In September, IIA welcomed 65 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, Iraq, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to Akron. We’re excited to share updates on IIA, recommendations for the month of October, how to get involved, and more below.
How to Get Involved
Intern: IIA seeks to fill multiple internship positions, including Communications Intern and Law Clerk Intern. If you are interested in applying or learning more, please visit https://www.iiakron.org/join-our-team.
Join Our Team: IIA is seeking a legal secretary/receptionist and interpreters/translators. To learn more about either position or to apply, please visit https://www.iiakron.org/join-our-team.
Donate: IIA is always looking for new or lightly used household items to assist with the housing needs of newly arrived refugees. You can find an updated list of current goods needed at https://www.iiakron.org/donation-room. If you want to donate new or lightly used household items, please contact Murtaza.hajizada@iiakron.org.
Amazon Wish List: We’ve updated our Amazon Wish List! If you’re looking for an easy, impactful way to get involved, check out our Amazon Wish List of current items we’re in need of by clicking here.
Welcoming Week 2024
From September 13th through the 22nd, IIA celebrated Welcoming Week, a time dedicated to communities and neighbors of all backgrounds coming together to create welcoming and inclusive places to achieve prosperity. This year, our friends and partners in the community shared videos explaining why they are welcomers in Akron and Summit County. Check out some of the awesome messages we received below!
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15th to October 15th, honors the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. If you’re looking for ways to honor and celebrate this special month, we’ve put some ideas down below:
Cooking: Try cooking a traditional Latin American recipe like Puerto Rican Arroz Con Gandules, Colombian Pandebono Cheese Bread, or Chilean Baked Lamb Empanadas. Learn how to make these recipes and more at growingupbilingual.com.
Music: Music is a great way to introduce yourself to a new or unfamiliar culture, and luckily, Latin and Hispanic music is some of the best around! We’ve included some musical suggestions below to start with:
o Tim Maia – Brazilian musician and songwriter
o Ruben Blades – Musician and singer from Panama
o Gloria Estefan – Cuban-American singer
o Juan Gabriel – Mexican singer and songwriter
Movies: A great way to learn more about a culture is through film. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by having a movie night featuring one of the amazing films listed below!
o Roma (2018) - Roma is a deeply personal, visually stunning film by Alfonso Cuarón that chronicles the life of a domestic worker in 1970s Mexico City, highlighting class struggles, personal resilience, and political unrest.
o El Norte (1983) - El Norte is a powerful and poignant film that follows two indigenous Guatemalan siblings as they embark on a perilous journey to the United States, seeking refuge from political violence and hardship in their homeland.
o Stand and Deliver (1988) - Stand and Deliver is an inspiring true story about a Bolivia-born math teacher, Jaime Escalante, who helps his underprivileged, majority-Latino high school students in East Los Angeles overcome obstacles and succeed in advanced calculus, defying expectations.
Upcoming Events in Akron
Akron Latin Festival – On Saturday, October 5th, from 4pm-9pm, Proyecto Raices and Downtown Akron Partnership will be hosting the 4th annual Akron Latin Festival at Cascade Plaza! The day will be filled with food, music, dancing, cultural performances, vendors, and more! Learn more about the event at downtownakron.com.
North American First People’s Day: On Thursday, October 10th, from 6pm-8pm, head over to the Akron Art Museum for North American First People’s Day film screening of Smoke Signals. The event is free to all, but registration is required. To learn more about the film and to register, please visit akronartmuseum.com.
Thanks for staying up to date on everything IIA, and we look forward to sharing more information soon!