New Americans are tenacious and strong, resilient and brave. They are dedicated to learning, working hard and creating a home for themselves and their families. They overcome obstacles and are focused on building their own versions of the American Dream.
It is a difficult time. Strict restrictions on asylum have been imposed and we are looking at a possible presidential determination in the next two weeks setting the number of refugees allowed in the US to zero or the very low numbers of 10-15,000. World Relief Atlanta will no longer be resettling refugees and so many of its gifts to our community will be lost for now.
Citizenship is a huge goal that many refugees have once they are resettled in the United States. During those first few weeks, it seems like a faraway dream, but it’s a dream that motivates many new Americans down their own pathway towards citizenship. Many of the refugees we serve have never had the opportunity to participate in civic life prior to their arrival in the United States.
We asked some of our middle school students in our Bright Futures Afterschool Program the question: “Why is education important to you?” Below are their responses. We are so proud of our students, they are working hard to acheive great things!
We are so very grateful for the many volunteers who serve regularly in our afterschool program. This month we would like to highlight Lynda Douglass. Lynda began serving in our afterschool program this year, and in a short time has become an integral part of our community.
At Red, White and NEW on August 17, 2019, New American Pathways will honor Bee Nguyen, the representative for Georgia House District 89 that includes City of Atlanta and DeKalb County. As the daughter of former refugees from Vietnam, Bee Nguyen cherishes the community’s most diverse voices. She spent a decade empowering girls through Athena’s Warehouse, the nonprofit she started to …
Refugees are incredible contributors to their communities. We often talk about the economic impact refugees have on our communities, but on this World Refugee Day, we also want to celebrate their cultural and artistic contributions. Metro Atlanta is home to new Americans from a myriad of cultures and we all benefit from the rich diversity …
I am an Iraqi-American. Neither identity outweighs the other, but rather, both are infused within me. Depending on the environment and whom I am interacting with at a given moment, the balance can shift a little to the appropriate one.
Faratiana likes going back to USCIS where she and her husband were sworn in just last year. When people go through their naturalization ceremony, it’s a happy moment.
At our Breaking Bread Volunteer Appreciation Brunch this month, we presented four outstanding volunteers with “Volunteer of the Year” awards. Our recipient of the “Young Path” award, Aqil Merchant, is featured this month. Aqil is a local high school student and was moved by news coverage he saw about the refugee crisis. He wanted to …