Jacksonville identified as welcoming community for Afghan refugees

[marcuscnelson]

The State Department has released a list of 19 "welcoming" communities where Afghans and Iraqis could settle based on a number of measures, including but not limited to housing availability, cost of living, and supportive services.

Jacksonville is on that list.

[Charles Hunter]

Cue MAGA Outrage in 3 .... 2 .... 1 ...

[Zac T]

Beyond90 and Lutheran Social Services are in desperate need of volunteers and donations. Please help if you can!

[BridgeTroll]

Cue MAGA Outrage in 3 .... 2 .... 1 ...

Why?  These folks have been vetted nab screened... unlike those sneaking across our undefended border...

[Adam White]

Cue MAGA Outrage in 3 .... 2 .... 1 ...

Why?  These folks have been vetted nab screened... unlike those sneaking across our undefended border...

The FL-GA border?

[Charles Hunter]

Why? Because they are obviously all terrorists, after all, they are brown Muslims (aka not white Christians).

You know they are being vetted. I know they are being vetted.  Apparently, certain Republicans either do not know, or they do know and are lying and fear-mongering for their base.

https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-politics/growing-hostility-afghan-refugees-shows-gop-divide

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/08/27/afghanistan-refugees-fact-check-mh-orig.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/

[Tacachale]

Obviously, there were MAGA Republicans who oppose bringing in Afghan (or any) refugees. In fact, that's part of the reason so little of it happened before Biden was in office - Trump had set an earlier timetable for leaving, but by Olivia Troy's account, Stephen Miller and his allies railroaded the work of taking in refugees through the Special Immigrant Visa. Miller has continued his screeds against refugees and immigrants, even from countries we invaded, in the months since.

https://www.alternet.org/2021/08/afghan-refugees-2654738536/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/21/world/asia/pence-troye-trump-miller-afghan-refugees.html
https://www.rawstory.com/stephen-miller-afghanistan-refugees/

Naturally there are many Republicans who welcome the refugees and would like to see more. That's good, it's our moral duty. But there's a contingent of Republicans who don't, and there's no explanation as to why that doesn't cast them in a terrible light.

[Snaketoz]

I'd rather have 10,000 refugees from Iran and Afghanistan move to Jacksonville than to have even 1 citizen like Marjorie Taylor Greene.

[BridgeTroll]

Cue MAGA Outrage in 3 .... 2 .... 1 ...

Why?  These folks have been vetted nab screened... unlike those sneaking across our undefended border...

The FL-GA border?

Obviously, there were MAGA Republicans who oppose bringing in Afghan (or any) refugees. In fact, that's part of the reason so little of it happened before Biden was in office - Trump had set an earlier timetable for leaving, but by Olivia Troy's account, Stephen Miller and his allies railroaded the work of taking in refugees through the Special Immigrant Visa. Miller has continued his screeds against refugees and immigrants, even from countries we invaded, in the months since.

https://www.alternet.org/2021/08/afghan-refugees-2654738536/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/21/world/asia/pence-troye-trump-miller-afghan-refugees.html
https://www.rawstory.com/stephen-miller-afghanistan-refugees/

Naturally there are many Republicans who welcome the refugees and would like to see more. That's good, it's our moral duty. But there's a contingent of Republicans who don't, and there's no explanation as to why that doesn't cast them in a terrible light.

Thanks Taca... but our knee-jerk need to label is concerning... my guess is that there is a "contingent" of the entire population...dem or rep... who are apprehensive about refugees. As a former republican my only issues with refugees or immigration was the unvetted or unscreened entering the country. There are plenty of people of all political flavors who want a structured system of immigration or refugees...

[BridgeTroll]

I'd rather have 10,000 refugees from Iran and Afghanistan move to Jacksonville than to have even 1 citizen like Marjorie Taylor Greene.

I agree... I simply want an accountable system for this to occur...

[blizz01]

Not sure if it's through like channels, but we saw something similar in the 90's with Bosnians in JAX after the war (Albanians, Serbians, and Croatians too).  I believe we have one of the largest populations of Bosnian-Americans in the country.  I'm thinking Baymeadows will be getting some cool Afghan restaurants/groceries in the not too distant future.

[thelakelander]

I'm glad to see Jax as one of the initial 19 cities. I would not mind seeing a couple thousand being welcomed locally, although I doubt than many come here specifically. I'm also not sure if they'll be concentrated in a compact location, single neighborhood or dispersed throughout town. That type of decision will have significant impact on if a concentrated collection of businesses catering to the population will materialize.

[Zac T]

I'm glad to see Jax as one of the initial 19 cities. I would not mind seeing a couple thousand being welcomed locally, although I doubt than many come here specifically. I'm also not sure if they'll be concentrated in a compact location, single neighborhood or dispersed throughout town. That type of decision will have significant impact on if a concentrated collection of businesses catering to the population will materialize.

Most of the refugee resettlement agencies prefer to locate them in similar communities as it helps them improve their social life when they first move here and decreases the feeling of being alone. It also helps young refugees bond as they adapt to a new country. Right now, the area of focus for refugees in Jacksonville is the University Blvd corridor from Lakewood through Englewood, Sans Souci, and Spring Park and up to Arlington. Many apartment communities in this area work with the resettlement agencies and it's central to all of the social services that cater to these groups. This is more than likely where the Afghan refugees will end up once they arrive.

[Snaketoz]

I think it would be great to have an Afghan neighborhood with different shops, restaurants, clubs, etc.  At one time the former chef of the Afghan embassy in Washington DC had an Afghan restaurant on Atlantic Blvd.  If my memory serves me, it was called Khyber Pass.  It had unique food that was very good.  A lot of their entrees contained yogurt.  We enjoyed it.

[bl8jaxnative]

My favorite part of these thread is how many of y'll play right into the stereotype of a liberal just wanting those immigrants for their exotically good food.