Refugees reveal vivid truths to VFC

Author: Andrea Glaessner

Though the move from home to Middlebury, Vt., may initially seem daunting to first-year student, this transition in comparison to those made by a record 300 refugees who have resettled in Vermont this past year seems trivial. Coping with a new language is hard enough, but picking up the pieces and starting over despite carrying the heavy load of demoralizing experiences living in a war-ravaged country can make the transition truly formidable.

They may have left behind their homes, physical possessions and even family members, but remembering and participating in their respective cultural traditions can make the adjustment to life in Vermont just a little bit smoother for refugees. It also makes life a lot more interesting for Vermont natives who are lucky enough to witness and participate in learning about a foreign culture. The Vermont Folklife Center (VFC) has a history of working with refugees and immigrants and helping them share their rich culture with their new neighbors in Vermont.

In 1991, the VFC began a project called the master apprenticeship program, which is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. In the program, refugees and immigrants with skills in traditional arts and an interest in sharing their knowledge were paired with local apprentices seeking training in thaose particular crafts or skills.

The VFC often receives funding from art organizations seeking to tap the breadth of archival resources collected by VFC staff. The staff conducts interviews that are taped and transcribed and the arts organizations donate money to the VFC so that they can host exhibits and events with the refugees and Vermont natives and offer unique programs like the master apprenticeship program. The arts organizations' goal to fund cultural exhibits is met as is the VFC's goal of facilitating the transmission of cultural knowledge to diverse groups.

The VFC is not directly involved with resettling refugees in Vermont. Government agencies such as the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program (VRRP) have that responsibility. Andy Kolovos, an archivist and folklorist at the VFC explained the main goal behind refugee projects. He said, "At the heart of it is asking [the refugees] what are your needs and how can we help facilitate those needs. There is also a revenue component. For example, by helping the Abenaki refugees, who perform traditional basket weaving, get on the registry list of Vermont artists, they become accessible to Vermonters and can both pass on their culture to others and also develop a marketable skill."

Maria Schumann, an intern with the VFC and a Vermont native, along with Greg Sharrow, a director of education and a folklorist at the VFC, are currently conducting research and interviews with Vermont political refugees, mainly Bosnian, Turkish, Sudanese, Somalis and Congolese with funding mainly provided by the Vermont Arts Council. The Arts Council has an interest in adding the names of refugees who practice traditional art to their registry. Once their name is on the registry, other Vermonters can invite them to share their knowledge or artistic skill. For example, a Bantu from Somalia who is a skilled musician can be contacted through the registry by an elementary school wishing to expose children to this fascinating and valuable cultural event.

Schumann and Sharrow find political refugees through government agencies like the VRRP, as well as other refugee assistance programs such as Central Vermont Adult Basic Learning. Schumann explained that so far she has only interviewed official refugees who came through a refugee agency with government because "it's an easy way to start out." But, Schumann would also like to meet with unofficial refugees who came to Vermont on their own, without government assistance.

Generally, the interviewees are open and sometimes share very personal experiences. Schumann always starts interviews explaining why she is interested in their stories. She said, "When I'm about to interview someone I tell them that I want to hear your story and get it on tape both as a resource for Vermonters so they can learn the stories of refugees and also as a resource for you and for your children and grandchildren so that they can go back to the [VFC] to hear about their family's first generation immigrant experience."

Among the refugees Schumann has interviewed, many are well-established and content in their situations. According to Schumann, the Bosnians are typically well-established as most have been in Vermont at least five years and have an advantage of being from a European country with a culture more similar to that of America. Other newer refugees from Russia, Turkey and some Somali Bantus still struggle to make ends meet in their new homes.

Though they may be settled and progressing well in Vermont, the refugees often reveal in their interviews the profound extent that war affected their lives and their outlooks. Schumann said, "The randomness of violence and war has a huge effect. You can be living your life totally normally however that might be for you in your culture and then one day random violence descends on your neighborhood. It's very moving and strong and scary." But not all refugees are fleeing war. Other groups, like the Turkish refugees, are fleeing from discrimination.

Many of the stories are incredibly vivid and moving. Schumann described one interview with a Bosnian woman who described her experience fleeing with her Muslim husband on a bus. Every time the bus stopped, the woman wondered whether her husband would be taken and killed. The VFC makes these tapes and transcriptions available to anyone interested in learning more about political refugees in Vermont.