For the 25th year, Boise celebrated World Refugee Day. The Saturday event was hosted by the Idaho Office for Refugees. Hundreds braved the rain to enjoy traditional dances, live music, global foods and artisan vendors, including volunteer Saeed Al Azzawi. Here’s what the celebration means to him.
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Transcript:
“A refugee is like spices for the community. You can find all the refugees, different colors, different religions, different faces. Everything is different. But that's what makes the community more strong.
My name is Saeed Al Azzawi. I'm from Baghdad, Iraq. I moved to the United States 2017. I'm a civil engineer. I study in BSU to get back to my degree, but I work at the same time at Jump. I'm the security manager here.
I came here with special immigrant Visa. I used to work with the U.S. Embassy in Iraq and U.S. forces in Iraq. Then I got shot in my head. I saved one of my friend. He's American and he's from Boise. Therefore, I came to Boise. He became my sponsor. I came with my wife and three kids.
It's a beautiful day. I like diversity. We used to live in a country filled with conflicts and problems. Now we found a better place, a safe and hope and good opportunity and good, bright future waiting for our kids and our families.
I became a U.S. citizen like three years ago. It's something, some feeling you cannot express. It's a very happy feeling. You became proud of yourself. You became American, and you're going to work hard to serve the community and the country.
Everybody in Idaho is supportive and welcoming. That's what I witnessed with myself. Everybody is helpful and helped my kids in the school, and now my job is to support the new refugees and the new people. Exactly like the others did to me and to my family.
I think I'm very blessed to ended up in Boise. It's the greatest people ever. Lovely people. I know it's very cold, but I love it.”
