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October 26, 1999 DES MOINES, Iowa--Faces of Iowa greeted each other in the corridors. People who have never met welcomed each other with open arms and delighted in the company of new friends. These faces included third-generation Italians, high school students, permanent Iowa residents, college students, business people, representatives of religious communities, educators and others. The voices of Iowa sang songs from Africa and rang with laughter in the hallways. A storyteller wove intercity tales with motivational themes. A writer reported on Latin America. Six paintings of faces symbolizing new members of Iowa's immigration community hung above the main stage of the "Faces and Voices of Iowa" Diversity Conference, held Oct. 5 and 6, as a reminder of part of what Iowa is. These six represent the immigrants already here, but Gov. Tom Vilsack said he believes more people need to be coming into Iowa. "We need more Iowans, we need younger Iowans, and we need better paid Iowans," Gov. Tom Vilsack said to the opening crowd. Vilsack cited figures to show how the population of Iowa is aging. He said there are more people over the age of 75 in Iowa than under the age of 4. U.S. Census Bureaus projections show that on July 1, 1995 there were approximately 432,000 Iowans were over the age of 65. In the same year, the bureau showed the number of Iowans under the age of 4 at 184,000. The projections for Iowans over 65 on July 1, 2000, are expected to be 442,000 and Iowans under 4 to be 183,000. In 25 years, the Iowan population over 65 is expected to be 686,000 while the population under 4 will have dropped to 175,000. Also, Vilsack said Iowa has the fastest growing number of people over the age of 100, and the state is first with the number of residents over 85, second over 75 and fourth over 65. U.S. Census Bureau statistics credited Iowa for having a mere 1.1 percent of the nation's population in 1995, the latest statistics available. By 2025, the Census Bureau projects a decline in the percentage of U.S. population in Iowa to fall to .9 percent, dropping Iowa's ranking from the 30th most populous state to the 33rd most populous state. Between 2000 and 2025, the Bureau expects 83,000 people to immigrate to Iowa. To attract more people to the state, Vilsack suggested creating a center for new immigration to help settle newcomers into the state. "It is important and imperative for our state to do a better job welcoming and greeting immigrants," Vilsack said. He said in the 1970s, Iowa allowed in many Tai Dam refugees to settle in Iowa and should continue this tradition of opening to international migration. "To provide an open heart, open home and open sense of communities in learning tastes, we will create trade opportunities," Vilsack said. Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson introduced Vilsack and his ideas at the opening session. "Immigration is changing the face of Iowa," Pederson said. She said the governor's office is active in many of Iowa's cultural events, like Meskwaki tribal celebrations, the Martin Luther King celebration and the Tai Dam New Year's celebration. "Immigration is changing the face of Iowa [and] keeping the population rising that otherwise would have declined," Pederson said. Vilsack echoed her sentiment and said even if Iowa continues to grow the same rate it is now, it will take until 2010 to return to the population Iowa had in 1980. Eight years ago, the Iowa Committee on Diversity was created as the Lieutenant Governor's Committee on Diversity. The committee was organized to address a series of racial incidents that had occurred in Iowa. The Web site for the committee, www.state.ia.us/diversity, says the diversity conference "strives to inspire Iowans to value and respect all peoples, and to eliminate racism, prejudice, and intolerance." The group works to create an appreciation for diversity. The conference, its main activity, has been held annually for the last six years. The conference features nationally-recognized speakers, workshops and artists. This year's conference featured Joel Millman, a Wall Street reporter and author of "The Other Americans: How Immigrants Renew our Country, Our Economy, and Our Values." The dialogues in the workshops were diverse and had topics like "Iowa's New Workforce: We"ve Never Done That Before" and "Immigrants in Our Own Land." The committee is a nonprofit organization separate from state government, but when Sally Pederson was elected lieutenant governor in 1998, former Lt. Gov. Joy Corning requested she continue the committee and conference. Pederson agreed. |