Human Rights Day 2021: Supporting our Migrant and Refugee Communities Here and Beyond

   

    On December 9th, I had the honor of attending and leading the panel discussion amongst my fellow Global Scholars and the UNA-Pasadena Chapter for the GIP event for Human Rights Day 2021: Supporting our Migrant and Refugee Communities. The discussion featured wonderful speakers such as Reyna Grande, Martin Zogg, Mayor Gordo of Pasadena, and panelists including Yoland Trevino, Priscilla Traylor, and Miganoush Melkoian. I found Reyna Grande's stories about being an immigrant heartfelt and compelling. She talked about the trauma of her experience with immigration as her father struggled to sneak his children across the border. Her traumatic experience is not limited to the Mexico border, as she describes what it felt like arriving at a place that did not accept immigrants. Her stories of how she overcame culture shock and cultural assimilation possess such a powerful quality, and can often be the catalyst to change. Having immigrant parents provided a more personal connection to her story, knowing that my family has related to some of the struggles that she and most immigrants face, especially leaving their home at such a young age and starting a new life elsewhere. I felt empowered by the way she grew to reframe her feelings toward her identity, claiming the word "border hopper" with pride rather than shame.  Immigrants are the backbone of our society and I hope to continue learning from these meaningful anecdotes of cultural identity and empathy-building.  

   Once we started the panel discussions, it was an honor to hear Yoland Trevino, Priscilla Traylor, and Miganoush Melkoian, share about their organizations, ARS and PACTL, so passionately and their commitment to facilitating a more inclusive and welcoming place for refugees. All of these educational leaders and activists have such a personal connection to the organizations they work with--Ms. Melkoian's advocacy for Armenian migrants and fallen war soldiers, Ms. Trevino's Mayan pride shines through the work she does for indigenous communities, Ms. Traylor's book Coloring Without Borders created a K-12 curriculum for families separated at the border. All of these anecdotes allowed me to take away reflections for my Capstone project and how I will further establish a personal connection with local nonprofits to welcome refugee families and individuals.