Refugee families can be found in every corner of the globe, but the small New York State town of Utica has enjoyed—and thrived—from a particularly close relationship with the newcomers. One in six of the town’s 65,000 population are refugees—a massive concentration in a small place. Their numbers are not only impressive, but also their diversity, coming from around 30 countries and including prisoners of war from Bosnia, freedom fighters from Myanmar, political refugees from Iraq. The refugees in turn have helped stabilize a once thriving mill town which had fallen on hard times, renovating entire sections of Utica’s crumbling infrastructure and reviving the economy. So much so that even in the troubled times of a global war on terror when new faces are often suspect, in Utica at least, officials say more refugees are welcome to share the town’s hospitality and rejuvenation.