Name: Mikhaella Joyce O. Ibe (Ella)
Social Justice Group: 2023-2024, NYC Refugees/Immigrants
Date of Fieldwork: January 24, 2024
Name of Organization and person (people) with whom you met and their title(s):Kenna Mateos, Program Director at Welcome Home Refugees
Type of Fieldwork: [69]
What I did and what I learned about my topic, activism, social justice work or civil and human rights work from this fieldwork?:
On the 24th of January 2023, me and my team members interviewed Kenna Mateos, Program Director at Welcome Home Jersey City and discussed her organization. They help out with refugees and asylum seekers all around Jersey City. We were able to get lots of information from her, like how most refugees around Jersey City do not have lots of places to stay or how they do not have lots of jobs which is very unfortunate. Thankfully though, Kenna and her team help out a lot with that, by providing classes and food drives for those who struggle with those materials.
She also taught us the difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee. A refugee is someone who is fleeing their country due to unlucky circumstances, while an asylum seeker is someone who leaves willingly for a better life. The interview lasted about 26 minutes long, and we thank Kenna for taking the time to interview us, and we thank Welcome Home for helping out refugees everywhere!
