Houston was once a laughingstock in Texas, riddled with crime and poverty in comparison to burgeoning Dallas and Austin.
Now, Houston is the most ethnically diverse city in the US—and one of the most dynamic.
In fact:
At about 35 percent of the population, Latinos make up the second-biggest group in Houston after non-Hispanic whites or Anglos, according to Census numbers. But Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing group — doubling between the 1990 and 2010 census to about 7 percent.
If you look at the four major ethnic groups — Anglo, black, Asian and Latino — all have substantial numbers in Houston, with no one group dominating.
But that should make Houston a hotbed of racial conflict, right?
Absolutely not—and hardworking legal immigrants and the economy are to thank.
Jobs fuel the transformation. The energy industry remains a huge player, but there’s also the Texas Medical Center, burgeoning biotech and a bustling shipping port. Despite crippling humidity, long commutes and a reputation for refineries, Houston’s cheap land, affordable homes and low barriers to doing business have lured immigrants from all over.
So what can Washington, LA, Chicago, and other poorly-run cities learn from Houston’s example?
Ask Houston’s openly-gay female mayor, Annise Parker:
Too often what happens in a state capital or in Washington is that it is about parties and partisanship, not about the practical realities of running something. Cities have to run.
Parker has made budget cuts, encouraged economic growth, made an effort to rebuild streets, and curbed illegal immigration.
It goes to show: with honest leadership and hardworking people—there’s nothing an American city can’t do.
Hopefully LA and Chicago will get the hint.
