Harvard University recently premiered a documentary film entitled “Fremont, U.S.A.” which was developed by Harvard’s Pluralism Project.
The film, focusing on the fourth-most populous city in the San Francisco Bay area, examines how Fremont, California has woven a wide range of new religions and cultures into the fabric of daily life in the city, which has dramatically transformed by recent immigration. The film looks at how the city responded to hate crimes in the wake of 9/11, and explores how new patterns of culture and religion are viewed and accepted.
To underscore the city’s sense of unity and acceptance, the work’s early scenes show a mosque and Methodist church being build on adjacent parcels of land – with their access road given the name “peace terrace.” Freemont is home to inhabitants from 147 different countries, and is home to the country’s largest concentration of Afghan-Americans.
