Category: Welcoming

This blog is written by Nebraska Appleseed summer intern Vivian P. Alvarado.

Haeler Paw, or as she prefers to be called Hae Paw, is originally from a refugee camp in Thailand. She immigrated to the United States in June, 2012. Because Haw Paw already had some siblings living in Nebraska she decided to relocate close to her family.  Hae Paw was welcomed by a social worker with Lutheran Family Services when she arrived at the airport in Nebraska. Not only did the social worker welcome her, she also worked with Hae Paw for months to help facilitate her adaptation to the new culture and language. Continue reading “Celebrating Nebraska Immigrants: From Refugee Camp to Nebraska Nurse”

Welcoming Week is September 12th-20th and we’re ready to help you plan how you’d like to participate! Each year, Welcoming Week is a chance for neighbors — both immigrants and U.S.-born residents — to come together, get to know one another, and celebrate what unites us as a community.

Continue reading “Welcoming Week: Creating Home Together”

In July, Nebraska Is Home partnered with Dakota County’s own Unity in Action and One Siouxland to host a virtual community conversation about race and the system of inequity using the video series, Cracking The Codes. Leaders across many different sectors and backgrounds–educators, librarians, city officials–came together to talk about how race affects us in our daily lives. Members of the community shared their personal stories and experiences in a way that was both vulnerable and powerful.

Olga Guevara, Executive Director of Unity in Action reflected on her experience at the event, noting:

We were truly inspired by Dakota County community leaders’ willingness to become part of the solution, and we are eager to help others have conversations about racial equity with additional groups of friends, family, and coworkers too!

What is Cracking The Codes, you ask? It’s a powerful tool for engaging in community dialogue that is meant to help deepen the local and national conversations on race. It helps groups to examine some of the causes and consequences of racism, and to ask themselves how the system of inequity shows up in their schools, at work, and in their neighborhood.

If you’re interested in hosting a conversation in your community, school, or faith group, let us know. We’d be happy to connect you with this great resource and help you facilitate the discussion. Just reach out to us:

• • Christa at cyoakum@neappleseed.org / 402-890-5662
  • Khenda at kmustafa@neappleseed.org / 402-540-8407

At Nebraska Is Home we know that vibrant communities are ones in which people from all different backgrounds respect and celebrate each other’s values and talents. In celebration of June Immigrant Heritage Month, we began sharing stories from some of the immigrants who bring vitality and passion to Nebraska. There are so many wonderful immigrants and refugees that call Nebraska home, that we’re continuing this series throughout 2020!

Meet Cassandra Leow, a proud immigrant from Malaysia who is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and providing mental health support to those impacted by COVID 19.

This blog is written by Nebraska Appleseed intern Abby Chan. Abby caught up with Cassandra for a fun interview and shares some of what she learned in this blog:

Cassandra Leow immigrated to the United States from Malaysia in August of 2016 to pursue higher education. At first, she was surprised and felt challenged by many things that were different from her hometown:

“Having a 13 to 14 hour time difference was a challenge; having previously spent all my time with family–even going to movies with them during the weekends– to being all by myself suddenly and not having much contact was incredibly difficult.”

But soon after starting school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), she began to find her second home. Cassandra felt welcomed by the community at UNL:

“Everyone was so thoughtful and welcoming. They were curious about my culture and did their best to understand it. During the holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, they would reach out to me and invite me to join them, so I would not feel alone. It was then that I knew that I was going to be just fine in the US.”

Many UNL professors and staff gave Cassandra a home away from home, and she could not be more thankful. She also keeps her hometown traditions alive by celebrating with new friends in the U.S. and sharing her culture with them through finding local places that provide food, decorations, and items that make her home in Nebraska feel like Malaysia.

Cassandra is proud to be an immigrant as it not only gives her a different perspective on issues in her community, but also allows her to connect with a lot of people. The resilience that she gained through experience has pulled her in ways she never thought was possible.

Cassandra reflects on her years in Nebraska so far as a great learning experience. She has not only learned a lot academically, but also culturally and spiritually. She feels that she’s grown as a person and as a professional:

“The last time I spoke to my family and friends, they pointed out how different I was — which is a testament to my growth. As challenging and stressful as it has been, I wouldn’t change a thing! I continue to be grateful for the things I have learned and seize every opportunity presented to me.”

When faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, Cassandra recognized the severe effects it has on the mental health of her fellow community members and saw an opportunity to help. She joined 30 other local health professionals to set up a free service for people to safely talk about their fears and concerns, and to receive tips on how to deal with excessive amounts of stress.

“I love being able to help people by offering emotional support. I feel energized when I’m able to empower people to challenge themselves to make better choices and lead more meaningful lives.”

We thank you Cassandra for your willingness to share your story!

At Nebraska Is Home we know that vibrant communities are ones in which people from all different backgrounds respect and celebrate each other’s values and talents. In celebration of June as Immigrant Heritage Month, we want to share a few stories from some of the immigrants who bring vitality and passion to Nebraska.

Meet Nibras, a young global leader who has dedicated her talents and time to making the world a better and more welcoming place. She is a Yazidi refugee from Iraq who is currently studying at Creighton University. She is passionate about education for girls and refugees, and has received local and international recognition for her advocacy efforts.

Recently, our Appleseed intern, Abby Chan, caught up with Nibras for a fun interview and shared with us what she learned:

Nibras Khudaida was born and raised in Sreshka, Iraq, and immigrated to the United States in April of 2015. Nebraska was the top choice for Nibras and her family, as her uncle had settled here months before and found that it felt like home. The Yazidi community in Nebraska is quite large, which made the transition of moving a little easier on Nibras and her family.

Stepping off of the plane at the Lincoln Airport, many people showed up to welcome the  Khudaidas to their new home. Some local organizations that were instrumental in helping the family acclimate to America were Lutheran Family Services, Catholic Social Services, and the Center for People in Need. They helped Nibras and her family rent their first home, helped them strengthen their English language skills, and educated them on the laws, rules, and culture of their new home.

Nibras was welcomed from all aspects of the community. She recalls, “People visited us often to check on us or if we needed anything. They showed they cared about us. After I started high school, my teachers and my classmates made me feel very welcome by helping me out by doing small acts. I felt welcome in school because teachers treated everyone the same.”

Although Nibras has gotten the hang of life in America, she wishes she’d known more about the education system. While she was preparing to take the ACT and applying to college, she had to resort to using Google as well as her teachers for advice. The college search did end up well for Nibras, as she is currently a Creighton University student.  

While juggling school and family time, Nibras also makes trips to speak at the United Nations and conferences all around the country. She advocates for girls’ education, creates projects and programs to help refugees in Nebraska to access higher education, and also helps refugee students in conflict zones. Nibras uses her voice to advocate for a change in the treatment and education for refugees. She aspires to help out the next generation.

Nibras has given speeches at the United Nations, and has been featured on the social media accounts of the Malala Fund and Representative Jeff Fortenberry.

You can keep up with this brilliant young global leader by following Nibras on Twitter at @NibrasKhudaida

This is a momentous time in our country’s history and a powerful time for us to take a stand with our neighbors. As a community or as a society, we cannot be whole when Black Americans are repeatedly targeted because of the color of their skin.

By now we’ve all seen the inexcusable actions of law enforcement that ended George Floyd’s life and the protests across the country. It is no longer enough to be tolerant or to be a passive ally. It is time to act. It is time to dismantle the racism and oppression that has been so entrenched in our institutions and structures.

Together we can do more and together we can make change. Our communities are strongest when everyone in the community feels valued.

As Welcoming America stated in their response, Welcoming Cannot Thrive As Long As Racism Persists.

“We cannot be welcoming when African Americans are repeatedly targeted because of the color of their skin.

We cannot be welcoming when violence against our neighbors is minimized or ignored.

We cannot be welcoming if we are afraid to address the root causes of racism.”

Here are resources for your own learning and tools for talking with family, friends, and neighbors:

• • Cracking the Codes (Let us know if you’d like help facilitating a virtual conversation with this video series.)
  • Race Forward
  • NAACP
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Responding to Everyday Bigotry – Southern Poverty Law Center
  • America Needs All Of Us (a tool kit for talking about race and unconscious bias)
  • Black and Pink – Unpacking Solidarity Toolkit

Support, donate, volunteer with local organizations:

• • NAACP Lincoln Branch, NAACP Omaha Branch
  • YWCA Lincoln, YWCA Grand Island or YWCA Adams County
  • The Malone Community Center
  • Malcolm X Memorial Foundation
  • OutNebraska
  • Inclusive Communities
  • Multicultural Coalition of Grand Island
  • One Siouxland
  • Culxr House
  • Union for Contemporary Arts
  • Black and Pink
  • Cultural associations across the state
  • Join the social justice committee of your faith group.

What is going on in your community? Share your favorite tools and local organizations to combat racism and promote inclusion. We would like to hear from you.