WNPT’s Next Door Neighbors: Little Kurdistan, USA

I’d say that the majority of local residents only began realizing that a booming Kurdish community was emerging in their midst within the past decade. Would you believe that the first wave of Kurdish immigrants first arrived in Nashville in 1976 (when I was a mere three years old)? Would you also believe that Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish population in North America?

I’m looking forward to seeing the new Nashville Public Television documentary series set to debut tonight (8 p.m., Comcast channel 8), and I think program writer, director and producer Will Pedigo is on to something about Nashville in the years to come:

“As our new neighbors rebuild their lives in Nashville,” says Pedigo, “their experiences, contributions and conflicts impact the city. They are also challenged by isolation and barriers unknown to many Nashvillians. How Nashville addresses its changing demographic will be important for the future of similar communities across the country.”

I’m curious to see how our city continues to evolve in the wake of the arrival of significant populations of people who were not born in the U.S. I hope, in the end, that this influx will make Nashville a more cosmopolitan and more vibrant community.

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