Public interest group places billboards around Alabama to show state welcoming to immigrants
February 17, 2009 3:07 PM

MONTGOMERY -- The Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice has unveiled 11 billboards around the state to portray Alabama as welcoming to immigrants.


The nonprofit organization said The Welcoming Alabama Initiative is intended to share Alabamians' commitment to show immigrants "southern hospitality" and treat them with empathy and respect.

The group said Tennessee, Idaho, Colorado and Nebraska have launched similar billboard campaigns with a primary goal to fight harmful stereotypes and open discussions about issues involving immigrants.

Alabama is home to a growing number of foreign families with German, Japanese and Korean car manufacturing plants.

The billboards show an immigrant family sitting down at a picnic table to enjoy lunch with a white family. One version says "Thank you Alabama, for making our family a part of yours" and the other simply reads "Embracing Alabama."

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/02/pub ... ces_b.html