Finding Home: Personal Stories of Women Immigrants, Asylum Seekers, and Refugees (Webinar)

 

Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 7 p.m. (Webinar)

Imagine being forced to leave the only home you have ever known as a young adult or coming to the U.S. as a Fulbright Scholar only to learn you can never return to your home again; these are the stories of our panelists.

Hear four women’s different journeys to finding a home in the U.S. How did they come here? What was the transition like? What was the best advice they got during their immigration process? Are they able to use their skills in the U.S.? How did being women affect their experiences? Our panelists will share their answers to these questions and more.

Our Speakers

Yomardy LaCruz came to the U.S. from Venezuela in 2018 as a Fulbright Scholar with 18 years of teaching experience and already holding multiple college degrees. Now, due to political reasons she can no longer return to her country.  Yomardy was able to obtain a teaching certificate in Illinois. She will complete her master’s program at NIU in Literacy Education ESL/Bilingual Focus this spring.

Zeynep Çetin left her homeland, Turkey, with her family at age 17 due to political persecution. She is now a student at DePaul University studying political science. She hopes to be a “voice to the voiceless.”

Maryam Yousufi fled Afghanistan in August 2021. After four months in camps she arrived in Washington, D.C. with the assistance of Restore Her Voice. She has a BA in business management and worked as a freelance journalist with the Afghan Post and Voice of America. In Afghanistan she had her own online clothing line.

Elham Karini also fled Afghanistan in August 2021 and was assisted by Restore Her Voice. She has a degree in music and worked for local media and BBC radio.  Elham ran a small exporting business and was a member of the Afghan Women’s Cycling Team.