Diversity

In Tampa we celebrate our diversity as a strength, not a weakness. We’re a highly diverse community with a rich supply of multilingual talent.

Our rich ethnic and cultural heritage dates back to the days of Spanish exploration. As we grew, the culture continued to expand and diversify. In 1886, Vicente Martinez Ybor established a cigar factory in Tampa, starting our reign as Cigar City where immigrants from Cuba, Spain, Italy and Germany came to work in the cigar factories. 

Many nationalities and cultures are prevalent throughout our community. Tampa is home to individuals hailing from more than 130 nationalities and our universities welcome students from more than 140 countries. Large corporations such as Mosaic, PGIM, Citi and JPMorgan Chase employ thousands of people here because of our international diversity and availability of bilingual and multilingual talent.

In addition to our cultural diversity, Tampa is well-known for being inclusive to LGBTQ individuals and families. Tampa proudly earned a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index. The index scores are assigned based on several factors evaluating a city’s commitment to providing LGBTQ protections and inclusive policies in areas ranging from employment to law enforcement. Every March, Tampa hosts the Tampa Pride Parade and Festival in historic Ybor City. Tens of thousands of people gather for the highly anticipated Pride weekend.