Ohio city with Haitian migrant influx thrust into political spotlight Politics Sep 09, 2024

Source-https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/show/ohio-city-with-haitian-migrant-influx-thrust-into-political-spotlight


Transcript & video in article


snip-"Amna Nawaz:

Today the small city of Springfield, Ohio, found itself at the center of a fraught election-year issue, immigration.

Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance claims Haitian migrants in Springfield are — quote — "draining social services and causing chaos." He's also repeated a baseless rumor, already debunked by city officials, about pets being abducted and eaten, a story amplified by right-wing media and Elon Musk online.

Geoff Bennett:

Over the last four years, Springfield has seen its small population grow by over 20 percent, driven almost entirely by immigrants.

William Brangham recently went to Springfield to understand how the city is coping.

William Brangham:

The sounds of Haitian Creole carrying across soccer fields, in grocery stores, in restaurants dishing up the popular Haitian street food pate kode. It's striking hearing all this in the heartland of the United States Springfield, Ohio.

Springfield is a small, blue-collar city with a familiar story. Much of the factory work left decades ago, and the residents followed. A community of more than 80,000, emptied out to less than 60,000, that is, until the last few years.Amna Nawaz:

Today the small city of Springfield, Ohio, found itself at the center of a fraught election-year issue, immigration.

Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance claims Haitian migrants in Springfield are — quote — "draining social services and causing chaos." He's also repeated a baseless rumor, already debunked by city officials, about pets being abducted and eaten, a story amplified by right-wing media and Elon Musk online.

Geoff Bennett:

Over the last four years, Springfield has seen its small population grow by over 20 percent, driven almost entirely by immigrants.

William Brangham recently went to Springfield to understand how the city is coping.

William Brangham:

The sounds of Haitian Creole carrying across soccer fields, in grocery stores, in restaurants dishing up the popular Haitian street food pate kode. It's striking hearing all this in the heartland of the United States Springfield, Ohio.

Springfield is a small, blue-collar city with a familiar story. Much of the factory work left decades ago, and the residents followed. A community of more than 80,000, emptied out to less than 60,000, that is, until the last few years.


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