Racial Diversity In Chamblea - 1686 Words

Chamblee, GA is a largely Hispanic enclave found in the predominantly Black metro area of Atlanta all within the state of Georgia, a southern, predominantly White state. Chamblee was incorporated in 1908 around a railroad junction and eventually grew into a predominantly White blue collar town. However, after the number of factory jobs declined in the area, White workers left for the north in droves looking for work. This was followed by reduced housing prices in Chamblee that attracted mostly Hispanic and immigrant workers who worked in the Atlanta metro area. As this population continued to increase, different, predominantly White communities, pressured county and state officials to make their areas cities. These communities benefitted†¦show more content†¦1). Growing up, I perceived myself as a minority in a predominantly Hispanic and to a lesser extent Asian area based solely on the restaurants in the area and how often I would see Spanish and an East or Southeast Asian script on the sign for a store. The latter is seen in the fact 55.9% of the population spoke Spanish or Spanish Creole and 87% of this group spoke English â€Å"less than well,† indicating it may be at least a second language for them. Asian and Pacific Island language speakers makeup 5.2% of the population, however, a greater degree of assimilation was seen in this group with only 64.4% of this group indicating they spoke English â€Å"less than well.† Another factor in this is that over 60 percent of the population (61.3%) is foreign born with the vast majority (90.8%) speaking Spanish or Spanish Creole at home. A quarter mile from my house there was an entire plaza of Southeast Asian stores and restaurants and a half mile away was another, larger plaza with mostly Mexican and other Central American businesses and spaces. In spite of this economic activity, the two thirds of residents rented rather than owned their homes and nearly 80% of the total population lived i n these units. Additionally, 82.1% of the Spanish speaking population over the age of 25 have earned less than a highschool diploma. Such data are emblematic of the relationship between being a person of color in this country and the barriers to