MIGRATION

THE JOURNEY: THE HEROIC ACT OF MIGRATION

It takes a lot of guts to leave everything behind in the face of life-threatening danger like the families enrolled in Miry’s List did. Some of the families in our program have gone to hell and back to survive, escape, start over, find strength, hope, relearn human connection, face isolation and loss of agency in their own lives. These are some of the abilities it takes to resettle as a refugee in a new country. They jump into the unknown as a family - this experience is unique but not uncommon.

Often when we meet resettling families, they are living in sparsely-furnished or unfurnished apartments – no chairs, couches, beds. If somebody walked by and looked through the window of one of these darkened apartments, seeing a big family of 7 or 8 people sitting on the floor, without furniture or lighting, they might ask themselves: How come the adults in that apartment aren’t at work?

Why aren’t those kids at school?

Where’s their furniture?

What’s with the take-out boxes? Don't they care about nutrition?

What kind of parents put their kids in this situation?

The hundreds of Miry’s List families have taught us: Heroic parents.

Parents who have experienced migration have had to make the ultimate choice. A no-going-back choice. About staying or leaving. Needing to do what was best for their kids. Making the choice because of their kids. Their experience is truly a hero’s journey.

Zaineb Alawad, age 5, welcoming Miry into her home for lunch in 2017

Zulal, 7. Kabul, Afghanistan. Arrived Dec 2016 Photograph by Robyn Von Swank Migration is heroism.

“Thank you for your confidence in us. You are making us love work more and more. This program has turned me into a person who enjoys going above and beyond in my work. I feel successful. I'm so grateful to all of you.”

-- Maasya Kanjo, mom, New American from Syria, New Arrival Supper Club chef