When a wave of Kurdish refugees came to Nashville, they quickly got to work. They opened businesses and raised their kids. As those kids grew up, they had to figure out how to navigate the world of a first-generation Kurdish-American teenager. And in that world, something new was forming -- something that threatened to tarnish the sterling reputation their parents worked hard to build.

When a wave of Kurdish refugees came to Nashville, they quickly got to work. They opened businesses and raised their kids. As those kids grew up, they had to figure out how to navigate the world of a first-generation Kurdish-American teenager. And in that world, something new was forming -- something that threatened to tarnish the sterling reputation their parents worked hard to build.

Safety Zone

In 1988, hundreds of thousands of Kurds fled northern Iraq as Saddam Hussein’s armies hunted them down. Many ended up in Nashville, making this southern city home to the largest Kurdish community in America.Their stories are epic. Stories of bloody genocide, freedom fighters, faraway mountains and the American Dream. But the story of the Kurdish people, no matter where they are, is a story about a country that only exists in the hearts of its people. Across centuries, across continents, across generations — this is a story about a people’s fight to exist.

Society & Culture

In 1988, hundreds of thousands of Kurds fled northern Iraq as Saddam Hussein’s armies hunted them down. Many ended up in Nashville, making this southern city home to the largest Kurdish community in America. Their stories are epic. Stories of bloody genocide, freedom fighters, faraway mountains and the American Dream. But the story of the Kurdish people, no matter where they are, is a story about a country that only exists in the hearts of its people. Across centuries, across continents, across generations — this is a story about a people’s fight to exist.

In 1988, hundreds of thousands of Kurds fled northern Iraq as Saddam Hussein’s armies hunted them down. Many ended up in Nashville, making this southern city home to the largest Kurdish community in America.Their stories are epic. Stories of bloody genocide, freedom fighters, faraway mountains and the American Dream.&nbsp;But the story of the Kurdish people, no matter where they are, is a story about a country that only exists in the hearts of its people.&nbsp;Across centuries, across continents, across generations — this is a story about a people’s fight to exist.

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Safety Zone

Safety Zone