Cincinnati lags behind other Midwestern cities for immigrants establishing roots

Coastal cities such as Los Angeles, Miami and New York have long been viewed as the gateways for immigrants starting new lives in America, Governing Magazine says, but the best immigrant-friendly strategies these days are to be found in the Midwest.

“Places like Indianapolis and Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, have pursued a wide range of immigrant-friendly strategies, in part to prop up vulnerable economies and stem population losses,” Mike Maciag writes. “Other Rust Belt jurisdictions are joining them.” Cincinnati is not among the top destinations for immigrants, according to the magazine's analysis of U.S. Census data.

“The Midwest is becoming the new gateway,” Guadalupe Velasquez, who coordinates the New American Initiative for the city of Columbus, tells Governing.

Governing compared Census data collected between 2005-2009 with data from 2010-2014 for all cities with populations of at least 100,000. Maciag's story accompanying the data highlights five cities with the best immigrant initiatives: Columbus, Dayton, Detroit, Louisville and Baltimore.

Read the full Governing Magazine story here.