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For years,
I have had a poster hanging in my office.
When I first put it up, I read it but did not pay much attention to its deeper meaning.
As the years passed, and as I experienced the challenges and opportunities that come with building a life in a new country, I began to understand the reality behind its message.
The poster reads: “A bundle of belongings isn't the only thing a refugee brings to his new country. Einstein was a refugee.”
As we observe World Refugee Day on the 20th, I want to honor all refugees around the world. No matter how many years have passed since you relocated and made a new home, the title of “refugee” often remains part of your story.
Along with it comes a question many of us have heard countless times:
“Where are you from?”
For me, the automatic response has always been, “I am an Armenian from Iran.”
Yet sometimes I think the answer could simply be, “I am from Los Angeles,” or even,
“I am from IRIS.” Home is not only where we were born, it is also where we build our lives, contribute, belong, and create our future.
We are all in this country because we, or an ancestor, immigrated here—some by choice and others not. With June encompassing Immigrant Heritage Month and World Refugee Day, let us celebrate the resilience, talent, and contributions of migrants everywhere.
Like Einstein and countless others, refugees and immigrants bring much more than a few belongings. They bring knowledge, determination, culture, and the ability to make a lasting impact on their communities and the world.
As a refugee-led, immigrant-run organization, IRIS is part of the proof.
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