By CARLY RODRIGUEZ
Contributing Writer
Theresa Alexander understands what Muslim refugees face as they try to navigate and assimilate into the local community, as she sees it first-hand.
“Where they lived, it was just constant chemical attacks in a destroyed, poor community,” said Alexander, the volunteer coordinator for RISSE, a local organization that helps refugees make new lives in the community.
RISSE, an acronym for the Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus, is hosting its second annual open house Nov. 27 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The event will serve as a platform to educate attendees, attract volunteers and introduce students and staff of RISSE to new friends.
Alexander says the open house is a way for RISSE to celebrate its achievements and dreams.
One family who will be on hand to meet open house attendees includes a mom, dad and seven children, ranging in ages seven to 22. RISSE has helped this family for several months now and Alexander says they represent what the organization is all about.
As a result of the delicacy and newness of their situation, the family wished to remain anonymous as they shared about their experiences with transitioning into the Albany community.
The family fled Syria as a result of the Syrian Civil War, where their community faced dangerous chemical attacks as part of everyday life.
In short, the family says living in the U.S. is “easy.”
RISSE has helped the family adjust to the American culture and also contribute to society.
“We’ve helped Dad find a job at a local bakery, (so that) he was recently able to buy a car, and we have helped Mom with daily English and basic survival classes,” Alexander said.
Alexander has been in her current position for approximately two years now and has come in contact with more than 400 families annually, representing more than 30 languages including Arabic, Karen, Swahili, Urdu and Pashto, being most common.
Teaching refugees English remains a core duty of Alexander and the RISSE team. Many families, like the Syrian family, have literally never heard English prior to moving to the U.S., much less spoken it.
Alexander says emphasizing context through fun and engaging activities is helpful as she teaches English to refugees.
“We do a lot of ‘silly’ things like charades, kind of just acting out whatever it is you’re trying to explain,” she said. “We also use a lot of picture examples … We just try to give them an opportunity to have a sustainable life in the United States. We want them to learn about our government, our laws, and their rights. We want them to know how to navigate around so they are able to be successful.”
The families who receive support are not the only people learning at RISSE. Essence Coxum, another volunteer, says her volunteer work is teaching her new things daily.
“Through volunteering here I’m learning about the political impact on immigrants,” Coxum said. “Trump definitely makes it that much harder.”
Coxum, a student majoring in social work, also speaks highly of her experience with the RISSE staff. Her school’s curriculum required her to complete 45 hours of service as a volunteer.
“Initially I planned on completing 15 hours here at RISSE but now I don’t want to go anywhere else,” she said. “Everyone is so welcoming. The staff truly gears (toward) life skills and all the participants are so diverse. It’s just fun. I love it.”
RISSE has felt a direct impact from administration laws regarding immigration. According to the Migration Policy Institute, or MPI, the administration has banned nationals from eight countries, most often Muslims, from entering the United States.
“Aside from families not wanting to speak politically, we definitely have seen an impact from administrative decisions,” Alexander said.
The U.S. current administration has also reduced refugee admissions to the lowest level since the resettlement program was created in 1980.
It has canceled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provided work authorization and temporary relief from deportation, and ended the designation of Temporary Protected Status for nationals of Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan. It has signaled that Hondurans and possibly Salvadorans may also lose their work authorization and protection from removal in 2018.
Despite this, the city of Albany’s population is still comprised of 10 percent immigrants, according to Doug David, an investigator.
“Refugee numbers have not only become much lower, but volunteer efforts have become so much higher,” Alexander said.
