Effects of Refugee Resettlement in Portland and Lewiston (Bangor, Millinocket: neighborhood, to buy)

[moughie]

Originally Posted by flycessna

What discrimination, ghettoization and other acts of discrimination against these new Maine residents have you heard about. I have heard of almost none.

The issues in L/A.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by moughie

The issues in L/A.

What issues specifically in L/A qualify as discrimination, ghettoization and other acts of discrimination against these new Maine residents.


I am having a real hard time with this statement. I have lived in different parts of this country and have found the people here to be extremely tolarative of other people. A blanketed accusation based on propaganda from a few politicized incidents is all that is needed to tear down an entire community.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by flycessna

What issues specifically in L/A qualify as discrimination, ghettoization and other acts of discrimination against these new Maine residents.


I am having a real hard time with this statement. I have lived in different parts of this country and have found the people here to be extremely tolarative of other people. A blanketed accusation based on propaganda from a few politicized incidents is all that is needed to tear down an entire community.

What in the world are you doing up at 4:20 AM anyway Fly?

[moughie]

Originally Posted by flycessna

What issues specifically in L/A qualify as discrimination, ghettoization and other acts of discrimination against these new Maine residents.


I am having a real hard time with this statement. I have lived in different parts of this country and have found the people here to be extremely tolarative of other people. A blanketed accusation based on propaganda from a few politicized incidents is all that is needed to tear down an entire community.

Perhaps I should be more specific. I am referring to events that occurred in the past in Lewiston directly specifically against the Somali population. If I recall , there was a nasty and unexcusable incident involving a severed pig's head thrown into the local mosque and general ill will demonstratated toward the new residents of the city.

I have never said that Mainers are less tolerant than other people- indeed, for the most part they are very respectful. Perhaps you misunderstood me ....

[Maineah]

There are such things as hateful pranks by kids who try to get a rise out of a certain sect of people. They find the "taboo" thing to do and do it, though I will agree with anyone who says rolling a pigs head into someone's yard is a bit extreme.
If a chicken falls off a truck in front of a Synagogue in isn't necessarily a hate crime.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by moughie

Perhaps I should be more specific. I am referring to events that occurred in the past in Lewiston directly specifically against the Somali population. If I recall , there was a nasty and unexcusable incident involving a severed pig's head thrown into the local mosque and general ill will demonstratated toward the new residents of the city.

I am sorry Moughie, I am not trying to start a fight with you but your one incident involving the pig’s head, which was blown way out of proportion, at least to me, doesn't support your prior statement. And again you say "events" and general ill will........but do not give specific examples.

I do not know if your one of these people that like to play the race card and create issues where there are none or if you just fell for the hype.

I think the Lewiston community has been extraordinarily accepting of these people. For the community as a whole, Race has never been an issue...........but money has.

If there was ANY ill will from the community towards the Somali community it was in the form of confusion and curiosity surrounding why they were coming. An already depressed community with high taxes and a struggling economy certainly has the right to question. But as usual, the race card was played and a divide was created. I have lived with real racism.......and it saddens me to see the good people of Lewiston be so miss quoted and miss interpreted.

[flycessna]

What in the world are you doing up at 4:20 AM anyway Fly?

I didn't want Moughie having free reign over the Maine forum using her AZ time zone as an advantage.

Actually though, been working grave yard a few nights a week trying to save some extra cash for winter to heat the apt's.

There are such things as hateful pranks by kids who try to get a rise out of a certain sect of people. They find the "taboo" thing to do and do it,

Cape E just went through somthing similiar........didn't they? In the schools. You would think kids today would know better......but..

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

If the place you're living in doesn't have that, shouldn't you be able to leave and go to a place that does? I think so. And I don't blame the Somalis who were living in ATL for going to Maine. I live in the metro ATL and it is a scary place.

I came back to this thread because my post received a reputation today. This was a long time ago.

[october2007]

So how is the situation these days?

[CatherineG123]

Originally Posted by Shuffler

I have to think that Maine is not on the 'short list' of desirable places for Fugees to go to. What the heck are they gonna do in Maine, anyway? There's next to no economy there to provide any broad spectrum of the low-wage jobs most immigrants would do. And I don't think Maine is the kind of place that can afford the parasitic effects of immigrants when it comes to free healthcare etc., as so many of it's own can barely make it these days.

Somalian immigrants often go to either Michigan or Maine. They consider it a safer place than states in the south. They are usually outstanding people who are conservative and they want something better for their children.