Atlanta and Georgia Look to Strengthen Ties with Africa (Norwood: income, live)

[K-SawDude]

In addition to African cities and nations, I think Atlanta can/could make a play for Brazil. We already have a significant and growing Brazilian population, and it's one of the biggest economies on the planet.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by K-SawDude

In addition to African cities and nations, I think Atlanta can/could make a play for Brazil. We already have a significant and growing Brazilian population, and it's one of the biggest economies on the planet.

Yes and true.

[kirkwoodhipster]

Originally Posted by testa50

Who says we're shrugging them off? Atlanta is a major gateway to Latin America, and has some substantial ties with Asia, and that's great. But neither is a "niche" for Atlanta and probably never will be. Miami's ties with Latin America are ridiculously strong and go way past the Caribbean. Without looking at the numbers, I'd wager that they are in the top three in terms of immigrant populations for probably every single country in Central and South America (they aren't for Mexico, which is a North American country; granted, we aren't anywhere near the top 3 for Mexico either).

Miami's flight connections with South America exceed Atlanta's, also, with flights to places like La Paz, Santa Cruz Bolivia, Montevideo, and several cities in Colombia.


I don't think that developing linkages with other continents is a "zero sum game", or if it is that Atlanta is at all close to that point. There is plenty of room for our relationships with Asian and Latin American countries to flourish, even while we develop a niche as a gateway to Africa. Look at LA and SF: both have major ties with Latin America AND Asia. The only city that has developed these ties so strongly that other countries might feel crowded out is Miami, but we are still miles away from that point.

Atlanta's niche is having strong ties to all three regions. It has strong ties to Asia, being the number one city for Asian immigrants in 2010. It is an Asian Mecca. Atlanta is tied to South America through its large Brazilian and Colombian populations, its numerous S. American consulates (percentage of consulates that are S. American or Cen. American highest outside NYC). In addition, it is one of the closest major cities o S. America. Atlanta has a healhy populaion of African immigrants, and close proximity to major African cities. Ties to all three are strenghened by the busies airport in the world.

Atlanta is one of only a select few that can claim strong and growing ties to all three, and THAT is our niche.

People! Face the facts: you live in what has become, overnight, one of the naions foremost internaional cities! Please realize this and update your assumptions accordingly.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by kirkwoodhipster

Atlanta's niche is having strong ties to all three regions. It has strong ties to Asia, being the number one city for Asian immigrants in 2010. It is an Asian Mecca. Atlanta is tied to South America through its large Brazilian and Colombian populations, its numerous S. American consulates (percentage of consulates that are S. American or Cen. American highest outside NYC). In addition, it is one of the closest major cities o S. America. Atlanta has a healhy populaion of African immigrants, and close proximity to major African cities. Ties to all three are strenghened by the busies airport in the world.

Atlanta is one of only a select few that can claim strong and growing ties to all three, and THAT is our niche.

People! Face the facts: you live in what has become, overnight, one of the naions foremost internaional cities! Please realize this and update your assumptions accordingly.

What do you mean #1 for Asian immigrants in 2010?

I made a thread in the US forum that has detailed breakdowns of all this stuff:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/gener...a-results.html

Atlanta's strength really is in its diversity. I broke the world into ~15 major regions that are sources of immigrants to the US, and Atlanta ranked in the top 15 for all but one of these regions (Mexico was the one it didn't crack the top 15 in, oddly enough). Most other cities didn't manage this--they would have exceptional showings in some categories, but really weak showings in others.

But we also don't have much of a niche. We do relatively well among South America and Caribbean countries, but none are as strong as our showing for Africa. For Asia, we were between #10 and #14 in all four of my Asian categories (which include Indian Subcontinent, China, East Asia, and Southeast Asia). This is only legal immigrants gaining permanent status.

Of course, I wish all of the immigrant groups would increase to help establish Atlanta as a true global city. But we are uniquely well-positioned when it comes to linkages with Africa, and we need to jump on that pronto.

[waronxmas]

I am really confused how some people think that if Atlanta works on strengthening it's ties with African cities/countries it some how means that we would ignore or not work as hard to strengthen ties with European, Asian and Latin countries?

What, y'all think focusing on Africa would scare them off? LOL

[BringBackCobain]

I find it very amusing, but not at all surprising, how biased certain posters are towards Africa. They completely ignore the massive obstacles facing African economic success. Africa is one of the most improverished, war-torn, dysfunctional regions on the planet. A population explosion is only going to make it worse. Like I said, there are some bright spots like Nigeria, but even hat country has a questionable future due to the possibilty of civil war between the Muslim north and Chrisian south. These rosy economic projections are not based in reality.

Yet given the fact that Africa will remain an economic loser in our lifetime, the posters still push ahead for Atlanta's focus to be on Africa. Economics is used as a facade, and the problems are simply ignored or explained by the tired colonialism excuse.

Bottom line: it's not really about economics. It's more about furthering a specific agenda to preserve a threatened and receding hegemony over this city.

I really should get paid for this.

[testa50]

You cracked the code, BBC! It probably won't surprise some as savvy as you, but The Economist is actually one of our overseas collaborators, cooking to books to make it look like many of the fastest growing economies on earth are African countries, when ignoring the "fact" that Africa will remain a loser over the course of our lifetimes.

[BringBackCobain]

Originally Posted by testa50

You cracked the code, BBC! It probably won't surprise some as savvy as you, but The Economist is actually one of our overseas collaborators, cooking to books to make it look like many of the fastest growing economies on earth are African countries, when ignoring the "fact" that Africa will remain a loser over the course of our lifetimes.

Ah yes, The Economist. How could I forget about a has-been British weekly that is constantly celebrating Western decline and the rise of third-world countries while praising the effectiveness and efficiency of China's planned economy. Everyone knows that The Economist is the final authority on economics.

Yes, African countries are seeing huge growth rates, mostly due to abundant natrual resources. But that doesn't necessarily translate into long-term economic health or stability. The HDIs of African countries are the lowest of the low. Poverty rates are abyssmal. Literacy rates are almost as bad. Education is rarely compulsory. Corruption indexes are the highest on earth. Seperatist movements abound. Civil war is an imminent threat in a majority of countries. Population growth is increasing the occurrence of famine and starvation. Healthcare is sparse or in some cases nonexistent.

I could go on, but anyone who thinks high growth rates alone translate into long-term health and stability is missing the mark.

Don't get me wrong, Africa has huge potential. But the obsacles it has to overcome are almost insurmountable, and it will certianly take decades to do so.

Asia is the economic star of the 21st century. Atlanta's focus is and will continue to be on Asia.

[chiatldal]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

I find it very amusing, but not at all surprising, how biased certain posters are towards Africa. They completely ignore the massive obstacles facing African economic success. Africa is one of the most improverished, war-torn, dysfunctional regions on the planet. A population explosion is only going to make it worse. Like I said, there are some bright spots like Nigeria, but even hat country has a questionable future due to the possibilty of civil war between the Muslim north and Chrisian south. These rosy economic projections are not based in reality.

Yet given the fact that Africa will remain an economic loser in our lifetime, the posters still push ahead for Atlanta's focus to be on Africa. Economics is used as a facade, and the problems are simply ignored or explained by the tired colonialism excuse.

Bottom line: it's not really about economics. It's more about furthering a specific agenda to preserve a threatened and receding hegemony over this city.

I really should get paid for this.

You kill me, the only poster with a agenda is you? and of course this turns into race debate when you step in. Dude….. Black Americans and Blacks Africans don't even get along... failed, and African immigrants have a higher success rate then any race or immigrants group in the US….. failed. Again your mind is in that black vs white crap.

Originally Posted by testa50

You cracked the code, BBC! It probably won't surprise some as savvy as you, but The Economist is actually one of our overseas collaborators, cooking to books to make it look like many of the fastest growing economies on earth are African countries, when ignoring the "fact" that Africa will remain a loser over the course of our lifetimes.

Remember this not about economics or Atlanta become more of a global city to him, it’s about race. So economists are all wrong, and everyone has a agenda because most Africans are black. It's BBC, you got to know how sad this dude world view is, very sad and racist everything is black vs. white.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by chiatldal

Remember this not about economics or Atlanta become more of a global city to him, it’s about race. So economists are all wrong, and everyone has a agenda because most Africans are black.

You make a very good point. We're making a move to create deeper economic and social ties with countries in Africa, and this may come to shock to some, but not all Africans are BLACK There are plenty of Africans descended from Europeans and Asians and are just as visible in the diaspora as Black Africans.

Funnily enough, in the current project I am on at work we have brought in several contractors to do some work. Most of them are from overseas (aka India and China lol), with four of them Africa and only one of them is Black. Of the other three of the four people, two are white (one from Zimbabwe and the other from South Africa) and one is Indian from South Africa. They all see themselves as African and I see them as part of the emerging Afropolitan.

Who cares what their skin color is? We want them to bring their knowledge and work ethic to Atlanta as well as their different cultural perspectives.

Again, how this interferes with out economic and political ties with other regions of the world is beyond me.

Did not the Mayor recently travel to England to meet with the Prince of Wales regarding him investing in a large redevelopment project in the city?

Does not the State and City regularly send economic teams to Europe and Asia to work on brining more of their businesses here?

Is this not the fastest growing Korean city in the United States?