The Meskhetians

From: Julia Barton
Length: 04:43

Many refugees in the United States have complicated stories to tell. The plight of the Meskhetian Turks spans six decades and four countries. Now some 15,000 of this Turkish- and Russian-speaking group live in the U.S. Producer Julia Barton caught up with some of them Tucson, Arizona. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: The Meskhetians
From: Julia Barton

Meskhetian_small Many refugees in the United States have complicated stories to tell. The plight of the Meskhetian [mes-KHET-ee-un] Turks spans six decades and four countries. The Meskhetians originally come from the Caucusus, in a southern part of the former Soviet Union near the border with Turkey. During WWII, Stalin deported the group en masse to Central Asia. But ethnic tension there sent many Meskhetians fleeing to Russia in the late 1980s. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left many Meskhetians essentially stateless. Since 2003, some 15,000 of this Turkish- and Russian-speaking group have been given refugee status in the U.S. Producer Julia Barton caught up with some of them Tucson, Arizona.

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Piece Description

Many refugees in the United States have complicated stories to tell. The plight of the Meskhetian [mes-KHET-ee-un] Turks spans six decades and four countries. The Meskhetians originally come from the Caucusus, in a southern part of the former Soviet Union near the border with Turkey. During WWII, Stalin deported the group en masse to Central Asia. But ethnic tension there sent many Meskhetians fleeing to Russia in the late 1980s. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left many Meskhetians essentially stateless. Since 2003, some 15,000 of this Turkish- and Russian-speaking group have been given refugee status in the U.S. Producer Julia Barton caught up with some of them Tucson, Arizona.

Broadcast History

The World, October 2006

Timing and Cues

Outcue at 4:34: "left behind"
Please back-ID producer Julia Barton in Tucson, Arizona

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

Many refugees in the United States have complicated stories to tell. The plight of the Meskhetian [mes-KHET-ee-un] Turks spans six decades and four countries. The Meskhetians originally come from the Caucusus, in a southern part of the former Soviet Union near the border with Turkey. During WWII, Stalin deported the group en masse to Central Asia. But ethnic tension there sent many Meskhetians fleeing to Russia in the late 1980s. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left many Meskhetians essentially stateless. Since 2003, some 15,000 of this Turkish- and Russian-speaking group have been given refugee status in the U.S. Producer Julia Barton caught up with some of them Tucson, Arizona.

OUTRO:

Producer Julia Barton in Tucson, Arizona.