Ohio’s staunchest pro-Trump county embraces wave of immigrant families
"Trump is just another leader,"
It's an opinion that's rare in rural
But
Though there are no official numbers, city officials estimate that between 1,200 and 1,500 of
Photo Gallery: Scenes from
Support for
"I've known the cops, I've known the courts, the hospitals, the teachers. Everyone seems to be so different than what I've expected," said
Why Trump?
A distinctive aroma hangs in the
People here said
Today, almost everyone in the county labor force is employed, the majority working in agriculture or in manufacturing for companies such as
"It's not that local people changed. It's that the
Meanwhile, the platform of the Republican party began to place a higher value on self-reliance, attracting a large number of
Still, no presidential candidate in the past 200 years has mobilized
"We wanted change like anyone else in the country," said
Why
"Why
The abundance of jobs and the quality of the public education in
The county has the lowest level of unemployment in the entire state -- 2.8 percent in August, 2018. Since 2010, the unemployment rate in
The
The
Because of
Like many Marshallese immigrants,
Once a Marshallese family establishes themselves in a community, "it's almost inevitable" that more family members will follow, said
Only in the past five years have Marshallese nationals begun to immigrate to
"It's very quiet, and there's a lot of kindness,"
'Helping the stranger among us'
From any spot in the 4-square-mile city of
Despite its small population,
About two years ago, a new church opened its doors -- the
Many
But
Last year, about 20 community stakeholders, including health care providers, school officials, employers, and three leaders within the Marshallese community, joined to form a coalition, which meets monthly, to discuss the needs of the Marshallese community in
Despite learning English in Marshallese schools, many Marshallese immigrants struggle to communicate in English in settings such as school, work, and doctor's appointments.
Complicating matters even further, the Marshallese language is so rare that proper translating requires the live presence of Marshallese translators, who are few and far between even in
"It seems this community is very good about helping other people, and taking care of our own, and if you're in this community, you're our own, and we're going to support you," said
'We pray for it'
In the Capelle family's living room hangs a poster of a muscular young man in a green football jersey, the number 18 printed on his uniform.
Mr. and
Marshallese parents commonly tell
"To me, that's a great thing to do for your kids,"
With the low level of unemployment in
"Any employer in
The topic of immigration reform is often at the forefront of national discourse. But
"The Marshallese are completely legally here,"
In the 2020 presidential election, the majority of
As full-fledged members of the
"It's right that we stay neutral. All we can do right now is agree and accept whatever that goes on,"
"We don't want to be involved. All we believe is that whether it's bad news or good news, we pray for it."
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