On February 24, the Highland kindness class hosted a panel feature Highland students who are either refugees or children of immigrants.
The panel, organized by Mindy Smith, was focused on giving people a chance to hear their stories.
The panelists appeared nervous to talk about such a sensitive subject, but Salwa Yacoub delivered a speech about being a foreign exchange student from Palestine at the end that was the highlight of the event.
“If we don’t tell our stories, others will get them wrong,” Yacoub said. “I tell my story and my grandparents’ stories, not for pity, but for understanding, because I want you to know what’s behind every headline, every statistic. There’s a family like mine. We are not numbers. We are people. People who love life even when life doesn’t love us back.”
One in 69 people globally must flee their homes due to war and conflict, leaving 10 million people living in refugee camps. The recent fighting in Iraq is just another example of what can cause people to become displaced.
Most people who are in these camps live there for their entire lives. However, 2% of refugees find permanent housing in another country.
Refugees come from all over the world looking for hope and opportunity. Highland student Asmaa Al Abou has found both at Highland.
“People here are really kind here. We arrive and don’t know anything, and then people will give us food, clothes, a bed, and a place to live,” Al Abou said.
Even with this help, it is still hard to be a refugee, the panelists said.
Many challenges arise when people flee their home country. A major hardship is learning English. Sometimes people assume that someone is less intelligent because they don’t speak English, but that is not always the case.
Highland can be a second home for refugees, giving a community where everyone can feel involved. Students on the panel talked about how they see a lot of kindness at school. Students mentioned the Highland events, assemblies, and clubs to feel very inclusive.
This panel gave students an opportunity to tell their stories correctly for Highland to hear and learn a little bit more about the experiences of refugees.
