It was a beautiful concert on a balmy summer night at the Hollywood, Florida amphitheater. I lived only about six blocks away and so rode my bike. After the concert ended I started to walk my bike down the path leading out of the park.

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I seek reunion
with that part of me
that was lost
the moment I was born.

Valerie Walawender, 2021

I remember their impassioned plea, “Tell our story!”

I was at the Center for Immigrants and Refugees in Utica, NY, to attend a New York Folklore Society gathering that was to take place the next day.

Though I was always interested in social issues, the plight of refugees had not been a priority for me. Issues such as child abuse, poverty, and racism seemed more immediate and pressing for my attention.  However, this opportunity to attend a refugee center peeked my curiosity. I made my travel arrangements so that I would arrive a day early to have an opportunity to visit the center.

Continue reading “Tell Our Story” →