News from the Week of May 20th

Earlier this month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the United States will not only continue separating children and parents at the border, it will prosecute adult asylum seekers instead of letting them prove they’re in danger in their countries of origin. Professor Schoenholtz of Georgetown Law explains why abandoning our moral commitment to protect those fleeing fear is abandoning our ideals.

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Heading to the beach over the long weekend? Grab a good book! Here are two we recommend.

In Senator John McCain’s new memoir, an American hero reflects on his life—and what matters most. The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights and Other Appreciations, presents a McCain confronting his own mortality as he reflects on his years in the Senate, his campaign for the presidency, and his battles on behalf of American democracy. At a critical moment, McCain presents a profound, positive vision for this nation. 

The Girl Who Smiled Beads, a biography by acclaimed author Clemantine Wamariya, is a powerful story of seeking refuge (she fled Rwanda at age six with her elder sister) and finding resettlement (eventually in Chicago). Clemantine provokes us to look beyond the label of “refugee,” highlighting the journey of integrating into a new community.

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“The Edible Alphabet” in Philadelphia brings English language instruction to the place where everyone fees at home; the kitchen. Each week refugees and immigrants learn English through making an American dish. The class was conceived three years ago when The Nationalities Service Center brought a group of new Americans to tour the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center.

 “By the end of class, we were sharing pictures of our families, we were talking about our lives, communicating in any way that we could,” explained Liz Fitzgerald, the program director. “It was just a really beautiful moment.”

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As owner of Battle Grounds, a coffee shop in Haverhill, Massachussets, Salvatore DeFranco is part of a new generation of “vetrepreneurs,” military veterans continuing to serve their country as small business owners. A former Navy SEAL, DeFranco says his shop hosts community events, from veterans’ seminars to music, poetry, and fashion shows. “We don’t want to be just a SEAL-owned coffee company,” he says. “We want to be a resource for all our customers. We want people to create and build things. We encourage people to have intelligent conversations.”

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Recognizing the need to share resources in refugee communities, The Refugee Center Online has created the "In Your City" database, compiled specifically for newcomers, with information ranging from resettlement agency offices to halal food to free immigration services.