HARRISBURG (TNS) — The Afghan refugees who are making new homes in Central Pennsylvania know they have escaped war and probable death. It doesn’t matter that all of 11 of them, including at least two children, are crowded into a small home in a strange new land that’s about to get very cold and snowy.
It doesn’t matter they have few clothes, have to eat peculiar food and can barely understand the language. They’re safe. No Taliban. No suicide bombers and no explosions in the middle of the night. They are the people who stood with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in its longest war. And now, America is standing by them.
The United States evacuated more than 100,000 Afghans in August under Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), and 11 of them sat in the basement of Market Square Church last week, trying to figure out what’s next. The one thing they wanted Americans to know is how grateful they are for everything that’s been done to protect them and their families.
They thanked the U.S. Army for getting them out of Kabul and treating them with dignity and respect during the weeks on military bases throughout the country. Now, the International Resource Center in Harrisburg has agreed to help them figure out how to make a new life here. They’ve been told Pennsylvanians are good and decent people, with a history of welcoming refugees. And they are eager to show their gratitude.
Dr. Truong Phuong, Executive director of the IRC, gave the newly arrived Afghan refugees some words of advice:
• Get to know the culture of Central Pennsylvania; it’s far different from your own.
• Get your children in school right away.
• Learn the language; it’s the key to acceptance in the United States.
• Get a job right away; that’s the best way to earn respect.
It’s sound guidance, and Phuong said it’s what helped many Vietnamese refugees like him make a new home here after being forced to flee their country when U.S.troops pulled out. Phuong noted the stories of Vietnamese refugees are not that different from the Afghans who were desperate to leave their country. The Afghans have the added burden of being marked as traitors to both Afghanistan and Islam for the assistance they provided to Americans.
For the next three months, they’ll have financial support, as well as a dedicated person to help them learn what they need to start their new lives as Pennsylvanians. It will not be an easy journey, but it’s far better than the future they faced under the Taliban.
The good news is, people from throughout our region are stepping up to help. Churches, community organizations and ordinary people are offering food, clothing, furniture and medical assistance. Upon entering the country, all of them were vaccinated against COVID-19, but they still will get full checkups and medical care to start their American journey in good health, despite a raging pandemic.
Organizations or individuals interested in assisting the coalition should contact the International Resource Center via email at tnp@isc76.org. It’s a good bet whatever you have to give, these new Pennsylvanians will be more than willing to take, with sincere gratitude at a chance to start a new life as Americans.
(Joyce M. Davis is PennLive’s outreach and opinion editor.)
