Strategic Discussions for Nebraska researched immigration for the project's initial study. We selected Scottsbluff, Lexington, Crete and Omaha and looked at the impact immigration has had on those communities. We selected these communities for specific reasons:

  • Scottsbluff - because of its geographic and perceived cultural distance from the capital of the state, but also because its history with immigration goes back for nearly 150 years
  • Lexington - because of the changes that community has experienced since the Tyson meatpacking plant located there in 1990
  • Crete - because of the small size of the community, the changes it has experienced since the Farmland meatpacking plant located there in 1975, and also because of Doane College's long academic presence in the community
  • Omaha - because of its size, history with diversity, federal designation as a primary resettlement site for refugees and also because of its geographic and perceived cultural distance from other parts of Nebraska

We spent hundreds of hours, traveled thousands of miles and conducted scores of interviews from many perspectives in each community. We studied the long history of immigration in Nebraska and used it as a comparison to today's issues.

As you read and view this information as a whole, consider whether you still believe immigration is a problem in Nebraska, and also consider possible solutions. We suggest you contact the officials on the community, county, state and national levels and share your thoughts and possible solutions with them. I welcome your comments on this study and your suggestions for future studies. If you would like additional copies of this magazine, please contact me.

Sincerely,
Mary Garbacz
Coordinator Strategic Discussions for Nebraska
mgarbacz2@unl.edu
402.472.3075

SDN Projects

2010 Opportunities for Nebraska 
Opportunities for Nebraska is the first magazine in a series that showcases University of Nebraska-Lincoln research. The world population is expected to grow to nine billion by 2050 and this research will result in producing twice as much food with the same amount of land and water. Watch and listen as UNL experts tell the stories of research and innovation at one of the top research universities in the country!
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Ord Community Study
UNL student researchers along with SDN conducted a major research project to study the ways Ord residents communicate about what is happening in the community.
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Immigration in Nebraska
Published in June 2009, Nebraska's Economic Future includes a summary of findings; stories based on individual interviews; summaries of community conversations; and articles written specifically for this magazine. The articles represent varied geographical perspectives as well as perspectives on various parts of the state's economy.
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Immigration in Nebraska
SDN published research on Immigration in Nebraska for the project's initial study in May 2008. We selected Scottsbluff, Lexington, Crete and Omaha and looked at the impact immigration has had on those communities.
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