Refugee Transitions is proud to present our web-based story series, Pursuing Dreams: Stories of Refugee and Immigrant Youth in California! This project consists of a documentary film and 14 written stories submitted to us in 2015 by our youth students. The stories span the world and a variety of human experiences, but what they share in common is the resilience and determination of our amazing students. We strongly believe that sharing these stories will help in the great task of building more welcoming and inclusive communities. Scroll down to view the stories, and please share them widely!
Introduction to Pursuing Dreams
Pursuing Dreams: Documentary Film by Kate Lord
Wiro, 9th grade, Burma:
"We didn't know English but we tried our best."
Fernando, 12th grade, El Salvador:
"On my journey to the United States, I experienced something that I can never delete from my mind."
Mahdi, 9th grade, Afghanistan:
"My family and I left to make a better life in another country."
Bun, 9th grade, Cambodia:
"We had to leave our country because if we had stayed in Cambodia, we all would be dead."
Gilda, 10th grade, Guatemala:
"When I came here I couldn't believe one of my dreams was coming true. I was attending school again."
Fatuma, 12th grade, Somalia:
"Whenever I am facing challenges like when I was new, I just try everything and I believe that I can do anything."
N.N., 6th grade, DR Congo:
"There will always be a person in the world, who wants to be friends with you."
J.M., 10th grade, Guatemala
"I want to work with children and help them when they are sick."
Anibal, 11th grade, Guatemala
"A challenge that I have overcoming was to choose between doing bad things or do the right things."
Win, 9th grade, Burma
"I started to not care about popularity and cared more about learning and my future."
Mel Jim, 12th grade, Burma
"I lived out of a basic belief that life is difficult, so I do what I have to do in order to survive."
Shaheen, 12th grade, Afghanistan
"I promised myself that next time I should prevent these kinds of dangers that kill people."
Amy, 9th grade, China
"The two home-based tutors that we have... they're changed our lives."
Jyoti, College Senior, Bhutan/Nepal
"All my dance members are refugees from Nepal like I was... If they need anything I’m going to be there for them."