The Forgotten Refugees from p5 Church World Service — has been largely operating alone for the past few years. Now, more agencies have applied to assist refugees in Florida, but that process takes time that’s hard to come by amid an international crisis. “The resources were decimated during the Trump years and all of a sudden we have this huge emergency,” Everett says. For organizations like Church World Ser- “IT’S EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO EMPATHIZE WITH PEOPLE THEY RELATE TO.” vice and Refugee Assistance Alliance, helping the Afghan refugees has been a full-time job since they began arriving in October and the work hasn’t stopped. But for much of Mi- ami and the world, at- tention has shifted to the plight of other groups. Bumper stickers, Facebook avatars, and the sides of residen- tial buildings sport Ukrainian flags as Miamians show support for the European country currently under siege, while victims from Afghanistan have been all but forgotten. “Every app and everywhere there’s a global outpouring of support for Ukraine, which I didn’t see happening with Afghani- stan,” Sayed, who is of Afghan heritage, tells New Times. “The thought is that violence and displacement is endemic to the Middle East but not to white countries. It’s a race- and Is- lam-based narrative.” Everett says there is an awareness among refugee assistance workers that there is a bias toward those who come from countries that share characteristics with the U.S. (such as Ukraine) versus those from Muslim coun- tries like Afghanistan and other nations pop- ulated by people of color and/or non-Christian religions. But she nonetheless hopes Americans can see beyond the bias and volunteer to help. “I think we have to be honest about the fact that it’s easier for people to empathize with people they relate to. We have to recog- nize that bias in ourselves and make sure we apply the same amount of care and compas- sion for refugees from everywhere, not just Ukraine,” she says. Miami Struggles Hassani and his sister arrived in Miami in October of 2021. A local Muslim organization donated prayer mats and food items they were used to finding in their country but that are hard to come by in South Florida. “They bring us pans for cooking, vegeta- bles, and halal meat,” Hassani says, referring to meat that is permissible under Muslim food restrictions. “When you ask someone in Miami for halal, they don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Refugees with small children, like Karimi, are given assistance in enrolling their kids in school and getting their paper- work in order. Karimi tells New Times it’s been difficult placing his young boys in school owing to immunization require- ments, as the children’s vaccination histories aren’t accessible. Everett says organizations like Refugee Assistance Alliance have to help families navigate everyday hurdles like the online 5 5 student portal, and assisting with homework when the children’s parents don’t read or speak English fluently. For four months, Hassani lived in the Doral hotel with other Afghan refugees while the agencies attempted to find them perma- nent housing. But with Miami’s housing crisis in a state of emergency, finding affordable rent is tough enough for U.S. citizens, much less refugees who’ve arrived with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and a hope and a prayer. Hassani and his sister were recently relo- cated to a two-bedroom apartment in Little Havana, where they’ll have their rent cov- ered for the first few months. But then they’ll be on their own. Hassani says he’s happy to have somewhere to stay, but he’s unsure how he’ll pay for it once the burden of rent falls to him. “As a refugee, you don’t have any credit or budget, and no one wants to rent to a refu- gee,” he says. Finding work is difficult for the refugees in Miami — a multilingual city that doesn’t have many speakers of Pashto or Dari, Af- ghanistan’s most common languages. Miami’s lack of functional public transportation and pedestrian infrastructure is also a hurdle, as refugees must slog through the process of ob- taining driver’s licenses and purchasing a car in order to be able to work. “I heard from friends who are in homes saying they can’t find jobs because of lack of English, and lack of driver’s license. They cannot pass the driving lessons because it’s all in English. I’m worried about this,” Karimi says. Through it all, Hassani and his friends have maintained a sense of optimism. They’re grateful for the opportunity to live in the U.S., out of harm’s way, and for the help they’ve re- ceived. Hassani has an appointment next month to complete his driving test, and his sister is taking English lessons. If they can find work in Miami, they’ll stay; otherwise they’ll move to Texas or California where they know other Afghans. “Leaving everything behind is not an easy task,” Hassani says. “You face a lot of prob- lems, but inshallah [if God wills it], hopefully it will get better soon.” [email protected] miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | MIAMI NEW TIMES NEW TIMES MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 APRIL 28 - MAY 4, 2022
