Storyteller Raju Dahal shares two of his favorite Nepali foods, Momo and Roti, traditionally served at ceremonial events.
Storyteller Raju Dahal shares two of his favorite Nepali foods, Momo and Roti, traditionally served at ceremonial events.
In the past two weeks, there have been eight attacks on houses of worship across the nation, seven of which were mosques. Some have been vandalized, acid bombed, shot at, and on August 6th an Islamic center in Joplin, Missouri got burned to the ground after being damaged by an arson fire the month before.
This picture seems all too familiar for Muslim American storyteller Hayat Abudiab, who created this video about what she experienced when her Columbia, TN mosque was firebombed in 2008.
Refugees and immigrants in the US often remain connected to friends, family and events back in their former countries. Recent elections in Egypt provide a reminder, while many Egyptian Americans living here pay close attention to what is happening abroad, they also have a different perspective because of their experiences in the US.
During the production of our recent installment of the Next Door Neighbors series featuring Nashville’s Egyptian community, we heard many stories about politics in Egypt and the impact on the community here. Some felt a general distrust of politics in the US, because they had not had a voice in Egypt. Others dived into the American political system because they appreciated the opportunity US democracy provides. All expressed hope that democracy in Egypt would provide a brighter future for Egyptians. One participant in the program, Zainab Elberry, stands out regarding her political beliefs. She has dedicated much of her life to encouraging political involvement.
Zainab has expressed some of her beliefs through poetry, and the following Storyteller submission from Egyptian intern Sam Mounier shares her poem The Monument. The poem reflects an intersection of Egyptian and American influences on Zainab’s identity and ideals through a description of the Washington Monument.
As Nashville Public Television prepares to unveil the latest installment in our Next Door Neighbors series -featuring Nashville’s Egyptian community – we wanted to share a Storytellers submission by NPT intern Sam Mounier.
Sam was a great help in the production of the latest Next Door Neighbors documentary. As a member of the Egyptian community, he helped connect us to more than a few people, translated conversations, kept us informed of important events and even took us to his mom’s house for some delicious food.
During production of the Egyptian program, Nashville’s large contingency of Coptic Orthodox Christians suffered the tragic loss of their Pope. Pope Shenouda, the 117th for the Coptic Orthodox Christian Church, played an important role in the growth of the Church in the United States.
We asked Sam to share how the loss of Pope Shenouda was felt by the Egyptian community in Nashville. Here is what he had to say.
Next Door Neighbors:Egyptians premieres Wednesday, May 23rd at 9pm on NPT. You can also watch the completed program that same day online at our website.
I hope you will tune in.
Will
This video takes us inside the Nashville home of two Eastern Ethiopian women hosting a coffee ceremony, one of the most enjoyable events in Ethiopian culture. Storyteller Nejib Adem is their honorary guest as the women show him the steps it takes to prepare for the gathering. Prepare to be hungry by the end of watching this…
This thoughtful piece by storyteller Kasar Abdulla introduces us to the Kurdish art of weaving. From socks and purses to hats and rugs, Kurdish women take pride in preserving the tradition of making intricate crafts with their own hands. Abdulla delves deep into the significance of the practice in difficult times, explaining that the women “relied on their weaving talents in refugee camps; they would turn something as simple as a potato sack into new purses and exchange it for food with the Turks.” A must-see story.
This video, produced by Rwandan storyteller Alice Gatebuke, tells the story of Honorine, a woman who lived through the war and genocide in Rwanda. She was part of a group of thousands who had to escape by foot to neighboring countries. The story is part of our ongoing effort to have Nashville women tell the war stories of other female immigrants and refugees in Nashville as part of the Women, War, and Peace project.
In this video, storyteller Maria Emilia Borja asks Nashville immigrants the question: ‘what personal experiences inspired you to get involved with your community?’ The answers may surprise you, and touch upon heavy subjects dealing with the unique challenges that immigrants face in adjusting to American society.
Go inside the home of a Bhutanese family in Nashville as they welcome guests with their customary Bhutanese-Nepali milk tea. Yam Kharel discusses hospitality norms in the culture, and even shows us how to make the delicious drink. A perfect treat as the weather finally gets colder here in the city…
In this video, storyteller Nejib Adem introduces us to Ma’aza, an Ethiopian woman who came to Nashville in 2005 and specializes in baking cakes. Her dream is to open a bakery in Nashville one day. For now, she takes orders from her friends and family and makes her delicious cakes in her own personal kitchen. Mmmm…
This past spring, storyteller Kasar Abdulla shot this story about the common practice of growing home gardens in the Kurdish culture. “You will find that almost every Kurdish family in Nashville, Tennessee has a vegetable and fruit garden; not only because it’s symbolic and reminds them of Kurdistan, but they enjoy the delicious fruits and vegetables produced by their own hands,” she says.
Meet Wilmer, an immigrant from Honduras who came to Nashville and started his own auto body shop. Since establishing his body shop, he has paid it forward and helped other Latino immigrants earn a living working as mechanics.
In this story, meet Hayder Abduljabbar and his family, who recently arrived in Nashville from Iraq. With the help of his case worker, Hayder goes shopping for essentials and explains his feelings about settling in America so far.
NPT is pursuing a new project this month called Not in Our Town, a series and movement to stop hate and highlight towns that are trying to create more inclusive communities. As part of this initiative, we’re holding community events and screenings around Nashville between 9/11-9/21 and calling these the 10 Days of Peace. You can find out about the various events that have taken place and are going to take place at the website room4peace.com.
We’ve decided to add a new layer to our Storytellers project. Our storytellers are going to be doing additional stories on the theme of Not in Our Town, including covering some of the 10 Days of Peace events.
Here’s a video that a few of our Somali storytellers produced a few months ago that reflect this theme greatly: hundreds of Nashvillians gathering at Legislative Plaza to protest a bill that many believe would single out Muslims in Tennessee:
In this story, meet various refugees in Nashville participating in Catholic Charities’ Refugee Elders Program. This program provides resources, such as citizenship and English language training, to new arrivals. Nejat Derakshani, a refugee from Iran, discusses fleeing persecution from his country and the many opportunities he is finding in his new home.
Naresh Dahal and Yam Dangi fill us in on what’s happening at a particular apartment complex where most of Nashville’s newly arrived Bhutanese community lives.
A new booth has opened up at the Nashville Farmer’s Market: refugee handicrafts. For the first time, refugee women are selling their hand-made products and making a profit off of them. This video details the various pieces they are selling, and new concepts the refugee women must explore as self-employers, such as making products that are more marketable to the general public.