The Overture is About to Start

2010 Census Unveils: “Faces of New Jersey Women,” in Transformation

The suspense heightens as the drum roll grows louder. The gold-trimmed envelop slips into the trembling hand that is poised to open it. And the winner is………..EVERYWOMAN in the state of New Jersey. The 2010 Census drawing to a close this spring will necessarily reveal a demographically transformed image of the, “Faces of New Jersey Women.” Census 2010 will present a clearer picture of precisely who New Jersey women are as we move into what promises to be an exciting new decade. Already the most densely populated, and one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse states in the country, the unveiling of the dynamic, ever richer New Jersey cross-cultural tapestry that we all witness in workplaces and supermarkets is about to begin.

New Jersey women and the economy of our tiny powerhouse of a state, stand to reap tremendous rewards from one of the most increasingly cosmopolitan living experiences and highly qualified professional talent bases offered by any state in the country. Home to the third highest populations of Asians & Italians (by %), Indians (by absolute numbers) and the largest population of Cubans outside of Florida for example, New Jersey small businesses and technical science-driven firms draw from an internationally enhanced pool of highly educated professionals. The state’s broad spectrum of universities and superior county college system have creatively adapted programs to facilitate learning and workforce development for increasingly international student bodies, even as educational opportunity is open-ended for native New Jerseyans.

Of equal importance however, is the unprecedented opportunity for New Jersey women, to enrich our personal experience by deepening our understanding of women from around the world who are now our neighbors in Randolph, Cherry Hill, Milburn and Bound Brook. We need not rely upon the paucity of positive media depictions of women from disparate cultures when we can choose to strike up conversations with women who hail from around the globe, at the office, while we shop, or as our children use New Jersey parks together.

The TRANSFORMATIVE VISIONS column will …….highlight and chronicle innovative business and social approaches taken throughout the New Jersey to embrace, and maximize positive outcomes inherent in the state’s evolving demographic landscape.

Readers are invited to suggest visionary companies, organizations, and individuals who are taking creative, impactful action.