Metro,Rudaw
Local authorities on Saturday unveiled a historical marker in downtown Nashville city, Tennessee, to honor contributions made by the Kurdish community in the city over the past decades.
"We commend the people and government of Nashville for what we believe to be the first historical marker in North America to recognize the Kurdish diaspora," Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) representative to the US said in a statement.
"The Kurdish-Americans who have made Nashville their home for the past five decades have made great contributions to the city’s economy as well as its social and cultural life," she added.
Before the marker was unveiled, a ceremony was held at the Salahadeen Center, the largest Kurdish mosque and community center in Nashville, according to Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda.
"This is indeed a historical day for our Kurdish nation in general, and our community members in Nashville in particular. The recognition of our contributions and presence by the Nashville local government is of particular importance. Everyone knows that our presence in Nashville dates back many many years ago," Taabir Ismael, head of the Kurdish community diaspora in Nashville, told Rudaw.
Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish population in the United States, with an estimated population of around 15 thousand Kurds in the city. A neighborhood south of Tennessee is nicknamed "Little Kurdistan” due to its large Kurdish community.
Kurds first started arriving in Tennessee city in the 1970s. A second wave emigrated in the 1990s, fleeing Saddam Hussein’s Anfal campaign. Recent conflicts in Syria and against ISIS have brought more Kurds.
Many Kurdish shops, markets, and restaurants make the diaspora feel at home in the city.