Atlanta's character has evolved from a mix of peoples: Transplanted Northerners and people from elsewhere account for 50 percent of the population and have undeniably affected the mood and character of the city. Irish immigrants had a major role in the city's early history, along with Germans and Austrians; the Hungarian-born Rich brothers founded Atlanta's principal department store. In the past two decades, Atlanta has seen spirited growth in its Asian and Latin-American communities. Atlanta's Asian-American and Latino citizens can point with pride to their economic and civic accomplishments. Their restaurants, shops, and institutions have become part of the city's texture.

For more than four decades, Atlanta has been linked to the civil rights movement. Among the many accomplishments of Atlanta's African-American community is the Nobel Peace Prize that Martin Luther King, Jr., won in 1964. Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King, continues to operate the King Center, which she founded after her husband's assassination in 1968. In 1972 Andrew Young was elected the first black congressman from the South since Reconstruction.

The traditional and romantic image of the South, with lacy moss dangling from tree limbs, thick, sugary Southern drawls, a leisurely pace, and luxurious antebellum mansions, is rarely seen here. Even before the Civil War, the columned house was a rarity. The frenetic pace of building that characterized the period after the Civil War has continued unabated. Still viewed by die-hard Southerners as the heart of the Old Confederacy, Atlanta has become the best example of the New South, a fast-paced modern city proud of its heritage.