Beth Johnson

April 1, 2024

March at the International Institute of Akron

Beth Johnson

April 1, 2024

Happy Spring from IIA! This past month, we’ve welcomed 48 refugees from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, and Honduras to our community. March has also been a month of celebration, including International Women’s Day and Persian New Year/Nowruz. Learn more about what IIA has been up to this past month, how to get involved, and upcoming events in the community in our newsletter below.

What is the Persian New Year (Nowruz)?

On March 19th, people globally celebrated Nowruz, a Persian holiday that marks the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Nowruz comes from the ancient language of Avestan, which can be translated into “New Day.” This holiday represents rebirth, new beginnings, and a new life. The Persian New Year typically lasts around two weeks or 13 days.

To learn more about this important holiday, head to IIA’s blog at iiakron.org/blog.

Upcoming Events in Akron

2024 Downtown Akron Sakura Festival – On Saturday, April 6th, from 3pm-9pm, Downtown Akron Partnership will be hosting their annual Sakura Festival along the towpath downtown. The community will celebrate over 450 cherry blossom trees as they bloom along the towpath trail, and there will be live performances, food, vendors, crafts, and more. The event is free to everyone, and you can learn more at downtownakron.org.

2024 Solar Eclipse Events—On Monday, April 8th, a plethora of Akron businesses and organizations will host events in honor of the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse coming to Akron. Below, you will find a list of just a few of the festivities.

- Downtown Akron Eclipse with Us

- Total Eclipse of the Zoo

- Total Solar Eclipse Viewing Party – Downtown Akron Library

- Community Center and Park Viewings

Recommendation Corner

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here by Johnathan Blitzer

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here highlights the history of migrants and focuses on the troubling issue of the Southern border. Blitzer discusses countless policies and governmental corruption that have led to the current situation and how these policies are currently contributing to this humanitarian problem. Blitzer also details the stories of Latin Americans who have faced many aspects of violence and political conflict, leading them to flee their home country. Their stories of constant migration are told, as well as the uprooting of their lives, which have been ingrained in severe forms of trauma. Blitzer tackles misguided political actions that have been carried out regarding this crisis and offers a discussion on the complexity of this national emergency. Additionally, Blitzer speaks on themes of adversity, struggle, safety, resilience, and prosperity.

If you are interested in reading Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here, you can check the book out at your local library or order a copy through your local bookstore!

Get Involved

Hiring: IIA is currently for multiple positions, including an Administrative Assistant and ESL Instructor. If you are interested in applying or learning more, please visit https://www.iiakron.org/join-our-team.

Donations: One major goal IIA has for 2024 is collecting enough blanket donations to give a warm blanket to every new refugee we resettle. Our goal is to raise 500 blankets throughout the year, and we are well on our way to meeting this goal with dozens of blankets already donated. If you’d like to donate new or lightly used blankets, please contact Murtaza.hajizada@iiakron.org.

Thanks for staying up to date on everything IIA, and we look forward to sharing more information soon!

Beth Johnson

March 19, 2024

What is the Persian New Year (Nowruz)?

Beth Johnson

March 19, 2024

Nowruz is a Persian holiday that marks the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The day Nowruz is celebrated changes each year depending on the equinox. This year, it is planned to be observed on March 19th. Nowruz comes from the ancient language of Avestan, which can be translated into “New Day.” This holiday represents rebirth, new beginnings, and a new life. The Persian New Year typically lasts around two weeks or 13 days.

Nowruz is celebrated by 300 million people globally, but it is observed mainly in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Nowruz has been observed for 3,000 years in many diverse regions, including the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, and many other parts of the world. The Persian New Year has Zoroastrianism roots, which is a religion that predates Christianity and Islam. Those celebrating Nowruz promote peace, solidarity, and other essential values among friends, families, and other members of the community. Before the holiday arrives, people engage in spring cleaning and social gatherings with friends and family. The Persian New Year is celebrated by decorating the Haft Seen table, which consists of seven things that begin with the letter “S.” The Haft Seen table usually contains other items, such as a mirror to symbolize the past year, painted eggs to represent fertility, and a lit candle that indicates happiness.

There are also a variety of other food dishes that are commonly eaten during this time, like “ash-e resteh” or noodle soup and Haft Mewa, a seven fruit salad.

To read more about Nowruz, click on the links below.

Nowruz in Afghanistan: Everything You Need to Know | Afghanaid

What is Nowruz and how is the Persian New Year celebrated? | News | Al Jazeera

Beth Johnson

March 1, 2024

February at the International Institute of Akron

Beth Johnson

March 1, 2024

February has left as quickly as it came. Still, our work in the immigrant and refugee community is ongoing, with the resettlement of 50 refugee arrivals in Akron this past month and providing our additional services to the greater immigrant community. We look forward to sharing more about our work this past month, ways to get involved, and more below.

Immigrant Spotlight: Barthelemy’s Social Justice Journey

Barthelemy's story is one of resilience, leadership, and a commitment to social justice. He is a testament to the power of perseverance and the impact one person can have on their community.

In our latest blog post, you can learn about Barthelemy's work with international and local refugee organizations.

Read his story at: https://www.iiakron.org/blog/2024/2/23/immigrant-spotlight-barthelemys-social-justice-journey

Outreach in the Community

One of our work's greatest joys is the opportunity to go out into the greater Akron community and educate and advocate for refugees and immigrants.

On February 17, IIA’s Eka Anthony spoke with the Akron Torchbearers to discuss his work as a young leader in the immigrant community. Eka shared his experience coming to Akron as a refugee, working his way up to a case management role at IIA, and what motivates him to make an impact in his community. The Torchbearers left the discussion feeling inspired by Eka’s work and leadership in Akron’s immigrant community.

On Sunday, February 25th, the Girl Scouts of Copley-Fairlawn hosted their World Thinking Day event, featuring presentations from over a dozen troops about various countries of their choosing. As part of this event, the Girl Scouts decided to collect household donations for IIA clients. IIA Communications Specialist Liv Randall spoke to the girls about refugees and how IIA assists them in settling in Akron.

We’re grateful to everyone in the community who wants to learn more about Akron’s refugee and immigrant community! Education and understanding are excellent steps in making Akron a welcoming place for all.

Black History Month Business Spotlights

For Black History Month, we’ve recommended two African-owned businesses to support in Akron! Although February has come to an end, it’s always a good time to support our local businesses and restaurants to uplift our immigrant community. Check out our recommendations below!

Recommendation Corner: Race-ing Fargo

This month, for IIA’s recommendation corner, we want to spotlight Race-ing Fargo, a book written by feminist anthropologist Jennifer Erickson that tells the story of the lives of resettled refugees in North Dakota. Race-ing Fargo details the individual stories of Bosnian Muslims and South Sudanese refugees who reveal their experiences fleeing from their home countries and growing accustomed to American culture. Erickson’s book tackles the many hardships of refugee programs, citizenship, language barriers, and the sense of belonging. Race-ing Fargo also speaks on the many effects of globalization, such as neoliberalism, and how its aspects are ingrained in America’s Immigration policy.

Social Factors describes Race-ing Fargo as “a meticulously researched study about citizenship and diversity practices among residents and newcomers resulting from refugee resettlement and how those played out in, and transformed, the small global city of Fargo, North Dakota—making important contributions to race, immigration, belonging, welfare, and globalization scholarship.”

You can access Race-ing Fargo at any of your local booksellers.

Get Involved

Donations:

As IIA begins to welcome many new immigrant families to Akron this year, we are always in need of donated goods such as hygiene products, cookware, bedding, and more.

To stay up to date on what is needed and to get involved, please visit: https://www.iiakron.org/donation-room.

Hiring:

Interested in working at IIA? We have multiple openings, including Community Support Specialists and Ukrainian/Russian Interpreters.

Learn more about the open positions and how to apply at: https://www.iiakron.org/join-our-team

Thanks for staying up to date on everything IIA, and we look forward to sharing more information soon!