Roshan Jacob

2/14/12

Learning to serve others in ways that they could not do for themselves is a virtue that all humans should possess. There are certain groups of people that have been through conditions in which they become dependent upon others. Social service is people coming together to serve others and reach out to a specific group of people with a broad range of needs. Given the large population of refugees in the Loyola area, I want to have a unique experience in social service by assisting these refugees and helping them adjust to an entirely new life.

I have had no actual experience with service towards a specific group; however I have volunteered in a hospital and served those that were sick. For the most part, I used to transport IV machines to and from the rooms with patients and other delivery jobs. At times I would get frustrated with the nurses if they confused me with what to do or my partners if they weren’t cooperative. At the same time however, I realized that I was helping out the other staff and giving them more opportunity to do more important jobs. By me delivering and bagging IV machines, I was helping the professional staff by freeing up their hands and time. I felt that my job was in fact important and therefore took pride in what I was doing. Even though I was never really shown much appreciation for what I did, I did not complain because I knew I was doing it for the greater good of those less fortunate. Over this past summer I also had the opportunity to help out at my church’s VBS. I helped run the children’s games and spent time making them more comfortable with the other kids and being there. I enjoyed what I was doing not only because it was entertaining running around with the kids but because I was helping build Christian foundation in these kids. Christianity is something that I was blessed to be born into and the single greatest thing to benefit my life. I knew the benefits of becoming a Christian at a young age and I was more than willing to instill the same beliefs in these young children. I feel that I served these kids in a way that will not only benefit themselves and give them a stronger future but also I helped out the community by giving these kids a better chance at becoming stronger, moral leaders in tomorrow’s society. Although these examples are weak in showing my interest in helping those with a need, I am willing to give up my time to help better these people and the situations that life gives them.

In joining this class, I am looking forward to a broad spectrum of service opportunities that I will get from serving the Iraqi family that I am assigned to. I want to learn and understand to a deeper level what it means to be a refugee. I want to get a hands on feel for what it would be like to live as a refugee after being exiled. I want to hear of stories from the actual person what it was like. In this class, I want to take full advantage of the opportunity given and make the best of it. I want to assist these families and feel the satisfaction of knowing that I helped take a load off of their backs. It will be very interesting becoming a part of these very different people’s lives and trying to understand a whole new culture. I feel that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I want to make the most of it. Also out of this experience, I want to better understand what it means to help people. I want to better learn how to put myself in other people’s shoes and imagine life through their eyes. I want to use this chance to learn how to be compassionate towards people that have it much harder than I’ve ever seen. Working with people that have to learn to completely transform their lives will be a great opportunity to serve others that really do need the help.

Even with my lack of service and experience with refugees, I want to take all that I do know and use it to serve this family that I have been assigned to. I hope that this experience will make me a better human by learning how to sympathize for others and be able to put myself in other people’s shoes. I am looking forward to a great experience with my family and hopefully we will both be able to benefit from this.

As of more than half way through the class, I have learned a lot more than I had expected and my outlook on the entire refugee program has entirely changed. Through this class I no longer see these people as just ‘refugees’ but as human beings that have become distressed by situations that none other than themselves can comprehend. These people are trapped in circumstances that are unparalleled and impossible to recover from without the help of those willing to place themselves in their shoes and attempt to imagine the adversities of their lives. I have to learn and realize these things through the experiences and lessons I have learned in the refugee class. Although I have yet much to learn, through visiting a family and hearing the stories of my classmates, my eyes are beginning to open to the secret lives that refugees must endure and I am learning to better relate to them and see them as human beings in need.
I did not begin to meet with families until later than my classmates due to complications in finding my mentor, however in a way this helped me pay attention to what my classmates’ had to say about their visits and their experiences. I had the chance to hear how students were able to build up relationships with their families and how they overcame the awkwardness of the first visit. I also heard how students were able relate to their families and create an environment in which their family would accept them as a close friend. I heard how students took their families on trips downtown and the different activities they did with them. I feel that this was almost to my advantage because I had the chance to hear the mistakes and good things my classmates did and I started imagining things I should and shouldn’t do with my family when it was my chance. I got an idea of possible things I could do to relate myself with my family and got a grasp on how I would spend the hours that I would have at their home. At that point I did not know the age of people I would be spending time with and so I was making mental notes on how individuals of different ages should be treated and along with those learning gender roles. I didn’t even know the nationality of the family I would be visiting and so I was paying close attention to invisible rules that were in place for each type of people. The types of families ranged from just arrived to relatively older and more accustomed families. What I had heard about the latter was that there was a much lesser communication barrier and that these families had more or less settled and weren’t in dire circumstances or still in the initial shock. This proved to be advantageous to me because I was assigned a Nepalese family that had been here for a few years and have 3 younger children.
Upon being assigned a Nepalese family, I was both nervous and excited. I didn’t know exactly what to expect but I knew I would somewhat be able to relate with them on account of me being Indian and being familiar with the foods, culture, and somewhat knowledgeable about the religions that I knew would overlap. I knew that this wasn’t nearly all that I needed to connect with the family but I knew that this would be a great place to start. When my mentor and I visited there was only the grandmother home, who didn’t talk much, and the oldest daughter and the youngest son who were on spring break. My mentor spent most of her time helping the kids with their homework and so she was most fond of them and was most comfortable with talking to them. We talked to the boy who was in middle school and he amusingly seemed to be interested in only wrestling and asking random questions. The older girl made us some delicious tea, something I was very fond of because my mom commonly made it at home, and then sat and talked with us. The entire family thought I was Nepalese because I looked like it and my name seemed to be common among Nepal people. I didn’t get to meet the parents and I didn’t ask about them because my mentor didn’t know too much about them and their circumstances. Upon time to leave, we thanked the family for having us over and allowing us to spend time with them. I found welcome to be very warm and pleasant.
Meeting a refugee family was something I looked forward and had many different views about. I was both excited and nervous for the occasion and didn’t know at all what to expect until after I was assigned a family. Even then there were many surprises still yet to come and I was looking forward to the visit. I feel that I was more prepared than others when it came to hearing stories of visits and I feel it was beneficial to me to hear of other people’s experiences before I had my own. I look forward to my next visits in the upcoming weeks can’t wait to become more personal with the family. I can feel myself opening my eyes to those in need around me and what it truly means to have a compassionate heart towards others that needs help.

As of completing the refugee service learning class, I was able to experience many unique events. First and foremost, I was part of a class that I felt was a group of people that wanted to help and were in the same position. It was a new experience for all of us and none of us were sure what to expect. The nervousness was mutual which somewhat made it more comfortable for students to bring ideas forth. The Darfur Dream Team was an excellent idea in that it attracted many people and raised a lot of money. It was an easy way to start that awareness in people’s minds as they walked by in hopes of it bringing deeper thoughts to people about the horrifying events in Chad. The idea of a handprint and a dream was simple but it attracted many people and many of those people were drawn in enough to donate to the cause. We were able to raise a pretty high amount of money from such a simple idea which I think was an encouragement to the whole class. As for my own family visits, I enjoyed them and the impression my family gave me told me they enjoyed it too. I helped the youngest boy, Suman, with a lot of his homework. Although he was a smart kid and could figure it all out on his own, he enjoyed the company and continuously asked questions, which was also encouraging to me by making me feel that I was helping. I enjoyed visiting this family much as I was greeted with warm welcomes and was allowed to help Suman with his homework.
I want to improve myself by being able to see the needs of others better. I want to be able to help those that are afraid to ask for help and be able to see those that truly need a hand. During my sophomore year I want to start helping students with difficulties in school, whatever the cause may be. I know that kids without strong home systems kind just about anything to succeed in and I want to be a help to these people. I also want to learn how to help those without a feeling of thankfulness afterwards. Thankfulness always makes it much easier to help others but I want to be able to see those in need and seek them out and help them no matter what the outcome is. I feel that this course has really helped me concentrate on opening my eyes to the people around me. I feel more aware that the people around me have needs, needs that I can do something about and should do something about.

As this service learning class comes to an end, I begin to think and reflect upon the activities I took part of and how it affected the class and those I came in contact with. My viewpoints have greatly changed since the start of the class as I have learned quite a bit about a relatively unknown subject and have been given the opportunity to indulge myself into new experiences concerning it. I’ve learned that being a part of a community that seeks common goals and is interactive with each other is a prime way to reach new heights. Being part of this refugee understanding class has taught me not only through classwork and books but through interactive activities such as group discussions and getting firsthand experience in the lives of refugees; learning to assist others and being more aware of those in need around me have helped shape a side of me that will now be more aware that I, as a human, am responsible for the well-being of humanity.
As a commitment to this class, I am required to give 25 hours as a volunteer in work assisting refugees. I was assigned the Rupal family, a Nepal family that lived in a Bhutanese refugee camp before filing as refugees and moving to the US. I was actually quite nervous the first time I went to visit because I didn’t know what to expect but the visit went well and I found talking to the 5th grade boy, Suman, to be entertaining because he always had random questions. He was also very interested in WWF wrestling and so I was able to relate to him on that level. The older girl seemed more to herself and spent most of the time in the kitchen, although she did make some very delicious tea that reminded me of my own mom’s. I only met the parents on my 3rd visit when I went without my mentor and they were very welcoming and warm. They were very interested in my own background because I am Indian and they asked me questions such as what it was like to grow up in the US and if I ever visit India and the sort. Whenever I visited I would help Suman with school work for the most part otherwise I would just talk with him and his sister and anyone else that was home. The apartment was filled with pictures of people that looked like family and were from different parts of the world. It almost felt like I was stepping into one of my uncle’s or aunt’s homes that did not have children that grew up in the US. Even from the start I felt visits to be very warm and welcoming from the entire family.
Before I came to college I would have never guessed that I would be in a class learning about serving and volunteering, especially in assisting refugees. Even when I was put into the class I wasn’t very enthusiastic. However, after learning about what we would be doing in this class those thoughts began to change, especially after actually meeting my family and getting involved with them. For the first time in my life I was willfully giving my time to serve someone else in need. I have volunteered in a hospital before but I was never able to see the appreciation of the people I helped. When I talked to Mr. and Mrs. Rupal they made me feel so wanted and needed and as though I had done a huge favor by helping Suman on his homework. After weeks of helping and visiting, I realized that the reward of feeling needed should not be the reason that I visit, but because I am helping someone that is disadvantaged, whether they are thankful or not. Lucky for me my family was very thankful which made the visits pleasant, even during busier weeks, but I understood that even if they were ungrateful I should continue to try to help.
Probably the biggest self-realization I had through the entire experience was that I need to have a more giving spirit. I could tell that I was feeding off of the appreciation of my family because if I didn’t feel like visiting one week because I was busy or being lazy I would all of a sudden be fine when I saw that my presence was appreciated. I soon found that this was a bad feeling. A true giving heart would be willing to help whether or not it was appreciated. Yes it is much harder to work for someone that is unappreciative and only someone who is truly devoted to helping someone in need could help such a person. I want to become a more complete giver. I want to be able to give when there is nothing to take back. I want to be able to see a person’s needs and be able to assist them without the reward or satisfaction at the end. Being a human means learning to love another human no matter what the benefits, if any at all, may be. This is what I want to become. I want to be a better human being.

Jessica Smith

UNIV 190-003: Understanding Service and Social Justice: The Refugee Experience in America

Third Reflection Spring 2012

Third Refection

Before meeting my refugee family, I was completely at ease with the entire process. I did not think the process would be all that difficult. Or, so I thought. I had not realized the extent to which the refugee experience would affect me. It was not until we were driving to meet our refugee family for the first time, that I even realized I was nervous. I had brushed off the fact that there were thirteen members in our family, none of which whom speak English. Also, I doubted my ability to help them mentally, emotionally, and financially. I knew that they had been through many difficult struggles, and I did not understand how I could help. I had suppressed my nervousness for so long, that when it finally came out, I was petrified. However, growing up in the sports community, I was able to understand the importance of hiding my emotions. I had to put on a pseudo of being comfortable in order for my family to respect me. I knew that if I appeared shy and timid, I would seem week and my family would be unable to take me seriously. So even though I lacked the confidence and the ability to communicate with them through a common language, I refereed to past experiences when I was as an athlete. In uncomfortable situations, I have always lived by the motto “fake it until you make it”. Once the nerves hit me, I understood that I had to fake a smile and confidence in order to encourage the family that I could help. Through faking confidence, I was able to eventually acquire the confidence that allowed me to take the initiative in making a difference in their lives. Even though I came in with a good approach on the situation, the main reason for my positive experience is attributed to my refugee family. All thirteen of them opened their home with loving hearts and made us feel welcome. The family seemed genuinely exited so see us every time we came to visit. As their excitement for us to come grew stronger, so did my excitement to go visit them. Before I knew it, I went from petrified, to anticipating when we could visit again.

After experiencing the full spectrum of emotions with this refugee experience, I am able to look back and appreciate the entire process. I understand that I need to step outside of my comfort zone. Although I may be nervous and overwhelmed at first, the reward in the end will be worth the struggle. If I had not pushed through my emotions, I never would have experienced the love and gratitude that I received in the end. I have learned that I need to step outside of my comfort zone more often. Very few things make me uncomfortable, but when they do, I make a conscious effort to avoid them. However,  I realized that with time and experience, I can overcome and uncomfortable situation. The experience made me view not only community service, but life as a whole, in a completely new prospective. I have learned that I do have the time and effort to make a difference, it is just a matter of dedication. I have learned to channel my energy in other places than my future. I put too much focus on my end goals that I rarely enjoy the journey. But through volunteering, I have been able to step outside of my hectic life style and view life in the present. I have learned to appreciate the now and never take a moment for granted. Seeing how happy and optimistic my family was, encouraged me to enjoy all of the little things.  Additionally, the readings and discussions greatly transformed my refugee experience. First, it gave me an insight to what a refugee was. After fully understand their struggles, I was eager to help make a difference. However, I did not understand how I could help until the readings gave me references to get involved and tips to ease the process. I was able to realize the importance of social service. Not only does social service help the beneficiary, but it helps the benefactor. Both parties are able to reap the benefit of working together and trying to bridge the gap among inequalities. Additionally, the readings helped prepare me for dealing with different situations. It has helped educate me so that I will not be tricked by the family’s pseudos. Just as I masked my nervousness, so have they. I love their positive energy and optimism, but according to Pipher, I must be aware that this is simply just a cooping mechanism. Since the family has been through so much, they may be trying to be overly energetic in order to take the attention away from their past. Regardless, I appreciate every moment that I have with my family and try to teach them as much as I can while they are still in the honeymoon phase.

The entire refugee experience has greatly impacted the way I view community. Before, I believed that everyone should take care of themselves. It is everyone’s responsibility to provide for themselves and not be a burden among society. However, not everyone is capable of supporting themselves right away. Although I still believe that everyone should strive to support themselves, I now understand that help may be needed along the way. Oppose to giving material items and charity, we must give our knowledge and support in order to encourage refugees to live independently. This experience has helped me appreciate the journey. As I mentioned before, I am so goal oriented that I rarely enjoy the process. However, I have been able to understand and appreciate the different steps in achieving a goal. Although government and community support may not be ideal, it may be necessary within the journey in order to reach their final destination. Additionally, my experience of working with a refugee family has enable me to pay closer attention to peoples’ emotions. If someone tells me that they are okay, I believe them. However, through readings, I have taken more of a psychological prospective and analyzed not only what they say, but how they act. If someone says that they are okay, but visibly looks upset, then clearly something is wrong. I must go out of my way and let the person know that they can trust me that I am here for them to confide in. Not only has my own life transformed, but I truly believe that we have made an impact in their lives. Not only have we helped them by brining them basic necessities, but we have shared our knowledge. We have tried to assimilate them into American culture by showing them around Chicago and teaching them English. Additionally, we have acted as a support for the family, and most importantly, friends to the family. Since the family has only been living in America for a couple of weeks, they still have much room to grow in terms of assimilating with American culture. After visiting for the family for the last couple of weeks, I have become very close with the younger ones in particular. Their desire to learn, to achieve, and to simply have fun, encourages me to incorporate that mentality into my own life. As time permits, I would love to continue working with my family. Regardless of my level of dedication in the future, I definitely want to stay in contact with them and make sure they are doing well. After reflecting on my refugee experience, I have been moved, inspired, and benefited greatly.  My eyes have been opened to see the impact that I can make on other peoples lives and the benefits that I can receive as well. Although I was very hesitant at first, the refugee experiences has greatly shaped how I view my life today.

Jessica Smith

UNIV 190-003: Understanding Service and Social Justice: The Refugee Experience in America

Spring 2012

Action Plan

Over the last semester, I have worked with a refugee family as a service learning experience. The family consists of three generations, thirteen people in total. A couple of weeks ago, they moved to America from the Ivory Coast. Since the family is so new to America, we were able to see the full transition of a refugee family. Seeing them on the first week, they had absolutely nothing, but yet were still excited. The family was thrilled to be alive and to have the opportunity to live in America. Now, the family is beginning to transition into American culture. Although they still have much room to grow, they are beginning to become familiar with the area, the geography, the culture, the language, and the new community. We have taken them on outings to explore the area and become familiar with common necessities such as the laundry mat and the grocery store. Additionally, we have brought educational games and books in order to teach them about money and english. Overall, I definitely feel like we have made a difference in helping the family embrace a new culture. Every one of them has a smile on their face and are making the best of their move. They are all very eager to learn and assimilate into American culture. I am honored that they trust me and have allowed me to help them with their transition into society.

Through this service and social justice project, I have understood the importance of volunteering. Not only is it beneficial for the recipient, but it greatly impacts the life of the volunteer. Although most of my experience has been positive, having this be my first social justice project, I have found room in which I can improve. For instance, I am a very black and white person. I either give no energy into a project, or I fully devote myself. This is where my refugee project has interfered with my previous mind set. I deeply care about the refugee experience to not be involved at all. However, with work, school, and extra-curricular activities, I simply do not have the time to fully dedicate myself to refugees. Therefore, I must improve in terms of finding a happy medium and still being able to participate. Although I do not have time do fully devote myself, I can make time to continue to visit my family at least once a month. I have developed a strong relation with the family, and the kids in particular. I am very encouraged to continue working with them and help them develop. Every member of the family has so much potential in terms of education and success. I would love to be a part of their growth, and at the least, be along for the ride so I can see the transformation. Before entering this course, I did not know what a refugee was, let alone the extent to which they suffer. Not that I have been exposed to this crisis, I plan in utilizing my education to spread awareness and continue to help refugees. Not only do I want to help the family that I am currently working with, but I want to help all refugees by publicizing the corruption. The more people know, the more they are willing to help.  I am very grateful for my experience in working with refugees and am excited to see how this experience will continue to affect my life.

Throughout the semester, I was given the opportunity to learn about the refugees, their backgrounds, and living standards and how they survive through videos, books and events by guest speakers. Mostly importantly, regular visits to meeting the refugee family really helped me to understand their lives. By building a close relationship with the families I believe that I was able to make an impact to the individuals to feel more embraced and encouraged to survive the situation they are in. The impacts are definitely small however they are the individuals that make up this community and I personally see a lot of meaning in the actions. I could have improved my actions during the visits to the family, by preparing more studying plans or setting aside time to help the mother with her English as it is crucial that she finds a well supporting job.

I plan to continue to visit the family next year as well and provide any help regarding homework or other lessons. Moreover, I wish to help raise awareness on refugees’ status within my community here in Loyola. I am inspired to reach out to ones near me, as I believe this is the perfect place to begin.

“Hey, Jung, Can I play with your phone please?” says a three-year-old boy named. Then he smiles and says, “I want to play Angry Bird and Temple Run.” I feel absolutely guilty as pull out my phone. However his smiles just melts me down and I hand over my phone. He jumps up and down and starts playing the games as I help other members of the family with their homework. This is a typical part of our usual visits, Kimberly, my partner and I experience every time we see the family. We bonded strongly with the children and my intentions for visiting the family has become more than just a requirement for a course. The family truly became a part of my life, my learning experience and they have become ‘my people’ that I care for. In the beginning, it was sympathy that I really had for them. After learning about their circumstances and how tough it is for them to adjust I felt empathetic towards them. This was mostly my motivation to visit the family. However, the more time I spent with them, I saw that they were pulling through the hardship. They did not complain too much about what they had or what they did not have. All I could see in their attitudes and behaviors whether towards their neighbors or us was gratitude and appreciation. The children showed us trust and respect even before we gave them a reason. And slowly, our relationship tightened. It was a true and honest relationship where there was not any material contract or profit anyone was getting, and I feel more than blessed to have experienced such love, where the only thing that is keeping us together is sincerity. This completely changed my views that everyone works to gain something in some ways. The family saw true happiness in accepting and appreciating their circumstances and they influenced my beliefs very strongly.

As a first year international student, I dreamt of experiencing the difference America had to offer. And this experience has clearly been a huge part. It was very touching to actually witness the diversity of the world and its cooperation together in this community. For instance, although the family and I come from the same region in Southeast Asia, we came here with different purposes and yet we both left in each other’s heart a big impact, at least they did to me. The world may seem cruel and ferocious however, I am happy to see that there are people that see the goodness and enforce peace. However, I learned from the class that the whole process of admitting refugees and the settlement was quite ineffective and limited, moreover, as for my refugee family, they are considering moving back to Thailand due to their inability to find jobs, although it seems that the children might be at an advantage living in America learning English with a more open perspective. I believe that if the settlement process was better planned out for future refugees this situation could be prevented.
I am challenged to reach out for those that lack basic human rights and especially refugees in my community in the future as well. Honestly, I believe I was very lucky to have met this wonderful family that made the whole experience more than pleasant, and this does not guarantee that my future experience will be likewise, however I am challenged to help and raise awareness because although little things, I believe that when done with honesty and passion can make a difference like the family has shown me.

At Loyola University Chicago I have gotten the opportunity to be a positive role model to a refugee family from Nepal. It all started as a requirement for my UNIV 190 class, a class offered by the International Learning Community. It ended up being a wonderful experience that gave me the chance to enrich a Nepali family’s perceptive on America and enlighten their stay here in this foreign country. Upon our arrival, the family was very welcoming and giving. They served us apples, noodles, and chai tea, something neither my partner nor I had ever tried before. There is a strange spicy after taste to every gulp that I wasn’t used to, so I would make a face, through this funny reaction to the tea the family and us somehow bonded that day and connected everyday thereafter. With our weekly visits, the two young girls we helped improved their grades at school and have advanced a lot with their english. This simple action of visiting a family on a weekly basis will impact the community in that these two girls will become very successful women; they want to help others just like we help them, having inspired these girls to want to give back is extremely rewarding.

My experience with our family could only be better if I would’ve gotten to see them more than ones a week, with my busy schedule that isn’t very likely, but the more time with them the greater our friendship becomes. I enjoy watching them grow and learn more and more about our culture and American lifestyle. Their nephew, Pukar, who we also help sometimes is becoming very Americanized and leading him toward the right track is wonderful. I am proud of the two girls in all their hard work and look forward to visiting them next semester.

My service experiences this semester consisted of refugee family visits, going to the Ukrainian Museum, and fundraising for the Darfur Dream Team through events with speakers of the refugee community and helping with our class’s event in CFSU to encourage people to share their dreams on a poster and donate to our sister school in Chad. Going to the Ukrainian museum was an initial step to learn about a topic I never explored before. This action impacted the community in gaining more knowledge about events that lead to people being displaced from their homes. Next, my most frequent service experience was refugee family visits. This impacted the community in helping the children in schoolwork and encouraging the mother of the family to be confident in her English. We helped the family in simple tasks like answering survey questions and also built a strong connection with the kids, successfully befriending them. Working events for our Darfur Dream Team not only raised money for the school but also encouraged people to take time and think about the cause.
Through learning in my service experience I have also observed ways I can improve my actions for future service. Introducing my cell phone to the kids distracted them from interacting without technology and I know to avoid bring out my phone. Being friendly when you can but assertive when necessary is an important distinction. My plan involves continued engagement with the refugee community and tutoring children. I agree and hope to embody the Ignation pedagogy based on the belief that knowledge should lead to action. Our knowledge from this class should not sit idly without any action. The actions I think might be inspired by the new knowledge gained from this course are more consciously listening to the news and researching current events on refugees. I do not want to be ignorant of the situations of refugees around the world because many reside next to us as neighbors. With this new knowledge comes the responsibility to continue service that does justice. We have the power to create change through our actions and words that influence others.

The Journey in Understanding Service and Social Justice for Refugees
At the beginning of the semester, I chose to take this class because it fit well with my schedule and learning about refugees seemed like something interesting. As the semester went by, I learned more than I had expected through my interaction with my refugee family and co-curricular and extracurricular events. In order to understand service and social justice for refugees it was necessary to learn who refugees are and listen to their stories.
My experience in the class began this January. The first event was going to the Ukrainian Museum and learning about events that lead to many refugees being forced out of their home. For class we read What is the What and Middle of Everywhere, learning the experience of a refugee on his journey leading up to his stay in America and the encounters of the author with refugees and their families. When visiting our refugee family, the first thing I would see was the building they lived in. My partner, Jung, and our mentor, Patricia, and I would wait in the foyer for one of the kids to open the door to go upstairs. We would make our way up the narrow stairs to the third floor. Often the smallest child would greet us, three years old (now four), who always had a big smile on his face. After the first meeting hugs were always a common greeting. Seeing them made me feel happy because they have such upbeat attitudes. The oldest daughters were calmer but still were very friendly with the three of us. I would always hear Karen, the language of the Burmese family when we were in their home. Sometimes I would also hear Thai exchanged between Jung and the mother. She had an easier time communicating with us through Thai than in English but the three of us tried our best to practice English by teaching her how to read and write grammatically. Every visit we would get coffee, not just ordinary coffee, but something from their home. They were so hospitable in welcoming us to their home. We did not have a set child we were paired up with to help with homework so we helped whoever was near us. I was glad to help and it was a good time to talk one-on-one with one of the family members. On our last visit with the family it was only Jung and I and we spent the first hour and a half just hanging out with the little boy, the youngest daughter, and the eldest daughter. There was some sadness in the air since we knew we were not seeing each other until the next school year. We still managed to have fun by dancing to music playing on our phones. The little boy’s laugh is contagious and makes everyone happy with him. Later we went to the park by their home and played at the beach. The oldest boy joined us after school and he taught me how to skip rocks. As much as we help them with homework and teach them new things, they are always teaching us learn new things. It was such an enjoyable time because it seemed like we could play by the water all day
Family visits with my partner and mentor were very enjoyable; I came to realize what the meaning of the experience was for me. At first I was nervous because three people entering someone’s home made me feel like we were taking their space, but I came to realize how necessary it was with five children, where four of them usually needed tutoring and the youngest wanted to play with us. Also, it was important to set aside time for the mother to practice her English or ask us any questions about class work or school work. Every refugee deserves attention and time to grow as individuals. They need encouragement and positive reinforcement that “yes you can achieve this.” It is understandable when they feel down on themselves because everyone gets frustrated, but having a befriender with you along the way makes it much easier to handle. My experience illuminates the issue that fewer refugees are being let into the United States, or people who are unable to present a “well-founded fear” are being deported but still need care and attention. Why does this matter to me? Every refugee deserves respect and care. It takes a small portion of your time to help a family out. However, even if one is recognized as a refugee and the living conditions are better than in his or her home country, the living conditions are sometimes not up to par with what we are used to. For a family of five children and two parents I would wish for them to have an individual room for each child or at least people per room since the children are still growing. Through my experience I am more patient and understanding and I feel more inclined to help. I learned how encouragement is really helpful in tutoring someone. I wish to give them assistance every step of the way whenever they need help but I need to know when to step back and remind myself to help only with what is necessary because you cannot give everything. My family has motivated me to keep pursuing my dreams and continue to work hard through any adversity I might face.
As busy as I may be, I can allocate time for service. The people I met are so appreciative and I am very appreciative of their acceptance and welcoming. Service has taught me the importance of establishing relationships with people who were unjustly treated before. They need guidance to simply understand the basics of living in a new city in a vast country. It highlights the need for education. Education is a great and essential foundation for future endeavors. Without education one cannot get the job or communicate well with other people. People need to be educated on the situation of refugees and refugees need education when they arrive in a new setting; starting from a young age is important. If that is not possible, we must try our best to help personally. I am now challenged to speak up when talking to my friends and family and share my knowledge. I am challenged to stay involved in the refugee community to make an impact.

As my first year at Loyola University Chicago comes to an end, I’m constantly reminiscing on all the amazing memories and friends I’ve made, some of which include members of the Subedi family, my refugee family from Nepal. Having visited them every Thursday evening for about three months now, this last Thursday was bittersweet. When saying goodbye, I realized visiting this family has truly become a part of my daily routine here at Loyola and not being able to come for the next few months to share laughs, food, and knowledge on our diverse cultures was going to feel as if something was missing. When we told the family we would be coming back in a few months they all said they were really going to miss us, that type of feedback made all the hours spend with the family not only worthwhile, but I felt very appreciated. Saying goodbye is never easy, when you become very close to someone during a short period of time, the goodbyes just get harder.

Looking back at the first time we met up with our mentor, Rob, I remember being nervous about not only meeting the family, but also getting to know him. I didn’t want the family to feel as if we were going to be replacing Rob, he’s been visiting them for about 2 years now, and we wouldn’t want to take his place. Upon our arrival, they were very welcoming and since that time we bonded over drinking chai tea, our experience with the family has been an unforgettable one.

From taking them out to the movies to teaching their young nephew about the American currency system, the family and us have gone through a lot. We were there with them when one of the girls got injured at work and broke two of her fingers and we have helped them through numerous hours of math and english homework. At first, I remember the girls were shy about asking us for help with their homework, I think they felt a little embarrassed. Constantly going and showing our support for them to do well in school and truly understand the material made the girls open up to us a great deal more. After many weeks of going to help them out with their homework, the girls not only trusted us with that, but with personal information as well. There is one time especially, when we were with one of the girls as she got ready to meet her boyfriend of some time now, they had only known each other through talking on the phone and instant messaging. It was a cute experience to see her really excited and the fact that she trusted us to share her personal life like that give us the sense that we truly are good friends to these girls.

This experience is not only about making friends, going to meet this family every Thursday has been enriching in that I get to help the community here at Loyola. Back at home, I was involved in many clubs and organizations inside and out of school and I did at least 3 hours of community service literally every week. Being able to enrich my community here at Loyola by simply visiting a family that I really care for, and will visit on my own time ones this class is over, makes the experience not seem like it’s school related, but just a trip to a friend’s house. This class has challenged me to look at the world through a bigger lens and realize that because of people’s constant battles, refugees must struggle to live in a completely new country with a new culture and lifestyle they are not familiar with. I have grown with this new knowledge, because I have come to realize that people need consistency to become stable and it is something everyone takes for granted growing up. People need someone to care for them and just have their backs as they go along preparing for bright futures here in the United States. Not only have they learned may things from us, but I can honestly say I have learned a great deal from them as well. Having gone through the interview process and left their home country to start a new life in a brand new place, refugees are inspiring people who I’m glad I got to interact with this semester.

African cultures have always piqued my curiosity, although their struggles are often lost in the chatter of the world media. It is easy browse a magazine or the internet and find a few facts about the culture of different African nations, but this does no justice to the people who live there. This hit home for me when working with refugee families this semester at Loyola. I was paired with a family from Nepal, and going into the experience I had only a vague idea of what I would find. What is often lost in translation is that these individuals are people, they are not artifacts or objects to be discussed or analyzed: they are people. Personally speaking, helping this particular Nepali family reinforced my belief in the uniqueness of each individual, and that the culture they are raised in leaves an indelible impression on the person they become.
In future service and social justice projects during my time at Loyola I could improve my personal attitude for the expectations of others in similar classes. It is unfortunate but I have come to learn this semester that service does not have the same impact or meaning to everyone that it does to me. This has caused me to realize that my expectations of other’s dedication, motivation, or actions with regards to social justice classes are unrealistic. From this course, however, I have definitely been inspired to make service a much more personal experience. This has motivated me to make the experience much more focused on what I can do to make a difference as opposed to what others either will or “should” do. This course has also ignited my curiosity of refugees and I will definitely continue to be involved with the refugee community for two main reasons. The first is to try and learn as much as I can about the plight of refugees to better help make a difference. The second main reason is to continue to develop these relationships with individuals who more than deserve it.

Visiting my refugee family with my partner Chelsea and my peer mentor Cody has proven to be a very eye-opening experience. I had the opportunity to meet and connect with a refugee family of five from Nepal on a weekly basis. The family consisted of the middle-aged mother, two older boys ages 17 and 14 respectfully, and then two younger girls ages 10 and 4 respectfully.
Visiting their apartment every week grew into a wonderful routine, where we learned to be ready to react with lightening reflexes when they buzzed us in for the duration of only about three seconds. Climbing the stairs to their floor acted as a physical metaphor of how we were feeling: growing more and more excited with every step. When we got to their floor we were always greeted by the familiar scent of authentic Indian cooking. Being welcomed into their home, the family never faltered in being extremely kind and generous by making us feel more than at home.
It was this openness and acceptance of us into their lives that really made an impact on me. That this family who had been through so much and were struggling to cope with American culture after only having been here for about seven months would unfailingly and time after time extend a never weary acceptance and welcoming gesture to us as strangers was simply astounding. This experience also taught me a lot about myself: that even if I had a test the next morning or if I was worn out from the past week, that making a real difference in someone’s life and seeing the impact you are making is an energizing experience.
I would always leave their home in higher spirits than when I arrived – they were all so eager to learn and practice their English that trivial things such as homework didn’t seem so big after all. This experience definitely helped me put things into perspective. That while learning what I am in school is very important – helping real humans teaches a different lesson: compassion. This compassion makes me more aware of my surroundings and the impact I have on other people.
Seeing my work with my refugee family come to fruition has been my most meaningful achievement so far. Visiting my family on a weekly basis and watching our relationship blossom has been amazing. Seeing the progression of the ten year old girl, who I’ll call Susie, from the first time I visited to when I saw her last week, has been extraordinary. I usually help Susie with math homework and it became apparent in our first few weeks together that this was not her favorite subject. What was initially a painful process – getting her to drag out her homework while I was there – transformed into her running for her backpack with a huge smile when she saw me at the door.
Finally, the overall spectrum of this journey has meant a lot to me. Before I even met the family I was unbelievably nervous about the most trivial of things: would they like me, would it be awkward, would they understand why we were there? Looking back the questions or thoughts I should have had in my mind should have been centered on what I could learn from them, not the other way around. Coming to see them as individuals just like me has made them seem all the more individual and holistic to me.
This transformation of how I see them has also affected me in a positive way and taught me the very important lesson not to judge. Although it is very easy to fall into the trap of making general assumptions, the more you can avoid it the better off you will be. I know that for me making this adjustment has made me so much more aware of how unique and individual each person really is.

Camila Rochin
UNIV 190-003: Understanding Service and Social Justice
The Refugee Experience in America
Spring 2012
Service Learning Action Plan
This semester I had the opportunity to work with a refugee family from Nepal. The first day we arrived, the family was very welcoming and accepted us into their home. As the weeks and visits progressed, we learned more about each family member and their personality. Because of that we were able to connect with them better and help them in things that they needed our assistance in. For example, the ones we worked with the most were the two teenage daughters. Every time we went over, we would all sit around on the carpet and help them with their homework and help them study for their tests. Because the girls were close to our age, they easily trusted us and were more open to receiving our help. I believe that was a really important part of their experience because they were able to put all their effort into doing well in their studies without having to hold back, which made a big difference because they were able to do better in their studies and improve their academic success.
I would like to continue working with this family next year and maybe all my years at Loyola. If I have the opportunity to do this, I would because I have seen so much growth in the family in just one semester that I know I could help them even more in the years to come. I believe that they were able to learn and grow so much more with us visiting them because we were there to guide them in decisions in their everyday life. By the knowledge I have gained in this course about refugees, I now want to raise awareness about their situation and hopefully that would inspire more volunteers to visit refugee families just like mine.

Camila Rochin
Final Reflection
UNIV: 190
Reflection Three

When Angie and I first begin to visit our refugee family, we were excited about helping a family who was adjusting to life in the United States. We imagined that we would help family in any way that we could and teach them about how our society worked; I never imagined that I too would learn a lot from them. The first day we went without mentor Rob, the family welcomed us and even gave us food to eat. They were very shy with both Angie and I, but seemed to be very communicative with Rob. I remember wondering if we would ever be like them and if they would ever be so social with us. As our visits progressed so did our interaction with the family. The mother’s face would light up when we arrived and right away she would go to the kitchen and make some snack for us. We began to interact more with the teenage girls because they always had homework that they needed to work on. Both of the girls, Phalguna and Naru attend Wright College and were taking English and Math classes. We usually went on Thursday evenings, so every night they had homework that they needed to complete before Monday. I feel that the reason they liked when we would visit was because they could relate to us. The family has been in the U.S. for about four years now, so they have pretty much all the necessities and more. So the girls had their own cell phones and facebooks. While we did homework they liked talking about boys and we would have great conversations about many things. What I noticed was that their mom would watch us with joy because she liked how her daughters were laughing and enjoying our company. They then began to open up to us and tell us about their lives in Nepal and how they would love to go visit again sometime, but they did not want to live there again. Besides the girls, there is also their eleven year old nephew, Pukar. He is so small, cute and speaks very good English. He enjoyed when we would go over with Rob because we would play games which he enjoyed very much. Seeing Pukar be so interactive with the computer and the games gave me joy because I know he will grow up and be like an American. It will not be as difficult for him to live in this country as it is for his parents.
I feel this was a great experience for me because I had never been around refugees and even less, I did not know about their life stories. Having the opportunity to be a contributing factor to the betterment of someone’s life is a great feeling. I am also glad to have helped Pukar and the girls in the betterment of their futures because that way they will do well in school and have a greater opportunity to find a good job. I believe that it is an advantage for the family because some refugees do not have that kind of assistance and have to struggle even more so. Issues that we have addressed in class are the betterment of refugee families and futures. By being able to help this family I am also helping them grow as a human. That to me, is the most gratifying because everyone deserves the opportunity to grow and learn to become the best themselves they can be.
After watching the videos in class and being around my refugee family, it really made me think about how difficult it is. They have fled from their homes and have resettled in a completely different country with different customs, just so they may feel safe and have the opportunity to live a safe. I learned how important it is to accept these people into our country, but also I see how the country has to be selective. It is sad to see families being denied, but sometimes there are some who do not need this type of assistance. I feel that I want to teach them so much that they do not know, however that it sometimes difficult because they already have a disadvantage. For example, we wanted to take the girls out more often, but they had to work many hours at the hotel they work and they could not enjoy teenage activities like other teenagers. So all they know is school and work, they do not know how to enjoy their young years because they have no choice but to help maintain their family. I feel that there should be more awareness concerning the refugee experience so that more people can help in the process of adjusting to living in the U.S. and in a way to help improve their lifestyles.

Zach Springer

UNIV 190-003:Understanding Service and Social Justice: The Refugee Experience in America

Spring 2012

During my time in UNIV 190, I was given the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of a refugee family. I was assigned a family with two parents, a grandmother, and two children of high school age. Throughout my second semester I would go to my refugees house with my partner Benjamin Gavin and help the two children with their homework. A typical experience would be the following; my partner and I would get ready around 4:30 to leave to the refugees house (by either taxi or public transportation) , arrive at the house and have small talk for about 15 minutes to 30 minutes, then one of the children would excuse himself to go to the kitchen and get some coffee and cookies or doughnuts. After this we would usually get to on to helping them with their homework. Then if they needed help with some cultural aspect or technological aspect of their lives we would do our best to help them. I believe that my personal actions and the actions of my partner Benjamin Gavin had a strong, lasting effect on the refugee family to which we were assigned. Our actions impacted the community in various ways. Our refugee family gave us knowledge or their culture and their life experiences, while at the same time we gave them knowledge about our culture and our life experiences. We made a difference by giving time and acknowledgment to a family that might have not received much with out us being there.

I believe that I can improve my actions for future service and social justice during my time at Loyola by continuing  on  my current path. I currently volunteer at the local Howard family shelter tutoring underprivileged children in subjects such as math, science, reading, and writing. Also I wish to continue my efforts to work with refugee families. I wish to understand more about the different cultures in Chicago, such as middle-eastern,  eastern european, and asian. I want to learn more about the root conflicts and causes of their home town and what I can do to help with both the root causes and their new lives in America. I think I might be inspired to act as a voice and a place of refuge for those that are having a difficult time, or those that are being taking advantage of. Overall I believe that I have made a difference in the lives of a handful of people but I wish to expand my help to all that are deserving.

Zach Springer

UNIV 190-003: Understanding Service and Social Justice: The Refugee Experience in America

Third reflection paper

Spring 2012

Prior to my freshman year at Loyola University, I enrolled in one of the various learning communities that Loyola has to offer. I chose to enroll in the international learning community due to my interest in global affairs and languages. As a part of being in the learning community, students were required to choose from a list of classes, of which they would be enrolled with their fellow learning community members. I along with a group of my peers chose to be enrolled in UNIV 190-Understanding Service and Social Justice: The Refugee Experience in America. In this class my peers and I learned much about the refugee experience in America. We learned this through first hand experience, due to the fact that we were required to spend a minimum of 25 hours volunteering with refugee families from around the world who now found themselves in America. I was partnered with one of my friends and classmates Benjamin Gavin. Together along with the semi-help of a peer mentor we visited an Iraqi refugee family who had previously been living in America for around nine months. Every Wednesday, Benjamin, the peer-mentor and myself would take either a taxi, or public transportation thirty minutes to their apartment complex. A normal visit would consist of the following: arrive at the house and have small talk for about 15 minutes to 30 minutes, then one of the children would excuse himself to go to the kitchen and get some coffee and cookies or doughnuts. After this we would usually get to on to helping them with their homework. Then if they needed help with some cultural aspect or technological aspect of their lives we would do our best to help them. After learning about their story I felt many different emotions. I felt sadness for the family that they were required to leave their home and travel due to unforeseen consequences. However at the same time I also felt happiness in the fact that the family was well adjusted to life here, or at least appeared to be well adjusted.

My refugee experience was one of hope and progress. Although I have known refugees before my experience at Loyola, and I have faced many struggles in my own personal life. I find hope in humanity through the refugees stories of resilience and perseverance. This experience has taught me about the community I live in by making me an active member in the community. Through various service projects of which I have been involved in, (Lost Boys Event, above and beyond 25 required service hours, Darfur Dream Team, and helping World Relief) I have acquired much knowledge about not only the world I live in but more specifically the community of which I am now a part of.  My experience relates to and illuminates the issues of which we have been reading and discussing in class for the following reasons, in class I learned about the randomness of being accepted as a refugee, and that some would say that it is unfair. This made me realize how arduous the refugees journey is and that they face  uncertainty  along every step of their path.

I have been challenged to perform differently in many different ways. Firstly I have been challenged to perform more directly in actions with the refugee community due to my increase in knowledge about the conflicts that refugees face. It is through knowledge and action that we as a society can achieve change. Another way I have been challenged  to perform differently is by acting in a more visual manner. I believe that if the refugee families can live their lives the way they do, with respect and the ideas of working hard, then I should work equally as hard to promote social justice and bring the best out of not only myself but those around me.

Ben Gavin

UNIV 190-003: Understanding Service and-

Social Justice: The Refugee Experience in America

Spring 2012

This semester, I worked with a friend of mine named Zach “The Bronco” Springer in assisting a family of refugees from Iraq. We have assisted them in whatever ways we can to smooth the transition from a life of Arab culture to life in the United States. Although the family was fairly accustomed to living in the United States already, there were still things in which my partner and I could be of assistance. We helped the children with their homework and assisted the father in English skills. Helping them is indirectly assisting the Iraqi community as a whole. Since they have been acquainted with the Iraqi community of Chicago, they can use the skills that my partner and I have taught them to assist incoming refugees from not only Iraq, but any refugee.

Social justice is a key value of Ignatius Loyola’s teachings. Loyola University of Chicago stresses social justice, and the process in which a refugee goes through in order to reach asylum is injustice in its purist form. Having formed a tight bond with my family, particularly the two children, I will continue to visit the family during summer. I am staying this summer as an orientation leader, and I have told the family that if they are ever in great trouble, they should not be afraid to call me. Aside from visits and emergencies, I will also be assisting the two children in their search for jobs, although I have made it clear that there are no guarantees that I can find them a job. Aside from working with this family alone, I will become an active member of Loyola Refugee Outreach next year. This class has opened my eyes up to injustice in the world. I have made it a bit of a vendetta of mine to assist those who are victims of injustice and unfairness, both of which are apparent in the bureaucracy and process involved with a refugee seeking asylum.

Prior to my involvement in UNIV 190, my knowledge of refugees was very limited. I did not imagine for a second that by the end of the year, I would have experienced as much as I have. My involvement in this class has given me the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts from refugees hailing from all over the world, hear about conflicts that I did not even know existed, and learn about a marginalized sector of the population that is unknown to most people. All in all, this class helped me grow as an individual, and gave me the tools to communicate this issue to others.
Before this class, I only knew about refugees from my personal interest in world conflicts or my involvement in Model UN. However, reading about these issues only shed light on refugee situations outside of the US. I knew about camps all over Africa and how governments struggled to support refugees from other countries. However, I sort of took for granted what happened once refugees were resettled. In that scenario, I saw refugee resettlement as the last step in the process. Now I know it is only the beginning of another arduous process for refugees.
Exactly how hard this process is became very clear early on in the class. Reading “What is the What”, hearing stories directly from lost boys and other speakers like Alpha Diallo, and more importantly listening to the refugee family I worked with were great sources of knowledge on this topic. They all stressed common themes about what hardships they went through. Language, social norms, education, relationships, employment and nostalgia were all themes that came up repeatedly throughout all these sources.
One of the brothers in the family that I worked with this past semester, Blood, was about my age and thus made it easy to understand his hardships. He told me about how much he missed get-togethers and social events in his homeland of Congo, and furthermore explained the stress of having to study for his ACTs while still taking ESL classes. Taking college placement tests was hard enough for me without it being in a language that I was just recently learning!
This class also helped me to realize how globalized the world truly is. Right here in Rogers Park, in one semester of class, I’ve met refugees from Congo, Sudan, Cambodia, and Ivory Coast. From my friends’ experiences, I’ve heard of many more. Although it is alarming to hear about the amount of conflicts going on overseas, it is certainly calming to know that the global village is working together to aid people in need.
Resettling refugees in America is a noble pursuit, and one that I was glad to be a part of in this semester of classes. However, through UNIV 190, I also learned that it is an imperfect process, and one which has lots of room for improvement. The video we watched on asylum seekers in the US shed a light on how arbitrary the processes of getting into this country can be. Although refugees are in a different situation altogether, it helps to showcase their difficulties. Furthermore, the systems that take care of refugees once they arrive in the United States are also a bit lacking. This is in part due to a lack of funding, because I do believe the people involved have the best intentions for refugees.
Being in UNIV 190 and the experience that came with it helped me grow intellectually and personally, I definitely gained a lot from it. Although I know I would have to dive deeper into the vast pool of refugee social service in order to receive its full benefits, this small glimpse of a section in society that I for the most part did not know about was extremely beneficial for me.

UNIV 190 was a service learning course I took at Loyola University Chicago this semester. Because it fulfill a “civic engagement” core, it goes hand in hand with 25 hours of mandatory community service that are related to what we see in class. In my personal experience, I did a range of different activities. Mainly I worked with a Congolese family as a cultural broker. I also helped plan, prepare, and advertise a fundraising event for a Darfur refugee camp in Chad. I have yet to help with the logistics of a dinner event for World Relief, but will do so soon. I think this made a difference because refugees are one of the most marginalized groups of people in America today, and they truly need all the help they can get.
For future service learning I would like to go deeper into the service I am performing. I feel like more time and more engagement would have given me this opportunity. One of the things that I feel is most powerful about service is that it creates modes of propaganda. The more people know about social issues, they more they want to help, and in turn communicate the problems with other people. Knowledge is power, the power to change the world.