When Foqia Ijaz moved to Nashua from Pakistan, she couldn’t find a grocery store that sold food from her native country.

Today, some 15 years later, she has her pick of several stores.

“I have seen so many changes just in the past few years, especially in Nashua,” said Ijaz, program coordinator for the Gate City Health and Wellness Immigrant Integration Initiative.

“When we came, you wouldn’t find a store with groceries from our country. But now there are so many more stores that have opened, and they are all doing good.”

Nashua’s racial and ethnic diversity continues to grow, according to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data. Minorities and people who identify themselves as biracial or multiracial make up 17 percent of the city’s population, compared with just 11 percent in 2000.

Nearly 10 percent of Nashua residents are Hispanic, up from 6 percent in 2000.

The state is more diverse, too, although the demographics have changed at a far slower pace. Minorities account for just 6 percent of the state’s population, compared with 4 percent in 2000.

“That’s generally the trend we’ve been seeing for quite some time,” said Ken Gallager, principal planner for the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning.

Nationwide, minorities and people who identify themselves as having more than one race make up 28 percent of the population.

Last week, the Census Bureau released the first wave of 2010 data for New Hampshire, including statistics on the state’s population, racial and ethnic breakdowns, the number of housing units and the percentage of the population that’s age 18 or older.

More detailed statistics will be released throughout the year.

The Census Bureau identifies these basic racial categories: white, black or African-American, American Indian or Alaska native, and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander. Those who feel that none of those categories apply can select “some other race” or “two or more races.”

Hispanic is considered an ethnicity, not a race, and is counted separately.

In Nashua, Asians are the largest minority racial group, comprising 6.5 percent of the population in 2010 compared with 4 percent in 2000. There are 5,626 Asians in Nashua, an increase of about 67 percent from 3,363 in 2000.

The state’s Asian population nearly doubled over the decade, from close to 16,000 to more than 28,000.

More detailed racial and ethnic breakdowns revealing the countries of origin are expected this summer, but locals have their own ideas.

“In Nashua, and New Hampshire especially, the Nepali community is growing really fast,” said Krishna KC, a Nepali citizen and owner of Cafe India in Nashua.

The area’s growing Nepali community, and all the festivals and community events they celebrate, have been good for Cafe India’s catering business, she said.

Ijaz said the majority of growth in the Asian population is because of the Indian community. Many of these recent immigrants come as young couples, fresh college graduates who come to work in tech jobs.

“They are well-to-do, all of them, because they have good jobs,” she said. “Obviously they are contributing towards the economy.”

Ijaz came to New Hampshire because one of her aunts lived here. She and her husband decided to stay after he landed a job.

“When we had kids, we realized that this is a really good state to raise your kids,” she said. “So, we stayed.”

Black or African-American residents make up 2.7 percent of Nashua’s population, compared with 2 percent in the 2000 census. Statewide, only about 1 percent of the population is black or African-American.

About 5 percent of Nashua residents identified themselves as “some other race” in the 2010 census, while 2.5 percent selected “two or more races.”

American Indian or Alaskan natives, and Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders each make up far less than 1 percent of the population in Nashua and the state.

There are more than 8,500 Hispanics in Nashua, about a 57 percent increase from 5,400 in 2000.

“They just add spice, they add flavor to New Hampshire,” said attorney Enrique Mesa, chairman of Gov. John Lynch’s Commission on Latino Affairs. “I really like going to the post office and hearing different languages.”

Mesa said some communities haven’t been so welcoming to the Latino community.

“Right now, there are some cities in New Hampshire, like Hudson, that pretty much have made it clear that they want to give Hispanics a hard time,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re here legally or illegally. I’ve seen it, and I’ve heard stories, and it’s just not right.

“But I really don’t think it’s the whole of New Hampshire that feels that way.”

The influx of racial and ethic minorities has been evident in the Nashua School District.

Nearly 1,000 of the district’s more than 12,000 students are “English language learners,” meaning they speak English as a second language, Superintendent Mark Conrad said.

About 17 percent of the district’s students are Hispanic.

Conrad said the variety of cultures is one of the School District’s greatest assets. He and his wife moved to Nashua because they wanted their children to go to school in a diverse community that more closely resembled the makeup of the nation as a whole, Conrad said.

“As a district, we see our diversity as a strength,” Conrad said. “It adds so much to the social experience in our classrooms to be exposed to the different cultures.”

Ashley Smith is a staff writer. She can be reached at 594-6446 or asmith@nashuatelegraph.com. Simon Rios is a correspondent.