Category: Welcoming

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.

A quarterly newsletter celebrating Welcoming and Inclusive communities across the state of Nebraska

My name is Khenda Mustafa, Welcoming Coordinator with Nebraska Is Home. Even as the Coronavirus pandemic brings uncertainty for us all, we can come together to support one another in continuing to build a welcoming and inclusive culture across our state.

This is the first issue of a quarterly newsletter called Tea Time with Khenda, where we will share resources, stories, and events to celebrate and build welcoming communities together.

Why Tea Time?

Growing up, I was taught the importance – and joy – of welcoming others and making them feel comfortable, safe, and valued. With hospitality playing a major role in Kurdish culture, our family entertained guests quite a lot. I remember being younger and helping my mother brew a large pot of ceylon tea whenever we had company over. When the tea was ready, I would pour the piping hot liquid into glass cups and serve it along with sugar in its various forms — sometimes dates, sugar cubes, and even toffee. As the conversations flowed, so did the tea.

It seems that all around the world, people have great conversations over hot beverages, and it is in this spirit of hospitality and communion that Nebraska is Home brings you Tea Time

Grab a Cup of Your Favorite Brew and Have a Seat…

We’re All In This Together… Separately

As we adapt to the new environment brought about by this pandemic, here are some questions that we can be asking ourselves in the process:

1. How are we including the whole community in our efforts today?
2. In what ways are we thinking about coming together as a community after collectively getting through this?

We might not have the answers right away, but we should keep asking ourselves these questions and discussing together what kind of community we want to be, coming out of this.

Resources

Now more than ever, it is important to remember to take care of ourselves. Have a look at these tools for self-care and community wellbeing:

• Tired of only bad news? Check out this heartwarming news story from right here in the state
• #StayAtHome. This is the single most effective thing we can do to stop the spread of Coronavirus. Here are activities for health, wellness, and connectedness that you can do to care for yourself and others from home
• How is your breathing? Here is a helpful short talk and guided meditation for coping with fear in times of pandemic
• What’s going on in your town? This is a Restaurant guide for delivery, curbside, and drive-through services in Lincoln. Send us other local business guides from your community!
• You can find more useful tools for communities and inspiring stories of neighbors coming together to help each other – while staying apart – on Welcoming America
• Check out Nebraska Appleseed’s blog for policy updates and actions you can take to promote inclusive solutions for the health and wellbeing of all community members

Upcoming (Virtual) Events

This year’s Statewide Welcoming Convening is going online! Over the next few months, we’ll be exploring new ways to hold local community conversations, particularly around race equity using the video series Cracking The Codes. – Stay tuned, we’ll be reaching out soon.

Have an event? Send us information on your virtual events and we’ll share them! We’ll be glad to share your in-person events too, once we are able to get together again, so keep us informed!

What Can I Do?

• Find local COVID-19 response efforts and get involved. For example:
  • Support the work of schools, faith groups, and local organizations 
  • Check in on friends and neighbors – see ideas here!
• Complete and share the Census – Every individual in our community counts! All you need is your address to help ensure Nebraska receives accurate representation and resources for our growing communities! Complete the Census TODAY and encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to complete theirs too! You can complete the Census:
  • With your smartphone or computer at my2020census.gov
  • By calling 844-330-2020 (English) or look-up additional language phone numbers
  • Paper census forms will also be mailed by mid-April, look for an envelope from the U.S. Census Bureau!

Send us your stories and events to share in a future issue of Tea Time!

Caring for one another in this moment will take urgent and deliberate action

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across our state and country, it is important to keep our communities inclusive, safe, and healthy.

Welcoming communities can and will play an important role, modeling how our values drive the decisions we make going forward, and we applaud the leadership already being demonstrated by so many on the local level in this moment.

The health and safety of all our neighbors is our top priority. Caring for one another in this moment will take urgent and deliberate action. Health and safety are rooted in working together, ensuring all of us are seen part of the solution, rather than stigmatized as the source of the problem.

Local Health Departments will have the most current information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and they will know what is happening in your community. 

Please share information from your health department or other trusted sources with the whole community. When certain groups are prevented from fully participating in the solution, communities risk the health and safety of all people. The uncertainties of Coronavirus, our susceptibility to bias, and the impact of isolation will make it all the more important that we use our voice and power to maintain norms of cohesion and cooperation, especially across lines of difference.

All of us have the power to make choices now that will not only reduce the impact of Coronavirus but make ourselves more resilient against deliberate efforts to spread disinformation and fear of one another.

We urge you to: 

• As we practice social distancing, double down on virtual interaction and solidarity.
• Engage with local partners on a whole-of-community response to stem the spread of the virus.
• Call out discrimination where you see it.
• Focus on education and on elevating positive, values-based messages.

Together, we can ensure that we act with resilience and strength.