Immigrant communities in KC

[Gretz]

Does anyone happen to know where the city's Senegalese immigrant community is centered and if there are any Senegalese restaurants, businesses or places where Senegalese typically congregate?  I know that there are a number of Senegalese immigrants in town and have heard rumor of them being located primarily in KCK but don't have any further info.  If anyone knows of any Mauritanian, Malian or Morocan communities, or more generally any Maghreb or Francophone west-African communities, I would be interested in that info as well.  I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mauritania/Senegal from 2003-2005 and would like some contact with those communities, especially any Soninke or Pulaar/Fula/Fulani speaking peoples. 

More generally what immigrant communities exist in KC and where are they located.  We are probably all aware of Latin communities on the west-end and in KCK and Asian communities just northeast of DT.  What specific nationalities and neighborhoods are there here?  What others exist and where?  What obscure restaurants/bars/shops exist around town where one can have authentic experiences with world cultures right here in KC?

[Tosspot]

The east side has a significant presence of Somalians now, who seem to have replaced the outgoing Italian immigrant population.

[KCMax]

Columbus Park/Northeast is the Vietnamese part of town. I'm not sure where, but I think somewhere around downtown KCK is a sizeable Hmong population. Overland Park is starting to develop a pretty good Indian community thanks to Sprint.

[KCK]

There are a lot of immigrants from India who live in Shawnee.

[JDluu]

Anyone know more about this Hmong community that kcmax talked about? Is that the same as hmung?

[ThaMexican]

I think we also have some Mexicans in the area. Ok bad joke

[schugg]

I think we also have some Mexicans in the area. Ok bad joke

just a few.     what are hmongs?

[KCMax]

just a few.     what are hmongs?

Hmongs

They're nomadic people in Southeast Asia who have been persecuted by almost every country they've tried to live in.

[QueSi2Opie]

There's a huge Palestinian community southeast of Bannister. 

[dangerboy]

The Old Northeast has a big population of Sudanese, plus Somalians, Vietnamese, Hmong, and Bosnians.  A lot of them settle there because of the Don Bosco Center and its work with refuge aid agencies.

I don't about Francophone communities in particular, but the Old Northeast or KCK are the best best.  You could also ask the Don Bosco folks.  They teach ESL classes for most immigrant communities.

The Hmong church is in Rosedale in southest KCK, just off of State Line Road.  The community also runs a very successful manufacturing business in KCK...  http://www.hmongmfg.com

[KCFutbol]

There are a lot of immigrants from India who live in Shawnee.

Last summer I saw a group of what appeared to be either Indians or Pakistani's playing cricket at JCCC.

[KCMax]

Last summer I saw a group of what appeared to be either Indians or Pakistani's playing cricket at JCCC.

I saw a "pickup" cricket game at Loose Park last week!!

[FangKC]

The former Covenant Baptist Church at E. 9th and Harrison is/was a Vietnamese Church that also served Cambodians and Chinese. I don't know it it still is operating there though.



There are also a fairly large number* of Russians living in the Old Northeast, and Overland Park, and they publish a newspaper.

* Russian Community Center claims there are 17,000 Russian-speaking residents in the KC metro.

[Gretz]

I met four dudes from Cote d'Ivoire a couple of weeks ago at the Empire Room and had a lengthy discussion about Gbagbo etc.  They said that they lived just a few blocks southeast of Martini corner.  They knew of various other West African communities spread out around the metro, including three Soninke families (whose language I speak) somewhere in Grandview.  Apparently some janitor at city hall is Soninke as well.  I have been in contact with them via email and next time they see this guy they're supposed to give him my number.  They also know a Senegalese aerospace engineer who works for boeing in Wichita but his family lives up here in KCK so he comutes in order to be close to the Senegalese community.  I hope to soon be eating Chub once a week at least.    It's amazing what is around if only one takes the time to enquire and visit with people.

[Thaine]

Serb-Croate enclave on and around Strawberry Hill in KCK.