According to this story in the Lexington Clipper-Herald, a job at Tyson is waiting for all the Somalis who would like to come to this welcoming town.
Ismail Ibrahim, treasurer of the Somali Community Center in Lexington, and an interpreter at Tyson said that since the walkouts and firings at the JBS Swift & Co. plants in Grand Island and Greeley, Colo., hundreds of Muslim workers, mostly Somalis who walked off the job alleging they weren’t being allowed to pray and break their daily fast, have traveled to Lexington to apply at Tyson.
“Tyson respects our race and religion,” said Ibrahim.
He said that about 150 people from Swift in Grand Island who have traveled here to apply at the Lexington Tyson plant, are awaiting interviews, and more are on their way.
In case you didn’t get how great Tyson is the first time you read it, the reporter tells us again:
Ibrahim says that right now Muslims are coming every day from other factories in other towns. He says that this is because of the faith-based accommodations Tyson makes.
“Tyson is the best company that respects our religion,” said Ibrahim. “They’re faith friendly, and we appreciate that.”
Lexington, NE is a “welcoming” city:
Mohamed said that there are around 200 people in Lexington right now who are homeless and are staying with others who have been helping the community center with the influx of Somalis. In some cases, he explained, there are more than 10 people in one room.
Mohamed said that Lexington’s Tyson human resources manager has been “extremely helpful” and that he is optimistic that most will find jobs here in Lexington, but transition will be tough.
According to Ibrahim and Mohamed the Somali community in Lexington has not experienced the prejudices that others have seen in other parts of the country, and that so far the community has been very welcoming.
A gold star to the first reader who sends us a link when Lexington turns “unwelcoming.”
And, btw, it would be interesting to know how much taxpayer money is going to the Somali Community Center.
For new readers, here is our archive on the problems experienced by Swift in Greeley, CO and Grand Island, NE that Mr. Ibrahim refers to above.