International refugees find new life in America

     The journey of refugees who have settled in New Orleans was celebrated June 17 with a World Refugee Day organized by Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Immigration and Refugee Services.

    As the aroma of ethnic cuisine wafted in the air, children danced to the music of the band Julio and Cesar, while their parents mingled with other refugees from Iraq, Africa, Cuba, Russia, the Ukraine, Poland, Burma, the Philippines and Haiti.

Martin Gutierrez, Catholic Charities’ vice president of Community Services Ministry, said the event’s intent was to provide the refugees they serve an opportunity to meet each other and to know that Catholic Charities is honored and privileged to assist them.

    “The contributions that the refugees make to the development of cities is on economical, cultural and social levels,” Alfredo Narvaez, refugee services coordinator for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, told them. “We are grateful to have you here and serve you. We have learned from you and your hard work, commitment and sacrifices and faith in the future.”

Refugees were invited to introduce themselves and their home country. Several shared stories of arriving in the United States knowing no one, but then being helped by Catholic Charities.

    “They gave us rental reimbursement for a period of time and connected us to Medicaid and Food Stamps,” said Alaa Al Jubouri, who with her husband Amer Al Najafi and two small children fled Iraq after sectarian violence escalated.

Political refugees assisted
     It has been 60 years since the United Nations Refugee Agency was developed to help resettle those suffering political or religious persecution and sectarian violence in another country.

    Kristi Hackney, director of migration and refugee services for Catholic Charities and the Louisiana state refugee coordinator, said Louisiana is among the smaller states when it comes to receiving refugees, assisting an average of 500 annually. Catholic Charities is the agency in Louisiana that helps refugees resettle.

    “The individuals who come through the program are credible, deserving (of being here),” Hackney said. They have demonstrated to the United Nations reasonable fear, persecution or violence in their countries or fled from a previous disaster or war. “They’ve possibly seen families members die or experienced torture themselves. … These are people who believe in the American dream. They will weep about it.”

    Hanan Sadeq, 74, an Iraqi diplomat for many years, fled Iraq with his wife Zaid Mahdi, leaving behind the life they built and all their possessions. Initially, they escaped to Syria before being assigned to Louisiana in 2010 where their son Aldahan had been a student, earning a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Tulane University.

    “It is not easy to change your life,” Sadeq said. “You have to adapt World yourself, and it is difficult. You don’t know (understand) the experiences of Americans.”

    Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans linked them to food cards.

    “It’s a very good experience, but it’s for a limited time,” Zaid said.

    “They (Catholic Charities) are very good people,” Sadeq said.

    Several staff members of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Immigration and Refugee Services came to this country as asylees (granted protection by the U.S. as political refugees) so they relate to the struggles of those they help, Narvaez said.

    “One refugee without hope is too many,” said Lindsey Boettinger who works with Catholic Charities’ Immigration and Refugee Services for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. “We are trying to bring their stories to the community. Their stories are pertinent to this community because of the displaced people from Katrina. We’re trying to bring the two community groups together to share a common bond … We want to make everyone feel welcomed to be an integral part of the community.”

Gutierrez said this gathering would be an annual celebration.

    Christine Bordelon can be reached at [email protected].