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Excerpt from Oral History Interview with Kanwal Rahman, July 15, 1999. Interview K-0817. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) See Entire Interview >>

A university community welcomes immigrants

Rahman believes that the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina) is very welcoming to immigrants because of the diversity and cosmopolitanism of a university community.

Citing this Excerpt

Oral History Interview with Kanwal Rahman, July 15, 1999. Interview K-0817. 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

Ahm. . .. [pause] just sort of a general question about this, sort of, geographic area, in terms of South Asian immigrants living in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, do you think, do you think that these places in general are supportive environments for people from our culture, and, er. . .. If they are, why do you think they are, or if not, why not?
KANWAL RAHMAN:
I think the Research Triangle Park Area, Raleigh/Durham, Chapel Hill, is a good area for Asians to come in. Only because some of the best universities are situated in this area. Duke University, UNC, this, pioneering research going on in these universities, as well as Research Triangle Park, and I do believe a lot of Asians will keep on coming to this area—South-Asians—mainly, and a lot of different, people from different countries of the world, and , er. . . that will make this area cosmopolitan and which is what Asians or any other continental person will need to be, to feel, er. . . not out of place. But to be at place—. And then, this is the area that is growing in that way. Ahm. . . I have done some research all around North Carolina in collecting data for the dental school and for the health promotion/disease prevention, and it was actual data in real clinical and public health situations where, you know, you don't have a very sophisticated equilibrium system and all that. I do realize those other areas would be a little more harder for Asians to adjust, only because those areas are not equally acquainted with foreigners and, er. . . anywhere human beings will feel differentiated at, they'll feel uncomfortable. Otherwise the Research Triangle Park would be my choice to stay here, if I stay forever in North Carolina.