To the editor:
The Mariposa Museum hosted a conversation on Saturday with Barbara Seebart, state refugee coordinator, as well as Amy Marchildon of Ascentria and Amadou Hamady of the International Institute of New England, New Hampshire’s two resettlement agencies.
They explained how refugees arrive here and then are placed in communities.
Hussein Khalaf spoke of his experience fleeing Baghdad with his family and coming to Manchester.
Audience members recalled the 1970s and 1980s, when Vietnamese and Cambodians arrived in this region, and the arrival in the 1990s of Bosnian refugees. At that time, local churches were central in resettling families.
The resettlement model has become more centralized. Most refugees are now placed in Concord, Manchester and Nashua. Community involvement is still crucial, but small towns like Peterborough no longer receive refugees.
Many in the audience expressed their desire to host families in this region again. Those who came to live and work in our communities brought great gifts and taught us so much.
I’m heartened that my neighbors want to reach out in love, rather than close down in fear. Thanks to Karla Hostetler and Mary Kaplan at Mariposa, who took the initiative to invite our speakers and organize this fine afternoon.
David Blair
Mariposa Museum
board member