Tuesday night, the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine will celebrate its 15th anniversary with an international, fashion show, dinner and music. Fatuma Hussein founded the Lewiston-based organization. She's a force to be reckoned with. Hussein talked with Maine Public Radio’s Morning Edition host Irwin Gratz about the effort to establish the center and why she took on the challenge.
GRATZ: Here is Fatuma Hussein addressing the Women's March outside the Maine State House last year:
AUDIO OF HUSSEIN AT WOMEN’S MARCH: “The few people who intimidate us, who create a lot of fear, who think they can dictate to us, imagine the power women have to overturn their fear.”
GRATZ: So how did your early experiences inspire you to form the Immigrant Resource Center?
HUSSEIN: I am from Somalia. Somalia went into civil war in 1990 - 1991. We were seeking refuge. What I was accustomed to was extremely, very different from what I was walking into and starting a new life with. And so those struggles made me understand that the families that are coming to Lewiston, starting over their lives, were walking in my shoes as well. If I was to give back - I told myself at a young age I was going to give back to not only my community but the greater good of the state of Maine - and so was just a presentation to what used to be the Maine State Refugee Advisory Council triggered my interest in trying to figure out a way to help my community and bridge my community with the host communities.
GRATZ: How has the organization's work changed over these 15 years?
HUSSEIN: It used to be that we were the only show in town at the time, particularly in the Lewiston-Auburn area. Initially we were doing everything - we were doing anything and everything, from reproductive health to lead poisoning to cultural broker services, to provider trainings to community education. You know, we were everywhere, and I think, you know, in 2009, perhaps 2010, other organizations were emerging and other ethnic community-based organizations were being formed. And so, at that time, what we said was we needed to grow the organization, we needed to stabilize the organization to sustain it. And so we focused on system advocacy, which is really a big piece for us in terms of being present at the State House, being present at the state level, present at different levels of policy, the other places that needed voices - we are all over the place. There's also a huge piece of us doing gender-based violence work, that's culturally and linguistically specific domestic violence and sexual assault services for immigrant communities.
GRATZ: How is the changing political climate affecting your work?
HUSSEIN: I think there's a lot of fear. There's a lot of fear for my community. I also think there's a lot of fear for anybody. I mean, you know, there is just so much issues and so much information that's shared that's not based on facts. It's not based on what's true. And that creates so much fear. That widens the gap between the new members of the community and, in our case, the host community - the people who have lived in Maine for many, many, many years. And so, what we do is, there's a huge awareness around trying to debunk the myths, trying to create a safe place and safe communities for all people. An example is when the elections happened we did three months - three months - of post-election community education, because people were so scared, they felt like if we are on Lisbon street up and down, some person will pick us up, put us on the back of a truck and we will be shipped, we will be deported to where we came from.
GRATZ: Tonight's event focuses on women. Are there particular challenges the Immigrant Resource Center has been advocating for immigrant women?
HUSSEIN: Absolutely. I think, first of all, we're women, we are immigrant women, we're Muslim women. We've got women who are Christians, we’ve got women who are from different faiths. But it is a challenge to be an immigrant woman and try to navigate not only our cultural systems, but also the systems that are already here. On top of that, we are women of color. And so, I don't want to say discrimination or racism because nothing gets me down. I really don't want to say that. I know that people have to walk across aisles. People have to work together. People have to negotiate all the time. So, I'm able to navigate those systems but it is very, very challenging.
GRATZ: So what's ahead for the center in its next 15 years?
HUSSEIN: Yes. I feel like we're in a very good place. I see that for the next 15 years we will bring a different level of advocacy at the State House. I see us making sure that the immigrant community feels belonging, because what we have cultivated is a multicultural, vibrant, safe, healthy Maine.
GRATZ: Fatuma Hussein, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.
HUSSEIN: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
