RAPID ETHNIC DIVERSIFICATION AND
MICROPLURALITY:
Implications of Iowa’s New Demographics for
Communities
PRESENTERS
Dr. Mark Grey
Professor and Director
Iowa Center on Immigrant Leadership and Integration
Dr. Michele Devlin
Professor and Director
Iowa Center on Health Disparities
University of Northern Iowa
OVERVIEW OF THE NEW DEMOGRAPHICS
TWO KEY CONCEPTS

Rapid Ethnic Diversification vs. “Diversity”

Microplurality
RAPID ETHNIC DIVERSIFICATION VS.
DIVERSITY

Diversity is usually based on a snapshot, or pointin-time perspective
Our town is “diverse” because we have 10
Latino families
We are experiencing “diversity” because we
now have residents with different ethnicities
RAPID ETHNIC DIVERSIFICATION VS.
DIVERSITY
 “Valuing
diversity” is often a dodge to avoid talking
about difficult issues like class and politics
 Time
to get past promoting one group’s diversity as
more legitimate than another’s
 In
the US, the term “minority” is going to apply to
everyone
DIVERSIFICATION

We encourage health care providers (and the people who
train them) to ask:

Is our service population experiencing “diversity”
or diversification?

Diversification is a process that places diverse
communities within the context of history, the
economy, community goals, and labor markets
MICROPLURALITY

Microplurality describes growth in the number
of smaller ethnically and linguistically distinct
groups in communities
 Recognizes
“Diversity within Diversity”
 Minimizes the relevance of racial categories in favor
of ethnic populations
 Recognizes the central role of culture, language,
religion and immigration status
“THE PERFECT DEMOGRAPHIC STORM” IN IOWA
An aging white population
 Out-migration of young white population
 Urbanization
 Low birth rates among White residents
 Higher birth rates among newcomers
 In-migration of young Latinos
 In-migration of several diverse populations

2009
LATINO VS. IOWA’S AGE STRUCTURE
HISPANIC VS. WHITE AGES
The median age for Hispanics was 23.2
years in 2009
-Much less than that of Whites
(39 years in 2009)
PROJECTED LATINO POPULATION*
 Iowa’s
projected Latino population:
2020:
182,190
2030:
263,860
2040:
384,320 (11% of total)
*All population projections are from Woods and
Poole Economics, 2010
PROJECTED HISPANIC POPULATION
GROWTH
20
18
Thousands
16
14
Marshall County
12
Crawford County
10
Buena Vista
8
Dallas
6
Black Hawk
4
2
0
2000
2010
2020
Year
2030
PROJECTED HISPANIC POPULATIONS
30
Percent of Total Population
Buena Vista (Storm Lake)
25
Crawford (Dennison)
Marshall (Marshalltown)
20
Louisa (Columbus Junction)
Woodbury (Sioux City)
15
Muscatine (Muscatine)
Franklin (Hampton)
Wapello (Ottumwa)
10
Wright (Clarion)
Polk (Des Moines)
5
Iowa
0
2000
2010
Year
2015
LATINOS AS PERCENT OF COUNTY POPULATION
IN 2040
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Marshall (45%)
Crawford (43%)
Louisa (41%)
Buena Vista (39%)
Woodbury (36%)
Muscatine (34%)
Allamakee (26%)
Franklin (22%)
Polk (22%)
Wapello (21%)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Wright (17%)
Sioux (15%)
Emmet (12%)
Clarke (12%)
Pottawattamie (12%)
Tama (11%)
Washington (11%)
Taylor (10%)
Hancock (10%)
Osceola (10%)
PROJECTED AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION
 Iowa’s
projected Black population:
2020:
107,790
2030:
136,110
2040:
172,770
PROJECTED ASIAN POPULATION
 Iowa’s
projected Asian population:
2020:
71,680
2030:
92,350
2040:
115,150
GROWING SECTORS OF IOWA’S POPULATION
Year of Highest Population
1900 or earlier
Year of Highest Population
1950 or earlier
POPULATION DENSITY: 2000
POPULATION DENSITY: 2009
MICROPLURALITY
Other newcomers have arrived in Iowa:












Southeast Asia (Hmong, Vietnamese, Burmese etc.)
East Asia (Chinese, etc.)
Former Soviet Union (Russia, Ukraine, etc.)
Former Yugoslavia (Bosnia, etc.)
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish (Israel and East Coast)
African (Sudan, Somalia, etc.)
South Pacific (Marshall Islanders, Paulau)
Ukrainian Pentacostals
Central and South Americans
Inner City African Americans
Appalachian Whites
And many more equals MICROPLURALITY!
Implications for Communities
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

More likely to have many smaller ethnic groups in town, rather
than just a few larger ones

Greater need for diversity and cultural competency training
among staff at all levels, from receptionists to directors

Greater variety of languages spoken in town
 More budgets for interpreters
 May need to rely on language line, tele-interpretation, etc.

More likely to see rare languages, like Dinka, Nuer, etc.

Need training for interpreters and the staff that use them
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Increasingly likely to see low-income clients, presenting with
multiple challenges and complicated issues

Greater percentage of clients with legal rights to services,
along with their families

Increase in different perceptions, traditions, and norms
regarding services and providers (public safety, health, social
services, etc.)
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Greater need to include ethnically diverse clients in assessment,
planning, implementation, evaluation, and boards

Greater emphasis on recruitment and retention of staff
from multiple ethnicities, but recognize diversity within diversity

May need variety in service hours during non-traditional times

Must be aware of different cultural taboos, traditional prohibitions,
common rituals, unique holidays, etc. of clients

Greater need to provide outreach services where clients live, work,
play, recreate, worship, and study
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

More likely to encounter cross-cultural differences involving
ethical practices, confidentiality, legal complaints, etc.

More likely to experience low-literacy barriers

Likely will need longer visits for language/cultural barriers

Greater need to build relationships with clients through faceto-face, human contact

Must collect and track information on client’s ethnicity,
ethnicity, spoken and written languages, literacy level, etc.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Will need to maintain and update current demographic,
cultural, and epidemiological profiles of the community

Will require agencies to work together from multiple sectors in
coordinated manner to serve clients (health, education,
law enforcement, social services, religious groups, schools,
housing authorities, interpreters, ethnic community; etc)

Will need to provide orientation training and cultural
competency programming for newcomers about Iowans

Should involve employers of newcomers as well
FINAL THOUGHTS
Conclusion

There is none! Learning to work effectively within
rapidly changing demographic environments and
meeting the needs of newcomers is an ongoing
process

Requires time, money, resources, leadership,
patience, and involvement of many parties

Ultimately can bring many opportunities and
advantages to Iowan communities
Thank You!
Cultural Connections
107 HPC
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614
www.iowahealthdisparities.org
Dr. Mark Grey; 319 273-6496
Dr. Michele Devlin; 319 273-5806
Mark.grey@uni.edu
Michele.devlin@uni.edu