A refugee is a person who has fled their country due to fear of, or actual, persecution and violence due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Refugees, also called displaced persons, are unable to return to their country because the adverse conditions that prompted their flight have yet to be resolved. The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees defined the term and the responsibilities of nations to grant asylum to those rendered stateless due to warfare, famine or natural disasters. Globally, there are nearly 70 million displaced persons.
Hardin Lang will provide an overview to understand the issues that refugees face in their own countries, describe their path to reach a country that will accept them, their experience after arriving in the accepting country and the process to become integrated. Abdi Nor Iftin and Isabella Rivas Discua will join Lang for this presentation, describing their unique journeys and those of their peer groups in coming to the United States, both their struggles and experiences.
This program is generously underwritten by Barbara Krichbaum & Kent Erickson; the Hot Topics Series is generously underwritten by Cindy Engles and Kathy & Neal Kimmel.