Newly elected Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf picked an interesting destination for her first visit to the United States: Providence. To the unitiated, the choice of Providence as a destination for a foreign leader before New York or Washington might seem perplexing, but to people in Providence, it's a no brainer. Rhode Island is home to somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 Liberian immigrants, more per capita than any other state in the union. Why Rhode Island? It's hard to say, but nobody can deny that the Liberian presence in Rhode Island is strong and noticeable.
The Providence Journal (registration, as always, required) has a summary of her excellency's visit to Rhode Island. According to the article, mayor David Cicilline presented President Johnson-Sirleaf with a zeppole in honor of St. Joseph's Day. I can only imagine how much that must have baffled her.
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