View article

Immigration into the United States soared between the 1990 and 2000 censuses and continued during the 2000 to 2007 period, resulting in significant demographic shifts in some regions of the country. Latino immigration accounts for much of this increase with the South receiving the largest demographic shift. A number of Southern states, such as North Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, reported substantial increases in the size of their Latino populations from 1990 to 2000 (US Census 1990, 2000). Many experienced even greater growth in Latino residents between 2000 and 2007. Research in the area of the effects of Latino immigration on intergroup relations in the South is very recent and not extensive (McClain et al. 2006, 2007; Marrow 2008, 2009; Winders 2008a, 2008b). This paper will provide a glimpse at the context in which racial intergroup relations will be developed in three Southern locations-Durham, NC; Memphis, TN; and Little Rock, AR. These locations represent different Southern environments: Memphis is a majority black city, Durham holds nearly equal numbers of blacks and whites and Little Rock is a majority white city.