LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas will soon be a majority-minority city.
Diverse communities are transforming the Silver State rapidly.
Brian Gordon is a principal with Applied Analysis, he gathers research and data for market analysis, financial advisory services, business consulting, hospitality consulting and economic modeling.
Gordon says the population growth here in Nevada is expanding full force.
"Las Vegas has been diversifying since its inception. The state of Nevada ranks third in terms of overall racial diversity, behind Hawaii and California," Gordon said.
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Gordon says those who migrate from surrounding states like California are contributing to the large population growth here in the valley.
"The demographics have continued to evolve in the Las Vegas area, we have seen the white population decreasing as a share of the overall population and we have found that the Hispanic and Latino community continue to expand as well as African Americans," Gordon said.
Another group, adding to the population growth is the AAPI community.
Sunny Vinuya, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce, says the driving force behind the surge is opportunity.
"AAPI has about 350,000 living in Clark County alone, that's a big number. There are also thousands of Asian-owned businesses here and they are thriving," Vinuya said.
Vinuya says, in the past four years, "the AAPI community has become a savior in the health care industry."
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"20% of our healthcare workers in Nevada are AAPI and 400 teachers in the Clark County school district were recruited from the Philippines over the past four years," Vinuya said.
Gordon says the valley saw a boom in new residents during the pandemic.
"In the first nine months of this year, we've seen over 40% migrating from California," Gordon said.
And as the valley becomes culturally diverse, families are settling in throughout the city.
Gordon says many new residents are calling the Summerlin area or Valley vista area, home.
"And that's because those areas have a lot of urban and new development," Gordon said.
Vice president of Student Affairs and interim chief diversity officer at UNLV, Dr. Juanita P. Fain, says UNLV was recognized for its diverse population.
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"U.S. News and World Report ranked UNLV as one of the top ten most diverse universities in the country and this past year we are tied for first place," Fain said.
As the valley grows as a multi-cultural society and seeks an inclusive culture, Dr. Fain says, it's important to understand diversity in 2021 is more than just skin color.
"There's a difference between being diverse and inclusive --- and that is very different than just having a bunch of people that look diverse. It's all about making people feel welcome and like they belong in this city," Fain said.
Tune in to 13 Action News at 6 p.m. throughout the month of November for in-depth reporting on how rapid growth impacts Las Vegans.
