Response revisited with elaborations about demographics

Dear Friend,
Following a recent conversation about the Mississippi state flag you asked me if “things were getting any better.”
My assumption was concerning race relations and I think I told you, “somewhat.”
But I later recalled that it has been 47 years since you lived here and I needed to clarify my answer.
When you left in 1970 Panola County was approximately 50 percent equally black and white. The Jewish population consisted of the Shackeroff family and the Hispanic population only included the Jesus Delgado family.
A lot has changed. Middle Easterners now operate the majority of the many convenience stores including those located on the Interstate 55 as well as those located in the hoo-hollows or backwoods.
Indians, not to be confused with Native Americans, have invested heavily in our hotel/motel industry making your old home town contain the largest number of hotel rooms on I-55 between Memphis and Jackson. And more are under construction and in planning stages.
There is a contingent of Buddhist monastics from Vietnam who make their home in the Red Hill Community where as many as 1,200 visitors come twice a year to weekend retreats, filling up the local hotels built by the Indians.
There are three Mexican restaurants in this town and at least one more in Como that are owned and operated by Hispanic families that have assimilated here in the food industry. Lawn care and landscaping businesses also employ Hispanics as is common elsewhere in the county, but don’t think for a minute many of these people are not also taking advantage of opportunities in other areas of commerce.
A popular Japanese restaurant is also located on the town’s corridor and does pretty well, although they don’t always cook all their fish.
Don’t think for a second that any of these people are not making better lives for themselves and their children, just as our parents wanted for us.
No longer is the black community, or any minority, located only on the “other side of the tracks,” in rural farm houses or public projects. Many now reside along the main roads of the county in two story homes or on property adjoining the local country club’s golf course.
Our public schools are filled with children of many of these residents and the local private school has students who represent most all of the local cultures.
Two of the three largest municipalities have majority black representation on their boards and two of the five county board members are African American. A former respected board president was an African-American serving several terms before dying in office.
On Autumn Friday nights residents of all descriptions fill the local football stadium to cheer the local team, a practice that goes on throughout the region and maybe the country.
Panola County has previously elected an African American sheriff and a few years back a popular white state representative incumbent was defeated by a respected African American candidate in a majority white district—probably the first time since Reconstruction in our county.
The mixed race people that we once spoke of derogatorily—they are now considered brown or tan and have some of the most beautiful children God has ever created.
This is what I would tell you if you asked the same question again. I will admit we still have a far way to go. But we have made changes—many for the better.
Your friend,
Ru