PORTLAND, Maine — Hundreds of people gathered in Deering Oaks Park on Saturday for the annual observance of World Refugee Day, a celebration designed to honor the courage and struggles of immigrants who came to the United States to escape oppression in their native lands.
Since 2000, Maine has resettled more than 2,600 refugees from 24 countries. Those who attended Saturday’s event, which took the form of a celebratory festival instead of a political demonstration, represented a diverse slice of Portland’s community, with many Maine natives joining newcomers from countries that include Burundi, Somalia and Bosnia enjoying the live performances and intermingling.
Sharon Chikuta, a young volunteer with OPEN, a group of teenagers who get together and raise awareness about immigration issues in Portland, put together a world map to show visitors everybody’s diverse backgrounds. The map had at least a hundred pins placed from all over the world with a piece of string guiding each one back to a point in Maine, illustrating that from many backgrounds comprise the one community that gathered Saturday.
“We’re celebrating our history and where we’re from,” Chikuta, who emigrated from the Congo when she was 8 years old, said. “We definitely feel welcome here and try to do our part and give back to the community as well.”
An older man named Harry Kelly was at the map, tying off a piece of string to Maine from his homeland in Galway, Ireland.
“I love Portland,” Kelly said. “It’s hard to beat a fine place like this. It’s a lot nicer over here than where I came from.”
One born-and-raised Mainer named Mike Roland said he came out to the festival to support the immigrant community because “we need them.”
“We need to be a welcoming state because we’re growing old,” Roland said, citing the U.S. Census Bureau statistic that Maine has the highest median age in the country.
At the festival were several tables dedicated to displaying the cultural diversity of those who attended, including tent weaving and international food. Food was donated from three local restaurants — Kim’s Sandwiches, Babylon and Asmara — offering visitors a free international feast. Some of the food included falafel with hummus, beef and mushroom pies, black bean fritatas and almond pastries.
Performers took to the park stage, playing upbeat music that spurred many in the crowd to dance.
Parivash Rohani, one of the organizers of the World Refugee Celebration, called the turnout a success and said humanity can be drawn together by art.
“Our focus was to get the community together and expose people to our music and dance,” Rohani said. “We don’t want to live in isolation as immigrants. Diversity can be a source of strength.”