Since it was founded, Lancaster has been a haven for immigrants like me. We hear it over and over, because Lancaster is proud of it. And rightly so.

But there’s more to be said. The story doesn’t end with an immigrant’s arrival. These immigrants that make Lancaster so proud occupy an entirely different Lancaster than many residents ever see. When people arrive here from other countries, they build lives. They live in neighborhoods close to Central Market and Gallery Row but almost completely separate from them. There in the narrower streets where housing is closer to affordable, cultures blend and juxtapose as America changes them and they change America. This is Lancaster.

There’s a conversation to be had about immigrants that’s about more than demographics and numbers. It’s about the “now what?” moment when, after arriving, they begin living.

That’s what New Neighbors is about.