September at the International Institute of Akron
In September, IIA welcomed 65 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, Iraq, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to Akron. We’re excited to share updates on IIA, recommendations for the month of October, how to get involved, and more below.
How to Get Involved
Intern: IIA seeks to fill multiple internship positions, including Communications Intern and Law Clerk Intern. If you are interested in applying or learning more, please visit https://www.iiakron.org/join-our-team.
Join Our Team: IIA is seeking a legal secretary/receptionist and interpreters/translators. To learn more about either position or to apply, please visit https://www.iiakron.org/join-our-team.
Donate: IIA is always looking for new or lightly used household items to assist with the housing needs of newly arrived refugees. You can find an updated list of current goods needed at https://www.iiakron.org/donation-room. If you want to donate new or lightly used household items, please contact Murtaza.hajizada@iiakron.org.
Amazon Wish List: We’ve updated our Amazon Wish List! If you’re looking for an easy, impactful way to get involved, check out our Amazon Wish List of current items we’re in need of by clicking here.
Welcoming Week 2024
From September 13th through the 22nd, IIA celebrated Welcoming Week, a time dedicated to communities and neighbors of all backgrounds coming together to create welcoming and inclusive places to achieve prosperity. This year, our friends and partners in the community shared videos explaining why they are welcomers in Akron and Summit County. Check out some of the awesome messages we received below!
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15th to October 15th, honors the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. If you’re looking for ways to honor and celebrate this special month, we’ve put some ideas down below:
Cooking: Try cooking a traditional Latin American recipe like Puerto Rican Arroz Con Gandules, Colombian Pandebono Cheese Bread, or Chilean Baked Lamb Empanadas. Learn how to make these recipes and more at growingupbilingual.com.
Music: Music is a great way to introduce yourself to a new or unfamiliar culture, and luckily, Latin and Hispanic music is some of the best around! We’ve included some musical suggestions below to start with:
o Tim Maia – Brazilian musician and songwriter
o Ruben Blades – Musician and singer from Panama
o Gloria Estefan – Cuban-American singer
o Juan Gabriel – Mexican singer and songwriter
Movies: A great way to learn more about a culture is through film. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by having a movie night featuring one of the amazing films listed below!
o Roma (2018) - Roma is a deeply personal, visually stunning film by Alfonso Cuarón that chronicles the life of a domestic worker in 1970s Mexico City, highlighting class struggles, personal resilience, and political unrest.
o El Norte (1983) - El Norte is a powerful and poignant film that follows two indigenous Guatemalan siblings as they embark on a perilous journey to the United States, seeking refuge from political violence and hardship in their homeland.
o Stand and Deliver (1988) - Stand and Deliver is an inspiring true story about a Bolivia-born math teacher, Jaime Escalante, who helps his underprivileged, majority-Latino high school students in East Los Angeles overcome obstacles and succeed in advanced calculus, defying expectations.
Upcoming Events in Akron
Akron Latin Festival – On Saturday, October 5th, from 4pm-9pm, Proyecto Raices and Downtown Akron Partnership will be hosting the 4th annual Akron Latin Festival at Cascade Plaza! The day will be filled with food, music, dancing, cultural performances, vendors, and more! Learn more about the event at downtownakron.com.
North American First People’s Day: On Thursday, October 10th, from 6pm-8pm, head over to the Akron Art Museum for North American First People’s Day film screening of Smoke Signals. The event is free to all, but registration is required. To learn more about the film and to register, please visit akronartmuseum.com.
Thanks for staying up to date on everything IIA, and we look forward to sharing more information soon!
July at the International Institute of Akron
In July, IIA welcomed 57 refugees to Akron from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Venezuela. It’s been a busy yet rewarding month, and we look forward to sharing more about what IIA has been up to, upcoming events in the community, how to get involved, and more!
Bhutanese Community Association of Akron Inc. Presents
A creative campaign on mental health awareness and identity crisis
The Bhutanese Community Association of Akron has coordinated a musical theater production titled Hitlor to symbolize the destructive nature of dictatorship, which the Bhutanese Nepali-speaking community, like many immigrant and displaced communities, can empathize with. The production follows the true story of a multi-generational Bhutanese Nepali-speaking family in the United States. The story shares themes of mental health in the immigrant community and finding identity in a new country. The family-friendly show will be hosted at Tallmadge High School Theater (140 N. Munroe Road, Tallmadge, OH 44276) between August 23 and 29. Tickets are pay what you can at $30, $50, or $100, and can be purchased at the venue. More information provided by the BCAA can be found below:
“In Akron, which is home to a significant Nepali diaspora and Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community, many individuals are grappling with identity crises and mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, suicide, drug abuse, and lack of understanding of US law and order. With a vision to tackle these urgent matters uniquely and creatively, we have collaborated with renowned experts from South Asia. These experts bring extensive experience working with similar communities and have achieved transformative impacts. Over the past two years, they have been deeply involved with our community and are now prepared to extend their efforts locally through a transformative Theatre Production (Musical Dark Comedy Drama: written by Joes Pandey & Bimal Subedi, and directed by Bimal Subedi). This production aims to raise awareness through a creative approach and ignite a long-term campaign addressing mental health issues within our society.”
July Recommendation Corner
Minari
This month's IIA recommendation corner will spotlight the 2020 film Minari. The film tells the story of a Korean multi-generation immigrant family who moved to Arkansas in the 1980s in search of their American Dream.
Throughout the film, they face a series of challenges and struggles in their new life in the United States. What this family really finds is the importance of family and being together.
This movie has received many awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It has also been cited as one of the best movies of the 2020s and 21st century. You can stream Minari on Max or rent the film on Prime or AppleTV.
Upcoming Events in Akron
Akron Pride Festival: Akron’s annual Pride Festival will be held on Saturday, August 24th, from 10am to 10pm in Downtown Akron. Enjoy local and national entertainers, exhibitors, an interactive children's area, food trucks and so much more! Be sure to catch the IIA team in the Akron Pride Equity March at 10am sharp! Learn more details at: https://www.akronpridefestival.org/home
Get Involved
Intern: IIA is currently seeking to fill multiple internship positions, including Communications Intern and Law Clerk Intern. If you are interested in applying or learning more, please visit https://www.iiakron.org/join-our-team.
Hiring: IIA is currently seeking interpreters for our Interpreter and Translation Services Department. To learn more about or to apply, please visit https://www.iiakron.org/join-our-team.
Donations: IIA is always looking for new or lightly used household items to assist with the housing needs of newly arrived refugees. You can find an updated list of current goods needed at https://www.iiakron.org/donation-room. If you are interested in donating new or lightly used household items, please contact Murtaza.hajizada@iiakron.org
Thanks for staying up to date on everything IIA, and we look forward to sharing more information soon!