundreds of years, migration and growth have brought people of countless different backgrounds to the American melting pot. And it's adding up.

Demographic Shift Coming Soon

Demographers now calculate that America is likely to become a “majority-minority” nation sometime in the 2040s. Some portions of the Country are already ahead of the game. The bottom line though is that Americans who identify as white alone-not Hispanic used to be 78.2% in 1980, in 2010 it was 64%, and now just 59.9% of the U.S. population in 2020 identify as white alone-not Hispanic.

But here's the rub. In order for people to enjoy a location with a high degree of social and cultural diversity, more often than not they will have to live in an area of poverty or lower economic success. Hawaii is an exception and stands out as the top state for offering high levels of both racial and ethnic diversity and economic equality.