For more than one hundred years, Northeast Ohio has been a place for a new start for immigrants and refugees heading to the United States. Slovenians, Italians, Jews - and many more populations - came here - searching for land - and in some cases fleeing persecution.

The same remains true today, with the array of groups settling in the region being much more diverse than the mostly European populations who were settling here last century. In recent decades, African immigrants, those from Asian countries, as well as Central Americans; have all formed their own enclaves in Northeast Ohio.

As we've seen past and present, conflict is still a driving force for bringing migrants and refugees to the shores of this country, and to our particular region.

We recently saw an influx of refugees from Afghanistan, fleeing the conflict there. This year of course the conflict in Ukraine is causing millions to flee their home country.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion - the United Nations says an estimated 6.6 million Ukrainians have fled - many of those going to Poland and other European countries - but more than 100,000 people expected to arrive in the United States.

Today on the program, we look at the how Northeast Ohio continues to be a destination for immigrants and refugees, whether that be those displaced by conflicts in Afghanistan or Ukraine. We'll dig into the support systems, and resources offered by area groups for people arriving in the area.

For More Information:
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Cleveland
US Together
Global Cleveland
Later in the program, since 1990, Hector Castellanos Lara has made a tremendous impact on the arts community, of Northeast Ohio.

From his work on Parade the Circle, and Chalk Festival, in Cleveland's University Circle --- to his beloved Dia de Muertos celebrations in the Gordon Square Arts District --- Castellanos Lara loves to share his Latino heritage.

Ideastream Public Media's Senior Arts Reporter David C. Barnett offers us a profile of the artist.

Hector Castellanos Lara's "Gateway" project is scheduled to open later this month at the Art House on Denison Avenue, in Cleveland. To 'see' more of his work, tune in to Applause Friday night at 8:30 on WVIZ/PBS.


Guests:
Lee Columber, Community Engagement Manager, US Together
Joe Cimperman, President, Global Cleveland
Peter Simionides, Resettlement Programs Coordinator, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Hector Castellanos Lara, artist