Statement on the Shooting of Jayland Walker

We at the International Institute of Akron are outraged by the fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker on June 27, 2022.

Time and time again, we see how our Black brothers and sisters are disproportionately targeted by police brutality. Last week, the violence occurred in our own community, and we are devastated.

The International Institute of Akron stands with the Walker Family to uphold Jayland’s life by peacefully demanding justice. There is work to do.

We need real steps to create a community where every life is valued equally.

Sincerely,

Madhu Sharma

IIA Executive Director

 

June at the International Institute of Akron!

Welcome to the International Institute of Akron’s monthly newsletter updates! With IIA staff busy at work serving Akron’s refugee and immigrant community, we wanted to keep our supporters up-to-date on the latest IIA news, starting with this past month.

June has been a busy month at IIA! From celebrating Pride, Immigrant Heritage Month, to finishing another successful round of ESL classes and expanding the IIA team with new staff! Learn more about what IIA has been up to these past four weeks below.

Throughout June, we celebrated Pride and Immigrant Heritage Month by sharing stories and resources with staff and the community.

IIA Communications Intern Jamie Brian took the time to write Books on LGBTQ Immigrant and Refugee Experiences and Immigrants and Refugees Who Have Shaped America, which can be found on the IIA blog at iiakron.org/blog. We encourage our supporters to continue reading and learning about different immigrant and refugee experiences so that we can together advocate on their behalf.

Although Pride and Immigrant Heritage Month has ended, IIA and the Akron community continue to welcome and celebrate immigrants and refugees of all backgrounds and identities in our city.

IIA ESOL Classes

We'd like to give a big round of applause to IIA's English students, who just completed another round of English learning. 

Congratulations everyone!

On June 2nd, IIA was presented with $50,000 from the Hudson Community Foundation for a new agency van. This was a city-wide effort involving many Hudson community members and organizations, including Hudson DEI Alliance, Clocktower Rotary, First Congregational Church of Hudson, Hudson City Schools, Hudson International Woman’s Club, Hudson Kiwanis, Hudson Rotary, Western Reserve Academy, and Garrett’s Mill Diner. IIA is incredibly grateful to Hudson residents for supporting our mission of serving and empowering immigrants and refugees in Akron.

With the help of the Hudson Community Foundation and the many additional organizations listed above, IIA will provide safe and comfortable transportation for our clients coming in from the airport, going to medical appointments, picking up donations, and much more.

Read more about this fantastic effort in the Akron Beacon Journal, Hudson groups, donors join in effort for refugee resettlement.

World Refugee Day 2022

One of our favorite days of the year is World Refugee Day on June 20th. This year, IIA was thrilled to host a special event for the community to celebrate our refugee friends in Akron in partnership with Summit Metro Parks.

The night was filled with various performances from the refugee community, including The Black Beanz, Mon Dancer – Yun Mi Mi, Neema Bal from Gum Dip Theater, and Ka’ren Dance – Has Win. Guests also enjoyed baklava and Persian cookies from Turkish baker Sima Arshadi. A special shoutout to the fantastic emcee of the evening, Samantha Byake!

Even better than describing the night, we have pictures to show just how great the evening was!

Thanks to our community partners for making this a night to remember.

During the Trump Administration, many refugee resettlement agencies were forced to downsize or close their doors due to refugee admissions cuts. Over the past year, IIA has been rebuilding so that we can continue serving refugees and immigrants in Akron as we have been for over 100 years. That’s why we are very excited to announce new staff and board members who have recently joined our team.

Introducing…

Nicholas Pichichero –  Manager of Social Services

Samsor Ziar – Receptionist  

Tania Nemer - Board Member 

Yamini Adkins - Board member 

Recently, Liv Randall has joined the team as IIA’s Communications and Development Specialist. Liv’s primary roles at IIA include media relations, updating our social media platforms, sharing news, action items, and stories on our blog and newsletters, community outreach and education, and overall agency development through grant writing assistance. She is also offering free ‘Refugee 101’ presentations to any community, school, or religious group interested in learning more about refugee resettlement and our work in the community. If you’re interested in a presentation, please contact Liv at liv.randall@iiakron.org.

Welcome to the family, everyone!

 

IIA Communication and Development Specialist, Liv Randall (left).

 

Get involved at IIA!

Looking for ways to get involved with IIA or the refugee and immigrant community? Check out a few suggestions below!

Donate! Stay up-to-date on IIA donation needs on our website at www.iiakron.org/donation-room. We also post updates on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Volunteer! Since IIA is a small non-profit, we often get more interest in volunteering than we have opportunities for. However, if you choose to apply online, we will keep your application and let you know if a future opportunity arises! Send in your application at www.iiakron.org/volunteer.

Keep Learning! Learning more about refugees and their experiences is a great way to stay involved. You can read a new book, watch a documentary, or follow IIA on social media for more suggestions on educational materials!

·       Facebook – @InternationalInstituteofAkron

·       Twitter – @iiakron

·       Instagram - @ii_akron

Special thank you to Kumpania for fundraising and donating school supplies for ESOL students!

Thanks for taking the time to stay updated on IIA’s work this past month, and we look forward to sharing more with you soon!

Books on LGBTQ Immigrant and Refugee Experience

By Jamie Brian

 

Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Patsy is a young single mother living in Jamaica with her five-year-old daughter and mother. She works a minimum wage job to support her family but dreams of moving to America to reunite with Cicely, her friend and former lover. Patsy leaves her daughter and mother behind with the hope of loving who she chooses in America. However, when she arrives in Brooklyn, Patsy discovers that America is not as perfect as Cicely had described in her letters. Cicely is living as an undocumented immigrant and working as a bathroom attendant to survive. Meanwhile, Patsy’s daughter, Tru, struggles with questions about her own sexuality. This is a novel about identity, family, and the choices that define us.

 

Asylum by Edafe Okporo

This memoir recalls immigration rights activist Edafe Okporo’s experience as a gay man fleeing Nigeria and seeking asylum in the United States. After escaping a mob that threatened his life, Okporo arrived in America in 2016, just days before the contentious presidential election. He then spent six months in an immigration detention facility in New Jersey while navigating the U.S. immigration system. Once released from the facility, Okporo was faced with an even greater challenge: building a life for himself as a Black, gay immigrant. He calls for immigration reform and envisions a society in which refugees and immigrants are treated with fairness and compassion.

 

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

The Magic Fish is a semi-autobiographical YA graphic novel about Tiến, a Vietnamese American boy who confronts his sexual identity through fairy tales. Tiến’s favorite place is the local library, where he finds solace in stories. However, Tiến has a secret that he’s been hiding from his friends and family: he’s gay, and he can’t find the words to describe his experiences. The Magic Fish is a coming-of-age tale that is accessible to readers of all ages. It also has an empowering message: we all can have happy endings no matter who we are or what we’re going through.


 

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

As a queer Ahmadi Muslim who grew up in Pakistan, Samra Habib never felt safe enough to be herself. Her parents told her that revealing her sexual identity would be too dangerous, and Islamic extremists threatened her family because of their religious beliefs. Habib becomes a refugee in Canada, where she is faced with new challenges: an arranged marriage, racism, and poverty. Through art, faith, and love, Habib learns how to be true to herself in a world that has always made her feel out of place.

 

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American by Laura Gao

Messy Roots is a coming-of-age graphic memoir about a girl who grapples with culture shock and identity after leaving her home in Wuhan, China to reunite with family in Texas. Laura Gao recalls her childhood in Texas and how she struggled to fit in both as a Chinese American and as a queer woman. Through humor and insightful reflection, Gao takes readers on a journey through high school hallways, basketball courts, and the streets of her hometown as she learns to become more comfortable in her own skin.