Stories in the Series: The Temple, The Mosque, The Church
The Utica, N.Y. area is home to the fourth-largest concentration of refugees in the United States. These newcomers have arrived from all over the world - Bosnia, Cambodia, Somalia, Afghanistan and Belarus - ever since the refugee resettlement agency known as the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees began accepting them in 1979.
Like so many other Rust Belt cities, Utica desperately needs new residents. It was hit by economic decline in the second half of the last century after employers such as General Electric and the U.S. Air Force closed their local operations. Following the departure of jobs, residents fled the city, cutting Utica's population from 100,000 in 1960 to around 60,000 in 2000, the most recent year for which data is available.
Now, about 11,500 refugees have resettled there, helping offset the rapid population decline. Not only have refugees enlivened once-forgotten sections of the city, they've also revitalized many of the city's houses of worship.
In our series, we explore three houses of worship to see how refugees are integrating their religious traditions into Utica's religious landscape.
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