New report on demographic changes in Hillsborough County NH

A new report from the Carsey Institute at UNH discusses the changing demographics of the residents of New Hampshire' most populous region.  It discusses characteristics like age, income & poverty, urban/suburban growth and most interestingly to me immigration.  For instance...

"The Manchester–Nashua area has long been a point of entry for immigrants. Contemporary immigration levels certainly do not compare to historical levels, but immigrants remain an important source of growth for the region. An estimated 8,700 immigrants moved to the metropolitan area between 2000 and 2007. They represent more than one-third of the area’s population gain during the period.


Most of these immigrants settled in the cities of Nashua and Manchester, but a modest number settled
in the suburbs as well. Approximately 9 percent of the metropolitan area’s population is foreign-born, a far cry from the near majority at the turn of the last century, but certainly enough to underscore the continuing importance of immigrants to the region’s future."
 
To see the full report click on the headline or go to : http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/

Latinos may be 'future' of U.S. Catholic Church - CNN.com

Latinos may be 'future' of U.S. Catholic Church - CNN.com

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (CNN) -- "I'll take two chili, uh..." a hungry customer stammers at the front of a two-hour-long line. "Chile rellenos," the money-handler trills back in perfect Spanish. This is not a trendy Tex-Mex restaurant; and it's more than 1,000 miles from the Mexican border. The stuffed pepper causing the stutter is the hottest menu item at St. Cecilia's Lenten fish fry in St. Louis, Missouri. Chile rellenos, a traditional Mexican dish, have replaced fish as the main draw for Catholics giving up meat on Fridays. This century-old parish founded by German immigrants has turned 85 percent Hispanic. St. Cecilia's nearly closed. After it was designated the parish home for Latinos, the congregation quadrupled.


"It's the browning of the Catholic Church in the United States," says Pedro Moreno Garcia, who until last month led the Hispanic ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Moreno Garcia points to St. Cecilia's Spanish-dominant Mass schedule as a sign of the times.

"Hispanics are the present and Hispanics are the future of the Catholic Church in the United States," says Moreno Garcia.

Cultural Festivals in Manchester this Month

It is Agricultural Fair season again here in New Hampshire. But after you've ridden the Ferris wheel, eaten the fried dough and watched the tractor pulling competition -- you might want to check out something a little different.

Saturday August 15 will be the 10th Annual Latino Festival and Parade in Manchester.

http://www.latinosunidosnh.org/files/English/LatinoFestival.html


On the following Saturday August 22 it's time for the 9th Annual African/Caribbean Celebration.

http://ujimacollective.mysite.com/

both events will be held at Veterans Park in Downtown Manchester starting around 11:00 am.