This past spring break
I worked with various refugee families in Dallas. While I was there,
I helped one family from Sudan go to the D.M.V. to get their state identification cards. The mother’s name was Lucy,
a bubbly and stylish woman from Sudan. She moved to a refugee camp in Kenya 20 years ago where she raised her family. Her kids have never even seen their homeland of Sudan. As we sat and waited in the franticness of the D.M.V. she talked to me about how much she loved the opportunities she has here. It was such a contrast to our panicky surroundings on this hot Dallas day. She explained the dismal qualities she experienced in Southern Sudan. Most families drank green water from the rivers because they didn’t have enough time to boil water for the typically large families they have. She talked about the inequalities and discrimination they faced living there. At her camp in Kenya people usually only got one meal a day. She told me how grateful she was for getting the chance to come here and start a new life. She talks to me so endearingly of her job at a restaurant where most of the employees only speak Spanish. While she continues to learn English she plans to learn Spanish too so she can talk to her coworkers more efficiently. Her face lit up as she spoke about her plans for her new life in America. I can see her appreciation and gratitude in every tiny laugh that was littered throughout her dialogue. She talked about the education her children can get here and the helpfulness of the International Rescue Committee, the organization I was volunteering for. Her gratefulness really made me think about the opportunities American citizens have. Ever since coming back from that trip I’ve found myself being much more aware of myself as a citizen and an active part of this country. I’ve learned to appreciate so much of what has been sacred in America since it’s founding over 200 years ago.
picture taken by Fareeha Khan
group picture: the IRC-Mason team, picture taken by Maggie Zimmerman
I worked with various refugee families in Dallas. While I was there,
I helped one family from Sudan go to the D.M.V. to get their state identification cards. The mother’s name was Lucy,
a bubbly and stylish woman from Sudan. She moved to a refugee camp in Kenya 20 years ago where she raised her family. Her kids have never even seen their homeland of Sudan. As we sat and waited in the franticness of the D.M.V. she talked to me about how much she loved the opportunities she has here. It was such a contrast to our panicky surroundings on this hot Dallas day. She explained the dismal qualities she experienced in Southern Sudan. Most families drank green water from the rivers because they didn’t have enough time to boil water for the typically large families they have. She talked about the inequalities and discrimination they faced living there. At her camp in Kenya people usually only got one meal a day. She told me how grateful she was for getting the chance to come here and start a new life. She talks to me so endearingly of her job at a restaurant where most of the employees only speak Spanish. While she continues to learn English she plans to learn Spanish too so she can talk to her coworkers more efficiently. Her face lit up as she spoke about her plans for her new life in America. I can see her appreciation and gratitude in every tiny laugh that was littered throughout her dialogue. She talked about the education her children can get here and the helpfulness of the International Rescue Committee, the organization I was volunteering for. Her gratefulness really made me think about the opportunities American citizens have. Ever since coming back from that trip I’ve found myself being much more aware of myself as a citizen and an active part of this country. I’ve learned to appreciate so much of what has been sacred in America since it’s founding over 200 years ago.
picture taken by Fareeha Khan
group picture: the IRC-Mason team, picture taken by Maggie Zimmerman