UNA Human Rights Day 2021 Event Reflections
On Thursday, December 9, the Poly GIP program alongside the Pasadena UNA chapter hosted a 2021 Human Rights Day event that focused on the refugee and immigrant experience here in the US. The event began with renowned speaker and author Reyna Grande.
Grande gave a moving presentation that referred to her own experience as an immigrant not only here in the US, but here in Los Angeles. I thought that Grande’s story was incredibly impactful because she outlined the trauma she not only faced to get to the US, but the difficulties of living in an entirely new country from the age of 9 and onward.
Her struggles facing family separation, language barriers, and prejudice––all from such a young age––worked to provide a much more human and personal lens in which I think everyone should see immigration issues through. Grande certainly gave an impactful speech at this event, but I would strongly recommend her memoir The Distance Between Us, as it offers an even more in depth recount of and reflection on her experiences.
Apart from Reyna Grande, this event also featured Martin Zogg. Zogg works in refugee resettlement here in Los Angeles. It was inspiring to hear from someone who works to support and uplift refugees that arrive in our community. As Grande detailed in her speech/book, the immigrant experience in the United States is one riddled with hardships and difficulties, and it’s so important that there are people like Martin Zogg who dedicate themselves to providing help and support in whichever ways are best.
Grande gave a moving presentation that referred to her own experience as an immigrant not only here in the US, but here in Los Angeles. I thought that Grande’s story was incredibly impactful because she outlined the trauma she not only faced to get to the US, but the difficulties of living in an entirely new country from the age of 9 and onward.
Her struggles facing family separation, language barriers, and prejudice––all from such a young age––worked to provide a much more human and personal lens in which I think everyone should see immigration issues through. Grande certainly gave an impactful speech at this event, but I would strongly recommend her memoir The Distance Between Us, as it offers an even more in depth recount of and reflection on her experiences.
Apart from Reyna Grande, this event also featured Martin Zogg. Zogg works in refugee resettlement here in Los Angeles. It was inspiring to hear from someone who works to support and uplift refugees that arrive in our community. As Grande detailed in her speech/book, the immigrant experience in the United States is one riddled with hardships and difficulties, and it’s so important that there are people like Martin Zogg who dedicate themselves to providing help and support in whichever ways are best.
I also appreciated that the event featured a panel discussion of local non profit organizations who do similar work to Martin Zogg. The PACTL, SCCM, and ARS representatives did a great job of explaining how the audience can get involved, especially on a local level here in Pasadena. Overall, this was an inspiring and impactful event, and I came out of it with a better understanding of the struggles of the immigrant experience and how I can work to make a difference.
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