Pros and Cons of Immigrants in Hazleton PA

In the 40s, Hazleton, Pennsylvania was a prosperous mining town, but when petroleum became popular it turned to manufacturing. Yet owners realized production was cheaper overseas, which caused jobs and people to leave the city. This caused housing prices to drop, which appealed to immigrants—mostly hispanic—who brought their culture, started families, and revitalized the economy. Over the last 2 decades the Latino population jumped over 10-fold via chain migration of mostly Dominicans, some illegal, from New York and Jersey. The rapid influx caused many to flee the city in what’s called “white flight.”