Many migrants from Central America, along with those from Mexico began coming to the Atlanta area from their native lands and the southwestern U.S. in the 1990s. Atlanta's economy and, in particular, its construction industry, was booming as the region prepared to host the 1996 Olympic Games.
While Central Americans possess a rich cultural heritage, the pressures of making a living and the other challenges of modern urban living have prevented the community from developing a distinctive cultural presence - apart from the general Hispanic culture - in metro Atlanta. The one exception may be in the area of cuisine.