(Left to right) Audace Mbonyingingo, Rebecca Ursule, Sara Haghighi, and Shamsedin Zamani are Tucson residents who were born in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, and Afghanistan respectively.
While the Trump administration wants to significantly reduce the number of refugees and asylum seekers allowed into the United States, there are already thousands of people in our community who came here through these legal channels and are contributing to their communities.
In Tucson, a cooperative effort between Iskashitaa Refugee Network and Odyssey Storytelling wants you to meet five of those residents who hail from Africa or Asia.
In the event that's called Belonging: Building A Better Tucson, four refugees and one asylum seeker are sharing their stories about the long process of being in limbo and uncertainty, and moving to United States to begin new lives.
They will comprise the storytellers for the live event at the University of Arizona's Gallagher Theater on Thursday August 14 beginning at 7 pm.
VIEW LARGER Originally from Burundi, Audace Mbonyingingo is beginning a new chapter in Tucson.
Among other things, he teaches English as a Second Language and serves as a board member for Iskashitaa Refugee Network. Audace Mbonyingingo grew up in Burundi but is seeking asylum in United States, fearing for his safety in his native country due to crime, political turmoil and other dangers.
VIEW LARGER Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rebecca Ursule spent 15 years in Uganda before moving to Arizona with her family. Rebecca is entering her senior year at the University of Arizona where she studies political science and stays busy with other projects. Rebecca Ursule is a University of Arizona Student who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When she was five years old, she moved to Uganda with her family.
After 15 years there, Rebecca moved to Arizona with her parents, her six sisters and a little brother.
VIEW LARGER Sara Haghighi is originally from Iran but has been living in United States since 2013. After working in California, she moved to Tucson where she likes to assist others who are beginning new lives in this country. Sara Haghighi is a former refugee from Iran who lived in California before moving to Tucson where she advocates for refugees and adult education.
VIEW LARGER Originally from Afghanistan, Shamsedin Zamani is in Tucson with his wife and four children. He has experience in different fields such as real estate and construction, but is currently an entrepreneur by running a car dealership in the city.
Shamsedin Zamani is a refugee from Afghanistan with experiences in different fields including construction and manufacturing, but is currently running a car dealership. He's here with with his wife and four children.
This is the second such collaborative effort between Iskashitaa Refugee Network, and Odyssey Storytelling in Tucson.
A fifth storyteller was not available for an interview when we met them in advance.
His name is Benson Gasanga. He is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has two daughters, and likes to watch soccer, read books, and play the guitar.
VIEW LARGER Laura Porfirio volunteers at Iskashitaa Refugee Network, and Odyssey Storytelling in Tucson and is an advocate for telling and sharing stories. Laura Porfirio is a volunteer at both organizations, and like other people in these groups, she believes it's imperative that people share stories and others listen.
"I always say that the work I have done with storytelling and adult education, working for Pima Community College, it comes from my family. Being raised by my grandma from Italy who didn't get to take English classes and added so much to the communities that she lived in. And nobody got to hear her story, her voice was not heard," Porfirio says.
"And I'm all about those voices getting heard."
VIEW LARGER Laura Porfirio's grandparents, Cesarina Vittorini and Alberto Porfirio, were both born in Abruzzo, Italy. This photo is in Chicago c. 1928.
For additional information about refugees and asylum seekers, you can go to various sources including these:
The United Nations Refugee Agency, the American Immigration Council, and Global Refuge.
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