Ask a West Virginia resident about their family history and you will likely trace their family roots back to any number of countries around the world. The state continues to be a welcoming place for others, including refugees such as 28-year-old Najib Ahmad Bakhtari, who found safety in the West Virginia hills when he left the danger and unrest in his home country of Afghanistan. “The thing that got me about West Virginia was the beauty of the mountains and peacefulness of the small town,” he says. 

READ ON: Afghan refugee finds peace in WV amid national immigration debate