'They're addicted to me': How immigrants keep U.S. heartland cities afloat

FILE PHOTO: Mural of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is pictured in the Pilsen neighborhood, initially home to immigrants from eastern Europe and named after the Czech city, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Howard Schneider

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - One evening last fall, Jawad Rahimi held forth in his downtown bodega as a steady stream of hockey fans en route to a St. Louis Blues game mingled with his neighbourhood regulars.

A native of Afghanistan who arrived 16 years ago as a refugee from Azerbaijan, Rahimi has become a fixture in a city centre beset with vacant homes and abandoned buildings. A typical day brings a steady flow of customers who come for beer, snacks or just to banter in his St. Louis corner store.