A documentary on the rapid growth of the Somali refugee population in a small Tennessee town is getting its Louisville premiere this week and will air next week on KET2.
The documentary, "Welcome to Shelbyville," charts the varied reactions, from hostile to hospitable, to the arrival of Somalis in the rural Tennessee community, which had already adjusted to an influx of Hispanics. Many of the Somalis arrived to work in a meat-packing plant, and the documentary showed the clash between the native-born residents, both black and white, over such issues as religion (Muslims had been rare in the Bible Belt town), race, mannerisms, culture and hygiene. A former mayor cites fears of everything from disease to terrorism, but the documentary seeks a hopeful angle on the possibilities of immigration across cultural chasms.
It will certainly be of interest to Kentuckians, giving the growing Somali populations in such areas as Louisville and, at least for a time, Mayfield. Nor is it the first compelling documentary on this subject. "The Letter," produced a few years back, talks about similar conflicts in Lewiston, Maine.
More information at www.pbs.org/independentlens/welcome-to-shelbyville.
Source: www.courier-journal.com
No comments:
Post a Comment