603 ESSAY
Y n BY JAMES MCKIM
ou have probably heard by now that the recent census indicates New Hampshire is growing and becoming a more diverse state. In a recent interview with NPR, UNH demographer Ken Johnson indicated that New Hampshire is becoming more diverse, but not anywhere near as diverse as the rest of the country. In 2010, we were 94% non-Hispanic white; now, we are 88% non-Hispanic white, making us the fourth-whitest state, behind Vermont, Maine and West Virginia. The figures also show New Hampshire remains one of the oldest states, ranking behind Vermont and Maine (and Washington D.C.) for its percentage of residents age 18 and over. The 18+ population increased 9% to 81% of the total. Why is this census data important? 1) The census population count guides major decisions about federal spending that comes to New Hampshire (currently estimated at $6.5 billion annually) and political power for the next 10 years. 2) It provides insight into the people with whom we will have to interact in our communities.
characteristics that make up our personalities. These characteristics are what make us “diverse” individuals. Thus, “diversity” is about including people with those different characteristics. Using this definition, the census data fails us to show the true diversity in our state. It does not tell us about the change in people with disabilities, sexual orientation, religion, education, thinking styles or many of the characteristics that make up our personalities. But since race/ethnicity and gender are on the top of everyone’s minds, we can use the census data to prepare ourselves for the near future with respect to the population with those characteristics. Thus, we should ask ourselves several key questions:
Will New Hampshire embrace diversity in a way that will lead to richer, fuller lives for all? What does this mean for the future of our state? First, let’s be clear on what “diversity” is. The term “diversity” is used by many in different ways to mean different things. Some people use the term to refer to inclusion of Black people. Some people use the term to refer to inclusion of people from different races and ethnicities. Some people use the term to refer to inclusion of women. In my experience, it is best to define “diversity” using the “diversity wheel” (shown in the illustration). The wheel was originally created in 1991 by Marilyn Loden at Johns Hopkins University. It was updated in 2009 by Gardenswartz and Rowe. The basic notion is that we all have internal, external and organizational
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• What does this data mean for individuals? • What does this data mean for government? • What does this data mean for organizations/ businesses? • What does this data mean for our economy? For individuals, it means that, particularly in the southern part of the state, we each will encounter more people of color during our daily lives. For those socialized as white, that may take some getting used to. It may cause feelings of angst, shame, guilt or confusion about how to interact. For people of color,
Courtesy photo
The Future of Diversity in NH
