The Refugee Experience in Colorado
Join Robert Dodge in a discussion about his recent book, Tempost-Tost: The Refugee Experience Through One Community's Prism
Please join the RMHUC in welcoming Robert Dodge (MPA '90) in a discussion about his recent book examining the refugee situation in America and profiling the personal experiences of refugees from various parts of the world who have settled in Denver. Dodge will share the stories of some of the refugees he interviewed for his book -- including refugees from Congo, Syria, Burma, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Vietnam -- in describing the desperate conditions that forced them to flee their homes and homelands, their experiences in refugee camps, their process of relocating to the U.S., and their adjustment to life in Denver. He will also discuss the broader refugee situation in the U.S., and will reserve some time for audience questions.
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Date: Thursday, February 22, 2018 Time: 6-8 pm Place: 555 17th Street, 32nd floor, Denver Cost: $15 |
We will have a networking reception with light hors d'oevres and beverages beginning at 6:00 pm, with the discussion starting at 6:30. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
More from the book cover:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Kahassai fled the Ethiopian Red Terror that killed his father and hundreds of thousands of others, trekking through a snake-infested jungle while hyenas followed him at night to find safety.
Georgette crossed the Congo while the Hutus and Tutsis struggled for control as millions of defenseless people were murdered and displaced.
Asmi and Leela were children in Bhutan when soldiers burned their villages and drove out the Nepalese-speaking Hindus.
Roy narrowly escaped Afghanistan after the Americans began bombing Kabul to drive out the Taliban.
Mahn made it out of Vietnam only after his twenty-second attempt.
Mohammed survived daily beatings when imprisoned in Syria, though many of his fellow prisoners died.
What do these people have in common beyond tales of horror and hardship that caused them to flee their countries, leaving their homes, families and previous lives behind? They all found a new place to live in Denver, Colorado.
Few issues divide the United States as much as immigration and refugees. Some Americans see them as a threat and want to keep them out. Others believe that their contributions outweigh any negatives. But what is the reality?
In Tempost-Tost, author Robert Dodge attempts to answer that question by describing the circumstances that caused these Denver refugees to flee their homes and their experiences after they arrived at the golden door in the Rocky Mountains.
Where:
Holland & Hart
555 17th Street 32nd floor
Denver, CO 80202
[ Get Directions ]
Look Who's Coming:
Bizzy Whiz