#CelebrateImmigrants
“One of the remarkable things about America is that nearly all of our families originally came from someplace else. We’re a nation of immigrants. It is a source of our strength and something we can all take pride in.”
- Barack Obama
Our nation was created by people who originally came from other countries. In June, we celebrate the strength that this incredible diversity has created! Since June of 2014, Immigrant Heritage Month has provided people across the United States with an opportunity to annually explore their own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America. Think about what your family's immigration heritage story is (unless you are of Native American decent, your family immigrated to the United States at some point in your family history)! The PRHS Learning Commons has a strong collection of fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels that explore the topic of immigration from around the world!
Several of the titles below also highlight refugee experiences. World Refugee Day is celebrated on June 20th. The 2023 theme is compassion. World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
Also available on Audio!
Did you know that during the Dust Bowl (the 1930's), people from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri became refugees in their own country? The 'Dust Bowl Refugees', who lost their homes and livelihoods, flooded into California in the hopes of creating a new life for themselves in the 'Land of Milk and Honey'. Once they arrived, they were viewed as disease-ridden intruders who would take advantage of government funding and were treated with extreme disrespect and distain by fellow Americans.
The Four Winds by Kristian Hannah
Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.
In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli, like so many of her neighbors, must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.
What does seeking safety mean?
1. Right to seek asylum: Anyone fleeing persecution, conflict, or human rights abuses has a right to seek protection in another country.
2. Safe access: Borders should remain open to all people forced to flee. Restricting access and closing borders can make the journey even more dangerous for people seeking safety.
3. No pushbacks: People can’t be forced to return to a country if their life or freedom would be at risk. This means that countries shouldn’t push anyone back without first evaluating the dangers they would face back home.
4. No discrimination: People should not be discriminated against at borders. All applications for refugee status must be given fair consideration, regardless of factors like race, religion, gender and country of origin.
5. Humane treatment: People forced to flee should be treated with respect and dignity. They are entitled to safe and dignified treatment like any human being. Among other things, this means keeping families together, protecting people from traffickers, and avoiding arbitrary detention.