Kirksville, Missouri

===Congolese population===
By 2015 a number of persons originating from the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] settled in Kirksville; they first came to the U.S. through [[diversity visas]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Brown, Danielle|url=http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20151212/NEWS/151219704|title=Kirksville R-III adapts in order to better integrate Congolese students|newspaper=[[Kirksville Daily Express]]|page=[http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20151212/NEWS/151219704/?Start=2 2]|date=2015-12-14|access-date=2016-08-16}}</ref> Many found work at a [[Farmland Foods]] facility in nearby [[Milan, Missouri]]. In 2014 five Congolese families lived in Kirksville.<ref name=MolingOutofAfrica>{{cite web|author=Moling, Troy|url=http://ktvo.com/news/local/out-of-africa-into-the-heartland|title=Out of Africa, into the Heartland|publisher=[[KTVO]]|date=2015-04-30|access-date=2016-08-16}}</ref> By February 2016 almost 40 Congolese families resided in Kirksville,<ref name=HoakAshley>{{cite web|author=Hoak, Ashley|url=http://ktvo.com/news/local/congolese-families-create-new-lives-in-kirksville|title=Congolese families create new lives in Kirksville|publisher=[[KTVO]]|date=2016-02-05|access-date=2016-08-16}}</ref> totaling around 100 people.<ref name=MolingOutofAfrica/>

Prior to 2015 about half of the 20-25 [[English as a second language]] program students in the [[Kirksville R-III School District]] were of Hispanic origin, but the wave of Congolese students appeared by 2015, doubling the number of ESOL students and giving it a French-speaking population not previously present. Therefore, the district began expanding its ESOL program.<ref>{{cite news|author=Brown, Danielle|url=http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20151212/NEWS/151219704|title=Kirksville R-III adapts in order to better integrate Congolese students|newspaper=[[Kirksville Daily Express]]|page=[http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20151212/NEWS/151219704 1]|date=2015-12-14|access-date=2016-08-16}}</ref>

Students and faculty from [[Truman State University]] took steps to help the Congolese residents acclimate to life in Kirksville.<ref name=HoakAshley/>

According to Sana Camara of Truman State, many of the immigrants  were well-educated, and that the main barrier to success was specifically a lack of English knowledge.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20160208/NEWS/160209063/?Start=1|title=Truman event provides glimpse into lives of Congolese residents|newspaper=[[Kirksville Daily Express]]|date=2016-02-09|access-date=2016-08-16}}</ref>