b'MILWAUKEELIVING MOVE MKEMore than 120 companies are participating in the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerces CelebratingRegion of Choice Initiative" which is committed to significantly increasing the Diversity & Ournumber of Black and Brown talent in management and overall employment.Ethnic Histories Who are we? For starters, were friendly. In fact, we were named one of Americas friendliest cities by Travel & Leisure magazine. Were down-to-earth, hard-working and like to have fun. We thrive, because we are a diverse community that celebrates our past, present and future. Most Milwaukeeans are American by birth, they are proud of their cultural roots.Once known as a melting pot that drew its strength from the varied immigrant groups who planted roots here hoping to find opportunity, peace and prosperity, Milwaukee can now be seen as a nexus that connects individuals from various backgrounds to create an urban environment made stronger through vibrant diversity. The metropolitan region is 66% White, 17% Black, 12% Hispanic/Latino and 4% Asian. Thirty-five percent of the total population identify as having German ancestry, 11% Polish, 10% Irish, 4% English and 4% Italian. Among the Hispanic population, 68% identify as having Mexican ancestry and VISIT Milwaukee23% are of Puerto Rican descent. Among the Asian population, 28% are Hmong, 27% are Indian and 13% are Chinese.Milwaukee embraces the distinct character of its various heritages by hosting a cavalcade of ethnic festivals throughout the year, bringing together the larger community to celebrate the unique contributions and traditions of each group. Larger festivals rotate through the lakefront Henry W. Maier Festival Park, including Polish Fest, German Fest, Mexican Fiesta and Irish Fest.We are also a tolerant community. Milwaukee is home to a large, vibrant and active LGBTQ+ community that offers engagement, support resources, film festivals and social events, including PrideFest Milwaukee, an annual celebration held on Milwaukees lakefront.Polishfest/VISIT Milwaukee VISIT Milwaukee/Nick ColluraMeeting & Getting to Know PeopleOne challenge when moving to a new community is developing friendshipseven in a very friendly city such as Milwaukee. Some good local resources for engaging in our vibrant social scene are meetup.com, milwaukeedowntown.com, socialxmke.com and FUEL Milwaukee (fuelmilwaukee.org), which connects young professionals within the region. Other great ways to meet folks are through Facebook groups, by volunteering (see volunteermatch.org or unitedwaygmwc.org/volunteer), signing up for a charity event or exercise class, joining a gym, visiting a dog park or going to community events. Public libraries are an excellent resource for finding out information about organizations and events in your community. 14 YOUR RELOCATION RESOURCE'