New WRAL Documentary: Welcome to North Carolina
Airs Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m.
Refugees from the Middle East and other parts of the world come to the United States every day. How do they get here? What happens to them when they arrive? How can we be sure they are not terrorists?
The new WRAL Documentary “Welcome to North Carolina” follows the process with one Iraqi family from their arrival at RDU International Airport. The documentary, hosted by WRAL News anchor Debra Morgan, airs Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m.
In “Welcome to North Carolina,” we meet Hussein Al Kafaji, his wife Ohood, and their daughters Zahraa and Daniah.
“They have the same hopes and dreams that any of us do,” says Robert Evans, their caseworker with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Evans is this family’s guide to settling in America.
Hussein and Ohood were college-educated professionals in Baghdad, but start with nothing in North Carolina. It’s a difficult transition that is worth the cost for them. Baghdad’s violence kept them frightened inside their own home.
“What I saw in my life, I don’t want my kids to see. I want a better life for my kids. That’s why I decided to leave Iraq,” says Hussein. “I heard America is pretty much the best country I can get to. I heard it was a country of freedom, so that’s why I decided to come here.”
After all those hardships, refugees now find themselves in an uncomfortable spotlight here in America. American politicians call for blocking refugees, particularly Muslims, from the U.S. due to fears of terrorism. “Welcome to North Carolina” examines the vetting process for refugees to reveal the likelihood of terrorists posing as refugees to gain access to our country.
Statewide Broadcast Schedule
- WRAL-TV/Raleigh – Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m.
- WILM-TV/Wilmington – Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m.
- WRAZ-TV/Durham – Sunday, June 5 at 3:30 p.m.
Watch a preview of the documentary: WRAL Documentary: Welcome to North Carolina:
The documentary will also be available for on-demand viewing any time after the premiere television broadcast on June 2.
On twitter, follow @WRALDoc and #Welcome2NC.
WRAL Documentary is one of the only dedicated documentary units in local TV. Its mission is to provide in-depth coverage of topics and issues relevant to North Carolinians.
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Debbie Tullos for this capcom story, video & graphic.
