Miry Whitehill
Last week I had the pleasure of both hearing Miry Whitehill speak and having a discussion with her in my International Relations class.
Miry is an incredible person. After giving a bassinet to a Syrian refugee family through her friend, Miry decided to start Miry's List, a nonprofit that aids refugees to the United States immediately after their arrival. Miry has worked with many families, mostly in the San Diego or Los Angeles area and is continuing to work on smoothing the transition for refugees.
In our class discussion, we talked about what home was to each of us. What makes home, home? Many refugees from around the globe come to the United States with legal refugee status, and they are placed with one of nine agencies that help them resettle in the first 90-180 days after their arrival. The agents cover the basics: health care, a place to live, dinner on the first night, etc. They cover the necessities, but don't make it feel like home. Miry and her organization do their best to make refugees feel at home after they arrive. They bring pots, pans, toys, appliances, and other semi-essentials that really make the house turn into a home.
In her presentation to the broader Poly community, Miry read an excerpt that she wrote about her experience with one Syrian family that just arrived in the United States. She talked about a very personal and emotional moment she shared with the mother of the family on the floor of their new but unfurnished house. She explained how, in the moment, she understood why the mother was crying because she didn't know where the grocery story was. That she didn't know where the store was wasn't the heart of the issue, it was merely the straw that broke the camels back. Miry said that, while she couldn't relate to being a refugee, she could relate to that feeling of being lost, the feeling of one small thing breaking you. I thought that was a very interesting perspective and a very interest way to get her audience to empathize with refugees.
It was incredible to talk about and hear about the refugees within my community for a full two hours from someone who has had far more experience hearing their stories from THEIR perspectives. I am so incredibly amazed by her work, and I hope to get more involved in making sure refugees make a smooth transition in my community. Thanks, Miry!
Miry is an incredible person. After giving a bassinet to a Syrian refugee family through her friend, Miry decided to start Miry's List, a nonprofit that aids refugees to the United States immediately after their arrival. Miry has worked with many families, mostly in the San Diego or Los Angeles area and is continuing to work on smoothing the transition for refugees.
In our class discussion, we talked about what home was to each of us. What makes home, home? Many refugees from around the globe come to the United States with legal refugee status, and they are placed with one of nine agencies that help them resettle in the first 90-180 days after their arrival. The agents cover the basics: health care, a place to live, dinner on the first night, etc. They cover the necessities, but don't make it feel like home. Miry and her organization do their best to make refugees feel at home after they arrive. They bring pots, pans, toys, appliances, and other semi-essentials that really make the house turn into a home.
In her presentation to the broader Poly community, Miry read an excerpt that she wrote about her experience with one Syrian family that just arrived in the United States. She talked about a very personal and emotional moment she shared with the mother of the family on the floor of their new but unfurnished house. She explained how, in the moment, she understood why the mother was crying because she didn't know where the grocery story was. That she didn't know where the store was wasn't the heart of the issue, it was merely the straw that broke the camels back. Miry said that, while she couldn't relate to being a refugee, she could relate to that feeling of being lost, the feeling of one small thing breaking you. I thought that was a very interesting perspective and a very interest way to get her audience to empathize with refugees.
It was incredible to talk about and hear about the refugees within my community for a full two hours from someone who has had far more experience hearing their stories from THEIR perspectives. I am so incredibly amazed by her work, and I hope to get more involved in making sure refugees make a smooth transition in my community. Thanks, Miry!
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