The Emergence of the Global Heartland?

A new report (The Emergence of the Global Heartland by Joel Kotkin, Mark Schill, Karla Lopez Del Rio, Wendell Cox, Alicia Kurimska, Celia Lppez Del Rio) issued by Heartland Forward focused on demographic changes resulting from immigration to the heartland of the United States.  It states that

“[a] major shift in the demographic evolution of America is occurring, largely out of sight in the national media, but profoundly affecting communities throughout the Heartland. The 20 state region, which extends between the Appalachians and the Rockies, has for generations been largely unaffected by the massive movement of people from abroad that has so dramatically transformed the great metropolitan regions of coastal America. . . . Over the past decade, the Heartland’s share of the foreign-born population has risen from 23.5 percent in 2010 to 31.1 percent in 2019. This shift can be seen in many Heartland communities, some such as Louisville, Columbus and Nashville, have seen their immigrant populations swell more than 40 percent from 2010 to 2019, often helping to reverse generations of demographic decline. They are now growing their foreign-born populations faster than such historic immigrant hubs as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Philadelphia.”

Heartland Forward describes itself as “a nonpartisan, nonprofit `think and do’ tank focused on improving economic performance in the center of the United States. Heartland Forward is based in Bentonville, Ark., but our work focuses on the entire region which is comprised of 20 states.”.

For commentary on the report and demographic changes in Iowa, click here.

KJ