A Good Read

Outcasts United is, on the surface, a quaint account of a refugee soccer team in an Atlanta, Georgia suburb and their efforts to bond and find a home playing field.  In reality, it is the story of townspeople coming to terms with the burgeoning immigrant population encroaching on their way of life.  Author Warren St. John presents a factual narrative rich in insight into the condition of the soccer players and their families, their passionately obstinate soccer coach, as well as background to the native community’s concerns.St. John provides vignettes of the families, describing the personal stories of each and the political turmoil which led to their subsequent flight.  Having worked with refugees, it is challenging to be impartial while reading the stories.  When reading about Paula and her family from the Congo, I couldn’t help but imagine my own Congolese client’s faces and how they may have experienced similar fear and persecution before escaping the Kabila government.  Or reading about Mohammed Mohammed, the young Iraqi boy, who came knowing no English and through the camaraderie of his teammates learned to “speak soccer,” just as so many of our own clients learn to “speak work,” learning the necessary vocabulary to make do.The most important aspect, I think, is what the author chooses not to say.  He says nothing about how to do something about immigrants in your own community.  What are we supposed to do with “them,” the others, the foreigners?  The best thing to do with these various immigrant populations is to invest your time.  The more you learn about them, the more surprised you might be at how similar your stories really are.   Interact.  Tutor English.  Edit a resume.  Collect blankets.  Mentor.  Investing your time in forming valuable relationships with our clients will not only better their situation, but affect your own in the process.To learn more about getting involved with refugees in Columbus, Ohio, contact Charis Steffel, Sponsorship Developer, at csteffel@cris-ohio.com.In the meantime, read Outcasts United by Warren St. John.Allison Raygor has been working with the Employment Program for three years now and has had the privilege of witnessing and sharing in the success of many clients as they find jobs.