Asian Ethnic Groups And People Who Are Biracial Are On The Rise In Wisconsin

U.S. Census Bureau numbers show that Asian ethnic groups and people of two or more races are the fastest-growing racial groups in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin’s population grew by almost 37,000 people from July 2010 to July 2012. While white people still make up the overwhelming majority of the state, that population is growing slower than any other racial group.

African-American and American-Indian populations are slowly on the rise. Asian racial groups and people of two or more races are flourishing more than any other ethnic group.

Angelique Harris, an assistant professor of social and cultural sciences at Marquette University, says when it comes to people with mixed races, younger people are living in more urban areas and come into contact with people of other backgrounds more often than in previous generations.

“Now that you don’t have fear of discrimination or segregation and whatnot to the same extent, preventing people from marrying or entering into relationships with each other, you’re going have this beginning to happen more and more.”

More counties across the country, especially in Texas and California, are becoming majority-minority, meaning white people are the minority and historical minorities become the majority. Harris says it’s inevitable that Wisconsin’s culture will change.

“It’s not necessarily the next 10, 15 years, but 40 years down the line, Wisconsin’s not going to look the way that it looks now.”

Harris says the transformation will occur first in urban centers and will slowly spread to rural areas.