Charlotte, NC – The United States is known as the world’s melting pot. Immigrants from all over the globe entered through Ellis Island and other ports to start a new life on American soil.
While the immigration policies have changed over the years, the goals of these individuals have remained consistent: building a better life for themselves and their families.
This dream was never formally defined until the historian James Truslow Adams described what became known as the American Dream following the Great Depression.
The American Dream is not about becoming financially rich, but “of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position” (Sarah Churchwell).
Every state is home to people working towards this dream. Out of the 50 states, North Carolina ranks No.13 for largest percentage of foreign-born residents.
In Mecklenburg County, the foreign-born population percentages reached 16.5% as of 2025, nearly 200,000 residents. In 1990, the number was less than 2%. While this percentage might seem small, the economic and cultural contributions are significant.
In 2017, this population earned roughly $4.9 billion in a combined income. That same year, foreign-born residents made up 16.4% of business owners, 25% of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) workers, 44.7% of construction workers, and 26% of manufacturing workers, according to the American Immigration Council.
These residents are, quite literally, building and running Charlotte through their work ethic and contributions.
The American Dream is open to anyone and in Charlotte, immigrants are living proof of its pursuit.
