At times, there has been fear and resentment directed towards newcomers, especially in hard economic times. And because these issues touch deeply on what we believe, touch deeply on our convictions — about who we are as a people, about what it means to be an American — these debates often elicit strong emotions.

Yesterday in El Paso, Texas, President Barack Obama talked about fixing “our broken immigration system.” Immigration has been in a political stalemate for many years. Perhaps the real debate is just beginning.




During the month of May Community Cinema has presented local community screenings of Welcome to Shelbyville, a film by by Kim Snyder. Welcome to Shelbyville traces the Tennessee town’s journey where longtime African American and white residents are challenged with how best to integrate with a burgeoning Latino population and the more recent arrival of hundreds of Somali refugees of Muslim faith. Set on the eve of the 2008 Presidential election, the film captures the interaction between Shelbyville’s old and new residents as they search for a way to live together during that tumultuous, history-changing year. Welcome to Shelbyville was seleted by the U.S. State Department for it 2010 Documentary Showcase.


Community Cinema [DC] presented its first Welcome to Shelbyville event at Busboys and Poets April 30th. Our guest speaker was

Sadia Ali Aden, a Somali American human rights advocate and writer. Sadia has been deeply involved with the Somali immigrant community in the Washington Metropolitan area. In this Q&A she comments on the film and addresses the dual lives of Somali immigrants as well as the reasons they have come to the U.S. and other counties, the role of media in misrepresenting newcomers, and even the story behind Somalia’s piracy activities reported in the news. Click on the link for the audio podcast of the Q&A following the screening of Welcome to Shelbyville or click on the audio playlist at bottom of this site.
Sadia_Ali_Aden_43011_Audio


Sadia Ali Aden will join Allison Kokkoros, principal of the Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, for the Q&A following the Sunday, May 15 Community Cinema [DC] screening of Welcome to Shelbyville at the Washington DC Jewish Community Center (1529 16th Street, NW). The event begins at 3 PM.