Reflecting global trends, Chicago has seen a tremendous population shift since 1945. Historically a city largely populated by European and African Americans, Chicago attracted people from all over the globe after World War II, becoming one of the most ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse cities in the world by the 1980s. America's cities are becoming more and more significant actors on the global stage. The thought that cities must reflexively submit to impersonal global forces is giving way to the recognition that civic and community leaders can shape a city's response to global trends. Globalization is an influential engine of change.
