Photos + Videos from Your Welcoming Week!
Celebrate and recognize the history of Juneteenth
Celebrate and recognize the history of Juneteenth
The impact of recognizing Juneteenth as the federal holiday with the passing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act cannot be understated. Yet many people don’t know the meaning and significance of Juneteenth.
While it took two and a half years for word of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas, it has taken 156 years for Juneteenth to be recognized as historically significant.
We celebrate Juneteenth and all it means with the knowledge and reality that we have much more work to do. We must seek to know the history and the barriers and structures of racism that carry forward in order to learn from our mistakes as a country and as individuals to do better in the future. This is a day to reflect and to deeply consider the wound of racism.
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Celebrating Immigrants! June Is Immigrant Heritage Month
Celebrating Immigrants! June Is Immigrant Heritage Month
This is a guest blog post by Zeke Rouse, Appleseed’s Immigrants and Communities Welcoming Intern.
June is an opportunity to share stories and recognize the impact that different immigrant Nebraskans have in shaping our communities. Storytelling gives us an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and people that call Nebraska home.
Since June of 2014, Immigrant Heritage Month has given people across the United States an opportunity to annually explore their own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America.
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Omaha’s International Women’s Day event is vibrant and growing
March 8th, International Women’s Day, has long been celebrated by the global community as a day to honor women for their social, economic, cultural and political achievements. On this day, women, communities, and countries the world over enjoy the day with events that range from festivals to tea parties.
Three years ago, a group of refugee women in Omaha came to the realization that the day was, for the most part, ignored in the United States and decided to form a committee for a city-wide celebration of International Women’s Day. That first year, the women asked a few community members to help them plan an event for Omaha that was held at Girls, Inc. with about 50 women who shared food from all over the world and an afternoon of eating, dancing, and socializing.
In the third annual event this past Saturday, that simple vision has grown to more than 150 guests and 28 agency booths! Held at the University of Nebraska Omaha’s Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, Barbara Weitz welcomed the crowd and recognized several women for their local contributions and leadership, including: Alana Schriver, Norma Rahmanzai Isaczai, Carol Tucker, Sayler Moo, Dr. Mackenzie Taylor and Sien Nya Tin.
As welcoming communities across the country are recognizing, something special happens when we all get involved in creating a welcoming community environment. At Saturday’s event, you could feel the energy in the room as a diverse crowd of new and longtime Nebraskans shared music, food, and lively conversation. As one Omaha dad said, his daughters had the opportunity to travel the world that afternoon and to be inspired by women leaders.
Mark your calendar for next year’s International Women’s Day, which is just one great opportunity during the year to meet neighbors from around the world!
New Americans share their stories at World Refugee Day 2015
I could list many things that I love about Nebraska. The beautiful countryside, the bike paths, and the friendly neighbors are just a few. After attending Omaha Benson High School’s World Refugee Day Celebration last week, it reaffirmed another thing that I love about my state: diversity.
Many may not be aware of the diverse refugee population that has been settled in Nebraska since the middle of the 20th century and long before. For decades, refugees have transitioned from their war-torn, conflicted, or otherwise dangerous homes to a life in Lincoln, Omaha, and the tri-cities area of central Nebraska. As a native Nebraskan, I love the opportunity to eat food from countries around the world, meet friendly people who have started a new life here, and learn about life from the perspectives of these new Nebraskans. At the celebration for International Refugee Day, I was able to witness a handful of the wonderful contributions that these people make to our state.
One of my favorite parts of the event was the welcome and naturalization ceremony. Groups of young people from Burma and different countries in Africa presented traditional dances from their countries. Audience members were also instructed on the basic ways in which refugee resettlement works in Nebraska. Of course, the naturalization ceremony of 30 new American citizens from all over the world was also a very powerful experience to share.
Throughout the day, a number of organizations in the Omaha area presented information to passersby in Benson High’s hallways. A group of Sudanese women had handicrafts for sale as a fundraiser for their organization. Various non-profits provided information for refugees regarding health care, housing, and other important services available to them in the community. Nebraska Appleseed’s table had a tree on which patrons would write something that is welcoming to new residents in Omaha. As an intern with Appleseed, I enjoyed meeting native Nebraskans and new Nebraskans alike as they shared their favorite things about Omaha.
I’m so glad I was able to attend this event. In addition to meeting new people who are interested in similar work within the community, I met friendly people who love their new country. It was such a pleasure spending the Saturday at International Refugee Day.
Free Omaha tours of The Quilted Conscience project this weekend
This weekend in Omaha, you have another chance to see a pair of powerful, colorful exhibits of memories-and-dreams quilts from Nebraska immigrant and refugee youth (The Quilted Conscience), as well as a rare opportunity to see Fabric of Survival, a stunning series of quilts telling the story of a Holocaust survivor from her village in Poland through Nazi occupation and ultimately moving to America. (This is the final weekend to see Fabric of Survival.)
In The Quilted Conscience project, what started as a documentary film to inform residents of the changing demographics in America has blossomed into a new and unique way to unite communities. Refugee youth in Grand Island were brought together with Nebraska quilters to create images depicting the girls’ memories growing up in their homelands and the dreams they hold of their future in America.
Many of the Nebraska quilters, who grew up in rural Nebraska, related to the immigrant girls’ memories of fetching water and helping on a family farm as children. They also remembered sharing many of the same dreams of becoming teachers or working in medicine. Through these quilts, the new and longtime Nebraskans from different cultures and generations realized that they, in fact, have a lot in common with one another.
Using quilting as a way to bring people together and unite communities is now taking place in other cities such as Hastings, Lincoln, and Omaha, with beautiful outcomes displayed in Omaha this month.
The Quilted Conscience project currently is on display at 3 Omaha locations:
- Joslyn Art Museum – The Quilted Conscience (until April 25)
- Kaneko Gallery – Fabric of Survival (until March 14) & The Quilted Conscience (until April 25)
- Clark Library – The Quilted Conscience (until April 25)
Van tours on March 14th, March 28th and April 11th are available to take people to the three locations. RSVP to reserve your spot for a free van tour. (All van tours run from 1pm-4pm and begin and end at the Joslyn.)
A short clip of The Quilted Conscience, the film depicting the original Grand Island quilting project, will be shown at the Joslyn Art Museum at 1pm on Saturday (at the beginning of the van tour).
Holocaust survivor’s story told in Omaha with ‘Fabric of Survival’ quilt project
This is a guest post from Rachel Peric, Deputy Director of Welcoming America and a board member of Art and Remembrance.
In 1977, at the age of 50, my grandmother, Esther Nisenthal Krinitz, decided she wanted her family to see what her childhood home in Poland looked like. A survivor of the Holocaust, my grandmother had lost almost everyone she loved in the world. Out of her family, only she and her sister had survived.
Beginning with an image of her home, and later, a dream from the war, my grandmother began to tell her story through the medium she knew best – sewing. Stitch by stitch, she brought to life the family that she had lost and the story of her survival. Before she passed away in 2001, my grandmother created a series of 36 embroidered fabric panels that narrate and depict life before the war and her harrowing experiences of living through the Holocaust.
The exhibit of her work, Fabric of Survival, is now on exhibit in Omaha at the Kaneko Gallery, thanks to the support of the Institute for Holocaust Education, in partnership with Art and Remembrance.
After surviving the war, my grandmother made her way to America with her new family. Not only a Holocaust story, my grandmother’s story is an immigrant story. And much like my grandmother, today in Omaha, a new generation of immigrant youth who have extraordinary experiences of their own are also finding their voice and stitching their own remarkable artwork through a project called The Quilted Conscience, on display at the Joslyn Art Museum, KANEKO, and the W. Dale Clark Main Omaha Public Library.
For many Jews like myself, the powerful act of remembrance is lived out when we are exposed to stories like my grandmother’s, or other survivors still living here in Omaha. But we can also find even greater healing and deeper meaning when we encounter the stories of newcomers to Omaha and discover universal connections to our own past.
The same strength, resilience, and creativity that my grandmother brought with her to America is evident in the stories of immigrant youth here today in Omaha. For this reason, perhaps the Jewish community can play a unique role today in helping to bring forward these newer stories of courage, and welcome the next generation of youth from around the world to Nebraska.
Fortunately, initiatives like Nebraska is Home, hosted by Nebraska Appleseed, and part of the national Welcoming America network, are here to help. In Omaha, and across the state, Nebraska is Home is fostering more inclusive communities – places where regardless of where you are born or what you look like, you are valued and welcomed.
Nebraska is Home and The Quilted Conscience will be helping to bring diverse community members to see Fabric of Survival, creating a new generation exposed to this powerful story, and also empowered to share their own. Together, they will create a new rich tapestry that weaves together the old with the new, the past with the present – and, it is my hope, a uniquely Jewish story of survival and immigration with the story of newcomers to Omaha today. I hope you will join us.
Three Omaha openings this week for the Quilted Conscience Project
Colorful quilt display unites new immigrants and long-time Nebraska residents
Omaha gallery patrons will have the chance this week to attend several openings of “The Quilted Conscience Project,” a moving and meaningful art project that features beautifully colored displays and fosters cross-cultural bonds across generations.
The Quilted Conscience Project works with immigrant and refugee children, newly arrived in the United States, and traditional-American communities, here for many generations, who don’t yet know their newest neighbors. Together, the groups form bonds and discover similarities through sharing their dreams and memories via quilting. It encourages creativity, respect, and friendship.
Quilts on display in Omaha this week are works produced by students in Lincoln, Omaha, and Grand Island.
You can view the results of The Quilted Conscience this week in Omaha:
Thursday, February 5 – 6:30 p.m.
Joslyn Art Museum
2200 Dodge St.
See the Karen Dreams and Memories quilt from Omaha Public Schools and Newcomer Quilts from Grand Island Public Schools at this public reception.
Friday, February 6 – 6:00 p.m.
KANEKO
1111 Jones St.
See the Sudan Dreams and Memories quilt from Grand Island Public Schools at this public reception.
Dale Clark Main Omaha Public Library
215 S. 15th St.
See the Dreams and Memories quilt created by Lincoln Public Schools from Myanmar.
The quilts will be on display through April 25 at those locations.
Free screening of “I Learn America” film in Omaha
The children of immigration, here to stay, are the new Americans. How we fare in welcoming them will determine the nature of this country in the 21st century and beyond. Schools have a unique role in bridging divides between newcomer and longer term students and families and helping all students succeed.
You’re invited to a special screening of “I Learn America,” a must-see new film on the experiences and challenges faced by a group of young immigrants adapting to their new country.
What: “I Learn America” screening
When: Thursday, December 5 – 6pm Dessert Reception, 7pm Film Screening
A new storytelling website tool – ideal for teachers and local community members – will be demonstrated during the reception.
Where: Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha
“I Learn America” follows five students as they strive to master English, adapt to families they haven’t seen in years, confront the universal trials of adolescence, and search for a future they can claim as their own. Through these five vibrant young people, their stories and struggles, and their willingness to share their lives with us, we “learn America.”
Watch the trailer:
This film is sponsored and brought to you free of admission charge by: Omaha Public Libraries, SSCA Omaha, You’re Welcome In Omaha, and Nebraska Appleseed.
A new Immigrant Nation storytelling website will be demonstrated at the reception preceding the film, sharing local stories of immigration through the decades. The interactive project includes a web platform where you can record your own immigrant story.
As many of our immigrant stories fade into memory, Immigrant Nation creates an opportunity to harness our shared history to create a bridge between those who have lived in the U.S. for generations, and immigrants who have just arrived.
We hope you can join us Thursday, December 5th in Omaha.
You’re Invited – Omaha Welcoming Community Dialogue
Omaha is a stronger, safer, and better community when we welcome people from all backgrounds and places of origin.
You are invited Monday evening to join Nebraska Appleseed, Inclusive Communities, and You’re Welcome in Omaha for a dialogue about making Omaha a more welcoming community for all people.
What: You’re Welcome In Omaha Community Dialogue
Where: Urban Abbey coffee shop
1026 Jackson St. Omaha
When: Monday, July 29, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The event will be an informal conversation between Omaha neighbors, both those whose families have immigrated to Omaha generations ago and those who have immigrated more recently. Sharing experiences, identifying common goals and shared values will lead to greater respect among all neighbors.
Please join us at Urban Abbey Monday evening to participate in a conversation about how we can make Omaha an even better community by making everyone feel welcome.
We hope to see you there!