On October 28, we recognize National Immigrants Day in the United States. At Tahirih, 29% of our staff staff identify as immigrants, 49% have immigrant parents, and 17 different languages are spoken within our team. Our beautifully diverse identities and beliefs are essential to our work supporting immigrant survivors of gender-based violence.
We asked the Tahirih staff what their immigrant heritage means to them. Here are a few of their beautiful responses:
“My immigrant heritage is a celebration of the past generations and path they paved for me. It is a torch I carry with a great deal of pride as I hope to continue to pave the path for future generations. It is a reminder that identity is unified by its diversity of traditions, cultures and experiences that shape my uniqueness while also providing me with common experiences relating to other immigrants.”
— Anuscé, Managing Attorney
“My parents raised me with a deep connection to our cultural roots, immersed in South Indian food, music, dance, values, and traditions. I often felt unwelcome in the U.S., but I knew I was home when I walked in the door and smelled my mom’s cooking or got scolded in our mother tongue. I find beauty in the complexity of holding my immigrant heritage with love alongside my identity as an American.”
— Archi, CEO
“My immigration heritage means that I have a richly diverse and beautifully human experience from which to learn compassion for others who are seen as ‘different’ or are misunderstood. My heritage has taught me that I do not know it all, and that is a good thing because I have so much to learn from others’ different perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures. As an immigrant, I am used to and thoroughly enjoy fighting for those considered ‘underdogs’ of our society — they are the ones who remind me that there is something worth fighting for.”
— Daniella, Supervising Attorney
