Atlanta is known for our extremely diverse and beautiful multi-cultural city. With people coming from all over the world to settle in the ATL, we’re so lucky to enjoy culture, food, drink, art, experiences, and so much more from thousands of different types of backgrounds and places. But there’s one place in Georgia where multiculturalism is particularly vibrant, Clarkston, Georgia, or, ‘America’s most diverse square mile.’ Keep scrolling to learn all about Clarkston!
Where is Clarkston, GA?
Located in DeKalb County, the city of Clarkston has a population just under 15,000 (nearly doubling from the last U.S. census in 2010). And that number might seem low, until you realize that the whole city is just 1.1 square miles.
Why is Clarkston so diverse?
So how did this little neighborhood in Atlanta get so diverse, anyway?
The ethnic diversity is due, in large part to the refugee resettlement programs in the 1990s, which deemed Clarkston as a good fit for refugees from tons of different backgrounds. With an open rental market and access to Atlanta’s urban core via public transit, Clarkston was a great place to settle and make a home for many seeking refuge in the United States.
What is the ethnic makeup of Clarkston?
Some reports say that Clarkston High School has students coming from more than come from 50 different countries. The ethnic makeup breaks down like this, as of the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau:
- Black – 64.3%
- White – 8.1%
- Native American – 0.2%
- Asian – 19.4%
- Multiracial – 3.6%
- Hispanic/Latino – 3.7%
According to the Census, the most reported ancestries were African American (23.6%), Ethiopian (12%), Burmese (8.7%), Congolese (4.2%), Nepalese (4.1%), and Afghan (2.3%).
Want to visit and help out? You can!
If you’re looking for a fun way to help refugees in Clarkston, all you’ve gotta do is… order a cup of coffee! Refuge Coffee is an amazing (and amazingly delicious) coffee shop located in Clarkston that’s goal is “to
offer newly arrived immigrants and other refugees a place to breathe and dream.” They say,…