A group of refugee students from South Division High School recently gathered at Alverno College to showcase their culture and to shed light on the plight of immigrants in the United States.
60 students represented dozens of countries. They dressed in traditional clothing and presented personal essays. They also offered historical information at booths set up around the cafeteria area at the college.
Some were joined by parents and siblings, who, like them, traveled across the world to resettle their lives in Milwaukee.
The event was organized through a partnership between MPS and Alverno College. It coincided with a day of remembrance for the Holocaust, and the students were invited to hear a concentration camp survivor speak in front of a crowd of about 1,000 people inside Alverno's Pittman Theater.
Below, listen to an interview with South Division senior, Tebian. Originally from Sudan, she moved to the United States three years ago with plans to attend college in Wisconsin. She eventually wants to become a doctor.
Click the audio below player to listen.
Together with two other students, she created an original piece of art symbolizing the her journey to the United States and the conflict she feels within herself as a new American.
Next, click the player below to hear from a 19-year-old student from Burma who came to the US one year ago with his family.
