What makes a city international? Its people! The 2000 U.S. Census reports the foreign-born population of Marion County at 4.5 percent. Their number has increased 157 percent since 1990.

We are a composite of people from throughout the world. In fact, there are 129 languages other than English spoken in homes of Marion County public school students. International Baccalaureate degrees are offered at private and public high schools throughout the area, as are instruction in foreign languages and English as a new language.

The demand for English-language instruction for newcomers is on the rise in businesses and organizations. So, too, is the interest in learning Spanish. The city’s Hispanic population is projected to reach 24 percent of Indiana’s population by 2030.

Foreign-owned businesses employ 137,400 in Indiana, ranking the state 14th nationally…

It is as important today as at any time in the history of our city to build bridges of understanding. It makes good business sense to be a welcoming, open, international city…

Economic, cultural, social and political advantages will be ours to the extent that the world recognizes Indianapolis as an increasingly international, cosmopolitan and welcoming city.

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