As some of you may know I have had a huge change in career this last year when I began working with refugees. This year (2010) the United States plans to accept 80,000 refugees from several countries around the world. As I work with these people that come in from several different countries I often begin to wonder what it must have been like for our ancestors who came from other countries many generations ago. I try to see through their eyes as they come to this great country.
What is a refugee?
Basically a refugee is a person who is forces to leave their country and seeks safety in another country. They are usually granted temporary protection in their country of first asylum. Many of them have no rights in these countries and are not permitted to work, but they simply live in refugee camps until they can live somewhere else. At that point they might come to the United States, Australia, Canada, or Western Europe where they can finally begin to live their lives.
Why should we take them here?
The Statue of Liberty, which traditionally greeted arriving immigrants to the United States stands as a symbol of freedom to the world. At the base of the statue these words can be found
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
I would like to believe that the United States still operates on principles of freedom, and that the United States can be a beacon of freedom to the world, and an example of the great things that free people can accomplish.
Remember that 120 years ago there were people questioning whether our own ancestors should be allowed to come into the United States.
Where do the refugees come from?
Within the last 3 years the Phoenix area has been receiving refugees from the following places
Sudan
Burundi
Burma
Somalia
Eritrea
Burundi
Rwanda
Congo
Cuba
Ivory Coast
Liberia
Uzbekistan
Afghanistan
Bhutan
Iran
Iraq
I think that it is fascinating the journey that people take to come to the United States, and I think that it is important for us to recognize that they are part of our cities and communities. It is also important to know where they come from and why they are here. It certainly has made me grateful to live in a country where I have the freedoms that I do have.
I suggest that you watch these movies to find out some more. I hope you take the time to watch them. They are excellent movies.
Hotel Rwanda - This is a movie based on true events. It centers around Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand people during the massacre that occured in Rwanda in 1994.
God Grew Tired of Us - This documentary follows several Sudanese as they leave refugee camps in Kenya, and come to America. Many of them, for the first time, have to learn how to live with running water, indoor plumbing and electricity.
The Lost Boys of Sudan - This is another documentary that follows two Sudanese from Africa to the United States.
1 notes:
I think this was a very good and interesting post Ryan. I think it can lead to a lot of good debate. There is both good and bad to the issues regarding refugees, I agree that we need to try to maintain the values of freedom that our country was built on but as well as with refugees I think immigration is going to be a tough balancing act. How much do we help someone at the expense of everyone else, is it fair to limit the number of immigrants/refugees, etc.
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