Idaho has a heritage of refugee resettlement that’s enriched our culture, economy, and communities. On the Mosaics podcast, we’ll hear from Idahoans with lived ...
Displaced for her Baha'i faith, Mona Heern holds on to joy
Mona Heern shares with Mosaics about her experiences as a young girl growing up during the Iranian revolution of 1979. Mona’s family and other members of the Baha’i faith - Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority – became the targets of intense persecution and restrictions, which continue to this day. Mona, her mother, and younger sister fled Iran after her father was murdered in prison simply for being Baha’i. Mona shares how she has found healing through sharing her story and serving alongside her community to maintain joy and hope.
Mona is now an educator and public speaker. She currently serves as an instructor and field experience coordinator at Idaho State University in Pocatello, preparing the next generation of teachers.
“I come from a country where it’s against the law for Baha’is to be teachers, so to having come to the United States where I can be a teacher, and now being part of that training process of future teachers, just means so much to me,” she said.
Through her public speaking engagements, Mona sheds light on the challenges faced by refugees in various forums, including school assemblies, community groups, and the media. Her hope is that through education and dialogue, we can build communities that embrace refugees and human rights in all social and institutional settings.
Mona was the recipient of the Freedom Festival Award and the NAACP Ron Timpson Award for her “significant contribution to the community through volunteerism and dedication to human rights."
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42:37
City Cast Boise: The Resettlement Program is Paused. Now What?
Join us for a conversation with local podcast City Cast Boise about Boise's rich history of resettlement and the current executive order that abruptly suspended the program. Where are things now? Moses Mukengezi was resettled with his family in 2007, and he’s talking about his story alongside Holly Beech from the Idaho Office for Refugees. City Cast Boise host Lindsay Van Allen is finding out the pause means on the local level — both for the families caught in limbo and the agencies scrambling to support them. Plus, what would a permanent pause in resettlement mean for Boise’s identity?
Here’s more information on the lawsuit that was filed in federal court in Seattle seeking to reverse the Trump administration’s refugee resettlement order.
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24:23
Sisters from Afghanistan Stand in Solidarity
Razma and Hasina are sisters who resettled in Idaho with their family in 2022. Razma is continuing her education at Boise State, where she is majoring in computer science, and Hasina is a senior in high school. They are pursuing dreams of education and future careers that would not be possible for them under new rules in Afghanistan banning girls and women from school and work opportunities and even leaving the house without a male escort.
The sisters are sharing their stories because they care deeply about advocating for Afghan women and girls. Their voices offer hope and encouragement to others facing hardships. Their journey hasn’t been easy, but they have learned to stay determined and work toward making a difference for themselves and for others.
National Update: Also in this episode is an update on the recent changes to refugee admissions to the United States. A presidential executive order issued on Jan. 20 suspends the arrival of refugees into the U.S. for at least 90 days, at which point it will again be under review by the president. The pause creates painful delays for refugees who have been approved for resettlement or who were about to reunite with their families after years of separation. The order does not impact the status of those who have already arrived, and the Idaho Office for Refugees and local resettlement agencies in Idaho are continuing our work to support them. Please share Mosaics and your support for resettlement with your networks to show that Americans care about our heritage of being a nation of hope, welcome, and freedom.
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44:25
Understanding Immigration With Attorney Chris Christensen
Immigration attorney Chris Christensen provides insight into where we’ve been and what we might expect in the U.S. immigration system in the year ahead.
“I think it’s important for immigrants to understand that regardless of their legal status, that they have rights in this great country,” he said.
In this episode, Chris shares valuable Know Your Rights information and practical steps people can take to reduce their risk if they are undocumented or have temporary immigration status.
“The government doesn’t have the funds, the resources, to remove (every undocumented resident),” Chris said, “and I think most of society would agree that it doesn’t make sense to deport the hardworking farmworker who has no criminal record and who has a family full of U.S. citizen children, who pays taxes and contributes, who goes to the local church every Sunday.”
Chris founded Christensen Legal PLLC in December 2017 so that he could continue serving the immigrant community in Idaho and beyond. A Caldwell native and graduate of Caldwell High School, Chris always had a passion for Spanish and started learning early. From 2013-2015 he directed the Migrant Farmworker Law Center at Indiana Legal Services, visiting labor camps in Indiana and talking to migrant field workers about their rights, housing, pay, taxes, immigration options, and more.
Chris said, “It is that human connection, the life-altering impact that I can have to better somebody’s life, that keeps me doing this.”
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30:32
Raquel Reyes of PODER: Where We Are, and What’s Next
Join us to hear from Raquel Reyes, director of programs & operations at PODER of Idaho. We talk about the daily anxieties experienced by families of mixed immigration status, reflections on the recent election, and the many ways immigrant communities contribute to a vibrant economy and culture.
You can connect with PODER on
Instagram (poder_idaho)
and find Platicas con Poder, hosted by Raquel, on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@PlaticasConPoder.
Raquel, born in Los Angeles, has lived in Idaho since she was 2 years old. She attended elementary and high school in Wilder, a small agricultural town about 40 miles from Boise. Her life’s work has been in social justice, and she has been a vocal advocate about the injustices she has seen in the workplace. Her background is immigration, and she helped found an immigration program at the Community Council of Idaho known as Familias Unidas, Immigration Legal Services. Raquel has been married to her husband for 19 years. She has 3 adult children, 6 grandchildren, 3 dogs, 3 cats, 2 goats and lots of poultry.
Idaho has a heritage of refugee resettlement that’s enriched our culture, economy, and communities. On the Mosaics podcast, we’ll hear from Idahoans with lived refugee experience and from community members who are building a culture of belonging. We all have a role to play in creating the bigger picture of a vibrant and connected society.
Presented by the Idaho Office for Refugees with grant funding from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
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