Today we stopped in Clarston, GA for lunch on our way to Americus, Ga. We had some very good Ethiopian food.
Known as the “Ellis Island of the South”, Clarkston, GA is a small town east of Atlanta that has been a refugee resettlement area for almost 50 years. For immigrants from countries like Ethiopia, Bhutan, Somalia, and Vietnam, Clarkston, Georgia, has been their first American home. The town has become the most ethnically diverse square mile in America, doubling in size in ten years with a 2020 population of 14,756 (2020 Census).
According to Wikipedia, Georgia is among states that has received the highest number of refugees for resettlement, and has resettled more than 37,000 refugees since 1993. Clarkston receives a large portion of these refugees, but arrivals have gradually declined yearly since 2016. In 2016, then Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued and then reneged on an executive order attempting to cease influx of Syrian refugees into the state. Additionally, as of 2019 federal funding for refugee programs has decreased and executive orders have been issued that allow states increased authority to limit resettlement, which has resulted in the downsizing of several Georgia resettlement organizations
Trump’s immigration crackdown began taking shape immediately when he took office. For immigrants already in Georgia, the orders will result in significantly increased risk of deportation.
The Trump administration has also halted new refugee admissions. But some refugee-agency leaders say Trump’s “stop work” order goes a step further, and is affecting refugees in the U.S., who rely on federal funds for housing, food and support during their first three months in the country. This foreign assistance was stopped before the Trump administration tried to pause all federal grants and loans.
Perspectives on the Road 
Again my thanks, dear Friend. This post is both inspiration and heartbreak.
Back in my travelin’ days I went to a NYYM quarterly meeting at the Flushing, NY (in the borough of Queens) Meeting house. That house is at once an ancient (by USA standards) monument—visited by George Fox— and a dynamic modern incarnation of the life of countries, cities, and Friends.The house itself, which was built on a spacious lot donated by the wealthy Quaker farmer ( Samuel Bownes? don’t trust my memory), is now hemmed in by a 6-lane street. The MH itself has locked gates and heavy wire grids covering the windows. NYYMers were lodged in a YMCA like none I’d ever experienced.
Your Perspectives are so stimulating. We just can’t let the narrowing of public discourse be controlled by the loudest, most desperate voices!
Hope you’re getting good rest as well as so much adventure! say I as I head for my comfy bed. ♥️♥️
Nancy
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