Every year around 700 refugees are resettled in the small landlocked city of Spokane, Washington, USA. By the time they step off the plane, these refugees have been forced to flee their homes due to violence and persecution, lived many years in a refugee camp, endured hundreds of intrusive interviews, and left all that they knew behind. Most refugees arrive on American soil very eager to begin a new chapter, ready to rebuild their lives.
Yet many new transitions and trials await. Learning to live in the U.S. means adapting to an entirely different culture, transportation system, way of communicating, social structure, different set of employment opportunities, and more. This is no easy task - particularly when English is one's second, third, or twelfth language.
Try to imagine that you’re a single mom of three who’s spent the last 10+ years living in a bustling Ugandan refugee camp. You suddenly find yourself in a small, less than diverse city - lacking in your familiar support systems and cultural norms. Feeling a bit stressed? This is to be expected, as your adjustment to life in a new country as a single mother will inevitably be tremendously more challenging.
This photo project is a celebration of single refugee mothers living in Spokane, WA. Though 'About the Moms' stems from a desire to educate and connect Spokane locals to the stories of their refugee neighbors, its primary purpose is to recognize the triumphs, as well as trials, of single refugee moms. It is also a dream that this photo series will connect local single mothers to refugee single mothers. There is much to be learned in community.
