World Refugee and Immigrant Day Festival is an annual event that takes place in June every year. Co-hosted by East Bay Refugee and Immigrant Forum and ARTogether, the festival recognizes and celebrates refugees on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ World Refugee Day. It sheds light on the challenges faced by refugees worldwide due to war, persecution, ethnic cleansing, and natural disasters.
The Bay Area community is a haven for thousands of immigrants, refugees, and asylees, with significant numbers originating from Afghanistan, Burma, Bhutan, Iraq, and Ukraine. This festival is a direct manifestation of our commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable community for refugees and immigrants in the Bay Area.
Our goals included providing a welcoming space for refugees and immigrants to celebrate their shared journeys, increase visibility within the larger community, encourage civic engagement, and connect participants with wellness and social resources. We also aimed to strengthen refugee and immigrant communities through creative arts, promote refugee artists, and raise awareness of refugee and immigrant issues. We are happy to report that our festival successfully achieved these objectives.
