Census data for Houston, Texas paints a mosaic of America. Its estimated 2006 population of 2,074,828 includes 868,782 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, 103,557 Asians and 513,275 blacks.
 
Because of its proximity to Mexico, Houston, for years, has had a relatively large Hispanic population. But it was the period between 1990 to 2000 that saw that area boom.

“Between 1990 and 2000, the Anglo population in Harris County dropped six percent, the African-American population grew by 22 percent, the Hispanic population grew by 74 percent, and the Asian population grew by 76 percent,” said Stephen Kleinberg, a Rice University sociologist considered an authority on Houston area demographics.

“By looking at Houston, you see the whole way by which the new America is taking shape and where it will go in the future,” Kleinberg told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Candidates on the stump for president are well aware of the changing demographics and the impact of immigration on America and Americans. As the March 4 primary approaches in one of the most diverse states in the union, the issue of immigration is at the forefront of discussion.

Of the 23 million in the state, Hispanics account for more than a third -- 8,385,118 -- and the black population is 2,718,515. There also is a large number of Asians, and Native Americans. Because Houston is close to the border, it’s often the first stop for those entering the country from Mexico and Latin American countries, observers say.

“We’re right on the (Interstate) 59 corridor, a direct route to Mexico,” said Ronald Green, a black attorney who has served on the Houston City Council five years.

There are two schools of thought in the black community on how that closeness and the immigration it brings impacts blacks, Green told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

“Among those who work in professional jobs, you don’t hear much talk of job competition. But among those in unskilled labor-related jobs, you hear complaints about the number of Hispanics and how the availability of cheap labor drives down wages,” Green said. Another perception, he added, is that Hispanics take the jobs that other people of color don’t want. “You don’t see as many black cooks or bus boys as you did a few years ago. That’s true in other parts of the country as well."
 
Kleinberg says most of the immigrants who arrive in Texas come through family reunification and are in the country legally, but a large number are here illegally.

“We do not allow enough immigrants to come into this country and do the jobs that we need to have done,“ Kleinberg said.

Each of the major Democratic and Republican candidates have devoted considerable space on their Web sites to presenting their programs for immigration reform.
 
Sen. Hillary Clinton has “called for comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar.”
 
Sen. Barack Obama said in 2007 on the floor of the U.S. Senate, that "the time to fix our broken immigration system is now ... We need stronger enforcement on the border and at the workplace ... But for reform to work, we also must respond to what pulls people to America. Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should.”

Republican Mike Huckabee says, “Securing our borders must be our top priority and has reached the level of a national emergency. I support the $3 billion the Senate has voted for border security. This money will train and deploy 23,000 more agents, add four drone planes, build 700 miles of fence and 300 miles of vehicle barriers, and put up 105 radar and camera towers ... In this age of terror, immigration is not only an economic issue, but also a national security issue. Those caught trying to enter illegally must be detained, processed, and deported.”

According to John McCain, “Immigration is one of those challenging issues that touch on many aspects of American life. I have always believed that our border must be secure and that the federal government has utterly failed in its responsibility to ensure that it is secure. If we have learned anything from the recent immigration debate, it is that Americans have little trust that their government will honor a pledge to do the things necessary to make the border secure. As president, I will secure the border. I will restore the trust Americans should have in the basic competency of their government. A secure border is an essential element of our national security. Tight border security includes not just the entry and exit of people, but also the effective screening of cargo at our borders and other points of entry.”

Carol Alvarado, a community leader who served on the Houston City Council from 2002 to 2007, says Houston has been successful in addressing many issues with diversity because leaders have learned the value of sitting down together and talking through problems.

“We have managed to do away with some of the divisiveness and hatred found in other areas because we were already such a diverse community,” Alvarado told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Several months ago, a move was afoot that would have called for Houston police to act essentially as immigration officers, she said. “We brought together leaders in government, business and construction. Together we said no way will our police take on that additional responsibility.”

Green said the Houston Police Department can not function as the federal Immigration Customs Enforcement. If someone is arrested for a major crime, police run an immigration check. But the biggest problem with Hispanics, Green said, is in reporting crimes.

“Many don’t want to call the police. They don’t want anyone checking their status. They just want to stay here and work,“ he said.

Immigrants who are undocumented are encouraged to go through the citizenship process, Alvarado said, because they come to America to live, work and have a better quality of life, like generations of immigrants before them.

“If all these people left and went back to the Motherland, this city would come to a halt,” she said. “Who would build, clean the hotels, do the landscaping and cook the food?”

When immigrants arrive in Houston, one of their first encounters is with the Houston Independent School District, the nation’s sixth largest public school system, with more than 200,000 students. Of that number, 59 percent are Hispanic, 29 percent are black and eight percent are white.

Many of the Hispanic students are from South America, Mexico or Latin American countries. Many of them speak very little English, but still, the school system sets goals for each student to achieve maximum potential, said Karen S. Garza, chief academic officer for the system.

“At the elementary and middle school level, we are adept with bilingual and ESL (English as a second language) classes. We have quality teachers, and our program is nationally recognized,“ Garza told BlackAmericaweb.com.

Hispanic students who start Houston schools in the lower grades usually transition with language in a few years, learning to speak and understand their lesson in English, she said. Students who come to the system in high school tend to have more difficulty because they tackle more rigorous courses while also trying to adapt to the English language.

Some of the Hispanic students, now about 300 of them, are enrolled in Liberty High School, a charter school that opened in 2005. There the principal and teachers are bilingual, and the courses have the same rigor as typical Houston high schools, but are often taught in Spanish. It’s designed to serve recent immigrants to the United States.

“The bottom line is that you respond to each individual,” Garza said. “It matters not the economic background, race or ethnicity of the student.”

The Houston city government began enhancing its services to accommodate its changing demographics.
 
“Because of the number of people we have from countries of Hispanic origin, we have to better serve the people who are paying taxes,“ city spokesman Patrick Treyhand told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “You have to deal with them in a language they understand.“

The city also has an office of Citizens Assistance that is staffed to help people with a variety of needs in locating services or making transition.

“We support people in their efforts to obtain citizenship,“ Treyhand said. “Houston prides itself on its diversity. If you work hard and play by the rules, you are just as much a Houstonian as anyone else.”