Nonprofits take action to support refugees in Houston

In 2014, there were over 15 million refugees in the world; about half of those relocated to the United States. Of the approximately 7.5 million U.S. refugees, about 70,000 resettled in Texas. About 30 percent of Texas refugees are located in Harris County.

Refugees flee from their native countries for many different reasons including persecution, natural disasters, war, crises and poverty, but the commonality is that their lives are in danger. Leaving their country is usually a last resort.

A panel discussion about refugees in Houston was held Oct. 28 at University of Houston-Clear Lake. UHCL Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Studies Programs, CASSA, Model Arab League Student Organization, Muslim Students Association and Black Students Association sponsored the event. Representatives from Houston-based organizations who work to support refugees engaged in the discussion and answered questions from audience members. The representing organizations were Amber Jar Pharmacy, Arab American Cultural Center, Catholic Charities, Houston Interfaith Ministries, Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) and Amaanah Refugee Services.

The Refugee Resettlement Program defines refugees as “people living outside their country of origin who cannot return to their home due to fear of persecution based on their race, religion, ethnic group, or membership in a particular social or political group.”

“Only a small percentage of refugees actually get resettled to a different country,” said Ghulum Kehar, executive director of Amaanah Refugee Services.

Approximately 2,500 refugees migrate to Houston each year.

“If Houston was a country, it’d have the fourth highest refugee count in world,” said Wafa Abdin, vice president for immigration and refugee services at Catholic Charities.

Cubans, Iraqis, Afghanis and Somalis are the nationalities with the highest number of refugees in Houston, said Ali Al-Sudani, director of refugee services at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston.

Many of the representatives from the organizations pointed out the “gaps” that refugees face when coming to America. The representatives agreed that there are gaps in schooling, mental health screenings and sports. In order to bridge those gaps, Houston-based organizations work closely with members of the community to support the refugees.

Language is a problem for many refugees who come to the U.S. Since they do not understand or speak the language, seemingly simple tasks become difficult challenges.

“For instance, in the Houston Independent School District there is only one Arabic interpreter even though Arabs are the second highest refugee group in HISD,” said Faiza Zalila, vice president of Arab American Cultural Community Center.

Zalila said her organization wants to recruit college students as mentors for refugees to give advice about the application process, college choices and any other helpful information. She said the guidance the youth receive from American students is an essential part of smoothly transitioning into a different lifestyle.

PAIR works to set refugee children up for success “through mentoring, tutoring, and college access programs, with support from committed volunteers and partnering organizations. [The organization] assists refugee youth in adjusting to American life, achieving academic success, and becoming self-sufficient and engaged members of our community.”

Amaanah Refugee Services hosts a soccer league for the young refugee men as a way for the men to interact with people and have fun. It’s free to join, and the uniforms are provided.

Employees at Amber Jar Pharmacy, which caters to the large Arabic population of refugees in the area, speak Arabic and English. Amber Jar Pharmacy fills prescriptions, provides immunizations, gives consultations and sells contact lenses for refugees. It is also a place where refugees who are artists can show their work.

“The best way to help a refugee is to not look at them like they’re broken,” said Rand Hikmet, Amber Jar Pharmacy representative.

There is a great need for clothing, personal care and hygiene items, school supplies, art supplies, kitchenware, furniture, housewares, toys and cleaning supplies. With the help of the community, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston gets these items to the families in need.

“Refugees mostly leave with nothing but the clothes on their back,” Abdin said.

UHCL is also hosting an ongoing food, goods and clothing drive for the refugees in Houston. Donations can be dropped off in the Archeology Lab in 3405 Bayou Building on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, email Maria Curtis, assistant professor of anthropology and cross-cultural studies, at [email protected].