Humanizing Refugees and Immigrants
By Samantha Schlageter (NHS'21)
On Monday, February 5, Dahlgren Chapel was full of laughter, heartache, and inspiration as a panel gathered to discuss the intersection of faith and public life at a Dahlgren Dialogue: "Sharing the Journey with Immigrants and Refugees." The audience heard from Cardinal Joseph Tobin, an ally for refugees and immigrants, and from two Georgetown students while John Carr, the director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown, moderated the discussion.
The Dialogue unfolded into a powerful conversation about humanizing refugees and immigrants. Cardinal Tobin noted that every immigrant has a "face," and until these faces are seen, refugees and immigrants will continue to be statistics. Reducing people to numbers dehumanizes them, making it easier to create unsympathetic legislation. Mizraim Belman Guerrero, a Georgetown student protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) act, spoke to this issue as he recounted the story of his mother. He said that his mother scrubbed hospital floors to earn money for Guerrero's family, but her dedication and hard work go unrecognized by the community. Guerrero asked for people to "stop looking for the perfect immigrant story" because the life experiences of immigrants like his mother are just as valid as the experiences of an immigrant who made a new discovery. A "face" needs to be attached to the hard-working immigrants and refugees like Guerrero's mother, since no undocumented person is insignificant.
Habon Ali, a Muslim-American Georgetown student who emigrated from Kenya, also spoke of her mother's influence, particularly with regard to education. Ali's mother said that the "only thing someone cannot take away from you is your education," so Ali is currently studying to give back for her mom's sacrifices. Cardinal Tobin acknowledged that "educating, welcoming, accompanying, and loving" refugees and immigrants help Catholics practice their faith to recognize dignity in each person.
These personal stories and examples are essential to Catholicism. Being at the epicenter of Catholic belief and American politics, the topics of immigration and refugees are both relevant and urgent. Consistent with Georgetown Jesuit values, the community should welcome migrants and refugees with open arms as "men and women for others."
Samantha Schlageter (NHS'21) is a first year undergraduate student in the School of Nursing and Health Studies.