Washington, DC, for example, is not only the heart and soul of America’s political activity, but also that of many others as well. With its 176 foreign embassies and headquarters for many global institutions, DC can indeed be considered the political capital of the world. The global nature of “the District” can also be found in its diversity: over half of the District’s residents are African American, 37 percent are Caucasian, and 10 percent are Hispanic, many of the latter coming from Central American countries. These are American citizens with rights that would certainly not be afforded to them in many of the megacities erected in Asia or the Middle East. DC also recently became the leader in foreign real estate investment in 2009, ahead of London and New York City. Investors flock to DC simply because the city offers opportunities of global stature.
New York City, by nearly all measures the most global city, serves as the cultural capital of the U.S., as well as a cultural icon to the world. Not many cities across the globe or even in history can claim the truly global nature of New York’s residents. Chinatown has the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, and the highest number of Jewish people outside Israel. Thirty-six percent of the city’s population is born in another country, making it the linguistic capitol of the world with an estimated 800 languages represented. And 15.4 percent of the city’s population identifies themselves as part of the LGBT community, one of the highest percentages of any other city in the world. Transcending the repression that this community faces in many other parts of the world, Mayor Bloomberg legalized same-sex marriages this past year. Lastly, despite all of the American political jargon about our crumbling infrastructure, New York City still outperforms — Grand Central Terminal is the world’s largest rail station by sheer virtue of rail platforms and the George Washington Bridge is the world’s busiest motor vehicle bridge.
Descriptions of American decline often point out that other global cities such as Mumbai, or “Bollywood,” are surpassing American industrial centers, such as Hollywood. Yet Los Angeles is about much more than just Hollywood. LA is a city that demonstrates that every American is afforded equal opportunity to thrive. With the largest Latino population in the United States, more Koreans than anywhere outside of North and South Korea, and more Filipinos than anywhere outside of Manila, LA has a diversity success story that is unparalleled in cities outside of the United States. With such a metropolitan population, it is worth noting that minorities are a major component of small to medium sized enterprise (SMEs) ownership. Nearly four out of every 10 small firms in LA County are minority-owned. LA can also be praised not only for its incredible diversity but also its cultural extraordinaire. With 841 museums and art galleries, LA has more museums than any other city in the world.
Few American and international cities can boast the diversity of Miami. In 2004 the United Nations Development Programme ranked Miami the most diverse city in the world, measured by the percentage of its residents born in foreign countries. What’s more is that Miami ranked fourth in terms of the wealthiest cities on Earth, according to purchasing power. The city is also home to the busiest cruise and passenger port in the world, earning it the title of the “Cruise Capital of the World.” If you are on a cruise, chances are one in seven that the ship originated in Miami. Take a walk through downtown and you will encounter Little Haiti, Little Havana, Little Buenos Aires, and Little Moscow. It is no surprise that the mayor of the city was born in Havana.
One important characteristic of American cities that makes them truly global is their leaders. Major cities such as Baton Rouge, Atlanta, Tallahassee, Baltimore, and Philadelphia have elected African American men and women as mayors within the last decade. Los Angeles just recently elected a Hispanic mayor. Houston recently elected its second female mayor in history, and she also happens to be the first elected gay mayor of a U.S. city. Recent elections have brought a wide variety of minorities to powerful positions in state executive offices, including Nikki Haley in South Carolina, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Bill Richardson in New Mexico, and Gary Locke in Washington. Last but certainly not least, the most powerful man in Washington, D.C. and indeed the world, is the son of a Kenyan father and an American mother of English and Irish descent.
All of this brings into question whether, in seeking to brand cities across the world as “global,” we should also take into considerations the freedoms and diversities of their residents. Cities that are concocted from scratch only to receive an explosion of investment and economic activity, rather than geared towards needs of their populations, are not global. They resemble the repressive ways of the past rather than the democratic hopes of the future. In this sense, America is still far ahead of the curve. In an increasingly globalized world, embracing cultural and economic pluralism is the best means to reach modernity, especially as the global citizenry continues to immigrate to cities in different countries.
a global affairs media network
Immigrant Cities: Why American Cities are Still the Best Global Cities
December 27, 2011
Washington, DC, for example, is not only the heart and soul of America’s political activity, but also that of many others as well. With its 176 foreign embassies and headquarters for many global institutions, DC can indeed be considered the political capital of the world. The global nature of “the District” can also be found in its diversity: over half of the District’s residents are African American, 37 percent are Caucasian, and 10 percent are Hispanic, many of the latter coming from Central American countries. These are American citizens with rights that would certainly not be afforded to them in many of the megacities erected in Asia or the Middle East. DC also recently became the leader in foreign real estate investment in 2009, ahead of London and New York City. Investors flock to DC simply because the city offers opportunities of global stature.
New York City, by nearly all measures the most global city, serves as the cultural capital of the U.S., as well as a cultural icon to the world. Not many cities across the globe or even in history can claim the truly global nature of New York’s residents. Chinatown has the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, and the highest number of Jewish people outside Israel. Thirty-six percent of the city’s population is born in another country, making it the linguistic capitol of the world with an estimated 800 languages represented. And 15.4 percent of the city’s population identifies themselves as part of the LGBT community, one of the highest percentages of any other city in the world. Transcending the repression that this community faces in many other parts of the world, Mayor Bloomberg legalized same-sex marriages this past year. Lastly, despite all of the American political jargon about our crumbling infrastructure, New York City still outperforms — Grand Central Terminal is the world’s largest rail station by sheer virtue of rail platforms and the George Washington Bridge is the world’s busiest motor vehicle bridge.
Descriptions of American decline often point out that other global cities such as Mumbai, or “Bollywood,” are surpassing American industrial centers, such as Hollywood. Yet Los Angeles is about much more than just Hollywood. LA is a city that demonstrates that every American is afforded equal opportunity to thrive. With the largest Latino population in the United States, more Koreans than anywhere outside of North and South Korea, and more Filipinos than anywhere outside of Manila, LA has a diversity success story that is unparalleled in cities outside of the United States. With such a metropolitan population, it is worth noting that minorities are a major component of small to medium sized enterprise (SMEs) ownership. Nearly four out of every 10 small firms in LA County are minority-owned. LA can also be praised not only for its incredible diversity but also its cultural extraordinaire. With 841 museums and art galleries, LA has more museums than any other city in the world.
Few American and international cities can boast the diversity of Miami. In 2004 the United Nations Development Programme ranked Miami the most diverse city in the world, measured by the percentage of its residents born in foreign countries. What’s more is that Miami ranked fourth in terms of the wealthiest cities on Earth, according to purchasing power. The city is also home to the busiest cruise and passenger port in the world, earning it the title of the “Cruise Capital of the World.” If you are on a cruise, chances are one in seven that the ship originated in Miami. Take a walk through downtown and you will encounter Little Haiti, Little Havana, Little Buenos Aires, and Little Moscow. It is no surprise that the mayor of the city was born in Havana.
One important characteristic of American cities that makes them truly global is their leaders. Major cities such as Baton Rouge, Atlanta, Tallahassee, Baltimore, and Philadelphia have elected African American men and women as mayors within the last decade. Los Angeles just recently elected a Hispanic mayor. Houston recently elected its second female mayor in history, and she also happens to be the first elected gay mayor of a U.S. city. Recent elections have brought a wide variety of minorities to powerful positions in state executive offices, including Nikki Haley in South Carolina, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Bill Richardson in New Mexico, and Gary Locke in Washington. Last but certainly not least, the most powerful man in Washington, D.C. and indeed the world, is the son of a Kenyan father and an American mother of English and Irish descent.
All of this brings into question whether, in seeking to brand cities across the world as “global,” we should also take into considerations the freedoms and diversities of their residents. Cities that are concocted from scratch only to receive an explosion of investment and economic activity, rather than geared towards needs of their populations, are not global. They resemble the repressive ways of the past rather than the democratic hopes of the future. In this sense, America is still far ahead of the curve. In an increasingly globalized world, embracing cultural and economic pluralism is the best means to reach modernity, especially as the global citizenry continues to immigrate to cities in different countries.
