NH Demographics: Diversity A 'Challenge'

CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire has been "challenged" regarding diversity efforts, according to the state's top economic official. New Hampshire is 94 percent white, 2 percent Asian and 1 percent black, according to the latest census.

"We are focusing on ways to be a state that is welcoming, accepting, and supportive," Will Arvelo, New Hampshire's economic development director, said in a statement. "If we are to widen our competitive advantage, we need a diverse workforce."

Arvelo hosted an economic summit in Manchester last week examining efforts by the state and businesses to support diversity.

Governor Chris Sununu recently created an Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion that examine demographics and other issues. Sununu last month approved new laws outlawing gender discrimination and gay conversion therapy.

"If we really want to be the Live Free or Die State, we must ensure that New Hampshire is a place where every person, regardless of their background, has an equal and full opportunity to pursue their dreams and to make a better life for themselves and their families," Sununu said in a statement at the time.

The efforts have received national attention; The New York Times examined them in a story, "New Hampshire, 94 Percent White, Asks: How Do You Diversify a Whole State?"

Last year, New Hampshire's image as a welcoming state was called into question on the national stage after a group of boys in central New Hampshire allegedly harassed an 8-year-old biracial boy and hanged him from a tree. The boy survived.

Related:

• NH Transgender Rights, Gay Conversion Ban Bills Approved

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