Minority Communities Grow In Franklin County

As the 2010 Census numbers continue to trickle out, the most recent figures released show Franklin County is more diverse. The county's Hispanic/Latino population more than doubled during the past ten years, from about 24,000 to nearly 56,000. And Census figures indicate, during the same period, the African American community increased 27 percent. The Ohio Hispanic Coalition's executive director Josue Vicente said the new figures will help secure services and benefits for immigrants. "Helping the states and local agencies, in this case Franklin County, to develop health care and other services, to the language and cultural diversity of immigrants," Vincente said. Vicente added the new Census numbers also will help school districts get educational funds for students with limited English proficiency. As minority communities grow, the number of Caucasians living in Franklin County declined slightly, 1.5 percent. While the 2010 Census did not survey ancestry, it conducted an American Communities Survey the year before. It found the number of Somalis living in Franklin County more than doubled from 2000.