Silke Jasso
A number of recent polls show Houston is leading the nation in a few categories.
Videos by Rare
Two weeks ago, the city was named the best place to garden naked.
Shortly after that, H-town was named the most diverse place in the nation.
And, most recently, Houston was named the number one spot for minority entrepreneurs – 17th best for Hispanic entrepreneurs, specifically.
RELATED: President Trump’s immigration orders are hitting Houstonians close to home
Thanks to large and growing customer opportunity and our notoriously low cost of living, minority business owners in Houston amassed more than $3 billion in economic growth over the last four years:
Several major business-related organizations, such as Houston’s Small Business Administration, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Houston Black Chamber, have recommitted their service to entrepreneurs and want to make sure minorities know they have tools that can help.
Across the state, global influences are reshaping the demographic landscape of Texas, including Dallas, which has become one of the “most-refugee-friendly cities” in the nation.
While the city has purposefully worked to support immigrants and refugees, even against the best efforts of Texas to prevent resettlement, this most recent wave is not unlike other movements Texas has experienced before:
In the early 1900s, after Ellis Island was becoming overrun and the nation’s support of immigrants had begun to turn, a number of Jewish organizations began to work to bring fleeing Jewish immigrants from Russia and eastern Europe to Galveston.
The location was ultimately selected for its growing economic opportunities, and nearly 6,000 immigrants landed at Galveston from 1901-1913.
Similarly, in 1990, it was estimated that more than 17 percent of Texans are at least of partial German decent.
This is likely due to the fact that, from 1830-1850, a wave of German immigrants grew the minority group to more than 5 percent of the state’s population, producing some of the nation’s most skilled blacksmiths, bakers, and merchants.
Selecting the central hills for their rich and abundant resources and “winterless climate like that of Sicily” we enjoy today, it’s no surprise Texas remains a number one destination for building and life and prosperity.
If you’d like to know more about entrepreneur and partnership opportunities, contact your local Chamber of Commerce.
