North Carolina attracts immigrants
Bailey describes why North Carolina is so attractive to immigrants: its residents believe in helping others and the job market offers employment opportunities.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Raleigh Bailey, December 6, 2000. Interview K-0270. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- BARBARA LAU:
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Did you find that North Carolina was an attractive place for immigrants?
- RALEIGH BAILEY:
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North Carolina has had kind of a unique role, honestly. Most refugees
and other immigrants tend to go to California, number one, New York,
Florida, maybe Chicago, a couple of other spots. North Carolina was
recognized by the Federal Government and various agencies as one of the
more idyllic places, because the community is relatively receptive. This
is at Bible-belt. Churches believe in helping others so that
there's strong community support. The job market here was
good, lots of entry-level jobs in factories, primarily factories,
textile and furniture, so it was easy to get people working. From those
perspectives, North Carolina was one of the more unique places in the
nation, and has been, for the last 20 years, an "in-migration
state," meaning people move here from other states, refugees
and other immigrants.
