LEAHY. Mr. President, since 1989, Vermont has accepted more than
8,000 refugees from around the world. Most recently, two families from
war-torn Syria were placed in Rutland. Vermonters understand the meaning of community, of supporting one
another through tough times and celebrating together in seasons of joy. Over the last three decades, the meaning of community has expanded to
include numerous nationalities as Vermonters have welcomed new
neighbors from countries including Somalia, Sudan, and Bhutan, among
others. Over the last 25 years, Vermont's growing diversity has infused
vitality and a diversity of culture into our rural State as locals open
their arms--and their hearts--to new cultures and ways of life. New
Vermonters hail from the world over
and are greeted in the Green Mountains by support groups and refugee
associations. Some organizations aid new arrivals by offering workforce
developments and translation services, while others host furniture and
clothing drives. Many refugees are able to find jobs in Vermont's
bustling tourism industry, as they work to save for future endeavors. These support networks expand as the same individuals who once relied
on refugee organizations begin to offer guidance to others. For some,
this means years of saving before opening restaurants or stores with
food and products that feature their home countries. Others focus on
engaging recently arrived refugees in the very communities that they
were welcomed into. As their roots grow deeper and their communities
wider, Vermont's cultural vibrancy increases. At the end of the day, however, these refugees have become part of
the fabric of our communities. Vermont has become a home, if not their
first home. In an article featured in POLITICO in November 2016, one
refugee, Ramadan Bahic, a Bosnian Muslim who fled their Serb-controlled
town during the Bosnian civil war said, ``My language is my language,
my accent will stay, but if you ask me, I'm a Vermonter.''
To Mr. Bahic and to those refugees recently settled in Vermont--or
hope to do so in the future--I say welcome home. I ask unanimous consent that the text of a November 2016 POLITICO
article, ``My Language is My language, But I'm a Vermonter,'' be
printed in the Record.
Keywords matched
refugee refugees