This Saturday, you’ll have the chance to explore the paths refugees from different countries have to take to get to Texas, in a learning game sponsored by Caritas of Austin and Refugee Services of Texas. That’s just one of the many activities marking the World Refugee Day celebration at the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Hosted by the Austin Refugee Roundtable and the Bullock Museum and now in its 10th year, the free event has in the past brought together as many as 1,100 members of the Austin community to help commemorate the day. Held on June 16, the local celebration gets a jump on the actual World Refugee Day, held annually on June 20 and started by the United Nations General Assembly in 2001 to raise awareness of the many dire situations refugees face. That’s a mission local organizers take to heart.
“We wanted to create a day of celebration and joy for the refugees who are in the Austin community,” says Lubna Zeidan, program director of Interfaith Action of Central Texas, an organization that helps refugees assimilate once they get to Austin. “We wanted a chance for the rest of the Austin community to learn more about refugees … and the steps that people go through to get here.”
The museum will decorate the place with 58 flags representing refugees’ home countries, as well as conflict countries from which the United States has not taken in any refugees.
In probably the most significant part of the day, you’ll get the chance to witness 21 refugees from 14 different countries become the newest Texans at a naturalization ceremony. The ceremony takes place in the Museum’s Texas Spirit Theater at noon. Space is limited, as occupancy is set at 220, so check in at the theatre for a free pass as soon as you arrive.
“It’s a very heartwarming and intimate event to watch,” Zeidan says.
Rosemary’s Catering, which caters the event every year, is bringing to the festivity a wide variety of world cuisine, including peanut chicken skewers, vegetable medleys, and ratatouille, fit to feed 500. Austin’s Kupira Marimba, a family-friendly band that plays marimba music on large metal instruments, will provide the soundtrack.
The goal of the day is not just to celebrate the diversity of cultures that have come to call Austin home, but also to provide insight into the refugee experience. The application process usually takes years, and less than 1% of refugees are ever settled in a new country. Austin currently has about 12,000 refugees from countries ranging from Bosnia to Vietnam. Recently, refugees who have resettled in Austin have mostly come from places such as Afghanistan, Burma, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Nepal, and various African countries.
“We want people to learn more about refugees and to understand the need for us to continue to host refugees and allow them to resettle in the U.S.,” says Zeidan. “Otherwise, thousands of people are just left without a future, with their lives in danger.”
Austin Refugee Roundtable and the Bullock Museum’s free celebration of World Refugee Day takes place Saturday, June 16, 11:30am-3pm. Visit the Bullock’s website for more information.
This article appears in June 15 • 2018.