Is Nashville finally ready for “Little Kurdistan?”

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.

Miscellaneous Comments 4 May 28th, 2008

4 Responses to “Is Nashville finally ready for “Little Kurdistan?””

  1. Malia Says:
    May 30th, 2008 at 10:00 am

    We have Kurdish neighbors. I love them! They are great neighbors and I’ve enjoyed learning about their culture and witnessing the strong bond of community they have. We missed the documentary. I hope they will “re-air” it soon.

  2. Rob Robinson Says:
    May 30th, 2008 at 10:22 am

    That’s wonderful, Malia. What a great experience to have, especially for your son.

    Unfortunately, I missed the documentary, too. I completely forgot to set my DVR. The bad news is that WNPT isn’t planning to air the documentary again until July 31 at 9 p.m. I think two months is way too long to wait to show it again, but that’s what I get for forgetting to record it.

  3. Ahmed Says:
    May 30th, 2008 at 11:20 pm

    It was very good program. it made many Kurds happy to see themself on local TV. I think it is first documentary, long program on Kurds in Nashville. They will help other people in town to know some about Kurds. I was able to record on VCR.
    Thanks for all on the program and to the NPT TV.

  4. Rob Robinson Says:
    June 1st, 2008 at 2:34 pm

    Thanks, Ahmed. I’m glad to hear that the documentary is worth watching.

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