An aggressive effort in St. Louis is trying to draw Afghan refugees to the city, reports Jim Salter of the Associated Press, who noted that about 600 refugees from that country have arrived so far and another 750 are expected later this year.
“Civic leaders are hopeful that over the next few years, thousands more will decide to relocate to the Midwestern city, helping to offset seven decades of population loss and rejuvenate urban neighborhoods — just as the arrival of Bosnian refugees did three decades ago,” wrote Salter.
He notes that in the 1990s, St. Louis “became America’s most popular landing spot for Bosnians displaced by war in the former Yugoslavia. Among the estimated 300,000 who fled to the U.S., some 40,000 now call St. Louis and the region home.”
Those refugees “revitalized an area of the city’s south side that is now often referred to as Little Bosnia. The area features Bosnian-owned markets, coffee shops, auto repair shops and other businesses. They have their own online newspaper, their own chamber of commerce.”
Click here for the full article.
The Immigration and Refugee News Digest 