Why World Refugee Day Matters

I started my first job working with refugees in Spokane eight years ago this month. Part of my responsibility was driving to the airport and picking up families. I loved being the first person to tell them, "Welcome to America."  As we picked up their bags together, I often noticed that each person had only a small bag or two - everything they owned in the world.

I'll never forget a single mom from Africa with a few small children and only one small backpack. 

It's hard to imagine how I could decide what few belongings to bring if I had to leave my life behind and start over in a distant land.

June 20th is World Refugee Day: a day to focus the world's attention on the unprecedented crises around the globe, which have driven more people from their homes than at any time in history.

Immigration has become a focus of American politics in this campaign year. The rhetoric suggests that refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants bring little value with them when they arrive. However, I've witnessed this paradox: Although refugees bring little to no belongings into our country, they bring things of great value.

Refugees bring us entrepreneurship, innovation, and energy that rejuvenate civic engagement. These compounding factors grow like investments, building a more robust economy, and strengthening our communities.

On World Refugee Day, let's reflect on those who came here with so little and acknowledge how much they bring with them.

-Mark Finney, Executive Director of Thrive International