Dear JCFS Community,
We are all sharing a time of uncertainty and fear with the current administration’s barrage of executive orders. This moment of anxiety is of course by design, and it can be difficult to know where to begin or what we can do.
For Afghani refugees, fear is something that we are all too familiar with. We are also experienced in finding our way through it – together. I invite you to learn from our experience and stand together in strength and unity in the face of forces that are trying to make us afraid and pull us apart. For me this call to action is deeply personal.
When I fled Afghanistan in 2019, my country had already faced more than 40 years of oppression and displacement from different regimes. Women and girls, in particular, faced extreme oppression under the Taliban. It was dangerous for us to walk in the streets, participate in public activities, or get an education. I was always pushing against those barriers, with the support of the women around me.
From a young age, I played soccer and spoke up for the rights of girls to become athletes, and went on to play for our country’s first professional female national team. My passion for sports inspired me to lead a radio program that uses sports as a vehicle for social change, particularly to shift my community’s mentality about women’s representation in sports.
This was all possible because I had a community behind me. Especially my mother who always supported my activism. Every evening as I was growing up, the women in my neighborhood would gather in our backyards to serve tea and food and share our stories. We didn’t just gossip; we talked about our oppression and found solutions and resources for one another. Most of them had very little and had never been to school, but Afghani women tend to be very strong and fierce advocates. I witnessed this sense of coalition-building as a young girl and it inspired me. It made me feel that together we are powerful.
For many years, I used my voice to speak out against injustices I witnessed in Afghanistan. Becoming a refugee was not my choice—I was forced to leave my country due to many circumstances, and in search of a better life. When I was in 4th grade, I was walking to school with my friend when a man on a motorcycle threw acid in her face, leaving her permanently disfigured. Later, I learned that her family married her off to a much older man because they believed that was her only option. Child marriage remains a major issue in my country. When my own daughter was born in 2015, I wanted her to have more security and opportunities in life. My husband had been working for NATO for six years, and we both felt that our work and visibility placed our family at greater risk. When we had the chance to migrate to the U.S. as SIV (special immigrant visa holder) – which is similar to the refugee classification.
When I arrived to this country, my second home, I was amazed by the freedom and diversity of the women I saw. I felt energized and knew that I needed to use this freedom and my voice to help my people and others who are marginalized. Especially women. If you empower women to speak up against oppression, it lifts everyone else up, too. But I didn’t know where to begin.
90 days of case management for new refugee arrivals might be a good chance for them to resettle but not integrate and be fully self-sufficient. It was my good fortune to find my way to JFCS East Bay. I was unique among many refugees in that I already spoke English, but I needed help navigating the system here: social services, housing, medical care, and employment. All displaced people are initially overwhelmed and disoriented by a new culture. But JFCS volunteers welcomed us so warmly. They helped me build my network and integrate into the community, finding allies and friends. They became my new circle of friends to break bread and share stories with and empowered me to find my own solutions. With this crucial support, I was able to connect to my local elected officials and advocate for others in my community.
Now it’s more important than ever to continue this act of welcoming. If we all stand together against hate and division, the most vulnerable people in our community will rise and tap into their innate strength. We all thrive when that happens. JFCS East Bay has the expertise to provide a support network for newcomers and our low-income neighbors who have less access to resources. But they need our help to keep doing this life-changing work.
Please join me in taking urgent action TODAY to stand in community with refugees and immigrants, and all who are directly impacted by these punitive executive orders. We need to fight to keep the USRAP (U.S. Refugee Admission Program) and combat the harmful misinformation that is circulating about immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. I know from firsthand experience how crucial access to resources can be when you need it most. And I know how many refugees then turn around and extend their talents and expertise to others. Let’s all invest in one another to make our whole community stronger – together. Most importantly, we don’t have to view immigration issues through the lens of politics. Immigration has hundreds of years of history—it’s how this world was shaped. Instead, we should see immigration as a natural act in a global society.
In community,
Kawser Amine
