Dorcas International Institute Rhode Island and Welcoming Rhode Island will host the “My Story, Our Community” reception on Friday, April 11th, 2014 at Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island at the South Campus location (645 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI 02907) in the first floor lounge. The reception will begin at 5:30pm and will conclude at 7:30pm. The reception is free of charge and open to the public.
The “My Story, Our Community” reception will bring together immigrants and refugees, students, and members of the general public to honor the following local immigrants and refugees who have been interviewed by Providence College students and whose photographs and stories will be on display:
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- Ilya Burov, from Russia to Providence
- Sandra Cano, from Colombia to Pawtucket
- Ingrid Daniela Castro, from Bolivia to Providence
- Mohamed Hamidou Diakité, from Mali to Pawtucket
- Andres & Patricia Flor, from the Philippines to Cranston
- Naglaa Gaafar, from Egypt to Warwick
- Andrew Mangeni, from Uganda to Lincoln
- Carlos Spinola, from Cape Verde to Pawtucket
- Shanthi Yogini, from India to Pawtucket
Nestled in the cozy corner of New England, Rhode Island is a hopeful state for everyone who calls it home. Native Americans and immigrants from many nations have settled in “Little Rhody” for hundreds of years. Foreign-born individuals currently comprise 13.3 percent of Rhode Island’s population.
Like Ilya Burov, a Festival Ballet Providence company dancer from Russia, who appreciates the tight-knit connection he shares with his neighbors in Providence and enjoys giving back by teaching children ballet. Burov states, “Here [Rhode Island] is a community; people get together and do things together. Back [in Russia]…I lived in Moscow, a huge city, and everyone is kind of on their own, doing their thing…, so we didn’t really have much time to experience community.”
Andrew Mangeni of Lincoln, admits that he caught the “Rhode Island bug” when he arrived twenty-four years ago from Uganda to pursue higher education. Mangeni is currently a music teacher at a middle school in Smithfield, an adjunct professor at Brown University, and a pastor at his church. He asserts, “They [immigrants] add to the fabric of the community. Many of them are looking to improve themselves. If someone is looking to improve themselves, chances are the community will improve itself [too].”
There are many things that Rhode Islanders can disagree on. One thing that brings us all together is our common values and shared future.
Naglaa Gaafar, originally from Egypt and currently a resident of Warwick, wants immigrants to be viewed as people who bring their rich cultures and add to what already exists in America, not take away from it. Gaafar expresses, “I want to contribute. We are not here to take anything away from anybody. We are here because we took a chance on ourselves. We put life in a bag and said goodbye to every dear person to our hearts. It was gut-ripping, but we said we were going to plant roots here.” Gaafar is the coordinator of student retention and director of the center for excellence and college readiness at the Community College of Rhode Island.
Welcoming Rhode Island celebrates our shared values and recognizes how new Rhode Islanders contribute to our economy, enhance our combined culture, and strengthen our communities.
Sandra Cano arrived to Rhode Island from Colombia after her father, then president of an airline, was kidnapped by guerilla groups and was able to receive asylum in the United States. Sandra is currently a business and community developer officer for Navigant Credit Union in Central Falls and serves her community as the first Latina to be elected to the Pawtucket School Committee. Despite facing adversity in Rhode Island, Sandra envisions a bright future ahead saying, “I want equal access to opportunities for my [future] kids in terms of education [and] job opportunities. I want a Rhode Island that has a positive economy…And I am positive for the future of Rhode Island. I think that more than ever we have had our struggles, and this time communities and people are getting together,…to put our vision forward; a positive vision forward.”
Hosted by Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island (http://www.diiri.org), Welcoming Rhode Island’s (http://www.welcomingri.org) mission is to bridge the divide between foreign-born newcomers and U.S.-born Rhode Islanders to foster a more inclusive and welcoming atmosphere.
This initiative is an affiliate of Welcoming America (http://www.welcomingamerica.org/), a national, grassroots-driven collaborative that works to promote mutual respect and cooperation between foreign-born and native-born Americans. Rhode Island is one of the seventeen states that have joined Welcoming America, to create an atmosphere — community by community — in which immigrants are more likely to integrate into the social fabric of their adopted hometowns.
Dorcas International Institute Rhode Island, is an independent, non-profit agency with a guiding mission to empower individuals and families, especially the underserved, immigrants, and refugees, to become self-sufficient and fully participating members of our diverse community through innovative programs and advocacy that promote education, training and cultural understanding.
