Diversity

Asian Food Festival

While the stats from the latest census will not be available until later in 2021, Cincinnati did have a population of over 303,000 in 2018, up from 301,305 in 2017, according to Data USA. Thanks to several immigration waves of German, Irish and Jewish populations in the 19th and 20th centuries, the city has a unique character that’s been amplified recently by even more immigration from Asia, Africa and Central America.

– Terry Troy

Today, the largest ethnic groups in Cincinnati identify as White (49.8%) or Black or African American (40.4%) with various Hispanic, Central American and Asian ethnicities making up much of the remaining population. The most common birthplace for foreign born residents is India, followed by Mexico and China. Most of Cincinnati’s residents are U.S. citizens, (96.2% in 2018).

Naturally, many of these cultures are celebrated in neighborhoods and during a wide variety of festivals held throughout the year, including the Asian Food Fest, Cincy-Cinco, Italianfest, Panegyri Greek Festival, Taste of Mediterranean Food Festival, the Cincinnati Hispanic Fest and an Appalachian festival, among many others.

Diversity in Business

If you’re looking to establish a business, the city has several organizations that support diverse ethnic entrepreneurs as well as companies looking to achieve diversity and inclusion throughout their workforce.

“Just as it’s important for a region to have an economy that’s diverse in industry, it’s also important to have a diversity of people,” says Kimm Lauterbach, president and CEO of REDI Cincinnati. “Not only does it make our economy stronger, companies want to see that we’re committed to diversity when they consider the Cincinnati region for investment. Tech companies are especially concerned with diversity, and when we talk to them about moving to the region we always show them that the business community is committed to inclusion through a broad number of programs and initiatives. More than half of all new businesses started in the last decade have been minority-owned, which means if we can help them thrive in the Cincinnati region, it will pay off for everyone.”

There are several ways REDI Cincinnati supports diversity and inclusion.

“Since 2017, we have partnered with the chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator to attract minority firms in industries where the region doesn’t already have a strong presence of existing minority companies,” says Lauterbach. “Last year, we developed a five-year strategy in which diversity is highlighted as a crucial part our mission to drive job growth and investment in the region. [In 2020], we were able to partner with the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati to distribute PPE kits to minority businesses when the supplies were hard to find and businesses needed it to maintain a safe working environment in the face of a pandemic. [In 2020] we also partnered with JobsOhio on their Inclusion Grant program, which supports businesses that are minority-led or in disadvantaged communities with much-needed funding.”

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber is also nationally recognized for its leadership in diversity and inclusion practices. Its Minority Business Accelerator develops, strengthens and expands the regional minority business community while sharing stories of minority business successes. Another initiative called Diverse by Design attracts, develops and retains diverse talent for the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas. Cincinnati Compass, a partnership with the city of Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati and 60 more community partners, offers resources and connections for immigrants, international students and others who wish to make Cincinnati their home.

But there is even more help if you’re new to the city. There are a plethora of ethnic business organizations including an African American Chamber, Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA, the Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the European Chamber of Commerce, an Indian Chamber of Commerce and the Japan America Society of Greater Cincinnati.