Like a lot of college students, I’ve had several internships over my college career. While all of them have been great experiences where I learned a lot, none have been as eye-opening as my current one. This summer I have been fortunate enough to intern for a non-profit organization where every day I work one-on-one with refugees. In a time like today when close-minded voices and ideas such as those loudly broadcasted by Donald Trump seem to be everywhere, it’s important to understand the truth of these issues. I like to think that most people in the U.S. are educated and open-minded about the topic of immigration and refugees, but not everyone is. Most of the people who aren’t are people who haven’t ever learned about what the true situation is. I am by no means an expert on this, however, I know that the issue of immigration and helping refugees is much more than politics. I have only been doing this work for a few weeks but I have already learned so much from this work.
One of the most important things that I am reminded of every time I go into my internship is how similar we all are. This isn’t to say that every individual, community, and culture isn’t distinct in their own way, but that when it comes to the things that matter in life, all humans want the same things. One woman who came to the shelter I work at stayed there longer than most families do, and we ended up talking every day and becoming friends. We listened to music together, she taught me how to dance, and I taught her how to knit. We talked about our families, relationships, and the communities we came from. While we grew up in countries far apart, in communities that could not be more different, we held many of the same ideas, viewpoints and goals.
Something else that I was already informed about, but became even more aware of through my internship is that my life is easy. I was never under the impression that my life was hard in any way, but it’s easy to forget that fact when you are stressed with finals or thinking about what to do after graduation. In the few weeks I have been at this internship I have learned that my life, and probably most people’s in the United States, is a million times easier than the families who are seeking asylum here.
What the people who make uninformed complaints about families crossing the border to the U.S. don’t always understand is that many of these families are only here because their lives depend on it. They don’t want to leave their home countries and the lives they knew, but due to various circumstances they were forced to. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but for many thousands of families, it is. When families cross any border into the United States as a refugee they have every legal right to be here. However when they arrive here they are treated as criminals and put in inhumane situations.
I’ve learned that this is so much more than a political matter; every family and circumstance is unique and deserves more than the little attention they receive. Working with this organization has opened my eyes to so many issues that affect not only our country but also the world. In today’s political climate it’s extremely important to be informed about these issues that are a lot closer to home than most people may believe.
