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Minority populations growing Employment, schools, recreation cited as spurring county's gains 03/14/2001 By Wendy Hundley and April M. Washington / The Dallas Morning News Minority populations, especially Asians, have grown dramatically in Collin County over the last decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released this week.
The county's population has almost doubled – jumping from 264,036 to 491,675 – and still is overwhelmingly white, but the greatest percentage gains were among blacks, Hispanics, Asians and other minority groups.
The minority growth is reflected in numbers for all of the county's four largest cities, although the greatest portion can be attributed to increases in Plano. Several local minority leaders and city officials said that Plano's proximity to Dallas, the city's highly rated school system, parks and recreation facilities, job opportunities and the presence of major employers such as EDS, Frito-Lay and J.C. Penney are among many factors driving the city's population growth.
Minorities, they say, are drawn to the city for the same reasons that lure white residents.
"People from different ethnic groups come to Plano because we want the same thing every other segment of society wants," said Evelyn McKnight, board member with the Plano Community Forum, a nonprofit black civic organization. "We want a nice place to live. A good place to raise our children and good school systems – basically everything others want for their family."
Mrs. McKnight moved to Plano from Los Angeles with her family 14 years ago when J.C. Penney moved its headquarters and transferred her husband.
"I think another reason for the increase is the fact many people have moved here after the companies they work for relocated to Plano," Mrs. McKnight said. "I've seen the changes and our population grow dramatically. When I first moved here, about 3 percent of the population, if that, was African-American."
Between 1990 and 2000, the county's black population has grown by 128 percent – from 10,727 to 24,509; the number of Hispanics has grown 178 percent, from 18,158 to 50,510.
But the greatest percentage growth is among Asians and other minorities. Their numbers have increased 342 percent, from 8,497 in 1990 to 37,568 last year.
"The job opportunities, the school system and the living environment" are drawing Asians to Plano, said Jane Jan, who opened a real estate agency in Plano two years ago.
Plano resident Sudhir Parikh said he was pleased to see growth of minorities in Collin County.
"I'm very excited to see the census numbers because the more diversified we are, the better off we are as a community," said Mr. Parikh, a financial planner who has served as chairman of the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce.
He believes the trend will continue because of the good job market, especially in the high-tech fields.
While many of the new immigrants are well-educated and affluent, "the biggest need I see in the Asian community is to get involved in local politics," said Mr. Parikh, who came from India.
The minority growth mirrors that in suburbs across the nation, said sociologist Roderick Harrison, with the Joint Center, an African-American think-tank based in Washington, D.C. Typically, minorities moving to cities such as Plano are college-educated and affluent. Moving to the suburbs, he said, is viewed as stepping up the social and economic strata of society.
"You have the growth of the college-educated middle class," Mr. Harrison said. "They are much more likely to hunt for jobs nationally."
Mr. Harrison said that growing incomes have enabled more minority households to afford life in the suburbs.
"In addition ... barriers, be it racial or discriminatory laws, that once precluded them from living in the suburbs, have declined," he said.
The presence of minorities in Plano's political scene has not kept pace with the influx.
"We don't have enough representation and our voice does not get heard by the mainstream community," Ms. Jan said. "We need to educate people from Asia to get involved and register to vote."
She's also a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Asian American Citizen Council, a newly formed organization that seeks to encourage Asians to become more involved in their communities. Ms. Jan was among a delegation that met last week with Plano Mayor Jeran Akers and plans to meet with other local officials.
The census figures show that minorities make up roughly 27 percent of Plano's population. But of the 334 people on the city's boards and commissions, only 9.6 percent are minorities.
To increase that number, the city initiated an advertising campaign last year to reach all Plano households. The greater visibility generated more than 300 candidates, but less than 5 percent of those applying were minorities, according to city records.
"We are aware of the fact we need to get more groups involved," said City Council member Pat Evans. "We're making an effort to keep a balance."
Experts said that minorities moving to the suburbs often stay out of the political scene because they see no pressing issues to champion.
"The move to the suburbs is viewed as move up the economic ladder," Mr. Harrison said. "Blacks, Hispanics and Asians are interested in maintaining their newfound economic status. Many times, they've left behind the issues that they once organized for in the neighborhood they grew up in." |
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