Posted on 04/24/2008 6:53:31 AM PDT by hemogoblin
The small barren courtyard that separates the apartment buildings of Dwan Dillard and Mohamed Adin in Northwest Roanoke might as well be an ocean, so deep is the dislike that the American-born black woman and the Somali Bantu refugee have of each other.
"That out there is a war zone," said Dillard, whose four children live with her at Maple Grove Apartments, a blighted complex of four buildings with a total of 40 units on Pilot Street near Melrose Avenue. "The African children attack ours. They throw rocks."
Adin, who lives with his wife and nine children, blames "the Americans." Through an interpreter he said, "Day and night they throw rocks at our building. They yell at us. We are afraid. This isn't what we came to this country for."
Graffiti on the Maple Grove Apartments street sign read "Americans only," and "Africans not welcome."
The Catholic Diocese of Richmond's Refugee and Immigration Services office in Roanoke has been placing families from Africa and other countries in area apartments for years, with low rents being a key factor in settling them.
Maple Grove has been a favored destination for refugees from Somalia and other African nations since 2003, said Beth Lutjen, the agency's director. "They have become a community here," she said, walking around the complex Monday after receiving several complaints from her clients. "But now the tensions between the Africans and the American blacks have reached a crisis point."
Lutjen began searching for apartments elsewhere in Roanoke for the African refugees earlier this month, after Adin and other immigrants complained about the rock throwing and alleged that some of their children have been beaten by black American kids while waiting for the bus to nearby Westside Elementary School.
On Monday, the Africans kept 16 of their children home from Westside, Adin said. "We were afraid to let them go outside."
Most of the children returned to school Tuesday.
Police seek solution to residents' complaints
On Wednesday night, Amy Nasta, the coordinator of Virginia Tech's Pilot Street Program, a nonprofit refugee education program that rents a unit at Maple Grove Apartments as classroom space, said she called an ambulance to treat a refugee who said she had been roughed up by an American-born neighbor. "She was seven months pregnant," said Nasta, who said the woman alleged she was injured when the neighbor barged into her apartment looking for his child's missing soccer ball.
Nasta declined to identify the victim, fearing for her safety, as did a spokesperson at Lewis-Gale Medical Center. Her condition couldn't be learned on Wednesday.
Nasta said she also reported the incident to Roanoke police. Aisha Johnson, a police spokeswoman, said an officer recorded the matter as an assault but no arrests have been made.
Police records show 17 requests for their presence at the apartment complex in March, but it isn't clear how many were related directly to the tension among residents. Lutjen said the police community resource officer in the area has scheduled a meeting with her on Friday to discuss a possible solution to the tensions.
Lutjen said she fears more violence and so do some residents.
"I have a gun. If they hurt my kids, I'll use it," said Tricia Arrington, an American-born black woman with five children. Interviewed Monday outside her apartment, she said, "My 9-year-old daughter came in from riding the school bus with those Africans and they had spit all over her face. I ain't about to let them keep doing that."
The troubled atmosphere at Maple Grove Apartments has become too much for Nasta to continue her program there beyond the expiration of her lease at the end of May. "We're going to relocate because of the violence," she said.
Hostilities between black Americans and African refugees aren't new or unique to Roanoke, said Carl Taylor, a sociologist at Michigan State University who studies youth violence. "There's a lot of ignorance on both sides about the different cultures."
For several years the American blacks and the Africans -- many of whom have started the lengthy citizenship application process -- lived in harmony at Maple Grove Apartments, both groups said. Several new American-born families have moved in since the beginning of the year, when the troubles began, but no one is accusing specific families or individuals.
Apartments' condition contributes to stress
A contributing factor of late is the worsening physical conditions of some apartments and the public laundry room. Roanoke city code enforcement officials have cited four apartments as needing repairs since March 19, and one was condemned and ordered vacated.
The owner, Dr. George Abraham, a Roanoke allergist who has a private practice at 1117 S. Jefferson St., met and spoke with The Roanoke Times but declined to comment on the record about either the condition of the apartments or the rift among his tenants. Abraham immigrated to the U.S. from Egypt three decades ago and has owned Maple Grove Apartments for five years.
Lutjen said Abraham "hasn't been very helpful" in responding to complaints about maintenance of the apartments, including one potential health hazard: the ample presence of mold in several units. "You might think an allergist would show more concern about large amounts of mold in apartments he's renting, especially to people with children," she said.
For those sensitive to molds, prolonged exposure can cause eye irritation, nasal stuffiness and wheezing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. More severe reactions are possible in people with allergies or asthma. Abraham declined to comment on the presence of mold in the apartments when asked by The Roanoke Times.
The mold in one apartment was cited in March by Troy Coles, a city code inspector. That mold, growing on a bathroom wall, can't be kept under control merely with extra cleaning by the resident, he said, blaming drywall that has been saturated with water -- possibly from a roof leak. "Some of the drywall has to be replaced," he said.
Another factor angering both the Americans and the refugees is that Abraham recently raised rents on many apartments -- which residents said range from $425 to $550 a month. The $25 per month increase is partly to pay for damage such as broken windows caused by thrown rocks, the residents said. "But we aren't the ones throwing the rocks, it's the Africans," Dillard said.
Abraham declined to comment on the rent increase.
Tracy Reyes, one of the few whites living at Maple Grove Apartments, said she sees the causes for anger among both groups. "Everybody just needs to calm down. This is America; there's supposed to be a place for all of us."
I am fully aware of the fact that tribalism is a prominent mind-set by those who emigrate from Africa but it is an interesting observation regarding who can claim a greater grieved status based on how we recognize the plaintiffs.
This reminded me of a little incident that happened at my place of work (not in CONUS)some time ago.
There was a misunderstanding between one of the american workers (african-american) and a local national (mandingo from West Africa)
I heard the local national tell another co-worker “who does (John Doe) think he is; unlike us, he’s nothing but a descentant of slaves”
There is no LOVE between the “african-americans” and any of the black africans, regardless of the tribe.
It’s a tough call. I’m wondering if all this started from a few “youths” on the playground setting up their “turf” and now it’s blown way out of proportion by the “adults”............
It’s the same old story, and it happens with probably every group of people.
For four years, I lived in a neighborhood where many residents were either American black or African immigrants. I remember overall the two groups did not get along well. They were suspicious of each other. But, I also remember within my own family’s ethnic group, in our neighborhood growing up, the American-born and the foreign-born were suspicious of each other. So, this story doesn’t suprise me, either.
IMHO, any (LEGAL) immigrant is by nature most probably a hardworker and a risktaker. You’d have to be in order to pick up and move to another country. That’s probably why it seems so many (legal) immigrants work hard and move ahead once they come here.
Thank the Lord there are no bitter white people with their guns, or it’d be a bloodbath /sarc
Great! Let’s import ANOTHER civil war!
Just what we need, MORE bitter ethnic/cultural fault lines ready to fracture.
Just starting the Civil War that Americans won’t start!
I believe they were “utes” who claimed the turf! Ha ha ha ha
So a comment like that from a white guy ... HR incident.
From an African ... just pretty damn funny.
I worked in a plant years ago with Hatians and Native American blacks. The American blakcs were always angry in general, while the Haitans were hard workers and seemed very happy just to have a job.
I guess that is a cultural difference between Americans who are less likely to want to work hard, and view work and a necessary evil, and foreigners who are just happy to have an opportunity to work hard and be able to keep most of what they earn without government corruption (for the most part).
I wonder why the hell we are letting Somalis into the U.S. and why a Christian chruch is actively pushing them, unless they are Christian refugees. If the latter is the case, they should be helped out. If, on the other hand, they are Muslims, we shouldn;t be taking ANY Muslims into America. There are far too many of them here as it is.
“Hostilities between black Americans and African refugees aren’t new or unique to Roanoke, said Carl Taylor, a sociologist at Michigan State University who studies youth violence. “There’s a lot of ignorance on both sides about the different cultures.””
Well, the problem sure as heck isn’t about race, is it?
Graffiti on the Maple Grove Apartments street sign read “Americans only,” and “Africans not welcome.”
This would be a major media news event if it were whites doin the graffiti but in this case....just move along.
“As sad as this scenario is, I am grabbing popcorn to watch how the liberals will sort this one out! “
The liberals wouldn’t touch this with a 10 foot pole. Just as many hispanic legal immigrants complain that the illegals are taking the jobs....the liberals could care less.
Silly me. I've always thought that the United States had it's own uinque culture and when others can here to escape thier cultures that they came here to join in with ours. At least when my Dad came here from Peru in the 1920s that was the idea. If he were here to see this it would break his heart.
unfortunatly you are right. Just like they won’t touch the white african-americans who who hail from South Africa claiming that status when they go to college or apply for jobs here. The whole PC thing is as sensible as our tax law!
The “melting pot” has turned into the “salad bowl”...............
I’ve had experience with Caribbean Blacks, my sister ran a travel agency and used to bring young business associates up from there. It was my job to drive them around at night and show them a good time. Great people, I had a better time with them than I had with some of my long time friends.
“We have a black friend, a woman, from Nigeria. She said the same thing — she also believes American blacks are lazy and slovenly. Immigration seems to bring a mirror from the outside to these lowlifes, and I welcome that.”
What does she have to say about all her Nigerian immigrants who have caused so many problems here?
This site is an eye opener by Nigerian ‘immigrants’. Looks like they favor illegal immigration.
http://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?s=4c15516f711eb1d38f79c433a30b9c4d&f=10
20 illegal immigrants arrested in Wisconsin ( Nigeria, Africa ...
Twenty fugitive illegal immigrants have been arrested in Wisconsin following an 11-day operation that targeted those in violation of deportation orders, ...
www.africamasterweb.com/AdSense/20illegalimmigrantsArrestedWisconsin.html
In a bitterly ironic note, a Nigerian woman who investigated child abuse complaints for the City of New York was arrested in 1999 along with her husband and charged with forcing a Nigerian girl into servitude for nine years. Federal investigators also noted the couple and several relatives had forced two other Nigerian girls into servitude.
http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/crime/underestimated.html
Here’s what one Nigerian immigrant says about the others: “The rate at which some Nigerians have become nuisance in developed (and sometimes undeveloped) countries is alarming. Unfortunately, people with legitimate businesses in such places are made to suffer for the sins of their crooked compatriots.”
http://www.naijarules.com/vb/stars-celebrities-nigerian-movies/23158-police-arrest-nkem-owoh-holland.html
See post 38. I’ve come to the conclusion that the powers that be are not going to be happy until we all kill each other off.
Divide and conquer. Everything looks great on the ground from a Gulfstream jet.
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