Refugees, Immigrants, and the Battle Over Who Is American
Deb Fallows has a new post up, about what’s actually involved in settling immigrants from Syria—or Somalia or Congo or Bhutan—in the American cities that have taken the lead in…
Town: Pennsylvania
77 posts
What It Takes to Settle Refugees
The people of Erie, Pennsylvania, have welcomed immigrants and refugees, and believe that their town is better off for having done so.
The Generational Difference in Optimism: A Video Look
Older People Moan, Younger People Hope
Is America in a Boiling Fury About Immigration?
Not the America I Have Seen
And Now for Something Saner and More Positive: Fresno, Erie
Not to over-personalize, but I feel as if my life in the past few weeks recapitulates the argument my wife Deb and I have been making in our American Futures travels.…
Life in the Air
Getting from here to there by small plane
Old City, Old Buildings, New Life
An art museum with a long history reinvents itself with passion and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Erie’s Unlikely Benefactor: Its Casino
Legalized gambling is a familiar part of the modern American landscape. But an innovative scheme in a lakeside city in western Pennsylvania shows new possibilities for putting casino revenue to positive public use.
A Waterfront Library
In Erie, Pennsylvania, a public institution is building on its nautical past to open a world of opportunity for local residents.
Notes From the Rest of the Country: ‘Now That I’ve Got a Look at This Place, It’s Not So Bad!’
'Now That I've Got a Look at This Place, It's Not So Bad!'
‘America Is a Dream Country’
What does it mean to spend years as a Syrian refugee and then land in a brand new life in Erie, Pennsylvania?
Erie and America
The challenges of Rust Belt America are real, and well-known. What's less familiar is the response some mid-sized cities are making.
From Fresno to Duluth to Allentown, with Montana in Between
Here are some generally positive developments from places we’ve visited in our travels. Fresno: This evening Fresno, California, held its big “State of Downtown” event. You can see the details here.…
Language as Art in Pittsburgh
Exiled writers use words as art and inspire a community.
How America Is Putting Itself Back Together
Most people in the U.S. believe their country is going to hell. But they’re wrong. What a three-year journey by single-engine plane reveals about reinvention and renewal.
Can Cars Save Downtown?
Fresno, California prepares to rip up its landmark pedestrian mall and replace it with a street.