‘CNN Dialogues’ Series Tackles Diversity, Race

The results of the 2010 Census revealed that minorities will soon become the majority in America. With so many cultures and ethnicities in the U.S., it’s important that citizens are conscious of how the changes will affect future generations.

Emory University recently partnered with CNN to host a panel discussion titled “CNN Dialogues.” Held at The Carter Center in Atlanta, the panel was narrated by Wolf Blitzer and featured Heidi W. Durrow, author of the novel The Girl Who Fell From the Sky;  Yul Kwon, the host of PBS’s “America Revealed”; Edward James Olmos, actor and activist; Kris Marsh, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Maryland at College Park; and Dana White, Goodrich C. White professor of Urban Studies at Emory University. –amir shaw

Wolf Blitzer on the changing demographics in Atlanta:

“As the capital of the South and a city that has undergone enormous growth in the past half century, Atlanta is ideally positioned to host this public discourse. According to CNN data, the city of Atlanta became one of the highest concentrations of Hispanic immigrants between 2000-2010 in the U.S., while Asian-Americans became the fifth fastest growing community in the country and the second highest in ethnic business growth.”

Heidi W. Durrow on race identification as it relates to the census:

“As someone with a Danish mother and an African American father, I struggled with my [Census form] selection. I understand that the Census is not exactly the place for self-identification. It’s about reapportionment and money, but it’s also important to know that there’s an evolving mix occurring.”

Yul Kwon on why the nation is comprised of immigrants:

“People don’t understand that we are a nation of immigrants. We’re giving [foreigners] great educational resources, but on a time limit, so that they leave and become more competitive. Closing our borders means losing pipelines of innovation.”