The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion'
Encyclopedia
The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion' is a 2003 documentary
filmed in the city
of Lewiston
, Maine
. In the film, director Ziad Hamzeh
follows the firestorm of emotions that erupted when former Lewiston
mayor
Larry Raymond sent a letter to roughly 1,100 Somali
refugees; a letter that some interpreted as pure, deep-rooted racism
by white supremacist groups across the United States
. The letter asked Somali families to inform fellow refugees from Somalia
that were living in other parts of the United States
, mostly the greater Atlanta
area, that Lewiston
's resources were strained to the limit. The letter continued on to ask the recipients of the letter to ask fellow Somali refugees not to move to Lewiston
. The film premiered at the 2003 American Film Institute
film festival and was chosen as The Amnesty 2004 festival festival opener. The film received rave reviews from critics across the nation and continues to be a vital lesson.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
filmed in the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. In the film, director Ziad Hamzeh
Ziad Hamzeh
Ziad H Hamzeh is a Syrian-American film-maker. writer, producer and director. He is of Druze origin. He is the producer of "Citizen Brando" with Marlon Brando...
follows the firestorm of emotions that erupted when former Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Larry Raymond sent a letter to roughly 1,100 Somali
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
refugees; a letter that some interpreted as pure, deep-rooted racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
by white supremacist groups across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The letter asked Somali families to inform fellow refugees from Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
that were living in other parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, mostly the greater Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
area, that Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
's resources were strained to the limit. The letter continued on to ask the recipients of the letter to ask fellow Somali refugees not to move to Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
. The film premiered at the 2003 American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
film festival and was chosen as The Amnesty 2004 festival festival opener. The film received rave reviews from critics across the nation and continues to be a vital lesson.
External links
- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10004617-letter/
- http://www.arabfilm.com/item/300/