New Jersey? Its as sought-after as the Hawaiian Islands. Both states are the third most popular des
Title
New Jersey? Its as sought-after as the Hawaiian Islands. Both states are the third most popular des
Vtmbh article article file
Vtmbh article article order
3
Vtmbh article author
Vtmbh article blurb
At 17.5 percent, New Jersey and Hawaii have the third-largest percentages of immigrants, Census figures show. The growing cultural diversity of New Jersey immigrants, and the New Jersey workforce, is forcing the casino industry to change.
Vtmbh article body
Streams of newcomers continue to pour into New Jersey, where immigrants, mainly from Latin America and Asia, are settling down.
According to the 2000 Census, New Jersey and Hawaii have, at 17.5 percent, the third-largest percentages of residents from overseas, just after New York and California.
Census experts, such as James Hughes, dean of the School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, affirm that immigrants are drawn to New Jersey for its proximity to the ports scattered along the Atlantic Coast.
New Jersey has always been an entrance point for immigrants, said Hughes. A hundred years ago they disembarked at Ellis Island, and now they land at the airports in New York City and Newark.
From the end of the 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of immigrants to settle in New Jersey were European. However, in recent decades, the immigrants origins shifted. According to the 2000 Census, among New Jersey residents born overseas, approximately 43 percent (1,476,327 people) are of Latin American origin, while almost 28 percent are from Asia, and only 24 percent are from Europe.
According to Hughes, these changes began to take effect after immigration law reforms enacted in the 1960s, which facilitated immigration from Latin America and Asia to the United States.
While most immigrants in New Jersey live in the northern and central parts of the state, two cities in the south, Atlantic City and Ventnor, have the highest percentage of residents born overseas. About 10,000 immigrants now live in Atlantic City, many of whom work in the casino industry.
The workforce today is culturally much more diverse than it was 15 years ago, said Craig Keyser, executive vice president of human resources for the Trump casino. Years ago, it was not uncommon for casino staff to be from Mexico and Puerto Rico, Keyser said. Today, casinos employ immigrants from Honduras, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. These and other ethnic changes are creating a need for casinos to adapt themselves to the varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds of their employees.
For example, Keyser noted that various casinos today serve special ethnic foods in the staff cafeterias, which also helps other employees to understand their different cultures. This helps us to create a better understanding of cultural diversity, he said.
According to the 2000 Census, New Jersey and Hawaii have, at 17.5 percent, the third-largest percentages of residents from overseas, just after New York and California.
Census experts, such as James Hughes, dean of the School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, affirm that immigrants are drawn to New Jersey for its proximity to the ports scattered along the Atlantic Coast.
New Jersey has always been an entrance point for immigrants, said Hughes. A hundred years ago they disembarked at Ellis Island, and now they land at the airports in New York City and Newark.
From the end of the 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of immigrants to settle in New Jersey were European. However, in recent decades, the immigrants origins shifted. According to the 2000 Census, among New Jersey residents born overseas, approximately 43 percent (1,476,327 people) are of Latin American origin, while almost 28 percent are from Asia, and only 24 percent are from Europe.
According to Hughes, these changes began to take effect after immigration law reforms enacted in the 1960s, which facilitated immigration from Latin America and Asia to the United States.
While most immigrants in New Jersey live in the northern and central parts of the state, two cities in the south, Atlantic City and Ventnor, have the highest percentage of residents born overseas. About 10,000 immigrants now live in Atlantic City, many of whom work in the casino industry.
The workforce today is culturally much more diverse than it was 15 years ago, said Craig Keyser, executive vice president of human resources for the Trump casino. Years ago, it was not uncommon for casino staff to be from Mexico and Puerto Rico, Keyser said. Today, casinos employ immigrants from Honduras, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. These and other ethnic changes are creating a need for casinos to adapt themselves to the varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds of their employees.
For example, Keyser noted that various casinos today serve special ethnic foods in the staff cafeterias, which also helps other employees to understand their different cultures. This helps us to create a better understanding of cultural diversity, he said.
Vtmbh article date
2002-07-23
Vtmbh article edition
28
Vtmbh article hit count
93
Vtmbh article keywords
Vtmbh article line breaks
1
Vtmbh article original language
Italian
Vtmbh article publication
America Oggi
Vtmbh article section
news
Vtmbh article thumb
Vtmbh article title
New Jersey? Its as sought-after as the Hawaiian Islands. Both states are the third most popular destination of new immigrants
Vtmbh article translator
Katherine Sigelman
Source
born-digital
Media Type
article
Original Name
At 17.5 percent, New Jersey and Hawaii have the third-largest percentages of immigrants, Census figu
Created by Author
yes
Described by Author
no
Date Entered
2002-07-23
Collection
Citation
“New Jersey? Its as sought-after as the Hawaiian Islands. Both states are the third most popular des,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed October 1, 2026, https://911.dev.chnm.gmu.edu/items/1700/.