Today comes news from Shelbyville, TN that Tyson’s Foods is moving some of its Emporia, KS Somali refugee workers to Shelbyville, TN. For regular readers of Refugee Resettlement Watch, you will immediately see this is a case of Tyson’s Somalis going from the frying pan to the fire, so to speak.
Emporia was roiled for months over the sudden influx of Somalis who were lured by employment to that city by a Tyson’s meat packing plant that was ultimately suddenly closed. For ambitious readers we have a whole category on Emporia, KS here. At the same time, Shelbyville, TN was experiencing similar public unrest over an influx of Somalis there who seemed unable or unwilling to assimilate. The Times-Gazette has covered the controversy extensively.
Now citizens in Shelbyville are learning that some Emporia refugees are headed their way.
Tyson Foods officials have been working with the imam of Shelbyville’s Islamic mosque to bridge the cultural gap that exists between the Somali community and the rest of the public.
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Representatives of the company also dismissed lingering charges of Tyson hiring illegal immigrants as “myths and misconceptions.”
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Susan Brockway, manager of community and external relations, and Gary Mickelson, director of media relations, sat down with the Times-Gazette to speak about the refugee issue, which have been a hot topic of discussion with readers.
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Lola Hithon, human resource manager for the Shelbyville facility, has been in regular contact with Imam Haji Yousuf, the spiritual leader of the Somali Muslim community here, helping with issues such as cultural differences, how to get things translated and how to get services to the refugees.
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Informed sources also told the Times-Gazette this week that 80 to 100 Somalis who lived in Emporia, Kan., where a Tyson meat packing facility was recently downsized leaving nearly 1,500 without work, would be coming to Shelbyville. Micholson confirmed this, but stated the number working at the Shelbyville poultry facility would be 24.
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Tyson officials were in town last week speaking to various landlords and hotel owners about housing for the refugees, as well as holding one-on-one conversations with business owners and representatives of the school system.
Read the whole article. As for housing the Somalis, please go back to this post earlier in the week. I think the apartment building issue is going to be problematic for Tyson’s Food.