A new report from the Boston Foundation released Wednesday highlights the increasing racial and ethnic diversity of the Greater Boston area, much of which has been driven by immigration. In the past 25 years, the non-white population of Boston has grown by more than 60 percent — and in the Boston metro region, by a full 250 percent. The change has led to many suburbs close to the city — such as Malden, Randolph and Brockton — joining Boston proper to become majority people of color. But as the region has changed, economic equality and political representation have not kept up.
To discuss what’s changed, and what still needs to, Jim Braude was joined by Lisa Wong, town manager for Winchester and former mayor of Fitchburg, and Juana Matias, COO of MassInc and a former state representative for Lawrence and former congressional candidate.